《Phoenix's Requiem》


 Chapter 1: The Weak Have No Right to Live

    <h4>Chapter 1: The Weak Have No Right to Live</h4>


    In the capital fell torrential rain. The mid-afternoon sunlight had been abruptly covered and reced by dark clouds, as though a tribtion from the heavens had suddenly descended.


    Yun Ruoyany curled up amidst piles of firewood in a locked shack. The long green gown covering up her body was smudged with dirt and ashes, leaving her bedraggled. As the door to the shack swung open, a dim light permeated the dark room, but the woman on the floor didn¡¯t move.


    Pei Ziao walked in, wrinkling his nose at the damp and musty air. He walked towards the shadow on the floor and kicked at her waist, not holding back.


    The tears on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face hadn¡¯t fully dried. She opened her eyes a tiny slit, staring at the man clothed in silk brocade. His countenance was as handsome as ever, his eyes and brows gentle, and yet the mocking smile dancing by his lips left her trembling as though she were in a frozen cer.


    That had been the man she¡¯d loved most in the world¡ªjust a few days prior, they had been a happy couple! But now, this man, who had been her light in the perennial darkness, had pushed her into the abyss himself!


    ¡°It¡¯s been so many days since we¡¯vest talked! Are you alright, dear sister?¡± A tender voice emerged from outside the shack. Yun Ruoyan turned towards the voice and saw a face with which she was intimately familiar.


    Yi Qianying!


    Never would Yun Ruoyan have thought that a girl as seemingly harmless as Yi Qianying would be in cahoots with her husband¡ªfor goodness¡¯ sake, she was her cousin!


    Pei Ziao waved his hand,manding a servant to lift Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body. Her delicate limbs were roughly pushed into a kneeling position, right in front of Pei Ziao.


    Yi Qianying walked over with a bowl of medicine. ¡°Sister, today¡¯s the day when the Yun and Lin families are to be beheaded. Aren¡¯t you going to go see?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes shed as she raised her head starkly, the tear tracks on her face shining amidst the darkness. ¡°W-What did you say?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you know?¡± Yi Qianying covered up a smile with her hand, nudging Pei Ziao. ¡°Ziao, after all, no matter what she¡¯s done, she¡¯s still a member of both families, isn¡¯t she? Why didn¡¯t you tell her anything?¡±


    Pei Ziao gave her an indulgent smile, his gaze affectionate and warm, a measure of love that Yun Ruoyan had never felt from him during their marriage.


    But at the present moment, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t care less about her husband¡¯s betrayal. ¡°Yi Qianying! What did you say just now?! What¡¯s happened to the Yun and Lin families?¡±


    The day she was locked inside the little shack, all she knew was that something big had happened in the Yun household, but for her entire family to be executed...?


    Yi Qianying smiled shyly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you still cared about those two families, sister! After all, when you decided to break off any ties with the Lins on ount of Pei Ziao, I thought that you would long have forgotten about them. The emperor has decreed that both the Yuns and Lins are to be summarily executed at noon today for treachery, for high treason. How¡¯s my parting gift to you, sister?¡±


    ¡°What......¡± Yun Ruoyan stared straight at the woman in front of her, daggers in her eyes. In the past, she¡¯d wondered how the Yun household had fallen so low in a single night, but she¡¯d never dared link those events to these two!


    Yun Ruoyan grit her teeth, her eyes red from regret and fury. She howled, ¡°Yi Qianying, you wretched wench! The Yuns have always treated you like their own daughter, and I, like my own sister. Why did you do all this?!¡±


    Yi Qianying smiled daintily once more, her fingers curling around the hair by her temples. ¡°Sister, are you ying dumb, or do you really not understand? I suppose it¡¯s thetter; after all, as ugly and rough a person as you are... I suppose you¡¯re still wholly dedicated to your husband. How could Pei Ziao, with his identity and status, ever be interested in such a hideous woman? It¡¯d be humiliating for Ziao to bring you out with him, let alone call you his wife!¡±


    ¡°A hideous woman...¡± Was this truly how it was? No wonder Pei Ziao was never willing to consummate their marriage¡ªbut even then, she wasn¡¯t one of those people who would force herself onto others! If Pei Ziao hadn¡¯t told her that he¡¯d loved her, she wouldn¡¯t have married into the Pei household!


    But...but Pei Ziao himself had been the one who said he didn¡¯t care about her appearance, nor the birthmark on her face!


    Was it all a lie?


    Then, did Pei Ziao marry her solely because she was the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family?


    Yun Ruoyan felt as though a film had been removed from her eyes, that she was finally seeing the true colors of the man with whom she¡¯d shared a bed for so many years. A well of regret sprung up from within her, but it was far, far toote.


    By the side, Yi Qianying slowly brought the medicinal brew closer. The dark yellow tonic giving off a hint of danger.


    A smile hung on Yi Qianying¡¯s lips. ¡°Sister, let me send you off on yourst voyage. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of both your husband and the Yun family businesses for you.¡±


    As Yun Ruoyan looked at the bowl Yi Qianying held in her hands, she turned towards Pei Ziao¡ªbut all she saw was a pair of cold, distant eyes.


    ¡°Qianying, stop wasting time talking nonsense to her. Pour it down her throat!¡± An icy voice emerged from his lips, and Pei Ziao shifted his gaze away from her disdainfully.


    ¡°Pei Ziao, why are you treating me like this? I want to hear it from your own lips!¡±


    Pei Ziao smiled coldly, turning back and clutching Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lower jaw as if he were about to break it off. ¡°Why? Because you¡¯re not only ugly, but alsopletely useless!¡±


    And then he hurled Yun Ruoyan against the floor.


    Useless?


    She¡¯d heard that word thrown at her countless times, of course, but this was the first that she¡¯d heard it from the man that she loved with all her heart.


    Did Pei Ziao think she was useless too?


    Perhaps it was true. After all, she was born ugly, and she couldn¡¯t even be a third-rank demaster, something that even the least talented cultivator among the masses could aplish.


    Yi Qianying dropped her pretense as she raised the brew and approached Yun Ruoyan.


    Perhaps out of a desire to live, Yun Ruoyan, who had been tortured to such an extent that she no longer looked human, struggled so fiercely that she actually broke free from the servants¡¯ grasp.


    A crisp p rang out as Yi Qianying clutched her cheek in shock.


    Did Yun Ruoyan really hit her? Yun Ruoyan, famed for her ugliness throughout the kingdom of Li? How dare she!


    The next moment, Pei Ziao rushed forward and pped Yun Ruoyan back in turn. ¡°You wretch! Are you crazy?!¡±


    Pei Ziao used so much strength that Yun Ruoyan felt a taste of iron in her mouth, and a trickle of blood seeped out of the corner of her lips.


    Immediately afterwards, Pei Ziao snatched the bowl from Yi Qianying¡¯s hands, pinched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lower jaw tightly, and forced the brew down her throat.


    When the bowl was finally emptied, he released her, and as she coughed, Yun Ruoyan raised her head and grit her teeth. ¡°Pei Ziao! I won¡¯t let you off! In the afterlife, I swear on my name and the heavens above, I will collect this blood debt!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bloodshot eyes opened wide, her gaze burning with fury, the vengeance in her words and appearance startling Pei Ziao enough that he had an urge to run from her in fear. But as she spoke herst, Yun Ruoyan felt her heart clench and a torrent of blood rush out of her throat. It sshed on the floor, bright and vile.


    No longer did Pei Ziao want to look at this woman who nauseated him, nor her vilifying gaze. ¡°You, you, and you, throw her outside! Don¡¯t let this dirty wench die within the Pei household!¡±


    As Yi Qianying looked on, sheughed coldly, raising her slender, white neck. ¡°Vengeance? I look forward to it. But it seems like you won¡¯t be able to carry it out in this lifetime, Yun Ruoyan!¡±


    <hr>


    1. Aristocratic families tended to berge, as males were expected to take a wife and multiple concubines. Children of wives are afforded higher status in the family than children of concubines, and I use the terms ¡®wife-born¡¯ and ¡®concubine-born¡¯ in reference to this distinction.

 Chapter 2: Rebirth and Return

    <h4>Chapter 2: Rebirth and Return</h4>


    The skies were still pouring when servants from the Pei family threw Yun Ruoyan onto the streets as if they were discarding a dog¡¯s carcass.


    There were quite a few people walking through the streets, discussing the uing execution of the Yun and Lin families. When they saw Yun Ruoyan being thrown out from the manor, all they thought was that she was simply a handmaid who hadmitted some grave sin or another; no one could have imagined that she had once been a full daughter of the Yun family, nor wife to the master of the Pei household.


    Rain soaked Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body. Before she married into the Peis, she had even started a big fight with her grandmother because of the rtionship between her and Pei Ziao. Based on today¡¯s events, however, she was clearly the one at fault.


    Grandmother, grandmother... she was the only one who had truly treated her well in this world. No matter what, Yun Ruoyan had to see her once more before the execution, even if it was only to apologize ineffectually.


    But after long periods of torture and the poison that she had just ingested, she no longer had the ability to stand up of her own volition. After trying and failing a few times, the most she could manage was to crawl along the floor as she pulled herself forward with her arms.


    The rain mixed with bloody rivulets on her body, leaving a frightening trail along the street as Yun Ruoyan crawled onward.


    Almost, she was almost at the stage!


    But before she could approach any further, a call rang out, ¡°It¡¯s time¡ª!¡±


    ¡°No, no...¡± Yun Ruoyan reached out in the direction of her family, yelling out with thest of her breath, but her voice waspletely drowned out by the wind and rain.


    When Yun Ruoyan next regained her senses, all she could see were trails of blood that stemmed from the stage. Streaks of blood, diluted pink from the rain, stained her gown.


    A trail of bloody tears fell from her eyes.


    Was this the end? She hadn¡¯t even been able to see her family onest time before their execution! In her sorrow and grief, as her breathing became uneven and ragged, she felt blood and bile rising up her throat.


    And as shey dying, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but cry wretchedly in the rain. It was a heart-rending sound, as if she were trying to expel all her grievances and suffering at once to the heavens.


    The Yuns and Lins, both prosperous families, summarily executed¡ªall due to her, Yun Ruoyan! And it was then that she swore once more: were she ever to live again, she would never allow herself to suffer so, nor forgive those who had left her in such dire straits. Oh, how she hated herself, her naivete andck of perception, and those who had orchestrated this debacle!


    An umbre opened up over Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head, apanied by a curious voice. ¡°Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was lying on the floor, her eyes barely open. All she could see was a dark robe with gold embroidery, the signature of royalty.


    ¡°I thought that you¡¯d have woken up and seen the truth sooner.¡± His tone was uninflected, almost callous, as if he were stating a fact.


    ¡°Ha...¡± Yun Ruoyan curled up, smelling the scent of blood rising all around her. ¡°Even if I be a malicious spirit, I won¡¯t ever spare them!¡±


    ¡°That sounds more like the you I remember.¡± The dark-robed man¡¯s voice rang out again. He stooped down and stroked Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hair. ¡°As you know, the weak don¡¯t have the right to live.¡±


    <i>Without the right to live?</i>


    Yun Ruoyan squeezed out a smile as her surroundings turned icy, as if her breath would freeze in her throat. If she could relive these days, she would never, never allow such cmity!


    The man heard no further response from her. He extended a slender finger towards her nose, frowning.


    A ck-d guard beside him looked at the woman on the ground, his cold features expressionless. ¡°Your Highness, she appears to be dead.¡±


    Only then did the man retract his finger. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    <i>Cough! Cough, cough! </i>


    When Yun Ruoyan came to once more, all she felt was a buzzing in her brain that caused her to cough violently. Only when she¡¯d stopped did she slowly open her eyes and stare at the sight in front of her. It took some time before the fog in front of her eyes cleared up, as if she had been awoken in the middle of a nightmare.


    Suddenly, a person dressed like a maid rushed to her front, calling out excitedly, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re finally awake! Oh, I was so scared! How did you end up falling into such a deep sleep?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked at her in a daze, not speaking for quite a long moment.


    She faintly recalled this face. It seemed to be one of her handmaids she¡¯d had before her marriage, a warm, intelligent girl.


    But she had gotten married three years ago, and never had she seen that maid again.


    ¡°Peony?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked cautiously.


    Peony replied immediately, ¡°Yes, Miss, I¡¯m right here!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan fell into a daze.


    What had happened? She clearly remembered being force-fed poison by Pei Ziao, and the horrifying execution of the Yun and Lin families, and her falling down amidst the rain, and then...nothing.


    She should have died! Peony should never have appeared in front of her, unless...she hade back to life once more!


    ¡°Miss, is something wrong?¡± Seeing that Yun Ruoyan was in a daze, Peony nced at her surreptitiously a few times. ¡°Miss, if we don¡¯t head over to the old madam¡¯s residence now, we¡¯ll bete...¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt as though her head were filled with cotton. She pulled off her nkets and got up immediately. ¡°Peony, my head¡¯s hurting a little. Can you remind me what happened?¡±


    ¡°Of course your head will hurt, miss, you¡¯ve slept for so long!¡± As Peony helped Yun Ruoyan get up, she recounted, ¡°The old madam just sent word saying that a jade ornament that the empress dowager herself bequeathed to her has gone missing, so everyone has gathered at the great hall to figure out what could have happened. We can¡¯t bete!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled once more.


    Her grandmother, the empress dowager, the jade ornament, missing...


    She remembered this series of events very clearly, but it was something that had happened five years ago. The whole family made a big fuss about this incident, and somehow, she ended up being the scapegoat. But she hadn¡¯t done anything at all; she was clearly framed!


    Because of this event, even her grandmother had turned against her.


    Had she really gone back five years into the past? Had the heavens seen fit to bestow upon her a new life, after she had died at the hands of Yi Qianying and Pei Ziao?


    Yun Ruoyan sat in front of her dresser. Reflected in the mirror was a youthful face, which might have been pretty but for a bright red birthmark on her right cheek, extending from the corner of her eye to the base of her nose, giving her a frightening appearance.


    Yun Ruoyan raised her hand and touched her birthmark.


    Had the heavens heard her plea? If so, she wouldn¡¯t fritter away this opportunity. To those who had nned and plotted against her, she would repay her debt in blood!


    She clearly remembered that Yi Qianying was the one who had stolen the jade ornament, but her shame and self-abasement had prevented her from daring to speak the truth. There had to be a reason the heavens had sent her back to this specific time, and she certainly wouldn¡¯t repeat the same mistake!


    And as for Pei Ziao, he too would pay.


    ¡°Peony, something simple will do. Grandmother¡¯s matter is urgent, so we shouldn¡¯t let everyone wait.¡±


    Peony nced at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s reflection in the mirror. The young miss seemed to have changed after her long map, but she couldn¡¯t quite make out how.


    She dared only nce at her once before dropping her gaze and carefully brushing her long hair. ¡°Yes, miss.¡±


    Quickly after, apanied by Peony, Yun Ruoyan walked towards the gathering.

 Chapter 3: Those Who Take Advantage of Me

    <h4>Chapter 3: Those Who Take Advantage of Me</h4>


    The young misses and masters had all gathered at the great hall. The meeting was presided over by their grandmother, sitting primly at the head of the room, her mien severe.


    Yun Ruoyan was dressed in a moon-white gown. Upon entering and bowing, she retreated to the side in deference. Beside her were her eldest sister, Yun Ruoyao, her third sister, Yun Ruoyu, and her cousin, Yi Qianying.


    Seeing that everyone was present, her grandmother nced at Madam An, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s father¡¯s first concubine. Madam An strode forth and announced, ¡°A few days prior, the empress dowager bequeathed upon your grandmother a rare gift, a jade ornament with mother-of-pearl iy, but it has gone missing! If you were the culprit, reveal yourself now and there will be clemency, or else!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stood stock-still as she nced at Yi Qianying from the corner of her eyes. At this point, Yi Qianying was only fourteen years old, and Yun Ruoyan thought that she could see a hint of panic and anxiety on her slender frame.


    What she didn¡¯t expect was that Yi Qianying would raise her head high, her expression level. Her slightly trembling lips were the only hint of her unease, as if she were forcefully trying to keep herself calm.


    No wonder everyone in the Yun family liked her; she¡¯d been skilled at deception even as a child.


    What Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know was that, while she was secretly inspecting Yi Qianying, Madam An was looking at her. Madam An understood Yun Ruoyan¡¯s personality well: whenever something big came up, she would always duck her head and hunker down like a terrified bird. Under usual circumstances, Yun Ruoyan would be trembling with fright, but today, she stood straight up as if she were a different person entirely.


    Noticing Madam An¡¯s gaze, Yun Ruoyan tilted her head toward her, revealing the frightening birthmark by the corner of her eye. It was so shocking and so distinctive that Madam An quelled her thoughts, turning her gaze away¡ªwhat was she thinking? How could this be anyone other than the ugly, useless idiot of the Yun household!


    Madam An¡¯s gaze swept over the gathered audience. ¡°Anyone who knows something but doesn¡¯t report it will be subject to the same punishment!¡±


    And as soon as she finished speaking, someone sucked in a breath from within the silent hall. Madam An¡¯s sharp gaze quicklynded on its source. ¡°Qianying, did you have something to say?¡±


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s gazended on Yi Qianying; even the Yun matriarch at the head of the table opened her eyes a crack, waiting for Yi Qianying¡¯s next move.


    Yi Qianying appeared to panic as she suddenly knelt on the floor. ¡°Grandmother, aunt... I, I don¡¯t dare say anything!¡±


    Clearly, Yi Qianying knew something. How could Madam An let go of such an opportunity to establish her authority and to raise her standing in the eyes of the matriarch? She immediately raised her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you from any repercussions. Tell us the truth!¡±


    Even the blunt Yun Ruoyu spoke up for her. ¡°That¡¯s right, Qianying! With Grandmother and everyone else here, you don¡¯t have anything to worry about!¡±


    ¡°I, I really don¡¯t dare.¡± Yi Qianying¡¯s whole bodyy prostrate on the floor, her words filled with grievance. She didn¡¯t forget to look toward Yun Ruoyan briefly as she spoke.


    Everyone knew what this implied.


    Madam An looked at Yun Ruoyan once more and was shocked to notice that, not only did the girl not seem to be scared by this usation, but she even stood with more elevated a bearing than before.


    The Yun matriarch looked at Yi Qianying on the floor, frowned, and turned toward Yun Ruoyan as well. Only when she saw the serene expression on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face did her own expression turn a little more gentle.


    The whole hall was quiet. No one spoke, as if a trap had beenid and they were all waiting for prey to jump in of her own ord¡ªand, in truth, this was what had happened previously.


    Yi Qianying was clever and eloquent, and Madam An pressed her tightly at every opportunity. How could the Yun Ruoyan of the past have been their match? Naturally, she had ended up the scapegoat of this entire affair.


    But this time, she surely wouldn¡¯t let the same tragedy happen again!


    ¡°Why are all of you looking at me? Why have you stopped, sister? Please, keep going.¡± A smile danced around Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips.


    The development of the affair seemed to have been out of Yi Qianying¡¯s expectations. She stared at Yun Ruoyan skeptically, her eyes filled with shock: Yun Ruoyan¡¯s confidence was something that she had never seen before. All she could do was forge on and exim, ¡°I-I saw my sister, Yun Ruoyan, steal the jade ornament!¡±


    These words shook the room.


    Madam An immediately called out, ¡°Yun Ruoyan! As the second daughter of the household, how could you do something like this?! The jade ornament was given to your grandmother by the empress dowager herself!¡±


    Yun Ruoyu piled on, ¡°Sister, are you that poor that you have to resort to something like this? Stealing your own family¡¯s possessions¡ªaren¡¯t you afraid of beingughed at?¡±


    Seeing her sisters¡¯ actions, Yun Ruoyao also added, ¡°Sister, I know you usually aren¡¯t given all that many ornaments, neither gold nor jade nor anything else, but we sisters can certainly give you some of our own. Why go to the trouble of stealing something, especially something so precious?¡±


    Madam An gave Yun Ruoyao an approving nce as she sighed and turned back to Yun Ruoyan, urging her earnestly, ¡°How could you do something like this? Quick, apologize to your grandmother and hand back the jade ornament, and we¡¯ll pretend this never happened.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smirked inwardly, but she kept her lips shut.


    After a moment, Madam An became quite annoyed at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s inaction. She had long been a thorn in her eye, but never had she disobeyed and ignored hermands so openly before! How dare she! Madam An raised her hand and voice as shemanded, ¡°Yun Ruoyan, did you hear me?! Return the jade ornament; that¡¯s not something you can take!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan raised her head and met Madam An¡¯s gaze before slowly opening her mouth. ¡°I cannot hand back the ornament.¡±


    ¡°What?! Did you sell it?!¡± Madam An raised her eyebrows as her tone turned even more severe. ¡°How could the Yuns have such an unfilial daughter as you!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan raised her voice. ¡°Mother, how do you expect me to return something that I haven¡¯t taken?¡±


    The old matriarch, who had been frowning and keeping her eyes shut during this entire exchange, opened her eyes for the second time, her gaze once again on Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan strode toward the center of the room. ¡°Madam An, I¡¯ve never admitted to taking the jade ornament. How can you conclude that Imitted this theft on the words of my cousin alone?¡±


    ¡°If not you, then who...¡± Madam An faltered as she met Yun Ruoyan¡¯s prating gaze, and quickly passed the buck to Yi Qianying. ¡°Qianying! Tell us, when did you see her steal the jade ornament? Tell us everything!¡±


    Yi Qianying¡¯s gaze shed. She¡¯d expected that Yun Ruoyan would dig a deeper and deeper hole for herself, but she had ended up being dragged back into the affair in a critical moment instead.


    She could only grit her teeth and forge onward. ¡°Yes, Madam An. As I was on a strollst night, I saw a shadowe out of our grandmother¡¯s rooms. That person was in such a rush that she knocked into me, and only then did I see that it was my sister, Yun Ruoyan, with a jade ornament in herp!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled coldly. In truth, it was Yi Qianying who had bumped into Yun Ruoyan as she tried to sneak away with the ornament, and she had swapped their identities in her recollection in order to pin Yun Ruoyan with the me.


    <hr>


    1. More precisely, half-sisters. Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu are both concubine-born, and their only shared parent is their father.


    2. Yun Ruoyan is Yi Qianying¡¯s biological cousin, but ¡°sister¡± ismonly used as a term of endearment, even for biologically unrted people. The same is true for ¡°brother.¡±


    3. In noble families, where the head of the householdmonly has a wife and multiple concubines, all children are expected to address their father¡¯s wife as ¡°mother¡±, even if she is not their birth mother. In this case, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mother is actually dead, so the title of ¡°mother¡± goes to the most senior concubine, Madam An.

 Chapter 4: Trash Deserves to be Punished

    <h4>Chapter 4: Trash Deserves to be Punished</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan ignored Yi Qianying¡¯s usation and turned toward her grandmother. ¡°Grandmother, trust me. I promise I¡¯ll help you recover the jade ornament and find the real culprit!¡±


    No one expected the soft and weak Yun Ruoyan to say something so daring, and even Yi Qianying was a little flustered by her words. When the Yun matriarch looked toward Yun Ruoyan once more, there were a few extra notes of appreciation in her gaze. ¡°Are you confident?¡±


    ¡°My name was tarnished today¡ªI need to prove my innocence, and I refuse to be wronged by others! Grandmother, please give me this opportunity.¡± She understood her grandmother well. Her grandmother was the only one in the family who believed in her, but even she had eventually lost hope.


    In the past, the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back was when Yun Ruoyan had been med for the theft of the jade ornament.


    But this time, she was confident that she could change all this.


    Yi Qianying wanted to be praised by everyone and beloved by all, but Yun Ruoyan would ruin her n!


    ¡°Grandmother, I did see Qianying that night, but the one who stole the jade ornament wasn¡¯t me!¡± At this point, Yun Ruoyan slowly looked toward Yi Qianying, and the crowd followed her gaze. ¡°It was her!¡± Yun Ruoyan raised her arm and pointed straight at Yi Qianying.


    Yi Qianying stilled. She¡¯d never imagined that Yun Ruoyan would use her like that in public! Used to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s weakness and silence, she was clearly difited by her sudden fiery behavior.


    Just as Yi Qianying was about to speak up in protest, Yun Ruoyan spoke over her. ¡°That night, while I was walking by Grandmother¡¯s residence, I saw Qianying run away with something clutched in herp. At the time, I didn¡¯t realize why Qianying was so flustered. After Qianying recounted the night¡¯s event with our roles reversed, I now understand that what she was carrying in herp was the stolen jade ornament!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knelt on the floor, her tone earnest. ¡°Grandmother, I know I don¡¯t receive as many gifts from the household as my sisters do, but I would never steal from the household! I don¡¯t enjoy quarrelling with people, but I also refuse to let the me for this theft fall on me!¡±


    ¡°Ruo-Sister Ruoyan!¡± Yi Qianying¡¯s hands shook as she supported her trembling legs. ¡°I¡¯ve not stolen a single thing! What proof do you have, sister? Grandmother, I¡¯m innocent!¡±


    ¡°Proof?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked coldly at Yi Qianying. ¡°Qianying, if you¡¯re truly innocent, are you willing to have your room searched?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Yi Qianying was tongue-tied, a slender finger slightly wavering as it pointed straight at Yun Ruoyan.


    The Yun matriarch looked at Yi Qianying¡¯s trembling lips, and then at Yun Ruoyan kneeling on the floor, face resolute. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Qianying¡¯s rooms.¡±


    A whole slew of people immediately rushed toward Qianying¡¯s rooms as soon as themand was issued. The family¡¯s servants beganbing through Yi Qianying¡¯s possessions gently and carefully.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but think back to what the search had looked like in her room in the past. Her whole room had been turned topsy-turvy, bedsheets scattered all over the floor. When the servants couldn¡¯t find the ornament, Madam An and the others used her of having sold it. Yi Qianying¡¯s treatment was miles better than what she had received.


    Her grandmother saw and understood the discrimination clearly, but although she sighed in her heart, she said nothing. She was more interested in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s response to this behavior.


    A momentter, Yun Ruoyan indeed spoke up. ¡°Madam An, why does it seem like our servants are sockadaisical, even for such a simple task as searching? If outsiders were to look in, wouldn¡¯t theyment on how improperly the household¡¯s being managed?¡±


    Madam An¡¯s face froze. When had Yun Ruoyan be so glib and eloquent?


    The Yun matriarch simply looked on impassively. Despite her being the victim, she didn¡¯t seem to have any intent of getting involved in this conflict. In the end, Madam An could only instruct all the servants, ¡°Search quickly and carefully! Don¡¯t miss even a single corner!¡±


    Yi Qianying¡¯s face nched as Yun Ruoyan smiled.


    All of a sudden, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze lit up as she strode forward. ¡°Wait!¡±


    Before the dresser, a servant held up an exquisite dressing case. She was about to inspect it when Yi Qianying snatched it from her grasp.


    This was something that Yi Qianying¡¯s deceased mother had left for her, and Yun Ruoyan had only seen it once. It was filled with all sorts of jewelry and ornaments, and Yi Qianying cherished it greatly.


    ¡°Qianying, what¡¯s this?¡±


    A brief sh of panic appeared on Yi Qianying¡¯s face before she forcibly calmed down again. ¡°It¡¯s an ornamental box that my mother left me; both Grandmother and Madam An know about it!¡±


    Madam An clearly didn¡¯t miss Yi Qianying¡¯s panic, because she quickly went over to smooth things over. After all, even though Yi Qianying wasn¡¯t truly a member of the Yuns, she was intelligent and clever, and far better than trash like Yun Ruoyan. ¡°That¡¯s right, we all know about this. Qianying¡¯s a filial girl, and she¡¯s very protective of her mother¡¯s possessions! We don¡¯t have to pry.¡±


    <i>What sort of flimsy excuse was this?</i> Yun Ruoyan smiled coldly; she couldn¡¯t follow Madam An¡¯s logic. ¡°Given how precious something like this is, isn¡¯t that all the more reason we have to inspect it? If there¡¯s truly nothing inside, then my sister¡¯s guilt will be absolved, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yi Qianying clutched the box in her arms, her face red. At this point, the Yun matriarch finally spoke up. ¡°Qianying, bring the key over.¡±


    Yi Qianying could only retrieve the key from her pocket. She bit her lips, unable to gather enough courage to open the box.


    As the key slid from her grasp, Yi Qianying knelt down on the floor once more. ¡°Grandmother! I know I¡¯ve made a mistake! It was just a moment¡¯s folly, and I don¡¯t dare to do it again!¡±


    Everyone present was shocked. They¡¯d never expected that as obedient and kind a girl as Yi Qianying would really have stolen the jade ornament!


    Yi Qianying knelt on the floor, her head almost touching the ground. One could only see her trembling shoulders, as if she would cry at any moment.


    Yun Ruoyu picked up the key on the floor and opened the dressing box with a snick.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s truly the jade ornament!¡± Yun Ruoyu called out at once. ¡°My goodness, Qianying, you actually stole it?! You even tried to me it on our older sister...¡±


    Yun Ruoyao was also rocked to the core. Clearly, even she hadn¡¯t known about it, and she was the closest to Yi Qianying in this household! Madam An felt somewhat speechless: after all, she was the one who had been shielding Yi Qianying all this time. She gazed at the Yun matriarch. ¡°Mother, how do you think we should handle this?¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to teach you this as well?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s grandmother frowned. ¡°Madam An, Ruoyan¡¯s the Yun family¡¯s only wife-born daughter. When did she be someone who could be bullied by an outsider who¡¯s not even part of this household?¡±


    Yi Qianying knelt on the floor, unable to speak up for herself out of fear. Madam An looked at her in pity¡ªshe¡¯d initially wanted to dole out only a small punishment, but the Yun matriarch had all but stated that it had to be something at least decently harsh.


    Madam An sighed and motioned to the servants. ¡°Come, bring Miss Yi to the ancestral hall, and have her kneel there for an entire day and night!¡±

 Chapter 5: There’s Hope Yet

    <h4>Chapter 5: There¡¯s Hope Yet</h4>


    It was somewhat difficult for Yun Ruoyan to get through the rest of the night. Having too many questions and almost no answers, she ignored dinner in favor of leaning against the windowsill, ruminating about the past.


    ¡°Miss, may I ask what you¡¯re thinking about?¡± Xi Lan walked over with a tray of food. ¡°Miss, did you know? While Miss Yi was receiving her punishment, Young Master Pei actually came over and secretly brought her a few snacks!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled. Pei Ziao had done the same thing in the past: while she was being punished, he had secretly brought food over for her, and that single act of kindness had stuck with her ever since.


    It was all because she thought that he was the only one who didn¡¯t seem to despise her birthmark, herck of talent for cultivation. But that simply wasn¡¯t true, was it?


    ¡°Does Madam An know?¡±


    ¡°Of course she does! But...she didn¡¯t say a single thing.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled coldly. When Madam An found her with food during her punishment, she had locked her up and beaten her half to death. But now, when Yi Qianying was the one doing it, she was treated all too differently.


    Seeing her mistress¡¯ face change, Peony quickly stuffed a snack into Xi Lan¡¯s mouth. ¡°You bbermouth!¡±


    Xi Lan didn¡¯t seem upset by the gesture as she chewed on the osmanthus cake in her mouth. ¡°Oh, this is tasty!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan would normally have enjoyed their banter, but she was currently too preupied with her thoughts. ¡°Alright, settle down. Let me be alone for a little.¡±


    Xi Lan wanted to say something more, but Peony pulled her back. After the evening¡¯s events, Peony had recognized the change in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s behavior and personality, and wanted to help her at least a little---even if that help was simply to give her enough space to think.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s thoughts bounced around her head.


    When she was small, she had been tested as a cultivation genius, but for some reason, her talent had decreased by the day. Even now, she was stuck as a novice demaster, unable to advance even a little.


    On the other hand, her birthmark, which had barely been noticeable at a young age, seemed to keep spreading and growing as she did.


    Why was that? Could it be that she¡¯d unknowingly interacted with something that had changed her appearance and talent so?


    Yun Ruoyan was disrupted from her thoughts by the sound of something heavy falling. She quickly stood up, grabbing a candle-holder close by for protection, and walked out of the cottage. She¡¯d just gone past the door when she saw a shadow lying on the ground, a dark red gash on his leg pulsing out blood.


    Yun Ruoyan looked warily at her surroundings, checking for people. When she found none, she clutched the candle-holder tightly in her hands, slowly crept towards the shadow, and checked whether he was still breathing.


    <i>He¡¯s alive!</i>


    Yun Ruoyan quickly rolled up her sleeves. She¡¯d intended to drag him into her cottage, but she found that she didn¡¯t have the strength to do so. And because this person¡¯s identity was unknown, it would be unwise to have any servants help: who knew what kind of trouble she could get into for doing so!


    She began to fret, trying absently to lift the person¡¯s cor, but suddenly, he grabbed her wrist.


    Yun Ruoyan raised her head and met a sharp, distinct face. In the dark of the night, all she could see was that person¡¯s bright, reflective eyes. They shone like dark pearls, but with a dangerous glint that made one fearful.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart was pounding in her chest. His grip was so strong that, if he truly had ill intentions toward her, she wasn¡¯t sure she could escape.


    The ck-d man didn¡¯t speak. His eyes seemed to be clouded by some sort of fog. Only when she calmed down did Yun Ruoyan realize his peculiarities. His body temperature was higher than was normal, and although his grip was painful, Yun Ruoyan could feel from his trembling arm that he was already trying very hard to restrain himself---restraining himself from hurting her with his strength, from taking the next step!


    ¡°Who are you, and what¡¯re you doing here?¡±


    The other party didn¡¯t respond, but his grip grew stronger.


    Yun Ruoyan struggled a few times to no avail, ultimately deciding to give up and switch to a verbal defense. ¡°You¡¯re hurt quite badly. Although I¡¯m the second daughter of this household, I don¡¯t have any real authority or power. I¡¯ll try my best to help you find a doctor.¡±


    Upon hearing ¡°second daughter¡±, the man¡¯s arm trembled, and the strength of his grip made Yun Ruoyan feel as though her wrist was about to be dislocated. In pain, she gasped, ¡°What¡¯re you doing?! Let go!¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes drooped as he frowned, as if trying his hardest to resist something. Only after a long while did he grit out, ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call a doctor.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, Yun Ruoyan felt a patch of warmth against her lips. She opened her eyes wide. Had she... had she just been forcibly kissed?!


    Almost subconsciously, Yun Ruoyan mmed a fist against that man¡¯s chest, but the man caught her fist halfway! In a moment of panic, she then kicked at his injured, bleeding leg.


    The man gasped and let go, but rather than get mad, heughed. ¡°It really is you.¡±


    <i>What do you mean, it really is me? </i>His tone felt somewhat familiar to Yun Ruoyan, but in the heat of the moment, she couldn¡¯t discern why.


    ¡°Help me treat my wound.¡± His tone wasmanding, and it frustrated Yun Ruoyan to no end. After all, it was this man who had suddenly burst into the Yun estate out of nowhere, and she could have gotten a manservant to throw him out at any time. What right did he have tomand her around?


    Seeing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s displeasure, the man raised his hand and clutched at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s neck, a marked shift from earlier. ¡°You have to, because I can kill you at any time, even if I¡¯m injured.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but frown. She hated being threatened by others, and this ck-d man¡¯s attitude was particrly distasteful to her. She responded in a joking tone, ¡°What if you try to do something to me even after you get better? I don¡¯t dare save you!¡±


    The man¡¯s throat tightened, and he felt heat coursing through his body. He was already trying his hardest to suppress the effect of the drug, but this woman in front of him was stimting him further! At this point, what she¡¯d alluded to wasn¡¯t a ¡°what if¡± anymore!


    How could Yun Ruoyan know what the man was thinking? All she could see were his gradually reddening eyes and ardent gaze, as if he wanted to eat her alive.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan,¡± spoke the ck-d man suddenly, ¡°do you want to remove the birthmark on your face?¡±


    Hearing the man say her name and simultaneously bring up her birthmark, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze turned even more wary than before.


    Tha man continued, ¡°I can help you think of ways to get rid of it. If you save me, I¡¯ll help you. We¡¯ll both benefit.¡±


    She had to say, this condition was quite alluring to her. Yun Ruoyan lightly touched the birthmark on her cheek. Her eyes were bright, but her tone cold. ¡°What reason do I have to trust you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been poisoned,¡± the man concluded in a dispassionate tone, one that left Yun Ruoyan tongue-tied. His gaze was as deep as the ocean, and Yun Ruoyan felt inexplicably that his words were the truth.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark had steadily grown with her, and it had been with her as far back as she could remember. She¡¯d never entertained the possibility of poison, but this man was able to discern that with a single nce?!


    In the end, Yun Ruoyan looked calmly at those eyes shrouded in darkness. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you.¡±

 Chapter 6: A Problem With the Birthmark

    <h4>Chapter 6: A Problem With the Birthmark</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan exerted all her strength to drag the ck-d man into her own house.


    The man half-sat on the bed, his eyes tightly closed, trying to suppress the drug ravaging his body to the best of his ability. Sweat beaded on his forehead and trailed down his face.


    The interior of the room was bright, and it was only then did Yun Ruoyan finally see his appearance clearly. His features were well-defined and his eyes expressive; even by the standards of the capital, he would rank near the top in attractiveness.


    <i>Getting forcefully kissed by a man like him doesn¡¯t seem to be so bad.</i> As Yun Ruoyan thought this, she looked at his injury.


    She wasn¡¯t a doctor, and she didn¡¯t really have the supplies for emergency treatment. When she saw the deep gash by the man¡¯s chest, Yun Ruoyan shook in shock.


    If the sword wound had been just a centimeter to the right, the man¡¯s aorta would have been cut!


    She snuck another nce at the man. His eyes were closed, but his scrunched-up forehead made his forbearance clear.


    <i>Was he unwilling to see a doctor even with an injury of this extent?</i>


    Yun Ruoyan carefully helped him bandage up hisst wound. ¡°I can only perform simple first-aid. You¡¯ve suffered grievous internal injuries, and you definitely need more intensive treatment quickly.¡±


    The ck-d man grunted, dressing himself before walking out the door.


    Yun Ruoyan rinsed her bloody towel. She spoke without looking at him, her tone intent, ¡°Don¡¯t forget about your promise with me.¡±


    The man stilled at the door. The corners of his lips curled up. ¡°I keep my promises.¡±


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan washed up and changed into an indigo gown early in the morning. She was right about to go to her maternal grandfather¡¯s house and see her two cousins when, all of a sudden, she found someone making a fuss in her yard.


    Yun Ruoyu was standing outside her rooms, her hands on her hips. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, get out here! It¡¯s all your fault that Yi Qianying¡¯s been punished! You have to take responsibility!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was somewhat flummoxed¡ªafter all, Yun Ruoyu was present during the whole investigation, and she¡¯d even been astonished that Yi Qianying was the thief. How had her behavior towards the entire affair changed so drastically in a single night?


    Honestly, she really didn¡¯t want to think too much about this. ¡°What¡¯s there for me to take responsibility for?¡±


    ¡°Qianying¡¯s kneecaps are all red now because she had to kneel in the ancestral hall for the entire day! Meanwhile, you¡¯re here dressing up as if nothing had happened!¡± Yun Ruoyu red at Yun Ruoyan in rage.


    Her words were so illogical that Yun Ruoyan almost wanted tough at the incongruity. What did Yi Qianying¡¯s punishment have anything to do with her dressing up?


    ¡°Yun Ruoyu, you were there for the entire duration of the affair. When you saw Yi Qianying getting punished for stealing the jade ornament, didn¡¯t you also feel happy inside? What¡¯s this now? Who¡¯re you trying to appease by yelling at me so early in the morning?¡±


    Yun Ruoyu¡¯s barbs and thorny words immediately became stuck in her throat. She opened her mouth and closed it a few times, gaping, her face turning red. She hadn¡¯t expected that Yun Ruoyan, who¡¯d always been meek and docile, would actually refute her. Somewhat guiltily, she responded, ¡°That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t know you framed Yi Qianying!¡±


    ¡°But I was the one who was framed.¡±


    In exasperation, Yun Ruoyu shoved Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Stop lying! Qianying cried for the entire night! She said it was you who put it into her dressing box, and that she had no choice but to take the me for the entire affair. Otherwise, how would you have known where the jade ornament was? Clearly, you¡¯d intended to frame her from the beginning!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. She finally understood what was going on. Clearly, afterst night¡¯s affair, Yi Qianying made use of her innocent appearance to put on an act. Because the Yun household had such a favorable impression of her to begin with, as soon as she cried and mentioned her woes, she easily twisted the truth against Yun Ruoyan. She rubbed her temples: her little sister was far too easily goaded.


    Yun Ruoyu red at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Yun Ruoyan! We¡¯ve all treated you like a sister, but why did you have to frame Yi Qianying?¡±


    ¡°Treated me like a sister?¡± Hearing this, Yun Ruoyan wanted tough. ¡°If you acknowledge me as your sister, then you should know that, as a concubine¡¯s daughter, you have no right to refute me. Know your ce in this household!¡±


    ¡°You!!¡± Yun Ruoyu¡¯s cheeks flushed red. How dare a wretch as ugly as Yun Ruoyan speak to her like that? She was just fortunate enough to be born a few years earlier than she was!


    A p rang out, and long, thin fingernails grazed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cheek right on top of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark. Dark red blood began seeping out of the wound, stupefying both girls for a moment.


    Peony was the first to react, and she stepped forward to help support Yun Ruoyan.


    Not willing to back down, Yun Ruoyan frowned and pped Yun Ruoyu back.


    Yun Ruoyu clutched her face and opened her eyes wide. She couldn¡¯t believe it! Yun Ruoyan had actually pped her?!


    Yun Ruoyu raised her hand once more, about to p her back, when Yun Ruoyan gripped her wrist tightly. ¡°Yun Ruoyu, yesterday¡¯s affair and the punishment meted out was set by our grandmother and Madam An, and everyone was present for it. If you¡¯re dissatisfied with the punishment, let¡¯s go find our grandmother now, shall we?¡±


    Yun Ruoyu¡¯s anger instantly dissipated. She¡¯d clearly seen how protective her grandmother was of Yun Ruoyan yesterday! ¡°No, I won¡¯t! Yun Ruoyan, let go!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan forcefully pushed her aside. With a sniff, Yun Ruoyu rubbed her wrist as she left with her attendants.


    ¡°Miss, look at this bracelet...¡± Peony¡¯s gazended on the silver bracelet that Yun Ruoyan wore.


    The blood that had seeped out of her birthmark had somehownded on her bracelet, and the silver had ckened and tarnished where it hadnded.


    Poison!


    Yun Ruoyan frowned as she looked at her bracelet. There had to be poison in her body, or her blood wouldn¡¯t have stained the silver ck! The ck-d man¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong!


    A thousand possibilities sprang to mind. Yun Ruoyan knew that she had to deal with the matter quickly; after instructing Peony not to speak a word of this to anyone, she quickly brought her out of the estate.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s maternal grandfather, Lin Zainan, was the best pillmaster in the Li kingdom, and he was sure to have an antidote for this poison!


    Speaking of her maternal family, it was quite unusual that all the members of that family of her mother¡¯s generation seemed to have either died or left home. In Yun Ruoyan¡¯s memory, the only people living in the Lins¡¯ ce were her maternal grandfather and her two cousins.


    In her previous life, because the Yuns didn¡¯t like her interacting with the Lins, she¡¯d always avoided her maternal family. Later, because her two cousins informed their grandfather that Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying seemed to have a dubious rtionship, her grandfather had even be opposed to her being with Pei Ziao.


    But by that time, she had been captured by the illusions of puppy love. In the end, she did something that she regretted to her dying day: breaking off all ties with the Lins.


    In this life, she wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake.


    She would even willingly use the remainder of her life to make amends for her behavior, her rudeness towards her grandfather, and herck of trust toward her cousins.

 Chapter 7: Purging Unsavory Elements

    <h4>Chapter 7: Purging Unsavory Elements</h4>


    The Lin family¡¯s majestic front doors made clear their position as one of the most prestigious families of the Li kingdom. As soon as Yun Ruoyan entered, her two cousins happily rushed out the house to greet her and ran around her feet. ¡°Sister, sister! It¡¯s been so long since you werest over to see us!¡±


    Perhaps Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind was ying tricks on her, but she felt that their calls of ¡°Sister¡± were far more pleasant than those of her siblings in the Yun family.


    As they led the way, Yun Ruoyan entered Lin Zainan¡¯s study and pill-refining chambers. Her grandfather seemed particrly pleased to have received a surprise visit from his granddaughter, and quickly waved her over to the side to have a seat.


    After speaking a few pleasantries, Yun Ruoyan went straight to the point, showing him the silver bracelet on her wrist. Lin Zainan recognized the bracelet immediately: it was part of the dowry that he had prepared for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mother, who hadter passed it onto her daughter.


    The only difference was a few spots of ck amidst the delicate engraving.


    ¡°There¡¯s poison in your body?¡± Lin Zainan¡¯s gazended on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark.


    Yun Ruoyan inwardly admired her grandfather¡¯s eyesight. ¡°Grandfather, I suspect that someone in the Yun family has been feeding me a slow-acting poison.¡±


    Lin Zainan was somewhat amazed by his granddaughter¡¯s insight and bold im. He sat there for a moment, clutching his white beard as he thought things through. ¡°Ruoyan, if you can bear some pain, I can help you figure out what poison this is.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hurriedly replied, ¡°Of course, I can definitely bear a little pain!¡±


    Lin Zainan looked at her gratifyingly before instructing the Lin sisters to get his equipment for blood-letting. ¡°Ruoyan, do you still remember what you were like in the past?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked at her grandfather, the greatest pillmaster on the continent, and her thoughts returned to the past. She¡¯d been tested and identified with a rare talent for pillmaking, but for some reason, her talent had kept on diminishing until she couldn¡¯t even be a third-rank demaster.


    This third stage of cultivation was still considered foundational; on the Chenyuan continent, even the least talented cultivator could reach this stage by grit and determination alone!


    Not only that, while Yun Ruoyan¡¯s talent dissipated, her birthmark grewrger andrger... It wouldn¡¯t be amiss to conclude that there might be some rtionship between Yun Ruoyan¡¯s poisoning and the appearance of the birthmark.


    ¡°Grandfather, do you think this poison might be affecting my ability to cultivate?¡± Yun Ruoyan hazarded a bold guess.


    Lin Zainan nodded, his heart heavy. ¡°It¡¯s very likely. Let me study this poison for a few days; hopefully, I¡¯ll be able toe up with a cure.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan thought deeply for a moment. ¡°Have you heard of a simr poison before?¡±


    ¡°No, never. It¡¯s precisely because I haven¡¯t that I worry all the more for you. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve retired, and perhaps there¡¯ve been rising stars in the field in the meantime.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°My deepest gratitude for your help, grandfather. I still have things to take care of at home, so I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Be safe.¡± Lin Zainan didn¡¯t keep her long, watching her as she bowed and departed. During this visit, Yun Ruoyan appeared far more mature than before. Although he felt somewhat mystified by her sudden growth, it was overshadowed by his delight. Only when she was far into the distance did he get up and close the front doors.


    When Yun Ruoyan walked back to her own cottage, shemanded Peony to gather all her servants. Her hurry to return was because she knew that, given that what she had consumed was a slow-acting poison, someone around her had to be the one administering it.


    Clearly, this meant that she had to purge the servants that couldn¡¯t be trusted.


    Peony and Xi Lan were both trustworthy. Peony had always shielded her, or she wouldn¡¯t have been such an eyesore to Madam An; and although Xi Lan was prone to asional bouts of pickpocketing, that was something that had happened after she had married into the Pei household. As someone without any say in the household, she could only count on Xi Lan¡¯s theft to keep themselves afloat.


    All her servants¡ªmerely four or five people¡ªhad been gathered in the courtyard. Yun Ruoyan sipped her tea slowly, unhurriedly observing their behavior.


    At the beginning, they were sloppily and inattentively whispering in one another¡¯s ear. There were even those who had gotten tired of kneeling and wanted to ask about what was going on, but they retreated after being subjected to Xi Lan¡¯s cold stare.


    After sufficient time had passed, even the unruly servants of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s residence began to have a guilty conscience. They raised their head toward Yun Ruoyan, who was still slowly savoring her tea, treating them as though they weren¡¯t there.


    These servants had, for the first time, felt a wisp of authority from this ugly girl.


    In the end, Yun Ruoyan finally spoke up. ¡°I like peace and quiet. Given how small this cottage is, I don¡¯t need so many servants, so those of you who would like to leave can im three taels of silver from Peony and eke out a living outside the household.¡±


    ¡°Three taels!¡± Someone let out an astonished whisper from amidst the crowd.


    Yun Ruoyan nced toward the servant who had spoken, and the man quickly lowered his head. No one responded even after a pregnant pause.


    ¡°This cottage also isn¡¯tparable to those of the other misses and madams, and I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t had such a good time here. I¡¯m not well-liked by my father, but I have no ns of changing my current amodations. Don¡¯t keep me waiting; if you want to leave, go im money from Peony. It¡¯s enough money to get you a storefront and a means of living. I¡¯m offering this opportunity once and only once: if you miss out, you¡¯re on your own.¡±


    As soon as she¡¯d finished, a timid voice piped up, ¡°Miss, I-I¡¯ll im the money.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled and motioned for Xi Lan to give her the money.


    Xi Lan stared at the shining white taels of silver, almost unwilling to let it out of her grasp.


    And soon after the first servant had left with the money, the others quickly followed. It wasn¡¯t long before the only servant left was a young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years of age, her gaze shing.


    Yun Ruoyan could tell that she was tempted. ¡°Don¡¯t you want the money?¡±


    ¡°Miss, Ling Lan is willing to serve you for life. I won¡¯t betray you and leave!¡± The girl buried her head as she bowed.


    Yun Ruoyan onlyughed coldly. She nced over at Peony and Xi Lan; Xi Lan still seemed to be distraught from the loss of so much silver, but Peony¡¯s forehead was tightly scrunched. She was certainly quite clever---even without Yun Ruoyan saying anything, Peony had already understood her meaning.


    Three taels of silver wasn¡¯t a small amount. As a weak and ugly girl, Yun Ruoyan knew that she didn¡¯t have any reason tomand loyalty from her servants. To have chosen to stay, even under such circumstances, meant that Ling Lan must have had some other reason...and that reason could only be that she was receiving far more profit than three taels of silver from whomever she was working for.


    ¡°Insolence!¡± Yun Ruoyan threw a teacup against the floor.


    Ling Lan¡¯s body trembled as she finally realized that something was amiss.


    ¡°To poison even your own mistress, Ling Lan, you really have some nerve!¡± Yun Ruoyan revealed the truth of the matter, one word at a time. Peony and Xi Lan wore identical expressions of shock as they finally understood the reason for this whole affair.

 Chapter 8: Breathtaking

    <h4>Chapter 8: Breathtaking</h4>


    Ling Lan knelt down and bowed deeply to Yun Ruoyan once more. ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve been wronged! I don¡¯t know anything about this poison!¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Yun Ruoyan raised her voice. ¡°Peony saw everything that you did thest few days!¡±


    This was of course a lie, meant to trick Ling Lan into saying something incriminating. In her panic, Ling Lan knocked her head a few times against the ground, making a few resounding thumps as she yelled out, ¡°Miss, Ling Lan¡¯s made a mistake! Ling Lan understands what she did wrong! Miss, please forgive Ling Lan!¡±


    ¡°Forgive you?¡± Yun Ruoyanughed coldly. ¡°Where did you get the poison from?¡±


    ¡°That...¡± Ling Lan stammered, seemingly unable to get the words out of her mouth.


    ¡°Even at this point, you won¡¯t say?!¡± Xi Lan raised her voice and interrogated Ling Lan.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t dare...¡± Ling Lan was almost sobbing as she spoke, clearly terrified of the direction the conversation was heading.


    ¡°It was from Madam An, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Yun Ruoyan got to the heart of the matter. Actually, this wasn¡¯t hard to guess. Although Yi Qianying wouldter turn out to be a vicious enemy, she was currently little more than an outsider in the Yun household with neither the authority nor boldness to do something of this nature. Her father doted on his second concubine, and Yun Ruoyu wasn¡¯t the scheming type, so there was only one possible culprit.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stay here any longer. I can consider refraining from revealing everything, but you have to leave the Yun household tonight,¡± spoke Yun Ruoyan with a tone of finality.


    Ling Lan finally started crying. ¡°Miss, please, no! I can¡¯t leave the Yun family! Miss, I, I won¡¯t do anything so stupid anymore! Miss... please let Ling Lan stay, let Ling Lan stay...¡±


    The usually silent yard was filled with thumping sounds as Ling Lan continued to hit her head against the ground.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw Ling Lan hitting her head harder and harder, she finally relented. ¡°I can let you stay, but you have to promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°Anything, miss! Ling Lan will do anything!¡±


    ¡°I want you to pretend that nothing has happened.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°Including taking poison from Madam An.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Ling Lan raised her head in shock. Peony and Xi Lan also looked towards Yun Ruoyan with surprised expressions on their face. What she meant by this was... to let Ling Lan defect to her side and spy on Madam An for her!


    ¡°Yes, Ling Lan understands!¡±


    Mentally and physically tired, Yun Ruoyan sat in front of her dresser and rested for a little. Peony walked up to her. ¡°Miss, today, why did you...¡±


    Xi Lan went over too. ¡°That¡¯s right, miss, now that everyone¡¯s gone, Peony and I will have to do all the work! And you even gave them so much silver...that¡¯s all the money we have!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled a little and took out her own dressing case, removing two jade hairpins and handing one each to Peony and Xi Lan. ¡°These ornaments are worth far more than those three taels of silver.¡±


    Xi Lan was clearly easy to please, because she immediately smiled happily. ¡°Thank you, Miss!¡±


    But Peony clutched Xi Lan¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Miss, these ornaments were left for you by your mother. We can¡¯t take them!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m giving them to you; take them.¡±


    At this time, a bright, clear voice rang out from outside the yard. ¡°Sister, we¡¯re here to apologize to you!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. By the time she reacted, Yun Ruoyan and Yi Qianying had already brought Yun Ruoyu over to her side, and even her cousin, Yun Moyuan, had followed them here.


    She really couldn¡¯t catch a break today, could she?


    ¡°I heard that Ruoyu hurt you today, sister, so I specially brought her over to apologize. Sister, is your face injured?¡± As Yun Ruoyao chattered away, she looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wounds. ¡°Ah, my goodness! Ruoyu, how could you hurt your sister like that? Don¡¯t you know that she¡¯s not even a third-rank demaster yet?¡±


    Trying to hide her smile, Yun Ruoyu replied simperingly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll keep that in mind for the future.¡±


    ¡°Who cares about her face? No one would be willing to look at it even if she weren¡¯t injured.¡± Yun Moyuan looked on disdainfully, turning towards Yi Qianying. ¡°Qianying, you¡¯re so kind-hearted, even caring for someone who got you punished!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze thennded on Yi Qianying. <i>Ha, this was another of her ploys!</i>


    Yi Qianying wrinkled her brows slightly, clutching at Yun Moyuan¡¯s arm. ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t say this. I¡¯m sure Sister doesn¡¯t feel good about getting wounded.¡±


    ¡°Che,¡± Yun Moyuan scoffed, ¡°Who cares how she feels? No one would care about such an ugly girl even if she were to die on the streets!¡±


    And in that moment, Yun Ruoyan clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re not wrong. No one would care about someone like me even if I died on the streets. Sisters, you¡¯d better return.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tone was equal parts mocking, grudging, and truthful. In her past life, she had truly been force-fed poison and thrown onto the streets. At the time, only an unknown man hade to see her...


    ¡°We came over specially to see you, sister. Why would you throw us out like that?¡± Yun Ruoyao smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you wee us?¡±


    Yun Moyuan gave Yun Ruoyan a supercilious nce. ¡°You really think you¡¯re as important as all that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d offended him to make him detest her so. Was it all because she was ugly and talentless?


    ¡°Yun Moyuan, don¡¯t be too excessive!¡±


    ¡°What can you do to me, even if I am?¡±


    ¡°Brother, sister! Calm down, don¡¯t start a fight!¡± Even at this time, Yi Qianying was fanning the mes of conflict between them.


    ¡°Fight? Her?!¡± Yun Moyuan sneered, throwing out a punch at Yun Ruoyan. The fist contained such power that, when it hit Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulder, she was thrown back almost two meters. Peony and Xi Lan came up, wanting to help her up, but Yun Ruoyan stopped them. ¡°Stay out of this!¡±


    She would deal with people who bothered her herself! Yun Ruoyan clutched her shoulder as she forced herself up, anger evident in her eyes. ¡°Yun Moyuan, if you want to fight, I¡¯m right here!¡±


    She¡¯d held back once and again, but since they kept pushing and pushing, she had no reason to relent anymore!


    Clearly, the group didn¡¯t expect that someone as weak as Yun Ruoyan would dare to challenge Yun Moyuan to a fight, and they even felt a little guilty. Yun Ruoyao calmed down before whispering, ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s not even a third-rank demaster yet, so she¡¯s no match for you.¡±


    Only then was Yun Moyuan reminded of this fact. He quickly regained confidence, throwing out three punches at once, each striking at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s vitals. Although she tried to dodge or defend, herck of cultivation meant that she was too slow, her defense too ineffective. A few blows had left Yun Ruoyan teetering at the edge of defeat.


    With a final blow, Yun Ruoyan was forced back three steps, and she coughed as she clutched at her chest.


    ¡°Alright, alright! We have to stop!¡± Peony quickly rushed forward.


    Xi Lan was also flustered. ¡°There¡¯s no way our mistress can win! If this match doesn¡¯t stop, she might get seriously hurt!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business! Scram!¡± Yun Ruoyu¡¯s temper red up once more, and she even dropped her pretense of being apologetic.


    Yun Ruoyan knelt on the ground, a drop of blood trailing down the corner of her lips,nding on the silver bracelet. Suddenly, her silver bracelet gleamed, and a torrent of strength and spiritual energy flowed into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s battered body.

 Chapter 9: The Interior of the Bracelet

    <h4>Chapter 9: The Interior of the Bracelet</h4>


    Ignoring Peony and Xi Lan¡¯s effort to shield their mistress, Yun Moyuan charged up a devastating blow to strike the prone Yun Ruoyan. What he didn¡¯t expect was for a strong gust of <i>qi</i> to block him¡ªsomehow, Yun Ruoyan had gotten back up and was shielding her two servants, blocking his strike with her own force!


    How was that possible? Yun Moyuan was a fourth-rank demaster! The recoil from his failed attack left Yun Moyuan staggering.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression was serene, her body seemingly filled with strength. She pushed a little harder, striking Yun Moyuan and flinging him more than a meter away!


    <i>Cough! </i>Yun Moyuan stumbled and knelt down, coughing. ¡°Yun Ruoyan! This is impossible!!¡±


    How had she deflected his blow and then struck back at him sofortably?! Just then, he¡¯d felt the domineering strength emanating from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palm, and it wasn¡¯t anything that anyone her age could maintain!


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, how could you use such underhanded means against your own cousin?¡± Yun Ruoyu¡¯s face was filled with shock. As a bystander, her natural conclusion was that Yun Ruoyan had used some underhanded means of victory, because there was simply no way she was strong enough to beat him.


    With this flimsy justification, Yun Ruoyu lifted her sword and made to strike at Yun Ruoyan, but before she could even get in range, Yun Ruoyan shifted her body and shed towards her back. With a light spin of her wrist, she easily grabbed the hilt of Yun Ruoyu¡¯s sword and wrenched it away from her!


    Yun Ruoyu naturally wanted to snatch her own weapon back, and she even tried to hit Yun Ruoyan¡¯s injured shoulder with her palm. But Yun Ruoyan dodged once again and hit her hard in the back in response!


    How could this be? Was she unable to defeat even someone like Yun Ruoyan?!


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve caused enough of a ruckus today, haven¡¯t you?¡± Yun Ruoyan threw the sword against the ground. Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying were both staring from the side, open-mouthed¡ªboth Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fleet footwork and <i>qi</i> condensation were skills that they couldn¡¯t emte!


    Yun Moyuan wanted to continue insulting her, but Yun Ruoyao cupped his mouth in the nick of time. ¡°Sister, why are you so mad? It was just a friendly bout between us, nothing more. Don¡¯t take this to heart.¡±


    ¡°A friendly bout?¡± Yun Ruoyanughed. ¡°My two servants and I almost suffered grievous injuries!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao bit her lips. When had Yun Ruoyan started to be so difficult to deal with? Even her cultivation seemed to be above theirs now!


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and we¡¯ve already concluded the fight. How about...we leave now?¡± Yi Qianying walked up cautiously, tugging at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sleeve. ¡°My goal was initially to apologize to you once more, Sister, but I didn¡¯t anticipate we would make you even angrier. This is all my fault, and I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had had enough of seeing Yi Qianying¡¯s artifice, and she pulled away from her calmly. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t send you out.¡±


    Yi Qianying frowned. Surprisingly, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t epted her disy of goodwill. In the past, she would stick to Yi Qianying like a leech, but now she seemed to be putting on airs.


    After finally ¡°sending¡± her siblings away, Yun Ruoyan finally calmed down and sat down to collect herself.


    Xi Lan couldn¡¯t hide her excitement. ¡°Miss, you were amazing just now! Even Yun Moyuan couldn¡¯t defeat you!¡±


    Peony added, ¡°That¡¯s right, Miss! But your wound... is it alright? Do you feel unwell anywhere?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan kept her eyes shut as she felt the <i>qi</i> flowing through her body. She could clearly identify that the gust of strength was solely a temporary boon. It came from her wrist, from the bracelet that her mother had left her.


    Yun Ruoyan tried to control the strength flowing through her body in order to recuperate, but unexpectedly, just as she had gotten a grasp on it, the strength that had permeated her body vanished without a trace.


    ¡°Miss?¡± Seeing Yun Ruoyan frown, Peony asked inquiringly.


    Xi Lan evidently didn¡¯t notice the subtle shift in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression. ¡°If you keep this up, Miss, you¡¯re sure to be able to pass the recruitment exam for Kongming Academy in the next few days!¡±


    ¡°Kongming Academy¡¯s recruitment exam?¡±


    Kongming Academy was one of the strongest powers on the Chenyuan continent, even more so than the four kingdoms. On a regr basis, they would recruit promising talents from each kingdom. The scions of the noble families were all eligible to take the test, but only the elite would be able to get into the academy.


    If her strength really could be maintained at the level she¡¯d disyed while fighting against Yun Moyuan and Yun Ruoyu, then it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for her to pass the test as well.


    The problem was that her strength had now vanished, as if it had never appeared to begin with.


    Yun Ruoyan spread her palms and stared at them. She had to understand where her power hade from in order to get into Kongming Academy, so those who looked down upon her wouldn¡¯t be able to do so any further!


    ¡°Peony, Xi Lan, you two can retire now. I¡¯m a little tired.¡±


    Once Yun Ruoyan was the only one remaining in the room, she began studying her bracelet in earnest. The engraving on the bracelet was particrly exquisite in the candlelight, and only upon close scrutiny did Yun Ruoyan realize that the bracelet consisted of multipleyers. The topmost and bottommostyers were filled with loops and whorls, whereas the middleyer, the heart of the bracelet, was much more intricately engraved.


    As she slowly turned the bracelet in her hand, Yun Ruoyan suddenly felt her eyes go dark. When she next opened them, she found herself in an unidentified location.


    Was this¡ªCould it be... that this was a pocket dimension?


    ¡°Oh, mistress?¡± A young voice chirped out close by.


    But even though she looked all around her, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t find the source of the voice.


    Another chirp sounded; this time, Yun Ruoyan focused her gaze on the spot from which the voice hade. Gradually, an orange haze coalesced before her eyes. The dark fog seemed to have gained a measure of sentience, and when Yun Ruoyan focused on the area in front of her once more, a horned <i>qilin</i>-like creature was in front of her.


    The <i>qilin</i>¡¯s height reached only her kneecaps, and its two eyes were as clear and bright as opals. It trotted a little towards her and nuzzled her legs in a natural manner. ¡°Mistress~~ I¡¯ve waited for you for so long~~¡±


    ¡°Mistress?¡± The little fellow was very cute, and Yun Ruoyan had immediately fallen in love with its cuteness. She bent down and rubbed its head. ¡°What¡¯s your name? How long has it been since you¡¯ve been in here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t have a name yet.¡± The little fellow cocked its head, its opal-like eyes staring carefully at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a few centuries already.¡±


    A few centuries... Yun Ruoyan¡¯s first reaction was that this had to be a spirit creature of exceptional pedigree!


    <hr>


    1. A mythical equine-like chimera in Chinese mythology.

 Chapter 10: Just You Wait, Yun Ruoyao!

    <h4>Chapter 10: Just You Wait, Yun Ruoyao!</h4>


    It was particrly difficult to encounter any spirit creatures on the Chenyuan continent, and people could easily go their entire lives without finding one! She couldn¡¯t believe that there actually was such a cute one in her bracelet.


    ¡°Then, what if I call you Qiuqiu ?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°Do you like the name?¡±


    ¡°<i>Qiu!</i> Yes, I do!¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s gaze brightened as it leapt up onto Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body.


    Perhaps because it jumped with so much force, Yun Ruoyan almost fell on the ground, and the shoulder that had been badly hurt by Yun Moyuan began to ache again.


    Seeing Yun Ruoyan trying to hide a grimace, Qiuqiu immediately let go of her, its eyes opening wide with worry. ¡°Mistress, are you hurt?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, only a little wound.¡± Yun Ruoyan forced a smile.


    Qiuqiu circled Yun Ruoyan a few times, and even its frown was surprisingly cute. ¡°You¡¯re not just wounded, Mistress, you¡¯ve even been poisoned.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was very surprised that such a cute little creature could discern that with a single nce. ¡°Qiuqiu, do you have a solution?¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu can¡¯t make antidotes,¡± Qiuqiu chirped, scratching at its ears and shaking its head. ¡°But, mistress, just being here alone will advance your cultivation and help you recover spiritual energy rapidly! Mistress, as long as you meditate here, I¡¯m sure your cultivation will rise immensely!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan thought for a little. Qiuqiu wasn¡¯t wrong: as soon as she had entered the space, she had immediately felt the potent spiritual energy contained within. If she were to meditate here, she really might be able to grow quickly despite the poison sapping away at her strength.


    ¡°Mistress, mistress, quick, try it!¡± Qiuqiu tugged at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hem with its mouth, forcing her to sit down.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Yun Ruoyan began to cycle <i>qi</i> on the spot, and energy poured into her from her surroundings. As far as she could tell, meditating here was at least ten times as efficient as it would be elsewhere!


    In this case, if she were to continue cultivating in here, passing the entrance exam for Kongming Academy wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all!


    In the next few days, while Yun Ruoyan sent Peony and Xi Lan to clean up the cottage and surrounding areas, she locked herself in her room and forbade anyone from disturbing her. After that, she entered the pocket dimension contained within the bracelet and began to cultivate amidst Qiuqiu¡¯s guidance.


    Luckily, Yun Ruoyan had long since sent away the idle servants under her jurisdiction, and although Peony and Xi Lan were curious about what their mistress was doing, neither of them asked about it. All they thought was that she was trying to recover from her wounds in private.


    But while Yun Ruoyan was taking a break, Qiuqiu piped up, ¡°Mistress, even though this space will definitely speed up your cultivation, if you don¡¯t find a way to get rid of that poison soon, your growth will still be stunted.¡±


    ¡°That I know.¡± Yun Ruoyan rubbed Qiuqiu¡¯s fur. During this entire time, she too had been worrying about the condition of her body. Although Peony and Xi Lan were now on alert, and it would be difficult for Madam An to continue poisoning her, she still had to deal with the poison already within her body. Her grandfather had yet to find a solution, and she was worried that trying to cultivate might actually induce the poison to spread further throughout her body.


    But at this point, she couldn¡¯t worry about anything else¡ªit was almost time for the recruitment trials for Kongming Academy. She¡¯d missed the trials in her past life; she couldn¡¯t miss it again!


    Entering Kongming Academy would be the first, crucial step to changing her fate.


    Each kingdom¡¯s royalty and aristocracy were already preparing for the first trial of the selection process. Anyone aged between six and fifteen would be able to participate, and all the young misses of the Yun and Lin families were naturally on the roster.


    As soon as news of the admissions exam spread, everyone from the Yun family began cultivating even more ferociously.


    It was only Yun Ruoyan¡¯s residence that was silent and quiet amidst the hubbub. Xi Lan was the first to speak up, ¡°Miss, all the other young misses are already starting their preparation, and the master and matriarch are discussing the selection process in the great hall. They haven¡¯t forgotten about us, have they?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, someone¡¯s going toe for us.¡±


    Just as Yun Ruoyan finished speaking, one of the servants called out to her from outside, ¡°Miss Ruoyan, the master and old madam are awaiting your presence!¡±


    Xi Lan cried out in excitement, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re right on the mark!¡±


    Of course she was; the same thing had happened in her past life, after all.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Peony was just about to follow Yun Ruoyan out when Xi Lan stopped her, shaking her head. ¡°Peony, what¡¯s going on with the young miss? I don¡¯t see her smile or cry anymore, and I¡¯m really not starting to understand her.¡±


    Peony rubbed Xi Lan¡¯s head. ¡°Me too. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure our young miss is getting more and more talented by the day.¡±


    Xi Lan didn¡¯t really understand what Peony meant either, but all she could do was nod her head, half-dazed.


    Yun Ruoyan had just entered the great hall when Madam An nced at her, saying pointedly, ¡°Look at our Ruoyan, onlying by when someone sends for her. She¡¯s finally starting to put on airs befitting a wife-born daughter of a household.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to put on airs, Madam An. I simply don¡¯t talk very much with my sisters, so I often find out about these gatherings ratherte.¡±


    Madam An turned towards Yun Lan. ¡°Qianying¡¯s right: since all the youngdies are going to participate in the selection process, there¡¯s no reason to leave out Ruoyan. Even if she¡¯s not talented, she still has to give it a try, doesn¡¯t she? Otherwise, outsiders might say that we¡¯re favoring everyone but her. Husband, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    No one noticed the cold smile hanging by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips.


    As untalented as she was, Yun Ruoyan would be nothing more than aughing stock even if she truly were to participate in the selection. Yun Lan surely wouldn¡¯t want to make the Yun family lose face; if not for Yi Qianying and Madam An prodding at him, he would already have announced that Yun Ruoyan was forfeiting due to illness.


    Yi Qianying and Madam An only nominated her because they wanted to shame her!


    Yun Lan sat at the dais, his head bowed in contemtion. Finally, he looked toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Do you want to participate?¡±


    It was exactly the same question as in her past life. Back then, however, the timid and self-abasing Yun Ruoyan shied away from the proposal once and again, until her actions so infuriated Yun Lan that he forced her to participate. This had only widened the gulf between father and daughter, leaving her sisters to benefit.


    This time, however, Yun Ruoyan was perfectly confident of her sess. She raised her head and announced, ¡°I¡¯m perfectly willing to participate, Father, and I surely won¡¯t let you down.¡± She knelt down in earnest. ¡°Father, please give your daughter this chance. I¡¯ll do my best to seed.¡±


    Madam An clearly wasn¡¯t expecting Yun Ruoyan to agree, and she subconsciously looked toward Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying. She¡¯d wanted to take the opportunity to create a rift between the two of them, but Yun Ruoyan had foiled her ns once more!


    ¡°The roster and matchups for the first trial will being out shortly. I¡¯ll send someone over to add your name to the list; go back and start preparing,¡± Yun Lan said after sipping a mouthful of tea.


    The first trial was a one-on-one match. In the past, Yun Ruoyan had lost this match to her cousin Lin Qingchen, and this was one of the reasons she had gradually begun distancing herself from the Lin family.


    Now, although Yun Ruoyan wanted to get into Kongming Academy, she was unwilling to cause a dispute between her and the Lin sisters to do so.


    The best method was to avoid having to fight either of them, which meant that she had to change her opponent before the roster was set in stone.


    Thus, Yun Ruoyan took a few pearls out of her jewelry box and prepared to head toward the residence of the envoy from Kongming Academy.


    Although Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have many pretty ornaments or dresses, she wasn¡¯t poor¡ªdespite never receiving an allowance from her family, even one of the jewelry boxes that her mother had left her would be worth more than a thousand taels of gold.


    As Yun Ruoyan was about to enter the envoy¡¯s inn, she stumbled across Yun Ruoyao, who hade with servants bearing a whole chest of silver.


    Yun Ruoyan quickly hid behind a wall. Yun Ruoyao¡¯s cultivation was high enough that she couldn¡¯t fathom what need she would have to approach the envoy before thepetition like her.


    It was fifteen minutes before Yun Ruoyao came out, and only then did Yun Ruoyan creep in. ¡°Envoy Ding, please wait!¡±


    Envoy Ding was just about to close his door. ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°My name is Yun Ruoyan, and I¡¯m here to discuss a matter with you, Envoy Ding.¡± Yun Ruoyan bowed.


    He nced critically at her before attempting to close the door once more. ¡°I¡¯m sure it can wait.¡±


    ¡°Envoy!¡± Yun Ruoyan strode forth and took out a dark pearl she¡¯d been holding in her hand, bringing it to his eyes. ¡°I have an <i>urgent</i> matter.¡±


    Envoy Ding opened his eyes wide. This was a pearl unique to the northern seas, and just one pearl was easily worth twice or thrice the silver that Yun Ruoyao had brought over!


    ¡°Miss Yun, we can talk inside.¡± Envoy Ding opened the door once more, inviting Yun Ruoyan in.


    ¡°What request do you have, Miss?¡± Envoy Ding¡¯s face was smiling, but his eyes were glued to her hand.


    Yun Ruoyan spoke directly, ¡°Simply that I not fight with the two misses from the Lin family.¡±


    Envoy Ding smiled craftily. ¡°You¡¯re quite smart, Miss.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Your sister came over just now in order to pit you against one of those sisters.¡± Envoy Ding smiled. ¡°But before I could say anything, you¡¯d already guessed what her n was.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t something Yun Ruoyan had anticipated.


    She had believed that her original opponent was Lin Qingchen, but it turned out that that was all because of Yun Ruoyao!


    <i>Just you wait, Yun Ruoyao! </i>Oh, she was going to get her sister back for this!


    ¡°Envoy Ding, it¡¯s simply that my sister didn¡¯t want me to fail. It¡¯s perfectly fine for you to assign me a talented opponent.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled, taking out another pearl from her dress. ¡°Yun Ruoyao would be a fine opponent, wouldn¡¯t she?¡±


    Envoy Ding epted the pearl, looking skeptically at her back as she walked out.


    Everyone knew that the second daughter of the Yun family was ugly and weak, worthless and untalented, but why was this Yun Ruoyan so different from what he¡¯d expected?


    <hr>


    1. Onomatopoeic for chirping.

 Chapter 11: Who’s Courting Death?

    <h4>Chapter 11: Who¡¯s Courting Death?</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, it came time for the preliminary trial for admission into Kongming Academy. The area in front of the stage was filled to the brim with the contestants¡¯ families and eager spectators. As soon as one match finished, Envoy Ding would walk forward to center stage and read off the roster in his hands in a resounding voice.


    ¡°Next up, the second daughter of the Yun family, Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan¡¯s name was read out, hushed whispers and murmurs spread through the crowd.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan? Is that really what he said? That Yun Ruoyan, who¡¯s not even a third-rank demaster?¡±


    ¡°How could it be? She¡¯s not courting death, is she?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, what an embarrassment!¡±


    ¡°<i>She</i>¡¯s here as apetitor? Kongming Academy would never ept her!¡±


    Despite being fully aware of these derisive remarks, Yun Ruoyan strode forth proudly, her head erect, her chest high. She stepped through the noisy, bustling crowd and onto the stage.


    Dressed in a scarlet gown, Yun Ruoyan was particrly eye-catching. Her lips were as red as peonies, her eyes clear and limpid, her posture graceful as ark. If not for the equally red birthmark on her cheek, no one would have believed her to be <i>that</i> Yun Ruoyan, who was so shy and diffident that even her words were as faint as a mosquito¡¯s buzzing.


    The hushed whispers and murmurs continued, but the topic of discussion had shifted to the unusual aura surrounding the red-d girl.


    Yun Ruoyao sat right in front of the stage, and she could clearly hear the amazed gasps all around her.


    Of the three daughters of the Yun family, Ruoyan was useless, Ruoyu brash and tyrannical, and she, Ruoyao, had long since been the only presentable one. She wasn¡¯t about to hand the spotlight over to Yun Ruoyan!


    She red at Yun Ruoyan on stage, her eyes glinting murderously.


    Ha! She wouldn¡¯t have it easy. As soon as the fight began, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s standing would fall right back down again¡ªafter all, the opponent that she¡¯d picked out for her was none other than Lin Qingchen, who had beenuded as a genius since her birth. There was no way there wouldn¡¯t be a rift between Yun Ruoyan and the Lins after the fight!


    ¡°Quiet!¡± Envoy Ding cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°Her opponent, the eldest daughter of the Yun family, Yun Ruoyao!¡±


    As soon as she heard her own name being called out, Yun Ruoyao jumped up from her seat in a daze. She opened her eyes wide. What on earth was going on?! Envoy Ding had clearly epted her bribe and changed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s opponent to Lin Qingchen!


    ¡°My goodness, sister, you scared me.¡± Yun Ruoyu patted her chest.


    ¡°Ruoyao, what¡¯re you doing? Quick, go up on stage.¡± Madam An frowned. Yun Ruoyao had never lost her self-control in front of a crowd before!


    Yun Ruoyao quickly calmed down before walking towards the stage. Both parties unsheathed their swords, and the fight began in earnest.


    ¡°Sister, I suggest you surrender. After all, you¡¯ll never be able to beat me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°That remains to be seen, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°A fight against the weak is meaningless.¡±


    ¡°Sister, are you perhaps scared?¡±


    <i>Scared?</i>


    Her, Yun Ruoyao, scared of trash like her sister? Yun Ruoyan was really getting big-headed, wasn¡¯t she?!


    ¡°I¡¯m scared I¡¯ll make you a paraplegic!¡± Before she finished speaking, Yun Ruoyaounched into an attack against her sister.


    Her sharp de nced past Yun Ruoyan¡¯s nose, and in a split second, the stage was filled with light and shadow. The radiant light reflected from their des seemed to sketch out a web in mid-air, firmly blocking either party¡¯s escape.


    Yun Ruoyan spun around on stage as if she were a ming butterfly, her swift strikes in no way inferior to those of Yun Ruoyao.


    One was well-known to be useless, and the other to be talented in all aspects. Against everyone¡¯s expectations, the two seemed to be fighting each other on equal footing!


    ¡°My goodness, when did Ruoyan be so skilled?!¡± Yun Ruoyu eximed.


    Yi Qianying looked on from the side, a sudden fear prating her heart. These past few days, Yun Ruoyan had really presented her with far too many surprises!


    As for Madam An, she scrunched her forehead tightly and kept her eyes on stage, almost unable to believe what she was seeing. She¡¯d thought that Yun Ruoyao would have been able to defeat Yun Ruoyan within three strikes, but the two of them had already exchanged more than ten blows. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t seem to be countered at all; on the other hand, it even seemed that Yun Ruoyao was on the defensive.


    How could this be, how could this be?!


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation had clearly been suppressed by her poison, and no one had ever taught her the way of the sword, so how was she able to ovee Yun Ruoyao, who had received instruction in the sword ever since she was five?


    Even amongst the daughters of the nobility, Yun Ruoyao¡¯s cultivation and dework ranked near the top!


    Yun Ruoyao herself was as amazed as the spectators. She looked on in disbelief as Yun Ruoyan cleanly blocked her strike. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, this is impossible!¡±


    ¡°Sister, I haven¡¯t even disyed my full range of abilities,¡± Yun Ruoyan said cidly.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Yun Ruoyao was the one who was reputed to be a genius; how could someone like Yun Ruoyan be stronger than her? As for that nonsense about not having used her full power, that was even more impossible!


    But why was it that, even though she¡¯d expended so much effort on blocking Yun Ruoyan, so much so that even her footwork and appearance were somewhat in disarray, that Yun Ruoyan could still counter her attacks so blithely?!


    <i>Wasn¡¯t she tired?</i>


    Yun Ruoyan had no interest in prolonging the fight, and, gaze sharp, she swiftly stabbed at Yun Ruoyao¡¯s abdomen. Thetter quickly stepped back and defended with her sword, but in the blink of an eye, the red dress in front of her vanished!


    The next second, Yun Ruoyao took a heavy blow to the waist, slid, and fell forward, face-down.


    Her mind was nk, and in that moment, even the shocked murmurs of the crowd went silent.


    On stage, Yun Ruoyao had copsed in a heap. Yun Ruoyan had stepped out from behind her, walked one step forward, and lightly ced the tip of her sword against her neck.


    Yun Ruoyao had been defeated, and she had even been defeated by the useless Yun Ruoyan!


    The shocked spectators couldn¡¯t believe their eyes, and neither could Envoy Ding, until finally someone in the crowd began to cheer.


    ¡°Victory to Yun, Yun Ruoyan!¡± Only then did Envoy Ding remember to announce the result of the match before gazing approvingly at Yun Ruoyan.


    Clearly the rumors weren¡¯t to be trusted¡ªYun Ruoyan was undoubtedly a genius!


    While the crowd erupted in excitement, Madam An pounded on her seat¡¯s armrest before standing straight up and walking away, not even staying for the remaining bouts.


    The one other person who was particrly upset was Yun Ruoyao.


    She¡¯d lost without even seeing the final blow that had pushed her down, and she¡¯d been forced to fall down in such an unsightly manner! How could she bear the shame?!


    Yun Ruoyao grit her teeth, watching on as Yun Ruoyan walked down the stage amidst the admiring gaze of the crowd. Oh, how she hated Yun Ruoyan! This scene was supposed to be hers; she was supposed to be the one admired by the crowd!


    But Yun Ruoyan had stolen all this from her!


    It was all Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fault!

 Chapter 12: A Pity About Her Face

    <h4>Chapter 12: A Pity About Her Face</h4>


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan had won the match, she went to the Lin manor to inform her grandfather and cousins of the good news. After asking about progress regarding the antidote, she returned to the Yun household.


    Because the poison had yet to be cleansed, Yun Ruoyan fell asleep quite quickly. By the time she was woken up, it was already evening.


    ¡°Miss, the old madam¡¯s summoning you again,¡± Peony informed her as she helped Yun Ruoyan dress.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at the time of day. Given howte it was, there must have been an urgent reason for the old madam to summon her over. ¡°Has she summoned anyone else?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Peony nodded, somewhat worryingly. ¡°The third miss and Miss Yi have also been summoned. I¡¯m afraid it might be because of your match with the eldest miss today...¡±


    Yun Ruoyan rubbed her temples, not thinking much of it. ¡°That¡¯s true¡ªwhat else could it be?¡±


    After all, her sisters in the Yun household kept causing trouble for her left and right, so she couldn¡¯t even rest peacefully even if she tried. But what they didn¡¯t know was that they were just ying into the hands of an outsider, Yi Qianying.


    Yun Ruoyan made herself presentable, instructed Peony to light antern, and then went with her to the great hall.


    Yun Ruoyu and Yi Qianying had been waiting there for quite a while. As soon as the old matriarch saw her enter, she put down her teacup and asked, ¡°Ruoyan, I heard you beat Ruoyao in thepetition today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, grandmother,¡± Yun Ruoyan answered honestly.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s suspecting that you only managed to do so because you used some underhanded method.¡± Her tone was impartial, and it was hard to discern which side she favored.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled and bowed. ¡°Grandmother, there was quite a crowd during the actual battle. If I really had used some underhanded method, the judges would surely have been able to tell.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words were sensible, and the old madam nodded.


    The judges from Kongming Academy were famed for being eagle-eyed, able to detect even the most minute attempt at cheating.


    This was why those judges were so shocked when they saw Yun Ruoyao¡¯s defeat.


    Yun Ruoyu quickly interrupted, ¡°Then, are you saying you won based on your own skill?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yun Ruoyan answered honestly.


    ¡°Sister,¡± Yi Qianying finally spoke up, ¡°If you really wanted to go to Kongming Academy, we would have supported you. Why stoop to such underhanded methods? What¡¯s more, this sort of elimination-based selection is meant to stop the less talented, like you, from being endangered in the subsequent trials...¡±


    <i>Yi Qianying wasn¡¯t going to let this go, was she?</i>


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Who doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re not even a third-rank demaster?¡± Yun Ruoyu gave her a supercilious look. ¡°As for Sister Ruoyao, she¡¯s been training under a demaster ever since she was five! Even Qianying and I aren¡¯t a match for her, so how could she have lost to you?! Do you think your cultivation¡¯s higher than ours?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan waited until Yun Ruoyu finished, her face calm and cid. Normally, Yun Ruoyan would have shaken her head timidly and weakly, but at this moment, all she did was look silently at her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± came Yun Ruoyan¡¯s clear voice. ¡°My cultivation has always been above yours.¡±


    Such confident words! If they hadn¡¯t seen Yun Ruoyan beat Yun Ruoyao with their own eyes, the girls would definitely have thought that she was just boasting: a useless piece of trash, saying that her cultivation was better than theirs? How was that possible?


    But having seen the fight with their own eyes, neither Yun Ruoyu nor Yi Qianying could refute her words.


    <i>Could it be...that Yun Ruoyan truly hadn¡¯t cheated?! Had she really beaten Yun Ruoyao with her own skill? But this was impossible!</i>


    ¡°Ruoyu, you haven¡¯t forgotten how I beat you that day, have you?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked towards Yun Ruyou, smiling.


    ¡°You, you!¡± Yun Ruoyu began to panic.


    Being beaten by someone like her was embarrassing enough, but now Yun Ruoyan had even brought it up in front of their grandmother!


    But Yun Ruoyan said was the truth.


    She¡¯d thought that the only reason Yun Ruoyan was able to demonstrate such strength was a mere fluke. Hearing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words now, though... could it be that her defeat that day wasn¡¯t just a simple coincidence?


    Yun Ruoyu grit her teeth, unwilling to admit defeat. ¡°That was just a coincidence, because you were lucky! I only lost to you because I wasn¡¯t paying attention!¡±


    ¡°Then, does that mean that Yun Moyuan also lost to me because he wasn¡¯t paying attention?¡±


    Yun Ruoyu was about to continue arguing when the old madam interrupted, ¡°Ruoyan, what did you say? Moyuan lost to you too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandmother,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied with a smile.


    The old matriarch looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s honest expression, a smile dancing by her lips. This granddaughter of hers had truly changed for the better, but how unfortunate...


    The old madam¡¯s gazended on the birthmark on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face.


    <i>How unfortunate her appearance was...</i>


    Yun Ruoyan noticed her grandmother¡¯s gaze, and her face instantly became boiling hot. She knew she wasn¡¯t pretty, but she was trying her best to forget about the existence of the birthmark on her face. However, every time she was reminded of it, she would feel a little twinge of embarrassment, as though she had returned to her former weak self.


    She hated this sort of feeling, and quickly averted her gaze. ¡°Ruoyu, if you don¡¯t believe that I¡¯m strong, why don¡¯t we have a match right here and now?¡±


    Yun Ruoyu frowned. A rematch? And right in front of their grandmother? Wouldn¡¯t that just cause her to embarrass herself once more? No, she wasn¡¯t going to do so!


    ¡°My, my cultivation isn¡¯t as good as Yi Qianying¡¯s, why don¡¯t you ask her?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled, her gazending on Yi Qianying.


    Yi Qianying also took a step back, forcing a smile. ¡°Sister, you really like to joke, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve already won the match against Ruoyao today, so do you really have to try to have a match with us too?¡±


    She made it sound as if Yun Ruoyan wanted to exhibit her skills in front of others.


    Yun Ruoyan ignored her as she continued, ¡°If you¡¯re truly dissatisfied with my victory, why not just arrange a match with me one of these days? Why knock me down using, as you say, such underhanded means?¡±


    The old matriarch nodded, her impression of Yun Ruoyan improving further and further.


    After all, Yun Ruoyan was the only daughter from her son¡¯ste wife, and she was the descendant of a family of renowned pillmakers and physicians on her mother¡¯s side. Despite herckluster performance to date, the Yun matriarch still held high hopes for her.


    It was simply that, because of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s personality and loss of talent, her hopes for Yun Ruoyan had been diminishing by the day.


    Luckily, Yun Ruoyan finally seemed to be improving.


    ¡°It¡¯ste, and we¡¯ve talked for so long, so why don¡¯t we all leave it at that?¡± The old madam cleared her throat and instructed Yun Ruoyu and Yi Qianying, ¡°The two of you should console Ruoyao a little. If she really wants to get into Kongming Academy, there are still plenty of chances ahead.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandmother.¡±

 Chapter 13: Cut Off Her Path Forward

    <h4>Chapter 13: Cut Off Her Path Forward</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan felt all the more weary after leaving the great hall.


    Although the old madam hadn¡¯t listened to Yun Ruoyu and Yi Qianying¡¯s words in the end, she hadn¡¯t punished them either. Clearly, her grandmother didn¡¯t trust her fully, or she wouldn¡¯t have summoned her in the middle of the night.


    Under the moonlit sky, Yun Ruoyan walked back to her residence. She looked up at the silver moon and sighed.


    Even her own siblings doubted her so.


    After all, a weak, useless sister was far easier to ept than a strong opponent who had sprouted out of nowhere.


    There would be two more matches toe, and she had to make sure she was fully prepared, both mentally and physically.


    It was at this point that a pleasant male voice spoke out from above Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Yun Ruoyan, who beat the talented Yun Ruoyao? Why¡¯re you sighing like that?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked toward the voice. A man d in ck was hanging upside-down from the rafters, smiling as he looked down at her.


    ¡°Who¡¯re you? How did you get in here?¡±


    He seemed young, no more than fifteen or sixteen. He leaped down from the ceiling and spread open a gold-tipped folding fan. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am; I¡¯m just here to see someone who made quite the name for herself during the opening matches today.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond to him. Instead, she turned and continued walking. ¡°I don¡¯t have the leisure to be gawked at. Mister, if you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯m going to call out to my servants.¡±


    The young man quickly chased after her. ¡°It won¡¯t be any use even if you call out to them, because they can¡¯t catch me.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°Mister, it seems you¡¯re quite confident in your martial abilities?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so serious!¡± The man smiled as he folded his fan shut once more. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me how your cultivation improved so much all of a sudden? Did you find some sort of rare manual?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was truly very tired, and all she wanted to do was return to her abode and rest. ¡°It¡¯ste at night, and if you won¡¯t leave me alone, mister, I¡¯m going toe at you myself.¡±


    As soon as she said that, the other party stepped back in a hurry. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t! I¡¯m just here trying to make friends!¡±


    ¡°Make friends in that thieving manner of yours?¡±


    It seemed as if the other party wasn¡¯t shameless enough to keep trying to engage her in conversation, and he could only look on as Yun Ruoyan walked off. Only then did he scratch his head with the tip of his folding man. ¡°Ah, it seems like I¡¯ve made a mess of things again.¡±


    ¡°Third Prince, shall we go back now?¡± In the darkness, a shadow suddenly appeared by the man¡¯s side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go.¡± Li Qianhan scratched his head. ¡°I wonder why my uncle¡¯s so interested in her...¡±


    After a night¡¯s rest, Yun Ruoyan felt much more revitalized. In the morning, as she happily ate the white fungus soup that Peony had made for her, she studied her uing matchups.


    But as she nced at the next name on the list, she almost spat out her mouthful of soup.


    Li Wanxi!


    This was a name that had gued Yun Ruoyan since her childhood!


    When she was ten, this person had stayed in the Yun household for about a month. They were about the same age, but for the entire duration of her stay, she didn¡¯t go a day withoutughing at Yun Ruoyan!


    And ever since that stay, Li Wanxi had always been close friends with Yun Ruoyao. Undoubtedly, she¡¯d have heard of how Yun Ruoyan had beaten Yun Ruoyao yesterday.


    Who knew how this girl would try to deride her on stage today?


    Yun Ruoyan rubbed at the birthmark on her cheek. No matter what, she was definitely going to get into Kongming Academy! If she couldn¡¯t beat Li Wanxi with her mouth, then she¡¯d do it with her fists!


    The second round of thepetition began very quickly. This time, Yun Ruoyan was draped in a simple yet elegant moon-white gown. She walked slowly onto center stage, her bearing regal.


    Opposite her, Li Wanxi stood in a daze.


    In the first round, when she saw Yun Ruoyan dressed in ming red, she had already been shocked¡ªthe Yun Ruoyan that she remembered was in no way simr to the one she had seen yesterday.


    And she¡¯d thought that that was the limit of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s transformation until she saw her appearance today. She really couldn¡¯t believe that the ugly maiden she remembered would one day be so... bearable to look at.


    Even the red birthmark staining her face seemed to give her an unusual appeal!


    Li Wanxi rubbed her temples, forcing herself to remain calm and logical. This was Yun Ruoyan: timid, ugly, and utterly useless. No amount of clothes or packaging could hide her true nature!


    Li Wanxi was the first to unsheathe her sword. Her blows were fierce and lethal, but Yun Ruoyan seemed to dodge them all with ease.


    ¡°Che, even an ugly magpie like you dares dream to be a phoenix?¡± Li Wanxi taunted as soon as she dodged one of her blows.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes glinted dangerously.


    Li Wanxi was about to open her mouth once more when she suddenly felt a pain in her wrist, and the de she was holding ttered to the ground. Right afterwards, she took a heavy kick to her kneecap, lost her bnce, and ended up kneeling on stage!


    ¡°A phoenix will always be a phoenix; there¡¯s no need to dream.¡± The edge of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s swordy against Li Wanxi¡¯s neck. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to change one¡¯s status: concubines¡¯ daughters will always remain lowly.¡±


    She was referring not just to Yun Ruoyao, but also to Li Wanxi.


    The reason Li Wanxi had stayed at the Yun household, after all, was because she had been ostracized by the Li matriarch, and it was all her grandfather could do to let her stay temporarily at the Yuns¡¯ ce.


    After Envoy Ding announced the results of the match, Yun Ruoyan gracefully strode off, leaving Li Wanxi alone on stage, gritting her teeth.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s third-round opponent was Yi Qianying.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at her list of match-ups, her expression calm and cool. Peony thought that she didn¡¯t care about whom she was facing¡ªafter all, Yun Ruoyao, Yun Moyuan, Li Wanxi, and Yun Ruoyu had all been defeated at her hands, so what was a measly Yi Qianying in addition to that?


    But, in truth, Yun Ruoyan was the only one who knew how excited she was at having Yi Qianying as an opponent.


    This series of match-ups had really been like a boon from the heavens. She had been worrying about how to get her revenge, and this was her best opportunity to date. Entering Kongming Academy would be a springboard to quickly involve herself with the greatest powers on the continent. Most of those who managed to get into Kongming Academy would be legends in their own right, whereas those who failed were relegated to a meaningless life, just like the Yun Ruoyan of the past.


    And since the heavens had seen fit to grant her such an opportunity, she would cut off Yi Qianying¡¯s future herself.


    The day of thepetition, everything went as smoothly as Yun Ruoyan had expected.


    Yi Qianying nced at the sharp de, not a few centimeters from her neck, her eyes filled with panic. She stilled her nerves before forcing a slight smile. ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve won.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was expressionless, her gaze revealing a half-hidden anger. She was the only one who knew how much restraint she had to put in to stop herself from killing Yi Qianying on the spot!


    ¡°Sister? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yi Qianying¡¯s slender face appeared to be filled with worry.


    If not for the fact that she knew what type of person Yi Qianying was, Yun Ruoyan would long have been tricked by this face of hers.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Yun Ruoyan sheathed her sword.


    She shut her eyes. When she next opened them, the anger had dissipated entirely, and all that was left was a calm veneer.

 Chapter 14: You’re Becoming Unbearable

    <h4>Chapter 14: You¡¯re Bing Unbearable</h4>


    Once the three matches were over, those who had passed the first trial would be eligible to enter a secret patch of imperial territory, and only those who were able to emerge unscathed after ten days would be qualified to enter Kongming Academy.


    As Lin Qingchen defeated her opponent, the first trial came to an end. Yun Ruoyan, who had been waiting by the side of the stage, walked forward and followed her two cousins home.


    Lin Zainan was still in his chambers, struggling to find a cure for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s poison. Only when his two granddaughters ran in to find him did he slowly walk out from his study.


    Yun Ruoyan quickly strode forth to help support him. ¡°Grandfather, you really don¡¯t have to work so hard on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, you¡¯re still one of my direct descendants. I¡¯m just trying to take care of you in ce of your mother.¡± Lin Zainan smiled.


    ¡°Then, shall I have a meal with you today, Grandfather?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled back at him.


    ¡°A meal?¡± Lin Zainan nced at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°It¡¯s not <i>just</i> a meal, is it?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stuck out her tongue. ¡°I really can¡¯t trip you up, Grandfather! I have something I¡¯d like to discuss with my two cousins.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, sister? Couldn¡¯t you have told us on the road back here?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan touched the tip of Lin Qingxue¡¯s nose. ¡°It¡¯s a secret, so of course not!¡±


    Compared to the Yun household, the Lin manor was far more quiet: the male descendants of the family had all either left or passed away. As night rose, all Yun Ruoyan could hear was the scratching of brooms against the courtyard. Compared to the Yun manor, where she couldn¡¯t get even an iota of rest, this ce was serene and restful.


    And although there were few members remaining in the Lin household, they didn¡¯t skimp on food at all. Not long afterwards, a sumptuous dinner had beenid out in front of them.


    Only after the four of them had finished their dinner did they move to a pavilion and begin discussing important matters in earnest.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long until we¡¯re all summoned to the pce for the next stage of the selection process, so I have some information for my cousins.¡± Yun Ruoyan sipped her tea.


    ¡°Some information?¡± Lin Qingxue puffed out her cheeks, somewhat confused. ¡°Sister, have you been in the imperial territory before?¡±


    Lin Zainan and Lin Qingchen both looked towards Yun Ruoyan, clearly also curious.


    The imperial territory was closely guarded, and under usual circumstances, not even the nobles and aristocrats themselves could get close to thend, let alone someone like Yun Ruoyan.


    They were really curious how Yun Ruoyan came by such information.


    Yun Ruoyan rubbed Lin Qingxue¡¯s head as she exined, ¡°A few days ago, I had a fortuitous encounter with an old matron. Her son was apparently an imperial guard responsible for the territory, and that¡¯s how I came by this information.¡±


    ¡°Is this source reliable? Could it be someone else¡¯s ploy against you?¡± asked Lin Zainan.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already investigated that woman and her son, and there¡¯s no problem. Don¡¯t worry, Grandfather, this information is reliable.¡±


    Lin Zainan thought for a little before nodding.


    Seeing that Lin Zainan had let down his guard, Yun Ruoyan quickly sipped some tea with a guilty conscience.


    In truth, there wasn¡¯t any such woman, nor any such imperial guard. The reason she had information about the imperial territory was because she had entered it in the past.


    In the past, although she had failed the initial selection for Kongming Academy, she had close ties with Pei Ziao, whose father was in charge of securing the territory. Once, Pei Ziao had brought Yun Ruoyan inside. He even exined the generalyout of the area and the traps hidden within to her, as well as what sorts of things she shouldn¡¯t touch or take.


    She couldn¡¯t guarantee that she still remembered all of what he¡¯d said, but anything would be better than nothing in this scenario.


    And she was happy to share what she knew with her two cousins, because she didn¡¯t want them to get hurt at all.


    ¡°Within the territory are numerous traps...¡±


    It was more than an hourter before Yun Ruoyan finally finished speaking. In addition, because Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue were both curious and wanted to know more, it was already the middle of the night by the time Yun Ruoyan finally dragged herself from the pavilion to leave.


    Seeing how dark it was, Lin Zainan quickly rushed his granddaughters to bed before sending Yun Ruoyan out herself.


    When they were finally at the door, as she was saying goodbyes to her grandfather, he frowned. ¡°Ruoyan, tell me the truth. How did youe by this information?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled before smiling. ¡°It seems that I can¡¯t trick you after all, Grandfather.¡±


    Lin Zainan looked toward her, waiting for her next words.


    ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t worry. What I¡¯ve said was all entirely truthful. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t tell you about my sources.¡±


    Lin Zainan stroked his beard. ¡°I believe you, of course, it¡¯s just that...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, I feel like you¡¯re bing more and more unreadable to me by the day.¡± Lin Zainan gazed at Yun Ruoyan piercingly. ¡°Given how detailed you were with your descriptions just then... Ruoyan, have you entered the imperial territory before?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated once more before responding honestly, ¡°Yes, Grandfather.¡±


    Lin Zainan nodded without asking any further questions,and arranged for two servants to send Yun Ruoyan back home.


    It was only when Lin Zainan¡¯s silhouette had vanished entirely from her sight that Yun Ruoyan was able to let out a deep breath.


    Was she bing unreadable?


    Sometimes, even she didn¡¯t understand herself. She wasn¡¯t particrly vicious, but neither was she a paragon of virtue. She knew how hard the road ahead was, and the easiest way to make life simple would have been to cure her poison and leave the Yun family for good. However, she had forced herself to face Pei Ziao, to face Yi Qianying, and she was determined to beat Yun Ruoyao once and for all.


    ¡°Hey, hey! Miss Yun!¡± A familiar voice broke Yun Ruoyan¡¯s train of thought.


    The ck-d man appeared in front of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes once more, shocking the two Lin servants. If not for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s timely block, the two of them would likely have long since drawn their swords at the stranger.


    ¡°It seems like we started off on a bad notest time, so I¡¯m here today to make it up to you.¡± The man smiled widely. ¡°I searched all over the Yun household for you and couldn¡¯t find a single trace, so I dropped by the Lins to have a look, and I really did find you!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan raised an eyebrow. ¡°No one caught you?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t even discover me~¡± The manughed as he stuffed two bottles into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands. ¡°Here are some top-grade pills for recovering your <i>qi</i> and cultivation!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the man vanished once more!


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. She hadn¡¯t even nned on epting the gifts, and now...


    She poured out the pills from within the bottles. Underneath the moonlight, she could clearly see five small green pills, recognizable from a single nce: pills of life quintessence!


    Yun Ruoyao had gone to the pce once in her previous life. When the household found out that the empress dowager had bestowed upon her one such pill, there had been an uproar for more than two weeks.


    But this man had given her five of them, just like that!


    Yun Ruoyan quickly stored the pills in the bottle once more. She didn¡¯t know that man at all, and there was no way she could ept such a precious gift from him. She¡¯d have to return them at her first opportunity.

 Chapter 15: An Old Trick From the Past

    <h4>Chapter 15: An Old Trick From the Past</h4>


    The next morning, before Yun Ruoyan could wake up naturally, she heard loud mors from outside. ¡°Sister, haven¡¯t you woken up yet? Let¡¯s go out and y!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan instantaneously felt a headache impending. Being disturbed so early in the morning would really affect her mood for the rest of the day. ¡°Peony, Xi Lan.¡±


    Hearing their mistress¡¯s call, Peony and Xi Lan quickly rushed into her room.


    The two of them began to help make Yun Ruoyan presentable. As they did so, Xi Lan grumbled, ¡°Miss, the two youngdies were here particrly early in the morning, and although I told them you were still sleeping, they refused to listen...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Yun Ruoyan sat in front of her dresser. ¡°Yun Ruoyao¡¯s been pampered from birth, so she¡¯s not someone the two of you have a chance against.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying entered her rooms.


    ¡°Sister, Qianying and I are here to congratte you.¡± Yun Ruoyao beamed. ¡°Your cultivation¡¯s really an asset for the Yun family!¡±


    They...didn¡¯t believe that at all, did they?


    After all, Yun Ruoyan surely didn¡¯t think that these two sisters of hers, who had suffered defeat at her hand, would ever congratte her in a heartfelt manner.


    She didn¡¯t respond to thepliment, but rather asked, ¡°Sister, are you here for something in particr?¡±


    No one would be happy to be ignored just like that, but Yun Ruoyao hid her emotions well. ¡°Qianying and I are here to invite you to go on a mountain trip with us to rx.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand stilled, and a pearl earring fell from her hands.


    Peony quickly helped Yun Ruoyan pick it up and put it on.


    A trip to the mountains?


    Although Yun Ruoyan had failed to secure admission into the imperial territory in her previous life, this same event had happened back then. At the time, she was ¡°identally¡± pushed into a half-frozen pond by Yi Qianying, and hade precipitously close to death. In order to save her, Pei Ziao had fallen into aa, and, in response to his kindness, she had all but begged her grandfather for a high-grade pill that had been passed down the Lin family for generations.


    In this life, were her good sisters going to y the same trick on her?


    Seeing her hesitation, Yun Ruoyao added, ¡°Young Master Pei will be there too!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled coldly.


    In the past, she really didn¡¯t know how to hide her emotions at all, and it was particrly obvious whom she¡¯d liked. As long as someone were to mention Pei Ziao¡¯s name, she would obediently follow suit.


    Oh, how stupid she was!


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying looked at each other, both smiling gleefully.


    By the time the three of them arrived at the mountaintop, Pei Ziao was already waiting there for them. He quickly ran up to the trio and stopped in front of Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Ruoyan, it¡¯s been so long since west saw each other. Have you been well?¡±


    ¡°Quite well, thank you,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded politely.


    This sort of attitude made Pei Ziao somewhat difited¡ªin the past, Yun Ruoyan had alwaystched onto him and had treasured his every word!


    ¡°Ruoyan, are you feeling unwell today?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not, but perhaps I¡¯ve walked a little too much?¡± Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t even deign to look at him. She was worried that, if she saw that familiar face once more, she might not be able to help herself from strangling him!


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the front and rest!¡±


    At this point, Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying had long since run to the front. They were muttering quietly to each other, but then turned around simultaneously to wave at Yun Ruoyan and Pei Ziao. ¡°Come quickly, the water here is so clear!¡±


    Seeing the smiling faces of the duo from afar, all Yun Ruoyan felt was a bitter chill.


    These two people were her sisters, but all they looked forward to was her death! They smiled at her so brilliantly, but as soon as she turned around, they¡¯d drop all pretenses and stab her in the back!


    ¡°Ruoyan, let¡¯s go see theke together!¡± Pei Ziao pulled Yun Ruoyan forward as he ran.


    As for Yun Ruoyan, she hesitated a little before pulling her hand back out of his grasp.


    In herst life, Yi Qianying had pushed her into theke. In order to save her, Pei Ziao had jumped into theke as well. After the two of them had been rescued, she had recovered quickly, but Pei Ziao had fallen into a deepa.


    To save Pei Ziao, she had started a bitter feud with her grandfather for the high-grade restorative pill, permanently distorting their rtionship. She was very curious what would happen to Pei Ziao if she didn¡¯t do so now.


    Yun Ruoyan rubbed her silver bracelet as she stepped towards the edge of theke, intentionally giving Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying a chance to react.


    As expected, she felt a sharp push from her back, and at the same time, she heard, ¡°Ruoyan, be careful!¡±


    Quickly afterwards, she heard a ssh as Pei Ziao jumped into theke.


    Yun Ruoyan had nned to quickly escape into the pocket dimension of her bracelet as soon as she fell into theke, but this time, after entering theke, she noticed an unusual glimmer emanating from its bottom.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t rush out of theke; after all, she didn¡¯t want to ruin her sisters¡¯ dreams too quickly. Using the meager swimming ability she possessed, Yun Ruoyan swam towards the light at the bottom of theke. It turned out to be a box, one which had clearlyin there for quite a while, its surface covered with an aquatic moss of some sort.


    A weak light was emanating from the box.


    Yun Ruoyan stretched out her hand, intending to take the box with her, but arge ck fish suddenly swam out from her side. It looked almost as if it were ring at her.


    It seemed like a fish, but also not: there were no scales on its body, and a horn protruded from its forehead. In fact, it seemed more like a mystical creature of some sort.


    Yun Ruoyan was so shocked by its sudden appearance that she quickly clutched her mouth.


    The strange fish-creature swam a few circles around her before its gaze ended up on her silver bracelet. It swam a few more circles around her before turning to the box and arduously hitting it with the horn on its head until it popped open.


    Inside was actually a legendary weapon!


    Yun Ruoyan was astonished, because she had actually seen this weapon in the Yun family register, the legendary Fei de that was protected by the mystical beast Jiao Lian.


    She hadn¡¯t expected that it would actually be hidden at the bottom of this mountainke!


    Jiao Lian revolved around Yun Ruoyan a few more times before finally departing.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s water-breathing technique wasn¡¯t suitable for prolonged use, and it was almost time for her to return to the surface. Seeing Jiao Lian leave was the impetus for her to take the de and return once more to the shore.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Pei Ziao was still struggling in the water. Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying were clearly panicking, and they were shouting all around for help.


    Yun Ruoyan temporarily stored the de within her bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension and swam over in Pei Ziao¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Kehem! Ruoyan, Ruoyan!¡± Pei Ziao was choking on a few mouthfuls of water, and he struggled to even open his eyes.


    Honestly, when she saw Pei Ziao behaving this way, she was briefly touched. Butpared to the pain that Pei Ziao had brought her and the poison that he had forced down her throat, that brief moment was nothing.


    Yun Ruoyan swam forward, clutched his waist, and dragged him ashore.


    ¡°Ruo, Ruoyan, you¡¯re alright...?¡± As soon as he said that, Pei Ziao fainted.


    By this time, arge crowd had gathered by theke, and Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying were staring open-mouthed at the perfectly healthy Yun Ruoyan. Now that such a crowd had gathered, they couldn¡¯t make any further moves against her! What¡¯s more, how were they going to deal with Pei Ziao?!

 Chapter 16: The Feilai Blade

    <h4>Chapter 16: The Fei de</h4>


    Not only had Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying failed to harm Yun Ruoyao, they had even caused Pei Ziao to fall into theke and into aa.


    The servants who had followed them on their trip carried the unconscious Pei Ziao into a carriage before rushing him down the mountain.


    The whole way down, Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying¡¯s faces were grim. They didn¡¯t know how they were going to take responsibility for the incident, and Yi Qianying appeared to be particrly shaken as she tried to take care of Pei Ziao.


    Yun Ruoyan faced the window, seemingly uncaring. She merely nced at the other three people in the carriage from time to time, a small smile dancing on her lips.


    In her past life, she was the only one who was panicking at this moment, and the other two girls were simply there for the show. This time, their identities were reversed, and she became the innocent bystander. It appeared as if the heavens had finally taken pity on her and given her the opportunity for revenge.


    Her gazended on Pei Ziao¡¯s body. Perhaps because of how cold theke had been, his handsome face was turning blue and white, and his body would tremble and shiver uncontrobly.


    In order to establish a marriage with the Yun family, he was even willing to jump into a half-frozenke for an ugly and useless girl like her. Pei Ziao had really given his all for this goal, and it was little wonder that her past self had been tricked by his antics. As soon as she thought of this, Yun Ruoyan wrinkled her nose and looked away.


    ¡°Oh, what shall we do? Young Master Pei still hasn¡¯t woken up! Could something have happened to him?¡± Yi Qianying eximed as she tried to wipe his damp hair with her handkerchief.


    ¡°Thatke was so cold that Young Master Pei must be chilled to death. Look at how white his face is! It seems like it¡¯ll be a grave illness at the very least.¡± Yun Ruoyao¡¯s face was lined with worry.


    As soon as the two of them had finished speaking, they turned towards Yun Ruoyan simultaneously.


    ¡°What are you looking at me like that for, sisters?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, faking surprise. ¡°If he¡¯s sick, you should bring him to a doctor, and I¡¯m no doctor.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying¡¯s faces were both filled with shock and disbelief at her words.


    ¡°Sister, aren¡¯t you worried about Young Master Pei at all?¡± Yun Ruoyao questioned. ¡°He¡¯s always been kind toward you, and the reason he jumped into theke was in order to save you! As your sister, I¡¯d even thought that the two of you were close to establishing marital rtions!¡±


    ¡°Sister, your eyesight must be failing you,¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly replied, looking toward Yi Qianying and Pei Ziao. ¡°Clearly, it¡¯s Qianying who¡¯s closer to Young Master Pei. I even heard that, the day she was punished for stealing the pearl ornament, Young Master Pei secretly brought her quite a few tasty morsels to stave her hunger. Ruoyao, you need to open your eyes wider.¡±


    As soon as Yi Qianying heard these words, her face immediately turned red, and she was just about to speak when the servants spoke up from outside.


    ¡°Youngdies, we¡¯ve returned home.¡±


    The carriage stopped right then, and Yun Ruoyan quickly leaped up. But before she could get out the door, Yi Qianying grabbed her by the hand. ¡°Are you going to leave just like that? How about Young Master Pei?¡±


    ¡°Send him back to the Pei estate, of course.¡± Yun Ruoyan cocked her head. ¡°What else are you nning on doing, sister?¡±


    Faced with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bluntness, Yi Qianying was clearly at a loss for words. Based on her understanding of Yun Ruoyan, the fact that Pei Ziao had ended up in such a sorry state because he was trying to help her would surely have caused her to feel responsible for this state of affairs, and she would surely agree even to a marriage proposal from him at this point.


    However, the Yun Ruoyan standing in front of her appeared to be wholly unmoved.


    ¡°Young Master Pei jumped into theke on your behalf, so don¡¯t you think you should stay behind to take care of him, sister?¡± Yi Qianying asked in a huff.


    Yun Ruoyan peered at her. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re doing a fine job of that, Qianying. Young Master Pei would be a good husband, and although the Peis aren¡¯t as highly reputed as the Yuns, they¡¯re not too far off from your station. As for such a good opportunity to present yourself to the Peis, I won¡¯t fight you for it.¡±


    These words of Yun Ruoyan were truly heartfelt: she had no intention to mire herself in the false pretenses that Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying appeared to have such a knack for.


    Given their matching skills and talents, it would truly be a pity to not have them be together.


    ¡°What¡¯s more, I fell into theke myself too.¡± Yun Ruoyan indicated her drenched clothes. ¡°If I don¡¯t return to my residence to get a change of clothes, I might fall sick myself.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she ignored the two girls and quickly walked into the Yun estate, leaving Yi Qianying and Yun Ruoyan to stare at each other.


    When she got back to her rooms, Peony and Xi Lan hurriedly asked her about what had happened upon seeing her appearance as they prepared a bath and dry clothes for her.


    ¡°I fell for a scheme, but didn¡¯t end up too much worse for it.¡± Yun Ruoyan dismissed her maids as she shrugged off her wet clothes and entered her bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension.


    ¡°Qiu~¡± As soon as Yun Ruoyan entered the dimension, the mystical beast Qiuqiu leaped onto herp, staring at her with wide amber eyes.


    ¡°Congrattions, mistress, you¡¯ve obtained a real big treasure today,¡± Qiuqiu chirped happily, and then it stood upright on two feet and danced a little happy jig.


    Yun Ruoyan knew that Qiuqiu was speaking of the Fei de, and that it was a well-known weapon even among the ones listed on the family register, but what really made her smile was how excited Qiuqiu seemed about it.


    ¡°Mistress, look!¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s body moved in a certain direction. Yun Ruoyan looked over in that direction, and amidst the fog, she saw a curious purple glow. Yun Ruoyan walked over and saw the Fei de, hovering in mid-air.


    It was crescent-shaped, suffused with a dim purple glow, and made of what appeared to be ck iron. When she walked closer, Yun Ruoyan could feel a slight chill emanating from the de.


    ¡°Mistress, as far as I¡¯m aware, the Fei de is razor-sharp and can change its shape at will, but I¡¯ve never heard of it having a chilly aura as well...¡± Qiuqiu fluttered around the de, its expression serious.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because it was hidden in a half-frozenke for so long that it took on some of the chilly nature of the area.¡± There hadn¡¯t been much of an introduction to the de in the family register, and Yun Ruoyan could only make a guess as to what had truly happened.


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed a possibility.¡± Qiuqiu propped up its lower jaw with a w, thinking.


    At this time, Yun Ruoyan continued walking closer and closer to the de, as if there were some maic attraction drawing her forward.


    Subconsciously, she stepped forth once more, slowly stretching her hand towards it.


    ¡°Mistress, be careful!¡± Qiuqiu, who had fallen into a stupor, suddenly shouted out loud.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± At the same time at which Qiuqiu spoke, Yun Ruoyan let out a pained exmation.


    As her hand crept closer and closer to the de, the deshed out at her, almost as if it were a wild beast that had suddenly been jolted awake.


    All she felt was a purple haze, and her fingers suddenly went cold. There was a cut on the middle finger of her right hand, about three inches long, from which blood began to stream.

 Chapter 17: Subduing the Blade Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 17: Subduing the de Spirit</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan clutched her bleeding finger as she continued to stare at the de.


    It was currently undergoing a strange transformation. The tip of the de, which hade into contact with her blood, gave off a more and more powerful purple gleam, and purple smoke began wafting out from the de. Slowly, the smoke coalesced into a humanoid figure.


    Yun Ruoyan watched all this happen in a daze.


    ¡°Mistress, step back.¡± Qiuqiu jumped in front of Yun Ruoyan, as if to shield her.


    ¡°Qiuqiu,¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice was trembling as she spoke. ¡°What, what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the spirit of the de,¡± Qiuqiu responded. ¡°Any spiritual weapon will eventually form a spirit, given enough time.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had only heard of spiritual weapons and de spirits from her old master, but she had never seen them in person. After all, those were treasures that even peak-grade demasters might not have, let alone someone like her.


    ¡°Mistress, you have to be careful. In general, de spirits are all rather perverse in character. They don¡¯t have a sense of good or evil, and are blindly loyal to their master,¡± Qiuqiu reminded.


    ¡°Who dares disrupt my sleep?¡± The humanoid figure opened its mouth, and although Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, his body and voice both seemed like those of an old man.


    ¡°My name is Yun Ruoyan.¡± Yun Ruoyan ignored Qiuqiu¡¯s attempts to stop her and walked forward. ¡°My greetings to you, de spirit.¡±


    The de spirit¡¯s body turned toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s a little girl. What nerve you have to wake me up like that!¡± The de spirit suddenly shouted, shocking Yun Ruoyan.


    Qiuqiu immediately jumped up, calling out, ¡°de spirit, how dare you hurt my mistress! I won¡¯t spare you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan immediately held back Qiuqiu, who was about to pounce at the purple smoke. ¡°Elder spirit, I didn¡¯t disrupt your sleep intentionally. I simply found this de buried in a mountainke, and have since brought it here.¡±


    The de spirit ignored Yun Ruoyan and focused instead on herp, where Qiuqiu was baring its teeth at it.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s even a little mystical beast trapped in here.¡± The de spirit appeared to be stroking his beard. ¡°This ce isn¡¯t bad! There¡¯s as much spiritual qi here as there was in thatke, and it¡¯d be a good ce to rest.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! This is my territory, and you can¡¯t just sleep here because you want to!¡± Qiuqiu cried out.


    ¡°Heh heh.¡± The de spirit sat cross-legged on top of the de. ¡°Although you¡¯re a mystical beast, the seal that¡¯s trapping you has decimated your power. Once I kill the two of you, wouldn¡¯t this entire space be mine?¡±


    The de spirit¡¯s figure blurred, but his eyes shone with a vicious purple light.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart was shaken. Her eyebrows arched up¡ªtruly, as Qiuqiu had said, de spirits seemed to have no sense of right and wrong, and this one had turned vicious in a matter of moments.


    Yun Ruoyan had already experienced death once, and she didn¡¯t want to die so easily a second time.


    She was right about to touch the bracelet on her wrist to leave the space when Qiuqiu¡¯s voice suddenly chirped up from her mind. ¡°Mistress, use a blood pact to subdue this spirit.¡±


    This was the first time that Qiuqiu had used telepathy on her, and Yun Ruoyan took quite a while to react to it. She looked at Qiuqiu in herp, and it looked back at her, its wide amber eyes gleaming with craftiness.


    ¡°What¡¯s a blood pact, and how can I use it?¡± Yun Ruoyan thought mentally, and Qiuqiu quickly responded. ¡°Just now, it was your blood that woke the de spirit, so the de itself now bears your mark. As long as you turn the blood into fire and fully envelope the de in mes, mistress, you¡¯ll be able to subdue the spirit.¡±


    Qiuqiu also taught Yun Ruoyan the corresponding incantation to chant mentally. She closed her eyes and allowed the blood on her right hand to flow freely as she incanted, ¡°With my blood, I baptise this de. With my name, I invoke this de. In blood and body, in name and soul, this de I call mine!¡±


    The de spirit was sitting cross-legged on top of the de, curious as to why the girl and beast had suddenly stopped speaking. Only when he saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mouth moving subconsciously did he realize what was going on, and he immediately directed the de in her direction.


    Qiuqiu leapt up to block the de, but the impact flung its body far into the mists, until he disappeared entirely.


    The de spirit hadn¡¯t conserved his strength for this blow, and Qiuqiu had likely suffered a serious injury.


    Yun Ruoyan worried in her heart, but she continued to chant the incantation without stopping.


    ¡°A little girl dares attempt to be my master? Die!¡± The de spirit morphed into a ray of light that shot at Yun Ruoyan.


    At the same time, Yun Ruoyan stretched out her bleeding finger and pointed it in the direction of the spirit, yelling out loud, ¡°With my blood, I baptise this de. With my name, I invoke this de. In blood and body, in name and soul, this de I call mine!¡±


    All of a sudden, the blood flowing down her finger morphed into fire, emitting waves of blinding light. The blood coiled up into a rope of fire, tangling up the de spirit and preventing him from attacking her any further.


    Quickly, the ray of light that the de spirit had turned into was consumed by the rope of fire, and she could hear the spirit¡¯s pained cries and calls for mercy.


    But Yun Ruoyan continued to chant the incantation. The rope of fire glowed brighter and brighter, until finally the de spirit¡¯s cries diminished and its form merged entirely with the rope.


    ¡°Alright, mistress.¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice came from within the fog.


    Yun Ruoyan was only able to calm down when she heard the mystical beast¡¯s voice, relieved that it was safe and that the current crisis was over.


    Her blood returned to her finger once more.


    ¡°Alright, mistress!¡± Qiuqiu ran towards Yun Ruoyan, happily prancing around her. ¡°The Fei de¡¯s now been absorbed into your finger, and the elder de spirit will have to call you mistress now, just like me! And if anyone dares to bully you in the future, all you have to do is stretch out your finger and point it at them, and the Fei de will strike them down.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan returned from the pocket dimension beaming with delight at her uncanny luck. She was just about to undress herself and have a hot bath when Yi Qianying suddenly burst into her yard.


    ¡°Miss Yi, my mistress is currently bathing, and she¡¯s unable to entertain guests at the moment.¡± Peony tried hard to stop her, but Yi Qianying¡¯s cultivation-enhanced strength easily overpowered her.


    ¡°Peony, don¡¯t bar her way. Let her in.¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly pulled on some outer garments as she sat by her table, sipping the warm tea that Xi Lan had prepared.


    And when Yi Qianying finally pushed open her doors, she began to seethe at her rxed, contented manner.


    ¡°Sister, aren¡¯t you worried about Young Master Pei at all?¡± Yi Qianying forced down the mes of anger in her heart, putting on a pitiful expression. ¡°Young Master Pei still hasn¡¯t woken up, but you¡¯re just sitting here and enjoying tea?¡±

 Chapter 18: A Clean Death

    <h4>Chapter 18: A Clean Death</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan responded coolly to Yi Qianying¡¯s interrogation. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I¡¯m not a doctor, and you should send him back to the Pei household. The Peis will naturally find a doctor to treat Young Master Pei.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t looked at Yi Qianying once after she¡¯d entered her rooms, only sipping her tea in satisfaction instead.


    Yi Qianying frowned. This sister of hers was bing more and more inscrutable by the day.


    Yi Qianying had been brought to the Yun household when she was small, and she had all but grown up together with Yun Ruoyan. Naturally, she thought that she had a good understanding of her useless cousin.


    As far as she remembered, while Yun Ruoyan was still heralded as a cultivation genius, she would almost never approach someone unfamiliar on her own.


    Everyone thought that she was simply prideful and arrogant, but only Yi Qianying knew that she was actually embarrassed by her birthmark.


    Thus, when she intentionally got close to Yun Ruoyan, she received Yun Ruoyan¡¯s trust very easily. After interacting with her for a little, she discovered that Yun Ruoyan was not only prone to self-abasement, but was also a big pushover.


    Whenever they yed together, Yun Ruoyan would agree with whatever she said, and she never presented any opinions of her own.


    Honestly, she didn¡¯t have any of the mannerisms or bearing expected of a daughter of nobility, let alone a wife-born daughter of the Yun family.


    Ever since then, she had looked down on Yun Ruoyan a little. By the time Yun Ruoyan had lost her talent and grown uglier and uglier by the day, Yi Qianying loathed her. What right did she have to be the next head of the Yun family?


    From then on, she began to plot against Yun Ruoyan with Yun Ruoyao, scheming to pull Yun Ruoyan down from her pedestal as the firstborn. Only then would she start to feel better about her own lowly birth.


    But, at some point, Yun Ruoyan had changed, until she was no longer the fragile ss figurine that she used to be. She had seen through her attempts to trick and harm her, and had even made counter-attacks of her own. How shocking!


    Yun Ruoyan felt Yi Qianying¡¯s focused gaze on her, and she put down the teacup in her hand and turned around.


    ¡°Sister, why are you looking at me like that? Hasn¡¯t Brother Moyuan mentioned that you¡¯ll get a sty if you stare at my birthmark for too long?¡±


    Yi Qianying had her thoughts interrupted by this self-deprecatingment. She buried her negative feelings and spoke slowly, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re really quite good at joking! I¡¯m just worried about you. When we sent Young Master Pei back home, under Elder Pei¡¯s relentless prompting, we were forced to reveal that hisa arose because he was trying to rescue you from theke.¡±


    Yi Qianying pretended to be helpless as she continued, ¡°Elder Pei was very angry, and he even said that you were an ill-mannered little brat! He told us to inform you to head over to the Pei household immediately to take care of him.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan clutched her forehead. You and Yun Ruoyao were all too happy to reveal that fact, weren¡¯t you? She didn¡¯t have a good impression of the man who had been her father-inw in her past life. She had spoken no more than three sentences with him over the course of her marriage. He always treated her as nothing more than a prop, never looking at her straight in the eye.


    Thinking back to what had happened, although this Elder Pei appeared to be rash and hasty, he might have been the culprit who had orchestrated the entire scheme against the Yun and Lin families.


    ¡°Sister, why don¡¯t you go to the Pei estate with me right now? Otherwise, if Elder Pei makes his way over here and disturbs Uncle Yun, it¡¯ll be bad.¡± Seeing that Yun Ruoyan was unmoved, Yi Qianying brought up her father in order to prompt her into action.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed. In her past life, she really did listen to Yi Qianying and had followed her to the Pei household, dutifully taking care of Pei Ziao.


    In the end, she had even forced her grandfather into relinquishing the high-grade pill that had been passed down the Lin family for generations, saving Pei Ziao but ultimately harming both the Yun and Lin families.


    This time, she would nevermit the same mistake. Without this legendary pill, she would see whether Pei Ziao truly would perish.


    If he did, at least it would be a clean end for him.


    ¡°Sister, please help me inform Elder Pei that I too fell into theke. Although I didn¡¯t receive as serious a trauma as Young Master Pei, I¡¯m near-bedridden and am unable to step out of my rooms.¡±


    As soon as she said this, Yun Ruoyan stood up. ¡°Once I start feeling better, I¡¯ll go over to the Pei manor and personally thank Young Master Pei for his kind intentions. I¡¯m feeling a little tired now, and I¡¯m going to go rest. Sister, I won¡¯t see you out.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stepped into her bedroom. Yi Qianying sighed twice from behind her, but when Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t respond, she swung her sleeves and left her residence immediately.


    Yun Ruoyan had Peony heat up the bathwater again so she could take a hot, rxing bath.


    Her encounter with the de spirit earlier had caused her to lose a considerable amount of blood, and she indeed felt a little weakened.


    Right after her bath, Yun Ruoyan fell asleep. She was still in a stupor when she heard Xi Lan¡¯s panicking voice. ¡°Miss, Miss, you have to get up!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan rubbed her eyes as she pushed herself upright with her wrists. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s El-Elder Pei!¡± Xi Lan began to stammer. ¡°Pe-Peony¡¯s trying to st-stall, but she can¡¯t hold him for long, and she told me to wake you up quickly, Mi-Miss.¡±


    Indeed, loud noises wereing from outside her residence.


    ¡°Tell Yun Ruoyan to get out here!¡± A loud, vigorous voice rang out from the yard as Peony rushed to hold him back.


    ¡°Elder Pei, my mistress is currently resting. These are her private quarters, and men aren¡¯t permitted inside.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still resting?!¡± Elder Pei thundered. ¡°My son¡¯s about to die, and she¡¯s resting?!¡±


    ¡°Elder Pei, you, you can¡¯t...¡± Peony continued to resist valiantly.


    ¡°Have Elder Pei wait for a moment.¡± A clear feminine voice came from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s quarters. ¡°As soon as I finish making myself presentable, I¡¯ll greet him.¡±


    Xi Lan quickly helped Yun Ruoyan brush up before opening the door and inviting Pei Yingxiong inside, ever so politely.


    When Pei Yingxiong saw Yun Ruoyan bowing gracefully, ying the role of the courteous host, he couldn¡¯t continue thundering for fear of damaging his reputation.


    ¡°Elder Pei, please have a seat.¡±


    ¡°No need! My son¡¯s on the brink of death, and I don¡¯t have the time to exchange pleasantries with you. ¡°


    Elder Pei forced down the anger in his voice, but his tone was still brash and cantankerous. ¡°The doctor told me that Ziao fell into a frozenke, that his body¡¯s being ravaged by chills and that he¡¯s suffered grievous internal injury. In order to recover, he needs the Lins¡¯ core foundation pill, and I¡¯m here to get that pill from you right now!¡±


    Elder Pei¡¯s righteous and forceful tone once again reminded Yun Ruoyan of the past, and how he¡¯d forced her to get the pill from her grandfather in the exact same tone as before.


    At the time, Yun Ruoyan, panicking and crushed by guilt, hadpletely forgotten about how important the pill was to the Lins. All she wanted was for Pei Ziao to wake up once more, and like a crazed demon, she knelt outside the Lin household until her grandfather was willing to let her in and hear her out.


    ¡°Elder Pei, you know that the core foundation pill isn¡¯t mine to give,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded calmly.


    ¡°Of course I know that, but it belongs to your grandfather, which is why I¡¯ming to you now to ask for it.¡± Elder Pei¡¯s tone was as self-righteous and forceful as before. ¡°Hurry, Miss Yun, my Ziao can¡¯t handle your tarrying!¡±


    Ha, Yun Ruoyanughed internally, her tone bing frosty. ¡°By what right?¡±


    ¡°By what right?¡± Pei Yingxiong red at her. ¡°Ziao jumped into theke because of you¡ªas the sole wife-born daughter of the Yuns, aren¡¯t you going to repay his gratitude? Aren¡¯t you afraid of ruining the Yuns¡¯ reputation?¡±


    ¡°Elder Pei, you seem to be mistaken.¡± Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Pei Ziao jumped into theke himself, and I was the one who rescued him in the end! If you¡¯re speaking of gratitude, he should be the one showing me gratitude, not I to him!¡±

 Chapter 19: He Has to Be Saved

    <h4>Chapter 19: He Has to Be Saved</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words angered Pei Yingxiong so much that he was momentarily at a loss for words, and all he could do was shake a trembling fist as he muttered, ¡°Just you wait, Yun Ruoyan, just you wait!¡±


    Peony and Xi Lan quickly formed a wall in front of Yun Ruoyan, but she stepped forward and shielded them instead.


    ¡°Sister, aren¡¯t you being too heartless?¡± A female voice came from outside her residence.


    The person who spoke was none other than Yi Qianying, who walked in supporting Madam An.


    ¡°Although you were indeed the one who saved Young Master Pei, sister, he only jumped into theke because of you. How could you say something so heartless?¡±


    Yi Qianying really wasn¡¯t nning to stop causing trouble for her, was she?


    In the afternoon, Yi Qianying hadn¡¯t been able to threaten her by bringing up her father, so when Pei Yingxiong had really arrived at her cottage, she quickly brought Madam An over to stir up even more trouble.


    As for Madam An, she had always viewed Yun Ruoyan as an eyesore.


    Madam An had been superficially polite while Yun Ruoyan was still talented, but as soon as she became useless, Madam An had schemed to rece her with her own daughter, Yun Ruoyao.


    It seemed as if no one came to her cottage without the express desire of causing trouble.


    Nevertheless, hiding her annoyance, Yun Ruoyan bowed politely to Madam An.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s sote at night. Why have youe to my residence?¡±


    Madam An ignored Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bow. ¡°Ruoyan, your sister has already told me what happened this morning. How could you tell your sisters to hide such a big matter from me, and to just send Young Master Pei home like that?!¡±


    Madam An¡¯s tone became even more caustic. ¡°If others were to find out about this, then the whole Yun family will be implicated for ingratitude, not just you!¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± Yun Ruoyan straightened up and responded unflinchingly, ¡°I refuse to let my actions be called ungrateful. I won¡¯t sully my name, and especially not my family¡¯s name!¡±


    Madam An nodded satisfactorily. ¡°That¡¯s right! Then, go get the core foundation pill from your grandfather¡¯s ce now.¡±


    ¡°Get the pill?¡± Yun Ruoyan made an embarrassed expression. ¡°The core foundation pill has been passed down my mother¡¯s family for generations, and there¡¯s only one left. It isn¡¯t something we can afford to spend so frivolously.¡±


    Madam An frowned. ¡°Ruoyan, didn¡¯t you say-¡±


    ¡°Mother, you must have misunderstood me,¡± Yun Ruoyan interrupted her. ¡°What I meant was, I don¡¯t owe anything to the Peis. There isn¡¯t anything I should be grateful about, and this has nothing to do with the pill.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a loud ¡®Peng!¡¯ from beside her. Pei Yingxiong had mmed a palm on her table with such force that a table leg had splintered and broken, causing her tea set to fall to the ground and shatter to pieces.


    ¡°You¡¯re really good at distorting the truth, aren¡¯t you?!¡±


    Pei Yingxiong turned his tiger-like gaze to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°So this is the gratitude of the Yuns? It seems like I have to meet with Master Yun myself to get justice for my son!¡±


    ¡°My daughter¡¯s naturally stubborn, Elder Pei, so please ignore her disrespect,¡± Madam An quickly attempted to cate him. ¡°My husband¡¯s out handling official matters today, and I¡¯ll be sure to discipline my daughter on his behalf. Elder Pei, don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ll give you a satisfactory response.¡±


    After hearing Madam An¡¯s words, Elder Pei forced down his anger, but his fists were still clenched tightly.


    Madam An turned around and looked at Yun Ruoyan sternly. ¡°You¡¯re generally quite obedient, but I never expected you to be so stubborn.¡±


    Saying this, she sighed. ¡°My sister departed from this world early, and your father and I didn¡¯t have the heart to discipline you too harshly. Who knew that you would be so spoiled? It seems like I¡¯ll have to be harsher with you in the future. Yun Ruoyan, in the name of your mother, Imand you to retrieve this pill from the Lins.¡±


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re forcing an impossible decision on me. You know how important the core foundation pill is to the Lins. As a member of the Yun family, I can hardly make a decision on behalf of the Lins. Even if Father were tomand me himself, this would still be my response.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had made up her mind not to head to the Lins no matter what happened.


    ¡°You dare?!¡± Pei Yingxiong¡¯s voice was low and deep, the anger in his heart a ming sea. ¡°In that case, if you¡¯re unwilling to save Ziao, then you can join him in death!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, his fist, which had just destroyed her table, punched towards her. His punch was fast and vicious, and it reached Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face in the blink of an eye.


    No one had expected that Yun Ruoyan would have been able to dodge in time. After all, Pei Yingxiong was a famed forgemaster, and his cultivation would surely have allowed him to kill Yun Ruoyan with a single punch.


    But just as the punch was about tond on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body, she somehow managed to evade the blow.


    The punchnded on the chair behind Yun Ruoyan, splintering it to pieces.


    Pei Yingxiong almost couldn¡¯t believe his eyes when he saw that the well-known dunce of the Yun family had actually evaded his blow. He raised his fist at Yun Ruoyan, who had dodged to the side, once more. He¡¯d only used 30% of his power thatst time; now, he used 70%!


    Yun Ruoyan grit her teeth. Old man, you forced me into this! She was about to release the Fei de when she heard her grandmother¡¯s voice from afar.


    ¡°Who dares behave so atrociously in my household? Are you taking advantage of the fact that my son isn¡¯t here at the moment?¡±


    The Yun matriarch had arrived at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s door.


    Pei Yingxiong stilled. Yun Ruoyan hurriedly ran to the door, calling out for her grandmother.


    ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t worry,e to me.¡± Her grandmother pulled Yun Ruoyan behind her as she nced at Madam An, standing to the side.


    ¡°What sort of mother are you, allowing an outsider to take advantage of a child?¡± Her tone was biting, and her eyes glinted with vigor unbefitting a woman her age.


    Madam An quickly lowered her head. ¡°I apologize for my carelessness, Mother, for being unable to shield Ruoyan in time. However, Ruoyan was indeed in the wrong.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The Yun matriarch turned towards Pei Yingxiong.


    ¡°I was too impetuous, and I apologize.¡± Pei Yingxiong bowed. ¡°I¡¯m simply trying to help save my son!¡±


    Under Madam An¡¯s prompting, Yi Qianying finally recounted the entire story. Because Yun Ruoyan was present, she couldn¡¯t embellish the truth, but she did make Pei Ziao to be more courageous and self-sacrificing than he really was.


    ¡°Ruoyan,e with me.¡± Her grandmother motioned her to her private quarters. Once they were inside, she turned towards Yun Ruoyan and said, ¡°You have to save Pei Ziao.¡±


    <hr>


    1. Referring to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birth mother. The two are not biologically rted.

 Chapter 20: Not for Nothing

    <h4>Chapter 20: Not for Nothing</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t expected that her grandmother, who had seemed to be favoring her, would suddenly tell her this. ¡°Grandmother, even though Pei Ziao did jump into theke, it wasn¡¯t just in order to save me!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Upon hearing these words, her grandmother revealed a gratifying smile. ¡°In what sense?¡±


    ¡°Although Pei Ziao¡¯s always been very solicitous toward me, I can tell that it¡¯s not because he wants to.¡± Yun Ruoyan continued, ¡°Although he tries to hide it, I can see shes of difort and disgust at times when he looks toward me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan subconsciously touched the birthmark on her cheek, reminded of his naked revulsion upon looking at it when he thought she wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    How had she not realized his true feelings in the past?


    At the time, she had been so self-abasing that when a man treated her nicely, she handed him everything without a second thought!


    Her grandmother sighed, pulling his hand, her gaze both praising and pitying. ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re truly a smart girl, and I¡¯m relieved that you understand this.¡± She patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands and continued, ¡°The Peis want to establish better rtions with us, and the only way Pei Yingxiong can do so is through his son. I¡¯m sure Pei Ziao must be trying to get close to you on his father¡¯s orders.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked at her grandmother¡¯s old, lined face, feeling as if nothing escaped her eyes. Even her grandmother hadn¡¯t approved of her marrying Pei Ziao, but she had been so clouded by her infatuation that she didn¡¯t realize.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that, I¡¯m sure Pei Yingxiong himself didn¡¯t expect such an incident to ur. Pei Ziao¡¯s the only son of the Pei family, and if he really dies, then that¡¯s it for the two families.¡±


    The Yun matriarch looked at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°All the forces of the Li kingdom are mustering, and it¡¯ll be better for the Yuns to have another ally than another enemy. Ruoyan, for the greater good, you have to save Pei Ziao.¡±


    Her grandmother¡¯s reasoning was perfectly reasonable, so much so that Yun Ruoyan had no words in rebuttal. She wanted to tell her grandmother that saving Pei Ziao would harm both the Yuns and the Lins, but no one would believe the words of a thirteen-year-old like her.


    ¡°Grandmother,¡± Yun Ruoyan lowered her head obediently, speaking softly, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan brought Pei Yingxiong to the Lins immediately, and when Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen saw Yun Ruoyan, they passionately pulled her aside in order to talk to her. This small gesture touched Yun Ruoyan immensely, given her dearth of affection in the past.


    ¡°Miss Yun, be conscious of the time.¡± Pei Yingxiong urged her on impatiently.


    Seeing a stranger follow Yun Ruoyan into their house and speak so impolitely, Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen looked at Yun Ruoyan curiously.


    Yun Ruoyan had no time to exin herself, and she only asked directly where her grandfather was.


    Lin Qingxue informed her that he had cooped himself up in his chambers thesest few days. Yun Ruoyan understood that her grandfather must have been trying to make an antidote for her, and another bout of passion suffused her heart.


    Yun Ruoyan headed straight to his chambers. Pei Yingxiong was about to follow her there, but Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen blocked him and bade him stay in the living room.


    ¡°Grandfather,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out as she walked into his outer chambers.


    Refining pills was a mentally taxing task, and any sort of disruption could have severe consequences. After calling out softly, Yun Ruoyan waited quietly where she was.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re here!¡± Not too long after, Lin Zainan¡¯s voice rang out from within his rooms. ¡°Come on in.¡±


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan walk into his pill-refining chambers.


    Lin Zainan sat cross-legged in front of a furnace, about half as tall as a man. A white me burned grandly from within, fueled by Lin Zainan¡¯s spiritual qi which he transferred to the fire through his hands.


    On the Chenyuan continent, there were four professions rted to cultivation: pillmasters, forgemasters, demasters, and beastmasters. Of these, pillmasters were fewest in number and hence greatest in demand, and there couldn¡¯t have been more than three pillmasters of Lin Zainan¡¯s caliber in the entire Li kingdom.


    This was why, despite not having arge family, the Lins weren¡¯t afraid of outsiders and didn¡¯t ce the Peis in high regard. If not for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s presence, Pei Yingxiong likely wouldn¡¯t have been able to get past even the front doors of the Lin estate.


    Lin Zainan sped both hands together as he motioned at the furnace, and a mud-yellow pill flew from the furnace into his outstretched palms. He turned to Yun Ruoyan, a kindly smile on his face.


    ¡°Ruoyan, is something the matter?¡±


    Under usual circumstances, Yun Ruoyan would never have bothered him while he was refining pills, so Lin Zainan immediately guessed that she had some pressing matter to take care of.


    ¡°Grandfather, I do have a request.¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly recounted the entire chain of events that had brought her here. ¡°I know the core foundation pill has been passed down the Lins for generations, but...¡± Despite having no other recourse, Yun Ruoyan was unwilling to just take the pill.


    Lin Zainan was silent for a moment before he spoke up once more. ¡°Although pills are precious, they¡¯re not as valuable as talent.¡±


    Lin Zainan stretched out his hand at Yun Ruoyan, and she quickly helped him up. ¡°There aren¡¯t that many people left in the Lin family. Of your generation, there¡¯s only Qingxue, Qingchen, and you, and the three of you are what¡¯s most important to me.¡±


    ¡°This is the antidote.¡± Lin Zainan handed the pill that he had just refined to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Although it won¡¯t be able to get rid of the poison in your body in one go, it can help prevent the poison from spreading much further. Consume it now, and then we¡¯ll go get the core foundation pill.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took the pill, her eyes glimmering with tears, a sudden memory of the past resurfacing. In it, she had knelt and begged her grandfather for the pill to save Pei Ziao, and he had looked at her in disappointment and pain before acquiescing.


    ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯ll be sure to protect the Lin family with my sisters.¡± Yun Ruoyan swallowed the pill, feeling a refreshing gust emanating from her dantian, rejuvenating her entire body.


    Lin Zainan brought her to a hidden room where he stored his most valuable pills and handed a sandalwood box to Yun Ruoyan.


    She opened the box and saw a purplish-red pill, which gave off a concentrated herbal fragrance. That had to be the core foundation pill!


    ¡°To make the core foundation pill requires a sixth-rank pillmaster, and I¡¯ve never been able to improve past the fifth rank. In my lifetime, I doubt I¡¯ll ever be able to produce one.¡± Lin Zainan looked at the pill, his expressionplicated. ¡°This pill was made by my own grandfather, and is thest left in our family.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan mmed the sandalwood box shut, her gaze determined. ¡°We can¡¯t just give this to the Peis for free!¡±


    Hearing these words, Lin Zainan arched her eyebrows. ¡°Do you have any ideas, Ruoyan?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Peis have a prized possession too, a high-grade pill furnace. How about letting Pei Yingxiong trade that furnace for this pill?¡±


    Lin Zainan looked at Yun Ruoyan with shock. After all, the fact that the Peis had a high-grade pill furnace wasn¡¯t a fact known to one and all.


    A few centuries ago, the Peis had had a particrly talented pillmaster, but ever since then, there had never been another descendant with talent for pillmaking.


    And the furnace that that master had left behind had remained ornamental and decorative since then, all but forgotten by the public.


    In her past life, Pei Yingxiong had presented the furnace as a gift to another kingdom¡¯s pillmaker, and Yun Ruoyan was there for the asion.


    Lin Zainan didn¡¯t know that Yun Ruoyan had been given a second chance at life, of course. He simply thought that his granddaughter had simply been hiding her skills and biding her time. She had likely heard about this from an off-handed remark, but had kept it in the back of her mind since then.


    The Yuns were arge family, and its inner workings were particrlyplex. Without her mother to shield her, and with her growth stunted by poison, she likely wouldn¡¯t have lived to the present day if she weren¡¯t clever.


    He was really liking this granddaughter of his more and more by the day!


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say, Ruoyan.¡± Lin Zainan smiled.

 Chapter 21: Equivalent Exchange

    <h4>Chapter 21: Equivalent Exchange</h4>


    Lin Zainan brought the sandalwood box into the living room. Yun Ruoyan followed respectfully behind him, a somewhat wronged expression on her face.


    Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen were just about to go chat with Yun Ruoyan when they saw her expression. Upon seeing an equally unhappy countenance on their grandfather¡¯s face, they decided against the idea and stood to one side quietly instead.


    ¡°Elder Lin.¡± Pei Yingxiong quickly stepped forward and bowed. ¡°I apologize for bothering you at this hour.¡±


    Lin Zainan blocked him from bowing, his voice clear and cold. ¡°Let¡¯s not bother with these false pleasantries.¡±


    Despite his embarrassment, Pei Yingxiong forged onward. ¡°My son, Pei Ziao, jumped into a freezingke in order to save your granddaughter, Elder Lin. Now that his life¡¯s in danger, I¡¯m here to beseech you to save him.¡±


    As the head of a family famed for its pillmaking, and as a fifth-tier pillmaster himself, Lin Zainan¡¯s position within the Li kingdom was indubitable. Although Pei Yingxiong had behaved rather tyrannically in front of the Yuns, he couldn¡¯t help but lower his head in front of Lin Zainan.


    ¡°Ruoyan has already told me everything.¡± Lin Zainan sat at the head of the table, while Yun Ruoyan went to stand with her sisters in silence.


    This was a ploy that the two of them had concocted, designed to let Lin Zainan handle Pei Yingxiong.


    ¡°Ruoyan said that, although she was the one who saved Pei Ziao in the end, he did jump into the freezingke in an attempt to save her.¡± Lin Zainan stroked his beard, half-smiling.


    Pei Yingxiong wanted to rebuke him, but he couldn¡¯t really do anything to a man like Lin Zainan. In the end, he could only ede. ¡°Yes, yes, my son doesn¡¯t quite know how to swim, and he is a little rash, but he truly tried to save Miss Yun.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but he does have to know his limits. It¡¯s one thing to try to save someone in need, and another thing to be saved himself. If he were to lose his life, that would be quite a loss.¡± Pei Yingxiong¡¯s face flushed red.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to instruct him well after he wakes up, Elder.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡± Lin Zainan nodded.


    Pei Yingxiong looked hopefully at the sandalwood box in Lin Zainan¡¯s hands, asking, ¡°Elder Lin, that¡¯s the core foundation pill in your hands, isn¡¯t it? I humbly thank you for your grace.¡± Having spoken, he sped his hands and was about to bow again.


    Yun Ruoyan, who was watching coldly from the side, marvelled at his ability to swap faces just like that. In the Yun household, he was just like a tyrant; here, he yed the role of a supplicant.


    ¡°This is thest core foundation pill left in my household, the sweat and blood of my forefathers.¡±


    Pei Yingxiong stared at the pill in Lin Zainan¡¯s hands unblinkingly, afraid thatplications were about to arise.


    Lin Zainan continued leisurely, ¡°Even if Pei Ziao had jumped into theke to save Ruoyan, I can¡¯t just hand this pill over to you so simply.¡±


    Pei Yingxiong¡¯s facial muscles twitched uncontrobly. ¡°Then, Elder Lin, do you have any conditions in mind?¡±


    Lin Zainan stood up and looked at Pei Yingxiong, his gaze appreciative.


    ¡°Since this core foundation pill is an heirloom passed down my family for generations, it seems fair to ask for one of your heirlooms in exchange. Although the high-grade furnace you have still isn¡¯t muchpared to the pill, considering Pei Ziao¡¯s honorable intentions, I¡¯ll still allow such a trade.¡±


    Pei Yingxiong¡¯s heart thumped, as if he had fallen into someone else¡¯s trap. Subconsciously, he looked toward Yun Ruoyan.


    But Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head was lowered, and she looked the very picture of a girl who had just been scolded. Could she really have been the one who had suggested such a thing?


    Few people knew about the high-grade furnace that the Peis possessed, and it was hard to believe that a girl of thirteen would be amongst those people. It seemed as if Elder Lin was a craftier man than he had realized.


    It had been quite a few generations since a pillmasterst appeared in the Peis, and although this furnace was certainly a treasure, it was rather useless to them. Even so, Pei Yingxiong was reluctant to simply give it away.


    ¡°Elder Lin, in memory of my illustrious forebears, my household has long since had an unwritten rule against recing the furnace unless absolutely necessary.¡± Pei Yingxiong quickly spun up an excuse.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Lin Zainan changed his tone immediately. ¡°Then, it seems as if saving your heir isn¡¯t an absolute necessity. In that case, please leave, Master Pei.¡±


    ¡°Elder Lin, please wait!¡± Pei Yingxiong was flustered and angry that Elder Lin would call out his bluff so directly, but he had no choice but to abase himself once more. ¡°Ziao¡¯s my only heir, and I have to save him no matter what. It is indeed a time of absolute necessity.¡± As if making a particrly momentous decision, he concluded, ¡°I¡¯ll make the trade.¡±


    But Pei Yingxiong also brought up a condition of his: he would only hand over the furnace once Yun Ruoyan had revived Pei Ziao and made sure of his health.


    With Lin Zainan present, Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t afraid that Pei Yingxiong would suddenly renege on the trade, and so she brought the core foundation pill to the Peis.


    As she entered the Pei household and looked at the familiar yard, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about the past once more.


    She had spent five years of her life in this yard, five long years in which she had worried about others¡¯ perception of her and tried every possible way to get into their good graces. In the end, she had still ended up on the streets, poisoned and near death¡¯s door.


    ¡°Miss Pei, Ziao¡¯s still waiting!¡± Pei Yingxiong, who was walking in front of her, turned around and urged her once more.


    Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath, repressed her anger, fury, and mncholy, and quickly strode forward to catch up with him.


    As soon as she entered Pei Ziao¡¯s abode, she could hear a woman howling.


    ¡°Ziao, my son, you can¡¯t leave me!¡±


    Pei Yingxiong almost tripped and fell before rushing into his son¡¯s rooms.


    Yun Ruoyan recognized the voice: it was Pei Ziao¡¯s mother, her mother-inw, Madam Liu, crying in a heartbroken fashion.


    Yun Ruoyan stood at the door and craned her head in. Had Pei Ziao really died, just like that?


    ¡°Stop cursing your own son! He¡¯s not dead yet!¡± Pei Yingxiong¡¯s stentorian shout cut off his wife¡¯s sobs. He quickly dragged Yun Ruoyan, still standing outside, into his son¡¯s rooms.


    ¡°Quick, quick, save him!¡± Pei Yingxiong pressed Yun Ruoyan against the bed. Pei Ziao had begun breathing erratically, his body half-contorted.


    If they had been even half an hourte, Pei Ziao might truly have passed away.


    Honestly, malicious people really clung to life like cockroaches! Yun Ruoyan had no other choice but to take out the pill, pry open Pei Ziao¡¯s lips, and force the pill in.


    As soon as the core foundation pill entered his mouth, it immediately turned into a nourishing stream of spiritual energy, flowing through his body.


    Pei Ziao¡¯s ghastly face began to color once more.


    ¡°Ah, what a miraculous pill!¡± The physician couldn¡¯t help but praise the pill as he took Pei Ziao¡¯s pulse. ¡°Although it might not be a true panacea, his life is saved.¡±


    Upon hearing the physician¡¯s words, Pei Yingxiong smiled and grimaced simultaneously: now that the core foundation pill had taken effect, then the Pei family¡¯s high-grade furnace would soon be the Lins¡¯.


    ¡°Elder Pei,¡± Yun Ruoyan began, ¡°Now that Young Master Pei is safe, I won¡¯t intrude any longer.¡± She didn¡¯t want to stay in these stifling rooms a moment longer than she had to. ¡°Please relinquish the furnace promised to my grandfather, so that I may bring it to him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to hand over the furnace,¡± Pei Yingxiong responded in a business-like tone, ¡°But although Ziao¡¯s life has been saved, he¡¯s still currently unconscious. Miss Yun, you have to wait for him to wake up before you leave, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was very angry at Pei Yingxiong¡¯s deliberate attempt to dy matters, but it wouldn¡¯t have been wise to make a ruckus at his home. In the end, she could only relent.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Young Master Pei jumped into theke in order to save me, and it¡¯s only right for me to wake for him to wake up before thanking him,¡± Yun Ruoyan concluded against her will.


    The physician informed everyone that Pei Ziao needed to rest, so everyone left in his rooms stepped out as one. The only people left inside were Yun Ruoyan and Pei Ziao, lying in bed.


    Yun Ruoyan sat down in a chair, ying with her hands in a fit of boredom. Suddenly, she realized that she had a purple mole on the middle finger of her right hand. She touched it and felt an unusual sense of cold.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°The mark left by the Fei de, mistress.¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice rang out from her mind. ¡°Mistress, since you¡¯ve just managed to subdue the de, it¡¯s still not fully under your control, which is why you see this mark. As soon as you¡¯re able to control the de fully, the mark will disappear by itself.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded.


    ¡°Mistress, you can close your eyes now and try to feel for the consciousness of the Fei de,¡± Qiuqiu continued.


    Following Qiuqiu¡¯s guidance, Yun Ruoyan marshaled her concentration and probed her mind. An image of the Fei de quickly appeared and hovered in her mind¡¯s eye.


    As if feeling her mental probe, it spun around in her mind, and Yun Ruoyan subconsciously pointed a finger.


    A purple beam flew out from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s finger and broke the window.


    ¡°Ah, it seems that your control still isn¡¯t all that good yet, Mistress. Quickly, reim the de!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was both excited and nervous, and she quickly followed Qiuqiu¡¯s instructions once more to retrieve the de, which flew back into her finger in another beam of purple light.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s cold.¡± At this time, Pei Ziao finally broke out of hisa and spoke up.


    There truly had been a gust of cold air when she released the Fei de, but she hadn¡¯t expected Pei Ziao to be so sensitive.


    Yun Ruoyan guiltily clutched her right hand. The Fei de and her bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension were her greatest secrets. Before she developed a means of self-preservation, she certainly couldn¡¯t let others know about these treasures of hers.


    ¡°You-you¡¯re awake!¡± In order to hide her nerves, Yun Ruoyan quickly came up to Pei Ziao¡¯s bed and asked, ¡°Did you just wake up?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, are you alright?¡± As if he had just noticed her presence, he spoke in a concerned fashion as soon as he looked at her, ¡°It¡¯s wonderful that you¡¯re alright! I saw you fall into theke, and...¡±


    That seeming kindness really was quite captivating, but it was a pity that Yun Ruoyan had long since seen through him.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite alright; Young Master Pei, you¡¯re the one you should be concerned about!¡± Yun Ruoyan interrupted him, a cold expression on her face. ¡°Now that you¡¯re awake, I¡¯ll bid my farewell.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was just about to turn and leave when Pei Ziao pulled her back. ¡°Are you going to leave right after I¡¯ve woken up?¡± His voice was almost a pout.


    His grab caused the hairs on the back of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s neck to rise. That hand had force-fed her poison, had thrown her out into the streets...

 Chapter 22: A Little Interesting

    <h4>Chapter 22: A Little Interesting</h4>


    ¡°Let go!¡± screamed Yun Ruoyan suddenly, before she tossed Pei Ziao¡¯s hand aside.


    Pei Ziao was clearly shocked by her sudden wrath. ¡°Ruoyan, what¡¯s gotten into you? Why are you acting so fiercely? Weren¡¯t we on good terms?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned toward the good-looking youth. In her mind¡¯s eye, this innocent and youthful face turned into the cold and aloof exterior of the adult Pei Ziao.


    She repressed her desire to p him in the face and murmured, ¡°Young Master Pei, you must be mistaken. We¡¯ve never been on good terms.¡±


    She suddenly smiled and pointed toward her birthmark. ¡°You¡¯re clearly disgusted by my birthmark, and yet you still pretend you don¡¯t care. What¡¯s the point?¡±


    Pei Ziao, his machinations revealed, was unable to react. Yun Ruoyan called a servant over to take care of him as she went in search of Pei Yingxiong. Having lost his excuse for dying further, he could only hand over the furnace.


    As soon as she had the furnace in hand, Yun Ruoyan went straight back to the Lins.


    Lin Zainan, Lin Qingxue, and Lin Qingchen were all waiting for her in the living room. As soon as they saw her enter, they stepped forward to wee her.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re finally back! We were just nning on going to the Pei manor to find you,¡± Lin Qingxue eximed.


    ¡°The Peis didn¡¯t treat you too badly, did they?¡± Lin Qingchen asked affectionately.


    ¡°They don¡¯t dare!¡± Lin Zainanughed heartily. ¡°The Lins aren¡¯t to be trifled with.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan, quite moved by their affection, smiled. ¡°Not only did they not dare to bully me, they even handed me a treasure, just like that.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan put down the bundle that she had been carrying on her shoulders. Within it was a gold box, and within the box was a furnace.


    ¡°This is the fabled top-grade furnace? It¡¯s so small!¡± Lin Qingxue eximed once again. ¡°Even smaller than the pots we use to heat up soup in the kitchen.¡±


    Her analogy made everyone presentugh.


    Yun Ruoyan took the censer-sized furnace out of the box and ced it in front of Lin Zainan. It was made of a ck, lustrous material and seemed to gleam in themplight.


    ¡°Grandfather, look!¡±


    Lin Zainan poked and prodded at the furnace as he spoke. ¡°The smaller the furnace, the more valuable it is. Such small furnaces can better concentrate the power of spiritual mes. Most materials wouldn¡¯t be able to bear such concentrated mes, but high-grade furnaces that can withstand such mes are able to magnify the effects of pills by two or three times.¡± Lin Zainan looked at the furnace in his hands, his eyes shining as he pronounced, ¡°This is really a treasure!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan thought that just about any pillmaster would be as happy as her grandfather upon seeing high-grade herbs and furnaces.


    ¡°In that case, Grandfather, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to make better and better pills with this furnace.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled, as did the Lin sisters.


    But Lin Zainan handed the furnace to Yun Ruoyan, and she tilted her head at her grandfather.


    ¡°High-grade furnaces can bond with their owners, and since you were the one who obtained it, Ruoyan, you¡¯re tied to it by circumstance. You should keep it for now.¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t sure if she could be a pillmaster, she finally epted the furnace upon her grandfather¡¯s insistence.


    The Lin sisters both admired and were happy for their sister, and the three girls chattered nonstop as they sat around the furnace.


    By the side, Lin Zainan clutched his beard and smiled, sighing internally. Wouldn¡¯t it be great if this house were like this daily?


    Under the Yun matriarch¡¯s intervention, news of Pei Ziao falling into theke didn¡¯t reach Yun Ruoyan¡¯s father¡¯s ears, and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t reveal the fact that Yun Ruoyao had nned to push her into theke in the first ce.


    She had just obtained her grandmother¡¯s trust, and she didn¡¯t want to cause anyplications immediately. However, because of this whole incident, the females of the Yun family had begun to treat Yun Ruoyan differently.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s grandmother clearly had an improved opinion of her, and Madam An and the others wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress her so easily anymore.


    Thesest few days, she had been focused on practicing the use of the Fei de in her yard. Whenever she did so, she would instruct Peony and Xi Lan to keep guard outside the yard while she practiced within closed doors.


    Peony and Xi Lan didn¡¯t ask about her affairs; they simply thought that Yun Ruoyan, unwilling to resign herself to inadequacy, was secretly honing her skills in earnest. After a long period of practice, she had apparently recovered her talent once more. In defeating both the eldest miss and second master in a battle, she was able to regain her pride.


    The two servants started to admire their mistress even further.


    Yun Ruoyan was standing in the middle of her rooms, controlling the Fei de and forcing it to revolve around her. It took only two orbits before her forehead began sweating in earnest, and it seemed as though her third-rank spiritual energy was far too weak to properly use the Fei de. All she could carry out were simple attacks.


    ¡°Mistress, someone¡¯sing.¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s mental warning reached Yun Ruoyan, who was in the middle of her practice.


    Without any hesitation, Yun Ruoyan recalled the Fei de into her body once more.


    ¡°Who is it? If you keep hiding in the shadows, I¡¯m going to call out to my maids!¡± Yun Ruoyan looked around her room. The doors and windows were shut, and there surely couldn¡¯t be anyone inside.


    She walked towards her back window and was just about to open it when it opened by itself.


    ¡°Why are you here again?¡± Standing outside the window was none other than the ck-d youth that she had met twice already. In his hand was his gold-tipped folding fan, which he pointed mischievously at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, did I scare you?¡±


    He smiled.


    Exasperated, Yun Ruoyan muttered, ¡°Why won¡¯t you leave me alone? If you appear in front of me so suddenly again, I¡¯m really going to start calling out for people.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t matter if you do, because by the time they arrive, I¡¯ll have long since vanished once more,¡± the youth replied carelessly.


    ¡°Then, can you at least tell me why you keep appearing in front of me?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked patiently. After all, no one would hang around someone else for no reason, let alone someone as dull as her.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing it under someone¡¯s orders.¡± The youth tapped on the windowsill with his fan in a rhythmic manner. ¡°The pillsst time were also entrusted to me by that someone. Have you consumed them yet?¡±


    Without his reminder, Yun Ruoyan would have forgotten that the pills were still with her. She hurriedly said, ¡°Wait, give me a moment.¡±


    She entered her rooms and tossed the bottle of pills to the youth.


    ¡°Hey, you!¡± The youth¡¯s face was shocked. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that these pills are priceless? You can¡¯t even buy them even if you wanted to!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m handing them back! They¡¯re so expensive that I can¡¯t believe a stranger would give them to me just like that!¡±


    The youth craned his neck and was just about to continue arguing with Yun Ruoyan when Peony¡¯s voice came from the yard. ¡°Miss, your father¡¯s summoning you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right over,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded, before turning to the youth. ¡°No matter who¡¯s telling you to watch over me, I don¡¯t want to see you again. Bye forever!¡±


    And then she mmed the window shut.


    The youth opened his mouth wide and left it hanging open for quite a while.


    ¡°Third Prince, what are we going to tell the marquis now?¡± A shadow d fully in ck appeared by the youth¡¯s side.


    ¡°The truth, of course.¡± Li Qianhan looked at the pills in his hand, a smile dancing about his lips. ¡°This Yunss¡¯s quite interesting, isn¡¯t she? A little ugly, though. I didn¡¯t expect the marquis¡¯ taste to be so... interesting.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan followed her father¡¯s servants to his study, seeing that Madam An, her two sisters, and Yi Qianying were also present. Beside her father was Envoy Ding.


    ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s present, let¡¯s start the meeting in earnest.¡± Envoy Ding ced his teacup on the table and opened a register, reading out loud, ¡°By right of contest, Yun Ruoyan and Yun Ruoyu have earned their admission to the imperial territory for the next stage of Kongming Academy¡¯s selection process. Each noble family additionally has one nomination; from the Yuns, this nomination goes to Yun Ruoyao; from the Peis, to Yi Qianying. As such, all fourdies present are eligible to enter this territory.¡±


    Yi Qianying¡¯s ashen face quickly turned radiant, and she couldn¡¯t hide her excitement and joy. She quickly thanked Envoy Ding.


    Yun Ruoyan felt somewhat doubtful. Why had the Peis given their slot to Yi Qianying? Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying couldn¡¯t have gotten together already, could they?


    Surely not. In the past, those two hadn¡¯t been in cahoots this early on.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyao, publicly known as the most presentable of the Yun daughters, had lost to Yun Ruoyan in an upset. Even though she had obtained a rmendation from her family, she wasn¡¯t all too happy.


    After reading off the information from his register, Envoy Ding opened a redwood box and took out four tokens, one for each of the girls. ¡°This token allows you admission into the imperial territory, and is your proof of identity for when you enter Kongming Academy. Only those who walk out of the territory with this token will be eligible to enter Kongming Academy as a student, and those who either lose their way or lose the token will be ineligible.¡±


    After handing out the tokens and informing them of its use, he left.


    Yun Lan looked at the four girls, pleased at the results of the selection. Not only did all his daughters qualify, even his niece had managed to finagle herself a spot. It seemed as if the doors of Kongming Academy had opened up wide for the Yuns.


    But when his gaze swept over Yun Ruoyan, he paused for a moment. She stood there silently, her face neither angry nor joyful, but calm and collected.


    As for the three girls to her side, Yi Qianying¡¯s face was a furious red. She had unexpectedly obtained passage into the imperial territory, and she still couldn¡¯t hide her excitement.


    Yun Ruoyao clutched her token tightly. She had always been decently talented; although Yun Ruoyan had seemed stronger at the start, Yun Ruoyao had quickly eclipsed her. But her unexpected loss to Yun Ruoyan, and the fact that she had had to rely on her family for this token, meant that she couldn¡¯t mask her displeasure.

 Chapter 23: Into the Imperial Territory

    <h4>Chapter 23: Into the Imperial Territory</h4>


    Because she had won her token by skill, Yun Ruoyu raised her head high, a proud expression on her face.


    Compared to the three of them, Yun Ruoyan appeared abnormally calm.


    As soon as she raised her head, she met her father¡¯s praising gaze. She hesitated for a moment before lowering her head once more.


    Yun Lan¡¯s emotions were somewhatplicated. After all, Yun Ruoyan had once been his favorite daughter¡ªbefore her mother, Lin Yuemei, had yet passed away, before her birthmark had grown as repulsive as it now was, and before she had lost her prodigious talent.


    When Yun Ruoyan turned one, Lin Yuemei had suddenly died of mysterious causes, and her birthmark began to spread.


    Ever since then, there had been persistent rumors that Lin Yuemei had been cursed by Yun Ruoyan. Naturally, Yun Lan didn¡¯t believe in such ridiculous ims, and the rumors were suppressed after relieving a few servants of their duties.


    But Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was almost identical to that of herte mother¡¯s, and as the birthmark slowly distorted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, so too did Yun Lan¡¯s feelings toward Yun Ruoyan begin to distort.


    By the time Yun Ruoyan had somehow lost her talent, his liking had turned to hate.


    Unexpectedly, however, the daughter that he had already given up on had actually managed to obtain an admissions token into the imperial territory on her own.


    ¡°Tomorrow, you¡¯ll all be heading out for the second round of Kongming Academy¡¯s selection process.¡± Yun Lan stood up and signalled one of his servants.


    The aged servant brought a te containing four porcin bottles to the four girls.


    ¡°Within each of these bottles is a pill of life quintessence, one for each of you. If you get hurt on your expedition, consuming the pill will allow you to recover your vitality and qi rapidly.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces shone. Pills were a very valuablemodity, and four such pills would have been a grand gesture even for the Lins, who were famed for their pillmaking talents.


    Pillmaking consumed pillmasters¡¯ spiritual qi so quickly, and there weren¡¯t that many of them around. With the expedition to the imperial territory impending, pills had been in particrly short supply.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ll all be leaving tomorrow, have a good night¡¯s rest tonight.¡± Once Yun Lan dismissed the four girls, they bowed and left.


    ¡°Sister,¡± Yi Qianying called out to Yun Ruoyan from behind, and Yun Ruoyan turned back toward her.


    ¡°Sister, please take care of us tomorrow.¡± Yi Qianying made an earnest, supplicating expression.


    Beside her, Yun Ruoyuughed disdainfully. ¡°Qianying, don¡¯t fuss so much! Aren¡¯t I here too? I¡¯ll be sure to shield you if danger arises!¡±


    Yi Qianying quickly asked for her assistance tomorrow as well.


    By this time, Yun Ruoyao had long since hidden her displeasure, and she walked over with a smile. ¡°We sisters will surely take care of each other and make our family proud.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t stand the absurdly fake conversation any longer. Coolly, she stated, ¡°Sisters, thank you for your generosity. But since the three of you are surely enough to deal with whatever troubles maye, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t need me.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she hurriedly walked away. She could hear bouts ofughter from Yun Ruoyu behind her. ¡°What, does she think she¡¯s all that just because she¡¯s a wife-born daughter? That ugly wench!¡±


    After returning to her rooms, Yun Ruoyan looked at the porcin bottle in her hand and thought back to the ck-d youth. What sort of person could simply hand over five such pills as a gift to a stranger?


    ¡°Someone instructed me to visit you, and those pills are also from that person.¡± The youth¡¯s cheerful voice spoke from her memories. Ah. Yun Ruoyan suddenly thought of something. Could it be him?


    The heavily wounded man who had ended up at her residence, the one who had forcefully kissed her.


    Before he left, he did say he was going to help her find an antidote. Were those five pills also his doing?


    Thinking about this, Yun Ruoyan suddenly stood up. My goodness, five pills of life quintessence! How could she have returned them just like that?!


    At the very least, none of her sisters disturbed her that night.


    The next morning, the four Yun sisters rode a family-chartered carriage up the Yueli Mountain, a sacred mountain in the Li kingdom.


    This was to be the stage of their expedition.


    ¡°Look, Ruoyao!¡± Yun Ruoyu shouted excitedly, ¡°Look at how many carriages there are!¡±


    Yi Qianying flung open the blinds of the carriage and looked at the view outside with Yun Ruoyao. Yun Ruoyan nced outside: on the road up the mountain were no less than a hundred carriages, forming what seemed like a long centipede slowly climbing its way up.


    Yun Ruoyao, who had been resting quietly as soon as she stepped on the carriage, said coolly, ¡°Kongming Academy¡¯s recruitment and the opening of the imperial territory are both momentous events, so naturally there¡¯ll be arge turnout.¡±


    She appeared far more calm than her two sisters.


    Kongming Academy recruited students once every three years, and the imperial realm was opened to the outside world once every three years.


    The fourrge kingdoms of the Chenyuan continent, Li, Yue, Mo, and Chen, would each send a team of elites in hopes of recovering some supreme treasure, and even some of the smaller kingdoms would send out expeditions in hopes of being granted ess to the territory.


    Bing a student at Kongming Academy was the biggest dream that any child able to cultivate could have.


    ¡°I need to pass the second round and be a student at Kongming Academy. This is the most important step for changing my life!¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured to herself firmly.


    While she was deep in thought, she suddenly heard voices calling out to her. Upon drawing the curtains on the other side of the carriage, she saw Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen.


    The sisters were currently waving at her through their carriage, and Yun Ruoyan quickly waved back.


    She expected that it would have taken arge amount of effort to find them, but there they were!


    Naturally, she had to take good care of the Lin sisters.


    About an hourter, their carriages finally reached the top of the mountain. Ignoring everyone else, Yun Ruoyan walked straight up to the Lins¡¯ carriage.


    ¡°So cold to her own sisters, yet so friendly to them,¡± Yun Ruoyu looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back as she muttered resentfully. ¡°She¡¯d better not me us if we don¡¯t help her out if she¡¯s in danger.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, ignore her.¡± Yun Ruoyao pulled on Yun Ruoyu¡¯s sleeve. ¡°We¡¯re just about to start queueing up to enter the realm, so let¡¯s not get separated now.¡±


    Yi Qianying nced at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back, a cold smile hidden by the corners of her lips.


    The Yuns and Lins were both rather illustrious families, and they were naturally near the front of the line. After each girl showed their token to the guards, they stepped into the realm as arge group.


    They had initially expected that the entrance would be a majestic set of doors, but in truth, it was simply a small, dark cave that looked as though it extended quite far into the mountain. Adorning the walls of the cave were faint sources of light, giving off a surreal atmosphere.


    Yun Ruoyao strode into the cave, followed quickly by Yun Ruoyu and Yi Qianying. Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingxue, and Lin Qingchen walked at their back, and behind the six of them were a pair of unfamiliar youths.


    The cave was dark and dim, and cold gusts of wind blew out from the interior. Yun Ruoyan held hands with her sisters, simultaneously nervous and excited.


    ¡°Brother, what a mysterious light! I wonder what it is?¡± A young woman¡¯s voice came from behind her.


    ¡°I¡¯m unfamiliar with it myself. Be careful, sister, walk behind me and don¡¯t get lost.¡±


    ¡°Che! What kind of country bumpkin doesn¡¯t know about moonstones?¡± The wind brought Yun Ruoyu¡¯s voice back from the front.


    ¡°Brother, someone¡¯s calling us country bumpkins...¡± The young girl muttered quietly.


    ¡°Ignore those superficial girls, sister. Once we get into Kongming Academy, no one¡¯s going to look down on us!¡±


    Yun Ruoyu was just about to rebuke them when Yun Ruoyao stopped her. Honestly, she was so rash and impetuous that minding her gave Yun Ruoyao a headache.


    ¡°Ruoyan,¡± Lin Qingxue said quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t think what¡¯s embedded on these cave walls are moonstones.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not,¡± Yun Ruoyan answered her. ¡°Rather, it¡¯s a type of fluorescent ore with spiritual energy. It only glows when there are people around.¡±


    In her past life, when Pei Ziao had brought her through this cave, she had indeed thought the walls were embedded with moonstones until Pei Ziao corrected her.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the exit!¡± Someone shouted in excitement, and the crowd looked to the front as one. Sunlight permeated through the entrance.


    Not long after, the crowd finally exited the mountain tunnel, and their eyes shone as they took in their new surroundings.


    It seemed to be an idyllic clearing filled with lush greenery and wildlife. There wererge trees separated by a flowing stream. Many unfamiliar nts dotted thendscape, sporting lush and luxuriant growth.


    ¡°What a beautiful flower!¡± Lin Qingxue pointed at a pink flower and called out excitedly.


    ¡°That one¡¯s poisonous, don¡¯t touch it!¡± Yun Ruoyan warned.


    ¡°Yes, sister.¡± Lin Qingxue nodded obediently. Yun Ruoyan had already provided them with information regarding the territory, but in her excitement, Lin Qingxue had momentarily forgotten to be careful.


    ¡°Vibrant nts and creatures are the most poisonous¡ªare you sure you should be entering a ce like this if you don¡¯t even understand such a simple concept?¡± Yun Ruoyu made barbs at every opportunity.


    ¡°We truly aren¡¯t as bright as you are, sister,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded coolly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go our separate ways now? Otherwise, you might get bogged down by us.¡±


    Having said her piece, she and the Lin sisters split up with them at the next fork in the road.


    ¡°If Ruoyan doesn¡¯t go with us, if there¡¯s danger, won¡¯t Uncle me us? After all, she is the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family...¡± Yi Qianying murmured.


    ¡°Pei! Don¡¯t worry about her, Qianying, she¡¯s useless!¡± Yun Ruoyu pulled on Yun Ruoyao as she said these words. ¡°In my heart, Ruoyao¡¯s the most talented and aplished.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao said nothing upon hearing this praise, but her features brightened and she held her chest upright. ¡°She¡¯s the one who wanted to split up, so if there¡¯s truly an ident, she can¡¯t me us.¡± Yun Ruoyao steered her two sisters in the opposite direction.


    Finally having split off from the Yun sisters, Yun Ruoyan brought Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen to a grassy knoll to talk.

 Chapter 24: A Night Leopard

    <h4>Chapter 24: A Night Leopard</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan picked up a branch from the ground and drew a little circle in the grass. ¡°We¡¯re at the extremities of the territory: it¡¯s less dangerous, but also has fewer treasures to be found. Given our capabilities, I think we can try to go a little deeper in.¡±


    As she said this, she drew a straight line cutting into the circle, then looked at the Lin sisters as she waited for their input.


    The main reason for acquiring the token for ess into the territory was for admission into Kongming Academy, but another equally important reason was to acquire precious herbs and treasures.


    After all, the imperial territory had the greatest concentration of spiritual energy in the whole Chenyuan continent, and it produced copious amounts of precious herbs and magical beasts.


    The herbs were essential for pillmaking, and the inner cores of the magical beasts even more precious. Not only could they be used for medicine, high-quality beast cores could even be absorbed to enhance one¡¯s cultivation.


    ¡°We¡¯ll listen to you, sister,¡± Lin Qingchen affirmed.


    ¡°Right, we¡¯ll listen to you!¡± Lin Qingxue also agreed. ¡°Before we got here, we promised Grandfather that we¡¯d bring him back whole bundles of herbs.¡±


    The three of them were just about to head deeper into the territory when Qiuqiu suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s a mid-tier magical beast preparing to sneak up on you from a few meters behind.¡±


    Magical beasts were intelligent and even knew how tounch sneak attacks.


    ¡°A mid-tier magical beast? Can I take care of it?¡± Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t expected such an encounter so far out from the center of the territory, and she wasn¡¯t certain of her victory.


    ¡°With the Fei de, it¡¯ll be quick, but with your martial abilities and current level of cultivation, Mistress, it might take a while.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t use the Fei de unless she had no other choice, and this would be a good opportunity for her to polish her own fighting skills and even possibly make a breakthrough. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s fight!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan intentionally fell behind the Lin sisters. As she clutched her scabbard, she silently prepared for battle.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Yun Ruoyan warned her sisters as soon as Qiuqiu informed her that the beast was drawing closer. In an instant, she had unsheathed her de and turned so that she was between the beast and the Lin sisters.


    And, momentster, a ck leopard-like creature emerged from the underbrush.


    Because they had been unprepared, Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen were shocked and dazed.


    Yun Ruoyan pushed the girls behind her, then twisted her body just in time to avoid the beast¡¯s jump. Itnded and crawled against the ground, a pair of bright yellow eyes closely following Yun Ruoyan¡¯s every move.


    ¡°It¡¯s a night leopard,¡± Qiuqiu informed Yun Ruoyan. ¡°A mid-tier magical beast, crafty and cunning. Its attacks aren¡¯t all that strong, and night leopards mainly rely on their stealth to catch their prey unaware.¡±


    Comforted by the information, Yun Ruoyan became more confident about her chances of victory, and tried to think of a means by which she could kill the leopard in a single blow.


    ¡°What night leopardsck in strength, they make up for in agility and intelligence.¡±


    This was the first time that Yun Ruoyan was facing a magical beast, and, anxious for its owner, Qiuqiu continued to help Yun Ruoyan analyze the situation.


    ¡°Now that its sneak attack has failed, it¡¯s trying to observe you and determine whether to flee or to fight. Mistress, if you¡¯d like to scare it off, you can try to bluff.¡±


    Scare it off? No, oh no!


    This was the first time that she had encountered such a creature, and Yun Ruoyan was raring to fight. She didn¡¯t want to lose this opportunity to train herself!


    As she made up her mind, she slightly lowered the tip of her sword, exposing a w for the night leopard to take advantage of.


    The night leopard¡¯s dim yellow eyes suddenly glinted as it leaped toward Yun Ruoyan, as fast as lightning!


    This was the moment that Yun Ruoyan was waiting for. She lowered her leg, arched her waist, and held her sword straight up, at just the right orientation that it would sh the night leopard¡¯s exposed underbelly.


    And as the night leopard reached the apex of its jump, its eyes turned fearful. The next moment, like a bag that had just been cut open, its intestines fell to the ground, dyeing the grass red with blood.


    And then, limply, it fell onto the ground.


    ¡°Wow, Mistress, that was amazing!¡± Qiuqiu cheered.


    ¡°Wow, sister, you were amazing!¡± Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen also cheered.


    Yun Ruoyan stood up, sheathing her sword once more. She breathed out and revealed a happy smile.


    Her first kill after her rebirth left her feeling exuberant. She wasn¡¯t a bloodthirsty person, but the grudge and vengeance that had carried over from her past life seemed to have diminished with this opportunity to vent her frustration.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take its core.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Lin Qingxue plucked out the two daggers that she kept by her side, walked over to the beast, and sliced its head open.


    ¡°My goodness, it¡¯s a fourth-rank core.¡± Lin Qingxue extracted a green core from within the night leopard¡¯s skull.


    Lin Qingchen happily took it from her. ¡°We¡¯re just about out of cores at home! This is a really good ingredient for pills, too.¡±


    She was just about to wipe the blood off the core and put it in her pouch when she suddenly realized that this was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s kill, and the core was hers by right.


    She hastily handed the core to Yun Ruoyan, embarrassed. ¡°Sorry, this belongs to you, sister.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can keep it.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be a lot more spoils ahead.¡±


    In the end, after offering the core to Yun Ruoyan and getting rejected once more, Lin Qingchen finally kept the core in her own pouch.


    The girls continued down the little path deeper into the greenery, but shortly after, Yun Ruoyan felt a prickling sensation at the back of her neck, as if she were being tailed. She stopped andmunicated mentally with Qiuqiu. ¡°Do you feel anyoneing after us?¡±


    ¡°Qiu, qiu!¡± Qiuqiu chirped. ¡°They¡¯re just two ordinary people, rtively harmless. But I didn¡¯t expect you to notice them so quickly, Mistress!¡±


    It seemed that Qiuqiu had intentionally been withholding this information to test Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sensitivity.


    ¡°Even if they¡¯re just normal people, we still can¡¯t let them follow us blindly. As long as they¡¯re hiding, they¡¯re a threat.¡±


    Her experience from her past life had been so overwhelming that Yun Ruoyan had be far more vignt as a result.


    ¡°Come out, whoever you are. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll take it as a threat.¡± Yun Ruoyan stopped moving and shouted behind her.


    Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen also stopped moving.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s been following us, and Sister found out,¡± Lin Qingchen exined in a soft voice.


    The two girls followed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze to a bush, and then to the young boy and girl that popped out from within.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Lin Qingxue immediately recognized the duo as the siblings that had been right behind them in the cave.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you following us?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do it intentionally,¡± the girl began to exin.


    The boy¡¯s gaze, however, stayed fixed on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body. Yun Ruoyan began to frown, but he didn¡¯t seem to be doing it maliciously.


    ¡°In what sense?¡±


    The girl¡¯s face blushed a little red as she tugged on the boy¡¯s shirt, intending for him to speak up. Finally, the boy turned his gaze away from Yun Ruoyan and exined to Lin Qingxue, ¡°We¡¯re here following the scent of a magical beast.¡±


    ¡°You can track magical beasts by smell?¡± Lin Qingxue looked at the boy, shocked.


    This pair of siblings, who had appeared out of nowhere, clothed in roughspun hemp, was clearly not from a prosperous family.


    Yun Ruoyan and the Lin siblings were both wearing loose-fitting attire suitable for the outdoors; the scions of otherrge families dressed simrly, and some would even be decked in fitted armor. Honestly, out of the hundred or so carriages that had been travelling up the mountain, she hadn¡¯t seen anyone else in hemp.


    The boy carried a bow on his back, and the girl carried nothing.


    Faced with the interrogatory stares of the three girls, the young girl hid behind her brother¡¯s back, but he seemed unaffected.


    ¡°We¡¯re from a beastkin tribe. My name¡¯s Zhuo Yifeng, and this is my sister, Zhuo Lin¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Beastkin, you¡¯re a member of the half-extinct beastkin?!¡± Lin Qingxue was shocked beyond belief, and simr expressions were on Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We beastkin are particrly adept at hunting magical beasts, and my sister¡¯s sense of smell is particrly well developed. She led us here.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked at Zhuo Lin¡¯er, who was still hiding behind her brother¡¯s back. She was no more than ten, thin and small, and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know how the siblings had managed to get a token of entry in the first ce.


    ¡°My cultivation¡¯s not too bad, and I¡¯m a good hunter. I¡¯ll just need someone to take care of my sister when I¡¯m in a battle.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng looked a little older, perhaps fourteen or fifteen, and he had bright, resolute eyes. ¡°We¡¯d like to party up with you if you¡¯re willing.¡±


    The siblings seemed rtively pleasant, but therger the party, the more their movement would be hampered.


    Zhuo Yifeng seemed to be aware of the three girls¡¯ concerns, because he hurriedly added, ¡°I can carry my sister on my back, so we won¡¯t be a burden to everyone. I just need someone to stay back and look after her during a battle. I¡¯m already a fifth-rank demaster, so I can definitely fight.¡±


    Having a fifth-rank demaster around was tempting, but Yun Ruoyan was still apprehensive. In the end, she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t know each other. If we can¡¯t trust each other fully, then fighting together will be a dangerous prospect. Let¡¯s split up.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan pointed at a fork in the road ahead, saying coldly, ¡°We¡¯ll take the left side, and you two can take the right side.¡±


    She began marching forward as soon as she finished speaking. Lin Qingchen followed closely behind her, and, after a moment of hesitation, so did Lin Qingxue.


    After taking a few steps, Lin Qingxue looked back surreptitiously, her gaze just happening to meet Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s. Her heart jumped: the boy¡¯s eyes were startlingly bright!

 Chapter 25: A Pack of Dogs

    <h4>Chapter 25: A Pack of Dogs</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan quickly forgot about the beastkin siblings as she forged onward with Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen.


    ¡°Ruoyan, look at all the core essence herbs growing here! Think of how much core essence powder we can make!¡± As soon as the trio rounded another corner and saw a lush patch of greenery up ahead, Lin Qingxue¡¯s eyes spotted something valuable.


    Core essence herbs were the vital ingredient for creating core essence powder, an inferior version of the core foundation pills that had the miraculous ability of being able to bring back the dying. However, because of how easy it was to manufacture in bulk, its use was far more widespread.


    For example, during this expedition, just about everyone had brought along a few pills or medical supplies with them in case of dire need, and core essence powder was all but a necessity.


    And because of the opening of the imperial realm, the whole kingdom¡¯s stock of the powder was in short supply.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a whole bagful! I¡¯m sure Grandfather¡¯ll be very pleased to see all these ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Yep! Luckily, we have this storage pouch, or we wouldn¡¯t be able to carry all these herbs back with us.¡± Lin Qingchen patted her bag of holding.


    The bag that Lin Zainan had given her was able to store things up to ten times its size, but it was iparable to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pocket dimension.


    ¡°Mistress, mistress,¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice piped up from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind once more.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°You should store some of the herbs in here too! Who knows if you¡¯ll be able to use them someday?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had been focusing on her surroundings, and she hadn¡¯t thought of this point. When she was little, she was told that she had the talent to be a pillmaster, but the talent had faded after her poisoning.


    But now that her grandfather was helping here up with an antidote, wasn¡¯t it possible that her pillmaking talent could be restored? In that case, she could be a pillmaster, just like her grandfather!


    She already had a top-grade furnace in her pocket dimension, so as long as she prepared some herbs, she¡¯d be able to practice making pills too.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make the most of this opportunity and gather some herbs for myself.¡±


    While Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen weren¡¯t paying attention, she also gathered some herbs and ced it into her pocket dimension.


    ¡°Shh.¡± Lin Qingxue suddenly made a shushing gesture. ¡°There¡¯s a big fat bunny over there.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen looked toward her finger. Approaching the herbs was, as imed, a big fat bunny, lowering its head to chew on the herbs.


    ¡°It¡¯s a magical beast,¡± Lin Qingchen whispered, ¡°One that was fed on core essence herbs.¡±


    ¡°In that case, it must be both tasty and nourishing! I¡¯m going to go for it!¡± Lin Qingxue unsheathed her twin daggers once more and shifted slightly in the direction of the bunny.


    Suddenly, the bunny¡¯s ears moved, evidently having detected her motion. It raised its head, its red eyes staring all around, before it suddenly fled into the woods nearby.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t run!¡± Lin Qingxue shouted as she ran into the woods.


    ¡°Qingxue,e back!¡± Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen quickly called out from behind her, but she had vanished into the woods in an instant.


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen quickly followed suit.


    ¡°Bunny, if you keep running, I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s voice came from their front, and the two girls quickly ran toward the source of the voice.


    ¡°Qingxue, stop chasing after it! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± Lin Qingchen slowly fell behind, panting. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body was lithe and light. She soon caught up to Lin Qingxue, but the scene in front of her left her mouth agape!


    Lin Qingxue clutched the bunny in her hands, facing a pack of over twenty magical beasts that appeared to be hunting dogs.


    ¡°Long-maned firehounds!¡± Qiuqiu eximed. ¡°Pack creatures by nature. Although they¡¯re low-tier, their numbers shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.¡±


    By this time, Lin Qingchen had rushed over, and she too stilled at the sight.


    The three girls held their breath as one.


    Lin Qingxue slowly turned toward her two sisters, revealing a despondent and pleading expression.


    ¡°Qingxue, release the bunny,¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly murmured. If the bunny could distract the hound pack¡¯s attention for a moment, they would have a chance to escape.


    Given their strength, they would be seeking death if they tried to face the pack head-on.


    Lin Qingxue nodded obediently and loosened her grip. Freed, the bunny quickly jumped out of Lin Qingxue¡¯sp, hurriedly running away from the predators ahead of it.


    But the hounds moved even more quickly, and one of them leaped out of the pack and caught it in its mouth in the blink of an eye. As for the rest of the hounds, they continued staring at the three girls as they slowly encircled them.


    Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingchen, and Lin Qingxue stood back-to-back, each girl unsheathing their weapon. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s was a regr sword from her family stock, Lin Qingxue¡¯s a set of twin daggers, and Lin Qingchen¡¯s, a whip she kept around her waist.


    Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen were both fifth-rank demasters, and, in terms of cultivation alone, should have been stronger than the third-rank Yun Ruoyan.


    However, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation seemed to belie her actual strength. Given her childhood reputation of being a genius cultivator, the Lin sisters still thought very highly of her, even if her talent had supposedly drained away.


    This was why they¡¯d both listened to her so obediently.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at the hound pack without blinking. One of therger ones¡¯ eyes suddenly glimmered, and Yun Ruoyan caught the movement of the light.


    That hound went directly for her, and Yun Ruoyan immediately triggered her battle intent.


    The magical beasts were intelligent, and they even had the ability to identify their opponents¡¯ cultivation. This hound must have seen that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation was the lowest of the three, and had targeted her specifically because of it.


    Unfortunately, the opponent it had chosen was actually the strongest.


    Afraid that the hound would identally hurt her two sisters, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t use her footwork to dodge the attack. Instead, she parried with her sword.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sword shed with the hound¡¯s ws. She didn¡¯t want to borrow the bracelet¡¯s power unless it was absolutely necessary. After blocking its ws with her sword, she lifted her leg and kicked it in its exposed underbelly.


    The hound flew a few feet up into the air andnded in a heap on the ground, keening. Rapidly, the other hounds split up into three groups and began attacking each girl separately.


    Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen both drew their weapons and began fighting with the hounds. Hounds were quickly flung aside left and right, but the others in the pack would swiftly take its ce.


    Based on their cultivation, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for any of them to take on two or three hounds at once. With six or seven, however, they would fall almost immediately if their endurance were to give out.


    Furthermore, it was steadily getting dark, and the territory would only get more dangerous past nightfall.


    It looks like I¡¯ll have to use the bracelet¡¯s power. After kicking yet another hound aside, Yun Ruoyan twisted the bracelet on her wrist.


    Under Qiuqiu¡¯s guidance, Yun Ruoyan had gradually be able to use the bracelet¡¯s strength at will. As she twisted the bracelet, a gust of strength permeated Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body.


    When therger hound pounced on her once more, Yun Ruoyan herself leaped up and impaled the hound with her sword.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Right then, Lin Qingxue suddenly screamed.


    Yun Ruoyan quickly shook the hound¡¯s corpse aside as she turned back. Lin Qingxue was being simultaneously attacked by five hounds. The sixth was in the air, aiming at her petite waist.


    Yun Ruoyan was about to save her, but the three of them had each split up during the fighting, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to reach her in time.


    Lin Qingchen, who was slightly closer, was herself besieged by the hounds.


    Yun Ruoyan looked on in despair as the hound approached when, all of a sudden, a sharp arrow came flying from behind Lin Qingxue¡¯s shaking body. Whistling through the air, it struck the pouncing hound¡¯s neck, and it fell to the ground mere inches from Lin Qingxue.


    Quickly after, a shadow darted out from the woods---it was none other than Zhuo Yifeng, whom they¡¯d separated from not long prior! His movement was rapid, and his arrows swiftly pierced the persistent hounds, killing them in one shot.


    Rapidly, four had died at his hands.


    Tired after the seemingly endless fight, Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen¡¯s stamina gave out. They huddled together as they struggled against the hounds¡¯ onught.


    essing the bracelet¡¯s power once more, her sword cutting the wind itself, Yun Ruoyan rapidly killed the hounds that surrounded her.


    Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng gradually grew closer, one with her sword and the other with his bow. Finally, as night fell, they finally finished cleaning up thest of the hounds.


    ¡°Qingxue, Qingchen, are the two of you alright?!¡± Yun Ruoyan sheathed her de as she headed over to her sisters.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re fine,¡± Lin Qingchen answered.


    On the other hand, Lin Qingxue walked to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s side and said, ¡°You¡¯re injured!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng nced at a scratch on his wrist. ¡°It¡¯s just a little wound, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°A little wound?! There¡¯s so much blood!¡± Lin Qingxue hurriedly took out a bottle from her pouch, poured the powder in it on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s wound, and bandaged it with a handkerchief.


    Yun Ruoyan looked on as Lin Qingxue treated Zhuo Yifeng, asking coolly, ¡°Why have you followed us here? Where¡¯s your sister?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t follow you!¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s small body popped up from a nearby brush, and she walked to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back.


    ¡°What a coincidence it must have been!¡± Yun Ruoyan clearly didn¡¯t trust the duo: after all, they¡¯d gone in two separate directions, so how had they ended up together in the end?


    ¡°Ruoyan...¡± Lin Qingxue gazed at Yun Ruoyan beseechingly.


    Yun Ruoyan relented. ¡°Regardless, I really am grateful for your help. Otherwise, my sister would have been gravely injured.¡± As she said this, she handed the beastkin siblings a pouch.


    ¡°This is core essence powder. We¡¯ll be in the territory for at least ten days, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯lle in handy.¡±


    The two siblings were dressed so roughly that she almost couldn¡¯t bear to look at them. Although core essence powder wasn¡¯t much to her, it was surely an invaluablemodity to them.

 Chapter 26: We Meet Again

    <h4>Chapter 26: We Meet Again</h4>


    Zhuo Yifeng looked at the medicine before turning back to Yun Ruoyan, his face expressionless but his eyes bright.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright,¡± he said,¡± Even if you girls weren¡¯t the ones surrounded, I would still have helped.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s luminous eyes made Yun Ruoyan feel as if he wasn¡¯t an actual human, but rather a magical beast.


    ¡°Did you just get that facial wound?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked, all of a sudden.


    Subconsciously, Yun Ruoyan felt her face. There were indeed traces of blood: ever since her birthmark had received the sh wound, it had never healedpletely, and would asionally even leak pus.


    Lin Zainan imed that the pus was actually poisonous residue, and that leaking pus was actually a good thing for her. He didn¡¯t give her any medicine for the wound because he wanted it to heal naturally.


    But the wound looked so frightening that Yun Ruoyan specially left a length of hair covering the wounded part of her face. In the intense battle, the half-healed wound once again split open, and her hair was matted with pus.


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem, it¡¯s just a superficial wound.¡± Lin Qingchen handed Yun Ruoyan a handkerchief, which she epted gratefully.


    ¡°Did the two of you follow the scent of magical beasts here, too?¡± Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t try to hide her vignce.


    Lin Qingxue walked over and tugged on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sleeve, but she paid her no mind.


    Naturally, she would repay kindness with kindness, but she wasn¡¯t about to sacrifice her security to do so.


    Zhuo Yifeng looked at Yun Ruoyan, not saying anything. Instead, he knelt down and helped his sister get on his back. ¡°See youter, perhaps.¡±


    He turned and was just about to leave when Lin Qingxue quickly called out from behind, ¡°Wait, Brother Zhuo! It¡¯s almost nighttime, so how about we all rest together tonight? Can¡¯t we split up tomorrow morning instead?¡±


    Thisst question was directed at Yun Ruoyan.


    Zhuo Yifeng stood still, not turning around, evidently waiting for Yun Ruoyan to respond.


    In the end, she finally spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s true that we¡¯ll be safer with more people at night. And we do have to take care of these hound corpses; after all, you killed quite arge number of them, and we can¡¯t just take your spoils.¡±


    Although the long-maned firehounds were low-tier magical beasts, their cores were still quite valuable, and they began to dig for them immediately.


    While they were working, Qiuqiu spoke once more. ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s a group of people heading over here.¡±


    ¡°A group of people?¡± Yun Ruoyan stopped what she was doing. ¡°I wonder what family they¡¯re from?¡±


    In her past life, Yun Ruoyan had overheard a few hushed whispers regarding what had happened during the opening of the imperial territory.


    Some malicious families, in order to remove theirpetitors or to obtain more treasures for themselves, would target other cultivators rather than the magical beasts.


    In some cases, not only would they snatch away their valuables, they would even kill the victims to make sure word didn¡¯t spread.


    ¡°How strong is this group?¡±


    ¡°ording to their breathing, there are two fourth-rank and two fifth-rank demasters.¡±


    The opposing party had four members, and so did they. She didn¡¯t feel like they had much to fear, but Zhuo Yifeng was indeed an unknown quantity.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but look at him. Seemingly having detected her gaze, Zhuo Yifeng also turned around to look back at her.


    As the two¡¯s gazes met, a ring female voice rang out from afar.


    ¡°Why¡¯s this ce so crowded?¡±


    As everyone looked at the source of the voice, they were startled to find that the one who had spoken was none other than the third miss of the Yun family, Yun Ruoyu.


    Along with her, naturally, were Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying, but the other youth was more unexpected: Pei Ziao.


    Upon seeing Yun Ruoyan, Pei Ziao quickly walked forward, his face beaming. ¡°Ruoyan, I thought it¡¯d have taken us quite a while to find you, but who knew we¡¯d meet right here?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned when she saw him. Did this person have amnesia? Didn¡¯t she exin her feelings toward him clearly that day at the Peis? Why did he still cling on to her?!


    ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± Lin Qingxue strode forward and asked, ¡°We were walking in opposite directions, so how did we meet each other again?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyu also stepped forward. ¡°I was just about to ask you the same question! We split up at the very beginning!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lin Qingxue looked strangely at her. ¡°Are you implying that we¡¯d follow you? What a joke!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s clearly what you did!¡± Yun Ruoyu red at her. ¡°We followed that trail ahead of us, and it must have been that your trail didn¡¯t lead anywhere good, so you doubled back and trailed us instead!¡±


    The two girls began to quarrel, neither able to speak past the other.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned: after all, even though Yun Ruoyu was brash and arrogant, she was straightforward and wouldn¡¯t lie so tantly.


    ¡°Just then, I truly wasn¡¯t following behind you, but we encountered each other again too.¡± Zhuo Yifeng muttered softly, having walked up to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side before she realized it.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead creased even more. Could we have fallen into a misdirection array?


    There were such arrays in the imperial territory, but they were umon enough that one truly had to be unlucky to walk into such an array out of nowhere.


    ¡°We might be stuck within a misdirection array,¡± Pei Ziao spoke up. Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t surprised: after all, she had obtained all her information about this ce from him in the past.


    ¡°Once we get trapped in an array like this, no matter which direction we head in, we¡¯ll all end up in the same ce, just like how, on a merry-go-round, we¡¯ll eventually return to the same spot we started in.¡±


    ¡°Then, then what do we do?¡± Yi Qianying huddled by Pei Ziao¡¯s side, tugging on his sleeve, acting like a frightened little girl. ¡°Brother Ziao, are we going to die here?¡±


    Yi Qianying had a slender, petite frame. When she spoke in such a tender voice, she could easily evoke sympathy from the crowd.


    ¡°No, of course not! All such arrays have an exit, and we¡¯ll be able to leave once we find it.¡±


    ¡°And if we can¡¯t?¡± Zhuo Yifeng was the one who asked this question, his eyes almost luminous in the darkness.


    Pei Ziao was slightly disconcerted by his gaze and responded only after a brief pause. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t, when the expedition ends ten dayster, someone will naturallye by to save us. We just have to survive these ten days.¡±


    ¡°In that case, won¡¯t we be unable to attend Kongming Academy?!¡± Yun Ruoyao, who had remained silent all this time, spoke with a grating voice. It would be particrly shameful to admit that she had failed the entrance examination, and doubly so that her candidacy was only due to her family¡¯s rmendation.


    After all, she was supposed to be the talented one; it was fine if others didn¡¯t make it through, but she had to!


    Now that everyone realized that they were stuck in an array, their expressions turned downcast and their demeanor gloomy.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote to think at the moment. We¡¯ll start searching for the exit tomorrow. Given how many of us there are, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll make it out.¡± Pei Ziao was unexpectedly optimistic.


    They built a campfire together before crowding around it, and the long-maned firehounds¡¯ carcasses naturally became their dinner and supper.


    The two groups each began to roast a hound carcass.


    Yun Ruoyan, along with the Lin sisters and the Zhuo siblings, began to split up the cores from the firehounds, twenty-four y-red little balls in all.


    ¡°Those hounds were so frightening, but their cores look quite cute, don¡¯t they?¡± Lin Qingxue looked at the cores on the ground, smiling happily, and the others all began tough upon seeing her face.


    If they continued to be trapped within an array, then they would lose their opportunity to get into Kongming Academy. In that case, collecting cores and herbs was even more important than before.


    While Yun Ruoyan and her group happily split up their loot, Yun Ruoyao and the others could only look on enviously.


    They¡¯d encountered a pack of low-tier magical beasts too, but there were just too many of them!


    Of the three Yun sisters, only Yun Ruoyao had a high enough cultivation to be able to defend herself against their onught.


    Yun Ruoyu grit her teeth and pulled through with a few minor wounds. As for Yi Qianying, she was so scared that she screamed until her throat became hoarse.


    But luckily, her screams were shrill enough that it brought Pei Ziao over. With his help, Yun Ruoyao managed to scare the beasts away, but they had been unable to kill them all and retrieve their cores on ount of their two useless teammates.


    The party of four thus ended the day with nothing to show for their efforts.


    ¡°There are twenty-four cores here.¡± Yun Ruoyan counted each one out loud, before handing ten of them to Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°These are yours, and the rest are ours.¡±


    This time, Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t refuse, and he carefully stored the cores.


    ¡°Look at how close Ruoyan and the two Lin sisters are! Are we even family to her anymore?!¡± Yun Ruoyu began to grumble once more.


    Yun Ruoyao didn¡¯t speak, but an icy smile hung by her lips. Once they were all out of the territory, she would be sure to report to their father that Yun Ruoyan had refused to cooperate with the rest of them.


    Her mother had told her that, although their father seemed to be thinking better of Yun Ruoyan, he was still a little worried that Yun Ruoyan would loathe him.


    After all, despite being the sole wife-born daughter, she had been all but neglected by her family and unloved by her father, so it wouldn¡¯t be unusual for her to be resentful.


    Yun Ruoyan was simply so skilled at deception that, while she was weak, she pretended to be a useless nobody in order to make the other sisters let down their guards.


    Now that she had recovered some of her talent, she immediately threw them aside. If her father were to know about this, she was sure that Yun Ruoyan would no longer be wee at home!


    Seeing Yun Ruoyao¡¯s cold smile, Yi Qianying could guess what Yun Ruoyao was scheming in her head.


    But she didn¡¯t expose her, and instead began to console Yun Ruoyu. ¡°Those are Ruoyan¡¯s cousins, after all. It¡¯s not unexpected that they should be so close to each other, so don¡¯t worry too much about it, Ruoyu.¡±


    On Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side, the entire firehound carcass was gleaming and shiny with oil, and the concentrated aroma of roasted meat permeated through the air.


    Zhuo Yifeng had spread a medley of spices from who-knew-where onto the meat, and soon the meaty aroma was entuated by tangs of spice.


    Everyone on Yun Ruoyao¡¯s side seemed entranced by the fragrance.


    Meanwhile, the others weren¡¯t so lucky¡ªafter all, their group consisted of three young misses and one young master, whose servants would do everything for them.


    Honestly, the fact that they hadn¡¯t charred the meat was impressive enough.


    Yun Ruoyu scowled at the meat skewer that she eventually received, half-raw on the inside and ckened on the outside. Exasperated, she threw it into the fire pit, grumbling, ¡°What sort of meat is this?!¡± And she looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group with anger and vexation.

 Chapter 27: Search for the Exit

    <h4>Chapter 27: Search for the Exit</h4>


    The meat that Yun Ruoyu was grumbling about was roasted by none other than Pei Ziao.


    Although she hadn¡¯t helped out at all, sheined about every little thing, and her clear distaste made Pei Ziao feel somewhat embarrassed.


    Pei Ziao was holding some more meat skewers in his hands, and he was just about to hand them out when Yun Ruoyu spoke up. As a result, he simply stood still awkwardly, his face red and his hands trembling.


    Yi Qianying reached out for one of the skewers, taking a big bite before turning to Yun Ruoyu. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad! Ruoyu, you¡¯re a little too picky.¡±


    ¡°If you like it, you can have it all! As I¡¯ve said, it¡¯s charred on the outside and half-raw on the inside¡ªyou might be able to consume it, but I can¡¯t!¡± Yun Ruoyu¡¯s face was lined with displeasure.


    ¡°It¡¯s already really good for Brother Ziao¡¯s first attempt!¡± Yi Qianying looked toward Pei Ziao with a look of adoration on her face.


    ¡°Qianying...¡± Pei Ziao called out gratefully, his heart about to melt under her radiant smile.


    Perhaps half a year ago, Pei Yingxiong had sat Pei Ziao down for a serious conversation, telling him to frequent the Yun household and try to get on good terms with their sole wife-born daughter, Yun Ruoyan.


    It was an open secret that Yun Ruoyan was both useless and ugly, and almost no one in the upper echelons of society was unaware of that fact. But in order to maintain the family¡¯s prosperity, Pei Ziao had no choice but to follow his father¡¯s orders.


    Pei Yingxiong had promised him that she would be nothing more than an ornament after they¡¯d gotten married. Once the Peis surpassed the Yuns, he would be able to get a divorce and find a new wife immediately.


    Pei Ziao had spent a tremendous amount of effort on Yun Ruoyan in the past. After all, as timid and self-abasing as she was, he had to make sure that his every gesture was moderate and kind in order to avoid frightening her.


    In addition, she was so sensitive that a single demeaning nce from another party would be enough to cause her to cry.


    Everyone else would show an expression of disgust upon seeing the birthmark on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, and it was all he could do to ignore its existence and pretend that he was wholly unaffected.


    Eventually, gradually, she finally got a favorable impression of him.


    During their mountain trip, he had known that Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying were scheming to push Yun Ruoyan into theke, and had wanted topletely conquer her heart with one grand gesture. Of course, he hadn¡¯t expected to almost die in the attempt.


    Luckily, he managed to survive, but Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attitude toward him had souredpletely.


    Pei Ziao hadn¡¯t particrly cared about Yun Ruoyan except for his familial obligations, but her sudden aloofness actually ignited his desire to get into her good graces once more.


    As a dashing gentleman, the sole heir of the Peis, he could have whatever girl he wanted, let alone one as ugly and useless as Yun Ruoyan!


    He forcibly suppressed his feelings for Yi Qianying and turned his gaze aside.


    Opposite them, Zhuo Yifeng was cutting the roasted meat into chunks. The golden-brown meat was dripping with fat, and it sizzled as itnded on the charcoal, making everyone salivate further


    The four girls all ended up staring at Zhuo Yifeng as he prepared the meat, and even Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help gulping down mouthfuls of saliva.


    Zhuo Yifeng carved out arge piece of meat, but he handed it to Yun Ruoyan rather than to his own sister.


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment before taking the meat, but instead of eating it herself, she handed it to Lin Qingxue by her side.


    ¡°Thank you, Ruoyan.¡± Without hesitating, Lin Qingxue took a big bite. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so tasty! Even more so than the chefs in the capital!¡±


    Lin Qingxue praised Zhuo Yifeng in an exaggerated fashion so loudly that Yun Ruoyu gave the whole crowd a supercilious look from afar.


    Yun Ruoyan was just about to stand up when Zhuo Yifeng handed her another chunk of meat. She frowned slightly, saying, ¡°I¡¯d prefer to do it myself, please.¡±


    And then she stood up, walked to the roast, and used her own little dagger to cut out two pieces of meat, one for Lin Qingchen and one for herself.


    ¡°Oh, it really is tasty!¡± Yun Ruoyan took a bite and praised Zhuo Yifeng sincerely. ¡°You¡¯re a surprisingly good cook.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhuo¡¯s really skilled, isn¡¯t he?¡± Lin Qingxue mumbled as she chewed, and Lin Qingchen likewise ate with gusto.


    Zhuo Yifeng revealed a rare smile. ¡°We beastkin often have to hunt deep in the mountains, so we¡¯ve amassed quite a few cooking-rted skills.¡± As he said this, he cut the meat finely and ced it on a big green leaf before handing it to Zhuo Lin¡¯er.


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er took the proffered food and began chewing slowly, and it was only then that Zhuo Yifeng took a few bites for himself.


    ¡°Who else is there in your n besides you siblings?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked carelessly while popping a chunk of meat into her mouth.


    Zhuo Yifeng stilled upon hearing the question.


    At first, Yun Ruoyan expected that he would refuse to answer, but he spoke up calmly instead. ¡°It¡¯s only the two of us left now, but there might be other missing members of the n elsewhere.¡±


    Beastkin were a rather special sort of existence in the Chenyuan continent. Supposedly, the beastkin were half-blood spawns of man and beast, and had always served as ves of the nobility, generally as hunters and beast tamers.


    A hundred years ago, a brave warrior emerged amongst the beastkin. He led his kinsmen to victory against their human masters, ending the perpetuation of very that hadsted millennia.


    This warrior had seized untold amounts of riches from the hands of humans, bringing his kinsmen to the other side of the Yueli mountain and founding a beastkin kingdom.


    For a time, this kingdom coexisted with the Li, Yue, Mo, and Chen kingdoms, and there were said to be five great kingdoms on the Chenyuan continent.


    The warrior who had founded this kingdom was titled the Beast King.


    But eighteen years ago, the Beast King had died of mysterious causes in the prime of his life. The beastkin kingdom splintered, marred by internal schism and conflict. Soon, it became no more.


    The beastkin once again roamed the four kingdoms as nomads.


    Many adventurers, driven by greed for the treasures that the beastkins had seized from the humans, would go about hunting beastmen and interrogate them regarding where the treasure had ended up, and it was under these conditions that the beastkin poption dwindled by the day.


    What made Yun Ruoyan particrly curious was how Zhuo Yifeng and his sister managed to obtain tokens to enter the imperial realm despite being beastkin.


    Seemingly having anticipated Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question, he said, ¡°I once saved the master of a noble family while out hunting. He granted me a wish, which is how I¡¯m here right now.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s openness made Yun Ruoyan a little ufortable, as if she were being petty and secretive inparison.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s no reason you have to divulge all this to me. Shouldn¡¯t you beastkin be vignt against us humans?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng really seemed to be an exception among his kind. Even when they first talked in the morning, Zhuo Yifeng had revealed his identity as a beastkin at the very beginning.


    ¡°I believe in you,¡± Zhuo Yifeng said resolutely, looking at Yun Ruoyan with eyes that were far too bright.


    ¡°Believe me?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked toward him, her expression uncertain. ¡°Why? It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve met!¡±


    ¡°Because your body¡¯s suffused with a familiar scent.¡±


    ¡°What scent?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s familiar and intimate!¡± Zhuo Yifeng looked at Yun Ruoyan, his eyes gleaming like those of a magical beast.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that this fellow¡¯s smelling my scent, can it?!¡± Qiuqiu chirped from the bracelet.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart trembled in shock. Was this guy¡¯s sense of smell so acute that he could even sense what was inside her pocket dimension? That defiedmon sense!


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attitude became cool once more. ¡°You look like an honest guy, so I didn¡¯t expect you to try to hit on me like that.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡ª¡± Zhuo Yifeng quickly spread his hands out.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m tired and going to rest now.¡± Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t want to hear his exnation. She walked up and to one side of the fire, preparing to lie down to sleep.


    Late in the night, she was jostled awake by someone. She opened her eyes to see Lin Qingxue looking at her in pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I ate too much meat for dinner, and then a whole bottle of cold water on top of that. My stomach hurts so much! Ruoyan, could you apany me to relieve myself?¡± Lin Qingxue pleaded earnestly.


    And so the two girls found a location downwind and far from the fire. After Yun Ruoyan gave the signal, Lin Qingchen went to relieve herself.


    In her boredom, Yun Ruoyan looked around her surroundings before suddenly seeing a faint glowing from a nearby brush.


    She walked over. Under the moonlight filtering through the leaves up above, she found a pile of animal entrails near the brush, likely those that Zhuo Yifeng had cleaned out while he was preparing the meat for dinner.


    The funny thing was, there was an object giving off a faint green glow from within those entrails.


    Yun Ruoyan unsheathed her sword and cut open the glowing organ, revealing a glowing green monster core!


    After she¡¯d cleaned it thoroughly and inspected it carefully in her hands, she could even smell a faint trace of medicinal herbs. It could only be the beast core of the bunny that hadnded them within the pack of hounds in the first ce!


    Before the hound which had captured the bunny could fully digest it, they¡¯d in and eaten the hound.


    The bunny had grown up feasting on such medicinal herbs, and its core would have retained some of that potency in restoring qi and curing poison. In that sense, this one core was more valuable than a hundred firehound cores.


    ¡°Ruoyan, what¡¯re you doing over there?¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s voice came from behind her. Yun Ruoyan quickly kept the bunny¡¯s core in her pocket dimension and then turned around.


    ¡°I saw a firefly just now and wanted to catch it, but it flew away instead.¡±


    Lin Qingxue squinted at her cousin. When had she be so mischievous?


    In the end, the two of them returned to the firepit to sleep, and when they next woke up, it was already morning.


    The next morning, as soon as everyone woke up, they went off in search of the exit to the misdirection array.


    Yun Ruoyan brought up the idea of splitting into two parties once more. Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu were both fine with the suggestion, but Pei Ziao insisted on following Yun Ruoyan.


    His excuse was that he had to protect and take care of her in order to thank Yun Ruoyan for saving his life.


    ¡°I feel like it¡¯s best for us to work as a team,¡± Yi Qianying began. ¡°None of us are familiar with the imperial territory, and if we encounter another beast horde, it¡¯ll be better if there are more of us.¡±


    After hearing Yi Qianying¡¯s words and concluding that her party really would be too weak otherwise, Yun Ruoyao doggedly followed behind Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group, ignoring Lin Qingxue¡¯s taunts and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cold and aloof behavior.


    ¡°I saw that first!¡± Yun Ruoyu and Lin Qingxue red at each other, both unwilling to let go of their half of a mauve medicinal herb gingerly clutched in their hands.


    This was already the third such incident this morning between the two girls.


    For some reason, the two of them would always see a treasure and rush to it at exactly the same time.

 Chapter 28: The Saber-toothed Tiger

    <h4>Chapter 28: The Saber-toothed Tiger</h4>


    ¡°I was clearly the one who saw it first! Why are you so shameless?!¡± Yun Ruoyu shouted coldly at Lin Qingxue, her spittle spraying her in the face.


    In disgust, Lin Qingxue turned her head to the side, but she was smiling. ¡°But I¡¯m a little faster, you see. I¡¯m the one who grabbed this sprig of purple cherry-grass first!¡±


    ¡°You...¡± Yun Ruoyu¡¯s eyes were about to pop from anger, but she couldn¡¯t say anything in rebuttal against Lin Qingxue.


    Suddenly, a white light shed by and cut the grass into two segments. Lin Qingxue and Yun Ruoyu both stumbled a few steps back.


    ¡°How long is it going to take the two of you to resolve an argument?¡± Yun Ruoyao unhappily castigated the two girls.


    ¡°But, I was clearly...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like cherry-grass is something amazing! If we really needed it, don¡¯t you think we¡¯re rich enough to be able to afford it?¡± Yun Ruoyu was about to continue arguing when Yun Ruoyao cut her off. ¡°Finding the exit is the most important thing.¡±


    Having said her piece, Yun Ruoyao headed to the front of the party.


    After half a day¡¯s worth of walking, the party ended up right back where they started. Only after changing directions a few times did they finally left the firepit behind.


    ¡°Are we out of the array now?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked Pei Ziao, who had remained by her side. ording to her experience from her past life, Pei Ziao was quite experienced with such arrays.


    ¡°Not yet, but there¡¯s hope.¡± Pei Ziao handed a canteen to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Ruoyan, why don¡¯t you have a drink?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was naturally repulsed by his ¡°kindly¡± behavior. Ignoring him, she quickly strode to the front of the party.


    He was just about to follow her up when Yi Qianying¡¯s pitiful voice came from behind. ¡°Brother Ziao, may I have some of your water?¡±


    He immediately stopped and handed her his canteen.


    Night came quickly, and the party, which had walked for the entire day, stopped and prepared to rest.


    Zhuo Yifeng started another fire. As soon as the coals were burning, he took out the leftover roasted meat, wrapped it tightly in green leaves, and buried the wraps amidst the coals to be steamed.


    Not long after, a meaty fragrance seeped out from the coals.


    ¡°Wow, it smells so good!¡± Lin Qingxue quickly opened a wrap that Zhuo Yifeng handed her. The small pieces of meat had been fully steamed and rendered tender.


    Lin Qingxue took a bite and closed her eyes in bliss. ¡°Even though I ate so muchst night, my appetite¡¯s not at all diminished.¡±


    Looking enviously at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group was Yun Ruoyu, who red at Lin Qingxue as she chewed on some fruits and nuts she had foraged from the forest.


    Because everyone was so preupied with getting out of the array, none of them had thought of hunting for food. When it was finally night and they could rest, they were so hungry that they didn¡¯t have the energy to hunt anymore.


    As such, even the usually prideful Yun Ruoyao couldn¡¯t help but look at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group as she swallowed her saliva.


    Yun Ruoyan and the others clearly weren¡¯t going to share any of it with them unless they spoke up; they were more than happy enough to keep it for themselves!


    But while they were happily enjoying their meal, Zhuo Lin¡¯er, who seldomly spoke, turned to her brother with an anxious expression on her face. ¡°Brother, there¡¯s the scent of a magical beast nearby.¡±


    Almost at the same time, Yun Ruoyan received a warning from Qiuqiu. ¡°It¡¯s a seventh-rank magical beast. None of you can handle it!¡±


    ¡°Then we have to run!¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly stood up and was about to call out a warning when Qiuqiu continued, ¡°It¡¯s toote! Not only does this beast have a high level of cultivation, it¡¯s also skilled in stealth, and I only discovered it when it got close!¡±


    As soon as Qiuqiu finished speaking, Yi Qianying screamed. ¡°Oh, what arge beast! It¡¯s so frightening!¡±


    What appeared in Yi Qianying¡¯s direction was a creature that looked like a tiger but with far more elongated caninesing out of the woods.


    As it moved, a few smaller trees were cut down by its sharp canines with just a passing blow.


    ¡°A saber-toothed tiger,¡± Pei Ziao¡¯s trembling voice muttered. ¡°I heard my father say that, when he went on this expedition himself in the past, it was a saber-toothed tiger that almost took his life!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked at the tiger that slowly padded toward them, bewildered.


    Given its bulk, how could they not have heard themotion from afar? Even if it could hide its own cultivation, it surely couldn¡¯t hide the noise and destruction it caused to its surroundings. How did Qiuqiu only discover it sote?


    The saber-toothed tiger didn¡¯t look particrly anxious as it continued forward. After all, in its eyes, Yun Ruoyan and the others were little more than food, too weak to be called prey.


    ¡°What should we do, Brother Ziao? I¡¯m so scared!¡±


    Yi Qianying quickly hid behind Pei Ziao and Yun Ruoyan, and she even reached out to grab Yun Ruoyan¡¯s arm. Yun Ruoyan clicked her tongue in disgust and shook her off.


    Everyone present was so intimidated by the aura that the tiger gave off that their faces turned pale, and they lost any desire to battle with such a terrifying creature.


    ¡°Listen to me, everyone.¡± Yun Ruoyan mped down her fear and terror. ¡°The core of a saber-toothed tiger is a treasure that we¡¯d be lucky to find once in a hundred years! It looks powerful, but given how many people we have, we might be able to make it. If we work as one, we¡¯ll be able to kill it and share the core evenly among all of us!¡±


    Everyone present had only ever fought under controlled circumstances with a master or at a training hall. Never had they experienced such danger, nor such ferocious or massive beasts. Only Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan were barely able to maintain a semnce of calm.


    Although the saber-toothed tiger walked slowly, its size meant that each step took it a considerable distance, and it approached the party very quickly.


    Yun Ruoyan saw everyone take a few steps back, so scared that they had lost any will to fight. Knowing that she couldn¡¯t dy any longer, she shouted immediately, ¡°Either we fight, or we die!¡±


    She unsheathed her sword. ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s surround it and try to find its weaknesses!¡±


    Lin Qingxue, Lin Qingchen, and Zhuo Yifeng all followed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s orders and spread out, each nking one side of the tiger.


    Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu hesitated a little before gritting their teeth and following suit. Yi Qianying continued to stay behind Pei Ziao¡¯s back, and although she did draw her sword, her hand was trembling, and the expression of fear on her face hadn¡¯t dissipated one bit.


    The saber-toothed tiger looked at the paltry humans that had surrounded it. When its gazended on Yun Ruoyan, it suddenly sniffed.


    And then, for reasons unknown, its eyes turned red as it stared at Yun Ruoyan and Yun Ruoyan alone.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good! It¡¯s treating you as its primary target,¡± Qiuqiu quickly called out from within the bracelet. ¡°It¡¯ll go for you without fail now, so, Mistress, attack it first before it can attack you!¡±


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, shield me!¡± Yun Ruoyan turned andmanded Zhuo Yifeng, and without any hesitation, she lifted her sword and attacked the tiger head-on.


    Zhuo Yifeng quickly let loose a volley of arrows, which shot toward the tiger as fast as lightning.


    The saber-toothed tiger clearly hadn¡¯t expected that the humans in front of it would be able to move, let alone attack, nor that five arrows would reach it before the human girl in front of him did.


    But these were nothingpared to its majesty as a seventh-rank beast, one which could fight on equal footing with a fifth-rank beastmaster. The humans in front of it were far too weak to do anything.


    It tossed its head, and its two erged canines easily sliced all five arrows heading for it.


    As Yun Ruoyan rushed forward, another three arrows apanied her. At the same time, Yun Ruoyan twisted her bracelet and felt its strength permeate her.


    When the saber-toothed tiger once again tossed its mane against the arrows, it felt a spike of paining from its chest.


    It lowered its head and saw that a human girl had actually managed to stick her entire sword into its body. It roared in fury and shook its head, its massive canines scything towards Yun Ruoyan. The canines of a saber-toothed tiger were so sharp that they could easily chop off arge tree, let alone a human body.


    ¡°Ruoyan, be careful!¡± the Lin sisters quickly shouted.


    Even her siblings opened their eyes wide. Yi Qianying hid behind Pei Ziao¡¯s body, craning her head out as if she both wanted to and didn¡¯t want to see the sight in front of her.


    As for Yun Ruoyan, she was actually able to find a sudden sense of calm despite being faced with the sudden, immense pressure. She decisively gave up on the sword in her hand and leaped backwards, barely avoiding the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s attack.


    Having been wounded, the saber-toothed tiger began to rampage. It started shaking its head as it chased Yun Ruoyan, trying to cut down her paltry human body and treating everyone else as if they were air.


    ¡°Ruoyan, we¡¯lle help you.¡± Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen entered the fray, while Zhuo Yifeng stood by a side, relentlessly firing sharp arrows at the saber-toothed tiger.


    Unfortunately, they did too little damage to be of any concern to the tiger. Unless they were able to strike its vitals as Yun Ruoyan did with her sword, they did just about as much damage as ant bites.


    ¡°Ruoyao, let¡¯s fight too!¡± Yun Ruoyu brandished her sword as she looked at Yun Ruoyao by her side, while Yun Ruoyao looked on at the fight with aplicated expression on her face.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s footwork was fast and efficient, and she was able to avoid the tiger¡¯s every attack. The sword she held in her hand was exactly the same as theirs, a regr sword with no enchantment or inscription, but she was actually able to thrust it all the way into such a strong magical beast!


    This couldn¡¯t be the skill of a third-rank demaster! How did her useless sister suddenly be so strong?


    ¡°Brother Ziao, do you think we can kill this beast if we all work together?¡± Yi Qianying asked.


    Pei Ziao frowned. ¡°How could we kill a seventh-rank magical beast?! Even now, they¡¯re fighting with all their strength just to keep themselves from being overwhelmed, and they¡¯ll quickly lose their stamina.


    Pei Ziao¡¯s analysis was cold but logical. The weaponless Yun Ruoyan could only rely on her footwork and her two cousins¡¯ attacks to dodge the furious beast¡¯s blows.


    And that beast didn¡¯t even bother attacking Lin Qingchen or Lin Qingxue, but instead focused all its attention on Yun Ruoyan! If she didn¡¯t find some way of turning the tide, she really would die!


    While running, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze turned toward Yun Ruoyao and the others. Upon seeing that they were simply standing still and watching the scene y out, anger suffused her mind.


    ¡°Do you really want to see me die so badly? Then don¡¯t me me if I drag you down with me!¡±


    In a sh, Yun Ruoyan twisted her body and headed directly for them!


    <hr>


    1. Foreshadowing¡ªremember this scene!

 Chapter 29: Slain!

    <h4>Chapter 29: in!</h4>


    Under the white light of the moon, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s red attire was particrly eye-catching.


    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s heading in our direction!¡± Yi Qianying was the first to call out, so panicked that she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Yun Ruoyao and the others turned pale as they confirmed Yi Qianying¡¯s exmation. Clearly, she was trying to pull them down with her! What a frightening and vicious girl!


    Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu cursed Yun Ruoyan in their hearts, but Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t care less. With her phantom-like footwork, she swiftly passed through the gap between Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu, hiding behind the two of them!


    The canines of the saber-toothed tiger appeared right afterwards, and, having no time to dodge, the two girls could only raise their swords to block the attack.


    Yun Ruoyao felt that defending against the tiger¡¯s canines was just like swinging her sword at an unbelievably tough piece of steel, and the bacsh rattled her body. She was flung back a few steps by this force; Yun Ruoyu, on the other hand, fell onto the ground. As she turned, she spat out a mouthful of blood.


    This was the difference between a fourth-rank and fifth-rank demaster: Yun Ruoyao was able to defend against the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s blow head on and survived rattled but unscathed, whereas Yun Ruoyu suffered an internal injury as a result.


    ¡°Ah, Brother Ziao, be careful!¡± Yi Qianying called out.


    After noticing that Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu could barely defend against a single blow, she used her footwork again to hide behind Pei Ziao.


    Although Pei Ziao and Yun Ruoyao were both fifth-rank demasters, Yun Ruoyao had only been a fifth-rank for less than half a year.


    On the other hand, Pei Ziao had already been a fifth-rank demaster for at least two years.


    Based on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s understanding of his cultivation, he had the strength to deal with three blows from the saber-toothed tiger.


    Pei Ziao¡¯s weapon was a long spear that could be extended or contracted at will. After blocking two blows, he found a gap in the tiger¡¯s defenses and thrust its spear at one yellow eye.


    As he thrust, the spear itself stretched to twice its original length, and it looked as if his blow would seed.


    But after having been struck in the chest by Yun Ruoyan, the tiger had be more vignt, and it tilted its head just as the blownded, snagging the spear between its canines.


    It was originally nning on breaking it in one blow, but it hadn¡¯t expected the spear to be just as tough as its canines.


    After all, Pei Ziao was the only heir of the Pei family. After he¡¯d almost lost his life trying to save Yun Ruoyan, Pei Yingxiong had be even more concerned for his safety and had even lent him his own weapon for this expedition.


    Pei Ziao refused to let go of the spear that was stuck between the tiger¡¯s canines.


    The tiger violently shook its head in fury, and Pei Ziao was flung up into the air.


    ¡°Brother Ziao, let go!¡± Yi Qianying shouted at him from afar.


    Pei Ziao grit his teeth. This spear was his father¡¯s treasure, and he was loath to give it up just like that. But his life was more important, and, in the end, Pei Ziao released his grip, his body flying up into the air and coincidentally arcing down towards Yi Qianying.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yi Qianying let out a pained scream.


    By the side and watching all this happen was Yun Ruoyan, and she couldn¡¯t help but shake her head and sigh. This pair of illicit lovers really seemed fated to be together!


    After the saber-toothed tiger had disabled Pei Ziao, it turned and began attacking Yun Ruoyan once more.


    Why does it keep on chasing me? Do I smell particrly enticing?!


    The tiger loosened its jaws and dropped the spear onto the ground. Immediately afterwards, it opened its jaws wide and pounced on Yun Ruoyan.


    In the beginning, the tiger had yed with Yun Ruoyan like a cat with a mouse, but the battle hadpletely uncovered its bestial nature.


    Yun Ruoyan leaped up from the ground, avoiding the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s attack. Its sharp caninesnded on the spot that Yun Ruoyan had been on before, and arge pit immediately appeared on the ground!


    Yun Ruoyan rolled and dodged before picking up the spear that Pei Ziao had dropped, and then mimicked his attack stance.


    ¡°Ruoyan, throw me the spear!¡± Pei Ziao called out towards Yun Ruoyan. ¡°This spear can only be handled by a fifth-rank demaster, you won¡¯t be able to use it at all!¡±


    He was about to dash over when Yi Qianying grabbed hold of his wrists tightly.


    ¡°Brother Ziao, I¡¯m scared!¡±


    She had just been smashed onto the ground by Pei Ziao¡¯s body. Based on her cultivation, it shouldn¡¯t have been a problem for her, but, intentionally or otherwise, she too ended up spitting blood from her mouth.


    Pei Ziao looked at Yi Qianying, lying in hisp with a terrified expression on her small face, a few traces of blood by her lips, and his heart clenched.


    Yun Ruoyan naturally ignored Pei Ziao¡¯s words. While the saber-toothed tiger was recovering from its failed blow, she quickly thrust the spear at its body.


    But because the spear was too heavy, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t use sufficient strength in her thrust, and the spear ended up only pricking the tiger¡¯s front paw, barely hurting the beast.


    In rage, the tiger swung its tail at the spear. This time, Yun Ruoyan was unable to respond to the attack fast enough and flew up into the air.


    ¡°You¡¯re really seeking death, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Pei Ziao shouted in frustration. He¡¯d told her she wouldn¡¯t be able to use the spear, she¡¯d ignored him, and look what happened!


    Seeing that the prey it had chased for what felt like half the day had finally fallen, the tiger howled in excitement. It was about to impale Yun Ruoyan with its canines when several arrows flew towards its eyelid.


    The tiger turned and nced at the source of the arrows. Zhuo Yifeng hung from a tree not far away, pulling his bow and pointing it at the tiger.


    While Zhuo Yifeng was distracting the tiger, Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue quickly rushed over to Yun Ruoyan and shielded her.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, are you alright?¡± Both her cousins looked back at her prone body.


    Yun Ruoyan wanted to stand up, but her chest hurt so much that she barely managed to sit up using the spear as support.


    At this point, Yun Ruoyao had staggered to Pei Ziao¡¯s side with the injured Yun Ruoyu.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to court death with them!¡± Yun Ruoyu eximed, clutching her chest.


    The tiger¡¯s blow had led to quite a serious internal injury. Although she¡¯d consumed the life quintessence pill that had been given to her, she could no longer fight.


    ¡°The saber-toothed tiger¡¯s only interested in her. We have to run now while we can, or it¡¯lle after us after it¡¯s done with her,¡± Yun Ruoyu continued.


    ¡°I never expected Ruoyan would try to use us as her shield.¡± Yun Ruoyao shook her head in disappointment. ¡°And to think we treated her like a sister! How much more vicious can she be?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyao had conveniently forgotten about how they usually schemed against Yun Ruoyan, as well as who had pushed her into theke in the first ce. Right now, all they could think about was the fact that Yun Ruoyan had to be the most malicious woman in the whole world.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! She was the one who tried to take advantage of us first!¡±


    ¡°But what if Uncle found out that we left Ruoyan behind to die?¡± Yi Qianying asked quietly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no proof of any of that! As long as we don¡¯t mention anything, no one will know!¡± Yun Ruoyao¡¯s eyes glinted dangerously. ¡°Furthermore, even if they did know, isn¡¯t it better for her to die and us to live than for everyone to die together? I¡¯m sure Father won¡¯t say anything. Now, are youing with me or not?!¡±


    Yi Qianying looked pitifully at Pei Ziao, and a snippet of conversation with his father shed into his mind. ¡°I¡¯d thought that the second daughter of the Yuns was easy to manipte, but she¡¯s surprisingly firm-willed. If you can¡¯t get close to her, then you might as well let it be for now.¡±


    Pei Ziao looked at the Yi Qianying in hisp, thinking that safety was more important. He coulde back tomorrow to reim his father¡¯s spear if he had to! By that time, Yun Ruoyan and the others probably would have been fully consumed by the tiger, so that not even their corpses would be left behind.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll leave!¡± Pei Ziao stood up, helped support Yi Qianying, and rushed into the woods with the Yun sisters.


    As he did so, he subconsciously turned around and suddenly met Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mocking gaze. In rm, he turned back and began walking even more quickly.


    Upon seeing Yun Ruoyao and the others slip away, Yun Ruoyan actually rxed.


    With them around, she was scared of exposing too much of her strength, and she didn¡¯t dare to use the bracelet¡¯s strength too much either.


    Even so, they had already been shocked by her abilities. If she revealed the true extent of her strength, it would surely lead to unnecessary trouble for her.


    ¡°Ruoyan, the rest of them actually fled! Those snivelling cowards!¡±


    Lin Qingxue half-knelt by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side. Blood seeped out of her mouth; her cultivation wasn¡¯t too far off from Yun Ruoyu¡¯s, and she had also suffered an internal injury due to the tiger¡¯s ridiculous strength.


    ¡°For some reason, I¡¯m the only one the tiger¡¯s focused on,¡± Yun Ruoyan said as she tried to catch her breath. ¡°If we really can¡¯t defeat it, don¡¯t worry about me and run!¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, Ruoyan?!¡± Lin Qingxue was indignant. ¡°We¡¯re sisters, and we¡¯ll live and die together! We won¡¯t just leave you behind like those stupid Yun sisters!¡±


    Lin Qingxue spat out two mouthfuls of saliva, but she was still aggravated.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart warmed. She clutched Lin Qingxue¡¯s hand, promising, ¡°I swear I won¡¯t let any of you die.¡±


    Ahead of them, Lin Qingchen and Zhuo Yifeng were stopping the tiger together, but their defense was about to fall apart.


    Yun Ruoyan hurriedly swallowed her life quintessence pill, which melted in her mouth. Bursts of energy emanated from the pill, quickly healing her injuries.


    This time, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t hide the strength which the bracelet had endowed her with. She marshalled all the strength into her right hand, which held Pei Ziao¡¯s spear, and stood up from the ground.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± Lin Qingchen looked at Yun Ruoyan in a daze, suddenly getting the impression that her sister seemed like a particrly powerful cultivator.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have my life so easily, beast!¡± Yun Ruoyan flew towards the tiger.


    ¡°Move aside!¡± She shouted to Lin Qingchen and Zhuo Yifeng. The two turned around, saw a shadowy figure flying toward them, and subconsciously drew back.


    Seeing Yun Ruoyan approach, the tiger let out a howl and sprang forward.


    The others, upon realizing that Yun Ruoyan was preparing for a direct confrontation with the beast, quickly went pale.


    With her footwork, Yun Ruoyan avoided the tiger¡¯s preliminary attacks before jumping high up into the air.


    She gripped the spear tightly with both hands, angling it at the tiger¡¯s brain.


    It sunk all the way into the tiger¡¯s head.


    This series of actions, graceful and fluid, waspleted in the blink of an eye. The oue left Zhuo Yifeng, Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue, and Zhuo Lin¡¯er, hidden in the branches of arge tree, all stupefied.


    The saber-toothed tiger opened its jaws, but no longer had the energy to make any noise. It gazed at Yun Ruoyan, her body still in mid-air, its eyes wide with disbelief.


    Yun Ruoyan looked into the tiger¡¯s eyes, a sparkling smile by her lips. She nted both feet on the tiger¡¯s head and pulled out the spear, somersaulted in the air, andnded on the ground.


    The next moment, the tiger¡¯s giant body fell by her feet!

 Chapter 30: Explanation

    <h4>Chapter 30: Exnation</h4>


    What in the world had happened just then?!


    They¡¯d all seen the tiger¡¯s lifeless body fall limply by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s feet, but they couldn¡¯t believe their eyes.


    Lin Qingchen was the closest to Yun Ruoyan, and she was the first to walk to her side and check the tiger¡¯s body. The spear had been thrust into the center of the tiger¡¯s forehead, leaving a small but lethal wound. The saber-toothed tiger was well and truly dead.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you... really managed to kill the saber-toothed tiger.¡± Lin Qingchen raised her head and looked toward Yun Ruoyan, as if she could scarcely believe what she saw.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Lin Qingxue slowly walked over, her tone simultaneously shocked and amazed.


    ¡°How did you do it? Your cultivation¡¯s clearly the lowest out of all of us.¡± Zhuo Yifeng inspected the tiger¡¯s body and asked curiously after seeing the spear wound.


    Someone who was supposed to be weak, killing a beast that everyone else working together couldn¡¯t? That was surely a mystifying and shocking feat.


    If Yun Ruoyan had managed to do it on her first blow, that could have been attributed to chance, but this deathblow had resulted from a head-on confrontation.


    After all, Yun Ruoyan was only a third-rank demaster, essentially the lowest rank needed to call oneself a cultivator. Naturally, her attacks should have been weak, so how did she manage to defeat a seventh-rank beast in one blow?!


    This question floated above everyone¡¯s heads, but the current Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have the strength to answer it. After her deathblow, the energy that had suffused her had drained away rapidly, and she felt as if she were floating, that all her mass had vanished, followed by a serious bout of dizziness and nausea.


    She looked at the three people speaking to her, and they began blurring in front of her. There were only three, she knew, but her eyes showed seven, eight, nine indistinct figures.


    Her vision turned dark, and her feet stumbled. She stretched out a hand at the closest figure she could see, and her body fell limply onto the ground.


    Zhuo Yifeng felt that something was wrong the moment he looked at her, and he was just about to ask her if she was alright when she extended a hand to him.


    Before he could react, she began falling to the ground, and he hurriedly stepped forward to grab ahold of her.


    ¡°Qiu, qiu, Mistress!¡± In her daze, Yun Ruoyan heard Qiuqiu¡¯s concerned chirping. ¡°Qiu, qiu, Mistress, wake up, Mistress!¡±


    Qiuqiu¡¯s voice was unusually urgent, and Yun Ruoyan eventually opened her eyes slowly.


    ¡°Mistress, thank goodness you¡¯re awake! I was so worried!¡± Qiuqiu chirped as it inspected Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body.


    ¡°How did I end up here?¡± Yun Ruoyan sat up and touched her forehead doubtfully.


    ¡°Qiu, qiu, Mistress, you fainted from exhaustion right after defeating the saber-toothed tiger,¡± Qiuqiu exined. ¡°Mistress, based on your current level of cultivation, you still can¡¯t use the bracelet¡¯s strength for an extended period of time. Once you run out of energy, unless you have a core foundation pill with you, you could be in serious danger.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no wonder I felt like I was about to die.¡± After hearing Qiuqiu¡¯s warning, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but have a lingering fear over what might have happened. After all, for someone who had experienced a rebirth like her, perhaps nothing was more important to her than life itself.


    ¡°Actually, the bracelet itself is only supposed to give you power equal to approximately twice your cultivation,¡± Qiuqiu continued. ¡°Since you only have the cultivation of a third-rank demaster at the moment, Mistress, the power you should have been able to wield would only be that of a peak fifth-rank demaster. But when you were fighting the saber-toothed tiger, you borrowed the equivalent of a third-rank beastmaster¡¯s power, far exceeding what your body was able to sustain.¡±


    Qiuqiu med himself for the mistake. ¡°This is all my fault, Mistress. I was afraid you would be bullied for yourck of strength and removed this restriction, but it almost cost you your life.¡±


    ¡°No, you did nothing wrong,¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly responded. ¡°If not for that, we might all have died here. Qiuqiu, you did the right thing. But in order to avoid over-extending my powers again, I think it¡¯d be better if you reinstated the restriction.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t a life-threatening affair, she certainly didn¡¯t want to experience those bouts of vertigo and weakness again.


    But when she reflected on what Qiuqiu had said, that she couldmand a power twice her cultivation, Yun Ruoyan was very excited. Didn¡¯t this imply that, as her cultivation grew, the bracelet¡¯s power would grow with her?


    The bracelet was an amazing safety.


    But she was still suffering from poison, and her cultivation was restricted to third-rank and below. Even if she borrowed the power of the bracelet, all she could manage would be the cultivation of a peak fifth-rank demaster.


    If she used all her power, she would be able to defeat Yun Ruoyao and Pei Ziao, but she would hardly be able to do anything against someone like Pei Yingxiong.


    Although the power of the Fei de was equally monstrous, she knew that that wasn¡¯t something she could easily make use of.


    There were far too many vicious and greedy cultivators on the Chenyuan continent. Once they got wind of the Fei de, it would surely lead to a bloody fight for its ownership, and as nothing more than a little girl forsaken by the Yuns, she would hardly be able to survive.


    On the other hand, the bracelet¡¯s power was different. Even if she did use it, others wouldn¡¯t be able to detect it as easily because it was tied to her cultivation.


    Once she rified her thoughts, Yun Ruoyan focused on her most important task: restoring her body to good health.


    She sat cross-legged within the pocket dimension and began to circte qi throughout her body to repair the damage caused by overexertion.


    Although Qiuqiu mentioned that it had many top-grade cultivation manuals, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s foundations were too poor to study them. At her current level, it was most appropriate to focus on fundamentals.


    She stayed in the bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension for the entire night before feeling a slight reprieve from her exhaustion. When she next woke up, the sky was bright.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake, she¡¯s awake, Sister Ruoyan¡¯s awake!¡±


    The first thing Yun Ruoyan heard was the voice of Lin Qingxue, and then Lin Qingchen and Zhuo Yifeng also crowded around her.


    ¡°What, what¡¯s happened to me?¡± Yun Ruoyan pretended that she knew nothing of what had happened, her eyes blearily looking at the three of them.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you slew the saber-toothed tiger with your own strengthst night, and then you fainted.¡± As Lin Qingchen summarizedst night¡¯s events, she stretched out her hand to take Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wrist.


    After having studied medicine with Lin Zainan for so long, she was a rather famous physician in the capital in her own right.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve recovered really quickly.¡± Lin Qingchen rxed. ¡°When you suddenly fainted, I found that your pulse showed signs of stopping momentarily. That¡¯s a sign of near-fatal exhaustion, and it scared me and Qingxue to no end.¡±


    Lin Qingchen was a little introverted, quite different from Lin Qingxue, who was a chatterbox. Anything that could shock her was serious indeed, and it made Yun Ruoyan realize once more how close to death she¡¯de.


    Even Lin Qingxue was uncharacteristically quiet as she stared at Yun Ruoyan without blinking.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Am I leaking pus from my birthmark again?¡± Yun Ruoyan reached out to touch her birthmark.


    ¡°No, no.¡± Lin Qingxue quickly shook her head and opened her eyes wide. ¡°Ruoyan, can I ask you something?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed internally. Well, it was finally here¡ªhow much effort would it take to exin away her sudden rise in abilityst night?


    Before Yun Ruoyan could nod, Lin Qingxue asked rapidly, ¡°Ruoyan, how did you be so scaryst night? It was as if a war god had possessed you!¡±


    Even now, Lin Qingxue could clearly visualize how the wounded Yun Ruoyan, lying down with her, had suddenly stood up as if possessed and spoken resolutely, ¡°I won¡¯t let any of youe to harm.¡±


    The Yun Ruoyan of that moment radiated a terrifying strength.


    ¡°There¡¯s a secret technique that¡¯s been passed down on the Chenyuan continent that¡¯ll allow you to quickly raise your cultivation for the short-term, but it¡¯s highly damaging to your body. Did you use a technique like that?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked.


    Yun Ruoyan stilled for a moment before quickly shaking her head. ¡°No, of course not! That sort of technique¡¯s a double-edged sword, and I¡¯m only thirteen! How could I have learned a forbidden technique?¡±


    A forbidden technique that had gained notoriety on the Chenyuan continent in the past was one that forcibly stole someone else¡¯s cultivation and converted it into your own, but it was so easy to receive a bacsh and so cruel that it was designated a forbidden technique.


    Zhuo Yifeng looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s childlike face and dismissed the possibility. ¡°In that case, how did you manage it?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape this question today. Although she didn¡¯t want to lie, there were some secrets that could only be kept buried in her heart.


    For example, the fact that she had rebirthed, or that she had two precious treasures on her body!


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know either.¡± Yun Ruoyan clutched her forehead and covered her eyes, as if she too were vexed and flummoxed. In truth, she was simply afraid that her eyes would give her away.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± The three people surrounding her eximed simultaneously.


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly thought of a very good excuse, and she quickly continued. ¡°I can tell you a little secret. It¡¯s something only Grandfather and I know at the moment, so when I tell you, you have to keep it secret!¡±


    ¡°What secret?¡± The Lin sisters were even more curious as to what secret their grandfather would actually keep from them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve all known that I¡¯ve been called a cultivation genius since birth, but as time passed, my talent diminished at a rapid pace.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t news to the Lin sisters, but it was the first that Zhuo Yifeng had heard of the matter, and he couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°Everyone always thought that this too was a natural urrence, and even Grandfather couldn¡¯t find a reason for this unusual event. But not too long ago, my birthmark was identally cut open, and only then did I realize that I had in fact been poisoned.¡±


    At this point, everyone was astonished. Yun Ruoyan continued, ¡°Grandfather told me that what I was suffering from was a slow-acting poison that could limit my cultivation and destroy my appearance. He¡¯s currently trying to help make me an antidote. I feel much better after his attempts, and even my talent¡¯s showing signs of returning. I think the reason I suddenly became so strong was because the talent that had been suppressed for so long ended up blossoming.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan paused for a moment as she waited for the crowd¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Your talent, blossoming!¡± Lin Qingchen eximed. ¡°From a medical standpoint, I suppose that¡¯s indeed possible.¡±


    Lin Qingxue was already a devout believer of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lies. ¡°Who poisoned you, sister? How malicious! We have to catch and punish the culprit!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed at how gullible and innocent her sisters were, but Madam An¡¯s face popped up in her mind.


    Once she was out of the imperial territory, she really did have to pay back this debt!

 Chapter 31: A Piece for You

    <h4>Chapter 31: A Piece for You</h4>


    Although Yun Ruoyan¡¯s vitality was almost half restored, her body was still physically weak, and her legs would turn to mush after just a few steps.


    After a short discussion, the group decided to rest for a day before resuming their search for an exit.


    Not far away, the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s carcassy in silence. Last night, after Yun Ruoyan had fainted, the others were so worried that none of them thought of dismembering the tiger¡¯s carcass and extracting its treasures.


    Supported by the Lin sisters, Yun Ruoyan headed for the carcass once more.


    After a whole night, it was already starting to undergo rigor mortis, and only the chilly aura emanating from its tworge canines revealed its past majesty.


    ¡°As a mid-tier magical beast, the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s essentially a walking treasure trove.¡± Zhuo Yifeng reached out and carefully touched one canine, his bright eyes sparkling. ¡°If we make arrows with its teeth, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be sharp and piercing.¡±


    ¡°Brother, if you had arrows that were sharp enough, the saber-toothed tiger from yesterday definitely wouldn¡¯t have been a problem for you,¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er, who had been clinging onto her brother¡¯s wrist, quickly said.


    If Yun Ruoyu¡¯s group had heard this, they might haveughed herment off as a joke, but Yun Ruoyan had indubitably witnessed Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s transcendent skill at archery.


    Yesterday, while dealing with the tiger, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s swift, urate shots would have turned the tide in their favor if his arrows were sharp enough to pierce the tiger¡¯s thick hide.


    Even if he were unable to shoot a deathblow, seriously wounding the tiger wouldn¡¯t have been a problem.


    ¡°Yes, Brother Zhuo¡¯s amazing!¡± Lin Qingchen sighed, thinking about his culinary skills.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯ll need a fifth-rank forgemaster to be able to make weapons with these materials,¡± Zhuo Yifeng continued, somewhat regretfully.


    There were four cultivation-type professions on the Chenyuan continent: demasters, forgemasters, summoners, and pillmasters.


    Among these four, demasters required no special innate talent aside from the ability to cultivate at all, to transform spiritual energy from the heavens into a form that could be used by the human body.


    Of the other three professions, forgemasters were the mostmon, followed by summoners, and the rarest and most precious were pillmasters. Among the nobility, as soon as a child showed talent in pillmaking, that child would be given any and all resources necessary to develop thattent talent further.


    Those without any special talent could only remain as demasters, and it would be extremely difficult to break past the seventh rank. Only after that would cultivators have the qualification to specialize in one of the other three professions.


    Each cultivation-type profession was subdivided into nine further ranks. The first three were foundational and rtively easy to ess, but it would get harder and harder as one progressed through the ranks. Some summoners and pillmasters, despite their greatest efforts, would never be able to step into the fourth rank before their death.


    As for forgemasters, their advancement was a little simpler, so demasters and forgemasters were rtively numerous on the Chenyuan continent.


    With regards to forging weapons and tools, higher-grade materials would require higher-ranked forgemasters. Just like with pillmaking, both professions required heavy use of fire, and cultivation was required to remove impurities in a cultivator¡¯s spirit fire. The purer the spiritual fire, the sharper and more mystical the resulting weapon. On the other hand, if the forgemaster¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t up to par, then even the highest-quality materials would go to waste.


    If a forgemaster were talented and lucky enough to reach peak ninth-rank, with ess to top-quality materials, then such a forgemaster could very well create a legendary or mythical artifact.


    For example, this was how Yun Ruoyan¡¯s Fei de had been created.


    And although fifth-rank forgemasters weren¡¯t particrly high on the overall hierarchy of the Chenyuan continent, Zhuo Yifeng was a beastkind who didn¡¯t have a shred of status at all.


    So all he could do was look sadly at the two sharp canines that he couldn¡¯t use, thinking that he would at least be able to sell them for a good price if he could make it out of the imperial territory alive.


    ¡°I do know a forgemaster.¡± At this time, Yun Ruoyan spoke up and interrupted Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s train of thought.


    ¡°He¡¯s peak fifth-rank, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to forge these canines into arrows. At any rate, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hated to owe others favors. Zhuo Yifeng had helped her twice over, and she would naturally repay this debt with gratitude. She just hadn¡¯t expected an opportunity toe so quickly.


    ¡°Really? Thank you!¡± Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bright eyes shone even brighter.


    ¡°Sister, even though you¡¯re the only wife-born daughter of the Yun family, you¡¯ve been more or less neglected, haven¡¯t you? How did youe to know a fifth-rank forgemaster?¡± Lin Qingchen asked curiously.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve both seen him before too. He¡¯s the one who went with me to your ce to ask Grandfather for a pill, Pei Yingxiong.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that old man whom Grandfather ridiculed and who ended up trading a top-grade furnace for that pill?¡± Lin Qingxue interrupted. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like a particrly generous man, so will he really help?¡±


    ¡°If Grandfather¡¯s the one who¡¯s asking, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Lin Qingchen murmured. ¡°But Grandfather¡¯s not the type to ask for favors¡­¡±


    Lin Zainan and Pei Yingxiong were both fifth-rank, but even if Pei Yingxiong were duplicated a hundredfold, Lin Zainan would still be the more valuable asset. Naturally, he would feel it below his station to ask Pei Yingxiong for a favor.


    ¡°Grandfather won¡¯t need to ask for a favor.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled, turning and looking at Pei Ziao¡¯s spear behind her. ¡°I just have to wait for him to request my help once more.¡±


    In the afternoon, with theirbined strength, they extracted the canines of the tiger and its precious, golden-yellow monster core, about asrge as a baby¡¯s fist. Lin Qingxue hugged it tightly without wanting to let go.


    ¡°Haha, I thought that the firehound¡¯s core was cute enough, but it seems like the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s is even cuter.¡±


    Lin Qingchen finally managed to wrangle the core from Lin Qingxue and handed it to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Ruoyan, since you were the one who slew the tiger, this core should be yours.¡±


    Although the two Lin sisters were on the best of terms with Yun Ruoyan, they were still two separate families. Because most of their battle spoils would be handed to their families, Yun Ruoyan would surely be able to elevate her position within the Yuns if she were to present this core to her father.


    Lin Qingxue hadn¡¯t thought so deeply about such affairs, but she quickly agreed upon hearing her sister¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s right, Sister Ruoyan, this should be yours.¡±


    But Yun Ruoyan refused to take it.


    ¡°If not for your shielding me yesterday, I¡¯d long since have been eaten by that tiger. This core belongs to everyone, including Zhuo Yifeng.¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at him.


    Zhuo Yifeng had already received Yun Ruoyan¡¯s promise that she would make the canines into arrows from him. Given the high-grade materials and the fact that it required a fifth-rank forgemaster to process, the resulting arrows would be at least mid-grade, and he was already very happy with receiving that much. He hadn¡¯t expected that Yun Ruoyan would want to hand him part of the core as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine receiving just these two canines.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re clearly owed a share. As I¡¯ve said, we won¡¯t take advantage of you.¡± Yun Ruoyan was very obstinate about this point; she hadn¡¯t wanted to have Zhuo Yifeng and his sister travelling with them to begin with.


    First, she didn¡¯t know anything about how good his skills were, and his weak sister seemed like she would have been a burden. Second, she didn¡¯t know anything about his character or personality, and was concerned that they wouldn¡¯t be able to battle effectively.


    But after thesest two days, Yun Ruoyan had begun to ept him as part of their team, and since they were all teammates, she surely wouldn¡¯t treat him in a miserly fashion.


    After all, the reason she had ended up in such a wretched state in her past life was because she didn¡¯t know how to interact with people. In the end, she had lived and died alone, with no one to even tend to her corpse.


    Yun Ruoyan took the core and stuffed it directly into Lin Qingchen¡¯s bag of holding. For convenience, everyone had agreed to put their battle spoils into her bag and to split it up at the very end.


    Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t refuse again. His face seemed expressionless, but his heart was in turmoil. As a beastkin, this was the first time he had received equal treatment as humans.


    The spiritual energy density here in the imperial territory was far greater than that outside. After settling their affairs, everyone sat down and began to cultivate.


    Of course, once Yun Ruoyan sat down, her soul went inside her bracelet. The energy density within her pocket dimension was still iparable to any other location she¡¯d been in.


    After another day of rest, along with a medicinal brew that Lin Qingchen had concocted, the next morning, Yun Ruoyan was just about recovered.


    This was the third day since the opening of the imperial territory, and there was a week left before the end of the test. If they weren¡¯t able to leave this ce in that week, then they would have to wait three more years before undergoing the recruitment selection for Kongming Academy once more.


    Three years wasn¡¯t much for the Lin siblings, but Yun Ruoyan urgently wanted to leave the Yun family, and the only route forward for her was to enter Kongming Academy.


    Despite being quite anxious about leaving, she didn¡¯t say anything in order to avoid negatively impacting anyone else. The only sign of her anxiety was how unusually quickly she was walking.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, isn¡¯t it tiring for you to carry both the canines and your sister? Do you want any help?¡± Lin Qingxue spoke to Zhuo Yifeng once more. This entire morning, she¡¯d been chattering away with Zhuo Yifeng, and although sometimes he might not say one word to her ten, it didn¡¯t seem to dampen her spirits at all.


    Lin Qingchen turned around to look at her sister, her eyebrows slightly raised, but Yun Ruoyao smiled and shook her head at her.


    In her past life, she thought that Lin Qingxue was just a simple-minded, happy-go-lucky fool, but now she just seemed innocent and exuberant, a far cry from the scheming sisters she had.


    ¡°I only want my brother to carry me, not you!¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er, on the other hand, was not particrly appreciative of Lin Qingxue¡¯s exuberance.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯m used to it,¡± Zhuo Yifeng declined politely.


    He carried one canine on each of his shoulders, each about half a human¡¯s height, as well as his sister on his back. Even so, he wasn¡¯t breathing harshly as he walked, and even Yun Ruoyan admired how strong his beastkin physique was.


    ¡°Ai, Zhuo Lin¡¯er!¡± Lin Qingxue turned towards Zhuo Lin¡¯er, who had her head deliberately pointed away from Lin Qingxue. ¡°Aren¡¯t you already ten? You¡¯re not a little kid anymore, so why do you keep insisting on being carried by your brother?¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with you?!¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er called out angrily. She didn¡¯t usually like to talk unless there was an emergency, but Lin Qingxue seemed to have the ability to get under her skin every time.


    ¡°Lin¡¯er, I¡¯m telling you, even though we¡¯re girls, we can¡¯t always rely on othe¡ª¡±


    ¡°Brother, I sense a beast horde.¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er suddenly leaned forward and muttered into Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Everyone, be careful! There¡¯s a beast horde nearby.¡± Zhuo Yifeng stopped walking and scrutinized his surroundings.

 Chapter 32: The Array’s Exit?

    <h4>Chapter 32: The Array¡¯s Exit?</h4>


    Faced with Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s warning, everyone else held their breath. Only then did they realize that their surroundings had gone quiet all of a sudden. Even the wind, which had whistled through the trees all morning, seemed to have vanished.


    This was the sign of strong beasts about to emerge.


    ¡°Qiuqiu,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out mentally, ¡°Can you determine what sort of beasts are approaching?¡±


    ¡°Based on their scent, they¡¯re rather weak individually, but there are a huge number of them. It feels like... it feels like...¡± Qiuqiu couldn¡¯t quite detect the identity of the beasts right away.


    ¡°What a strong odor! Snakes, they¡¯re snakes!¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s voice trembled.


    As she listened closely, Yun Ruoyan found that she could indeed hear a susurrusing from the west, the sound of friction between snakeskin and the ground!


    ¡°The snakes areing from the west, and they¡¯re heading east. We¡¯ll retreat south,¡± Yun Ruoyan immediatelymanded.


    The others followed her into the southern part of the forest, but they had barely taken a few steps when they heard a shrill feminine voice from behind them.


    It was Yi Qianying¡¯s voice!


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart thudded. They¡¯d remained where the tiger had appeared for a whole day, and, based on what Pei Ziao had said, they would surely have circled back if they hadn¡¯t found the exit. Since they didn¡¯t appear, Yun Ruoyan believed that they¡¯d already left the array, but who would have expected to encounter them here?


    Honestly, it seemed like she couldn¡¯t get away from her enemies even if she tried!


    ¡°Ah, why are there so many snakes around here?! Help!¡± Yi Qianying called out shrilly once more.


    ¡°There are people in the south! Let¡¯s hurry over,¡± Yun Ruoyao said to her party, and then Yi Qianying and the others traipsed into the southern part of the forest as well. They ran away from the snakes so quickly that they caught up to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party in an instant.


    ¡°Why are you guys everywhere we go?! You fleeing cowards!¡± Lin Qingxue cursed at them as she continued running south.


    Yun Ruoyu wanted to shout back at her, but her face was pale white, clearly having received a significant shock.


    Behind them, a frightening scene was beingid out.


    Green snakes,rge and small, slithered towards them in numbers too vast to be counted. It felt as if the forest had suddenlye alive, green tendrils slowly encroaching on their field of vision.


    The curious odor of snakes permeated the air.


    As Pei Ziao clutched a sword with one hand, he pulled Yi Qianying forward with the other.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yi Qianying suddenly tripped, and she pulled Pei Ziao down with her. In mere moments, the two of them were surrounded by the snakes.


    Pei Ziao let go of Yi Qianying¡¯s hand and plucked a dagger from his belt. With sword and dagger, he slew the snakes as they approached before they could touch him or Yi Qianying.


    Countless snake corpses were bisected by his des, and snake ichor and entrails filled the air.


    Yi Qianying half-stooped behind his body, her face green and white all over.


    The swarm of snakes caught up to the other stragglers, and they had no choice but to stop and fight against the horde as well.


    ¡°There are too many of them, and we can¡¯t kill them all!¡± Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue were fighting back to back, their swords dancing in the air.


    As Yun Ruoyan turned and saw her two cousins surrounded by the snakes, she immediately turned back to help them, as did Zhuo Yifeng by her side.


    When Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng ran to the Lin sisters, they found to their surprise that the snakes quickly slithered away.


    As if they had received some sort ofmand or encountered a sworn enemy, the snakes moved elsewhere.


    ¡°It must be the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s canines!¡± Qiuqiu eximed from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°The saber-toothed tiger¡¯s a mid-tier beast, and this patch of forest is likely its territory. The snake horde must have smelled the scent of the tiger from the canines and mistaken Zhuo Yifeng for the master of the territory!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yun Ruoyan immediately called out to everyone to get close to Zhuo Yifeng. As expected, the horde of snakes surrounding them avoided the group.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t those snakes biting them and only us?!¡± Yun Ruoyu shouted in frustration as she kept swinging her sword.


    ¡°They must have some sort of snake-repelling artifact,¡± Yi Qianying¡¯s trembling voice piped up.


    ¡°Whatever the reason, we should follow our sister¡¯s example.¡± Hearing Yun Ruoyao¡¯s words, the other three quickly understood what she meant. Two nights ago, when they had faced the saber-toothed tiger, Yun Ruoyan had deliberately brought the tiger to them, so why shouldn¡¯t they do the same to her?


    As one, their group of four quickly approached Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group.


    ¡°Those shameless cowards areing towards us! What should we do?¡± Lin Qingxue gnashed her teeth.


    There was no one in that group that Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t despise, but when she thought about how familiar Pei Ziao was with the territory, she knew that he¡¯d be an asset when it came to finding a way out of the array.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but I think it¡¯s better to save them for now,¡± Yun Ruoyan announced coolly.


    Although the Lin sisters also hated the group and felt particrly strongly about their shameless fleeing two nights ago, they also couldn¡¯t bear to just see them die, and didn¡¯t object.


    Pei Ziao, Yun Ruoyao, and the others quickly joined up with them, and the snake horde continued to encircle them.


    ¡°Oh, how unexpected! We thought that you¡¯d long since left the array.¡± Lin Qingxue didn¡¯t waste any time in needling Yun Ruoyu.


    Yun Ruoyu grit her teeth, still not fully recovered from the shock of the snakes.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re alright!¡± The one who spoke was none other than Yi Qianying. Because of her shock, her pretty face had turned a little pale, and herrge eyes were glistening with tears. As she said these words, Yun Ruoyan could almost believe that they were genuine.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern. Are you disappointed that we aren¡¯t dead?¡± Lin Qingchen made her choke on her words.


    Yi Qianying shut her mouth in an embarrassed manner.


    ¡°Sister, we left two nights ago in order to preserve our family¡¯s strength. Please try to understand.¡± Yun Ruoyao didn¡¯t seem to have a guilty conscience at all.


    When she saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group again, she too was shocked that they were still alive. Actually, she did feel somewhat guilty, because even though Yun Lan wouldn¡¯t have faulted them for their actions, it truly was somewhat shameful to leave family behind and run.


    But Yun Ruoyao¡¯s mental conditioning was excellent, and she rapidly hid her guilty conscience behind cold, logical reasoning.


    Not wanting to talk to her, Yun Ruoyan simply ignored her words. She was looking at the snake horde surrounding them, neither attacking nor moving away, her forehead scrunched up in thought.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave them surrounding us like this. We have to find a way to get rid of them,¡± she couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    Seemingly unaware of the Lin sisters¡¯ disdainful expressions, Pei Ziao walked straight to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side. Like a shadow, Yi Qianying followed closely behind him. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes began to ache just looking at the couple, and she turned her head aside.


    ¡°Actually, we just found the exit to the misdirection array.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Pei Ziao¡¯s statement made Yun Ruoyan turn around. ¡°What did you say? You¡¯ve already found the exit?¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruyoan, don¡¯t listen to him! If he really did find the exit, why haven¡¯t they left yet? Were they waiting to see if we were truly dead?¡±


    Lin Qingxue gave Pei Ziao a supercilious look. He looked handsome enough, but he was just another coward at heart! Their family¡¯s core foundation pill had gone to waste saving a bastard like him.


    ¡°Brother Ziao¡¯s not lying! We really did find the exit,¡± Yi Qianying quickly exined. ¡°We were just about to leave when we identally triggered a trap and incited the snake horde. That¡¯s how we ended up being chased all the way here.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s tone was still deeply suspicious. ¡°It sounds almost like the truth.¡±


    ¡°Forget it! It doesn¡¯t matter if they don¡¯t believe us.¡± Yun Ruoyu finally caught her breath. She had suffered an internal injury against the saber-toothed tiger, and although she had consumed a life quintessence pill, she still hadn¡¯t fully recovered. ¡°To think you¡¯re the ones calling us cowards, when you won¡¯t even believe the truth! It doesn¡¯t seem like you guys are the brave sort either.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for us to lie to you¡ªeveryone wants to get out of here quickly,¡± Yun Ruoyao added.


    Alright, lead the way.¡± After thinking for a moment, Yun Ruoyan made a decision.


    Yun Ruoyu and Yun Ruoyao looked at each other before they stepped forward. Yun Ruoyan looked toward the Lin sisters and Zhuo Yifeng, motioning them forward with her eyes.


    As they moved, the snake horde slithered after them.


    Pei Ziao walked right behind Yun Ruoyan, his eyes drifting toward her from time to time.


    From inspecting her thesest few days, he was surprised to find that Yun Ruoyan had changed: she had be smarter, more athletic, and decisive. These qualities of hers deeply attracted him.


    His gazended on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s straight back, on her dark, glossy hair tied into a ponytail, her white and unblemished neck, and her scarlet bodysuit that entuated her body.


    If one were only to look at her from the back, she looked like a rare specimen of feminine beauty. Her face was truly a pity. Pei Ziao sighed.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Something had tripped Yi Qianying, and Pei Ziao was too distracted by his thoughts to catch her in time. She stumbled forward and hit Yun Ruoyu, who was walking directly in front of her.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you on this expedition if you can¡¯t even walk steadily? Are you trying to kill yourself?¡± Yun Ruoyu pushed her aside with disgust.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ruoyu!¡± Yi Qianying apologized profusely.


    Pei Ziao also frowned. He wasn¡¯t sure why his father had given their family¡¯s rmendation to Yi Qianying. After all, why was such a delicate girl here?


    This sort of ce was far more suited for a strong-willed woman like Yun Ruoyan.


    His thoughts kept drifting to one idea: to marry both the girls, one to apany him in cultivation, and the other to keep in his mansion, to give him the gentlest embrace andpany when he was tired from cultivating.


    As he continued to dream, Pei Ziao¡¯s face revealed a rare lecherous smile.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here.¡± Yun Ruoyu and Yun Ruoyao stopped moving. In front of them was a structure that looked like a mountain cave.


    ¡°If we walk through here, we¡¯ll be able to leave the misdirection array,¡± Pei Ziao pointed to the cave as he spoke. By then, the snake horde had spread out over arger area, and they could feel countless small, beady eyes trained on them.


    ¡°You can enter first,¡± Yun Ruoyan said decisively after ncing at Pei Ziao and Yun Ruoyao.


    ¡°Naturally.¡± Yun Ruoyu stepped into the cave.


    Yun Ruoyao, Yi Qianying, and Pei Ziao followed suit. As he entered the entrance, Pei Ziao turned back and nced at Yun Ruoyan, but thetter simply stared back coolly. Although she felt that his gaze seemed a little strange, she paid it no mind.


    The cave was dim and dark, and even after walking for fifteen minutes, they had yet to see an exit.


    ¡°How much longer need we walk?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, almost!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao and the others began walking even more quickly.


    Yun Ruoyan started to get an uneasy premonition. She was just about to consider turning back when she noticed that the path up ahead was forked. She ran forward, but Yun Ruoyao and the others had suddenly vanished!


    <hr>


    1. Foreshadowing again.

 Chapter 33: We’ve Been Had!

    <h4>Chapter 33: We¡¯ve Been Had!</h4>


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    This cavework was long and winding, and the further inside they went, the darker and dimmer it got.


    She had already been very careful to follow Pei Ziao closely, but she hadn¡¯t expected that a fork would suddenly appear beyond the next bend.


    Despite Pei Ziao¡¯s shadow only having left her field of vision for an instant, by the time she rushed up two steps to catch up, there was already no trace of the group ahead.


    ¡°Ruoyan, why did you stop moving?¡± Lin Qingxue, who was directly behind Yun Ruoyan, asked.


    Yun Ruoyan moved aside in silence, allowing Lin Qingxue to see the fork in the path ahead.


    ¡°Where are they? Which route did they take?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; they¡¯ve ditched us!¡±


    ¡°What?! What a nasty group! We saved them, and they¡¯re leaving us behind just like that? If I ever see them again...¡±


    Because she was anxious to get out of the array, Yun Ruoyan risked trusting Yun Ruoyao¡¯s group. Although she had been very careful the entire way, she had still fallen into their trap in the end.


    ¡°I was the one who underestimated them.¡± Yun Ruoyan slowly clenched her fist. In truth, she had also overestimated herself, thinking that she would be able to deal with any of their tricks.


    Clearly, there wasn¡¯t a perfect defense against people seeking to cause her harm.


    Lin Qingchen and Zhuo Yifeng, who were walking behind the others, were also infuriated upon seeing the sight.


    ¡°Based on their familiarity with this area, it¡¯s clear that they¡¯ve gone through the entire cavework. But what¡¯s the purpose of their ditching us behind here?¡± Lin Qingchen pondered.


    ¡°Surely nothing good!¡± Lin Qingxue was confident in her own analysis. ¡°Let¡¯s turn back now.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t!¡± Zhuo Yifeng disagreed with Lin Qingxue¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Lin¡¯er said that there¡¯s a very strong snake scent behind us, likely from the snake horde that¡¯s still guarding the cave. The saber-toothed tiger¡¯s scent from these canines won¡¯tst forever, and when they react, they¡¯ll be sure to keep attacking us.¡±


    ¡°Not only that,¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er continued from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back, ¡°I can hear them starting to move again. I think they¡¯re starting to rouse once more!¡±


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s words made everyone anxious.


    ¡°In that case, we can only keep moving forward,¡± Lin Qingchen concluded. ¡°There are two paths ahead here, and Yun Ruoyao¡¯s group must have chosen one of them. In that case, we have a 50% chance of being able to walk out safely, but which path should we take?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gazended once more on Yun Ruoyan.


    If there were only one path ahead, then no matter how dangerous it was, they would forge through it. But this was a fork, a branching path, one leading to an exit, and the other to an unknown danger. How were they to choose?


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have any ideas in the heat of the moment.


    ¡°Qiuqiu,¡± she called for help mentally, ¡°Are you able to discern which of these paths leads to safety, and which to danger?¡±


    ¡°Mistress, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have any clue. Regardless, you have to choose quickly, because those snakes are approaching.¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s tone was somewhat embarrassed.


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er made the same warning.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you should choose. We¡¯ll all follow you willingly,¡± Lin Qingchen said calmly. ¡°If we can get out safely, then that¡¯s ideal, but if we end up on the wrong path, then I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to ovee it working together as a group.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sister Ruoyan! If you were even able to defeat as tough an opponent as a saber-toothed tiger, I don¡¯t have anything to fear if I¡¯m with you,¡± added Lin Qingxue.


    Yun Ruoyan turned back to herpanions, three bright eyes in the darkness. No, four pairs¡ªZhuo Lin¡¯er peeked her head out from behind Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s shoulders, quietly looking at Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan opened her tightly clenched fists, a smile by her lips. In her past life, she had ended up estranged from those who truly loved her, entrusting her heart to a man worse than a beast, dying in despair.


    This time, when she once again faced danger, she had friends and family who trusted her.


    Her agitated heart suddenly calmed down, and she felt as though she had entered a state of transcendent rity. She could hear the slow, rhythmic beat of water dripping from above, a faint gust of wind, and an ominous rustling from behind.


    She turned her head and pointed to the path on the left. ¡°We¡¯ll take this one.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Everyone said in unison from behind her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to any of you,¡± Yun Ruoyan promised once again as she turned back and looked at her party.


    At the same time, Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, Yi Qianying, and Pei Ziao walked out of the cave.


    ¡°Look, there are people over there.¡± Yun Ruoyao pointed at a nearby stream, where people were starting a campfire and cooking. Night had once again fallen while they were walking through the cave.


    ¡°It¡¯s Liu Sheng and Wang Kuang!¡± Pei Ziao¡¯s expression brightened. ¡°I recognize them; they¡¯re disciples from the Yue kingdom who sought my father out to have a de forged half a month ago. It looks like we¡¯re out of the array, everyone.¡±


    Pei Ziao nced back at the cave, aplicated expression on his face. Before entering the real, to ensure his safety, Pei Yingxiong had specifically told him how to find the exit to a misdirection array.


    He¡¯d never revealed it because he wanted to find an opportunity to get closer to Yun Ruoyan, but that woman had been too distrustful.


    No matter how he tried to help her, she continued ignoring him.


    As a result, while they were being attacked by the saber-toothed tiger, he hesitated only a little before running away with Yun Ruoyao and the rest, and they found the exit quite shortly afterwards.


    Halfway through the caves, however, it suddenly urred to him that if Yun Ruoyan and the others hadn¡¯t died, they would surely reveal the details of the incident to everyone as soon as they left the imperial territory.


    To run away while discarding your teammates wasn¡¯t honorable, and even if he wouldn¡¯t be punished by his family for doing so, it would be a stain on his reputation for good. He would never be able to hold his head high to others of his generation.


    Coincidentally, Yun Ruoyao had thought of the same thing. After a short discussion, the group decided to head back and confirm their demise: if they were dead, that was for the best; if not, then they would find a way to get rid of them.


    There was a secret to the exit that not many people knew about, so even if they found the exit, they might not be able to get out. This was the key to his scheme.


    He had originally hesitated a little, but when he revealed his n to test the waters, he actually received unanimous approval from the rest of the group.


    If you¡¯d just given me a little hope, this wouldn¡¯t have been your demise, Pei Ziao sighed in his heart.


    Seeing his expression, Yi Qianying thought he was worrying about Yun Ruoyao¡¯s group.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Ziao.¡± Yi Qianying clutched Pei Ziao¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°They won¡¯t have a chance to hurt your reputation.¡±


    Pei Ziao looked at the seemingly gentle Yi Qianying in front of him and nodded coolly, but his hand silently crept toward her waist.


    ¡°But they still have a 50% chance of walking out, don¡¯t they?¡± Yun Ruoyu added.


    Yi Qianying smiled coldly, a vicious spark appearing in her eye. Even if they chose the right path, the snakes hidden in the cave wouldn¡¯t let them go.


    It turned out that Yi Qianying had atent talent for beast taming, which was partly why the Yuns had paid so much attention to her even though she was from a branch family.


    However, she was particrlyzy and slow-witted when it came to cultivation, and she¡¯d been stuck as a fourth-rank demaster for two whole years. This was why she was unable to start training as a summoner.


    Nevertheless, based on her talent and intuition, she could already concoct powders that would attract all sorts of magical beasts. The reason the saber-toothed tiger only attacked Yun Ruoyan was because she had spread this sort of powder on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body.


    She recalled her pretending to stumble as she sprinkled the powder on Lin Qingxue¡¯s body, followed by the expression of disgust that Lin Qingxue shot her. The memory left Yi Qianying with unparalleled joy. Don¡¯t me me for being heartless. You¡¯re the one who tried to steal my Brother Ziao away from me despite being so ugly, so you have to die!


    By this time, Yun Ruoyan and the others had gone deeper and deeper into the cavework, but they were still far from the exit.


    At the start, there was still some sunlight in the cave, but it got darker as they proceeded onward until it was pitch-ck.


    Lin Qingchen took out the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s monster core from her bag of holding and handed it to Yun Ruoyan. The golden-yellow core gave off a faint white light, barely illuminating the path ahead.


    The others all held firehound cores in their hands. The light emanating from those cores were weaker than the tiger core, but it was better than nothing.


    ¡°How long more do we have to walk? I hope it¡¯s not a bottomless cave,¡± Lin Qingxue muttered, unable to help shivering.


    ¡°Brother...¡± A quieter voice piped up from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Lin¡¯er?¡± Zhuo Yifeng turned around and looked at his sister.


    She shook her head, not saying anything, and Zhuo Yifeng began plodding onward once more.


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s forehead was slightly scrunched up. She could smell a faint snake scent, but one so faint that it seemed to vanish whenever she tried to discern it more carefully.


    There shouldn¡¯t have been anything wrong with her nose, so what was the problem?


    While Zhuo Lin¡¯er was still mired in her doubts, Lin Qingxue suddenly felt a slippery patch beneath her feet.


    ¡°Ah!¡± She called out as she stumbled. ¡°I think I stepped on something?¡±


    Everyone stopped as Yun Ruoyan brought her core closer to her feet. All they saw was a little green snake, only as wide as a finger, its head squashed by Lin Qingxue¡¯s soles.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a little snake! I was so frightened!¡± Lin Qingxue patted her chest in relief.


    No one paid much heed to this small interlude, but, after a few more steps, Lin Qingxue shouted once more. As she did so, she flung an object toward the person in front of her, Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately pulled out her sword and sliced the little snake in the air into two.


    ¡°Why do these creatures keeping after me?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan also found it a little strange, so she used the core in her hands to illuminate the surroundings. All of a sudden, she found that the walls seemed to be embedded with many curiously shaped stones.


    As she walked closer to inspect them more carefully, the hairs on her neck rose up.


    Those round ¡°pebbles¡± stacked all around the cave walls were clearly snake eggs.


    ¡°Everyone, be careful!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, and along with her shout came the ominous crackling of eggshells reverberating throughout the entire cave.

 Chapter 34: Bumbling About

    <h4>Chapter 34: Bumbling About</h4>


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s happened?¡± The others were all surprised by the sudden noise.


    ¡°Th, this ce is a snakeir,¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er stuttered as she spoke.


    ¡°Mistress, quickly, run!¡± At the same time, Qiuqiu¡¯s voice rang out in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Everyone, we have to run! The walls are embedded with snake eggs, so make sure you don¡¯t touch them.¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly called out to everyone before she began running.


    But it was already toote. A swarm of snakes poked their heads out of the eggs embedded on the walls, and a rain of snakes began to fall from the ceiling.


    Those snakes that had just emerged from their eggs were covered with a sticky fluid all over their body, and, as they fell like raindrops, a foul smell instantly smothered the cave.


    Yun Ruoyan and the others ran as though their lives depended on it. However, as if directed by some unknown entity, those little snakes all slithered along the walls in front of the group, forming a thick wall of snakes.


    Seeing that the way forward had been blocked, the party could only run back towards the fork, but they found that the way back had also been blocked by the snakes.


    The only path left was the right one. Without any hesitation, everyone ran in that direction.


    This route didn¡¯t seem to contain a single snake egg and was a little wider than the other one, but the swarm of snakes chasing them was like a flood just about to swallow them whole.


    They didn¡¯t know how long they¡¯d run, but it was to the point that Yun Ruoyan felt as though her entire body were cramping up.


    After all, two days ago, she had just fought the saber-toothed tiger, and she still wasn¡¯t fully recovered.


    Finally, ahead of them was the faint glow of moonlight.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, almost!¡± Lin Qingxue was in the lead, and she gathered thest of her gging energy as she fervently ran towards the moon.


    Because Yi Qianying had sprinkled some snake-attracting powder on her body, those snakes were particrly interested in her, and some would even ignore the rest of the party in favor of pouncing on Lin Qingxue instead. This repulsion was what gave her the energy to sprint to the front and remain there.


    As soon as she¡¯d left the cave behind, she copsed onto the ground, feeling weak all over. She kept on mumbling, ¡°I can¡¯t run anymore, not anymore, not even if the snakes start biting me...¡±


    Although this was what she imed, when she felt something touch her shoulder, her whole body sprang up, and she made as if to keep running.


    ¡°Stop, we¡¯re safe!¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice came from behind her.


    Only then did she dare turn back. The cave from which they¡¯d all emerged was filled with snakes.


    Under the moonlight, they twined and curled around each other. The indistinct chatter from the contact between their tiny scales was magnified by the sheer number of bodies present until the noise was scalp-numbing.


    The strange thing was that these snakes couldn¡¯t seem to get out of the cave, as if they were somehow restricted from moving.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t these snakes chasing us further?¡± Lin Qingchen sat on the floor panting, barely able to catch her breath.


    ¡°Who cares? All I know is that we¡¯re safe!¡±


    ¡°Are you both alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned toward the beastkin siblings.


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er had already gotten off Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back and was standing on the ground. Unlike the others, he wasn¡¯t panting hard, but his face didn¡¯t look too good.


    ¡°No.¡± Zhuo Yifeng shook his head. ¡°I dropped one of the tiger¡¯s canines behind!¡± His expression couldn¡¯t help but look pained.


    During the run, in order to protect his sister, although he could feel one of the canines falling from his body, he didn¡¯t have the time or luxury to pick it up.


    A treasure from a mid-tier beast, enough to make at least twenty mid-grade arrows! How could he not be upset?


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, don¡¯t think too hard about it. Under those circumstances, your life¡¯s far more important!¡± Lin Qingxue consoled.


    ¡°Brother, we¡¯re sure to find more treasures in the future, but we only have one life.¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er peered at Lin Qingxue before saying lightly. The two girls, who seemed to enjoy opposing each other, could finally agree on something.


    ¡°Have we left the misdirection array, then?¡± Lin Qingchen asked as she inspected her surroundings.


    They were in a valley-like area. Under the moonlight, they could hear the chirping of birds and insects. A cool wind brushed against their faces, making them feel rxed after their tiring ordeal.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care where we are, but I want to have a good night¡¯s rest,¡± Lin Qingxue muttered, and her thoughts reflected everyone else¡¯s.


    The group found a good ce to set up camp for the night. Because it was the start of summer, the nights weren¡¯t too cold, but they started a fire just as a precaution.


    Zhuo Yifeng, who had the best physique, would take the first watch, and the others quickly slipped into their dreams. The night was uneventful, and the others awoke to bright sunlight.


    Yun Ruoyan woke up upon smelling a concentrated aroma, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Zhuo Yifeng busying himself in front of the fire.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep at allst night?¡± Yun Ruoyan walked to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s side, somewhat embarrassed. After all,st night, they¡¯d agreed that Zhuo Yifeng would take first watch, and Yun Ruoyan the second, but Yun Ruoyan was so tired that she couldn¡¯t force herself to wake up.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me up?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng was busily preparing a roast, and he said without turning around, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I can miss sleep for a few days and still be perfectly fine.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked at his serious face in profile. To her surprise, not only were his eyes particrly bright, his eyshes were unusually long. They curled slightly upwards, and the dawn gave his face a surprising gracefulness.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡± Zhuo Yifeng removed a skewer from the fire. As he turned his head, he locked eyes with Yun Ruoyan, and he couldn¡¯t help but stiffen.


    Yun Ruoyan was looking at Zhuo Yifeng from the side, and this angle perfectly hid the birthmark on her right cheek. Her skin was pale, especially in contrast to her red garment.


    At that moment, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s three-quarters view of Yun Ruoyan seemed to have transformed into a different person entirely, a beautiful, pure, and unsullied maiden.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t think much of Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s momentary stupefaction. She smiled and took the skewer from his hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? A chicken or arge bird?¡± She asked, smiling.


    ¡°It¡¯s so fragrant!¡± Lin Qingxue spoke up from behind them, and the two both turned around. They had been so wrapped up with each other that they hadn¡¯t noticed Lin Qingxue waking up and emerging from behind.


    ¡°Good morning, Sister Ruoyan, Brother Zhuo!¡± Lin Qingxue gave the two of them a resplendent smile.


    ¡°Good morning! Here.¡± Yun Ruoyan handed the skewer in her hand to Lin Qingxue. Her face was bright and sunny, but her heart went cold. How had her alertness dropped so much in thest few days?


    After her rebirth, Yun Ruoyan had been a little bird, frightened by any sudden gesture and distrustful of everyone.


    For a while, she slept so lightly that she would wake at the slightest disturbance, and whenever she ate, she had to secretly test her food with a silver needle beforehand.


    But ever since she had entered the imperial territory, her wariness had steadily dropped.


    ¡°Here, there¡¯s more.¡± Zhuo Yifeng handed her another skewer. Yun Ruoyan absentmindedly chewed on the meat as she ate.


    Back then, she was alone and helpless, but now, she had trustworthy friends and family by her side. This was why she had unconsciously let down her guard.


    But wasn¡¯t this a sort of dependency? Once she got used to something like this, what would she do if she became alone and helpless once more?!


    ¡°Ah, Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯ve eaten a share meant for two! Qingchen¡¯s going to have to go hungry now,¡± Lin Qingxue suddenly eximed.


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan break out of her stupor. Therge roasted chicken that she¡¯d been consuming was now nothing more than bones; she¡¯d eaten the whole bird by herself.


    ¡°I got full just eating half the bird; Sister Ruoyan, how can you eat so much while remaining so thin?!¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s face was filled with shock. ¡°How can your figure look so good like this?!¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± As soon as Yun Ruoyan opened her mouth, she let out a big burp.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Lin Qingxue immediately began tough out loud. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re too cute, hahaha...¡±


    As if responding to Lin Qingxue¡¯sugh, Yun Ruoyan burped again.


    Lin Qingxue was so ovee byughter that she couldn¡¯t stand up straight.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know why she kept on burping, her face turning from white to red and white again.


    My goodness! Was her cold, aloof image that she¡¯d worked hard to develop ever since her rebirth about to break down just like that? No, she had to rein it in! Burp!


    Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯tugh in as obvious a manner. His face looked as paralyzed as ever, but his unusually limpid eyes were clearly full of mirth.


    The whole day, Lin Qingxue never stopped talking. Once Lin Qingchen woke up, Lin Qingxue masterfully recreated the entire scene alone, and then, when everyone sat down together for lunch, she did it again. Even Zhuo Lin¡¯er was brought to tears from her antics.


    ¡°I thought that I was the only glutton in our group, but it turns out that Sister Ruoyan¡¯s even more of a glutton than I am! She¡¯s been burping the whole day!¡± Lin Qingxue once again began to imitate her behavior.


    Considering her cousin¡¯s innocence and naivete, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t bear to get angry, so she could only lower her head and pretend that nothing had happened.


    It looked as though she would have to find a way to rein in her cousin, or the cold and aloof image that she¡¯d built for herself ever since her rebirth would fall to pieces once again.


    Luckily, her burping had ceased by the evening, or even she would have been unable to stand herself.


    They¡¯d discovered a path as they explored the mountain valley, the only path that they¡¯d found so far. The group had already followed this path through the valley for an entire day, and while they didn¡¯t encounter any powerful beasts, they did find quite a number of rare and valuable herbs: a variant on mugwort and rapeseed, vital mid-grade ingredients for concocting an ointment for external wounds; sage¡¯s grass and earthbane shrooms, high-grade ingredients for treating internal injuries; and far more low- and mid-grade herbs than they could name. They barely took a few steps before finding more herbs, a small patch of which would have gone for hundreds of taels of gold in the capital.


    Everyone was overjoyed from picking herbs, and Yun Ruoyan stuffed quite a few into her bracelet while no one was looking.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan,¡± Lin Qingchen walked up to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Why are there so many herbs here?¡±


    ¡°Do you have some insight?¡± Yun Ruoyan got at the heart of Lin Qingchen¡¯s question.


    ¡°Generally, spiritual herbs tend to grow in areas with high spiritual energy. Do you think we could be in the center of the imperial territory?¡± Lin Qingchen revealed her own hypothesis. Having studied under Lin Zainan for quite some time, she was quite learned in some regards.


    Actually, Yun Ruoyan had been curious about the same thing. Could they have somehow meandered into the center of the imperial territory?


    The imperial territory was shaped like a disc. The outermost regions had the lowest spiritual density, the lowest-tier beasts, and lowest-grade herbs. As they went closer to the center, the spiritual energy greatly increased in density, as did the number and quality of herbs and beasts.


    Given their current situation, they must have wandered into the center of the territory.


    ¡°But why are there only herbs, not beasts?¡± Lin Qingchen wondered.


    ¡°Mistress, something¡¯s ahead!¡±


    ¡°Brother, brother!¡±


    Qiuqiu and Zhuo Lin¡¯er cried out warnings simultaneously. There were beasts ahead!

 Chapter 35: Beast Stampede

    <h4>Chapter 35: Beast Stampede</h4>


    In fact, Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen¡¯s guesses were correct. In addition to having left the misdirection array, they had somehow managed to get to the center of the imperial territory, the thousand-herb valley.


    Having been warned of magical beasts ahead, Yun Ruoyan quickly corralled everyone backwards in an attempt to avoid the beasts to their front. But before they were able to exit the valley, Zhuo Lin¡¯er and Qiuqiu began to send out warnings again.


    There were beasts to their back as well!


    ¡°Can you sense what rank these beasts are? Are we able to handle them at all?¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly asked Qiuqiu.


    After having fought with such beasts a few times by now, Yun Ruoyan was rather confident in her team¡¯s skills and abilities. As long as the beasts weren¡¯t as strong as the saber-toothed tiger, she believed that they still had a fighting chance.


    But before Qiuqiu could respond, Zhuo Lin¡¯er became so scared that she started to cry. ¡°Brother, run, quickly! There are so many beasts!¡±


    ¡°Is it a herd?¡± Zhuo Yifeng turned towards his sister, and her small, pale face nodded.


    By this time, they could even hear what sounded like a stampede from front and back, growing noticeably louder with time. Along with the noise were dust clouds floating up from a distance.


    The early days of summer were highly suited for growth. The valley was full of lush greenery, the ground neither arid nor dry. Unless there was a particrlyrge disturbance, there wouldn¡¯t have been any visible dust at all.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party, having escaped a two-pronged attack in the snake cave, was once again besieged by beasts in all directions.


    It would have been a lie to say that they didn¡¯t panic. Even the naturally calm Lin Qingchen and inexpressive Zhuo Yifeng showed signs of anxiety once more, let alone Zhuo Lin¡¯er and Lin Qingxue.


    ¡°What should we do?!¡± Lin Qingxue had already unsheathed her sword, her eyes looking at the dust clouds ahead, and then at the disturbance behind her. ¡°Quick, think of a n! I don¡¯t want to be bitten to death by snakes, nor trodden to death by a beast stampede!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan appeared to be much more calm than the other members of her group. After all, this was her second chance at life, and she was older and more experienced than these youths. Furthermore, the pain, hopelessness, and death that she had faced had strengthened and tempered her will.


    Perhaps even Yun Ruoyan herself was unaware of these qualities, but whenever she was in a pinch, she always seemed to be able to face it in a clear-headed manner.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes scanned her surroundings.


    The little path along the valley wasn¡¯t muchrger than a street in the capital, and it would berge enough for about two carriages at once. From this, she could deduce that there could be about four or five mid-sized beasts running through at the same time, whereas there could only be one or two if the beasts were asrge as the saber-toothed tiger from earlier.


    This further meant that the beasts approaching from ahead and behind would inevitably end up in a sh, neither side willing to give way to the other.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gazended on the mountainous terrain surrounding the valley. The mountains were impressivelyrge, and if they wanted to scale the sides of the valley, it would be almost a vertical climb. Dotting the sides of the valley were some strange rugged rocks, as well as wild nts of unknown origin.


    ¡°Climb!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, and she nimbly jumped up and found footholds in the rocky terrain. The sound of the stampede was growing louder and louder, and the others quickly followed suit without a second word.


    By the time they were about twenty meters up, it sounded as if lightning had just struck the valley.


    All sorts of crashing noises resounded, and arge cloud of dust rose up to obscure it all, almost swallowing up Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group whole.


    Yun Ruoyan was stepping on a protruding rock, her two hands sped around a crooked tree. She twisted her upper body so she could observe the scene below, seeing thousands upon thousands of magical beasts¡¯ horns and hides.


    Because there were so many of them, and because the valley path was so narrow, there would frequently be beasts trampling over each other or crying out as their horns got tangled with others.


    The entire party was shocked by the scene below them: ever since their birth, they had remained in the capital. When had they ever seen so many beasts together at once?


    The density of beasts outside of such realms was quite limited, after all, at least in the Li kingdom.


    Even disciples from therger families, while undergoing training to fight against magical beasts, would only get a chance to do so in their families¡¯ schoolyard against young or injured beasts that had been captured. And there weren¡¯t even many chances to do so: after all, there weren¡¯t that many beasts to be had, and capturing them alive was even harder.


    ¡°Qiu, qiu!¡± Qiuqiu let out an excited hum in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. ¡°Mistress, these are all herbivorous beasts, and if we encounter them while they¡¯re not stampeding, as long as we don¡¯t provoke them, they¡¯re actually quite harmless.¡±


    ¡°Look, that¡¯s a long-horned goat, and that¡¯s a me-touched steed.¡± As Qiuqiu described the beasts, Yun Ruoyan could indeed see that there were some beasts that looked like goats, but on a significantlyrger scale.


    As for me-touched steeds, those were the beasts leading the stampede. They looked no different from ordinary horses except for their fiery-red manes, and when a herd of them gathered, it looked like bunches of kindling set ame.


    The Chenyuan continent had a record of magical beasts kept by all four of the kingdoms, recording tens of thousands of magical beasts of all natures. There were ones as small as the bunny whose core Yun Ruoyan had found, and ones sorge and rare that Yun Ruoyan and the others had never encountered them.


    But this record of magical beasts was kept as a treasure in one of the buildings in Kongming Academy. Most people would never see the genuine record, but only the few iplete fragments floating around the market, scattered and copied by hand.


    Suddenly, an ear-splitting cacophony rang out from below. The two groups of beasts had finally shed, and those at the forefront were howling and groaning after the initial encounter.


    Yun Ruoyan and the others couldn¡¯t clearly see what was going on due to the dust that had appeared once again. Based on the cries andmotion alone, however, they could guess just how frightening the situation must be on the inside.


    ¡°My goodness!¡± Lin Qingchen nced down at the beasts below her, still running forward heedless of themotion. ¡°If this keeps up, who knows how many beasts are going to die? If we loot all those carcasses, we¡¯ll be rich!¡±


    ¡°Quick, look!¡± Lin Qingchen pointed at a dust plume ahead. ¡°That plume¡¯s moving towards us!¡±


    It was indeed moving, quite slowly, towards Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group.


    ¡°It looks like the beasts closer to us aren¡¯t a match for those further away. Quick, we¡¯d better climb up higher!¡± Yun Ruoyan continued her climb.


    ¡°My arms are so sore!¡± Lin Qingxue nced at the near-vertical climb and grumbled.


    Unlike most other families of their status, the Lins hadn¡¯t set up a private schoolyard because of how few descendants there were, and Lin Zainan hadn¡¯t arranged for private tutors for the two sisters. Instead, he taught them himself. He was stricter toward Lin Qingchen; faced with Lin Qingxue¡¯s naivete and her surprisingly adept cultivation, he had subconsciously gone easier on her.


    So although the two sisters had simr levels of cultivation and skill in terms of martial arts, Lin Qingxue was somewhat less athletic than her sister. She had only been climbing for a little while, but Lin Qingxue¡¯s arms were sore and her legs trembling.


    The group climbed up another few tens of meters, and within this time, the leading beast herd had pushed its way forward until the sh was directly under their feet.


    The cries, moans, and howls of thousands of beasts were about to burst their eardrums, and some smaller-sized beasts were even flung uppletely into the air by the collision, their bodies making an almostical half-revolution before they smashed back down onto the ground once more.


    This stampede would likely be seared into their minds for good.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly saw a pig-sized beast about to fly into Zhuo Yifeng.


    Zhuo Yifeng was nimble and the most athletic out of everyone in the group, so dodging wouldn¡¯t have been too hard. The problem was Zhuo Lin¡¯er, who was clinging onto his back like a ko. She was already at the limits of her strength, and if Zhuo Yifeng were to make too sudden or toorge a movement, it was likely that she would fall.


    Although Yun Ruoyan saw what was happening, she was too far away to help. But in the instant right before the collision, Zhuo Yifeng moved.


    He twisted his body so that his sister was sandwiched between his back and the face of the cliff. With one hand, he grabbed onto the trunk of a small tree growing on the cliff, and with the other, a crevice in the rock. He lifted his right foot and urately kicked at the beast¡¯s head with a loud thud.


    The beast, which was already half-dead from the sh that had sent its body up in the first ce, died before it could fullynd on the ground once more. Fortunately or otherwise, it avoided much of the pain associated with being trampled.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, that was amazing!¡± Lin Qingxue couldn¡¯t help but praise his athleticism. Were it not for the fact that her two hands were both clinging desperately onto the side of the cliff, she would surely have pped loudly.


    But just as the others were feeling relieved for the beastkin siblings, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s foot began to slip.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Apanied by a few shouts, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s foot swung through the air as he desperately scrabbled for purchase. He quickly adjusted his posture in order to find new footholds, but his other leg slipped as well!


    For a precarious moment, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s entire body hung in midair, supported solely by his powerful arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! We¡¯reing to rescue you!¡± Even the calm Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help getting nervous.


    Lin Qingxue was so scared that she was almost on the verge of tears. If the two of them were to fall down now, their bodies would be obliterated by the beasts below.


    Although the Lin siblings were closer to Zhuo Yifeng, they were both struggling just to keep themselves clinging onto the cliff, let alone someone asrge as Zhuo Yifeng. Yun Ruoyan was the only one who could be of assistance.


    Yun Ruoyan began her agonizingly slow movement towards Zhuo Yifeng.


    Zhuo Yifeng also knew that the safest thing to do now would be to remain still and wait for Yun Ruoyan to save them, but Zhuo Lin¡¯er simply couldn¡¯t hold on any longer.


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er had slender arms and legs, in stark contrast with her brother¡¯s powerful limbs. Her small body slowly slid down from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back, unable to support her body weight any longer.


    ¡°Brother...¡± She looked down at the beast stampede below in despair, then nced at Zhuo Yifeng once more. ¡°Brother, I can¡¯t hang on.¡±


    She released her grip, and her body began to fall.


    ¡°Lin¡¯er!¡± Zhuo Yifeng shouted immediately, releasing his left hand, tilting his body, and catching her in the nick of time.


    But now, all that was keeping the two of them from falling was his right hand, desperately gripping onto the slender tree trunk on top of them, which was showing signs of curving under the burden.


    The two siblings were like a leaf desperately clinging onto its branch at the end of autumn, precariously bobbing to and fro as dust swirled around them.

 Chapter 36: Our Lives are Yours

    <h4>Chapter 36: Our Lives are Yours</h4>


    The beastkin siblings hung suspended in mid-air, not ten meters from the stampede just below. A beast could be knocked up into the air at any moment, and then they would lose their grip and fall.


    ¡°Brother, let go! Otherwise, we¡¯ll both die.¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er looked up desperately at her brother.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you, Lin¡¯er!¡± Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s forehead was creased, but he forced a smile as he looked at her. ¡°Lin¡¯er, don¡¯t be scared! I¡¯ve promised Mother I¡¯ll take care of you for life!¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhuo!¡± Lin Qingxue had already begun to cry. ¡°Don¡¯t move, don¡¯t you dare move! I¡¯ming to save you!¡± Ignoring her own limits, she tried to move towards Zhuo Yifeng.


    But she had almost no strength to begin with, and in her haste, she almost fell from the cliff herself.


    ¡°Qingxue, don¡¯t try to move! Take care of yourself first.¡± Lin Qingchen anxiously called out from beside her.


    Although Lin Qingchen was very worried about the beastkin siblings, she was much more logical than Lin Qingxue, and she knew that keeping herself steady and not causing even more trouble was all she could do.


    ¡°But Zhuo Yifeng and Zhuo Lin¡¯er...¡± Lin Qingxue looked at her sister, tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, any of you! I¡¯ming!¡± Yun Ruoyan had already climbed to a spot below Zhuo Yifeng, extending a hand out toward Zhuo Lin¡¯er. As long as Zhuo Lin¡¯er was safe, Zhuo Yifeng would be able to save himself easily.


    But at this moment, another incident happened. The small tree that Zhuo Yifeng was clinging onto had reached its limit, and was uprooted and wholly detached from the cliff under the beastkin siblings¡¯bined weight.


    That little tree was Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s only support, and once it fell, Zhuo Yifeng made a muted grunt as he began falling with Zhuo Lin¡¯er.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Everyone let out a sound of panicked horror at once, and Lin Qingxue was so scared that she even closed her eyes.


    In that moment, it felt as if the whole world had stopped. It was a good while before she dared to open them once more, tears falling from her eyes like a flooding river.


    ¡°Sister, Brother Zhuo...¡± She looked at Lin Qingchen by her side, her mouth trembling as though she were about to begin crying in earnest.


    ¡°Stop crying!¡± Lin Qingchen actually smiled upon looking at her face.


    ¡°Sister, wh¡ª¡±


    ¡°Quick, look below you.¡± Lin Qingchen motioned in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s direction. ¡°Isn¡¯t your Brother Zhuo doing just fine?¡±


    Lin Qingxue hurriedly looked below her, seeing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s left hand clutching a sword which had been embedded into the cliffside.


    With her right hand, she was holding onto a jet-ck spear, from which Zhuo Yifeng hung. Zhuo Lin¡¯er was safely in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s embrace.


    Just as the tree became uprooted, Yun Ruoyan had activated her bracelet¡¯s power, plucking out her sword and stabbing it into the cliffside.


    At the same time, she called out the spear in her bracelet and quickly used its enchantment to extend it to twice its original length. ¡°Grab the spear!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng reacted almost preternaturally quickly, one arm grabbing Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s waist, and his other hand, the other end of the spear.


    Yun Ruoyan would normally have been unable to carry out this series of actions so smoothly, but in an adrenaline-fuelled moment and enhanced by the power of the bracelet, she had somehow managed it all.


    The bracelet¡¯s power coursed through Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body, and she gathered it into her right shoulder.


    ¡°Hold on tightly, I¡¯m going to pull you up!¡±


    And then, amazingly, under everyone else¡¯s jaw-popping stares, she slowly but steadily raised her right arm and pulled the beastkin siblings to safety.


    Yun Ruoyan, who looked like a rather thin thirteen-year-old girl, had actually managed to lift such a weight with one hand alone, a feat that left the others gobsmacked.


    Zhuo Yifeng himself was amazed, let alone the Lin sisters.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re amazing! You¡¯re almost there!¡± Lin Qingxue cheered.


    Meanwhile, Lin Qingchen muttered to herself, ¡°How did Sister Ruoyan manage all that?!¡±


    ¡°Just like when she slew the saber-toothed tiger, of course! Sister Ruoyan¡¯s talent must be blossoming again!¡± Although Lin Qingchen felt equally nonplussed, this seemed like the only feasible exnation. She wasn¡¯t the type to care too much about specifics, and quickly threw her doubt aside.


    Only when Zhuo Yifeng had found a new foothold did she finally loosen her grip, and the two siblings looked at Yun Ruoyan with a grateful smile.


    Yun Ruoyan thought that she would have to find another excuse for her sudden strength, but no one pressed her for the moment.


    She rxed and thought that this was probably what it meant to have her teammates¡¯ trust: that although some things might be difficult to exin, they¡¯d choose to trust and believe her.


    After a life filled with deceit and scheming, being able to trust someone so wholeheartedly was probably something she would never be able to do. However, she also wouldn¡¯t let down anyone willing to trust her so deeply.


    ¡°Thank you for saving us.¡± Zhuo Yifeng looked at Yun Ruoyan, his expression suddenly serious.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled back before murmuring the enchantment to shrink Pei Ziao¡¯s spear into the size of a flute, which she stuck by her waist.


    ¡°We beastkin have a mandate, that if someone were to risk their life to save us in our time of need, then our lives will belong to that person!¡± Zhuo Yifeng suddenly eximed.


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan turn back to look at Zhuo Yifeng once more, saying equally seriously, ¡°It¡¯s nothing so serious. You¡¯ve saved all of us too, and now we¡¯re even!¡±


    ¡°No, it is. This was a vow we took under the Beast King, to obey our savior like our master.¡± Although Zhuo Yifeng was insistent, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t take his words to heart. After all, even if this was a code the beastkin followed, Zhuo Yifeng could hardly do anything if she refused his service.


    Seeing that Yun Ruoyan refused to respond to his words, Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t say anything more, but he began to frown stubbornly.


    The stampedested till the evening before the dust and noise finally petered out. Gazing at the corpses lying everywhere below them, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party sighed in relief. It was finally over; their hands and legs were so sore and numb that they didn¡¯t feel like their limbs anymore.


    As night fell and thest remaining beasts dissipated, the group finally climbed down the cliff and inspected the beast corpses strewn all over the ground.


    ¡°We¡¯re really going to be rich now! With all these beast cores, I¡¯d be satisfied even if I¡¯m unable to get into Kongming Academy!¡± Lin Qingxue was grinning so hard she couldn¡¯t close her mouth. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Grandfather give us hisrger bag of holding? With so many magical beasts, we can¡¯t even take all their cores! What a waste!¡±


    As the others looked at how many treasures awaited them, they all felt a joy permeating their hearts, instantly feeling that the struggle and scare on the cliffside was all worth it.


    Because they had stayed on the cliff the entire afternoon, they really didn¡¯t have the strength to clean and dissect the beast carcasses immediately, so they headed to where they¡¯d restedst night once again.


    The night passed without anymotion. Once again, Zhuo Yifeng insisted on taking the night shift alone, and Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t able to ovee his stubbornness. Furthermore, because she had exerted the bracelet¡¯s strength during the day, she did feel tired and fatigued. Rather than insist further, she shut her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.


    Next day, by the time she woke up, she found Zhuo Yifeng curled up against a rock. Even his seemingly infallible physique couldn¡¯t stand such abuse, especially considering he both had to take care of Zhuo Lin¡¯er and prepare food for everyone.


    Yun Ruoyan felt like it wouldn¡¯t have been too bad to have such a capable youth working with her.


    But then her gaze turned toward Zhuo Lin¡¯er, sleeping by Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s leg, and she shook her head.


    It wasn¡¯t as if she disliked Zhuo Lin¡¯er; on the contrary, the weak little girl was intelligent and thoughtful. However, her road was destined to be filled with trials and tribtions, and this was an atmosphere wholly unsuited for the small girl.


    ¡°Wake up, everyone!¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up and called out. In the blink of an eye, it was already the fifth day since they had entered the imperial realm. They had five more days to get to the realm¡¯s exit; their journey so far had been quite rough, and it wouldn¡¯t be amiss to expect the same going back, so they needed to make the most of their time.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Zhuo Yifeng suddenly sprang up from his rock. ¡°I fell asleep!¡±


    Amidst his calls, the others quickly woke up in session.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been a few days since you had a good night¡¯s rest, so it¡¯s perfectly normal for you to have fallen asleep,¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled as shemented, her tone without a hint of me.


    Regardless, Zhuo Yifeng was still very embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare a meal.¡± As he said so, he quickly ran up the valley path: there were countless corpses all over, after all, and he wouldn¡¯t have to spend any effort hunting.


    Although it was summer, the realm was full of spiritual energy, and the beast carcasses themselves were likewise. This allowed their corpses to be preserved freshly longer than otherwise would be possible.


    By their campsite was a little stream, and while Zhuo Yifeng was away, the girls took the opportunity to wash themselves and freshen up. Halfway through, however, they heard Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s frantic shouts.


    What could have made such a calm and collected person so worried?


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Ruoyan was the first to walk up to Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Quick,e with me to the valley!¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng was both worried and mystified. His brows came together as he frowned and said, ¡°Half the carcasses vanished overnight!¡±

 Chapter 37: On What Grounds?

    <h4>Chapter 37: On What Grounds?</h4>


    ¡°Half of the beast carcasses missing?¡± The crowd was shocked upon hearing Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s exmation.


    ¡°How could it be? Where would they have vanished to?¡± Lin Qingxue opened her eyes wide as she looked at Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to see it for yourself if you follow me.¡± Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t try to exin the situation, because he didn¡¯t know how.


    As the others traipsed into the valley clearing, they saw that the path, filled with carcassesst night, was now left with no more than one-third that number!


    ¡°Quick, look!¡± Lin Qingchen knelt down and inspected a certain carcass. ¡°There are bite marks over here.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan recognized the beast as a long-horned goat, which she¡¯d seen in a list of records. It was a mid-tier beast whose regr diet was all sorts of spiritual herbs. Lin Qingchen pointed at a wound on its leg and said, ¡°These bite marks clearly weren¡¯t a result of trampling. Some carnivorous beast must have been here!¡±


    Upon closer inspection, Zhuo Yifeng confirmed that this was indeed the case. Because most of the beasts had been trampled over and had wounds all over their body, none of them had noticed this point earlier.


    But Lin Qingchen was careful, attentive, and used to bandaging patients¡¯ wounds, so she noticed this point rtively quickly.


    The others inspected the nearby carcasses and found that there were quite a few bite marks all over. Could these carcasses have been consumed by some other beast?!


    ¡°Qiuqiu,¡± Yun Ruoyan called for Qiuqiu mentally.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress?¡± Qiuqiu yawned.


    ¡°Did you hear anythingst night?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Qiuqiu was a little embarrassed. ¡°Sorry, I was sleepingst night as well.¡±


    Although Qiuqiu was indeed a mystical beast, it had only been unsealed quite recently, and wasn¡¯t strong enough to leave the bracelet. Furthermore, just like humans, it needed sufficient rest. As a result, whenever Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t call on it, it was either cultivating or resting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about this for the moment.¡± Yun Ruoyan decided not to pursue this line of reasoning further and focused on the essentials. ¡°Let¡¯s extract as many beast cores as we can and leave before anything else gets here.¡±


    Everyone nodded.


    After quickly preparing and having a meal, everyone got right to work. Although the beasts were mostly low-tier, there were so many of them that, even after more than half had vanished, there was still plenty of work for each of them.


    While they were rapidly cleaning up the corpses, a loud voice suddenly spoke up. ¡°Someone got here before us?!¡±


    The exmation was so loud that it reverberated around the valley, echoing once and again.


    Everyone turned towards the voice and saw a group of shadows appearing by the other end of the valley.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyebrows frowned, seeing familiar enemies once again.


    There were about ten or so people in the group. When they saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group, they began walking even faster, trying to intimidate her group with strength in numbers.


    ¡°Why is it them again?! Honestly, isn¡¯t this territoryrge enough for us to avoid them entirely?¡± Once they got close enough and Lin Qingxue managed to get a clear look at their faces, her expression warped in disgust.


    When Yun Ruoyao, Pei Ziao, and the others saw the group, they were equally shocked.


    They couldn¡¯t have imagined that Yun Ruoyan and the others were actually able to escape the snakeir. Even more surprisingly, after their escape, they had somehow arrived at the center of the territory before them!


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze swept over Yun Ruoyao and Pei Ziao beforending on a youth dressed in dark blue.


    He was the loudmouth who had spoken just before. His physique didn¡¯t seem any weaker than Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s, and his rough features were lined with viciousness. One nce was sufficient for Yun Ruoyan to mark him as someone to watch out for.


    Based on his shout, Yun Ruoyan could discern that he was likely stronger than everyone else present. Without borrowing her bracelet¡¯s power, she was naturally no match for him.


    ¡°Pei Ziao, didn¡¯t you say that you were the only one who knew where the thousand-herb valley was?¡± That youth asked critically as he walked towards Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group.


    ¡°I promise I didn¡¯t deceive you. I¡¯m truly the only one who knows the way here, but some other groups might have found their way to this valley by mistake.¡± As Pei Ziao answered him, his gazended on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body once more, his frown deepening.


    Pei Ziao¡¯s father was only a fifth-rank forgemaster, not particrly important in the grand scheme of things in the Li kingdom. However, while forging weapons for the nobility, he was able to obtain quite a number of useful secrets.


    Once, having been entrusted to forge a weapon for one of the head guards responsible for the territory, he invited the guard to dinner, got him drunk, and managed to extract a juicy secret about the territory: deep within the area was a hidden location, the thousand-herb valley.


    Large quantities of precious herbs grew there, buoyed by the high spiritual energy density, and those herbs attracted arge number of herbivorous beasts.


    Because of how many beasts there were, during the early summer, there would always be stampedes that culled arge number of the weaker beasts, and those beasts¡¯ carcasses would then attractrge groups of carnivorous beasts. This was why the thousand-herb valley was also called the thousand-beast valley.


    But the location was secret enough that almost no one would be able to enter the valley without deliberately seeking it out. Among the crowd who had entered the territory, none other knew this secret.


    This was a secret kept by the Li kingdom¡¯s royalty. Every three years, they would send someone to the thousand-herb valley to gather the natural treasures, and this was the most important reason why they were stronger than the imperial families of the other three kingdoms.


    Of course, once Pei Yingxiong was made aware of this secret, he wholeheartedly regretted that he didn¡¯t know of its existence when he too was given the opportunity to enter the imperial realm. Otherwise, he would have risked his life to bring back some spiritual herbs and beast cores for himself in order to advance his cultivation.


    He had been stuck as a fifth-rank forgemaster for more than three years. If he were to stop advancing, the status of the Pei family in the capital would only go down.


    This was why he revealed this secret to his son, Pei Ziao, after exhorting once and again that he had to get his father a high-grade beast core or spiritual herb for his cultivation.


    ¡°Wang Kuang,¡± Pei Ziao leaned in closer to Wang Kuang and whispered lightly, ¡°You¡¯ve sworn that, if I bring you here to search for treasure with me, you¡¯ll tell no one about this, right?¡±


    If the imperial family knew that he was the one who had disseminated this secret, they surely wouldn¡¯t let him go.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We¡¯re sworn brothers, aren¡¯t we? You shared this secret with me, so I¡¯m hardly going to harm you. Rest assured, I won¡¯t say a single word.¡±


    ¡°Which family are you from? How did you guys get into this area?¡± Another slender youth, Liu Sheng, spoke up arrogantly as he pointed at Yun Ruoyan and her group.


    The remaining youths also looked haughtily at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group.


    The Yun siblings, however, were nowhere to be seen. They¡¯d hidden behind the group of foreigners, both saddled by somewhat of a guilty conscience for having deliberately tried to harm them and happy to see the group of youths from the Yue kingdom take care of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group.


    ¡°We¡¯re from the Yun and Lin families from the Li kingdom. Who are you?¡± Yun Ruoyan was naturally unafraid of this motley group. Even if they looked to be decently strong, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s calm demeanor had been weathered by age and time.


    Furthermore, Yun Ruoyan was clearly aware that the most frightening people were intelligent schemers like Yi Qianying, and this crowd was clearly brainless.


    ¡°You¡¯re from the Yun family?!¡± Liu Sheng opened his slitted eyes wide as he nced at Yun Ruoyan and then Yun Ruoyao. ¡°You¡¯re from the same family?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯re one big family.¡± Only then did Yun Ruoyao¡¯s group of three walk out from the back, saying to Liu Sheng, ¡°She¡¯s the sister I¡¯ve been telling you about, the second daughter of the Yun family, Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re still alive! I¡¯m so d!¡± Yi Qianying cheered with joy, the almost tearful expression on her petite face so realistic that Yun Ruoyan almost believed it.


    ¡°Oh, so she¡¯s that ugly girl.¡± Another girl from the group, also dressed in red, tittered.


    These past few days, they¡¯d heard quite a bit about Yun Ruoyan while they were in the capital, and then been influenced by Yun Ruoyao¡¯s group during the expedition.


    ¡°Ah, Sister Fei¡¯er, look at the birthmark on her cheek! It¡¯s bleeding, how disgusting!¡± Another girl added.


    Her birthmark had been leaking a considerable amount of pustely, and she didn¡¯t worry too much about her appearance in front of her party. In the morning, to avoid the hassle of having to clean her hair after it came in contact with the leaking pus, Yun Ruoyan had tied her hair back and exposed her birthmark and scar.


    ¡°Those who have a vicious heart really are ugly!¡± The red-d girl, Jin Fei¡¯er, scrunched up her nose as she spoke.


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Lin Qingxue jumped up in anger. Ever since she was a child, she¡¯d always held her cousin, who was deemed a genius at cultivation, in high esteem. Even when this cousin fell from grace and became all but useless, drifting further apart from her, it hadn¡¯t dimmed her favorable impression of her.


    And now that this cousin had reappeared and slowly gotten closer to them, disying her outstanding intellect and strength, she was once again Lin Qingxue¡¯s idol.


    How dare someone curse her idol to her face?!


    ¡°Tell me what you mean by that, or I won¡¯t leave you be.¡± Lin Qingxue brandished her daggers, still stained with beast gore and entrails.


    ¡°And who are you? I¡¯m just talking about Yun Ruoyan. What does that have anything to do with you?¡± Jin Fei¡¯er didn¡¯t back down, clearly used to such shenanigans.


    ¡°Listen closely.¡± Lin Qingxue ced her hands behind her back as she introduced herself. ¡°I¡¯m Lin Qingxue, the second miss of the Lin family. My grandfather¡¯s Lin Zainan, and this is my elder sister, Lin Qingchen.¡±


    Lin Qingchen nodded coolly.


    Lin Zainan was a name known throughout the entirety of the Chenyuan continent, and Jin Fei¡¯er clearly seemed familiar with it. Her tone was somewhat more subdued and respectful as she said, ¡°Oh, the granddaughter of Master Lin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Yun Ruoyan¡¯s my cousin and Master Lin¡¯s granddaughter. How dare you disrespect her out of nowhere?¡±


    ¡°I was simply quoting someone else¡¯s words.¡± Jin Fei¡¯er pretended to inspect her fingernails as her eyes drifted toward Yun Ruoyao. ¡°It was her sister, Yun Ruoyao, who said those words, that she wasn¡¯t working in her family¡¯s interests but instead turned to outsiders and that her group had perished because of her overconfidence. By the way, how are all of you still alive?¡±


    Lin Qingxue¡¯s head began to steam as she heard those words. Not only did Yun Ruoyao try to scheme against them, she even nned on ruining their reputation!


    Yun Ruoyan began tough out of anger, her eyes staring straight at Yun Ruoyao. ¡°Sister, you haven¡¯t be an amnesiac all of a sudden, have you? Don¡¯t you know full well who tried to harm whom?¡±


    Yun Ruoyao defended herself calmly. ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t want to argue with you. Since you¡¯re hale and well, once we¡¯re all out of this ce, I¡¯m sure Father will handle our dispute.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes were mocking. Ever since she¡¯d lost her talent¡ªno, perhaps even earlier, her father had never been fair to her!


    ¡°Ah, here¡¯s something good!¡± As the tension in the air rose, Liu Sheng suddenly shouted from a distance.


    The crowd all turned to him: he was stooping in front of a firesteed¡¯s carcass, a fiery red core in his hand, smiling so widely all his teeth were showing.


    A mesteed was a mid-rank beast, and although its core was less valuable than that of the saber-toothed tiger, it was still worth a pretty penny.


    Wang Kuang immediately walked over and smacked Liu Sheng on the head.


    ¡°I told you not to make any moves on your own, didn¡¯t I! Put it back! Without their cores, these carcasses won¡¯t be fragrant, and then how will we lure high-tier beasts over?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Ah, I forgot as soon as I saw the treasure.¡± Liu Sheng nced innocently at Wang Kuang before putting the core back into the steed¡¯s body with a grimace on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, brother, but how did you know about such a good ce to begin with? Not only can we get all these cores for nothing, we can even capture high-rank beasts!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have my ways!¡± As Wang Kuangughed, he nced at Pei Ziao before smacking Liu Sheng once more. ¡°But what do you care? You just have to listen to my orders!¡±


    Then, he turned toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°You guys can keep the cores you¡¯ve already dug out, but from now on, this area¡¯s off-limits. You can all leave now.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Leave, on what grounds?¡±

 Chapter 38: A Test of Strength

    <h4>Chapter 38: A Test of Strength</h4>


    Wang Kuang hadn¡¯t expected that the slender girl in front of him would actually say something like this, and especially not with such a provoking tone.


    ¡°Oh?¡± He grinned with malice. ¡°Why should I let you stay?¡± He scratched his jaw as he looked at her.


    Yun Ruoyan held her head up high, not hiding her frightening appearance. What she counted on was strength, not beauty.


    ¡°Because this!¡± Yun Ruoyan stretched out her right hand and slowly clenched it into a fist.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Wang Kuang looked at the slender girl in front of him, who was clearly still in her teenage years. She clenched her fist in front of him and had said, perfectly seriously, ¡°Because of this.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but startughing.


    ¡°Be-Because of that?!¡± He pointed at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s small fist as he looked left and right.


    ¡°Hahaha...¡± Liu Sheng clutched his stomach as heughed, pounding on the ground. He extended his own fist and mimicked in a high-pitched voice, ¡°I¡¯ll use my small little fistie to pound your chest!¡± And then he exploded intoughter once more.


    The others all began to smile upon seeing Liu Sheng¡¯s tone and antics, and Yun Ruoyao¡¯s party looked on with scorn.


    Only Pei Ziao seemed to be taking Yun Ruoyan seriously. He had seen her agility, after all; her cultivation notwithstanding, just the phantasmal footwork she had shown while dealing with the saber-toothed tiger had left an indelible impression on his mind.


    And how had Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group escaped from near-certain death twice, against the saber-toothed tiger and against the snakes? Was it mere luck? His gaze swept over the tiger canine by Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s waist. No, he didn¡¯t think it was so simple.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re only a third-rank demaster, and your cultivation¡¯s even lower than mine! You don¡¯t have to try to be so brave!¡± Yi Qianying spoke earnestly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys leave with the beast cores you currently have? You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Lin Qingxue broke her off. ¡°Yi Qianying, you¡¯re doing this purposefully, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Although cultivators could more or less discern their opponent¡¯s cultivation based on their breathing, this wasn¡¯t particrly urate: some highly skilled cultivators would be able to disguise their true power against those weaker than they were.


    Even though Wang Kuang and the othersughed at Yun Ruoyan, this was the reason why they were somewhat apprehensive about battling her. The girl looked weak, but her calm aura seemed very much at odds with her supposed cultivation.


    There could only be two reasons for this discrepancy: one, that the girl was truly an incredibly skilled cultivator, or two, the girl had an exaggerated sense of her own capabilities.


    Although the rumors they¡¯d heard in the capital all said that she was useless andcked talent, perhaps there was some secret technique that could rapidly increase her cultivation, or perhaps the rumors were all unfounded.


    ¡°I¡¯m not speaking nonsense! I¡¯m just trying to make sure you¡¯re not hurt, Sister,¡± Yi Qianying continued in a small voice, as if she had been wronged. ¡°Three years ago, your cultivation stopped improving and began to drop, and even the family gave up on you. It¡¯s alright even if you¡¯re not strong, Sister, so stop trying to push yourself so hard!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan gave Yi Qianying a cold nce. Once again, she¡¯d managed to reinforce her image of being an innocent, caring girl while revealing sensitive information to her enemies.


    When Yi Qianying felt her gaze, she couldn¡¯t help but hide behind Pei Ziao.


    ¡°So the rumors were true!¡± At the start, Wang Kuang was still somewhat hesitant to attack, but after Yi Qianying had spoken, he lost all his misgivings. It seemed as though he had truly encountered a little girl who didn¡¯t know anything about the real world.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled as she gazed at Wang Kuang. ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°Me, scared?¡± Wang Kuang felt as though this was the mostughable thing he¡¯d heard all his life. Not only did this ugly girl not understand her own mediocrity, she even seemed a little dazed in the head. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to fight with a fool! You go!¡±


    He motioned toward Liu Sheng by his side.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Liu Sheng rubbed his knuckles as he strode forward, a grin stered on his face. ¡°Brother¡¯s here to hit your chest with a wee fistie!¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, let me fight in your ce!¡± Lin Qingxue was about to step forward when Lin Qingchen dragged her back.


    ¡°Based on his breathing, he¡¯s a peak fourth-rank demaster, and you¡¯re only an early fourth-rank. Let me go.¡±


    ¡°How about me?¡± Zhuo Yifeng volunteered. ¡°One punch is enough against ackey like him.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tone was cool, but her intention obvious. ¡°I¡¯m going!¡±


    ¡°But, Ruoyan...¡± The others all interjected as one.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you believe in me?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tone was still level, but her aura was the same as when she¡¯d fought the tiger and led the group out of the cave.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, of course we believe in you!¡± Lin Qingxue eximed.


    ¡°Yes, definitely.¡± Lin Qingchen nodded. After all, Yun Ruoyan, who was supposedly the weakest among them in terms of cultivation, had almost single-handedly solved all their problems during this expedition. What reason did they have not to trust her?


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s severe mien cracked as she smiled, enjoying the feeling of being trusted by others.


    She took two steps forward, facing Liu Sheng. ¡°Let¡¯s have a good fight.¡±


    By this time, Zhuo Yifeng had put Zhuo Lin¡¯er down from his back and walked to the edge of the arena, ready to rush forward as soon as Yun Ruoyan looked to be in danger.


    ¡°Alright. Even though you¡¯re so ugly it makes me somewhat difited, I¡¯ll certainly give you some pointers.¡± Liu Sheng smiled indifferently, his gaze somewhat rudely looking Yun Ruoyan up and down. ¡°I won¡¯t take advantage of you, either. In truth, I¡¯m already a peak fourth-rank demaster, so you shouldn¡¯t try to bash a rock with an egg.¡±


    ¡°What drivel!¡± Yun Ruoyan unsheathed her sword as she rushed toward Liu Sheng. In the blink of an eye, the tip of the sword was inches from his head.


    Before Liu Sheng could even draw his sword, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s de was already in front of him.


    ¡°Argh!¡± He screamed, dropped down, and barely dodged the de, but some of his hair hadn¡¯t escaped unscathed.


    ¡°Take this!¡± Without giving Liu Sheng any time to rest, Yun Ruoyan stepped forward once more, her footwork inscrutable, her sword moving like the wind.


    Three strikes in a row, each fast and fierce, forced Liu Sheng to dodge in a wretched and undignified manner.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Liu Qingxue called out in excitement. ¡°Cut off his head, his mouth, his nose...¡±


    ¡°Ruoyao,¡± Yun Ruoyu looked at Yun Ruoyao, her face white in shock. ¡°How¡¯s Yun Ruoyan so strong? She¡¯s only using the simplest moves from the Yun family register, so how can she make Liu Sheng back off like that?¡±


    Yun Ruoyao shook her head imperceptibly, but the shock in her heart was no less than that in Yun Ruoyu¡¯s. Although they had both lost to Yun Ruoyan, as had their genius-like brother, they¡¯d always thought that it was because of their carelessness.


    However, the fight in front of them proved that not to be the case.


    ¡°No, it has to be because Liu Sheng underestimated Yun Ruoyan by too much.¡± Yun Ruoyao finally found an exnation that could alleviate some of her and Yun Ruoyu¡¯s shock.


    ¡°Look, although she¡¯s clearly fluent with her dework, none of her strikes are all that powerful. If she really were strong, then the sword qi by the de¡¯s tip would have severely injured Liu Sheng, and he wouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge her blow.¡±


    Only then did Yun Ruoyu calm down, feeling that Yun Ruoyao¡¯s analysis was spot-on.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sword was just a standard training sword provided by the Yun family, and her dework the introductory moves taught by the family. However, her past life had given her much morebat experience, and her fluency with the de was naturally moreplete than others¡¯.


    This was why, even when she was facing someone like Liu Sheng, whose cultivation surpassed her own, as long as she didn¡¯t give her opponent a chance to use his spiritual energy, she would be able to force him to a standstill with her stances alone.


    ¡°You... you shameless¡ª¡± Battered and forced to dodge, Liu Sheng was unable to even draw his de. Whenever he tried to do so, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sword would unerringly head for his wrist, so he had to fight without a weapon, let alone use his spiritual energy.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Yun Ruoyanughed coldly. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as shamelessness in a fight, only a winner and a loser.¡±


    ¡°You... if you have the guts, let me draw my sword! I bet I can restrain you with one blow!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yun Ruoyanughed coldly once more. ¡°But I won¡¯t give you that opportunity.¡±


    Saying that, she upped her tempo, and her de became so fast that even Liu Sheng couldn¡¯t track it with his naked eye.


    His body began to bleed as Yun Ruoyan¡¯s de found purchase, as did his face. Yun Ruoyan gave him a deep, vicious nick on one cheek. How dare he call her ugly! She didn¡¯t much mind herck of beauty, but that didn¡¯t mean she would allow people to degrade her!


    ¡°Ah! My face!¡± Liu Sheng called out as he fell onto the ground.


    Yun Ruoyan stepped forward, the tip of her de pointing at Liu Sheng¡¯s nose.


    ¡°Do you admit defeat?¡± Her gaze was cold. ¡°If not, I don¡¯t mind cutting off your nose, so you¡¯re even more unpleasant-looking than I am.


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Liu Sheng clutched his bleeding cheek as he raised an arm in surrender.


    ¡°Scram!¡± Yun Ruoyan sheathed her sword.


    Liu Sheng scrambled back to Wang Kuang¡¯s side.


    A normal bystander would havee away from the fight thinking that Liu Sheng was useless: after all, the opponent had forced him to a standstill with her dework alone, and the spiritual energy of his supposed peak fourth-rank cultivation hadn¡¯te in handy at all.


    But Liu Sheng feltpletely wronged: he didn¡¯t know why, but he had lost even though he was certainly stronger!


    ¡°If you think you¡¯re so good, you go face her!¡± He called out to Jin Fei¡¯er. ¡°My goodness, this vicious wretch! I¡¯m really going to be disfigured now!¡±


    The blood on his face kept dripping, no matter how much pressure he applied. Who knew how many blood vessels Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sword had severed?


    ¡°Oh, I will!¡± Jin Fei¡¯er called out, reaching for her sword as she smiled at Liu Sheng. ¡°I¡¯ll take revenge for you.¡±

 Chapter 39: Another Victory

    <h4>Chapter 39: Another Victory</h4>


    Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s cultivation was stronger than Liu Sheng¡¯s: she was past the peak of fourth rank and hovering at the boundary between fourth and fifth. Despite this, however, she carefully unsheathed her sword before starting the fight, so that Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t y the same trick again.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er,¡± Wang Kuang pulled Jin Fei¡¯er back before instructing her, ¡°Based on her dework, this girl¡¯s cultivation really isn¡¯t anything amazing, and her stances aren¡¯t out of the ordinary either. However, her footwork and skill with the de are unusually practiced.¡±


    Wang Kuang¡¯s gaze swept over Liu Sheng, who was currently tending to his wound. Half his face had been covered in blood. Although others might not have noticed, he could tell that, once the wounds on Liu Sheng¡¯s face had recovered, he would find that those scars would perfectly trace out the word ¡®ugly¡¯ on half his face. Even he couldn¡¯t im to be so deft with a sword.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you have to avoid her strengths and target her weaknesses. Rather thanpete with her in terms of your skill with a de, counter her with your spiritual energy instead.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Brother Wang, I¡¯ve got it.¡± Jin Fei¡¯er smiled charmingly at Wang Kuang before she walked forward, sashaying her hips.


    ¡°What¡¯re you trying to do, take turns fighting Yun Ruoyan until she copses?¡± Lin Qingxue was unwilling to entertain her; Liu Sheng had an overwhelming advantage with his cultivation alone, and now they were even sending out a second person?


    Jin Fei¡¯er smiled. ¡°You can send someone else up too. We¡¯ll do best of three!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let me go!¡± The Lin siblings said simultaneously, while Zhuo Yifeng stood motionless like a pir. He only had one goal: to protect Yun Ruoyan when it became necessary.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need help.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was as calm as ever, but her blood felt as though it was boiling. She¡¯d had this sort of feeling even during the first encounter with a magical beast in this expedition, against that night leopard.


    Even then, she hadn¡¯t used the bracelet¡¯s power at all, but instead solely her reflexes and skill with her de. Even without the bracelet, she had been able to defeat the leopard in one blow, and that had immensely boosted her confidence.


    Later, when she used the bracelet¡¯s power against the saber-toothed tiger, that sort of feeling had diminished significantly. She took this to mean that she needed to make use of her own strength, rather than rely on external artifacts, to grow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep fighting!¡± she emphasized.


    Jin Fei¡¯er readied her de.


    ¡°Qiu, qiu, you can do it, Mistress!¡± As if it could feel Yun Ruoyan¡¯s burning blood, Qiuqiu seemed particrly enervated, but it didn¡¯t forget to remind Yun Ruoyan, ¡°Mistress, if you can¡¯t beat her, use the bracelet¡¯s power immediately.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± Yun Ruoyan once again ran forward as she employed her footwork.


    Jin Fei¡¯er quickly imbued qi into the sword she held in her hands. She raised her arm and sketched out a circle with her sword, and the spiritual energy condensed into a shield in front of her body.


    She didn¡¯t hide her peak fourth-rank cultivation at all.


    Blocked by her energy, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sword lost all its forward momentum, unable to pierce through the barrier at all.


    ¡°Your cultivation¡¯s really quite low, isn¡¯t it?¡± As Jin Fei¡¯er swung her sword, she taunted, ¡°Your tricks might have worked on someone as simple as Liu Sheng, but they won¡¯t work on me!¡±


    She stepped forward, and her energy-imbued sword bit at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s as they exchanged blows. In a matter of seconds, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sword had broken into pieces and flew out of the arena.


    The Lin sisters let out a shocked cry. After all, Yun Ruoyan had been facing her opponents with a paltry third-rank cultivation, and the onlookers were always on tenterhooks: one wrong move, and Yun Ruoyan could be grievously injured.


    Jin Fei¡¯er began to press in on the weaponless Yun Ruoyan, as if intending to break Yun Ruoyan just as she had broken her sword.


    Zhuo Yifeng was ready to charge in on a moment¡¯s notice, but Yun Ruoyan¡¯s footwork was more advanced than Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s, and she was ultimately faster than the other girl.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°If this keeps up, you¡¯re going to run out of stamina faster than she is! Why don¡¯t you use the bracelet¡¯s power?¡±


    Using the bracelet¡¯s power would enhance her strength twice over, enough to fight at a fifth-rank¡¯s level and ovee Jin Fei¡¯er. Along with her umted experience over two lifetimes, even if she didn¡¯t have a weapon, she would still have a decent chance of sess.


    But if she really did so, then she would hardly be able to train herself.


    ¡°For this fight, I¡¯m only going to rely on my own power!¡± Her right hand seemed as though it was going for her bosom, but she was reaching for Pei Ziao¡¯s spear through her bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension.


    As she chanted the incantation, a flute-like object appeared in her hands and immediately grew over ten timesrger. Before Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s eyes, the bright spearhead struck the center of her spiritual barrier.


    Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s sword tried to strike at the spear, but when it made contact, her sword flew from her hands. The tip of the spear flew towards her face, quick as lightning.


    Pei Ziao¡¯s spear was a high-grade spiritual weapon, and when Yun Ruoyan imbued it with all her spiritual energy, she could temporarily attack at a fifth-rank level. When the natural hardness of the spear¡¯s body and sharpness of its head were taken into ount, Jin Fei¡¯er was naturally not a match.


    ¡°Wait!¡± A voice exploded from somewhere nearby, and Yun Ruoyan found her spear blocked with a sharp ng!


    Yun Ruoyan felt her hands go numb, and the spear almost flew from her grip. She couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back. Jin Fei¡¯er gasped as she fell on the floor, supporting herself with both hands. That spear was heading straight toward her, and she just barely avoided having her nose cut off!


    ¡°A high-grade weapon!¡± Wang Kuang had jumped in front of Jin Fei¡¯er and blocked the blow, his expression shocked. ¡°You actually have a high-grade weapon.¡±


    High-grade weapons could change their size at will and greatly enhance their owner¡¯s attacking capabilities, and they were rare treasures indeed.


    Even the wealthiest families wouldn¡¯t have more than three such weapons at hand.


    ¡°It seems like the rumors were a lie.¡± Wang Kuang rubbed his square jaw as his eyes squinted.


    ¡°Wang Kuang, you¡¯re mistaken!¡± Pei Ziao quickly strode forth. ¡°That¡¯s my family¡¯s heirloom spear!¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan took out the spear, he was both shocked and thrilled: thrilled, because he hadn¡¯t lost his spear after all; and shocked, because Yun Ruoyan actually seemed able to use the spear. The spear¡¯s full potential required at least a fifth-rank¡¯s spiritual energy, but when Yun Ruoyan used the spear to strike at Jin Fei¡¯er, he could clearly feel it being activated.


    And how had Yun Ruoyan known the enchantment for changing the spear¡¯s size?!


    Originally, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t wanted to reveal that she had the spear. After all, she had to rely on this spear to force Pei Yingxiong to help craft Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s arrows.


    But she had dearly wanted to best Jin Fei¡¯er in a fight, to obtain the satisfaction that she¡¯d never felt in her past life, so she took it out with almost no hesitation.


    ¡°Ruoyan, return my family¡¯s spear to me!¡± Pei Ziao stepped forward and extended a hand toward Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at him, her eyes clear and cold, her lips slowly forming a smile. ¡°On what grounds?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but think back to the past. How obediently she¡¯d listened to Pei Ziao then! If he stretched a hand out, no matter what she had, she¡¯d give it to him without a second thought.


    But that Yun Ruoyan had died that fateful day to Pei Ziao¡¯s force-fed poison. In this life, she had rubbed her eyes and taken off her rose-tinted sses.


    Pei Ziao was baffled by her rejection, and said without thinking, ¡°Because it belongs to the Peis!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yun Ruoyao¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you call out to it and see if it¡¯ll respond?¡±


    ¡°Yo-you!¡± Pei Ziao was furious at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s repeated rejection. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, I didn¡¯t know you were such an unreasonable woman!¡±


    ¡°Haha, hahaha...¡± Yun Ruoyan broke out in peals ofughter. Reasonable? She¡¯d been poisoned ever since she was three, and it had ruined her beauty and talent. Had Madam An ever been reasonable toward her?


    For a man, she was willing to splinter rtionships with her family, her siblings and cousins. And in the end, it was this man himself who had ruined her! Was that reasonable?


    If the world were unreasonable, if her opponent were unreasonable, then all she had to face them were her own intellect, her martial talents, her viciousness!


    Yun Ruoyan held the spear with both hands, her hair tied back. In her fiery red attire, her slender body seemed itself like a spear.


    Her swollen birthmark and ice-cold smile made for a shocking sight.


    No one could understand why the ugly girl in front of them had suddenly released a tremendous fighting spirit, as if she had been provoked. Herugh sounded almost as if she were verging on insanity.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, are you alright?¡± Lin Qingxue asked from afar.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just found it funny that someone wanted to discuss what was reasonable.¡±


    Pei Ziao¡¯s face turned red amidst Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mockingughter. If not for Yi Qianying pulling him back by his side, it seemed as though he would have rushed to Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, won¡¯t you return the spear to Brother Ziao? It¡¯s not yours, after all, and you don¡¯t have the right to own it,¡± Yi Qianying called out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the right? Then, does someone who was willing to discard the spear to survive have the right to own it?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question made Yi Qianying and Pei Ziao both speechless.


    ¡°Ruoyan, the Yuns and Peis are on good terms, and I rmend you not do anything that might ruin this rtionship,¡± Yun Ruoyao began.


    Yun Ruoyan hmphed. She ignored her sister and turned her gaze toward Wang Kuang, saying coolly, ¡°Rather than reason, you prefer to argue with strength, don¡¯t you?¡±


    <hr>


    1. A less impressive feat in Chinese than in English, where the word ¡®ugly¡¯ is the character ³ó, which consists of five straight strokes.

 Chapter 40: Breakthrough

    <h4>Chapter 40: Breakthrough</h4>


    ¡°Miss Yun, you¡¯re really a forthright person.¡± By habit, Wang Kuang narrowed his eyes and touched his square jaw once more.


    ¡°I really did underestimate you, Miss, winning against another of my group even with your disadvantaged cultivation. If I don¡¯t defeat you, then I don¡¯t think those of us from the Yue kingdom will have the face to remain here.¡±


    ¡°How shameless!¡± Lin Qingxue eximed. ¡°What happened to best of three? You¡¯re still trying to fight even though you¡¯ve lost twice?¡±


    ¡°This matter concerns my reputation as a member of the Yue kingdom, so I have to fight,¡± Wang Kuang continued. ¡°You¡¯re free to battle me in order, just as my group did with Yun Ruoyan, and I¡¯ll admit defeat if I lose at any stage. But from what I can tell, none of the three of you will be able to stand more than three blows from me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Yun Ruoyan raised a hand, stopping the Lin siblings from talking. She looked once again at Wang Kuang. ¡°I¡¯ll be facing you once more.¡±


    Having fought¡ªand won¡ªtwo matches in a row, Yun Ruoyan was a little tired, but herpetitive spirit was ring.


    ¡°Good.¡± Wang Kuang raised his right hand. In a matter of moments, the dagger in his hand had transformed into a simple, unadorned sword. He got into a battle stance. ¡°Miss Yun, you may have the first blow.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands trembled as she made to stab at Wang Kuang¡¯s head.


    He tilted his head to the side and parried the attack with his sword, a shower of sparks appearing where the two weapons shed.


    Yun Ruoyan felt her wrist go numb as she revolved her body to dissipate the momentum from the sh. The sword that Wang Kuang had exhibited truly wasn¡¯t ordinary, but it seemed to be a little inferior to her spear.


    Even during that blow, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t borrowed the bracelet¡¯s power. Instead, she had shed directly with the far superior Wang Kuang based on her third-rank demaster cultivation alone. Despite this grave disadvantage, she had barely lost the sh.


    Wang Kuang looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s impassive appearance, bing more and more surprised by this slender girl standing in front of him. He¡¯d already be a sixth-rank demaster, an amazing aplishment for his age, and was almost unparalleled among his peers in the Yue kingdom.


    That blow had contained almost half his power, and was even augmented by his high-grade weapon. Despite being disadvantaged both in terms of age and cultivation, Yun Ruoyan was actually able to receive the blow.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Wang Kuang couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by her skills, but the ruthless glint in his eyes still remained. There had to be something unusual about the girl for her to be so different from what all the rumors said, and he intended on figuring out what made her so special.


    ¡°Again!¡± This time, it was Wang Kuang who pressed the attack, his footwork nothing that Yun Ruoyan had seen before. In three sessive shes with their weapons, Yun Ruoyan stepped back time and again.


    Suddenly, her left hand slipped, and the spear almost fell out of her hands. Luckily, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s reflexes were fast enough that she stooped, rolled, and avoided Wang Kuang¡¯s attack while repositioning the spear.


    This time, Wang Kuang used half his total strength andbined it with a low-grade footwork technique, greatly enhancing his attack. Despite this, Yun Ruoyan still didn¡¯t use her bracelet¡¯s power.


    She stood back up, her forehead dotted with sweat. The sweat flowed into the scar on her birthmark, causing a little numbness and itchiness.


    ¡°Look, pus is leaking out of her face again! How disgusting!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Is she trying to disgust her opponent to death, since she can¡¯t beat him based on skill?¡±


    Jin Fei¡¯er chattered away with another girl from the Yue kingdom, saying all manner of unpleasant things in an attempt to distract Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°You¡¯re despicable!¡± Lin Qingxue called out from afield. ¡°Not only do you pile on Yun Ruoyan even with your improved cultivation, you¡¯re even trying to distract her during a fight! Is this how honorable people from the Yue kingdom are?¡±


    ¡°If your sister hadn¡¯t caught me unaware with a spiritual weapon, I wouldn¡¯t have lost either.¡± Jin Fei¡¯er had clearly recovered from the shock she¡¯d suffered during the fight. Thinking about how she seemed to have lost in more unsightly a fashion than Liu Sheng, and how she almost got her nose cut off, she couldn¡¯t help but shudder. ¡°Brother Wang¡¯s a peak sixth-rank demaster, so just you wait to tend to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s corpse!¡±


    The Lin sisters¡¯ hearts sank. Tend to her corpse? Was Wang Kuang intending to kill her?


    ¡°That¡¯s just how stubborn my sister is.¡± Yun Ruoyao shook her head helplessly. ¡°After all, she was the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family and a cultivation genius from birth. Everyone praised her, and so she grew to be a stubborn and willful girl. Even when she lost her talent and became useless, her personality still didn¡¯t change a single bit. It¡¯s past time that she suffered some in the real world.¡± Hopefully, she would lose her life, too!


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan¡¯s not useless,¡± Lin Qingxue couldn¡¯t help but speak up. ¡°It was the Yuns who po¡ª¡±


    Lin Qingchen immediately clutched Lin Qingxue¡¯s mouth.


    When Yun Ruoyan had told them about this, she¡¯d emphasized that they needed to keep it a secret. Lin Qingchen nced at her sister reproachfully.


    Having recognized her gaffe moments after she began to speak, Lin Qingxue ignored the tauntsing from the other side, apologized to her sister, and focused anxiously on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s match.


    Wang Kuang bellowed out loud before moving even faster than before, rushing to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face and shing, thrusting, and cutting, not holding back one bit as he released an unrelenting volley of attacks. Unable to even blink for fear that she¡¯d miss something, Yun Ruoyan barely avoided each blow with her own lithe body, but she was forced back time and again.


    When Wang Kuang dodged Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spear and thrust his sword forward from close range, Yun Ruoyan immediately shrunk the spear to the size of the sword and parried.


    This sh was one purely based on spiritual energy, and the difference in spiritual energy for a peak sixth-rank and novice third-rank demaster was obvious.


    Faced with such a disparity in strength, the weaker party would often be seriously injured, if not dead.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡±


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan!¡±


    The Lin sisters and Zhuo Yifeng, who¡¯d kept his fist tightly clenched during the entire fight, couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    Wang Kuang didn¡¯t infuse all his spiritual energy into the sword at once. Instead, he began with only a third, then slowly increased the amount imbued in his sword.


    It had been so long since he¡¯d encountered someone as interesting as Yun Ruoyan, and it was far too boring to kill her in a single blow. He had a dim feeling that Yun Ruoyan was hiding a secret, and he very much wanted to see what sort of surprises she would bring him in her death throes.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s whole body was damp with sweat, and she¡¯d already imbued her spear with all her spiritual energy, barely able to hold back her opponent¡¯s sword.


    But Wang Kuang was clearly pushing her back, and as his spiritual energy grew stronger, she was finally unable to hold out.


    ¡°Mistress, quick, use the bracelet¡¯s power!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked toward her silver bracelet, the stubborn crease of her brows finally relenting. She was already very satisfied with her performance today.


    Arduously, she raised her left hand and touched her right wrist, slowly twisting the bracelet. An unceasing flow of spiritual energy immediately permeated her body and entered her spear under Yun Ruoyan¡¯s direction.


    Wang Kuang had been forcing Yun Ruoyan back step by step, and she was about to be crushed under just 40% of his power. All of a sudden, however, power burst out of her. Caught unaware, he was forced to retreat a few steps, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    How could it be?! He looked at Yun Ruoyan with astonishment. There was clearly something going on with this girl!


    ¡°What happened?!¡±


    ¡°Brother Wang!¡±


    ¡°My goodness!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao, Jin Fei¡¯er, and Pei Ziao eximed simultaneously. How could Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual energy have ovee Wang Kuang¡¯s?!


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan won! Oh, thank goodness! Her talent¡¯s blossoming again!¡± Lin Qingxue excitedly shouted.


    What was meant by her talent blossoming? Lin Qingxue¡¯s words quickly aroused suspicion amidst the crowd.


    ¡°Hng! Did you really think that Sister Ruoyan¡¯s talent vanished just like that? No! Her talent¡¯s just temporarily dormant, and now it¡¯s blossoming once more!¡± Lin Qingxue put her hands on her waist as she eximed in pride.


    Her dormant talent was awakening? Was that truly the case?


    Even so, he couldn¡¯t believe that, even with a peak sixth-rank cultivation, he would lose to a novice third-rank. He had to have been too careless just then.


    ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t hold back.¡± Wang Kuang immediately raised his spiritual energy output to the maximum he could handle, and infused it all into his sword.


    Yun Ruoyan felt pressured once again. Wang Kuang¡¯s peak sixth-rank spiritual energy wasn¡¯t something she could handle, even if she used the bracelet¡¯s full power.


    ¡°Mistress, what do we do? You¡¯re not his match!¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s anxious voice rang out from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. ¡°The restriction on the bracelet¡¯s power outputsts for at least a year after its imposition, so I can¡¯t release the limiter either! Why don¡¯t you admit defeat?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s entire body was damp with sweat. Pus continued to leak out of the birthmark, and the sense of numbness and itchiness on her face grew stronger and stronger. ¡°He¡¯s clearly intending to kill me, so even if I admit defeat, I won¡¯t be able to escape.¡±


    ¡°Then, then, what if you release the Fei de?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that either. If I use any spiritual energy to summon the de right now, my unshielded body will immediately be exposed to my opponent¡¯s spiritual energy.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do, what do we do...¡± Qiuqiu moaned in frustration from its pocket dimension.


    But Yun Ruoyan suddenly felt a surge of strength from her body, and her dantian, which had beenpletely drained, seemed to have birthed a small, weak current.


    A spiritual vortex! She¡¯d actually developed a spiritual vortex once more!


    When cultivators reached the fourth rank, a spiritual vortex would emerge in their dantian and allow them to gather spiritual energy more efficiently all over their body.


    Three years before, Yun Ruoyan had faintly felt the presence of a spiritual vortex forming in her dantian, but the sudden regression of her talent had caused the feeling to fade.


    But now, three years hence, she once again felt its existence! After three arduous years, she had finally broken through to fourth rank once again!


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly inclined her head and released a long howl toward the heavens, shocking everyone around.


    At the same time, Wang Kuang spat out another mouthful of blood, his entire body flung back by arge gust of spiritual energy before he fell heavily onto the floor.


    ¡°How could it be?!¡±


    Blood gushed out of his throat. Yun Ruoyan had actually broken through at this critical juncture! Furthermore, the spiritual energy that he¡¯d felt was clearly enhanced by more than what a third- to fourth-rank breakthrough would provide. Could it be that there were people who could break through two ranks at once?


    No, that was clearly impossible!

 Chapter 41: Dead Men Tell No Tales

    <h4>Chapter 41: Dead Men Tell No Tales</h4>


    Lin Qingxue tugged on Lin Qingchen¡¯s wrist and said emotionally, ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s finally broken through, she¡¯s a fourth-rank demaster now!¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Lin Qingchen stared at the girl in front of her before saying slowly, excitedly, ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s finally a fourth-rank now.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng, who¡¯d been standing by the side, slowly released his unclenched fist. Traces of blood fell from his palm as he did so, but he didn¡¯t seem to feel any pain. Instead, his tightly pursed lips traced a parab upwards.


    Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, Yi Qianying, and Pei Ziao were all so shocked that their mouths were hanging open.


    ¡°Brother Wang!¡± After quite a while, Jin Fei¡¯er and the rest of the Yue party finally reacted and called out.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible!¡± Jin Fei¡¯er shook her head and yelled out. ¡°How could Brother Wang lose to that ugly wench?!¡±


    But such an impossible feat had truly been aplished: not only had Yun Ruoyan, as a third-rank demaster, defeated three cultivators far surpassing her in cultivation, she had even broken through to fourth rank at the very end!


    With the spiritual energy of a fourth-rank demaster and the bracelet¡¯s boost, she was effectively fighting at an early seventh-rank¡¯s capability, enough to decisively turn the match in her favor.


    All Wang Kuang could feel was a huge surge of spiritual energy rushing toward him. His spiritual attack splintered against the wave of energy, and his body flew into the distance as a result of the impact.


    Yun Ruoyan walked in front of him and prodded him with the spear in her hands. ¡°Do you admit defeat?¡±


    ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t.¡± Despite his mouth being a fountain of blood, Wang Kuang slowly, arduously gasped, ¡°You, th-there¡¯s something amiss about you.¡±


    ¡°Something amiss?¡± Yun Ruoyan knelt down, her gaze cold. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Wang Kuang didn¡¯t know what exactly was amiss, but there was surely no way she could have ovee his peak sixth-rank spiritual energy with her fourth-rank cultivation!


    Even more curiously, that gust of spiritual energy was certainly not something a mere fourth-rank could wield.


    It surely wasn¡¯t possible for someone to break through two ranks at once, no, based on that amount of energy, it must have been even more than that!


    Unless...


    Wang Kuang made an incredulous expression as he pointed at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°You must be a demon!¡±


    ¡°A demon?¡± Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment. There was a mysterious poison ravaging her body, her appearance had been ruined, she had rebirthed into this world holding a strong grudge... if those weren¡¯t characteristics of a demon, then what was?!


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m a demon,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured, almost to herself. Her gaze became distant as she looked into the setting sun.


    ¡°Brother Wang!¡±


    ¡°Wang Kuang!¡±


    Jin Fei¡¯er and Pei Ziao ran over as they shouted, but they all stopped in front of the twobatants.


    Yun Ruoyan knelt in front of Wang Kuang, thin and slender, as if any strong person would be able to lift her up without any effort, but it was this unassuming body of hers that had released such humongous strength just then.


    Meanwhile, the tall and broad Wang Kuang was half-lying on the ground, his expression fearful as he looked toward Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Demon, demon!¡± He continued to call out.


    Yun Ruoyan ignored him before standing up, his gaze sweeping over the Yue kingdom¡¯s party, before walking toward Lin Qingxue.


    Only then did Jin Fei¡¯er dare to approach.


    ¡°Brother Wang,¡± Jin Fei¡¯er cradled Wang Kuang, crying as she fed him a pill.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. His dantian¡¯s been destroyed, and his aorta cut,¡± Pei Ziao shook his head as he took Wang Kuang¡¯s pulse.


    ¡°Brother Wang, how can this be, how can this be!¡± Jin Fei¡¯er began to cry out loud. It really shouldn¡¯t have been like this. They¡¯d always been the stronger party, the one bullying everyone else; they¡¯d always been the killers, never the killed!


    On his deathbed, Wang Kuang suddenly reached out and grabbed Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s hand, his small eyes widening all of a sudden. He pointed at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back and said hoarsely, ¡°Get revenge, get my brother to avenge me!¡±


    And then he spat out another mouthful of blood and stopped breathing entirely.


    Compared to the despondent Yue kingdom party, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group was in far happier straits. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Lin Qingxue pulled on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand as she jumped up and down in excitement.


    Her dismal, poignant thoughts were dashed to bits by her cousin¡¯s exuberance.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t let you guys down, did I?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t!¡± Lin Qingxue nodded fervently. ¡°You¡¯ll never let us down, sister!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, your face...¡± Lin Qingchen was happy, but also a little worried. The wound on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark had widened after the battle, and the pus that leaked out was sticking to her face. Some of it had flowed down her cheek and her neck, and there were bits of dirt, hair, and grime stuck to it, making her look horribly disfigured.


    Yun Ruoyan gingerly touched the wound, but found that the affected area was numb and not particrly painful.


    ¡°It¡¯s disgusting, isn¡¯t it?¡± She frowned.


    ¡°A little.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead creased further. There wasn¡¯t a girl who didn¡¯t want to be beautiful¡ªor, if not beautiful, at least not disgusting.


    Lin Qingchen nced at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you just have to clean it a little.¡± Saying this, she took out some gauze and bandages.


    ¡°Just clean up the pus, but don¡¯t bandage the wound. Grandfather¡¯s hypothesis was right: removing this buildup of pus will help expunge the poison from my body.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, if all the poison in your body¡¯s purged, are you going to be even stronger than you are now?¡± Lin Qingxue asked.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled cooly without replying.


    ¡°Ruoyan, are you aware that you¡¯ve made a grave mistake?¡± Yun Ruoyao¡¯s voice came from behind.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lin Qingxue turned around.


    Yun Ruoyu stepped forward, a smile stered on her face. ¡°Do you know who the person Yun Ruoyan just killed was? Wang Kuang¡¯s the second son of the most prosperous family in the Yue kingdom, the Wang family! Now that he¡¯s been killed like that, you¡¯ll suffer the wrath of the Wangs, alright!¡±


    ¡°The second son of the Wang family.¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly recalled the close rtionship between the Peis and the Wangs from the Yue kingdom in the past.


    At that time, Yun Ruoyan had just married into the Peis, and Pei Ziao was still treating her nicely. When the Peis hosted a banquet, she had been in attendance.


    The reason for the banquet was because the eldest son of the Wang family, Wang Meng, had just be a pillmaster-in-training at Kongming Academy.


    At the time, she was so timid that she didn¡¯t dare to raise her head for the entire duration of the banquet, so she didn¡¯t know what he looked like. All she could remember was that the man wore a long green robe.


    During the banquet, Pei Yingxiong effusively praised this young man for having begun his pillmaster training at such a young age, and that his future would be limitless. Moreover, he even gifted him with the Pei family¡¯s prized possession, the high-grade furnace that was now with her.


    Three years hence, this eldest son of the Wang family initiated a challenge against Yun Ruoyan¡¯s grandfather, Lin Zainan. During thepetition, Lin Zainan¡¯s constitution was greatly affected. He passed away not long afterwards, leaving behind two granddaughters who could barely fend for themselves and putting an end to a legacy of pillmasters that hadsted for centuries.


    By that time, she had already broken off rtions with the Lins. Because the Peis and Lins didn¡¯t get along at all, she never had a chance to attend to her grandfather despite how upset she was. This series of events had left her with lifelong regret.


    Subconsciously, Yun Ruoyao caressed the bracelet on her wrist, which housed the high-grade furnace she had received from the Peis. Only then did the tension in her heart abate a little.


    ¡°It seems like I truly killed the right person today,¡± Yun Ruoyan muttered to herself. ¡°Just as I¡¯ll bear the anger of the Wang family, so too will they bear my anger.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Yun Ruoyu frowned. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tone was so soft that she couldn¡¯t hear it clearly.


    Yun Ruoyan turned around and looked at the Yun siblings. ¡°What I said was¡ª¡±


    She was interrupted by a beast howling atop a nearby cliff.


    ¡°Carnivorous beasts are approaching!¡± Pei Ziao loudly called out in rm.


    It had gotten dark all of a sudden, and the beasts that prowled on these carcasses were nocturnal creatures.


    Their howls reverberated through the valley.


    ¡°Look, the beasts are here!¡± Liu Sheng pointed at the valley entrance and everyone looked over, seeing three or four pairs ofntern-like blue eyes.


    Those blue-eyed beasts moved frighteningly quickly, and they were in the middle of the valley after mere moments.


    ¡°A high-tier beast, the mystic-eyed lion!¡± Qiuqiu pronounced from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. ¡°Just like the saber-toothed tiger, these lions move rapidly and are skilled at stealth despite theirrge vodies.¡±


    ¡°Quick, run!¡± Someone screamed, and the crowd scattered as one.


    ¡°Save me!¡± A girl¡¯s voice called for help from behind. Yun Ruoyan turned around and saw that a gigantic python had emerged from who-knew-where.


    Using its big tail, it flung the young girl from the Yue kingdom, right by Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s side, up in the air, before opening its maw wide and swallowing the girl whole.


    Yun Ruoyan turned back toward the front and ran as if her life depended on it.


    She ran straight for the interior of the valley, where the crowd was gathered. Only when they found that none of the beasts were chasing them did they rx to take a break.


    ¡°We¡¯re safe,¡± Pei Ziao huffed. ¡°We should be fine now. Those beasts were likely attracted to the beast carcasses in the valley; there¡¯s no reason for them to chase us now.¡±


    ¡°Is that true? What if they really doe chasing us?¡± Liu Sheng¡¯s body was curved like a bow as he panted.


    ¡°No, they won¡¯t.¡± Pei Ziao shook his hands. ¡°We¡¯re all skin and bones, so those beasts¡¯ carcasses are naturally far more appealing.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh...¡± Hearing this, Liu Sheng sighed and plopped to the ground.


    ¡°Brother Wang, Brother Wang¡¯s body¡¯s still in the valley!¡± Jin Fei¡¯er suddenly called out. ¡°What do we do?!¡±


    Liu Sheng sat on the ground, burying his head between his knees, not volunteering any information.


    ¡°Liu Sheng,¡± Jin Fei¡¯er pushed him and thundered, ¡°I told you to carry his corpse, so why did you run off without it!¡±


    Liu Sheng raised his head slightly and grumbled, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the python that rushed down from the cliffside? If I hadn¡¯t reacted so quickly, I¡¯d have been swallowed alive, just like our poor junior!¡±


    ¡°So you threw Brother Wang¡¯s corpse aside?¡±


    ¡°What else could I do? I didn¡¯t want to die!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, then you¡¯d better wait for the Wangs to behead your entire family!¡± Jin Fei¡¯er yelled maliciously at Liu Sheng before pointing a finger at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°The first is you, and then yourpanions.¡± Lin Qingxue was about to head over and bicker with her, but Lin Qingchen pulled her back.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to escape, either.¡± Jin Fei¡¯er swiveled and pointed toward Pei Ziao. ¡°If not for your enticing Brother Wang, he wouldn¡¯t have brought us here to this damned thousand-beast valley.¡±


    Pei Ziao¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Wang Kuang told you that I was the one who brought you here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jin Fei¡¯er smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared? I know all your secrets; Brother Wang told me everything. Now, you¡¯d better go back to the valley and bring back his corpse, or I¡¯ll tell the Li imperial family everything I know¡ª¡±


    Before Jin Fei¡¯er could finish speaking, a dagger was thrust into her heart. The man holding the dagger was none other than Pei Ziao.

 Chapter 42: Lethality

    <h4>Chapter 42: Lethality</h4>


    ¡°You... you dare to kill us...?¡± Jin Fei¡¯er widened her eyes in disbelief.


    Pei Ziao whispered into her ear, ¡°I¡¯ve never entertained any thought of leaving you alive after having brought you here. Do you think that the imperial family¡¯s secret is something everyone can have ess to?¡±


    Pei Ziao removed the dagger from Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s body with a squelch, and shended on the ground with a heavy thud, her beautiful eyes still wide open.


    ¡°Ah, you killed her, you killed Jin Fei¡¯er, you guys--¡± Liu Sheng was so shocked that it was a while before he eximed in earnest, but his voice cut off halfway, the rest of what he wanted to say forever stuck in his throat.


    Yun Ruoyao pulled her sword out from Liu Sheng¡¯s body and sheathed it once more.


    This time, it was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party who was shocked.


    Before Lin Qingxue could open her mouth and say anything, Yun Ruoyan immediately stepped forth to shield her two cousins. ¡°What do you mean by all this?!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t be so agitated.¡± Pei Ziao smiled in a friendly manner.


    By this point, he couldn¡¯t hide anything from Yun Ruoyan, and the strength that she had disyed during her bout with Wang Kuang made him fearful of oveing her directly. It was also impractical to use the same strategy that they¡¯d used against Jin Fei¡¯er and Liu Sheng, since Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group didn¡¯t trust them to begin with, so he might as well be honest.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what happened.¡± The day they left the misdirection array, they saw Wang Kuang and his group not long after. Because Pei Ziao was familiar with Wang Kuang, Pei Ziao¡¯s group began to travel together with Wang Kuang¡¯s.


    After dinner, while everyone else was sleeping, Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying sneaked out of camp and went to a quiet spot for a tryst. In order to raise her value in his eyes, Yi Qianying had told him about how she could concoct powders to attract and repel magical beasts of all types.


    Pei Ziao had been struggling to find a way to retrieve cores from high-tier beasts, all of which were unusually ferocious and far too overwhelming for someone of his cultivation.


    He¡¯d nned on leaving Yun Ruoyao¡¯s group the next day to head to the thousand-beast valley alone, and then to find a strategy only when they got there.


    But after hearing Yi Qianying¡¯s words, he immediately thought of having her concoct some sort of powder that would debilitate the beasts and allow him to extract their inner cores easily.


    And so he revealed the secret of the thousand-beast valley to Yi Qianying, and the two were happily ensconced in each other¡¯s embrace when Wang Kuang suddenly appeared.


    He had had a stomachache and was in the middle of relieving himself when Pei Ziao suddenly pulled Yi Qianying into the secluded area. In order to hide himself, he quickly buried his fecal matter under two handfuls of dirt, then hid in a nearby bush without even putting on his pants.


    He¡¯d thought that he was just enjoying an erotic scene, but who would have expected that he would uncover such a momentous secret? And of course he wouldn¡¯t let go of an opportunity to get something for free.


    As a result, he jumped into the clearing, frightening the illicit lovers half to death.


    Without any other recourse, they could only ept to bring Wang Kuang¡¯s party to the thousand-beast valley with them, but they were already secretly nning to kill them all.


    Pei Ziao revealed the entirety of the events, omitting only his illicit encounters with Yi Qianying.


    ¡°Surely you won¡¯t me us for being vicious?¡± Pei Ziao raised his head high and said righteously, ¡°This Wang Kuang¡¯s not a trustworthy person at all! If he knows the secret, then so will the entire kingdom of Yue, and the thousand-beast valley¡¯s a treasure for the Li kingdom! How could we let others find out about it?¡±


    ¡°Now that we know this secret too, you¡¯re not going to kill us, are you?¡± Lin Qingchen suddenly asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s not the first time you guys have tried to harm us! I bet you¡¯re nning something devious right now!¡± Lin Qingxue added.


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t,¡± Yi Qianying promised earnestly. ¡°I swear.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Lin Qingchen¡¯s tone suddenly turned sharp. ¡°Using your beast-attracting powder?¡±


    Yi Qianying¡¯s heart thumped as her gaze became dodgy. ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let me exin it to you.¡± Her gaze was fixated on Yi Qianying.


    ¡°The reason the saber-toothed tiger only focused on Ruoyan, and the reason the snakes only targeted Qingxue within the cave, must be because you sprinkled some sort of beast-attracting powder on their bodies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying! You have no proof!¡± Yi Qianying had done this secretly, hiding it even from Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu.


    She was sure that no one had noticed her doing it, but she didn¡¯t expect someone like Lin Qingchen, who had long studied herbs and medicine under Lin Zainan, to have detected something amiss. She hadn¡¯t known who amongst their group had the ability to do such a thing, but Pei Ziao¡¯s recounting made it obvious.


    ¡°No wonder those snakes kept pouncing on me!¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s eyes opened wide as she digested the revtion. ¡°How dare you try to harm me and Sister Ruoyan in such an underhanded manner! When I¡¯m out of here, you¡¯ll be hearing from my grandfather!¡±


    As soon as Lin Qingxue brought up Lin Zainan, Yi Qianying began to panic. If he really did approach the Yuns about the affair, her uncle would surely go into a rage, and might even kick her out of the Yun household.


    And if word of what she did were to spread, then she would be chased out of the capital no matter where she tried to stay.


    Thinking about these possibilities, Yi Qianying tightly grasped Pei Ziao¡¯s wrist.


    Pei Ziao nced at Yi Qianying with aplicated expression before saying, ¡°Since we don¡¯t trust each other, why don¡¯t wee to a gentleman¡¯s agreement?¡±


    ¡°What sort of agreement?¡± Yun Ruoyan appeared interested.


    Thinking that there was a chance, Pei Ziao quickly continued, ¡°We won¡¯t reveal the fact that you killed Wang Kuang as long as you don¡¯t reveal the fact that we killed Jin Fei¡¯er. If we keep each other¡¯s secrets, won¡¯t it work out well for both of us?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan leaned against a tree, ying with Pei Ziao¡¯s spear in miniaturized form. She tapped on the trunk with her spear, as if considering his proposal.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you can¡¯t trust their words.¡± Lin Qingxue was the first to object.


    However, Lin Qingchen didn¡¯t say anything. Although she didn¡¯t trust Pei Ziao either, in order to protect Yun Ruoyan, keeping each other¡¯s secret seemed like the only solution.


    Meanwhile, Zhuo Yifeng, who had been standing behind Yun Ruoyan the entire time, murmured, ¡°This Pei Ziao¡¯s a conniving person, and I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll push their crimes and ours all onto us.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan continued to tap on the tree trunk.


    After quite a while, as everyone was about to lose their patience, Yun Ruoyan finally stood still and looked toward Pei Ziao, a half-smile on her face. ¡°I have a better solution, one that can resolve all our problems. Do you want to hear it?¡±


    ¡°Oh? What solution?¡± Pei Ziao took a step forward, and Yi Qianying¡¯s grip on his wrist couldn¡¯t help but tighten.


    Yun Ruoyan nced askance at Pei Ziao. The pus on her face had been cleaned off, and her hair had been let down to cover her scar. From Pei Ziao¡¯s perspective, she seemed to possess a beauty that he had never before seen.


    ¡°Come over! I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Yun Ruoyan pointed at Pei Ziao with her spearhead, and he shrugged off Yi Qianying as he walked forward.


    One, two steps... He walked closer and closer, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s smile was suddenly reced by a cold lethality.


    ¡°My solution is to kill all of you!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly shouted, the spear in her hand suddenly elongating as she thrusted it into his chest.


    In Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind, Yi Qianying and Pei Ziao were the source of all her suffering, and killing them both had been something that she had always nned on doing after her rebirth.


    And this was her best chance to do so!


    The spear entered Pei Ziao¡¯s body, and fresh blood gushed out.


    ¡°Brother Ziao!¡± Yi Qianying eximed in shock.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, how dare you!¡± Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu couldn¡¯t believe how daring their sister was.


    They wanted to harm Yun Ruoyan, but were afraid that others would find out, so they always had to make schemes in secret. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan was willing to kill Pei Ziao in broad daylight!


    Was she crazy?!


    ¡°You really want to kill me?!¡± Pei Ziao clutched the spearhead, dyed red with his blood, as he looked toward Yun Ruoyan. He really didn¡¯t understand why Yun Ruoyan, who had always seemed to be fond of him, had suddenly begun to hate him, to despise him, to even try to kill him.


    ¡°Because I loathe you!¡± Yun Ruoyan grit her teeth. ¡°Die!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan attempted to push the spear into his body with all her strength, but she was stopped by a strange resistance that disabled her from moving the spear at all.


    What was the matter? Why didn¡¯t the spear listen to her?


    ¡°Ha.¡± Pei Ziao smiled grimly. ¡°I told you, this is a treasure belonging to the Peis, and my blood calls to it.¡±


    As he moved his mouth, the spear instantly became smaller, leaving Yun Ruoyan¡¯s grip and returning to Pei Ziao¡¯s hand once more.


    ¡°Brother Ziao, are you alright?!¡± Yi Qianying hurriedly ran over to inspect Pei Ziao¡¯s wound, throwing a murderous nce at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°What a wicked woman!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan clearly didn¡¯t expect such an urrence, but her failure only made her more determined.


    She hmphed. ¡°The four of you are hundreds, thousands of times more malicious than I am! Today, if you don¡¯t die, I will!¡±


    As soon as she said this, the three people behind her didn¡¯t hesitate to pull out their weapons and stand together with Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°In that case, we really don¡¯t have anything to discuss.¡± The spear lengthened once more in Pei Ziao¡¯s hands, and Yi Qianying tossed a blood-clotting pill in his mouth. ¡°We fight to the death!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu also pulled out their weapons, and the two groups lined up against each other.


    An unbridled ughter would soonmence...

 Chapter 43: Cave by the Cliff

    <h4>Chapter 43: Cave by the Cliff</h4>


    Ignoring Yun Ruoyan¡¯s secret weapons, the two sides were of roughly equal skill. If they were truly to fight seriously, both parties would likely get severe injuries.


    But since she¡¯d already decided on killing them all, there wouldn¡¯t be a need to hide the Fei de. Yun Ruoyan was prepared to summon it directly if necessary so as to not drag out the battle.


    She unsheathed the sword by her waist and thrust it at Pei Ziao, who pushed Yi Qianying aside and blocked it with his spear.


    When the sword and spear shed, Pei Ziao was pushed back by quite arge force.


    Although Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t retreat, a crack appeared in the sword she currently held.


    She¡¯d used the bracelet¡¯s power directly, but because of her recent fight with Wang Kuang, her spiritual energy wasn¡¯t enough to support the bracelet¡¯s full power.


    Regardless, after the boost, she was essentially a sixth-rank demaster, enough to defeat the peak fifth-rank Pei Ziao.


    But Pei Ziao¡¯s spear was a high-grade spiritual weapon, whereas Yun Ruoyan¡¯s was just a simple, unadorned sword that her family had given her. As a result, they fought on nearly equal footing.


    Although he¡¯d been prepared, Pei Ziao was still shocked to see Yun Ruoyan be able to force him back even with a simple sword.


    No, there was no way Yun Ruoyan was simply a fourth-rank demaster! She must have been hiding her strength all this time!


    Pei Ziao threw the spear in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s direction. She leaped up and somersaulted in the air, and the spear brushed past her hair. When her bodynded from mid-air, she touched down with only one foot before leaping up again. At the same time, she shielded her body with her sword.


    The spear that had shot out turned around in mid-air and headed for Yun Ruoyan once more, but it collided directly with her sword. With a big tter, the spear was deflected, but the sword in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands was cut in two.


    ¡°Qingxue, let me borrow your two daggers,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out to the dazed Lin Qingxue, standing by one side.


    ¡°Ah? Here!¡± Lin Qingxue threw the daggers at her. By the time Yun Ruoyan caught the daggers, the spear was once again in front of her. It took six blows from the dagger before the spear¡¯s onught was broken once again.


    Lin Qingxue¡¯s twin daggers weren¡¯t spiritual weapons, but they had been forged with quality steel, and were hard enough that Pei Ziao wouldn¡¯t be able to break them with his cultivation.


    ¡°You actually managed to defend against my Ninefold Redirection!¡± Pei Ziao¡¯s face was pale, a thin sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead. Controlling his spear like that in mid-air exhausted arge quantity of spiritual energy.


    ¡°Ninefold Redirection?¡± Yun Ruoyan nced askance at Pei Ziao and smiled coolly. ¡°You haven¡¯t mastered the technique yet!¡±


    In her past life, although she was restricted by cultivation, her ability to intuit and understand martial techniques wasn¡¯t bad at all. While Pei Ziao was practicing the moves that Pei Yingxiong had imparted to him, she would always be able to identify his deficiencies in one nce.


    Once, she had seen this exact technique in use while the two of them were practicing in the yard.


    She¡¯d been bringing Pei Ziao tea and was only able to sneak a few nces at the technique, but that was all it took for her to remember the general trajectory of the spear.


    Unfortunately, she¡¯d never learned the chant corresponding to the technique, or she¡¯d have been able to use it herself as well, and at a level not too far off from Pei Yingxiong¡¯s.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s my turn to attack!¡± Yun Ruoyan pointed the dagger in her right hand at Pei Ziao, her sharp gaze seeming to be even colder than the edge of the de.


    ¡°What¡¯re you all waiting for? Let¡¯s all attack together!¡± Yi Qianying anxiously called out. ¡°Yun Ruoyan¡¯s going to kill us all, and if Brother Ziao dies, none of us will be able to escape!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s killing intent was so obvious that they were all fearful.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, since blood rtions mean nothing to you, we won¡¯t hold back either!¡± Yun Ruoyao called out before looking at Yun Ruoyu. The two girls raised their swords as one and began to attack Yun Ruoyan, and Lin Qingchen and Zhuo Yifeng also joined the fray.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, be careful... Qingchen, attack her feet!¡±


    Because Lin Qingxue had loaned her daggers to Yun Ruoyan, she could only look on from behind, so anxious she was jumping up and down.


    Zhuo Yifeng had already used up all his arrows in the battles earlier, and now, he could only use his bow as a weapon against Yun Ruoyao. Their cultivation levels were rtively close, but Yun Ruoyao¡¯s weapon was easier to handle, so their fight was rtively even.


    Lin Qingchen also didn¡¯t seem to be at a gross disadvantage even though she was facing both Yi Qianying and Yun Ruoyu.


    On the other hand, Pei Ziao had only been retreating under Yun Ruoyan¡¯s onught, his wrists and legs both cut by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s daggers, and it seemed that he was hovering near death.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, cut him, cut him, see if he still dares to bring us into a den of snakes!¡± Lin Qingxue called out maliciously. The snake den had been the most disgusting and frightening ce she¡¯d been in her entire life, and she hated Pei Ziao all the more for it.


    But Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s small face became severe, and she didn¡¯t even seem to be focused on her brother. ¡°The beasts in the valley are rampaging,¡± she muttered, tugging on Lin Qingxue¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Lin Qingxue¡¯s eyes were glued on the battle in front, and she wasn¡¯t paying attention to what Zhuo Lin¡¯er said.


    By the time she processed her words, loud, echoing howls were alreadying from the valley.


    Those berserk-like howls were enough to make the entire valley shake and shudder.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?!¡±


    It was so loud and disconcerting that everyone stopped fighting and looked in the direction of the cliff.


    ¡°Qianying, shouldn¡¯t the beasts have ingested your powder by now?¡± Yun Ruoyao frowned as she looked toward Yi Qianying and asked.


    Everyone¡¯s gazended on Yi Qianying.


    She appeared to be a little flustered; when she¡¯d entered the valley with everyone, she had indeed been sprinkling powder on all the beast carcasses she could see. That powder would cause the beasts to fall into drowsiness as soon as they consumed those carcasses.


    And if the beasts had truly consumed the carcasses, then they should have fallen asleep, so why were they rampaging? Yi Qianying didn¡¯t know either.


    ¡°Perhaps these beasts are so strong that my powder wasn¡¯t enough to subdue them.¡± This was the only reasonable exnation she coulde up with.


    As soon as Yi Qianying finished speaking, the ground began to tremble as four mystic-eyed lions rushed out from the valley entrance.


    Although it was nighttime, theirntern-like eyes saw the few people in the forest in an instant.


    Magical beasts were intelligent, and they grew even more so the higher their tier. They¡¯d thought nothing of this group of people, but while they were feeding on the beast carcasses just now, they found that they were bing dizzier and dizzier as they ate.


    Very quickly, they guessed that it must have been the group of humans that did something, and had chased them all the way out here in rage.


    ¡°Mistress, don¡¯t just stand around, run!¡± Qiuqiu reminded her.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying, gritting her teeth. Just you wait, I¡¯lle back for youter!


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, do you have your sister? Everyone, run!¡± Yun Ruoyan gestured at the Lin siblings as she began running toward a certain direction.


    Pei Ziao, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu were also about to run when Yi Qianying motioned for them to wait.


    The others looked at her curiously and saw her take out a small porcin bottle from herp. She uncorked it and a faint mist emanated from the bottle. Yi Qianying blew the mist in the direction of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group, and it began to spread.


    ¡°The beasts will follow this scent, so we¡¯ll be fine as long as we escape in the opposite direction.¡± Saying this, Yi Qianying tugged on Pei Ziao¡¯s hand as she began moving.


    Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu followed behind them.


    ¡°Hey, if you had such a useful thing, why didn¡¯t you use it earlier?!¡± Yun Ruoyu called out from behind. They¡¯d encountered several groups of beasts before during the expedition, and the only reason Yi Qianying had escaped unscathed was because the others had been protecting her.


    ¡°This beast-attracting mist is particrly difficult to concoct, and I only have enough to use it in life-and-death situations.¡±


    ¡°You mean, only when your life¡¯s on the bnce.¡± Yun Ruoyu wrinkled her nose and muttered acidly.


    ¡°Ruoyu, stop it.¡± Yun Ruoyao nced at Yun Ruoyu, before looking at the backs of the couple ahead of them.


    She didn¡¯t expect her cousin to have such useful skills, and it seemed as if she¡¯d have to make more of an effort to get on her good side in the future.


    In the other direction, the beasts continued to chase Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group following Yi Qianying¡¯s mist-like substance.


    ¡°Why are they only chasing us again?!¡± Lin Qingxue screamed as she ran.


    Everyone knew that this was likely something that Yi Qianying had done.


    Her past life, after marrying into the Peis, Yun Ruoyan had cut off all rtions with Yi Qianying, all the way until the night before she had died. This was why she had been wholly unaware of Yi Qianying¡¯s skills.


    Yi Qianying, Pei Ziao, both of you need to die!


    ¡°Ah, they¡¯ve almost caught up.¡± Lin Qingxue turned around and saw the four mystic-eyed lions pressing toward their party like four small mountains, scaring her so much that she mustered up herst reserves of energy and flew to the front of the group.


    The four lions had been drugged, after all, and in their dizziness, they¡¯d battered down countless small trees and riled up whole clouds of dust and stone, but this only caused them to chase after Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group in even more of a rage, as if they wouldn¡¯t rest until they tore Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group to pieces!


    ¡°There¡¯s a trail of vines up ahead!¡± Lin Qingxue pointed at a cliffside in the distance before rushing over, climbing the vines up the cliff without hesitation.


    Yun Ruoyan and the others followed suit.


    This cliff was even steeper than that at the valley entrance, but luckily, there were a lot of vines all over the cliffside.


    Each of these vines was thick and sturdy, climbing up and down the cliff, and the slender outgrowths had perfectly integrated into the cliffside, sprouting and growing until the whole cliffside had been covered.


    Yun Ruoyan raised her head, trying to see whaty at the top of the cliff under the bright moonlight. The cliff was unusually tall, and it seemed to protrude all the way into the dark heavens, so she couldn¡¯t see its peak no matter how far back she leaned.


    Suddenly, the whole cliff began to shudder. The four lions had seen Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group climb up, and they were all battering themselves against the base of the cliff, trying to knock the party down.


    The group hesitated for a little during themotion before continuing to climb once more. There was a cave about twenty meters up, and they¡¯d be safe as long as they could get inside!


    They just didn¡¯t know if it was big enough for all five of them.


    Zhuo Yifeng took the lead and found that, although it was somewhat narrow, it was deep enough for all of them.


    After putting Zhuo Lin¡¯er down, he leaned out the face of the cave and stretched a hand out toward Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Give me your hand!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan, who was near the cave entrance herself, ced her hand in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s grasp, and he hoisted her up easily.


    Then, both of them helped the Lin sisters up. Only when everyone was in the cave did Yun Ruoyan finally take a breath.


    The reverberations from the beasts had decreased significantly.


    ¡°Ruoyan, Qingchen, look!¡± Lin Qingxue leaned out of the cave as she looked down. ¡°Those beasts seem to be out of energy.¡±


    The cave entrance wasn¡¯t wide, and it was a little cramped for all three of them there. Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen slowly made their way to the entrance and looked down.


    Those beasts really were using less and less strength. Not long after, they fell to the floor in a slumbering heap.


    ¡°Rather than being out of strength, it¡¯s likely that Yi Qianying¡¯s powder has taken effect,¡± Lin Qingchen muttered. ¡°Who knew Yi Qianying actually had some capabilities?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Lin Qingxue almost jumped in excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s go down, go down! Four high-tier beast cores are waiting for us!¡±


    ¡°Qingxue, be careful!¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly pulled Lin Qingxue back before looking at her reproachfully. At times, her cousin really was too energetic for her own good.


    Lin Qingxue stuck out her tongue, not minding Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression, as she continued to lean out of the cave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down now!¡± She continued impatiently.


    ¡°No, we should wait.¡± Zhuo Yifeng shook his head. ¡°Beasts at the higher tiers can be particrly cunning, and this might be a trick.¡±

 Chapter 44: I’ll Rescue Them!

    <h4>Chapter 44: I¡¯ll Rescue Them!</h4>


    ¡°Surely not?¡± Lin Qingxue opened her eyes wide and continued to look at the lions far below, which remained perfectly still, as if dead.


    After quite a while, almost as Zhuo Yifeng had predicted, one of the beasts began to stir and then stood up, as did the other three.


    The four beasts looked up at the cliff, and, seeing that they couldn¡¯t get to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group, howled loudly a few times before turning to leave.


    ¡°You were right!¡± Lin Qingxue turned back and stared at Zhuo Yifeng with big eyes, her face full of admiration. ¡°Brother Zhuo, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    Lin Qingchen sighed in relief. Based on Yi Qianying¡¯s cultivation, it would be unlikely for her to be able to concoct a powder that could put even high-tier beasts to sleep. If she could, then, as her counterpart in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group, Lin Qingchen would have felt a tremendous burden to keep up.


    ¡°When will we leave?¡± Lin Qingchen sat by the cave entrance and asked.


    ¡°After tonight. Mystic-eyed lions are nocturnal creatures, and they¡¯ll return to theirire morning. It¡¯ll be safe to leave in the morning,¡± Zhuo Yifeng pronounced.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so hungry.¡± Lin Qingxue leaned against the cave wall, rubbing her growling tummy. She¡¯d eaten something simple in the morning, and her belly had emptied after an entire day of exertion.


    Now that Lin Qingxue had brought the matter up and regaled them with the sound of her belly grumbling, everyone looked toward Zhuo Yifeng as one.


    But Zhuo Yifeng had no rations left either.


    ¡®Haha, Sister Ruoyan, your stomach¡¯s the loudest!¡± Lin Qingxue pointed at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stomach with a little finger.


    ¡°Rubbish!¡± Yun Ruoyan batted her finger aside. ¡°Considering how many fights I¡¯ve been in today, isn¡¯t it natural that I¡¯m hungry?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right!¡± Lin Qingxue actually began counting in earnest. ¡°Wow, Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯ve been in four fights today!¡±


    ¡°Go sleep! You won¡¯t be hungry if you¡¯re asleep.¡± Yun Ruoyany her head against one wall, shut her eyes, and stopped talking.


    Lin Qingxue¡¯s body slowly slid down into Yun Ruoyan¡¯sp.


    Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes, caressing her temples, and then turned to look at Lin Qingchen by her side. She shut her eyes and breathed evenly, her head slowly lolling to rest on her shoulder.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips curved as she shut her eyes once more.


    Zhuo Yifeng looked at Yun Ruoyan as she closed her eyes and surveilled the surroundings. It was dark inside the cave, but Zhuo Lin¡¯er didn¡¯t detect any trace of beasts within, so he too closed his eyes and slept.


    After an entire day running around, the group fell asleep rtively quickly.


    ¡°Qiu, qiu, Mistress!¡± While she was half-asleep, Yun Ruoyan heard Qiuqiu¡¯s voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Qiuqiu?¡±


    ¡°Wake up, something¡¯s wrong!¡±


    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yun Ruoyan instantly shot awake and sat up straight.


    Lin Qingxue, who was sleeping in herp, also woke up due to her sudden movement. She sat upright and rubbed her sleep-filled eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ruoyan?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan made a shushing sound as she pushed Lin Qingchen awake.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Qingchen asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong!¡± Zhuo Yifeng spoke up, independently awake, his eyes gleaming in the darkness. ¡°Lin¡¯er said that she can smell a snake scent again.¡±


    ¡°What, there are snakes here too?!¡± Lin Qingxue jumped up in fright.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be certain. There wasn¡¯t any such scent before, but it suddenly appeared out of nowhere.¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s equally bright eyes stared toward the interior of the cave as she slowly stretched out a finger. ¡°Right over there.¡±


    The others looked at where she was pointing, and they seemed to see a pitch-ck spot in that direction, just like an indelible stain that wouldn¡¯te off no matter how much one rubbed at it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go over to check it out. Stay here and don¡¯t move,¡± Yun Ruoyan ordered, as she walked slowly toward the direction that Zhuo Lin¡¯er had pointed out.


    By the cave entrance, there were still faint traces of moonlight, but the interior of the cave waspletely without any source of light. Yun Ruoyan took out a firehound¡¯s inner core and held it ahead of her, borrowing its faint illumination to discern whaty ahead.


    In the darkest part of the cave, Yun Ruoyan suddenly saw two orbs of green.


    ¡°Mistress, be careful!¡± Qiuqiu suddenly called out, and then Yun Ruoyan saw a gigantic serpent emerge from the shadows, its eyes glowing green amidst the darkness.


    Yun Ruoyan hurriedly stepped back a few steps as the snake approached, finally illuminated by the moonlight.


    ¡°A high-tier magical snake!¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er eximed softly.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, be careful,¡± Lin Qingxue wanted to call out, but Lin Qingchen clutched her mouth shut.


    Lin Qingxue tugged on her sister¡¯s hand, looking at her questioningly.


    ¡°The higher a snake-type magical beast¡¯s tier, the weaker its vision. Given how big this serpent seems to be, it¡¯s probably just about blind,¡± Lin Qingchen whispered, having once read some relevant records about such beasts in her grandfather¡¯s study.


    Indeed, just as the serpent¡¯s head got close to Yun Ruoyan, it suddenly stopped without approaching further.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body was still slightly bowed, ready tounch into motion at the serpent¡¯s smallest gesture. The serpent had been hibernating in the cave, but for some reason, it woke up that night and coincidentally found Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group.


    Its eyes weren¡¯t very good, but its sense of smell more than made up for that deficiency. But because Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group all held their breath, it suddenly couldn¡¯t smell any of them once more.


    The serpent was about to turn and leave when it suddenly smelled a gust of blood from its front.


    And so it slowly approached Yun Ruoyan, its nostrils ring and its tongue flicking out of its mouth in order to capture more scents.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wound had split open once again, and there was pus dripping down her face once more. That pus gave off an odor as it became exposed to the night air.


    Yun Ruoyan had also realized this, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. She silently directed a gust of spiritual energy into her mind, ready to call out the Fei de at any moment.


    A momentter, as if not having discovered anything, the serpent slowly turned its head around and appeared to be returning to the darkness to sleep.


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but let out a breath in relief.


    But, all of a sudden, a crafty gleam shone in the serpent¡¯s eyes. Its head quickly wrapped back around as it opened its wide maw and flicked out its tongue, licking Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± Lin Qingxue broke free of Lin Qingchen¡¯s restraints and screamed.


    Despite the sudden danger, Yun Ruoyan was surprisingly calm. She woke the Fei de from its slumber, and in a matter of moments, that de appeared in front of her and flew, like a beam of light, into the serpent¡¯s exposed mouth.


    Based on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s current cultivation, even with perfect control of the Fei de, it was unlikely that she would be able to ughter such a high-tier beast, but Yun Ruoyan had chosen the best possible opportunity to strike, and the de hadn¡¯t had to ovee any of the serpent¡¯s defenses.


    The serpent¡¯s soft, tender internal organs couldn¡¯t stand against the de¡¯s rampage, and it thrashed and hissed in agony.


    The cave trembled and bits of rubble fell while the group dodged the falling debris carefully.


    After quite a while, the serpent finallyy unmoving on the ground, its glowing green eyes extinguished.


    ¡°Did it die?¡± Lin Qingxue clutched her chest, panting, as she walked to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side and looked around all about her. ¡°I thought I saw a beam of light suddenly fly into the serpent¡¯s mouth, but I don¡¯t know what it was. Sister Ruoyan, did you see it?¡±


    ¡°No, what light? Could it be just a trick of the eyes?¡± Yun Ruoyan had long since taken back the Fei de.


    Lin Qingxue rubbed her head before turning to Lin Qingchen and Zhuo Yifeng, who hadn¡¯t noticed anything.


    ¡°It seems like that¡¯s really the case...¡± Lin Qingxue didn¡¯t suspect anything amiss as she looked at the serpent¡¯s head on the ground, smiling. ¡°The mystic-eyed lions might have gotten away, but this serpent¡¯s ours! Its core¡¯s going to be super valuable, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lin Qingchen and Zhuo Yifeng also came to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side, and everyoneid their eyes on the serpent head. No one would get tired of seeing treasure!


    This was the first time any of them had seen such arge serpent, and they¡¯d really gotten a better understanding of all types of magical beasts after entering the territory.


    But, before these people could finish admiring the serpent¡¯s head, it suddenly began to move backwards, as if something were dragging it from behind.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Everyone was somewhat suspicious of the sudden motion, but they didn¡¯t dare to make sudden moves. Who knew whaty in wait at the end of the dark cave?


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t let it run off!¡± Lin Qingxue couldn¡¯t bear to see treasure disappear in front of her eyes, and she stretched out a hand toward its head.


    ¡°Qingxue, be careful!¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly ran over to pull her back, but a vine suddenly extended out of the darkness and wound itself around Lin Qingxue¡¯s hands and feet, pulling her inward.


    Yun Ruoyan only had time to grab one corner of her pants, but it ripped under the tension.


    ¡°Qingxue!¡± Lin Qingchen rushed over, but she didn¡¯t manage to grab onto anything.


    ¡°Ruoyan, Qingchen, help!¡± Lin Qingxue and the serpent¡¯s gigantic head were both dragged into the darkness.


    ¡°Qingxue, qingxue!¡± Lin Qingchen screamed and was about to give chase when Yun Ruoyan pulled her back.


    ¡°Qingchen, it¡¯s dangerous! Don¡¯t go there!¡±


    Lin Qingchen turned around, teary-eyed. ¡°But what about Qingxue, what¡¯s going to happen to her?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll save her!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan pulled Lin Qingchen back and handed her to Zhuo Yifeng, standing behind her. ¡°Take care of my sister.¡± Saying that, she leaped into the darkness.


    Yun Ruoyan felt herself falling. Only then did she realize that the darkness was actually a deep hole; if she kept on falling at this rate, she would certainly die upon impact!

 Chapter 45: Wild Vine Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 45: Wild Vine Spirit</h4>


    Luckily, Yun Ruoyan was still holding a firehound¡¯s inner core in her hands. Under the weak illumination it gave off, she was able to grab hold of one of the vines lining the cave walls and decrease her velocity.


    She began to drop at a much slower rate, and she¡¯d temporarily avoided the possibility of death by falling. By the time she reached the end of the vine, the ground was close enough that she could simply push off the wall andnd with both feet.


    Her moleskin boots made contact with the ground with a dull thud. Apanying this noise, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s surroundings suddenly filled with light.


    The light was soft, warm, and faintly green.


    Yun Ruoyan slowly got up from her crouching position and looked at her surroundings.


    This was a particrly spacious underground chamber and the floor, ceiling, and four walls were all dotted with some sort of starlight.


    This made Yun Ruoyan think of the cave that they had to go through to leave the misdirection array, and she judged that the light was caused by the same type of mineral.


    In her past life, when Yun Ruoyan had followed Pei Ziao into the imperial territory, she¡¯d heard him mention this type of mineral. Unusually, the mineral possessed some sort of spiritual attunement that allowed it to sense people and to give off light upon doing so.


    The more people there were, the stronger the light.


    In addition to the light from these minerals, the whole area was covered in vines. Despite there not being any natural sunlight at all, these vines were unusually numerous.


    One end of the vines extended up the hole down which she had just fallen, and the other end toward the far side of the underground chamber.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intuition told her that whatever had dragged Lin Qingxue and the serpent down here was right inside.


    Yun Ruoyan walked toward the other end of the chamber, and as she walked, she noted that the four walls around her began to sparkle in the faint green light, brighter and brighter.


    ¡°Help! Save me!¡± Suddenly, she heard a weak cry for help. It was Lin Qingxue¡¯s voice!


    ¡°Qingxue!¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly called out, before running in the direction of the voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here to save you!¡±


    She rounded the corner and saw Lin Qingxue in a corner. Her face was a disconcerting stark white, and her whole body seemed to be covered in small tendrils, as if she were about to be consumed by them.


    Beside her body were a grotesque number of bones, of man and beast alike. More frighteningly, the corner opposite Lin Qingxue¡¯s was a veritable mountain of bones, about half as tall as Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, please save me, I can¡¯t hold out much longer.¡± As soon as Lin Qingxue saw Yun Ruoyan, she spoke weakly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.¡± Yun Ruoyan hurried over.


    Right as she was about to get to Lin Qingxue¡¯s side, a vine sprang down from midair, attempting to tangle Yun Ruoyan¡¯s limbs up.


    But Yun Ruoyan¡¯s reflexes were fast enough that she managed to dodge the vine by turning to the side and pushing herself backwards.


    She looked at the vine suspended in midair, and saw the unusual sight of the serpent from before behind it, wrapped up in what amounted to a vine harness.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, be careful!¡± Lin Qingxue warned. ¡°Not only will these vines attack people, they can even suck away their spiritual energy. Most of mine has already been taken from me.¡± She weakly closed her eyes, as if saying all that had cost her whatever paltry amount remained.


    After hearing Lin Qingxue¡¯s words, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t hesitate to summon the Fei de and cut off the vines surrounding Lin Qingxue.


    Before Lin Qingxue could react, the vines on her body were mostly cut off.


    The vines seemed to be furious as they headed for Yun Ruoyan once more. As a distraction, she directed the Fei de to cut off the vines suspending the serpent in midair.


    With a heavy thud, the serpentnded on the floor, and the vines covering its body scattered. As if they were alive, however, they twisted and turned on the floor, reminding Yun Ruoyan of the snakes that had been in the cave.


    Yun Ruoyan stowed the Fei de once more and rushed to Lin Qingxue¡¯s side, helping her stand.


    ¡°Can you walk?¡± She asked, and Lin Qingxue forced herself to nod.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately began to walk toward the exterior of the chamber with her, but at the same time, the vines that hadnded on the floor were squirming towards them.


    Yun Ruoyan unsheathed the daggers on Lin Qingxue¡¯s waist and cut off the vines that tried to tangle up their legs while trying to protect Lin Qingxue behind her.


    The problem was that the vines didn¡¯t ever seem to die. Even after they were cut, they kept moving closer, and even the Fei de could only block them temporarily.


    What were these vines made out of? Why wouldn¡¯t they die?! Yun Ruoyan began to panic.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, that¡¯s a wild vine spirit!¡± Lin Qingchen¡¯s voice came from behind.


    Yun Ruoyan turned around in shock and saw Lin Qingchen and Zhuo Yifeng rounding the corner.


    ¡°Why are the two of you down here?! Didn¡¯t I tell you to wait?¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned as she looked toward Zhuo Yifeng, her tone particrly displeased. She¡¯d specifically instructed him to look after Lin Qingchen, but both of them hade down here instead!


    ¡°Your cousin was really quite worried about you two, and I couldn¡¯t stop her froming down, so I followed her instead,¡± Zhuo Yifeng informed her expressionlessly, knocking the vines back with his bow.


    Lin Qingchen helped bring Lin Qingxue to a corner so she could lean against the wall. Her gaze was doting, but her tone fierce. ¡°Have you learned your lesson yet? Next time, you¡¯d better not be so rash!¡±


    But Lin Qingxue was so weak that she couldn¡¯t even refute her sister, and she could only purse her lips miserably.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your sister?¡± After cutting off yet another persistent vine, Yun Ruoyan asked Zhuo Yifeng. She had just noticed that Zhuo Lin¡¯er didn¡¯t seem to be with them.


    ¡°Up there, where it¡¯s safe. She¡¯s also very worried, but I didn¡¯t think she would be much help.¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Yun Ruoyan chopped up another vine and looked at Lin Qingchen to her back. ¡°Since you¡¯re all down here, let¡¯s find a way to deal with this thing!¡±


    After Lin Qingchen had sat her sister down, she unsheathed her steel sword and joined the party in chopping vines.


    But new vines grew out of the chamber faster than they could chop them off, so at this rate, they surely wouldn¡¯t be able to make it.


    As she chopped, she regurgitated all the information she had about nt-type beasts. ¡°Grandfather told me that some nts, after absorbing enough pure spiritual energy, would be able to create a spiritual body, and those who had done so for long enough a period would even be able to take on the shape of a human. I wonder to what stage this wild vine has progressed...¡±


    ¡°Its own body?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°Does that mean that, if we can find its spiritual body and kill it, that we can kill the whole vine system?¡±


    Lin Qingchen nodded. ¡°That should be the case, but there are so many vines here! How are we going to find which one¡¯s the spiritual body?¡±


    The entire chamber was teeming with vines, but if only one of those vines were real, then how were they going to find it?


    As if understanding what Lin Qingchen had said, the vines began to attack the party even more ferociously.


    ¡°Ah!¡± A vine grabbed Lin Qingchen¡¯s wrist. Yun Ruoyan wanted to save her, but in a moment of distraction, a vine grabbed her waist as well, and both of them ended up being suspended in mid-air.


    Yun Ruoyan began to feel a curious suction from the vines wrapping around her waist, and her spiritual energy began to drain away.


    ¡°Mistress, this sort of vine will consume the spiritual energy of everything it entraps, so you have to try to find a way to escape its grasp!¡± Qiuqiu said anxiously.


    But Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have time to worry about herself, because she saw some vines advancing rapidly along the wall toward Lin Qingxue.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, go protect Qingxue, quickly!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng nced at her. He¡¯d originally wanted to save Yun Ruoyan first, but he obeyed her instructions and ran to Lin Qingxue¡¯s side, slicing off the vines approaching her with his bow.


    Although he was out of arrows, the bow in his hands was particrly well made. In particr, the bowstring was sharp enough that it could cut off the vines in one blow, even if they were as thick as two or three wrists.


    Seeing how powerful the bow in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hands was, the vine suddenly split into two in midair, one attacking Zhuo Yifeng, and the other Lin Qingxue.


    Despite his bow¡¯s sharpness, Zhuo Yifeng was barely able to fend off the vine while having to protect Lin Qingxue.


    Yun Ruoyan looked towards them, anxious and concerned, but she had to worry about herself first.


    ¡°Its spiritual body¡¯s over there!¡± Lin Qingchen suddenly shouted. ¡°Ruoyan, I¡¯ve found it! It¡¯s right by that pile of bones, you just have to follow the vines back to their origin.¡±


    As Lin Qingchen instructed, she traced back the vine currently attacking Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue, and indeed came to the same conclusion.


    So that was where its true body was hidden!


    ¡°But we can¡¯t do anything about it right now!¡± Lin Qingchen moaned, ineffectually struggling against the vines in mid-air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a n!¡± Yun Ruoyan summoned the Fei de. Given that this was a life-and-death situation, she didn¡¯t have the luxury to worry about keeping secrets, and she felt that her threepanions were clearly trustworthy.


    Lin Qingchen felt her vision blur, and all she could see was a purple beam, emanating a slightly cold aura, flying past her eyes.


    Yun Ruoyan directed the Fei de at that pile of bones. The bones flew apart as soon as the de impacted, revealing the vine¡¯s heart.


    It was blood-red and looked just like a gigantic artery, as thick as two men, a sinister and bulbous growth.


    ¡°Fei de, slice it apart!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    The Fei de managed to cut the heart halfway through; at the same time, a piercing scream emanated from the heart, and the vines that were holding Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen up, as well as those attacking Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue, rapidly spasmed before retracting to the heart.


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen fell from the air.


    ¡°Fei de, strike once more!¡± As Yun Ruoyannded on the ground, shemanded the de once more.

 Chapter 46: Treasures from the Snake Den

    <h4>Chapter 46: Treasures from the Snake Den</h4>


    Kacha! This time, the Fei depletely severed the vine heart.


    All the vines that had been extending from the heart seemed to have suddenly lost their life, and with a deste wail, began to wilt rapidly.


    Not long after, at least a third of the vines in the underground chamber had yellowed, the wailing stopped, and all was quiet once more.


    ¡°It¡¯s dead, finally dead!¡±


    Everyone finally took a deep breath.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, what was that blue light? It was so powerful!¡± Lin Qingchen looked towards Yun Ruoyan, somewhat shocked.


    She¡¯d seen high-grade weapons that could freely change their size, but never a beam like that which seemed able to understand humanmands. She wasn¡¯t even sure if that was a weapon at all.


    ¡°You mean this!¡± Yun Ruoyan extended her palm andy it t in front of Lin Qingchen, and the Fei de appeared hovering above her palm.


    It was a crescent-shaped de, giving off a cold blue aura, slowly revolving in the air.


    ¡°This is...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a spiritual weapon.¡± Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s equally astonished voice came from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back.


    She turned around to nce at him and continued, ¡°That¡¯s right, this is the Fei de, a spirit weapon I obtained unintentionally, and one of my lifelines.¡±


    She looked at Lin Qingchen and Zhuo Yifeng in session before saying with a severe expression, ¡°This is far more precious than someone at my level of cultivation should have. I¡¯m only a weak girl, and if others were to know that I have such a weapon, it won¡¯t end well for me. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been hiding this from all of you, and I hope you¡¯ll all understand and help me keep my secret.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Lin Qingchen eximed. She knew full well how difficult her cousin¡¯s life was. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to keep this secret. Don¡¯t worry, Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°We beastkin won¡¯t ever betray our friends. I can swear a vow to the king of beasts,¡± Zhuo Yifeng continued.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at him in anticipation. He didn¡¯t hesitate to make a fist, ce it above his heart, look toward the sky, and say slowly, ¡°I, Zhuo Yifeng, hereby swear to the king of beasts: If I reveal Yun Ruoyan¡¯s secret, I will lose my most precious possession.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bright eyes looked toward Yun Ruoyan, and she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to trust you, but things happen so rapidly in this world that I need a guarantee.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng nodded in understanding. ¡°All of you are fine, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. How are you guys? Were you hurt by the vines?¡± Yun Ruoyan kept the Fei de once more before turning to Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t injured, but her face is rather pallid.¡± Zhuo Yifeng looked at Lin Qingxue, who was still in a daze.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. I just took her pulse, and she¡¯s just been temporarily weakened. Luckily, her health¡¯s not in danger,¡± Lin Qingchen added.


    ¡°The vines sucked up a lot of her spiritual energy,¡± Yun Ruoyanmented. ¡°Given how long this vine¡¯s been here, I wonder how many lives it¡¯s taken?¡±


    Everyone looked as one toward the bones lining the ground.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Zhuo Yifeng frowned and nced at the corner where the vine heart used to be.


    After it had wilted, it had lost its blood-red appearance and insteady shrunken on its side, just like a withered tree trunk.


    With his bow, Zhuo Yifeng sawed the remainder of the vine away, revealing a little crevice beneath.


    A little ck snake was crawling up the hole, and Zhuo Yifeng cut its head off immediately.


    ¡°Hng! There are snakes here too.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen also walked over. When Yun Ruoyan saw the little snake, she frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t snake-type beasts usually green? Why is this one ck in color?¡±


    ¡°A mutated snake!¡± Lin Qingchen stooped down as she looked at the two halves of the snake, which were squirming slowly. ¡°Snake-type beasts mutate rtively easily, and theymonly develop some special ability upon doing so. I¡¯ve seen records of one that could breathe fire, and it was a very powerful beast specializing in offensive attacks.¡±


    She looked somewhat regretfully at the little snake carcass. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that it died, or I¡¯d have been able to study it a little.¡±


    ¡°Qingchen, when did you start studying magical beasts?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, recalling that her cousin had always followed her grandfather around learning medicine. She had sometent talent for pillmaking, but Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know that she was interested in magical beasts as well.


    ¡°Grandfather said that many beasts¡¯ inner cores can be a vital ingredient for some medicine, so he¡¯s been pushing me to read more books about the subject. Sometimes, he even lets me keep some small magical beasts to observe. Only after entering this ce did I realize how many beasts out there that aren¡¯t recorded in books; we really have far too few records!¡±


    As Lin Qingchen said this, her gaze drifted toward the crevice behind the snake carcass, and her eyes lit up. She reached out to clear away the rest of the vine before bending down toward the crevice.


    ¡°Great, there are still snake eggs here!¡± She turned back and said happily to Yun Ruoyan before reaching into the crevice and taking out three spotted snake eggs.


    ¡°Are you really going to raise them?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at the three small, oval-shaped eggs, slightly frowning. ¡°These are mutated beasts, and unless you¡¯re a professional summoner, you might not be able to tame them.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to look at the gigantic serpent carcass behind her, still remembering the heart-pounding battle she¡¯d had with the beast. If not for the Fei de, she¡¯d likely have been swallowed whole in one gulp.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll let Grandfather help me. Snake-type beasts aren¡¯t easy to raise, either, and it¡¯s possible that none of them will actually survive.¡± She reached out into the crevice again, but this time, rather than a snake egg, she extracted a book.


    ¡°Why¡¯s there a book here?!¡± Lin Qingchen eximed.


    The book was dusty and old, as yellowed as the vine had be after its death.


    Yun Ruoyan was as flummoxed as Lin Qingchen.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely left by one of the people that the wild vine consumed,¡± Zhuo Yifeng said from the side. He¡¯d cleared out the vines by the other side of the crevice and was reaching his hand in as well.


    ¡°That¡¯s possible! Let me see.¡± Yun Ruoyan took the book. It wasn¡¯t very thick, but felt dense and heavy to the touch. She flipped it open and revealed equally yellowed pages, but there wasn¡¯t a single word on them.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? There are no words anywhere!¡± Yun Ruoyan flipped through the entire book and confirmed her statement.


    ¡°There are more things inside!¡± Zhuo Yifeng suddenly eximed, and Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen both looked toward him. His hand was clutching a dark green porcin bottle, his face full of delight.


    Yun Ruoyan also smiled. ¡°There¡¯s probably quite a few more possessions in this crevice from all those people who¡¯ve died here before. If we clean out all the vines, we might end up with some good finds.¡±


    Lin Qingchen carefully stored her three snake eggs, and Yun Ruoyan tossed the book with no words into her pocket dimension.


    The three of them began clearing out the remainder of the vines, revealing a frightening number of bones within. Most of the bones were from humans, and it seemed that they¡¯d been dead for quite a while.


    ¡°It looks like this serpent¡¯s killed arge number of people as well.¡± Yun Ruoyan picked up another white porcin bottle from amidst those bones. She opened it and found, to her surprise, a core foundation pill.


    But this pill wasn¡¯t particrly sessful: it seemed far inferior in terms of shape, smell, and size to the pill that the Lins had had.


    ¡°This must be a failure.¡± Lin Qingchen took the pill and sniffed it carefully. ¡°But it still has pretty good medicinal properties, better than a standard life quintessence pill. Just the thing we need to help restore Qingxue¡¯s vitality.¡±


    She walked over to Lin Qingxue¡¯s side and fed her the pill. Lin Qingxue¡¯splexion immediately seemed far better, and she slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Qingchen, I was so scared!¡±


    ¡°This is a lesson for you, so you¡¯ll be better behaved in the future.¡± Lin Qingchen clicked her tongue at her sister, but her fingers were gently rubbing her temples.


    In the end, the group found quite a few noteworthy things from the chamber, mostly pills and powders for restoring spiritual energy and stamina. Although they were precious, nothing was exceptionally special.


    Every cultivator would normally keep pills like those by their side in case they encountered any danger, so rather than putting it into Lin Qingchen¡¯s bag of holding, they split it up on the spot.


    What remained was a bottle of mysterious medicinal powder and a rusted ring.


    The medicinal powder would be handed to Lin Zainan, who would be able to identify it.


    The ring was engraved with what appeared to be a little serpent. Lin Qingchen liked the look of it very much, so they agreed to give the ring to her.


    After they¡¯d extracted the core from the serpent, the group went back to the hole down which they¡¯d fallen. Lin Qingchen and Zhuo Yifeng had prepared a vine as they¡¯d descended, making the climb up much more convenient.


    ¡°Lin¡¯er? Lin¡¯er?¡± Zhuo Yifeng called up through the hole.


    Yun Ruoyan could see that he was still a little worried, and she couldn¡¯t help but be touched that, in order to save her, he actually left his sister up there in the cave alone.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m alright. Are you injured? How are Ruoyan and the others?¡±


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s voice finally responded from above, and the group rxed at the same time.


    ¡°We¡¯re all alright, and we¡¯re heading up now!¡± Zhuo Yifeng responded before grabbing a vine, carrying Lin Qingxue on his back, and climbing up.


    Lin Qingchen followed behind him, and Yun Ruoyan behind her. After about fifteen minutes, they were finally back in the cave.


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er had been guarding the entrance, looking downward from time to time with her little body. As soon as she saw Zhuo Yifeng, she immediately stood up.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Sister Qingxue?¡± She saw Zhuo Yifeng carrying Lin Qingxue and asked in concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Lin Qingxue opened her eyes and spoke with considerable exertion, ¡°I¡¯m just a little weak, but after a bit of rest, I¡¯ll be able to bicker with you again!¡±


    ¡°Hng! I don¡¯t enjoy bickering with you.¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but give her a supercilious look.


    The others beganughing at their antics.


    After a short rest, they descended the cliff once more, returning to where they¡¯d fought with Pei Ziao that day in the forest.


    Pei Ziao¡¯s group had long since vanished, but what was curious was that Liu Sheng and Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s bodies had likewise disappeared. There were only two pools of unsightly dried-up blood on the ground.

 Chapter 47: The Second Round

    <h4>Chapter 47: The Second Round</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group guessed that the two corpses had either been eaten by the mystic-eyed lions or dealt with by Pei Ziao¡¯s group, so they didn¡¯t think too much of it.


    Without staying any longer, they ignored their exertion and hunger and left the valley. If they¡¯d dallied until nightfall, they might have been trapped for another day.


    Because Lin Qingxue was a little heavier than Zhuo Lin¡¯er, Zhuo Yifeng was assigned to carry her on his back, whereas Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen would take turns carrying Zhuo Lin¡¯er. When it was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s turn, she was still utterly shocked by her unusually light body.


    Yun Ruoyan had always thought that the reason Zhuo Yifeng seemed as if he could fly even while carrying Zhuo Lin¡¯er was because of his exceptional physique, but this wasn¡¯t the case.


    Carrying Zhuo Lin¡¯er felt like nothing more than carrying an empty sack on your back, and was wholly effortless!


    There were fewer beast carcasses in the valley than there were yesterday, but no one wanted to dig out any more beast cores as they passed by the low-tier beasts¡¯ bodies.


    After all, they were rushing to meet a deadline, and they¡¯d already gotten much better treasure, to the point that what was left behind didn¡¯t seem like all that much.


    By the afternoon, the group finally made its way out of the valley and found a small stream along which to set up camp.


    These few days of ceaseless battling had left everyone tired and weary, but they were all buoyed by the treasure that they¡¯d collected.


    Of course, the one who¡¯d gained the most was Yun Ruoyan, having finally broken through the restrictions ced on her by the poison and bing a fourth-rank demaster.


    She believed that, having passed through this obstacle, and being furnished by the abundant spiritual energy in the pocket dimension, her subsequent cultivation would be far smoother.


    They¡¯d actually been in the territory for a whole week now, and it was time to turn back starting tomorrow. If they were able to avoid any battles, three days would be enough for them to find the exit.


    Everyone felt that the ten-day expedition was far too short, and they¡¯d dly have stayed another ten days if they could. But given the rules of the trial, they had no other choice.


    After making sure that Zhuo Lin¡¯er and Lin Qingxue were settled in, Zhuo Yifeng took responsibility for hunting and cooking, whereas Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan got water from the riverside to make soup.


    They¡¯d had roasted meat all week, and although Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s roasting skills were incredible, they got tired of eating the same thing over and over again, and wanted to switch things up.


    After filling up their canteens, the two of them looked at the cool, clear stream, suddenly feeling ufortable all over.


    After fighting and running nonstop for thest few days, who knew how manyyers of sweat and grime had settled on their body? Their clothes were full of stains, and they began to squirm as soon as they thought about their skin.


    ¡°Ruoyan,¡± Lin Qingchen looked at Yun Ruoyan as she stated earnestly, ¡°I want to take a bath.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked back at her and said, equally earnestly, ¡°Me too!¡±


    The two cousins shared a smile.


    To get it over with quickly, they decided to take a bath at the same time, with no one standing guard. Afraid that Zhuo Yifeng would suddenly show up, the two girls went upstream a little.


    After they¡¯d found a quiet location, they immediately took off their dirty clothes and got into the water.


    As Lin Qingchen helped wash Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back, her hands touched the skin on her back. It was white and tender, as smooth and glossy as silk, and she couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment before she smiled bitterly. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re just consoling me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Lin Qingchen borated, ¡°It¡¯s true, your back and shoulders and neck are all so pretty. If only you didn¡¯t have a birthmark on your face...!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appearance was all but ruined by her birthmark, but this hadn¡¯t affected the rest of her development. Although she looked rather thin, even her breasts were slowly filling out.


    Furthermore, because she had been focused on her training and diet, she¡¯d done a remarkably thorough job on her originally undernourished body.


    Yun Ruoyan patted Lin Qingchen¡¯s hand and sighed, ¡°Actually, this birthmark isn¡¯t all bad.¡±


    ¡°Really? What¡¯s good about it?¡± Lin Qingchen asked skeptically.


    Yun Ruoyan lowered her head and looked at her reflection in the water. The scarring on the birthmark, red and puffy, had caused half her face to look somewhat distorted.


    She looked at her ugly reflection and continued slowly, ¡°It helped me see some people, some things, more clearly. It told me whom and what I should trust or give up on.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Lin Qingchen was still a little skeptical. Although she was intelligent, some things really had to be experienced before they could be understood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Yun Ruoyan rotated Lin Qingchen¡¯s body around and helped her wash her back. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll never understand what I mean, that you and Qingxue will always be able to live without any worries, that the Lins will grow and flourish.¡±


    While the two of them were talking, a shadow suddenly sneaked by the shore. Yun Ruoyan seemed to feel something, because she stopped scrubbing Lin Qingxue¡¯s back.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ruoyan?¡± Lin Qingxue had also detected Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pause, and turned to ask why.


    Yun Ruoyan continued scrubbing her back as she slowly put her mouth to Lin Qingchen¡¯s ear. ¡°There¡¯s someone by the shore.¡±


    Lin Qingchen nodded almost imperceptibly.


    ¡°Hold your breath with me.¡± Saying that, Yun Ruoyan suddenly shouted ¡°Oh!¡± before pulling Lin Qingchen into the water, pretending to have slipped all of a sudden.


    ¡°Help, help!¡± They pretended to call out, and then the two of them sshed in the water before sinking in.


    Dou Yue had been downstream collecting water for his party, and Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen were bathing upstream. Although they didn¡¯t make much noise, Dou Yao¡¯s hearing was excellent, and he could faintly hear something from upstream.


    After turning a corner, the scene of two beautiful girls bathing was enough to give him a nosebleed that wouldn¡¯t stop.


    Two bodies, fair-skinned under the bright sun, adorned with beautiful ck hair. Even from afar, he could almost smell the fragrant scent of female bodies.


    Dou Yao plugged up his nose as he hid in the bushes, finding their clothes strewn about nearby. He nned on stealing them so that he¡¯d be able to watch the two beauties run around naked, and if their cultivations were fortunately below his, then... there were bushes nearby to act as cover.


    As he thought this, his body went towards Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue¡¯s discarded clothes, but Yun Ruoyan managed to pick up on the faint rustling sound he made as he dove into the bushes.


    I¡¯ll dig out your eyeballs once I catch you, just you wait!


    Dou Yao was just about to pick up the clothes when he heard the two beauties floundering in the water, screaming for help.


    Dou Yao smirked: a most convenient excuse for entering the scene had just presented itself without any effort on his part, and he immediately stood up from the brush.


    Suddenly, a beam of light flew by his scalp. Dou Yao felt the back of his neck go numb as the hair that he¡¯d grown for seventeen long years fell from his head.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± He was so scared that he screamed loudly before turning tail and rushing away.


    ¡°Hmph, he ran away faster than a rabbit!¡± By the time Yun Ruoyan poked her head out of the water, there was no trace of Dou Yao left. She reimed the Fei de, her revenge temporarily stalled.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, let¡¯s go back ashore.¡± Lin Qingchen¡¯s face was somewhat distorted; although females on the Chenyuan continent weren¡¯t particrly conservative, it was still unnerving and frightening to be spied on while bathing.


    As the two of them got on shore and put on their clothes, they walked back towards camp, coincidentally finding Zhuo Yifeng rushing back on the other side. In his hands were two wild ducks, freshly caught.


    ¡°I heard you guys scream for help just now! What happened?¡± He asked anxiously.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Yun Ruoyan sped her hands, her face stormy. ¡°We saw a big rat and were about to catch it to dump in the stew, but he ran off. I¡¯m so angry!¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhuo Yifeng was a little dazed, and he turned to Lin Qingchen questioningly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, a big rat.¡± Lin Qingchen¡¯s face was equally sullen. She responded curtly before following at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back.


    ¡°Stewing rats?¡± Zhuo Yifeng looked back at the wild ducks in his hands.


    Naturally, they didn¡¯t have rat soup that night, but Zhuo Yifeng managed to supplement the ducks with two fish from the stream, along with duck eggs from the forest. The end result was a fragrant, fresh egg drop soup with fish, coupled with roasted duck.


    Everyone had an iparably satisfying meal.


    After the meal, Lin Qingxue raised her hands and called out, ¡°I¡¯m alive again!¡± Then she went back for seconds, and everyoneughed heartily.


    The next day, as they continued heading back, they found several other groups of people here for the selection. Luckily, none of them tried to start a fight or steal their treasures.


    But there was a group of disciples from the Dou family who asked Yun Ruoyan if she had seen a youth named Dou Yao, about sixteen or seventeen years of age, slender and withrge ears.


    Yun Ruoyan imed she hadn¡¯t seen him, but memorized his name in her heart.


    Because of Zhuo Lin¡¯er and Qiuqiu, the group was even able to avoid several beast ambushes. Two dayster, they finally arrived at the entrance of the trial.


    As they handed their tokens to the guards, they were told that they had passed the second trial, and to await a notice of admissions to Kongming Academy to be sent to their houses.


    The group was still a little dazed: they¡¯d passed the trial so easily! The beastkin siblings were especially concerned that they might have been discriminated against due to their identity, but everything seemed to have progressed far more sessfully than anticipated.


    Kongming Academy, which had once seemed so distant, was now almost within reach.


    Of course, what made them happiest was not only the fact that they had passed, but also that they had met Yun Ruoyan and her two cousins. After all this time, they finally had friends from outside their n!


    Of course, the trial hadn¡¯t been easy at all; at least half the cultivators who had gone in had dropped out halfway, and a considerable number had lost their lives. No more than a hundred people had actually passed.


    But, having ovee their struggles, their group naturally felt that what they¡¯d experienced wasn¡¯t much in hindsight.


    ¡°Young misses, you¡¯re finally out!¡± Lin Bo looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group from afar and quickly jumped off his carriage to wee them. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting here for all of you for three days!¡±

 Chapter 48: Antidote

    <h4>Chapter 48: Antidote</h4>


    Lin Bo was the housekeeper of the Lin family, who had watched the Lin sisters grow up. He hadn¡¯t been able to send them off because he was back home visiting his family, but as soon as he returned, he hurriedly went up the mountain to await their sessful departure.


    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s happened to you, second miss?¡± Lin Bo saw Lin Qingxue being carried on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back and hurriedly asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Lin Bo, I just had a little injury,¡± Lin Qingxue responded with a smile. Her face had regained its usual liveliness, but her legs would still go soft at times if she tried to walk.


    ¡°Ah, then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lin Bo, is Grandfather alright?¡± Lin Bo wanted to ask more questions about the injury, but Yun Ruoyan broke him off.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing well. He was simply so worried about all of you that he dispatched me here early. Let¡¯s hurry back home---I¡¯m sure Master Lin will be happy to know that you¡¯ve all passed the trial.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather¡¯s a patient man; Lin Bo, isn¡¯t it you who¡¯s been worried about us all this time?¡± Lin Qingxue joked.


    ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t hide anything from you, second miss!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced all around her, noticing that the Yun family carriage wasn¡¯t present. There weren¡¯t that many carriages out there, and she was sure that she hadn¡¯t simply overlooked it. ¡°Lin Bo, have you seen my sisters?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they arrived two days earlier than your group did, and they¡¯ve already gone back to the Yun household. I even asked them where you girls were!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help raising an eyebrow. ¡°What did they say?¡±


    ¡°They said that they were originally with you, but a chance encounter with some beasts split up your party, so they also don¡¯t know what happened to your group. It worried me so!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, aren¡¯t we all back now?¡± Lin Qingxue smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go back home, Lin Bo!¡±


    Lin Qingxue pulled on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wrist. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, why don¡¯t you go back with us?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, and the whole party walked toward the Lin family carriage.


    Zhuo Yifeng sent Lin Qingxue up the carriage before picking up Zhuo Lin¡¯er once again.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, are you heading home?¡± Yun Ruoyan poked her head out the carriage and looked towards Zhuo Yifeng.


    Zhuo Yifeng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before stopping momentarily on Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Take care, I¡¯ll see you at Kongming Academy.¡±


    No one had expected Zhuo Yifeng to leave so briskly, and Lin Qingchen shouted from behind, ¡°What about the treasure?!¡±


    But Zhuo Yifeng had already gone far into the distance. He turned around and waved to the girls, ¡°Take care of it for me.¡± And then he vanished into the distance.


    Lin Qingxue was a little openmouthed¡ªleaving them with such precious herbs, medicine, and cores? Wasn¡¯t that treating their wealth a bit too carelessly?


    ¡°It¡¯s probably inconvenient for them to have such valuables on their person,¡± Yun Ruoyanmented.


    When the carriage finally arrived at the Lin manor, Lin Qingxue jumped off the carriage before it had fully stopped and shouted, ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m home!¡±


    Before Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen¡¯s amazed eyes, she ran into the manor.


    Her legs seemedpletely fine! Was she just pretending to have weak legs so she could be carried by Zhuo Yifeng?! Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen nced at each other before shaking their heads helplessly.


    Seeing that all three of his granddaughters were safe and sound, and that they had all passed the trial, Lin Zainan was naturally very happy.


    The three girls couldn¡¯t wait to show off their treasures.


    Lin Qingchen removed everything from the bag of holding one by one, and their amassed gains actually filled the entire floor of a guest chamber.


    ¡°Grandfather, aren¡¯t we amazing?¡± Lin Qingxue pulled on Lin Zainan¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Of course! How can my granddaughters not be amazing?¡± Lin Zainan stroked his white beard, his eyes curved into two crescents.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re the amazing one,¡± Lin Qingchen couldn¡¯t help but add. ¡°If not for Sister Ruoyan and I going down there to save you, you¡¯d have been an amazingpanion for the wild vine spirit.¡±


    ¡°That... that...¡± Reprimanded by her sister, Lin Qingxue stuttered a little as she defended herself. ¡°If not for me, would you have been able to get all this treasure?¡± She pointed at the bottles of pills and powders that they¡¯d retrieved from the chamber where the wild vine spirit had resided. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t fallen down that hole, you wouldn¡¯t have gone to rescue me, and you wouldn¡¯t have killed the wild vine spirit and gotten all this treasure!¡±


    Her logic left Lin Qingchen at a loss for words.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gazended on the ck porcin bottle, and she picked it up and handed it to Lin Zainan. ¡°Grandfather, do you know what this is? None of us were able to identify it.¡±


    Lin Zainan took the bottle, uncorked it, and wafted the vapors toward him. As he sniffed lightly, his expression immediately turned radiant.


    ¡°Grandfather, is this something good?¡± Yun Ruoyan inquired upon seeing his face.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s wonderful!¡± Lin Zainan stood up in excitement and said to Yun Ruoyan, ¡°We can finally purge the poison from your body, once and for all.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled for a moment before asking, somewhat incredulously, ¡°Really, a full antidote?¡±


    The Lin sisters quickly crowded around him and repeated the same question.


    ¡°Yes, definitely,¡± Lin Zainan affirmed. ¡°Lin Bo, bring me that vat of alcohol that¡¯s been aged for fifty years. We¡¯ll also have to go to my pillmaking chamberster, so wait here and refuse any guests that might show up.¡±


    Lin Bo nodded and left for the wine cer. Armed with the alcohol, Lin Zainan brought the three girls into his chambers.


    Upon his request, Lin Qingxue unsealed the alcohol that Lin Bo had brought before pouring out a full cup into a cdon bowl.


    ¡°Grandfather, is this for Sister Ruoyan to drink?¡± Lin Qingxue asked curiously.


    But Lin Zainan didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he smiled and shook his head. Amidst the others¡¯ curious gaze, he poured the contents of the bottle into the alcohol.


    They only saw a little mud-yellow grain, about the size of a fingernail, sink to the bottom of the bowl, before starting to fizz and produce arge number of small bubbles.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    Lin Zainan looked adoringly at the mud-yellow object before revealing its identity. ¡°A phoenix bezoar!¡±


    ¡°A phoenix bezoar?!¡± Lin Qingchen eximed in surprise, bing even more agitated than her grandfather.


    ¡°A phoenix bezoar? What¡¯s that?¡± Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue werepletely befuddled.


    ¡°A bezoar¡¯s a small stone-like object that forms in the stomachs of various animals, like cows and dogs, which can have rare and valuable medicinal properties,¡± Lin Qingchen recited, before pointing at the bowl. ¡°And, naturally, a phoenix bezoar is a far rarer bezoar that came from a phoenix¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°Far rarer? You¡¯d hardly find one in a thousand years!¡± Lin Zainan¡¯s mustache and beard were twitching visibly. ¡°A phoenix is a mystical beast, and it¡¯s hard enough to ever encounter one, let alone get ahold of its bezoar. Using it as the base for medicine and including a few herbs to cure poison will surely cure your bodypletely.¡± Lin Zainan¡¯s confident tone finally gave Yun Ruoyan some hope that she would truly be free from the poison that had gued her.


    Everyone stared wonderingly at the phoenix bezoar currently immersed in alcohol.


    That deceivingly in appearance actually hid a priceless treasure. As its mud-yellow membrane slowly dissolved in the alcohol, it finally turned a gleaming gold.


    A sudden fragrant scent spread throughout the room, growing stronger and stronger.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to concoct the pill right away! Wait for me here.¡± Lin Zainan lifted the cup of alcohol and walked to his inner chambers.


    As soon as Lin Zainan left, Lin Qingxue began to run around in circles excitedly. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯ll finally be cured!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, that¡¯s wonderful! Once your poison¡¯s cured, the birthmark on your face will surely go away.¡± Lin Qingchen was no less excited than Lin Qingxue. ¡°I¡¯m so excited to see what your face will look like afterwards.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sat quietly on her chair, her face cool, her breathing calm, as if she weren¡¯t excited at all.


    The poison had invaded her entire body, restricting her cultivation and destroying her appearance. Although Lin Zainan had provided her with some pills in the past, they could only treat her poison on a superficial level. She wasn¡¯t as insensitive about her appearance as it might seem: having to walk around with a pus-filled birthmark on her face would take a toll on anyone. But she had spent two lives carrying that odious birthmark around, and time had gotten her used to others¡¯ stares.


    Now that a hope for curing the poisonpletely was right in front of her, how could she not be excited? It was simply that she¡¯d grown used to hiding her emotions and acting calm.


    Four hourster, Lin Zainan was still in his chambers. Impatient, Lin Qingxue wanted to sneak in to have a look, but Lin Qingchen quickly dragged her back.


    ¡°You know that Grandfather needs absolute concentration while making pills, and if you make a disturbance, you won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences,¡± Lin Qingchen rebuked her severely.


    Lin Qingxue recognized the importance of the matter and sat back down obediently after sticking out her tongue. Her gazended on Yun Ruoyan sitting silently on the other side of the table with her eyes closed, as if this wasn¡¯t a matter of fundamental importance to her, and she tilted her head uprehendingly.


    On the other hand, Lin Qingchen was particrly impressed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cool demeanor, and she wondered when she would be able to be as collected as her cousin.


    Four hourster, as the sun gradually set among the hills to the west, Lin Zainan finally walked out of his chambers.


    Everyone was startled when they saw him: his graying hair had turnedpletely white. His slender frame, dressed in an ink-ck robe and apanied by his stark white hair and beard, made him look like a Daoist immortal.


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± The three girls stood up and called out as one, their eyes turning wet.


    ¡°Grandfather.¡± Lin Qingxue wiped away her tears and walked forward, pulling his hand and smiling. ¡°I thought you were an immortal when I first saw you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a silver tongue, haven¡¯t you?¡± Lin Zainanughed and sped her hand.


    Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan also walked over.


    ¡°Grandfather, I...¡± Yun Ruoyan felt a sudden overwhelming urge to cry, and she couldn¡¯t continue her sentence.


    Lin Zainan waved his hands forcefully. ¡°You¡¯re my granddaughter, my bone and flesh and blood, and I¡¯m happy to do anything for you, Ruoyan.¡±


    He extended a palm out to her, revealing a golden-yellow pill. ¡°Quick, consume it with alcohol.¡±

 Chapter 49: Dream

    <h4>Chapter 49: Dream</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan looked at the golden-yellow pill in her grandfather¡¯s palm before slowly stretching her hand out. Although she was forcefully curbing her excitement, her fingertips were trembling almost imperceptibly as she did so.


    As she touched the pill, she could fill its surface ripple with spiritual energy, giving off a mystical appearance.


    It was cool to the touch, and it made her feel an indescribable sense offort, spreading from her fingertips to the rest of her body.


    Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue both looked on in a daze, but slowly their expressions morphed into shock and astonishment. ¡°Is that a high-grade spiritual pill?!¡±


    And then all three girls excitedly turned to Lin Zainan. ¡°Grandfather, congrattions on your breakthrough!¡±


    Just like spiritual weapons, spiritual pills and powders weremonly divided into low-, mid-, and high-grade.


    Low-grade pills could be made by first- to third-rank pillmasters, mid-grade by fourth- to sixth-rank, and high-grade by seventh-rank and up. Lin Zainan was only a fifth-rank pillmaster, and he¡¯d remained at that level for many years. This was why the Lins could only produce mid-grade pills. Combined with the fact that there were only a few members of the family left, the Lins were actually in decline.


    They¡¯d barely managed to stay afloat because of the reputation that had been developed over centuries, and because of Lin Zainan¡¯s renown and acim from when he was young.


    If Lin Zainan could now make high-grade spiritual pills, then the Lins would certainly be far more prosperous than before!


    All three girls looked excitedly at Lin Zainan, but he only shook his head bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to make breakthroughs. I doubt I¡¯ll ever be able to make high-grade pills again.¡±


    ¡°Then, how did you make this pill?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. The three girls looked questioningly at Lin Zainan as they waited for his response.


    Lin Zainan slowly sipped at the tea that Lin Qingchen had brewed for him. ¡°I sacrificed my cultivation for it.¡±


    What?! The three girls¡¯ sudden excitement turned into shock. Concocting pills with spiritual energy was wholly different from doing so by sacrificing spiritual energy.


    The spiritual energy exhausted by the regr concoction process could be replenished by cultivation, but that wasn¡¯t the case for a sacrifice. Not only would a pillmaster¡¯s cultivation decrease after a sacrifice, the pillmaster would also be unable to improve via cultivation.


    Yun Ruoyan looked toward the pill in her hands once more, feeling as though it carried an inscrutable weight.


    ¡°Grandfather, I...¡± She attempted to speak again, but her emotions were in such turmoil that she found herself at a loss for words once more.


    Lin Zainan put down his teacup. Serenely, with bright eyes and snow-white hair, he said to Yun Ruoyan, ¡°As my granddaughter, my blood, I would be willing to do anything for you. Not having been able to save your mother was my lifelong regret, and all I¡¯m doing now is to try to make amends.¡±


    He turned toward Lin Qingchen. ¡°Pour your sister a cup of alcohol and get her to consume the pill quickly.¡±


    Lin Qingchen immediately followed her grandfather¡¯s orders and poured Yun Ruoyan arge cup of the fifty-year-old alcohol.


    Repressing her emotions for the moment, Yun Ruoyan ced the golden pill in her mouth and took arge gulp of alcohol.


    The pill seemed to melt as soon as it touched the alcohol, and thebined fragrance of the pill and alcohol filled the room as she breathed out. The thick, condensed spiritual energy flowed down Yun Ruoyan¡¯s throat with a refreshing coolness.


    ¡°Quick, finish the alcohol. A phoenix bezoar is a potent antidote for poisons, but it might give you a chill on its own. Combining it with alcohol will ameliorate this chill and enhance its potency, so drain your cup fully.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan did as her grandfather instructed. A sudden burst of fiery vigor merged with and dissipated the coolness of the pill as it flowed through her organs, bones and blood, skin and pores.


    ¡°Look at Sister Ruoyan¡¯s face!¡± Lin Qingxue eximed, her gaze unflinching.


    Her face turned blue, then red, then a deep purple. Slowly, the purple color concentrated around the right side of her face where her birthmark was.


    Purplish-ck blood split the scab that had just formed over the birthmark and dripped down her face.


    ¡°The source of the poison¡¯s finally been forced out!¡± Lin Zainan¡¯s tone was ebullient as he turned toward Lin Qingchen, who was watching the process with rapt attention. ¡°Qingchen, quick, collect the poisonous blood on Ruoyan¡¯s face!¡±


    Lin Qingchen quickly rushed to find a small porcin container to collect the blood that dripped off Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, before handing it to Lin Zainan.


    Lin Zainan hmphed as he looked at the bottle in his hands, muttering to himself, ¡°Just wait until I figure out what sort of poison has harmed my granddaughter for so many years!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt as if she were floating on a cloud, her whole body more rxed than it had ever been.


    ¡°Qiu, qiu.¡± In her intoxicated stupor, Yun Ruoyan seemed to hear Qiuqiu¡¯s voice. But she didn¡¯t open her eyes, didn¡¯t want to pay attention; at the moment, all she wanted to do was sleep in sublimefort.


    ¡°Congrattions on clearing your body of poison, Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu chirped happily. ¡°Take a good rest, Mistress, you¡¯ll feel even better once you get up.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stood still in the middle of the room. Long momentster, when Lin Qingxue tried to wake her up, she found that Yun Ruoyan had fallen asleep standing up, right then and there.


    She slept so soundly that she didn¡¯t react even when Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen carried her to bed.


    Lin Qingchen brought over a basin of warm water, added in some anti-inmmation powder, and then wiped off the remaining blood on the right side of her face with a towel. She rubbed the stains gently and softly, cleaning off the blood and grime a little at a time, until finally white skin was revealed underneath.


    Seeing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s true appearance, Lin Qingchen¡¯s eyes slowly opened wide.


    After helping bring her grandfather to his rooms to rest, Lin Qingxue walked towards Yun Ruoyan¡¯s room. At the door, she heard Lin Qingchen¡¯s soft gasp, and she hurriedly walked in. When she saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, she too gasped and opened her eyes wide.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Yan¡¯er.¡± In her dreams, Yun Ruoyan heard someone call out to her, a nickname that she only remembered being used when she was very little.


    Who was calling her? Yun Ruoyan finally opened her eyes.


    What she saw was a grove of sakura trees, and a person¡¯s voice calling out to her from deep within the grove.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Yan¡¯er,e over here.¡±


    ¡°Who? Who¡¯s calling for me?¡± Yun Ruoyan followed the voice into the grove.


    Eventually, she found the woman who had been summoning her. She wore a pink gown, exactly the same color as the sakura flowers, and she was dancing amidst a flurry of petals. When she saw Yun Ruoyan, she turned toward her and smiled.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, do you like Mother¡¯s dancing?¡±


    ¡°Mother? You¡¯re my mother?¡± As Yun Ruoyan asked this question, she walked toward the woman, finally seeing her appearance.


    She was a beauty, her skin snowy, her hair like ink, her brows fine, her gaze like stars.


    Yun Ruoyan was suddenly certain that this was her mother.


    When she was small, Yun Ruoyan had seen her mother¡¯s portrait in her father¡¯s study. Later, when Madam An took over her mother¡¯s position in the household, her portrait had disappeared, but her mother¡¯s features had been deeply engraved in her mind.


    ¡°Mother...¡± Yun Ruoyan called out to her mother, teary-eyed, as she walked ever closer.


    Suddenly, the woman stopped dancing. She clutched her chest, her expression pained, and then she suddenly vomited out a big mouthful of blood.


    The blood dyed her pink dress red. With twin expressions of yearning and reluctance on her face, she slowly copsed amidst the falling flowers.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan woke up from her slumber as she jolted upright and shouted, but only when she inspected her familiar surroundings did she realize that the whole thing had been a dream.


    She was in ady¡¯s room, spotless and seemingly in perfect condition.


    Yun Ruoyan remembered that this was her mother¡¯s room before her marriage, and in her past life, she would stay in this room whenever she came to visit. Behind the house was a grove of sakura trees, a dreamy and ethereal sight whenever the sakura flowers blossomed.


    Yun Ruoyao shook her head, trying to dislodge her dream from her thoughts.


    ¡°Qiu, qiu, Mistress, you¡¯ve woken up!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve never had such afortable rest.¡± Yun Ruoyan got up from bed and found that she was wearing close-fitting pajamas. Her original clothes didn¡¯t seem to be around; they¡¯d likely been thrown away on ount of being so dirty.


    She walked toward the wardrobe by a corner of the room and opened it, looking for something suitable to wear.


    ¡°Mistress, you¡¯ve slept for three days and nights, and the poison¡¯spletely gone from your body now. I¡¯m so happy for you!¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice was indeed quite cheerful.


    Yun Ruoyan had just pulled out a pink dress from the dresser when she processed what Qiuqiu had said. Disbelievingly, she asked, ¡°I slept for three days and nights?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    She frowned, muttering to herself, ¡°I wonder how Grandfather is? I hope losing so much of his cultivation won¡¯t affect his body. And, as for the Yuns, I wonder if they¡¯ll think me dead after not showing up for so long...¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re awake!¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s voice came from behind, and Yun Ruoyan turned around to see her. For some reason, however, Lin Qingxue had suddenly frozen.


    ¡°Qingxue, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked curiously at Lin Qingxue.


    Lin Qingxue shuddered and broke out of her stupor, pping herself on her cheeks as she continued muttering to herself, ¡°My goodness! Haven¡¯t I been around so much thesest few days? I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m still enraptured!¡±


    ¡°Qingxue, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been struck dumb by your beauty.¡± Lin Qingchen walked in with a tray. ¡°This girl¡¯s been stopping by your room every day just to look at your sleeping form.¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t!¡± Lin Qingxue rubbed her face as she said in a small voice, ¡°Just half a day each day...¡±


    Yun Ruoyan blinked a few times.


    In the end, Lin Qingchen walked to her side, pulled her by the wrists, and said, ¡°Sister, let me help you brush your hair.¡± She brought her over to the dressing table and motioned to the mirror. ¡°Look.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to the mirror and suddenly saw a beauty appear in front of her eyes. Her skin was snowy, her hair like ink, her brows fine, her gaze like stars.


    Yun Ruoyan clutched the right side of her face, her skin white, shiny, and tender, just like that of a newborn baby. It was as if the birthmark that had gued her both her lives had never existed.


    ¡°Is this really me?¡± She looked at her reflection disbelievingly.

 Chapter 50: The Death of Lin Yuemei

    <h4>Chapter 50: The Death of Lin Yuemei</h4>


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s you, Sister Ruoyan!¡± Lin Qingxue called out from behind them. ¡°I wish it were me! And to think Qingchen called me infatuated¡ªSister Ruoyan¡¯s clearly the one besotted by her own beauty!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked at her face in the mirror, both familiar and not. In her mind emerged the image of the woman who had appeared in her dreams, the splitting image of her new countenance.


    No, there were a few minute differences. That woman¡¯s brows were finer, and her face gentler. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brows were thicker, her face more resolute.


    So, this was her original appearance. When Yun Ruoyan realized that she was actually beautiful, for some reason, she wasn¡¯t as happy as she would have expected.


    Her mind was calm. She knew that this was, would have been, her original appearance. But she too knew that, although her ugliness might have ruined her past life, her current beauty would not be enough to seed in this one.


    What she needed, more than anything, was formidable strength!


    A weak but beautiful woman was no more than a flower in a garden that could be plucked at will. She would rather be a phoenix orchid, struggling amidst the tallest cliffs, emerging from beneath thistles and thorns.


    Lin Qingchenbed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hair and took out a pink gown that perfectly suited her body, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s elegant appearance when she put it on dazzled the sisters once more.


    After washing up, Yun Ruoyan had a small bowl of porridge that Lin Qingchen had brought over. She¡¯d also informed her that Lin Zainan would await her in his study, and so she walked there alone.


    When Lin Zainan saw Yun Ruoyan, he too fell into a daze, as if mired in his memories. ¡°You look just like Yuemei...¡±


    Lin Yuemei was the woman of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dreams, who had died of a strange illness when she was one. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s nightmares had begun ever since.


    ¡°Grandfather, how is your body?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s concerned tone dragged Lin Zainan back from his thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He waved his hands about. ¡°I¡¯ve dropped from fifth-rank to third-rank, so I can only make low-grade pills in the future, but luckily I¡¯ve all but gone into seclusion and refused to make pills for others, so I¡¯m not too worried about people finding out.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t express her heartfelt gratitude in words, and she could only clutch her grandfather¡¯s hand tightly.


    ¡°There, there, it¡¯s alright.¡± Lin Zainan patted her hand. ¡°Seeing you like this, I¡¯m happier than I would have been had I broken through to sixth-rank, and I¡¯m sure Yuemei would be happy for you too.¡±


    Lin Zainan¡¯s expression became sorrowful. ¡°Yuemei was born under an ill star... Child, you have to make a decent showing of yourself, and I¡¯ll do my best to help you.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, when my mother died, I was only one, and I don¡¯t have any recollection of what happened.¡± Yun Ruoyan began provingly, ¡°But, as I grew older, I began to notice servants speaking behind my back, pointing at me and saying that I had cursed my mother to death.¡±


    ¡°A pack of lies!¡± Lin Zainan mmed his palm on the table. ¡°Everyone from the Yun family loves to talk nonsense. Ruoyan, ignore them.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, indicating that she didn¡¯t much mind. Upon seeing that Lin Zainan was no longer enraged, she continued, ¡°But those servants weren¡¯t wrong in one aspect: the strange conditions of my mother¡¯s death.¡±


    She looked at Lin Zainan once more and frowned. ¡°Grandfather, can you tell me how my mother truly died? Did she really die of a sudden, strange illness?¡±


    Lin Zainan seemed to grow old in a single moment. He sped his hands and looked down, and only after a long pause did he continue, ¡°I¡¯d thought you too young to tell you the truth, but you actually discovered it on your own.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart thumped. It seemed that she had guessed correctly: her mother, that picturesque beauty, had truly been killed by someone else!


    Lin Zainan told Yun Ruoyan that, when she was one, Lin Yuemei brought her to the Lin manor for a temporary stay.


    The sakura flowers blossomed particrly beautifully that year, and Lin Yuemei would often y around in the grove with Ruoyan.


    One day, while the two were ying, Lin Yuemei suddenly began vomiting blood. Afterwards, her body began failing day by day, and not a monthter, she died.


    Lin Zainan had been participating in a pillmasters¡¯petition in the Yue kingdom, and by the time he returned, Lin Yuemei had long since been buried. This matter had long since gued him.


    ¡°Although I was a little suspicious about the timing of that event, Yuemei fell ill while she was at the Lins, and I had no excuse to try to identify what had truly happened. Furthermore, at that time, your first and second uncles also left without saying anything. Your first aunt went off in search of them, and I¡¯ve not heard from her since, either. Your second aunt died in an ident, and then your grandmother, taking blow after blow by the disappearance of her sons and daughters, sumbed to a severe illness and passed not long after. In those few years, so much happened to the Lins that I never had a chance to spend much time investigating.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s first and second uncles, Lin Tianming and Lin Tianhai, were Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue¡¯s fathers respectively. Both of them had left the family when the Lin sisters were very young, and their mothers quickly followed. Just like Yun Ruoyan, the Lin sisters led an unfortunate life.


    Lin Zainan continued, ¡°Until two months ago, when you told me that you had been poisoned. Only when I began studying this poison did I discover something remarkable.¡±


    ¡°Remarkable? In what sense?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands were tightly sped together, her body leaning forward, as if she were afraid of missing even a single word of what Lin Zainan would say.


    ¡°Most of the poison in your body wasn¡¯t transmitted to you directly.¡± Lin Zainan¡¯s white brows furrowed. ¡°It had been transmitted via your cental cord!¡±


    ¡°cental cord¡ªGrandfather, you mean...?!¡±


    ¡°Your mother had already been poisoned by the time she gave birth to you, but it was such a slow-acting poison that there were no symptoms of it until about a year after your birth. During this process, the poison entered your body while you were still in the womb.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt her hands and legs, her entire body, tremble.


    Who was it? Who was so evil, so malicious, that they would harm her mother so cruelly?! That they wouldn¡¯t even spare her child?!


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± Yun Ruoyan forcibly repressed the fury in her heart. ¡°Do you know who could have poisoned her?¡±


    ¡°Your mother¡¯s been a kind, gentle girl since her childhood, and I really can¡¯t think of anyone who would be so ruthless.¡± Lin Zainan sighed, and even his usual ramrod-straight posture began to droop. ¡°I¡¯d been nning on investigating this alone, but now that you¡¯re also aware of it, let¡¯s work together to find this underhanded culprit.¡±


    All of a sudden, Yun Ruoyan stood up. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll find this person, to return the misery and pain to him tenfold, hundredfold!¡± She said this as much to herself as to Lin Zainan.


    Lin Zainan looked at his granddaughter and slowly nodded. He was about to speak when a knocking sound from outside the doors interrupted him. ¡°Master, servants from the Yun family are here again to urge Miss Yun to return home,¡± Lin Bo called out.


    ¡°Tell them that Ruoyan¡¯s not yet well, and send them back.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Lin Bo said somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°They said that, on Master Yun¡¯s orders, if Miss Yun doesn¡¯t return today, not to ever return.¡±


    Lin Zainan mmed his palm on the table once more, thundering, ¡°That Yun Lan doesn¡¯t think of me as a father-inw after Yurmei¡¯s death, does he?! Tell them that we¡¯re keeping Ruoyan!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    ¡°Lin Bo, wait!¡± Yun Ruoyan rushed to the front of the study and said to Lin Bo, ¡°Tell them to go back first. I¡¯ll return on my own shortly after.¡±


    Lin Bo left, and Yun Ruoyan turned back to cate her furious grandfather.


    ¡°How dare they.¡± Lin Zainan had incredible self-restraint, and he wouldn¡¯t let his emotions show lightly. It was only Yun Lan that could make Lin Zainan so furious.


    ¡°Ruoyan, I¡¯m telling you, your mother was excellent in all regards except for her taste in men, finding someone like that bastard. I opposed their marriage so vehemently, but your mother insisted. Oh, how I regret not having locked her up!¡±


    He looked toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Child, make sure you open your eyes wide, that you¡¯re not deceived by others¡¯ appearance and flowery words.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandfather, I won¡¯t.¡± <i>Not in this life, not anymore. </i>Yun Ruoyan gently massaged her grandfather¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°But, luckily, with your appearance, regr men would probably be too intimidated to approach you.¡± His tone was filled with pride and gratification.


    Yun Ruoyan stopped what she was doing and went to his front. ¡°Grandfather, my mother was so beautiful, but she still couldn¡¯t avoid falling into someone else¡¯s schemes. I¡¯m worried that my beauty will end up more a hindrance than a help, drawing unnecessary attention to myself. I don¡¯t want to appear like this in front of others before having the ability to protect myself. Grandfather, can you help me?¡±


    Lin Zainan gazed at his granddaughter once more. Although in appearance she seemed almost an exact duplicate of his daughter, her will and determination reminded him of himself, no, it surpassed him during his prime!


    He smiled in satisfaction.


    By Yun Ruoyan¡¯s request, Lin Zainan gave her some ointments to reproduce her ugly appearance once more.


    He handed Yun Ruoyan a few bottles of different colors, telling her which ones would cause her skin to be red and swollen, which would reduce the swelling, which would create a fishy, rank odor when mixed together, but not harm her skin at all.


    When Yun Ruoyan once again appeared in front of the Lin sisters, they were both shocked and regretful¡ªregretting that they hadn¡¯t seen more of her transcendent appearance while they had had the chance.


    It was near noon, but Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t stay at the Lins for a meal. Instead, she asked Lin Bo to send her home.


    Perhaps because of that golden-yellow pill, despite having slept for three days and nights but only consuming a small bowl of porridge, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t feel hungry in the slightest.


    As she got to the front doors of the Yun estate, the servants began running into the manor as soon as she got off the carriage.


    Before Yun Ruoyan could even return to her residence to tidy up, she was summoned directly to the great hall.


    There, almost everyone in the family was gathered and eyeing her!

 Chapter 51: I Don’t Accept!

    <h4>Chapter 51: I Don¡¯t ept!</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan walked into the great hall to see her grandmother sitting at the front of the table, her father Yun Lan by her grandmother¡¯s side, her second aunt Madam An by her father, and her three lovely sisters on either side. Yun Ruoyan had seen this sort of posturing countless times in her past life. However, without fail, she would be so anxious that she didn¡¯t know what to do and would easily agree to everything that was brought up.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but feel aplicated mix of emotions for her past self: anger for being useless, and sorrow for being hapless.


    She was a scion of both the Yun and Lin families, the sole wife-born daughter. With her beautiful mother, she could have lived her whole life being coddled and embraced by one and all.


    Who had taken everything from her?! Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze swept over her rtives. ¡°Ruoyan greets her grandmother, father, and mother.¡± She walked slowly and calmly to the middle of the hall and bowed.


    For a moment, there was silence. Yun Lan and Madam An were both a little shocked upon seeing Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan was wearing a pink gown, and her hairstyle was elegant yet simple. She walked forward, step by step, her head slightly lowered.


    She looked just like a woman that neither of them dared to brought up, a woman that they wanted to forget but was imprinted in their minds.


    Lin Yuemei, right, she¡¯s actually Lin Yuemei¡¯s daughter. She¡¯s so ugly that one could easily forget her mother¡¯s beauty, Madam An thought to herself, A mother whose charm led to her demise, and a deformed daughter...


    Upon seeing the birthmark that was revealed when Yun Ruoyan raised his head, Yun Lan broke out of his reverie. His gaze turned cold, and his cool, impassive face showed no trace of his momentary stupor.


    Yi Qianying, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu were simultaneously shocked that Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t died, guilty about their role in her would-be demise, and perversely happy about her uing scolding.


    All these emotions warred on their faces.


    ¡°Ruoyan, are you alright now?¡± Her grandmother broke the awkward silence, her gleaming amber eyes sweeping over Yun Ruoyan¡¯s figure before returning to the agate ring on her thumb.


    Yun Ruoyan bowed to her grandmother once more before saying, ¡°Almost back to normal now, Grandmother. Thank you for your attention.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re mostly well now, tell us about what happened during the trial. ording to your sisters, you ended up drifting apart from their group, and we were all so worried about you. None of us knew that you¡¯d ended up in the Lin household instead.¡±


    Madam An nced at Yun Ruoyan, her tone somewhat strained. ¡°If not for someone seeing you entering the Lin estate and telling us about it, would you have deigned to return at all?¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± Yun Ruoyan said unhurriedly, ¡°When I finally left the imperial territory, I had been somewhat injured. Because our family¡¯s carriage had left without me, I followed my cousins to my grandparents¡¯ estate instead. I¡¯d nned on returning immediately, but because my grandfather was worried about my health, he kept me there for two days. I sincerely apologize for troubling everyone.¡±


    After almost two weeks without seeing Yun Ruoyan, Madam An had forgotten about her glib tongue. Her response to her pointed question was such that she didn¡¯t know how to find fault with it.


    Instead, Madam An took a cup of her tea and forcibly smoothed out her features. ¡°I heard you obtained a treasure, and all such treasures are to be handed over to the family. You haven¡¯t forgotten, have you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan raised her head and directed her bright eyes at Madam An. ¡°Mother, who told you about this?¡±


    Madam An was about to respond when Yun Lan mmed his teacup down on the table and turned toward Madam An. ¡°We don¡¯t have to be so indirect when talking to our children!¡± And then his dark eyes turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Yan¡¯er, during this expedition, did you leave your three sisters behind to fend for themselves as you ran for your life?¡±


    Hearing this ludicrous im, Yun Ruoyan could onlyugh coldly, mirthlessly. Her frosty gazended on Yun Ruoyao and her sisters, who all avoided her eyes.


    ¡°No,¡± she answered resolutely. ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t do something as dishonorable as leaving my family to fend for themselves!


    The three girls¡¯ expressions warped.


    ¡°Do you mean that we¡¯ve maligned you?¡± Yun Ruoyu couldn¡¯t bear to be needled, and was the first to speak up.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you? Ask your conscience who truly left whom behind.¡±


    Against Yun Ruoyan¡¯s direct retaliation, Yun Ruoyu wanted to respond, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to deny the allegations outright. Her face slowly turned red as she moved her mouth up and down, but no words came out.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, how can you distort the truth so!¡± Yi Qianying murmured quietly. ¡°If not for Master Pei¡¯s timely assistance, we would all have died to the saber-toothed tiger.¡±


    She even clutched her chest and gasped.


    ¡°Oh, Young Master Pei, is it? Why do you address him so formally? During the expedition, didn¡¯t you just intimately call him Brother Ziao, Brother Ziao all the time?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was disdainful. ¡°I even thought the two of you had promised yourselves to each other!¡±


    ¡°You, you, don¡¯t speak nonsense!¡± Yi Qianying¡¯s petite face flushed red and white.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan,¡± Yun Ruoyao spoke up next. ¡°During the expedition, at the very beginning, you refused to travel with us. Then, when we encountered the saber-toothed tiger, not only did you not help us, you even ran off with your two cousins from the Lin family.¡±


    She sounded so indignant and forceful that her words were almost believable.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t want to pursue this matter further, but even now, you¡¯re refusing to admit your wrongdoing!¡± She turned toward Yun Lan. ¡°Father, you have to punish Ruoyan severely, or she¡¯ll be the downfall of the whole family!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Madam An, who had remained silent for a while after Yun Lan¡¯s scolding, continued, ¡°We Yuns have always been strict regarding our values. If you admit to being in the wrong and hand over the treasures you obtained from the expedition, we can let you off lightly.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°Mother, you keep talking about treasure, but what exactly are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The core of the saber-toothed tiger, of course,¡± Madam An replied, somewhat angrily. ¡°Are you still refusing to admit that you have it? You couldn¡¯t have handed it over to the Lins, could you?¡±


    Although her sisters hadn¡¯t seen Yun Ruoyan kill the saber-toothed tiger, they had seen therge canine that Zhuo Yifeng carried with him, so they concluded that their group must have killed the tiger and imed the core for themselves.


    And when Yun Ruoyan left the territory, she went straight to the Lin estate. Given the conflict between the Yun and Lin families these past years, no matter what had happened to the tiger¡¯s core, as long as Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t hand it over, they could me it all on her.


    Not handing over such a valuable treasure to the family was an important matter, one severe enough to be considered betraying the family, which could even lead to her expulsion from the household.


    Having failed to get rid of her entirely, the three sisters¡¯ goal was to at least force her away.


    ¡°Hng! You must have handed the core to the Lins! You¡¯ve refused to work with us ever since entering the imperial realm, but rather sided with the Lin cousins instead!¡± Yun Ruoyu shouted. ¡°Sister, have you forgotten that your surname is Yun? Do you think of yourself as a member of the Lins now?!¡±


    This was a serious usation, not to be treated lightly. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze swivelled to her little sister. ¡°Ruoyu, do you have evidence for a im like that? If not, that¡¯s nder.¡±


    Yun Ruoyu couldn¡¯t help but shirk away a little at her gaze, but she stuck her neck out and insisted, ¡°If you¡¯re denying my usation, then why don¡¯t you present the core?¡±


    She seemed confident that Yun Ruoyan wouldn¡¯t be able to do so.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Yun Ruoyu¡¯s expression was triumphant as she turned toward Yun Lan and Madam An. ¡°Father, mother, see? We haven¡¯t maligned her!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan.¡± Madam An¡¯s face was cold, her lips mocking. ¡°The Yuns feed you and house you, but you hand your treasures to some other family? Just like your mothe¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Yun Lan stood up and interrupted Madam An, his cold, sharp gaze directed at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± He walked to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s front, calling her by her childhood nickname. Yun Ruoyan could barely remember the fleeting memories of when he¡¯d done so with fatherly affection. But now, his tone had none of that affection, only a chilling conviction. ¡°Do you remember the rules of our family?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Yun Ruoyan lowered her head, refusing to meet his eyes.


    ¡°Recite them!¡±


    ¡°First, not to abandon your family. Second, to put the family¡¯s needs above your own. Third, to¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Yun Lan broke Yun Ruoyan off. In a stentorian voice, he pronounced, ¡°If you disobey the family¡¯s rules, you have to be punished. As the head of this household, I hereby expel you from the Yun family. Do you ept this punishment?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan jerked up, her gaze equally sharp and piercing. ¡°No, I don¡¯t ept!¡± She enunciated each word forcefully, with weight.


    Against Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cold gaze and upromising tone, Yun Lan didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, he raised his thick eyebrows. ¡°Oh? Why not?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stood stock-still, her body exuding a stubborn unyieldingness that none of her family had ever seen from her. ¡°First, I didn¡¯t leave my family behind, and the truth of the matter can¡¯t be determined by baseless usations.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes never left Yun Lan¡¯s face. His forehead was prominent, and his dark, thick eyebrows cast shadows over his eyes. Each pupil looked like the mouth of a deep well, emanating an icy aura.


    But Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t afraid, and she met his gaze without flinching. ¡°Secondly, while I did obtain the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s inner core, why would I have handed it to the Lins?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan continued with a bbergasted tone, ¡°I¡¯m close to my grandfather because of my mother. I¡¯m close to my two cousins because, just like them, we lost our parents¡¯ affections at an early age. I¡¯m older than they are, and I try to take care of them when I can. But I¡¯ve never once forgotten that my surname¡¯s Yun!¡±


    Lost their parents¡¯ affections at an early age? Was sheining about him?! But Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem to contain any hint ofint.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that you weren¡¯t able to hand over the tiger¡¯s core?¡± Yun Ruoyu pressed her again.


    <hr>


    1. Yes, her father and grandmother know it¡¯s illogical to im that she ran away from the fight and somehow still ended up with the core. To them, this is a test as to whether or not Yun Ruoyan has the skills to fend for herself.

 Chapter 52: This Can’t Be It!

    <h4>Chapter 52: This Can¡¯t Be It!</h4>


    ¡°Sister.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned her gaze back to Yun Ruoyu once more. ¡°I¡¯ve repeatedly imed that I can¡¯t take out the core now, but that¡¯s because I handed it to Housekeeper Wu as soon as I stepped through the front doors. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s already in the warehouse by now, but if you don¡¯t believe me, you can call Housekeeper Wu over to have a look.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words took everyone by surprise.


    Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and Yi Qianying had only obtained some low-grade monster cores, and they couldn¡¯t wait to hand them directly to Yun Lan as proof of their efforts. But Yun Ruoyan had handed the mid-tier beast core to the housekeeper?


    Who would believe that?!


    The Yun matriarch, who had sat still by Yun Lan¡¯s side as if asleep, finally opened her eyes and turned to one of her maids. ¡°Call Old Wu over and get him to bring the tiger¡¯s core with him. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen a veritable treasure, and I¡¯d like to have a look.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± She bowed and hurried out.


    Not long afterwards, Housekeeper Wu came in with a ck velvet box, which he handed over to the old matriarch.


    She slowly opened the box and saw a golden-yellow crystal, asrge as a baby¡¯s fist.


    The illumination from that crystal brightened her old, wrinkled, smiling face.


    ¡°A treasure, a treasure indeed!¡± She smiled and handed the box to Yun Lan, whose icy demeanor finally melted a little when he saw it.


    ¡°Child, you must have worked hard for this!¡± She extended a lined, ancient w towards Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately stepped forward to help support her grandmother. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Grandmother. I¡¯m d to have had the opportunity to do something to help our family.¡± She raised her hand and wiped at her eyes, her voice choked with emotion.


    ¡°Good, such a good girl.¡± The Yun matriarch patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand kindly. ¡°It¡¯s good that you think this way. After all, you¡¯re the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family, and you should bear more of the family¡¯s responsibility.¡±


    As soon as the Yun matriarch spoke these words, Madam An and Yun Ruoyao¡¯s faces darkened. For a long, long time, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s position as the sole wife-born daughter had been all but supnted.


    During this time, Madam An had been intent on finding some opportunity to get rid of Yun Ruoyan entirely so that her daughter, Yun Ruoyao, could fill that position.


    But the Yun matriarch¡¯s words all but confirmed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s position once more. Were her longid ns to go to waste, just like that? Madam An couldn¡¯t help but sp the handkerchief in her hands even more tightly.


    ¡°But Sister Ruoyan ignored the rest of us so that she could im the treasure! Is she going to get off scot-free for that?¡± Yun Ruoyu refused to give up.


    If she hadn¡¯t spoken up, Yun Ruoyan wouldn¡¯t have made a point of it, but she wasn¡¯t going to give up such an easy opportunity to strike back. ¡°Ruoyu, I really don¡¯t understand your words.¡±


    She stood up from her grandmother¡¯s side and walked to her sister. ¡°You¡¯ve said once and again that you were the ones attacked by the tiger, while I left with Qingchen and Qingxue. At the same time, you keep telling me to hand over the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s core. Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a gap in your logic?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyu was momentarily struck dumb. She turned to her side and looked at Yun Ruoyao for help, but Yun Ruoyao simply sat up straight, not saying a word.


    When Housekeeper Wu had walked in with the ornate box, Yun Ruoyao knew that they had lost once again.


    Yun Ruoyu red daggers at Yun Ruoyan. She couldn¡¯t help but think back to their grandmother¡¯s anniversaryst year, when they¡¯d all walked up to their grandmother together to hand her their gifts.


    She was walking right next to Yun Ruoyan and had deliberately stepped on her dress, causing Yun Ruoyan to have a bad fall and to break the jade ornament she¡¯d prepared as her gift.


    But when Yun Ruoyu apologized insincerely to Yun Ruoyan, she med herself for her clumsiness instead.


    From then on, Yun Ruoyu had treated Yun Ruoyan like a pushover.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s doormat personality was so ingrained in everyone¡¯s minds, and Yun Ruoyao¡¯s group so anxious in framing her, that they¡¯d actually all missed the logical inconsistency in their words.


    But Yun Ruoyan was no longer the Yun Ruoyan of before, and not only had she dispelled the chargesid against her, she had even turned the tables on them.


    Yun Ruoyu grit her teeth, thinking that she much preferred the Yun Ruoyan of the past. She really couldn¡¯t imagine what had caused such a drastic shift in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s personality!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say for yourself?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was mocking.


    Yun Ruoyu¡¯s face turned red as she stuttered, ¡°That, that, the situation wasplicated¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± The Yun matriarch waved her hands, clearly impatient. ¡°We¡¯re all a family, so let¡¯s drop these baseless ims against each other. I¡¯m tired, so let¡¯s adjourn for the day.¡± Then she smiled and turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Ruoyan, you must be tired. Why don¡¯t you return to your cottage and have a good rest?¡±


    Then she turned to her maid. ¡°From now on, start sending some tonics over to Ruoyan¡¯s residence daily. She¡¯s too thin and needs more nourishment.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan understood that their grandmother was trying to appease Yun Ruoyan so that she would drop the matter. Although she was somewhat unwilling, she knew that it wasn¡¯t an opportune time to push further, and she only replied, ¡°Thank you, Grandmother.¡±


    The Yun matriarch walked slowly out of the hall, supported by her maid, while Madam An left with Yun Ruoyao and the other girls. Just as Yun Ruoyan was about to leave, Yun Lan called her back.


    Yun Ruoyan stood there silently, her head slightly lowered, as she waited for Yun Lan to speak.


    Yun Lan looked at the slender girl in front of him, seemingly shocked by how she¡¯d seemed to grow up all of a sudden.


    In the past, Yun Ruoyan would have hidden in a corner, shrivelled up like a shrimp, never daring to raise her head in front of him. Even when she met him on asion and called out ¡°Father,¡± it would always be with a small, small voice, as if he would gobble her up alive.


    But the Yun Ruoyan in front of his eyes was already half a woman, wearing a pink gown that he¡¯d never seen her in before. When her head was lowered at that angle, she really did resemble her mother.


    ¡°Father?¡± Yun Ruoyan raised her head curiously, since Yun Lan hadn¡¯t spoken.


    Only did Yun Lane to his senses, but what he asked then was something that left Yun Ruoyan speechless. ¡°How old are you?¡±


    How old are you?! Although she¡¯d more or less expected her father¡¯s negligence, she didn¡¯t know it was to this extent. As her father, how could he not know her age?!


    Yun Ruoyanughed bitterly in her heart, but her expression was a perfect, respectful mask. ¡°Father, I¡¯m thirteen, and I¡¯ll be fourteen in two months.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Yun Lan seemed to murmur to himself. ¡°Almost at a marriageable age.¡±


    On the Chenyuan continent, a girl became a woman at fifteen, and would then be eligible for marriage.


    Yun Ruoyan was still a little curious about the sudden vein of inquiry.


    ¡°Alright, you can go now.¡± Yun Lan waved a hand at her.


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned around and left.


    Yun Lan looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back and sighed, pitying his daughter¡¯s appearance. If not for her birthmark, based on Lin Yuemei¡¯s beauty, she would have been beautiful if she had inherited only one-tenth of her mother¡¯s genes.


    If that were the case, coupled with her status as the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family, it wouldn¡¯t have been impossible for her to marry into the pce.


    He narrowed his eyes, suddenly thinking of something, and his lips couldn¡¯t help but curve.


    Yun Ruoyan returned to her residence, and Peony and Xi Lan were naturally overjoyed to see her. They battered her with reports about what had happened while she was away.


    Xi Lan mentioned that, ever since Yun Ruoyan had obtained the qualifications for entering the imperial territory, the other servants had begun treating them much more politely, though there were still a persistent few waiting tough at her anticipated failure.


    Then, the two servants looked at Yun Ruoyan expectantly. Ever since Yun Ruoyao and the others returned, the two girls had been like ants on a stove, eagerly going out each day in an attempt to get some news about how their mistress was doing.


    And now she was finally back.


    Yun Ruoyan wanted to make them wait a little longer. Only after a long, circuitous recounting did she finally relent and announce that she had indeed passed the trial and would soon be a student at Kongming Academy.


    Cheering sounds exploded from her room at the pronouncement.


    Peony, on the other hand,mented on how much more quiet it had been ever since the unnecessary servants were removed from the residence. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but think of Ling Lan, the servant she¡¯d nted at Madam An¡¯s residence, and asked about how she was doing.


    Because Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t been present, Madam An hadn¡¯t asked anything unusual of Ling Lan, and she had simply reported that to Peony.


    Yun Ruoyan began to think as she snacked on the fresh green bean pastries that Peony had made. Having foiled Madam An¡¯s ns once again, she was sure that Madam An would make a move, and Ling Lan woulde in handy then. Peony would have to be certain to keep a close eye on her in the near future.


    ¡°Qiu,¡± While Yun Ruoyan ruminated, Qiuqiu¡¯s voice came from her mind. ¡°Mistress, now that you¡¯ve purged the poison from your body, the next few days will be a wonderful opportunity for cultivation. Don¡¯t fall behind on your training, Mistress!¡±


    Qiuqiu¡¯s reminder immediately made Yun Ruoyan drop her thoughts. In order to find the culprit who had poisoned her and her mother and carry out her revenge, she needed strength.


    She took a long, warm bath, washing away her fatigue, before beginning to cultivate once more.


    Meanwhile, returning to the fate of the poor Dou Yao who had repulsed Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen when he¡¯d peeped on them bathing¡­


    The hair that he¡¯d kept for seventeen long years was shorn off by a single blow from Yun Ruoyan, and he was so distraught that, in his hurry to escape, he actually lost his way.


    When night fell, he quickly found a bush to hide in. Cursing his luck, hey down carelessly and tried to sleep, but he couldn¡¯t help but shudder when he recalled the scene of the two girls showering.


    He thought that he¡¯d be in for a treat, but the two girls had somehow managed to make him bald instead.


    Oh, how his brothers were going tough at him!


    While he was in a daze, he suddenly heard a call for help from afar.


    ¡°Help, help!¡± That voice was faint, as if the person was having difficulty speaking.


    Dou Yao immediately woke up from his stupor. ¡°Who is it?¡± He asked quietly from within his bush.


    ¡°Save me, brother, please save me.¡± The voice became louder.


    Do Yao crept over cautiously. The moonlight filtered through the undergrowth, and he saw a woman¡¯s seductive form on the ground. If it were the usual him, he¡¯d have pounced on her without hesitation, but his encounter from earlier in the day had left him shaken.


    ¡°Are you a human or a ghost? I can¡¯t have such bad luck to encounter a ghost at night as well, right?¡± Dou Yao carefully tiptoed forward, but not too far, remaining a cautious distance away from the prone figure.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m not a ghost. My group betrayed me, and I¡¯m seriously injured. Please, save me,¡± the girl beseeched as she slowly raised her head.


    Under the moonlight, Dou Yao could see a beautiful girl¡¯s face, albeit stained with blood.


    And this girl was none other than the girl from the Yue kingdom who had been stabbed in the heart by Pei Ziao, Jin Fei¡¯er!

 Chapter 53: Three Ranks in Succession

    <h4>Chapter 53: Three Ranks in Session</h4>


    Pei Ziao¡¯s dagger had urately struck her heart, and Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s death would have been inevitable were it not for the life-saving high-grade pill she possessed.


    When Yun Ruoyan had injured Wang Kuang to the point of death, Jin Fei¡¯er had been very conflicted over whether or not to save him. Wang Kuang had perished during her indecision, and Jin Fei¡¯er was, at this moment, unimaginably d that she had hesitated.


    ¡°Brother! Please, save me¡­ I¡¯m the eldest miss of the Jin family in the Yue kingdom¡­ if you save me, the Jins will surely reward you.¡±


    Although Jin Fei¡¯er was still alive, even a top-grade pill couldn¡¯t fully heal such a life-threatening wound.


    After confirming that this girl wing to life really wouldn¡¯t hurt him, Dou Yao squatted by her side and looked at her with interest. ¡°The eldest miss of the Jin family? That merchant family whose businesses span the four kingdoms?¡±


    ¡°Right, right, that Jin family!¡± Jin Fei¡¯er looked at Dou Yao as if he were her only hope. ¡°We¡¯re really rich, and if you save me, I can satisfy your every whim!¡±


    His every whim! These words were of particr appeal to Dou Yao. The Dou family was only a middling family in the Li kingdom, and Dou Yao¡¯s position in this middling family was also quite middling.


    He was a child that the head of the Dou family, Dou Yi, had had at an advanced age, likely thest of his children, and he had originally been a big favorite. Dou Yi had spent no small amount of effort in grooming him, but his character was disappointing: he spent all day at brothels, gambling dens, and horse racing, and despite all his family¡¯s effort, he was only a third-rank demaster at sixteen.


    The only reason he¡¯d been permitted to enter the expedition was because he¡¯d finally broken through to fourth rank a day or two before the tria. Despite Dou Yi¡¯s reservations with his youngest child, he finally gave him the nomination that would allow him to enter the expedition with his brothers.


    Unable to disobey their father¡¯s orders, his older brothers could only keep the misbehaving youth with them, but they would harshly criticize him when he made a mistake.


    Naturally, the rebellious Dou Yao ran away while his brothers weren¡¯t paying attention, which had ultimatelynded him in this situation.


    Dou Yao¡¯s lecherous gaze swept over Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s prone body, his intent clear.


    Jin Fei¡¯er was wearing a scarlet robe, which had been torn in ces to reveal snowy-white flesh beneath. The flesh seemed to shine under the moonlight, making Dou Yao¡¯s heart and hands itch.


    A young man of sixteen was considered an adult on the Chenyuan continent. Dou Yao had had rtions at a brothel before, but never one that couldpare with this eldest miss of the Jin family.


    She looked to be a little smaller than he was, but had developed in all the right areas, with a slender waist and firm, round buttocks. Because Jin Fei¡¯er was in a crawling posture, he couldn¡¯t see her chest, but the other parts of her body made him think that her breasts wouldn¡¯t be small.


    Dou Yao wiped at his drool.


    He didn¡¯t hide his lecherous intent, and Jin Fei¡¯er was worldly enough to understand what he was thinking, but this entric man who looked like a spindly monkey with barely any hair was her only hope for survival. All she could do was grit her teeth and bear it, then im revenge when she was fully recovered.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m heavily wounded, and if you don¡¯t save me, I probably won¡¯t live till daylight.¡± Her tone was one of despair and desperation.


    Dou Yao, who always treated the fairer sex well, immediately replied chivalrously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you with me around!¡± As he said this, he lifted Jin Fei¡¯er up and pinched her butt to ease his feelings.


    But when he began to treat her wound, he found that her injuries really were quite severe. There was a three-inch long gash by her heart that continued to seep blood. Equal parts trying to save and take advantage of her, Dou Yao helped dress the wound by Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s breast.


    ¡°Honestly, you must be really lucky not to die even with a wound like this!¡± Dou Yao muttered as he sprinkled some antibacterial powder on her wound.


    Jin Fei¡¯er shut her eyes and inclined her head, bearing with the pain and the wretched, vulgar nces he shot her way.


    In her heart, she was picturing dicing up Pei Ziao, Yun Ruoyan, and the others¡¯ bodies into small chunks.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, Pei Ziao, the Yuns, the Peis, the Lins¡­ once I, Jin Fei¡¯er, leave this ursed ce, I¡¯ll destroy all of you!!!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan spent one whole day and night within her bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension. Because she had informed her maids about this beforehand, no one bothered her during this period.


    ¡°Qiu!¡± Qiuqiu happily called out in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. Yun Ruoyan was equally excited at her own progress, and she clenched her fists tightly in order to let herself calm down.


    ¡°Congrattions, Mistress, for breaking through three ranks in a row! Now you¡¯re an early seventh-rank demaster!¡±


    After the poison that had been restricting her cultivation was finally purged, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation had skyrocketed. In the past, when she had meditated, it felt as if her body seemed to be almost impermeable to such energies. She would spend half a day just to absorb a paltry amount of spiritual energy, and this little amount would often evaporate all by itself.


    But now, it felt as in all her pores had opened up and were greedily sucking in energy from the air. If she even pushed a little, the spiritual energy from the heavens woulde gushing into her body.


    Initially, because the rate of absorption was so rapid, Yun Ruoyan even felt a little ufortable, as if her body would be overwhelmed by suchrge quantities of spiritual energy.


    But Qiuqiu told her to continue, that her current situation was akin to dry, aridnd encountering spring rains for the first time in months, that her body would know its limits.


    And then Qiuqiu imparted to Yun Ruoyan a top-grade cultivation technique for condensing the spiritual energy from the heavens and storing it in her spirit vortex for her future use.


    Armed with this technique and Qiuqiu¡¯s guidance from the side, Yun Ruoyan actually managed to aplish a near-impossible feat: breaking through three ranks in a single day and night!


    Even she herself couldn¡¯t believe that she was now a seventh-rank demaster!


    She stretched out her hand and activated her spiritual energy, and it flowed out from her core into her finger. As soon as she injected this energy into her weapon, she would be able to unleash a tremendous attack.


    Yun Ruoyan raised her fingers one by one, before slowly clenching her fist. ¡°Qiuqiu, if I use the bracelet¡¯s power now, will I be able to have a cultivation beyond ninth-rank¡­?¡±


    ording to Qiuqiu, the bracelet¡¯s power would be sufficient to double one¡¯s spiritual energy, but Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t certain how much more that would her at the higher ranks.


    ¡°Based on what your spiritual vortex and body can sustain, the peak of seventh-rank is probably as far as you can go. If you forcefully try to draw in more power from the bracelet, it¡¯s very possible that your body wouldn¡¯t be able to take it, and you might literally explode.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hopes crashed and burned, but she supposed it was asking for too much to be a true expert in a matter of days.


    ¡°Alright, thanks for letting me know.¡± She was quite inured to these highs and lows, having experienced so much in her two lives. Furthermore, rtive to the other scions of the Yun family, being a seventh-rank demaster at her age was no mean feat.


    ¡°Qiu! Mistress, there¡¯s someone by the back of the house!¡± Qiuqiu suddenly eximed.


    As soon as it spoke, Yun Ruoyan saw that the window was slightly ajar.


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± She yelled out, wanting to get off the bed to prevent the mysterious stranger from entering, but it was toote.


    That man¡¯s actions were surprisingly rapid, and she merely saw a ck blur before the man was standing in front of her bed.


    Yun Ruoyan moved equally swiftly; as soon as she saw the man¡¯s face, she turned her head around and lowered the drapes on her bed.


    ¡°Eh? Why¡¯re you so shy today?¡± Li Qianhan was dressed in ck, as if wanting to meld into the dark of night, but his skin was so fair that it made his face stand out instead.


    Instead of leaving, he simply sat on a stool in her room and poured himself a cup of tea. His gold-tipped fan was in one hand, a teacup in the other, and hey one foot on his knee as he casually nced at Yun Ruoyan behind the screen.


    ¡°Why are you here again?!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out directly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to evere find me again?¡± Her tone was impolite, but Li Qianhan didn¡¯t much mind.


    Instead of answering her question, he simply sipped the tea that had long since cooled while tapping his fan against the table. ¡°Answer my question first, and then I¡¯ll answer yours. Why are you scared of letting me see your face? Then I¡¯ll tell you why I¡¯m here again.¡±


    Speechless at his childish antics, she could only answer, ¡°I was wounded right where my birthmark was, and the wound refuses to heal. I¡¯m afraid of scaring you with all the pus that¡¯s been leaking out of it.¡± If I can¡¯t chase you away, I¡¯ll at least make you disgusted!


    ¡°Yuck.¡± Li Qianhan wrinkled his nose. ¡°Alright, well, I was just tasked to see whether you were doing well, and now I have no intention of looking at you at all.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help sneaking augh or two behind the screen at having tricked this strange young man, and her tone even turned a little humorous.


    ¡°Except for this face, I¡¯m perfectly fine, so don¡¯t let whoever that is worry. Alright, you can leave now.¡±


    ¡°Perfectly fine, even with a face like that?!¡± Li Qianhan¡¯s nose wrinkled even further. ¡°You¡¯re a strange woman, but that man¡¯s also equally strange, so you¡¯d make a good pair.¡±


    ¡°Strange? In what way?¡±

 Chapter 54: Who Is It?

    <h4>Chapter 54: Who Is It?</h4>


    ¡°That¡¯ll take quite a while to exin.¡± Li Qianhan seemed to be particrly interested in this topic, because he put his teacup down and prepared to startining about the man.


    But as soon as he began to talk, he immediately checked himself, pointing his fan in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s direction as he smiled. ¡°You¡¯re trying to get information from me, aren¡¯t you? Well, I¡¯d love to tell you, but I¡¯ve already promised that man not to reveal anything, or he won¡¯t let me sample any of his cherished 150-year-old alcohol!¡±


    ¡°In that case, I have no interest in you, so you should go.¡± Yun Ruoyan tried to chase the annoying man away. ¡°I¡¯m going to rest¡­ also, please let that man know that my poison¡¯s very unusual, and even my grandfather hasn¡¯t been able to do anything about it. Although I did save his life and he promised to help me deal with the poison, I didn¡¯t realize how difficult it would be, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Li Qianhan immediately broke Yun Ruoyan off. ¡°Do you know how much his promises are worth?!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t want a promise, however valuable, from a person who¡¯s unwilling to even tell me his name!¡±


    These were her heartfelt words: the terrible experience of her previous life had left her unable to trust strangers quite so easily.


    Li Qianhan jumped up from his stool. ¡°You might be a little ugly, but you¡¯re really quite interesting. I¡¯m finding myself more and more curious about you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t. Just stay away¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Li Qianhan smiled before taking two bottles out of his pockets, one ck and the other white. ¡°The white bottle contains the life quintessence pills you handed mest time, and the ck bottle an antidote for poison. It probably won¡¯t be able to treat your poison fully, but it¡¯ll be able to suppress its effects somewhat. At any rate, it won¡¯t harm you.¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    Before Yun Ruoyan could say anything, Li Qianhan had already left the two bottles on the table and jumped out the window once more.


    The two bottlesy on her small, circr tea table.


    Returning to Dou Yao and Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s journey¡­


    It was already the twelfth day since they had entered the imperial territory, and they still hadn¡¯t left. On one hand, Jin Fei¡¯er had been so grievously injured that, although her wounds were already starting to heal, she was still weak and in poor health.


    Thesest few days, Dou Yao had had to carry her on his back.


    On the other hand, Dou Yao had deliberately slowed his pace. Carrying such a beauty on his back daily didn¡¯t tire him out at all, and was instead surprisingly invigorating. If he could have a girl like her around all the time, then he wouldn¡¯t even mind dying!


    Jin Fei¡¯er was clever enough to see through Dou Yao¡¯s thoughts, of course, but given how dependent she was on him, she didn¡¯t dare to try to urge him on. All she could do was call him ¡°Brother, brother,¡± every few minutes to coax him.


    Once she left the territory, she swore she was going to make this odious man kneel and beg for her mercy for three days and nights to dispel her anger and vexation toward him.


    But just as he was trundling along, Dou Yao heard her stomach grumble. He quickly turned around and smiled sycophantically. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? Let me get you a little something to eat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡± Faced with Dou Yao¡¯s smiling, monkey-like face, Jin Fei¡¯er became even more exasperated, and she cursed that she couldn¡¯t simply fly away from this realm and this vile, disgusting man.


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Dou Yao followed her every whim: after all, she was a beauty, and he would do everything to keep her happy.


    Dou Yao finally turned back along and kept on walking. Lying on his back, Jin Fei¡¯er suddenly became a little nauseated by his bald head, and she quickly shouted, ¡°Brother, let me down quickly!¡±


    He let her down, and she heaved a little, but nothing came up but a little bile.


    ¡°...Can we get a little something to eat?¡± She closed her eyes andy by a patch of grass, muttering weakly.


    ¡°Sure! Just you wait, I¡¯ll catch a chicken and make a splendid dish I learned from an imperial cook¡­¡± Dou Yao kept speaking, only to find that Jin Fei¡¯er was lying motionlessly on her side, as if she were asleep. He smiled and hummed as he walked to the forest in search of his promised chicken.


    As a fourth-rank demaster, it wasn¡¯t difficult to catch a wild chicken. Intending to bake it in mud, Dou Yao went off in search of some big leaves that could be used to wrap the chicken..


    He looked all around before suddenly noticing a dark green nt by a little corner, with two leaves that were just the right size.


    But when he went closer to pluck off the leaves, he suddenly recognized the nt, and his eyes went bright. The leaves secreted what was essentially an aphrodisiac. Male or female, whoever encountered the leaves¡¯ secretion would quickly be engulfed by sexual desire.


    There was only one cure: to actually have sex with someone else! He¡¯d found out about this nt in a brothel he frequented, and his heart couldn¡¯t stop thudding at his luck.


    After mulling it over for a moment, Dou Yao decided to follow through with his n, plucking off two big leaves with which to wrap up the tender wild chicken and make a delicious, poisonous meal.


    ¡°Here, have some chicken.¡±


    Doou Yao handed Jin Fei¡¯er a surprisingly fragrant drumstick. Although Jin Fei¡¯er was very weak, she forced herself to stay awake, and she¡¯d always been somewhat alert around Dou Yao without ever rxing.


    ¡°Have some too, brother,¡± she said, smiling at Dou Yao. Although she was terribly hungry, whenever they ate, she always made him taste some first.


    Dou Yao looked at the drumstick in his hands before taking arge bite.


    He didn¡¯t mind being poisoned! After all, there was no one around them, and the antidote was right in front of his eyes. Even if he somehow died, it would be after satisfying his every desire!


    ¡°Well? Have a taste of my cooking skills!¡±


    Seeing Dou Yao enjoying his drumstick, Jin Fei¡¯er finally let down her guard and began to eat.


    But, halfway through the meal, she began to feel hot and prickly all over, as if ants had crawled into her heart. Almost unwillingly, she began to unbutton her blouse and shrug out of her clothes.


    Dou Yao wasn¡¯t any better; he¡¯d long since taken off his vest and trousers.


    Only then did Jin Fei¡¯er finally realize that there was something wrong with her drumstick, and she threw it away without a second thought, her eyes warily looking at Dou Yao opposite her.


    But as soon as she nced at him, it was as if a fog clouded her eyes. She blinked, and the Dou Yao in front of her seemed to have transformed into someone else entirely.


    ¡°Brother Wang, you¡¯re not dead? Oh, Brother Wang, I¡¯ve missed you!¡±


    Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s weak, soft body found some strength in her sudden excitement, and she jumped into Dou Yao¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too, darling.¡± Dou Yao naturally wouldn¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth.


    And so the two of them wrapped around each other and fell prey to their carnal desires¡­


    As soon as the first ray of light filtered through the windows, Yun Ruoyan got up and prepared to apply her grandfather¡¯s vile concoctions on her face. She¡¯d washed away her fake birthmark on her face before going to sleep, and now, before Peony came to help her with her morning routine, she had to make a new birthmark once more.


    She pulled out the few bottles from her pocket dimension, and, facing the mirror, Yun Ruoyan began to put on her unique makeup.


    As her grandfather had instructed, she began by mixing together the powders in the ck and red bottles in a basin of water. As soon as those two powders mixed, they immediately reacted and formed a dark red, sticky substance. If she mixed the two powders in different proportions, the substance could even take on other colors.


    Yun Ruoyan had to make her scab look better than it was the day before; if it looked too serious, then there would be unnecessary attention. For example, what if her grandmother were to send her a doctor to look at her wound?


    So, today, she would make it a dark red color; in two days, she would make it turn ck and fall off, and then she could simply make it look like her regr birthmark once more.


    First, she applied ayer of ointment that could make her face red and swollen, before extracting the red, sticky substance and putting it on her right cheek.


    A little whileter, when the substance dried, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s scab on her wounded birthmark looked as natural as it had been before the poison had been purged from her body.


    She was very satisfied with the result.


    After all this preparation, Peony finally appeared by her door.


    ¡°Enter.¡± Yun Ruoyan sat in front of the dresser, waiting for her to help brush her hair.


    Peony left a basin of hot water on the table to cool, to be used to help Yun Ruoyan wash upter. She smiled as she got behind Yun Ruoyan, picked up the cherry brush, and began to helpb Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Mistress, will you be cultivating again today?¡±


    ¡°No, not today. After breakfast, I¡¯ll be heading over to my grandfather¡¯s house.¡± Yun Ruoyan inspected herself from the mirror. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about what I instructed you to do.¡±


    ¡°Peony would never dare, Mistress.¡± She continued smiling as she brushed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to keep a close eye on Ling Lan the entire time you¡¯re away.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan asked for a simple, unadorned hairstyle, nothing too fancy orplicated.


    Peony sighed, thinking back to the days when Yun Ruoyan appeared unhappy because the hair by her temples was never able to cover up her birthmarkpletely. But now, her mistress seemed to have grown perfectly used to her appearance, and didn¡¯t care about hiding the birthmark at all! She had finally ovee herplex, and Peony was very happy for her.


    ¡°Mistress, ever since you returned from the imperial realm, yourplexion has been getting better and better!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled as Peony did.


    ¡°Your hair, for example¡ªit used to be fine and dark, but now it¡¯s even more lustrous than before. And your skin! It was already quite white, but now it sparkles and even looks a little translucent.¡±


    After having purged the poison that had gued her body for many a year and jumping up three ranks in her cultivation, it would be impossible for her appearance to not have changed.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at her reflection in the mirror and silently encouraged herself, Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯ll keep getting better and better!


    After washing up, Xi Lan brought a tray of food over: a bowl of bird¡¯s nest soup apanied by two sweet, refreshing tes of snacks. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appetite was whetted just looking at the food.


    Jokingly, shemented that, for once, Xi Lan had specially made her some food.


    Xi Lan smiled. ¡°Mistress, I didn¡¯t make this! After all, you know how small our cottage is, and we have neither the personnel or equipment for having a little kitchen of our own. The old matriarch bade me send this over.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded as she began to eat. The cool and refreshing soup slid down her throat, and she tilted her head back in pleasure.


    Her gazended on the two small bottles, ck and white, that the youth from yesterday had left behind.


    She reached out for the ck bottle and inspected it in her hands, before finding something seemingly engraved on the bottom of the bottle.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Yun Ruoyan flipped the bottle upside down, noticing that two characters had been carved on its base.


    ¡°Li, San.¡± She frowned. ¡°Who¡¯s Li San?¡±

 Chapter 55: Awakened Talent

    <h4>Chapter 55: Awakened Talent</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan slid the mouthful of bird¡¯s nest soup in her mouth from cheek to cheek as she began to think.


    ¡°Li¡± was the name of the kingdom, as well as of the imperial family. Anyone with the surname Li was, without a doubt, rted. Then what did San mean? Third in session? Who was third in line to the throne?


    Yun Ruoyan gulped down her soup as her fingers tapped her temples.


    In her past life, she had been rtively self-centered and reclusive, never caring about what happened outside her little cottage.


    But, her father being a court official, this was the sort of thing that inevitably came up in family conversations. Even without actively seeking the knowledge, she would pick up on certain things simply by diffusion.


    For example, one such thing was the fact that the emperor was called Li Xiu, and there were eight princes and five princesses eligible to inherit the throne. Each prince was elegant, talented, and aplished, and each princess a rare jewel; all were dragons and phoenixespared to themon man.


    While Yun Ruoyan had partaken in her family¡¯s study hall, she would often hear four of these princes being brought up.


    The eldest, Li Qianxiao, was the crown prince.


    The second, Li Qianyuan, was birthed by amon pce maid, and had the lowest status amongst all the princes. But he was the closest of his brothers to the crown prince, and this afforded him a boost to his status.


    The third was Li Qianhan, son of an imperial concubine, with an easygoing personality. He had the best reputation amongst his brothers.


    The fourth was Li Qianyue, whose birth was a mystery to one and all.


    ording to popr opinion, he was a child brought back from outside the pce. Apparently, he had been given special dispensation by the emperor himself to leave the pce for long stretches of time, and it was very rare that he would return. There were only a few amongst the family who had seen him in person.


    Could ¡°Li San¡± refer to the third prince of the Li kingdom, Li Qianhan?


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fingers went over the carved letters again and again as a face floated up in her mind: a clearly delineated face, with eyes as ck as jet, so prating as to leave one fearful¡ªand the kiss that hade all of a sudden!


    Yun Ruoyan lifted her hand as she subconsciously felt her lips.


    ¡°Li Qianhan!¡± She mouthed the words slowly.


    After breakfast, Yun Ruoyan quickly made her way to the Lin estate. Her cousins intercepted her at the entrance and asked if her family had given her any trouble upon returning home. Although Lin Zainan simply stood by the side without speaking, his expression made it clear that he was equally concerned about the matter.


    Yun Ruoyan sketched out her recollection of that day¡¯s events for everyone.


    ¡°Hmph! Your sisters are certainly good at spouting nonsense, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Ever since Yun Lan snuck Lin Yuemei out of his family ten or so years ago, Lin Zainan had always had the impression that the Yun family was skilled at flowery speech and talking nonsense.


    ¡°Ruoyan, it was really lucky that you had the foresight to give the tiger core to your housekeeper beforehand, or you¡¯d have been maligned just like that!¡± Lin Qingxue couldn¡¯t help butment. ¡°Your sisters are clearly trying to discredit you. Are all your elders so blind as to believe their words?!¡±


    Lin Qingxue was innocent and naive, and she naturally didn¡¯t understand theplexity of family politics that was standard at a family as big as hers.


    Yun Ruoyan was certain that her grandmother and father, Yun Lan, knew far more than they revealed. Thinking back, the traps with which her sisters had ensnared her were nothing out of the ordinary, and there were only two reasons why their ns had always seeded.


    The first was that she was too soft and easily bullied: even if she had been schemed against, she didn¡¯t know how to defend herself, and she even had the ridiculous notion that showing weakness would bring her some temporary measure of peace. Secondly, her grandmother and Yun Lan had implicitly allowed the harassment to continue. In their hearts, Yun Ruoyan was neither talented nor beautiful, with none of the qualities suitable for being the next head of the family. If not for Lin Zainan¡¯s status, they would likely have removed her from the position on the spot.


    Yun Ruoyan could tell that, even though her grandmother was less cold-hearted than Yun Lan, she too only looked on from afar. If she truly were useless, then she believed that her grandmother would have discarded her without hesitation. After all, in their minds, nothing was more important than the continued sess of the family.


    And for these so-called ¡°family interests¡±, no one was beyond sacrificing.


    After they¡¯d talked for quite a while, Lin Zainanmanded the Lin siblings to return to their rooms to continue the studies and assignments that he¡¯did out for them. Although they had been granted entrance to Kongming Academy, Lin Zainan still wouldn¡¯t go easy on them.


    Meanwhile, he motioned for Yun Ruoyan to follow him into his pillmaking chambers. The outer chamber was a small room for resting, and the inner chamber was his workspace, outfitted for the sole purpose of concocting pills and powders. Without Lin Zainan¡¯s express permission, no one was allowed in.


    Lin Zainan pressed a lever on the wall, revealing the Lin family¡¯s treasure vault. After thest time they¡¯de here to retrieve the core foundation pill, this was only the second time that her grandfather had brought her here.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know what her grandfather¡¯s intentions were, but neither did she ask. Instead, she only waited silently and looked onwards.


    Lin Zainan turned around and smiled kindly at her. ¡°Enter, Ruoyan.¡±


    She hesitated for a moment, knowing how important such a treasure vault was. Last time, she¡¯d merely stood outside as Lin Zainan brought the medicine out. The thought of entering the vault had never crossed her mind¡ªafter all, her surname was Yun, and even if she was at her grandfather¡¯s house, she was still considered an outsider!


    ¡°Well? Come on in!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could only obey her grandfather¡¯s orders.


    Although the door to the vault wasn¡¯t particrly wide, the room was quite spacious, filled to the brim with shelves upon shelves, as well as containers and receptacles for pills and powders, medicines and herbs, of all sorts.


    ¡°Here in this vault is the wealth that the Lins have gathered over centuries.¡± Lin Zainan¡¯s voice was at once sorrowful and reminiscent. ¡°But of all these shelves and boxes that were once filled to the brim, only about a quarter are left.¡±


    Lin Zainan strode over to a shelf, where he caressed the exterior of a red velvet box. Yun Ruoyan easily recognized that box as the one which had once contained the core foundation pill, the one that was now empty.


    ¡°Thest core foundation pill of the Lin family¡­¡± Lin Zainan clicked his tongue at himself. ¡°Even with a full lifetime of study, I was never able to be a sixth-rank pillmaster, and I¡¯ve never been able to replenish our family¡¯s coffers. Neither have I been able to save my blood, my heirs¡ªeven now, I don¡¯t know whether your uncles are dead or alive.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, you¡¯ve already done your best for your family, for my uncles and for me.¡±


    These past years, in order to find Lin Tianming and Lin Tianhai, Lin Zainan had spent almost half of the family¡¯s amassed fortune. Subsequently, in order to aid her, he¡¯d given away the family¡¯sst core foundation pill and even sacrificed his cultivation for her, going from a fifth-rank pillmaster to a third-rank in a matter of moments.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at Lin Zainan¡¯s crestfallen expression, her heart pained.


    But Lin Zainan continued, ¡°I¡¯m old, and my cultivation isn¡¯t going to improve. Protecting the three of you and the Lin family is my greatest desire. Ruoyan,e here.¡±


    Lin Zainan motioned for Yun Ruoyan to approach a shelf, from which he removed a box of white jade. He opened it to reveal a jade-green herb within.


    Yun Ruoyan felt her eyes light up as she saw a sparkling essence circting through the herb. ¡°Grandfather, what¡¯s this?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sudden change of expression made Lin Zainan¡¯s spirits soar. ¡°Ruoyan, can you tell what¡¯s special about this herb?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s spiritual energy floating above the herb, and it¡¯s like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen before.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Just as if there were a shooting star perennially affixed above the herb itself. It¡¯s beautiful! Grandfather, what sort of herb is this? If it can produce its own spiritual energy, does it mean that it can be a spirit?¡±


    Lin Zainan shook his head. ¡°This is one of the most prized possessions of our family, an herb of essential soul. There are only two sprigs of it in the entire kingdom, one in Kongming Academy, and the other right here.¡±


    He turned to Yun Ruoyan again in excitement. ¡°To a regr cultivator, this herb looks just like any other, but someone withtent talent in pillmaking can see the spiritual energies floating above the herb. The stronger the talent, the brighter the herb appears.¡±


    Under usual circumstances, only when cultivators entered Kongming Academy and became seventh-rank demasters did they have the qualifications to test theirtent talent with such an herb before specializing in the art of pillmaking.


    On the other hand, thanks to this herb, the Lins could detect thistent talent at a far younger age, and preparing their most promising heirs so early on was naturally advantageous for their development. This was thergest reason that the Lins were such prominent pillmasters.


    Lin Zainan had naturally also shown Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue the herb; Lin Qingxue couldn¡¯t see anything special about it, and Lin Qingchen could only see a dull white glow.


    Yun Ruoyan turned her gaze to Lin Zainan. ¡°Grandfather, does that mean that I have the talent to be a pillmaster?!¡±


    ¡°Of course! You¡¯ve always had it, but it was suppressed by the poison. Now that the poison¡¯s fully purged from your body, your talent¡¯s been awoken once more!¡±


    Actually, before she was even one, Yun Ruoyan had been tested with this herb before, but she was so young that she had no memories of the event.


    At the time, Lin Zainan cradled her in his arms as he opened the box, and the little Yun Ruoyan immediately pointed at the herb as she called out, ¡°Stars, stars, there are stars!¡±


    And Lin Zainan had beamed and told Lin Yuemei that Yun Ruoyan had an impressivetent talent for pillmaking, that she would likely be an unsurpassed pillmaster.


    It was regretful that he was on bad terms with the Yuns, so he couldn¡¯t help her develop hertent talent further. Instead, all he could do was instruct Lin Yuemei again and again to let the Yuns nurture Yun Ruoyan well.


    But what he hadn¡¯t anticipated was that, after Lin Yuemei passed away, thistent talent only diminished day by day. Although it hurt him to see her waste away, he could do nothing about it.


    Luckily, Yun Ruoyan had finally regained her former glory, and he was certain that his granddaughter would one day be extraordinary.


    ¡°Today, you¡¯ve seemed to glow ever since you stepped into the house.¡± Lin Zainan stroked his beard as he asked, ¡°Did your cultivation improve again?¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t hide anything from you, grandfather.¡± Yun Ruoyan raised her right hand as she emanated spiritual energy from her fingertips.


    Lin Zainan¡¯s eyes immediately went wide, and he stuttered disbelievingly, ¡°Ru-Ruoyan, that¡¯s a seventh-rank demaster¡¯s capability! Can it be that you¡¯re already seventh-rank?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, her face showing only the slightest hint of a smile. ¡°My body¡¯s been in top shape ever since the poison was purged, and I somehow managed to get to seventh rank just like that.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had thought about telling Lin Zainan the secret of her bracelet, but eventually decided against it. Keeping a secret was akin to a burden, and unless it was unnecessary, she would shoulder the burden on her own.


    It wasn¡¯t ack of trust, but rather that she felt that she didn¡¯t need to share the secret to demonstrate her trust. She also believed that her grandfather felt the same way.


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡± Lin Zainan couldn¡¯t help patting her shoulders as heughed. ¡°Your mother must be protecting you from afar! With a seventh-rank demaster¡¯s cultivation, you can finally start training as a pillmaster. After waiting all these years, I can finally ept a good disciple!¡±


    1. San is the character for ¡°three¡±.

 Chapter 56: Exchange

    <h4>Chapter 56: Exchange</h4>


    Lin Zainan was clearly excited about the prospect of having a sessor, and the first technique he imparted to her was one of condensing a spiritual fire. Obtaining a stable me was the basis for the rest of the pillmaking techniques, and wouldn¡¯t easily be achieved in the short term. As a result, she shouldn¡¯t panic even if she saw limited results despite working diligently.


    Yun Ruoyan had lunch at the Lins before heading straight back home. From today onwards, she had to progress through both her usual demaster training and her spirit fire condensation, so her schedule was packed.


    Lin Qingchen walked Yun Ruoyan to the door before handing a thin, lotus-leaf-shaped gauze to Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something I made.¡± Lin Qingchen took the veil from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands and then applied it to her right cheek on tiptoes. ¡°You can use it just like that.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan touched the gauze, feeling an inexplicable urge tough. ¡°But if I cover up this fake birthmark of mine, wouldn¡¯t that defeat its purpose?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡± Lin Qingchen smiled. ¡°But others don¡¯t know that it¡¯s fake, do they? After all, sister, your name is known far and wide throughout the capital, and you really don¡¯t have to intentionally scare others around you.¡± It was rare that Lin Qingchen would joke with Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you don¡¯t have to fell everyone with your looks in one swoop. I believe that, in this world, there have to be people who¡¯ll love your character more than your appearance.¡±


    She smiled mischievously again. ¡°In that case, you can remove this gauze. If that person truly loves you, then I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t be frightened, but if it¡¯s all fake, then they¡¯ll be scared half to death. Wouldn¡¯t it be interesting to see?¡±


    It was rare that Yun Ruoyan saw this side of her mature, precocious cousin, and she was in high spirits.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wear it! Let¡¯s see how many people I can scare off, hmm?¡± Both the girls beganughing in front of the door.


    Yun Ruoyan had barely returned to her cottage before one of the Yun matriarch¡¯s servants summoned her over.


    Yun Ruoyan followed her into her grandmother¡¯s residence, and as soon as she approached the house, she could hear bouts ofughtering from within. Recognizing these voices, she couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re here.¡± Her grandmother waved and smiled at her as Yun Ruoyan entered the room.


    Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, Yi Qianying, and Pei Ziao all looked at her.


    Yun Ruoyao was dressed in pale blue, her skin snowty, her hair as dark as ink. She walked with a lithe grace, and a lotus-leaf gauze almost the same color as her skin had hidden the ugly birthmark underneath, greatly improving her appearance.


    ¡°Grandmother,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded. ¡°You look particrly hale today, grandmother.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, today? Grandmother looks hale and hearty everyday!¡± Yun Ruoyu couldn¡¯t help butment from the side.


    ¡°Haha. If you girls are willing to apany me frequently, then I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get more and more lively, day by day!¡±


    Her grandmother bade Yun Ruoyan sit by her side. ¡°Ruoyan, why are you hiding your face? Did the injury get worse?¡± She tugged on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand and said in concern. ¡°I¡¯d been wanting to find a physician to have a look, but dyed it because you seemed to need the rest. How about I send for one today?¡±


    She was just about to summon a servant to find a physician when Yun Ruoyan immediately said, ¡°No, that¡¯s quite alright, grandmother! My grandfather already looked at my wound when I was at the Lins, and he¡¯s given me medicine specifically for it.¡± As she said this, she peeled the gauze off her wound, revealing the dark red scar. Although it was no longer leaking pus, it was still red and swollen, and ufortable to the eye.


    Only then did Yun Ruoyao and the others reveal a hint of pleasure: the seemingly beautiful girl they saw in front of them was still the same ugly, useless fool!


    ¡°Grandmother, see? It¡¯s already gotten a lot better, and once it forms a scab in the next few days, it¡¯ll be back to its usual appearance once more.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Your grandfather¡¯s medicine is undoubtedly better than anything I can procure.¡± Her grandmother looked at her pitifully. Even if the birthmark were to revert to its usual appearance, it was still an indelible defect.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan.¡± Pei Ziao chose this time to speak up. Ever since Yun Ruoyan had entered the room, his gaze kept flitting to her. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since west talked after exiting the imperial territory! I heard that you were wounded, and I hope you¡¯re alright now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Young Master Pei,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded politely. She¡¯d clearly disyed her hostility and killing intent toward him during the expedition, but why was he acting as if nothing had happened?


    ¡°Good, good.¡± Pei Ziao stood up and brought out a foot-long scepter. ¡°This is an adamantine scepter that my father made not too long ago. He knows that scepters are your favorite, so he had me specially bring it over.¡±


    The Yun matriarch very much liked scepters, and her preferred weapon of choice when she was young was a two-foot long scepter. Although she had long since stopped sparring with others, her affection toward scepters had only grown.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? Show it to me quickly!¡± She motioned for one of her maids to hand her the scepter. ¡°Not bad. Please thank Master Pei for forging this on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°My father said that, when I was injured and fell into aa, his actions in the Yun estate were disrespectful towards you, so this is a token given in apology.¡± Pei Ziao bowed, his attitude humble.


    ¡°It was all in an attempt to save you, and his anxiety was understandable.¡± She had her maid stow the scepter away carefully before continuing, ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s the one whom you really should thank; after all, you know how precious the core foundation pill is.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Pei Ziao quickly turned to her. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to thank you for your kindness in saving my life, Ruoyan, but I never got the chance, and we didn¡¯t get to talk much within the imperial territory either.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan understood that he meant to paper over the incidents that had happened within the imperial realm. Because she had also taken some actions that she couldn¡¯t well ount for if they were brought to light, she went along with the flow.


    ¡°It was nothing, Young Master Pei,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded coolly. It¡¯s just a matter of time before you die!


    At this point, Yi Qianying, who had remained silent during the conversation, finally spoke up. ¡°Grandmother, I heard that the phoenix orchids on the Minghuang mountain are finally blooming. We sisters have just returned from the expedition and haven¡¯t had a chance to go see the flowers, so how about we all go together tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Grandmother, it¡¯s been a long time since you¡¯ve gone out,¡± Yun Ruoyao added. ¡°The phoenix orchids up on the mountaintop are filled with spiritual energy, and smelling their fragrant scent will surely help with your recent insomnia.¡±


    The Yun matriarch was clearly excited about this idea. ¡°The weather¡¯s looking to be good for the next few days, so let¡¯s go tomorrow.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was just about to decline when she turned toward her. ¡°Ruoyan, go to the mountains with your grandmother. Hasn¡¯t it been so long since west went out together? Your mother used to love phoenix orchids.¡±


    Her grandmother¡¯s statement had cut off her exit route, and Yun Ruoyan could only nod politely.


    Pei Ziao smiled. ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m the only scion of the Pei family. Even if I go out on an excursion, I¡¯m all by myself all the time. Would it be possible for me to tag along?¡±


    ¡°The more the merrier.¡± The Yun matriarch nodded.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes drooped.


    As they left the Yun matriarch¡¯s residence, Yun Ruoyan walked at the very front. Pei Ziao suddenly called out to her from behind.


    Yun Ruoyan turned around, looking at him with a sidelong nce.


    With the afternoon sun as a backdrop, and with pale blue clothes on her slender frame, she looked elegant, even somewhat ethereal. Her covered-up birthmark revealed a natural beauty that he hadn¡¯t known she possessed.


    Pei Ziao suddenly thought that her act of impaling his chest within the imperial territory was suddenly very minor.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I was wrong to leave you behind following your sisters¡¯ wishes in the fight against the saber-toothed tiger, and I shouldn¡¯t have allowed them to shake your group off within the snake cave. So I fully ept your strike with my spear as punishment, and now we¡¯re even. I don¡¯t me you for it!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t me me?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at him somewhat strangely, his tone seeming to suggest that Yun Ruoyan very much desired to be in his good graces. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to thank you, Young Master Pei!¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tone was caustic and taunting.


    ¡°¡±I know you¡¯re still angry at me, and my father¡¯s given me a good scolding about this whole chain of events. He told me I had to gain your forgiveness or be punished.¡±


    Pei Ziao¡¯s handsome face revealed an overcast expression, and the handsome face of this sixteen-year-old youth would surely have charmed all manner of young, teenage girls, just like Yun Ruoyan¡¯s past life, or the Yi Qianying of the present.


    But for the present Yun Ruoyan, Pei Ziao would never be anything less than odious!


    She was about to continue mocking him when she suddenly remembered that she still had a use for the Pei family. ¡°Has Uncle been doing well recently?¡±


    Seeing that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attitude seemed to be positive, Pei Ziao grinned. ¡°My father¡¯s always been healthy, and he keeps saying that, since he didn¡¯t treat you all that well thest time you visited, to invite you to our residence again.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I know what Uncle¡¯s afraid of.¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly changed the topic. ¡°He¡¯s worried I¡¯ll spread the secret you revealed during the expedition, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    What Yun Ruoyan referred to was the existence of the thousand-herb valley. As for the deaths of the group from the Yue kingdom, they all shared partial responsibility for that affair, so none of them would bring it up.


    But the thousand-herb valley was different; it was a secret that was deeply entangled with the imperial family!


    Yun Ruoyan finally got to the point. The only ones who knew this secret and were hostile to the Peis were Yun Ruoyan and the Lin cousins, and the Lin cousins would naturally listen to Yun Ruoyan. This was why Pei Yingxiong had instructed Pei Ziao that, no matter what, he had to prevent her from saying anything about it!


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to speak in a roundabout fashion,¡± Yun Ruoyan crossed her arms and said leisurely. ¡°Last time, I traded a core foundation pill for your family¡¯s top-grade furnace. This time, let''s do another trade.¡±


    The goodwill that Pei Ziao had been feeling about Yun Ruoyan suddenly dissipated like the mist. Stuffily, he asked, ¡°What sort of trade?¡±


    ¡°I have a canine from the saber-toothed tiger, which I¡¯d like to be made into arrows.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Seeing him respond so straightforwardly, Yun Ruoyan continued, ¡°As well as a high-grade pill.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Pei Ziao couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice.

 Chapter 57: The Slaughtering King

    <h4>Chapter 57: The ughtering King</h4>


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Ruoyan half-smiled as she looked toward Pei Ziao. ¡°If you don¡¯t think that this secret is worth it, then forget it!¡± She made it as if to leave.


    ¡°Wait, wait!¡± Pei Ziao hurriedly called out. ¡°Deal!¡±


    But then, still worried, he added, ¡°What if you still reveal this secret even after I bring you these two things?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned around and pronounced carefully, ¡°I promise, if you ever find out that I¡¯ve vited the terms of our agreement, then I¡¯ll remain single till my deathbed!¡±


    For a woman, especially a woman in this era, marrying into a good family was paramount. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s vow was far more vicious than the standard vows about being struck by lightning!


    Pei Ziao was immediately satisfied by her words, but Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wording had been very precise. When I kill you, this vow will be instantly nullified!


    The saber-toothed tiger¡¯s canine wasn¡¯t with her, but had instead been stored temporarily at the Lin family. Yun Ruoyan would hand him the canine after returning from the Minghuang mountain, and, as for the top-grade pill, because it was so precious, Yun Ruoyan would have to go to the Pei residence herself to im it.


    ¡°Brother Ziao, are we going to let her take advantage of us like that?¡± After Yun Ruoyan left, Yi Qianying popped out from a corner.


    Pei Ziao sighed, saying, ¡°This secret¡¯s really important to the Peis, and I have no other choice but to satisfy her demands.¡±


    ¡°But will she necessarily keep the secret just because of that?¡± Yi Qianying looked at Pei Ziao somberly. ¡°After all, there¡¯s only one group of people who can really keep a secret.¡±


    Pei Ziao turned toward Yi Qianying, seeing himself in her eyes. ¡°Brother Ziao, for you, I¡¯m willing to do anything, as long as you don¡¯t forget about the promise you made to me.¡±


    During the night, Yun Ruoyan sat on her bed as she began her pillmaster training following Lin Zainan¡¯s manual.


    ording to the manual, spiritual force was a direct result of condensing spiritual energy, and spiritual energy was itselfposed of the five primal elements: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth.


    The first step to pillmaster training was to be able to sense the primal element of fire in one¡¯s own spiritual energy, and the instruction the manual gave to this end was short and concise: with your heart, feel your soul. Nothing else.


    Yun Ruoyan shut her eyes as she tried to do literally what the manual suggested, but nothing seemed to happen, and she couldn¡¯t help but start to feel frustrated.


    ¡°Mistress, don¡¯t forget your grandfather¡¯s instructions! Keep trying, and don¡¯t expect to be able to do it immediately.¡± Qiuqiu could sense Yun Ruoyan¡¯s irritation growing, and quickly reminded her of her grandfather¡¯s words.


    Yun Ruoyan let out a deep breath to calm down before asking, ¡°Qiuqiu, do you have any methods to speed this up?¡±


    ¡°Mistress! Rushing is never the right way of doing things, and all the methods on this continent that boast such rapid results all have some immoral or hicalponent.¡±


    ¡°But how long will it take me to see results at this rate?¡± Her grandfather had spent three whole years before he was able to detect the primal element of fire in his own spiritual energy, and then another two years before he was finally able to condense spiritual fire as a result.


    If she mirrored his aplishments, then Yun Ruoyan would only be able to make pills after five whole years!


    ¡°Unless a chance opportunity arises, there¡¯s no way to speed this up,¡± Qiuqiu concluded.


    Such an opportunity arose, for example, when Yun Ruoyan found the phoenix bezoar and sessfully cleansed her body of toxins. With Qiuqiu¡¯s help, she aplished the unimaginable feat of rising three whole ranks in a matter of days, but this sort of opportunity wasn¡¯t something one could simply seek out.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, don¡¯t you have some amazing cultivation technique for pillmasters?¡±


    ¡°Only demasters rely heavily on cultivation techniques. For pillmasters and forgemasters, the most important thing is talent and opportunity.¡±


    Cultivation as a demaster was simply a basis; doing so would allow a cultivator to form a spiritual vortex in their body, to refine the quality and amount of spiritual energy the cultivator could hold, but in order to transform that spiritual energy into forms applicable to forging or pillmaking was a matter of talent. Even those who weren¡¯t intrinsically talented would be able to aplish more by consuming spiritual herbs and monster cores from me-attuned beasts.


    But doing so would lead to impurities in the cultivator¡¯s spiritual energy, which meant that such techniques were only used when one had no other choice.


    Qiuqiu¡¯s wordspletely dispelled any notion that Yun Ruoyan had about taking shortcuts.


    ¡°Patience, patience, patience.¡± As if trying to hypnotize herself, she repeated this single word again and again, before closing her eyes and trying to feel for fire once more.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any techniques to rapidly increase your pillmaster cultivation, but I do have a manual for making pills.¡± Just as Yun Ruoyan thought that Qiuqiu had fallen asleep, it suddenly said this sentence.


    ¡°What manual?¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately opened her eyes. ¡°Is it high-grade?¡±


    ¡°Yes, definitely. You likely wouldn¡¯t find a match for it in the whole continent,¡± Qiuqiu replied pridefully.


    ¡°Quick, show me!¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly closed her eyes and jumped into the bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension.


    ¡°Quick, quick!¡± This time, it wasn¡¯t Qiuqiu running in circles around Yun Ruoyan, but instead the other way around.


    Qiuqiu began to regret its sudden pronouncement, but, unable to deal with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s harassment, it finally agreed with one stiption: she could only look at, but not flip through, the book.


    This meant that Qiuqiu would hold up the book in front of Yun Ruoyan, but she couldn¡¯t touch it or read through it.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because an unusual poison permeates this book.¡± Out of nowhere, a book appeared in Qiuqiu¡¯s ws.


    All Yun Ruoyan could see was that the cover of the book was ck, and there were fourrge, blood-red characters printed on it: The Dominion of Poison.


    Even the cover seemed to promise power.


    ¡°At this point, you can¡¯t touch this book, let alone read it!¡± Qiuqiu warned. ¡°Only when you reach your grandfather¡¯s level can you even start contemting the pills and recipes here. But are you sure you want to make poisons? After all, they¡¯re used to harm others, and I¡¯m not sure your grandfather would approve.¡±


    In her past life, Yun Ruoyan had died to Yi Qianying¡¯s poison. Since Yi Qianying was able to concoct powders that could deal with magical beasts, she likely also had some expertise with poison, so her learning how to make poisons would help her counteract that.


    ¡°No one else needs to know about this. I won¡¯t be lenient against those who¡¯ve harmed me and those who n to harm me, so even if I have to use unscrupulous techniques¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯refortable with your choices, Mistress.¡±


    After this interlude, Yun Ruoyan continued to cheer herself on. ¡°If I can¡¯t be impatient, then there¡¯s nothing to it but practice, practice, practice.¡±


    She was about to close her eyes and continue her sensing when she suddenly heard amotion by the window.


    ¡°That fellow¡¯s here again,¡± Qiuqiu yawned mentally.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t need to ask to know whom it was referring to. She simply stretched out her hand and applied the lotus-leaf gauze on her face.


    Because having that ointment applied to her face for prolonged periods of time made her ufortable, she would always try to wash it off before sleeping whenever she could.


    The lotus-leaf gauze was particrly useful as a result, and Yun Ruoyan was even considering leaving it on even when she was asleep.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve learned how to improve your appearance.¡± Li Qianhan crept in through the window once again, and this was the first thing he said upon jumping in.


    Yun Ruoyan mimicked his tone. ¡°As for you, however, you¡¯ve shown no improvement at all. My first impression of you was as a thief, and time and time again, you¡¯ve just reinforced this impression. If you have the guts, try entering via the front door next time.¡±


    But Li Qianhan didn¡¯t step forward, and simply leaned back on the windowsill. ¡°That¡¯s not difficult, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll cause some trouble for everyone involved. Why do something so unnecessary when your window¡¯s wide open for me?¡±


    The implication that there would be somemotion made Yun Ruoyan even more certain about his status as royalty.


    ¡°Who¡¯s ¡®Li San¡¯?¡± She asked directly.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Li Qianhan looked at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°How do you know my nickname?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Li San?!¡± Yun Ruoyan had originally thought that Li San was the man who had kissed her, but he was instead this youth standing before her! ¡°You¡¯re the third prince of the Li kingdom, Li Qianhan?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Li Qianhan didn¡¯t seem angry at all that his identity had been revealed. Instead, his expression was one of glee. ¡°The aplished and carefree third prince, Li Qianhan, at your service. Now tell me, how did you guess?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned as she threw one of the bottles he¡¯d left behind at him. ¡°Why did the medicine bottles that he gave me have your name inscribed on them?¡±


    Li Qianhan took one look before he began smacking himself on the forehead with his fan. ¡°Why was I so careless to have given you these bottles with my name on them as a gift? If Uncle were to find out, he¡¯d have my head!¡±


    A gift! Uncle!


    Yun Ruoyan immediately honed in on two crucial phrases. It seemed like this antidote hadn¡¯t been given by that person, but rather by Li Qianhan himself as a gift, and that person was none other than Li Qianhan¡¯s uncle!


    As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately realized that he misspoke, and his fan began to smack his mouth instead.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve brought it up, why don¡¯t you just tell me everything?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, anything at all! If he asks about it, tell him you guessed it yourself!¡± Li Qianhan leaped out of the window and disappeared in a gust of wind.


    ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan stared out the empty window as she mulled over the implications.


    If Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t remembered incorrectly, there had been a funeralst year for one of the emperor¡¯s three brothers, and another was even older than her own father. Then, the mysterious stranger could only have been the remaining brother.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be him, could it?!¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but turn a little cold. Thisst brother was named Li Mo, the youngest child of the previous emperor, a legendary figure in his own right.


    He was said to possess talents for both pillmaking and summoning, and both talents were supplemented by an extremely high cultivation.


    Having just one talent was already a huge sink of spiritual energy, but having two talents simultaneously and an impressive cultivation besides¡­ Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t even dare to imagine this person¡¯s prowess.


    Apparently, this wasn¡¯t even his most scary feature. What made him frightening was how much he enjoyed killing.


    He first entered a battlefield at the tender age of ten, and became a general by fifteen. When he was seventeen, he quelled a beastkin rebellion.


    Under hismand, all fifty thousand beastkin ves that had ended up in captivity were put to death, dyeing red the river bordering the Li kingdom. Apparently, the resulting stench of blood was so intense that one could even smell it at the capital, brought all the way ind by the northern winds.


    It was from that time on that the beastkin lost the power to resist human domination, and Li Mo¡¯s nickname as the ughtering King began to spread.


    Yun Ruoyan recalled the stranger¡¯s face once more, those ck, luminous orbs that shone with killing intent, and she couldn¡¯t help but shudder.

 Chapter 58: Watching Someone Beat a Dog

    <h4>Chapter 58: Watching Someone Beat a Dog</h4>


    The next morning, the Yun matriarch sent a maid over with tonic and snacks as breakfast, as well as to inform Yun Ruoyan at approximately what time their carriage would be leaving for the Minghuang mountain.


    Because the Yun matriarch would be going herself, this was a formal excursion, and each miss would have to bring a few servants.


    Because Peony was more responsible and eagle-eyed, Yun Ruoyan left her behind to keep an eye on Ling Lan, and instead chose to take Xi Lan with her.


    ¡°It¡¯s your first time going outside with the mistress, so make sure you¡¯re alert and wary,¡± Peony instructed Xi Lan once and again before they left.


    ¡°Yes, Peony, and I¡¯ll also bring you back the almond pastries you like from outside.¡±


    As Yun Ruoyan walked toward the main courtyard with Xi Lan, they saw threerge carriages waiting for them.


    The first carriage was sizable and pulled by two horses. The carriage was made of mahogany, and the drapes with silk muslin. Clearly, this was intended for the old matriarch.


    The second carriage was slightly smaller, with drapes of blue muslin, and it didn¡¯t look like a bad choice either.


    Although the third carriage seemed decent, it couldn¡¯tpare to the first two. It had no drapes and only thin, flimsy curtains, and it looked to be considerably smaller.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan.¡± At this time, Yi Qianying¡¯s head popped out from the window of the third carriage. ¡°Why don¡¯t we sit together?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan ignored Yi Qianying and walked straight to the second carriage. Before she could get on it, however, Yun Ruoyu¡¯s voice rang out from behind. ¡°That¡¯s our carriage!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned around and saw Yun Ruoyu and Yun Ruoyao heading her way with their own servants.


    ¡°Miss, we¡­¡± Xi Lan subconsciously began tugging on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wrist.


    Yun Ruoyan nced askance at Xi Lan so coldly that she released her grip in shock.


    Peony was the more intelligent of her two servants, and because she often went with Yun Ruoyan to pay greetings to the Yun matriarch and to Yun Lan, she knew a little of the delicate power ys of the aristocracy.


    On the other hand, Xi Lan was one of those maids who was rtively innocent and happy to just do her work. She¡¯d mainly been assigned manualbor and tended to be responsible for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s food and clothes. Today was her first day going out with Yun Ruoyan.


    In the past, Yun Ruoyan was timid and gave way to her sisters in just about everything. Xi Lan used to have a short temper, but after getting ostracized and bullied because of her mistress, she had gradually grown more and more conflict-averse.


    And although it had gotten better in recent times, when Xi Lan saw Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu, the memories of her being bullied began pouring out, and she was so scared that she didn¡¯t even dare raise her head.


    Yun Ruoyan retracted her gaze and murmured to Xi Lan, ¡°Straighten your back. With me around, I promise no one amongst the Yuns will dare to bully you!¡±


    Xi Lan hesitated for a moment, her terrified expression finally morphing into one full of smiles.


    ¡°Yes, mistress!¡± She immediately raised her head high, so high that her nose was almost level with her eyes.


    The duo stepped into the second carriage.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyao, look at her!¡± Seeing that Yun Ruoyan had just shrugged off her words, Yun Ruoyu was understandably vexed.


    Their grandmother hadn¡¯t yet arrived, and Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu stood in the courtyard and looked at the tworge carriages, uncertain of how to proceed.


    ¡°The second miss is getting more and more daring!¡±


    ¡°The eldest and third misses have always been the ones sharing this carriage, and now the second miss is trying to snatch it too?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, she¡¯s really flouting the established standard!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu¡¯s two servants stood by their respective mistresses andmented, clearly dissatisfied with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°Oh? Established standards?¡± Yun Ruoyan parted the muslin and nced out the carriage, her gaze cold. It passed over Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu,nding on the servants behind them. ¡°Qiuhong, Xiangcao,¡± shemanded coldly. ¡°Pleasee forward and tell this second miss of the Yun family what standards you¡¯re talking about!¡±


    Faced with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s severe gaze, the two maids were at a loss for words. They¡¯d never before seen this supposed second daughter behave so confrontationally; after all, in the past, she never had a nasty word or unkind nce toward the servants.


    But her behavior now had upturned that. The two maids weren¡¯t particrly fearful of her person, but rather of her status. They stood there hemming and hawing, unsure of how to respond.


    At this time, Yun Ruoyao smiled and stepped forward. ¡°Our two maids have been spoiled and were speaking nonsense. Ruoyan, please ignore them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Why are you so angry today, Ruoyan? You can have the second carriage if you¡¯d like,¡± Yun Ruoyu added.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry¡ªit¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t understand what theirments meant, and wanted to find out.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled coldly. ¡°How about I ask Grandmother directly when she gets here?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Yun Ruoyu wanted to speak, but Yun Ruoyao interrupted her before she could.


    Her face cold, Yun Ruoyao turned back to the two maids. ¡°Qiuhong, Xiangcao, apologize to Ruoyan.¡±


    Since Yun Ruoyao was protecting the two of them, their faces weren¡¯t as fearful as they were before. Unwillingly, and even with a hint of pride, they walked toward the carriage. Just as they were about to speak, they suddenly heard two loud ps. It took them a moment to realize that each of them now had one numb, tingling cheek.


    Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu hadn¡¯t expected that Xi Lan would actually hit them, and didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    ¡°You dare hit me?!¡± Qiuhong was the first to react, pointing and staring angrily at Xi Lan.


    ¡°I did it for my mistress.¡± Xi Lan stood up straighter. ¡°The two of you deserved it, and I¡¯m afraid my mistress would be unable to control her strength and kill both of you!¡±


    Although Xi Lan wasn¡¯t a cultivator, the muscles that she¡¯d built up on manualbor caused her to be far stronger than the standard maid, and Qiuhong and Xiangcao¡¯s cheeks became red and swollen almost immediately.


    The two maids were used to bullying all the servants in the Yun family, backed by their two mistresses, and they¡¯d never encountered such humiliation. In their rage, they actually reached into the carriage and grabbed her, trying to pull her down.


    ¡°Insolence!¡± Yun Ruoyan grabbed Qiuhong and Xiangcao¡¯s wrists with her two hands. At the same time, she lightly injected a small amount of spiritual energy into their bodies through her fingers.


    The two girls immediately felt as if a current had burrowed into their body through their wrists, as if a needle had been jabbed into their heart. It was an exceedingly strange feeling, and it hurt so much that they both let out pained screams.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan released her grip on the two maids, and that spiritual energy was retracted along with her grip. The two mais couldn¡¯t help but look at Yun Ruoyan with fear.


    She continued to smile back at them coolly. They were truly two servants befitting her sisters!


    Under Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cold gaze, the two maids knelt as one, begging and kowtowing to her. ¡°Second Miss, we were wrong! Please spare us!¡±


    It was to this scene that the Yun matriarch and Madam An appeared. When Madam An saw the two maids kneeling on the ground, she immediately stepped forward and asked, ¡°What happened? Who was shouting so loudly just now?¡±


    The coldness on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face vanished, reced instead by a vapid smile at the two servants. ¡°Mother¡¯s asking you a question, so respond!¡± She stretched out a hand to help them up.


    But, terrified by their former contact with Yun Ruoyan, how would Qiuhong and Xiangcao dare to let her touch them again? They immediately turned toward Madam An. ¡°We spoke out of turn and angered the second miss, and we ept her punishment.¡±


    Madam An¡¯s face turned dark as she nced at Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu, but they only looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion. Neither of them had understood why their maids had suddenly be so fearful of Yun Ruoyan.


    But the Yun matriarch¡¯s eyes sparkled. As her maid helped her up the carriage, she slowlymented, ¡°Some servants do need to be punished on asion, or they¡¯ll quickly grow too prideful.¡±


    Since Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu didn¡¯t feel inclined to speak, Madam An simply scolded Qiuhong and Xiangcao casually before following the Yun matriarch up the first carriage.


    They were almost ready to depart, but Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu still hadn¡¯t gotten into a carriage. They¡¯d each brought their maids with them. It would clearly be impractical for six people to squeeze into such a small carriage, but no one wanted to sit with Yun Ruoyan.


    The two girls were in a quandary when Yi Qianying stepped down from the third carriage and said, ¡°Shall I sit with Sister Ruoyan and leave the third carriage to the two of you, Sister Ruoyao, Sister Ruoyu?¡±


    The two girls were only too d to agree.


    On the carriage, Yun Ruoyao looked out the window the entire trip, unwilling to deal with Yi Qianying¡¯s stered smile and false pleasantries.


    On the other hand, Xi Lan and Yi Qianying¡¯s maids chattered quietly for the entire trip. Yun Ruoyan listened in for a moment and began ignoring them as well: all they discussed was how to make this or that pastry, a certain type of soup, and so on and so forth.


    The weather was indeed unusually pleasant that day. It wasn¡¯t quite summer, and the sun not yet scorching. The gentle wind blewfortingly on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face. If not for the annoying girl by her side, she really would have been able to rx in peace.


    Yi Qianying¡¯s gaze flitted to Yun Ruoyan from time to time. Her pink, gauzy dress perfectlyplemented her snow-white skin, and even the lotus-leaf gauze covering her birthmark seemed a natural extension of her outfit.


    Yi Qianying couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked at how beautiful this ugly waif had be after hiding her scar. No wonder even Brother Ziao seemed to be looking at her differently now.


    In the past, although Pei Ziao had been very attentive toward Yun Ruoyan, Yi Qianying could detect the disdain from his eyes, but now, that disdain had dramatically lessened and been reced by someplicated mix of emotions, a change that left Yi Qianying very much ufortable.


    ¡°Brother Ziao¡¯s mine. No one can snatch him away from me, let alone an ugly wench like you!¡± Yi Qianying was still smiling cheerily, but the handkerchief in her hands was warped from how hard she¡¯d been clenching it.


    She remembered how, yesterday, after pleading with him for half the day, Pei Ziao had finally agreed to her ns, and the smile on her face deepened.


    Just you wait, Yun Ruoyan. Even if you don¡¯t die today, I¡¯ll at least make you suffer!

 Chapter 59: It’s Him!

    <h4>Chapter 59: It¡¯s Him!</h4>


    Just as the carriages reached the foot of the Minghuang mountain, Pei Ziao walked up quickly.


    ¡°Grandmother, aunt.¡± Pei Ziao bowed in front of the Yun matriarch and Madam An. ¡°Unfortunately, the emperor seems to be hunting on the Minghuang mountain, and we likely won¡¯t be able to ascend to the peak. However, the phoenix orchids that bloom all the way up the ascent are almost as good. I¡¯ve already arranged for tea and snacks, as well as transportation up the mountain, so if that¡¯s alright¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s fine,¡± the Yun matriarch smiled. ¡°At any rate, I hadn¡¯t intended on going all the way up, and stopping near the halfway point will be a good idea.¡±


    Pei Ziao motioned for the pnquins to approach. Unlike regr carriages, these pnquins were simple constructions: two thick bamboo poles supported a tform with a small reclining chair on it. They would sit on the reclining chairs and be carried up the mountain by strong porters, two for each pnquin, hoisting up the poles on their shoulders from the front and the back.


    Experienced pnquin porters would be able to ensure a stable ride no matter how rugged the terrain underneath, as if those enjoying the view were up in the clouds as they floated up the mountain.


    There was no one amongst the Li nobility who didn¡¯t enjoy such a pleasurable activity. Some of the aristocracy would even specially train a retinue of pnquin porters for such mountain excursions.


    Naturally, Yun Ruoyan liked this sort of thing as well.


    Everyone got on the pnquins, and Yi Qianying called for Yun Ruoyan to get on the one directly in front of her.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze swept over the two men assigned to her pnquin and found them strong and sturdy. She nodded her head in satisfaction and climbed onto the seat.


    Yi Qianying grinned.


    She¡¯d hired these particr porters with arge sum of gold; as soon as the pnquins reached the halfway point, one of the porters was meant to trip, pitching Yun Ruoyan down the mountainside.


    The Minghuang mountain wasn¡¯t particrly tall, but the terrain was rugged and craggy. If someone were to fall off the side of the mountain and lucky enough not to die, she would at least suffer serious injuries.


    The Yun matriarch¡¯s pnquin was at the very front, followed by Madam An, Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu, then Yun Ruoyan and Yi Qianying, and finally, at the very end, Pei Ziao.


    Pei Ziao¡¯s gaze jumped over Yi Qianying andnded on Yun Ruoyan. She sat straight up, her fine, dark hair braided and barely revealing the nape of her neck. Her graceful bearing was entuated by her rose-colored dress, which fluttered in the wind and shrouded her in an aura of divinity.


    When she nced to the side, he could see her pert nose and sensuous, cherry-like lips. In terms of appearance alone, with her birthmark hidden, she was far beyond the likes of Yi Qianying.


    Pei Ziao had heard his father call Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mother, Lin Yuemei, a famed beauty of the Li kingdom.


    By right, her daughter wouldn¡¯t be ugly, but no one expected a scarlet birthmark on her face, one so eye-catching that it destroyed any semnce of beauty she might have had.


    Some time ago, the birthmark had even been scarred by a ncing blow. Pei Ziao could still remember how it was leaking pus during the expedition, and that sight still repulsed him to this day.


    But scars could heal. Yesterday, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face had looked much better. If there were some medicine that could get rid of the birthmark entirely¡­


    While Pei Ziao was lost in his thoughts, the procession of pnquins had reached the most precipitous part of the mountains, where the trail was less than two feet wide at its narrowest.


    Pei Ziao¡¯s gaze was fixated on Yun Ruoyan.


    He knew of Yi Qianying¡¯s n, of course. Although he was a little conflicted, he knew that it was ultimately the most advantageous decision for him, so he gritted his teeth and agreed.


    But now, when he looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s beautiful back, a sudden sense of reluctance filled his mind. This made him lose hisposure, and, almost without realizing it, he called out, ¡°Ruoyan!¡±


    Hearing Pei Ziao¡¯s voice, Yun Ruoyan slowly turned around. At exactly this moment, the pnquin hoisting her suddenly tilted toward one side!


    By her side, Xi Lan screamed. She was walking on the interior of the mountain path, and the pnquin was high enough as to be beyond her reach, even if she stretched. All she could do was watch in shock as Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body became airborne.


    Yi Qianying smiled, as if she could see a god of death waving at Yun Ruoyan.


    Behind her, Pei Ziao jumped up. Amidst Yi Qianying¡¯s startled gaze, he extended his hand out to Yun Ruoyan.


    What Pei Ziao didn¡¯t expect was that, even when encountering such sudden danger, Yun Ruoyan still appeared calm and unperturbed. Although her body was already in the air, light as a swallow, she grabbed the topknot of the pnquin porter to her front, revolved her body around that focal point, and then kicked at the face of the pnquin porter to her back. With thisplex maneuver, she gained enough momentum tond safely on the mountain path once more.


    ¡°Ruoyan, are you alright?!¡± Pei Ziao immediately jumped down from his own pnquin and looked sincerely at Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan put her hands behind her back, her gaze mocking. She turned to look at the open-mouthed Yi Qianying before walking to Pei Ziao¡¯s front, tiptoeing and whispering into his ears, ¡°Your tricks are too naive for me!¡±


    After all, as a woman of two lives, Yun Ruoyan had already lived over thirty years in a noble household. She¡¯d clearly noticed Yi Qianying¡¯s smile as she climbed onto her pnquin.


    In addition, she¡¯d heard of something simr happening in the past, so when Yi Qianying motioned her to a pnquin, she was already on the lookout for any such tricks.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Our agreement has changed.¡± Yun Ruoyan put up two fingers in front of Pei Ziao¡¯s face. ¡°Two high-grade pills.¡± Pei Ziao¡¯s face warped, and he was about to say something when Yun Ruoyan interrupted him coolly. ¡°This is the cost of trying something like this!¡±


    ¡°Mistress¡­¡± Xi Lan looked at her mistress, her eyes red.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright!¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled at her.


    No one at the front of the precession seemed to have noticed themotion at the back, and their pnquins had already rounded the bend.


    ¡°You two, get up and keep going!¡± Yun Ruoyan pointed at the two groaning pnquin porters on the ground.


    One of them had his hair in disarray, while the other spat out a bloody tooth. Having seen a demonstration of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s martial ability, they knew better than to try the same trick again.


    The Yun matriarch, Madam An, and the two younger Yun sisters had already been in the pavilion for quite some time before they saw Yun Ruoyan and the others¡¯ pnquins draw near.


    ¡°What took you all so long?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my stomach was hurting just now, so I needed to relieve myself,¡± Yi Qianying hurriedly replied.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t intend on exposing her. Based on her previous experience, the Yun matriarch and her father¡¯s attitude would be to simply keep the peace instead. Any usations she leveled at Yi Qianying would be useless, so she might as well save her saliva.


    Everyone sat in the pavilion as they chatted and ate the snacks that Pei Ziao had prepared. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the pavilion, and the phoenix orchids¡¯ fragrance began to spread.


    Their scent was captivating. Madam An suggested that they gather back in about an hour or so, while she took care of the Yun matriarch and enjoyed the flowers and pleasant view.


    The maids were also allowed to explore, and Xi Lan happily followed a crowd of other maids into a forested area where the orchids were growing. She had told Yun Ruoyan that she wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to try and collect some orchid petals with which to make snacks when she returned.


    Yun Ruoyan, on the other hand, found a quiet, secluded location where she began trying to sense the primal element of fire once more.


    Vexed by his disy just now and the flurry ofplicated emotions that threatened to overwhelm him, Pei Ziao took out his anger on Yi Qianying, making a face at her as he marched into the forest with his attendant.


    Yi Qianying felt wronged and angry. She stood still, tears flowing down her face without any hint of stopping.


    ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t be sad,¡± her maid He Xiang consoled her from the side. She didn¡¯t understand at all why, despite her mistress¡¯s good looks and personality, Young Master Pei could bear to look at her in such a hurtful manner.


    Yi Qianying nced at He Xiang with teary eyes. Suddenly, inspiration struck her, and she asked, ¡°He Xiang, do I treat you well?¡±


    ¡°As if I were family, Mistress,¡± He Xiang replied, her eyes filled with loyalty.


    Yi Qianying was particrly pleased. Having been sent from ce to ce as a child, she¡¯d had to learn rapidly how to detect others¡¯ feelings and to gain their loyalty. He Xiang was a pawn that she¡¯d painstakingly cultivated. ¡°Would you be willing to do something for me, He Xiang?¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s within my abilities, Mistress, I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    ¡°Good. When I marry into the Peis, I¡¯ll be sure to find you a good partner as well.¡±


    While Yun Ruoyan was immersed in cultivation, she suddenly heard someone call out to her anxiously. She stopped her training and walked out of the forest to see He Xiang looking at her fretfully.


    ¡°Miss, something¡¯s wrong.¡± He Xiang quickly ran up to Yun Ruoyan when she saw her.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Xi Lan, she¡­¡± He Xiang gulped down her saliva.


    ¡°What happened to Xi Lan?¡±


    ¡°She identally entered the emperor¡¯s hunting grounds, and she hasn¡¯te out even after so long! I¡¯m worried she¡¯s been caught and treated as an assassin. Miss, will youe with me? If she¡¯s deemed an assassin, she¡¯ll be shot to death on the spot!¡±


    The urgency on He Xiang¡¯s face looked so believable that Yun Ruoyan hurried into the woods with her.


    After about fifteen minutes¡¯ walk, He Xiang brought Yun Ruoyan to a deep gully in the woods, which was spanned by a log bridge.


    He Xiang pointed to the other side of the gully as she continued, ¡°Right there! Xi Lan said that she smelled the scent of camellias, and she said she wanted to pick some camellia flowers to make a pillowcase for you, Miss, but then she never returned!¡±


    ¡°You know that we¡¯re forbidden from going over there, so why didn¡¯t you stop her?!¡±


    ¡°I said it, I did! But she said that no one was around, so she¡¯d go over and return rapidly, and also make me a pillowcase as well¡­¡±


    But before He Xiang could finish, Yun Ruoyan had already leaped over the gully!


    Yun Ruoyan was particrly concerned about the well-being of people who treated her kindly, no matter whether these people were the cousins she¡¯d really gotten to know well during the imperial expedition, or the two maids by her side.


    Knowing this, Yi Qianying was finally able to spring a trap on her.


    Yun Ruoyan quickly ran around the outskirts of the forbidden territory looking for Xi Lan, but even after fifteen minutes or so, when she¡¯d gone over the entire boundary, there was still no trace of her.


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan begin to suspect that this was a trap.


    She was about to head back over the gully when she suddenly heard loud shouts from afar, and hurriedly ran underneath a thick, stout tree to hide.


    Yun Ruoyan held her breath, reined in her spiritual energy, and turtled up with her back against the tree bark. A group of men and horses rushed right by her side, but they didn¡¯t notice her.


    Only when they drew further and further away and vanished into the distance did Yun Ruoyan dare to peek her head out to have a look.


    Suddenly, Yun Ruoyan felt a coolness on her forehead, a faint smell of blood, along with a drop of cool liquid, sliding down Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead to the bridge of her nose.


    She reached out and touched it, then put her finger in front of her eyes: blood!


    Just as she raised her head to have a look above her, an inky darkness floated down and smothered her.


    It was pitch ck within the inky darkness. She struggled to make her way out, but her wrists were suddenly caught by someone else¡¯s hands.


    She subconsciously tried to call out, but before she could do so, cool lips met her own, blocking off her voice, her breath. This cold feeling immediately reminded Yun Ruoyan of that mysterious man with sharp, distinct features, and eyes as ck as jet.


    It¡¯s him! Yun Ruoyan widened her eyes amidst the darkness.

 Chapter 60: An Ugly, Useless Girl

    <h4>Chapter 60: An Ugly, Useless Girl</h4>


    The legendary ughtering King!


    When Yun Ruoyan realized this, she struggled all the harder. However, that pair of hands was so strong that she still couldn¡¯t break free.


    Yun Ruoyan tried using the same trick that she¡¯d used on Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu¡¯s servants: summoning up spiritual energy to her fingers and lightly touching them to his hands¡­ but he didn¡¯t let go like she¡¯d expected, nor did he yelp in pain. In fact, his hands gripped her wrists even more tightly, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart tightened as well.


    What depth of cultivation, what incredible spiritual density, enough to perfectly counter her spiritual attack!


    ¡°Don¡¯t move or scream, or I¡¯ll eat you up.¡± The man¡¯s cool, maic voice whispered against her ear, and she really did freeze like a deer in headlights.


    In the dark, Yun Ruoyan felt the man¡¯s jaw against her shoulder, his somewhat deep breathing right against her ear.


    ¡°Qiu!¡± Just as Yun Ruoyan was bing more and more ufortable, Qiuqiu¡¯s voice rang out from her mind. ¡°Mistress, this man¡¯s really strong. Don¡¯t anger him!¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Yun Ruoyan replied in vexation. The name of the ughtering King had spread far and wide within the kingdom of Li, and there was no one above the age of three who didn¡¯t know about him! His name was known widely even across the entire continent.


    Yun Ruoyan simply hadn¡¯t expected to ever be in such close contact with a person like this!


    ¡°But what should I do now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but just don¡¯t enrage him!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath, a smell of blood once again wafting to her nose. She swiftly tried to calm down. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    The man frowned lightly and opened his lips, but before he could say anything, the guards made a hubbub from afar and seemed to be approaching them once more! Li Mo wrapped his arms around Yun Ruoyan before leaping up.


    A few momentster, a few guards converged underneath the tree where they¡¯d just been. ¡°Have you found any traces of the assassin?¡± A guard asked.


    ¡°No, but we have people scouring and securing the perimeter. The assassin¡¯s still within the hunting grounds¡ªI¡¯m sure he hasn¡¯t had the opportunity to escape!¡±


    ¡°Good. Assign more guards to the search. Don¡¯t let even a mosquito out before we¡¯re through!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The guards scattered once more, and none of them realized that, right above their heads, an inky cloak shrouded a man and a girl.


    ¡°Now that they¡¯re gone, can you let go of me, ughtering King?¡±


    Li Mo raised his eyebrows, his lips curving. He raised both arms, and his dark cloak spread out like an eagle¡¯s wings, releasing Yun Ruoyan from his grip.


    Yun Ruoyan felt the darkness dissipate from her surroundings, reced instead by a tall man standing amidst a backdrop of leaves and pink flowers.


    ¡°You actually guessed my identity?¡± Li Mo sounded somewhat interested. ¡°Qianhan¡¯s getting worse and worse at handling things.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s hood revealed only his distinct, sharp jaw. Although he was standing in a rxed fashion, his two hands sped behind his back, Yun Ruoyan could still feel a slight sense of pressure from him.


    She was a bit curious why she hadn¡¯t felt any of this pressure the first time the man fell into her cottage, and why she was feeling it now.


    It seemed as though she had been intimidated by his identity. Public rumor had it that, although he was only in his twenties, he was over three meters tall, strong enough to cleave mountains with a single blow. A single shout of his could dispatch tens of thousands of beasts, and he even liked to eat human meat!


    Children and teenagers of approximately Yun Ruoyan¡¯s age grew up hearing all about such stories, bequeathing upon this man an aura of reverence and mystique.


    So, when the actual person was standing in front of her eyes, her reverence was naturally transferred to the person in front of her.


    But actually, this man wasn¡¯t anything particrly special. He was only somewhat taller than average, somewhat more powerful than average, and, just like the average man, he too could get hurt!


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan thought about this, the reverence that instinctively filled her began to dissipate.


    ¡°Thank you for your life quintessence pill.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled faintly. ¡°Although it¡¯s not too useful for me, I¡¯m still thankful for the thought.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re cured of your poison?¡± Li Mo stepped forward as he reached out for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lotus-leaf gauze, so quickly that Yun Ruoyan had no time to dodge. By the time she turned away from him, the gauze had alreadynded in Li Mo¡¯s hands.


    Yun Ruoyan clutched her right cheek as she stared at him, a helpless feeling suddenly welling up from deep inside her, a feeling that she hadn¡¯t experienced after her rebirth.


    How she hated this sense of helplessness!


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of clutching your cheek? It¡¯s not as if I haven¡¯t seen your birthmark!¡± Li Mo¡¯s cold voice was somewhat mocking.


    Yun Ruoyan huffed as she removed her hand, revealing the fake birthmark on her face.


    The first time they¡¯d met, Li Mo easily pinpointed that Yun Ruoyan had been poisoned, and she was somewhat worried whether he could also identify that the current birthmark on her face was fake.


    ¡°It does look a lot better,¡± Li Momented before handing the gauze back to Yun Ruoyan.


    She grabbed the gauze from his hand before responding with some anger, ¡°In that case, you don¡¯t have to worry about my business anymore, ughtering King! See you never again!¡± She was about to turn around and leap off the tree when Li Mo suddenly stopped her.


    ¡°What else do you want?!¡± She mmed a palm against his chest. Her blow, imbued with spiritual energy, was enough to cause Li Mo to grunt as he took a step back, fresh blood seeping from his lips.


    This was beyond Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expectations: after all, Li Mo¡¯s cultivation was far higher than hers, and even if she used all her spiritual energy, it wouldn¡¯t have been enough to hurt him, let alone the little trickle that she¡¯d marshalled in the heat of the moment.


    ¡°You must be badly injured.¡±


    Li Mo extended his wrist, wiping away the blood with his index finger. ¡°I need your help,¡± he murmured, his voice low, almost maic.


    ¡°With what?¡± Yun Ruoyan said without thinking, regretting it almost immediately.


    ¡°I need you to help lure away the guards on the northern side of the hunting grounds. For a seventh-rank demaster like you, it¡¯s nothing difficult.¡±


    A seventh-rank demaster was already above average in terms of cultivation, and the guards that were usually stationed around an out-of-the-way location like these hunting grounds were mostly only sixth-rank demasters.


    Combined with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s natural agility, she was unlikely to have any trouble doing so.


    But then she thought back to her sudden helplessness, her fury and exasperation at being made to feel this way once more.


    She looked toward Li Mo appraisingly. It wasn¡¯t any of her concern why the ughtering King himself had been badly wounded, nor why he was being chased as an assassin. What did interest her was how wealthy the imperial family was, to give bottles of life quintessence pills out as easily as he did!


    ¡°Of course, but what will you give me in exchange?¡±


    ¡°Naturally. I don¡¯t like owing people favors.¡± Li Mo removed a string of wooden beads from his wrist and handed it to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°How about this?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan expected it to be some wonderful treasure, but it really only seemed to be a string of wooden beads. She couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    Seeing her expression, Li Mo continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you can ask for something else. I¡¯ll let Qianhan send it to you one of these days.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan rubbed the wooden beads in her hand. Anything that the ughtering King would keep on his wrist surely isn¡¯t ordinary; it¡¯s likely that I simply don¡¯t know enough to identify this treasure.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, it¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll go lure the guards away, and you can find your own chance to escape.¡± She jumped off the tree amidst a gust of wind, and the pink petals fluttered along with her gown.


    As soon as Yun Ruoyannded on the ground, her elegant footwork allowed her to move swiftly northward, and she was quickly nothing more than a shadow.


    Li Mo looked at her vanishing back as he removed his hood. If Yun Ruoyan were still here, she would undoubtedly be shocked by what she saw, because Li Mo looked like an entirely different person!


    His lips curved into a devilish smile. His eyes were as cold as ever, but his jet-ck pupils were now an icy blue.


    ¡°The ugly, useless daughter of the Yun family, was it?¡± At the same time, more blood seeped out of his mouth, making Li Mo frown. ¡°That old fellow, I¡¯ll cut his body to pieces for twice hurting me like this!¡±


    By the northern boundary of the hunting grounds, a group of twenty or so guards were patrolling.


    Yun Ruoyan was hiding up a tree, and she was just about to find a chance to escape when four pnquin porters strode forward with a huge pnquin on their shoulders.


    Beside the pnquin were two armed guards, both beyond seventh rank. Her gaze turned toward the pnquin once more, seeing that a youth of seventeen or eighteen was seated on it. His robe was made of silk and gold brocade, and his face somewhat reminiscent of Li Qianhan, if his carefreeness had been reced by killing intent.


    ¡°Crown Prince!¡± The head of the guards ran to the pnquin and bowed down.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you caught the assassin yet? What does my father even hire you for?¡± The youth thundered angrily.


    ¡°Please pardon my ipetence, Crown Prince!¡± The captain of the guards stared stonily at the ground. He didn¡¯t dare to refute an usation leveled by the crown prince himself.


    The crown prince was about to speak once more when an eagle¡¯s cry suddenly rang out from the clouds, and the entire group of people raised their heads as one. A ck dot circled the air,ing closer and closer, revealing itself to be a beast that looked like a bald eagle.


    One warrior stepped out of the crown prince¡¯s retinue and whistled. The bird revolved about him twice beforending on the man¡¯s gauntleted arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you to catch my assassin,¡± the crown prince, Li Qianxiao, whispered as he caressed the bird¡¯s head. ¡°Of all the birthday gifts from the second prince, you¡¯re my favorite! As long as you catch the assassin, I¡¯ll feed you your favorite treat: human meat.¡±


    As if able to understand human speech, that bird let out an exuberant cry.


    The bald eagle was a tamed magical beast. She frequently heard from her brother, Yun Moxiao, who was stationed in the army, that this sort of beast was particrly skilled at tracking and killing. If one fed it with human meat, it would be a menace on the battlefield.


    Yun Ruoyan had originally intended on hiding in her tree and waiting for Li Qianxiao to leave before making her move, but just as Li Qianxiao was about to depart for another area of the hunting grounds, the bald eagle¡¯s long neck suddenly swivelled toward Yun Ruoyan.


    Its beady red eyes seemed to have detected her through even the dense shield of leaves between her and the eagle.


    In the span of a heartbeat, that eagle had left the tamer¡¯s grasp and rushed toward Yun Ruoyan.

 Chapter 61: Split in Two

    <h4>Chapter 61: Split in Two</h4>


    Without hesitation, Yun Ruoyan leaped down from the tree.


    The bald eagle rushed into the dense foliage, finding that its prey had since vanished. Itsrge body was encumbered by the thick branches, and in its struggle to get free, petals and leaves showered down the tree like rain.


    Just like a petal, Yun Ruoyan seemed to float to the ground, catching the eye of Li Qianxiao from his nearby pnquin.


    ¡°It¡¯s the assassin, the assassin¡¯s over there!¡± Seeing her, the captain of the guards immediately directed his subordinates in her direction.


    ¡°Protect the Crown Prince!¡± shouted the beast tamer, and the two guards by the prince¡¯s side immediately stood at attention.


    By this point, Yun Ruoyan had been surrounded by all twenty or so of the patrolling guards. Luckily, she¡¯d managed to veil her face with a handkerchief, so that her identity hadn¡¯t been exposed.


    ¡°Surrender yourself!¡± thundered the captain of the guards.


    Without saying anything, Yun Ruoyan quickly wed at the closest guard, but he responded quickly and raised his sword in time. Just as her palm was about to touch the tip of his sword, she quickly condensed her spiritual energy on one finger and directed it at the de.


    Yun Ruoyan had used a considerable amount of energy on this blow. Although the guard was a sixth-rank demaster, he clearly hadn¡¯t expected such a petite girl to be able to condense spiritual energy outside her body and attack with it.


    After all, that was a skill most people could only manage at peak seventh-rank!


    He felt a huge wave of spiritual energy travel through his sword and into his body, as if needles were pricking at his heart.


    With a terrible moan, he let go of the sword in his hand, and Yun Ruoyan quickly snatched it up.


    Although she remained surrounded by over twenty guards and two even stronger ones by the prince¡¯s side, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t feel any fear.


    After all, she had the Fei de as well as the power of the bracelet, so her life would certainly be safe. The key was to keep her identity secret!


    ¡°Guards, attack as one!¡± The twenty or so guards charged in simultaneously, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pink dress fluttered elegantly as she dodged and weaved.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s original talent for cultivation had been incredible, but she hadn¡¯t been able to use that power to its fullest due to the poison and her mental frailty.


    But after her rebirth, this suppressed talent had finally had a chance to bloom. Every fight seemed to make her stronger, to allow her to use her skills to their full capabilities.


    This was why, even encircled by twenty demasters who were fifth-rank on average, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t seem to be on the losing end.


    The beastmaster had already rescued the bald eagle from the tree and returned to Li Qianxiao¡¯s side.


    ¡°Is that girl truly the supposed assassin?¡±


    The beast tamer stroked the feathers that had been ruffled amidst the struggle as he responded, ¡°No, Crown Prince, that assassin was male, and with an incredibly high level of cultivation. This girl only seems to be seventh rank.¡±


    Li Qianxiao narrowed his eyes. ¡°Take her alive.¡±


    A thin warrior immediately ryed his order in a voice that belied his appearance.


    The twenty guards surrounding Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but groan. The girl they¡¯d encircled was no doubt stronger than they were, and her sword quick and fierce. Despite her veil, her eyes seemed to glitter, as if she could see through their every stance and block their attacks before they coulde to fruition.


    ¡°Prince, these guards are no match for her! Why don¡¯t you let the Bald General fight?¡± The summoner called out.


    Li Qianhan was silent for a moment as he observed the fight. Eventually, he relented. ¡°Let it go, but make sure it doesn¡¯t scratch her face.¡±


    The beastmaster smiled crudely as he acquiesced. As he raised his arm, the Bald General flew off as if it couldn¡¯t wait to sink its ws into its prey.


    It flew high up into the sky before extending its ws and swooping downwards.


    Just as Yun Ruoyan had fallen into a fast, invigorating tempo, Qiuqiu suddenly warned her, ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s danger above your head!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shed with her sword, and four guards retreated against her blow. Then she raised her head and saw the eagle approaching, its two ws glinting in the sunlight.


    ¡°Go, Fei de!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes gleamed as the Fei de appeared in front of her, before manifesting as a beam that shot straight at the eagle.


    The eagle, bisected mid-flight, burst into a mist of blood.


    ¡°My Bald General!¡± On the pnquin, Li Qianxiao pped his thighs and called out pitifully.


    The remaining guards were all dazed by what had just happened. Did this girl really just bisect that terrifying eagle in two with her gaze alone?!


    Was this girl¡¯s cultivation so extreme that she could already strike at a foe a considerable distance away, with pure spiritual energy?


    When the guards looked back at Yun Ruoyan, they did so with fear.


    Yun Ruoyan herself found that the Fei de was able to respond far more urately to her desires. When she was only fourth rank, she¡¯d had to point it at a certain location with her finger, but now a single nce or thought was enough! It was almost as if the de was an extension of her body.


    Qiuqiu quicklymented, ¡°Mistress, the Fei de¡¯s a legendary weapon, far superior to ordinary high-grade spiritual weapons. As your cultivation progresses, it¡¯ll also grow stronger, and this is only a fraction of its true strength.¡±


    Hearing Qiuqiu¡¯s words, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes and sense the Fei de in her mind.


    ¡°How did General Tu die?¡± Li Qianxiao blinked a few times, but no matter how he pictured the bald eagle¡¯s attack in his mind, he had no idea how the girl had managed to vanquish the beast just like that.


    ¡°Crown Prince, I don¡¯t know either!¡± Clearly, one of his subordinates was equally mystified.


    ¡°Mistress, while they¡¯re all in a daze, let¡¯s flee!¡± Qiuqiu reminded her.


    Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes and nodded. She leaped, then pushed off a guard¡¯s shoulder as she fled into the woods, her body as graceful as a swallow¡¯s.


    ¡°Captain,¡± asked the guard who¡¯d had his de stolen by Yun Ruoyan, ¡°Should we give chase?¡±


    The captain of the guards looked back at him and growled out, ¡°If you want to chase her, you do it!¡±


    One of the crown prince¡¯s guards nced at the direction in which Yun Ruoyan had vanished. She was clearly only a seventh-rank demaster, so where had that attack that had bisected the Bald Generale from?


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Li Qianxiao pointed at a tree by the forest andmanded one of his guards, ¡°Pick it up and bring it back.¡±


    The guard ran in the direction that Li Qianhan pointed out and saw a lotus-leaf shaped gauze hanging on a tree branch.


    Upon taking the gauze from the guard¡¯s hands, Li Qianxiao sniffed it and quickly became entranced by the faint womanly fragrance that emanated from it. Again turning to his guard, hemanded, ¡°Tell my second brother to find me another Bald General, a more obedient one this time.¡±


    At the same time, Li Mo¡¯s figure was shrouded amidst the topmost branches of another tree. He¡¯d seen themotion that had just urred, and his icy-blue eyes narrowed underneath his hood.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appearance had caused the northern perimeter to be in disarray, and Li Mo was able to escape from the hunting grounds quickly. Meanwhile, Yun Ruoyan followed her original path back through the gully, unseen by the guards who had continued patrolling the perimeter.


    Not fifteen minutester, she returned to where she had been.


    ¡°Mistress, where have you been? We were all so worried after not having been able to find you!¡± Xi Lan quickly approached her mistress as she saw her emerge from within the forested area.


    ¡°Me? How about you?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve been right here all this time¡­¡± Xi Lan tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Mistress, what happened to the gauze on your face?¡±


    She¡¯d really been tricked! Ignoring Xi Lan¡¯s question, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sharp eyes red directly at Yi Qianying and her servant.


    Yi Qianying found herself unable tough, the handkerchief in her hands clutched so tightly it could rip at any moment. By her side, He Xiang¡¯s face went pale.


    ¡°Ruoyan, where have you been?¡± The Yun matriarch looked toward Yun Ruoyan, her tone somewhat severe. ¡°Young Master Pei thought that you might have entered the hunting grounds by ident. He went off in search of you with one of his men, and he still hasn¡¯t returned!¡±


    ¡°Grandmother,¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly walked toward the Yun matriarch and knelt by her side, burying her face in herp, her voice choking with emotion. ¡°Grandmother, you have to support me!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you alright? Calm down and tell me all about it, Ruoyan, I¡¯m right here for you.¡± The Yun matriarch was shocked by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sudden gesture and hurriedly tried tofort her. Only then did Yun Ruoyan raise her head, tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°Grandmother, someone tried to frame me! Please, help me get justice!¡±


    ¡°Who dares!¡± The Yun matriarch tenderly wiped away Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tears as she continued. ¡°Ruoyan, as the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family, whoever dares to harm or scheme against you is disrespecting the entire family! Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ll stand up for you!¡±


    In her heart, the Yun matriarch was actually particrly fond of Yun Ruoyan. After all, she was her direct descendant. It was simply that the previous Yun Ruoyan had been too weak to handle the heavy responsibility of a wife-born daughter.


    The scions of the Yun family would be carefully groomed for the family¡¯s benefit, and anyone that stood out would have more responsibility and more power.


    The Yun Ruoyan of the past certainly wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle any such responsibility, and even though the Yun matriarch doted on her, she was forced to cut her adrift.


    This was why she¡¯d always turned a blind eye to Madam An and Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu when they tried to bully Yun Ruoyan.


    But now, it was different. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s talent in cultivation, at least, had returned. Despite having been expelled from the family¡¯s academy, she had even gained the right to enter the imperial territory based solely on her own efforts.


    This had greatly changed the Yun matriarch and Yun Lan¡¯s perception of her.


    Moreover, she had even recovered a saber-toothed tiger¡¯s inner core, as well as the qualifications to enter Kongming Academy. These aplishments cemented her role and position in the Yun matriarch¡¯s heart.


    But now, when such a girl, who had once been discarded and stood back up with her own power, suddenly came crying to her, asking her for her support, the Yun matriarch¡¯s guilt and pity for her granddaughter welled up immediately.


    She caressed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face. At this moment, even her birthmark didn¡¯t look so unpleasant.


    ¡°Ruoyan, tell me who tried to harm you!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned toward Yi Qianying and her maid, pointing a finger straight at the duo. ¡°It was her!¡±

 Chapter 62: It’s Just Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 62: It¡¯s Just Beginning</h4>


    ¡°Ruoyan, what are you saying?!¡± Faced with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s usation, Yi Qianying immediately stood up for her seat, her face as innocent as could be. ¡°What happened, Ruoyan? Surely there must be a misunderstanding?¡±


    ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± Yun Ruoyanughed coldly. ¡°You im that you haven¡¯t schemed against me?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t!¡±


    Yi Qianying stepped up to the Yun matriarch before kneeling down herself, her tears streaming down her face even more quickly than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ve been by Grandmother¡¯s side all this time, and Madam An can confirm this too!¡±


    She turned toward Yun Ruoyan, her face in distress. ¡°Ruoyan, I¡¯ve always treated you with respect and love, so why must you nder me so?¡±


    ¡°As for whether my words are nder or not, well, we¡¯ll find out, won¡¯t we?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes were fixated on her petite form. ¡°I was enjoying myself in the forest when He Xiang suddenly came to me saying that Xi Lan had identally entered the imperial hunting grounds. Can you honestly say you weren¡¯t the one who told He Xiang to do this?¡±


    ¡°You entered the restricted hunting rounds?!¡± At this point, the Yun matriarch eximed in shock.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly shook her head. ¡°I was only searching for Xi Lan by the perimeter of the area. I was so worried for her that I really wanted to enter the hunting grounds, but I suddenly heard the guards shout that there was an assassin, scaring me so much that I hurried back.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness you didn¡¯t!¡± The Yun matriarch took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°Without the emperor¡¯s permission, anyone who dares to enter will be beheaded for attempted assassination.¡±


    Last year, one of the daughters from the Wang family was so curious that she¡¯d been lurking around the boundary of the hunting grounds, and she was killed on the spot.


    Although the Wangs doted on their daughter, they were far too frightened to raise any fuss about it; in fact, they even had to thank the emperor for not extending his punishment to the entire Wang family. They buried their daughter¡¯s corpse in a hurry, not even daring to have a funeral on her behalf.


    The ins and outs of this affair had spread all throughout the capital, so the Yun matriarch and Madam An both thought that none of the girls would be foolish enough to enter the hunting grounds.


    The Yun matriarch¡¯s gaze swept over Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu. ¡°As for anyone who secretly ventures into the hunting grounds, once they¡¯re found out, they¡¯ll also be punished harshly!¡±


    ¡°Grandmother, Sister Ruoyao and I have just been walking around the surrounding area, and we came right back after half an hour or so,¡± Yun Ruoyu quickly replied.


    The Yun matriarch¡¯s severe tone had so scared Xi Lan that she immediately knelt by her mistress¡¯s side. ¡°Old Madam, I¡¯ve simply been plucking the phoenix orchids nearby, and I¡¯ve never stepped foot near the hunting grounds at all! Xiao Lan can confirm this!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Madam, I¡¯ve been collecting flower petals with Xi Lan in preparation for making pillows for the summer,¡± Xiao Lan added.


    ¡°Grandmother!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out again. ¡°Qianying must have intentionally lured me to the hunting grounds! She¡¯s trying to kill me!¡±


    The Yun matriarch¡¯s face had gone cold. The squabbles between Yun Ruoyan and Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and Yi Qianying were minor enough for her to overlook for the most part, but if they¡¯d really tried to kill Yun Ruoyan, then¡­!


    The first and foremost of the Yun family precepts was to help each other in times of need, but it seemed that she had been far toox in maintaining the household¡¯s discipline! If she didn¡¯t do something now, a disaster was bound to happen sooner orter.


    ¡°He Xiang!¡± The Yun matriarch¡¯s eyes opened wide as she looked toward the shaking maid, her face as pale as paper.


    How could this have happened? Didn¡¯t Mistress say that, as soon as Yun Ruoyan ended up within the hunting grounds, she would be killed without a doubt?!


    And once that had happened, in order to avoid being implicated, the Yun family surely wouldn¡¯t investigate her death further, and that would be the end of it all.


    And then, when her mistress married into the Pei family, she too would get a bump in status, and it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for her to also be Pei Ziao¡¯s concubine!


    But now, it seemed as if her dream would be nipped in the bud.


    ¡°He Xiang!¡± Seeing that He Xiang was lost in her thoughts, as if she hadn¡¯t heard the summon at all, Yi Qianying harshly pinched her leg with sharp fingernails.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Jolted out of her reverie by the pain, He Xiang couldn¡¯t help but cry out. She nced around to see everyone¡¯s eyes fixated on her, scaring her so much that her legs trembled and she knelt down involuntarily.


    The Yun matriarch looked at He Xiang¡¯s trembling form in fury. ¡°Tell me, tell us all, why you did this foolish thing.¡±


    ¡°Old madam¡­¡± He Xiang¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°It was Miss, Miss¡­¡±


    ¡°He Xiang, don¡¯t you dare say nonsense!¡± Yi Qianying immediately broke He Xiang off. ¡°I¡¯ve always been generous toward you. When your mother fell ill, it was I who summoned a physician for her, and when your brother wanted to study at an academy, it was I who helped pave the way! Don¡¯t you malign me!¡±


    He Xiang¡¯s words were left stuck in her throat. Her father had died early, her mother often unwell, and her brother weak and frail. Her entire family relied on the ie she got as a maid in the Yun family. Her life would almost certainly end here, but what about her family¡¯s?


    He Xiang turned her head slightly, looking at Yi Qianying with teary eyes. She frowned almost imperceptibly as she pursed her lips.


    It was then that the mistress and maid came to an agreement.


    ¡°He Xiang, scheming to kill the scions of the Yun family is a serious crime, and you¡¯d better think carefully about your answer,¡± Yun Ruoyan warned.


    He Xiang¡¯s face was almost stered against the floor as she cried in silence, her tears dripping into the stone. She shut her eyes tightly before finally speaking up once more. ¡°Miss Yi doesn¡¯t know anything. I was the one who orchestrated the entire affair.¡±


    The Yun matriarch¡¯s face was still shockingly severe, and even Madam An by her side didn¡¯t dare say anything.


    ¡°Tell us why you wanted to harm Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°Because my mistress likes Young Master Pei, but Young Master Pei was close to the second miss,¡± He Xiang answered. ¡°My mistress is far too kindhearted, unable to even contemte the notion of stealing the young master¡¯s affection for herself, only able to cry in silence. Unable to help myself, I came up with this ploy to harm the second miss.¡±


    ¡°Is this the truth?¡± The Yun matriarch looked at He Xiang but nced askance at Yi Qianying. Tears fell from her face without stopping, and she couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of her daughter who had died young.


    ¡°I swear my words are true. I nned all this, and my mistress doesn¡¯t know anything about it!¡±


    ¡°Outrageous!¡± The Yun matriarch mmed a fist against the stone table so loudly that Yi Qianying and He Xiang trembled even harder. ¡°Scheming against one of the misses so maliciously¡­ if I don¡¯t punish you harshly¡­¡± The Yun matriarch slowly stood up from her seat, and Madam An and Xiao Lan hurriedly ran to her sides to help her up.


    ¡°When we return, go straight to the guards and receive thirtyshes. Then, I¡¯ll decide whether to sell you off or to cripple your hands!¡±


    On the Chenyuan continent, servants could be put to death for their offenses, but the Yun family was publicly known to treat their servants well. This was why the Yun matriarch hadn¡¯t simply given He Xiang the death sentence.


    But this sort of punishment wasn¡¯t too far off from being beaten to death; thirtyshes were enough to make someone half an invalid, even if they didn¡¯t die.


    And then He Xiang would either be sold off as the most lowly prostitute, or have her tendons cut before being thrown onto the street, struggling at death¡¯s door until her eventual death.


    After handing out this punishment, she turned to help Yun Ruoyan up. ¡°You silly girl, even if you¡¯re worried for your servants, you have to think of yourself first. Everyone knows about what happened to the Wang family!¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°If you ever encounter something that you can¡¯t solve on your own next time,e find me. Don¡¯t you dare do something so dangerous again!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandmother!¡± Yun Ruoyan replied obediently.


    ¡°Grandmother¡­¡± Yi Qianying suddenly kowtowed, banging her head hard against the stone bs. ¡°As He Xiang¡¯s mistress, I¡¯m partially responsible for her crime. Grandmother, please punish me!¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± Madam An finally spoke up. ¡°Qianying¡¯s still young, and her heart¡¯s kind. It¡¯s natural that she¡¯s unable to discipline her servants severely, so please take it easy on her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Grandmother,¡± Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu also pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m sure Qianying didn¡¯t intend for something like this to happen, so won¡¯t you spare her this once, Grandmother?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled coldly in her heart. What a close family they all were!


    But Yun Ruoyan understood her grandmother¡¯s feelings. Yi Qianying¡¯s mother was the Yun matriarch¡¯s own daughter, and she had died young. Ever since then, Yi Qianying had been forced to stay with the Yuns. The Yun matriarch had watched her grow up, so how could she bear to punish her harshly?


    ¡°Grandmother, since Qianying was also kept in the dark, I don¡¯t me her. Would you be willing to spare her this punishment for me?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, half-pouting.


    Yi Qianying clearly didn¡¯t expect that even Yun Ruoyan would ask to spare her, and she looked at Yun Ruoyan in shock.


    The Yun matriarch looked at Yun Ruoyan, finding that she liked this granddaughter of hers more and more with every passing day.


    She reached out and caressed her face. Although her face was marred, that imperfection seemed to make her even more worth her care.


    In the end, she looked toward Yi Qianying once more, her gaze tinged with disappointment. ¡°Go kneel in the ancestral hall for the night, and make sure you¡¯re more disciplined with your servants in the future.¡±


    After this sudden turn of events, the Yun matriarch had lost her interest in the flowers. Madam An sent out a few servants in search of Pei Ziao, waiting for him to return so that they could all leave.


    He Xiang remained sprawled on the ground, her legs quivering like jelly, so much so that she couldn¡¯t even stand up straight. Instead, she crawled like a pitiful dog.


    Yun Ruoyan looked toward her, reminded of her own experience in the past.


    She¡¯d been locked up in a storeroom by Pei Ziao, and whenever He Xiang came by to bring her food, she would always mix in a handful of grit and sand with her food right in front of her eyes.


    She would look down and scoff at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pitiful appearance, and her insults from back then seemed to reverberate within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. ¡°First miss, you¡¯re dimwitted, ugly, and all too easy to manipte. Your station in life was so far above mine, and now you¡¯re someone even I look down on. What do you make of that?¡±


    She let out a deep breath as she began to shell almonds for her grandmother. A faint smile on her face, she called out, ¡°Grandmother, would you like some almonds? Let me brew you another cup of tea.¡±


    She stood up to do so and suddenly felt a few gazes darting toward her. Yun Ruoyan boldly nced back at them, at Madam An and Yun Ruoyao, and when their gazes met hers, they couldn¡¯t help but flinch.


    This is just the beginning, Yun Ruoyan thought.

 Chapter 63: The Prince of Beasts

    <h4>Chapter 63: The Prince of Beasts</h4>


    Not long after, the servants that Madam An had dispatched finally found Pei Ziao. His gaze was fixed on Yun Ruoyan as he approached the pavilion.


    She was sitting by her grandmother¡¯s side, her rose-colored dress making her appear like a fairy, beautiful and elegant amidst the backdrop of the phoenix orchids. From the side, she was as radiant as an orchid¡¯s petal, so pale and pink that it made one want to reach out and knead her skin.


    Pei Ziao couldn¡¯t help but rub his hands as he approached.


    Yun Ruoyan and the Yun matriarch seemed to beughing together about something, and they didn¡¯t seem to notice his presence.


    Pei Ziao was just about to ask where Yun Ruoyan had been when he suddenly saw a girl lying on the floor: it was Yi Qianying¡¯s maid, He Xiang.


    ¡°Why¡¯s your maid kneeling here?¡± He asked curiously, ncing toward Yi Qianying.


    Her red, puffy eyes made it obvious that she had just been crying. She opened her mouth slightly and closed it firmly again, the appetion of ¡°Brother Ziao¡± never leaving her lips.


    ¡°She¡¯s made a grave mistake, and the old madam¡¯s punishing her!¡± Madam An replied.


    Because of his rtionship with Yi Qianying, Pei Ziao was rtively familiar with He Xiang. She was pretty and obedient, and would always blush whenever he approached.


    ¡°What did she do?¡± Pei Ziao looked at He Xiang¡¯s trembling back, his tone pitying.


    ¡°She¡­¡± Yun Ruoyu was about to speak when the Yun matriarch interrupted her with a cough. She turned around, but didn¡¯t face Pei Ziao. Coolly, she informed him, ¡°This is a matter for the Yun family, Young Master Pei.¡±


    She used to like this handsome youth, but his current actions made him seem like a lecher of ill repute.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, so let¡¯s return home,¡± the Yun matriarch pronounced, before extending a hand to Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Yes, Grandmother!¡± Yun Ruoyan took her hand and walked out of the pavilion with her.


    As she passed by Pei Ziao¡¯s side, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Ruoyan, I was so worried that you¡¯d identally ended up in the imperial hunting grounds! Where were you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled at him coolly. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Young Master Pei, but you¡¯d better ask Yi Qianying about that.¡±


    When they finally returned home after the day-long excursion, Xi Lan animatedly recounted to Peony what had happened during the day, starting from the fight for the second carriage at the beginning of the trip, all through the Yun matriarch¡¯s kind words for Yun Ruoyan as they stepped through the door. ¡°This was my first time seeing our mistress pouting!¡±


    Xi Lan looked a little incredulous, then prideful. ¡°As soon as our mistress began pouting, the old madam listened to her every word.¡±


    ¡°Xi Lan, that¡¯s enough.¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t bear to hear her praise any longer. She lounged on a couch as she turned to look at Xi Lan seriously. ¡°You can¡¯t repeat these words outside of my rooms, do you understand?¡±


    Peony patted Xi Lan¡¯s forehead as she smiled. ¡°The old madam might look old, and she doesn¡¯t directly interfere much with the family¡¯s affairs, but her heart¡¯s just like a looking-ss. How could you say that she¡¯s blindly listening to someone¡¯s words? You¡¯d better be more tactful, or you¡¯ll cause a lot of trouble for all of us!¡±


    Xi Lan stuck out her tongue before she began to smile once more. ¡°I plucked so many phoenix orchids today! The stamens and pistils can be used to make snacks, and I¡¯ll use the petals to make pillows, and¡­¡±


    And then she rushed out of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s rooms joyfully.


    Peony poured Yun Ruoyan a hot cup of tea. ¡°Miss, why did you spare Miss Yi today?¡±


    The way Peony saw it, today had been a good chance to retaliate against Yi Qianying. Although Yun Ruoyan had indeed done so, she seemed to have been rather merciful, only getting rid of He Xiang.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the right time yet!¡± Yun Ruoyan had a sip of tea.


    Peony¡¯s eyes lit up. If it wasn¡¯t the right time, then did that mean there would be another opportunity in the future?


    In the past, it had always been others scheming against her mistress. Only a few months prior, when Yi Qianying stole the old madam¡¯s jade ornament, did her mistress finally begin to retaliate.


    It was then that her mistress had suddenly seemed to be sharp-witted and eloquent, not only managing to clear her own name, but also to indict Yi Qianying as the true thief.


    It was then that Peony had realized howpletely, how drastically, her mistress had changed.


    Madam An had also seemed to notice this change. In the past, she¡¯d made Ling Lan report to her only once every two weeks or so, but now, she sought her out at least twice every week!


    No longer would her mistress remain passive against these slights and schemes.


    Seeing Peony¡¯s shining eyes, Yun Ruoyan wanted to test her. ¡°Peony, do you know when the right time would be?¡±


    Peony frowned as she thought hard. Even if Madam An were to try to discipline her mistress, that didn¡¯t mean she could retaliate against Yi Qianying, did it? And, ording to Xi Lan, after Yi Qianying¡¯s punishment today, she would likely refrain from trying anything new for a while.


    After a pregnant pause, Peony eventually shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mistress, but I can¡¯t think of when it would be.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took another sip of tea before lying down once more. ¡°The right time will be when Grandmother finally gets tired of and begins to dislike this granddaughter of hers. At that point, even without any effort from me¡­¡±


    Halfway through her thoughts, Yun Ruoyan shut her eyes.


    ¡°Miss, miss?¡± Peony waited for her mistress to finish her thoughts, but the rest of her words never came. She called out twice, softly, before leaving the rooms silently as soon as she confirmed that her mistress had fallen asleep.


    Facing twenty guards within the imperial grounds had taken quite a toll on Yun Ruoyan. She wasn¡¯t wounded, but it had drained her attention and stamina.


    Furthermore, trying to sense the primal element of fire had been consuming arge amount of her mental capacitytely, so much so that sleep threatened to overtake her whenever shey down to rest.


    In addition, she was finally back in her own residence, and she could afford to be less alert regarding her surroundings.


    The confluence of these three factors caused Yun Ruoyan to fall asleep mid-speech. She slept very well, not having even a single dream.


    When Peony returned to her rooms to bring her dinner and saw her sleeping form, she covered her up with a thin nket.


    The skies turned dark as the sun set, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cottage was silent.


    Suddenly, there came a creak from the back window, and a shadow darker than night flitted through her rooms. An icy blue gaze swivelled around the room as Li Mo stood in front of the couch, looking at the sleeping girl on it.


    Qiuqiu, cultivating in the bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension, suddenly sensed the aura of a powerful beast approach. It was intimately familiar with this aura, that of the ughtering King that Yun Ruoyan had encountered during the day, and was just about to awaken Yun Ruoyan when a cool, clear voice rang in its mind.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, long time no see!¡±


    Qiuqiu gasped¡ªmentalmunication? Who else on this continent couldmunicate with it like this, transmitting their mental energy through the bracelet¡¯s seal?


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°You little thing¡­ Have you lost your memories as well as your power?¡± That cool voice was cold, uninflected.


    ¡°You recognize me? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Your master!¡± That voice finally seemed to get slightly angry.


    ¡°My master died tens of years ago! Who are you, and why are you trying to impersonate him?¡±


    ¡°A son bears his father¡¯s debts, his burdens, and naturally, his possessions!¡±


    Qiuqiu stood up unsteadily on its two feet. ¡°Y-you¡¯re the prince of beasts, Xun Mo?!¡±


    ¡°Ha. Recognition, at longst.¡±


    ¡°Xun Mo, how did you end up as royalty of the Li kingdom?¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t answer Qiuqiu¡¯s questions, but instead asked it one of his own. ¡°As for you, how did you end up here? I¡¯d always thought that you¡¯d perished with Father!¡±


    Within the bracelet, Qiuqiu slowly sat up straight, its amber eyes turning ashen as it revealed a piece of history that had been lost to time.


    ¡°It was tens of years ago, when the Beast King and I were surrounded by those old cultivators. Someone had mounted a sneak attack against the Beast King, and he was so badly wounded that he wasn¡¯t an opponent for them. I was mired in my own battle against the Taotie and the Four Divine Beasts , so all I could do was watch on as he slowly sumbed to their attacks.¡±


    Qiuqiu shut its eyes slowly. Even through the mental barrier, Li Mo could sense its grief.


    ¡°Despite all my effort, I was no match for the five beastsbined, and I expected to have perished with my master. For some reason, one of the cultivators who¡¯d spearheaded the attack against the Beast King saw fit to seal me instead. When I awoke once again, I found myself trapped in this bracelet,rge tears rending my primordial spirit, my spiritual vortex barely revolving, and it took me therger part of ten long years to recover my body to this extent.¡±


    Qiuqiu lowered its head as it looked at its round, chubby body before smiling bitterly.


    ¡°But in order to regain my true powers, I have to rely on a master. When the bracelet¡¯s master unintentionally shed blood on the bracelet, I formed a blood pact with her. That¡¯s why, Xun Mo, my current master is none other than Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    Qiuqiu raised its round, fluffy head. ¡°The Beast King was my previous master, but with his death came the end of our contract. I¡¯m not a possession he left behind, and you have no right to be my master!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Li Mo¡¯s clear, cool voice dragged out the question, sounding like a harsh winter wind.


    In the dark of the night, his blue eyesnded on the sleeping form of Yun Ruoyan, slowly filling with bloodlust.


    ¡°Qiuqiu,¡± he murmured, his lips curling into a bloodcurdling grin, his tone so cold it seemed to freeze the world. ¡°If I kill your new mistress, wouldn¡¯t you be masterless once more?¡±


    ¡°Xun Mo, stop!¡± Qiuqiu could sense his bloodlust and immediately tried to stop him.


    But Li Mo had already raised five long, slender fingers, forming the shape of a w. Sharp fingernails slowly protruded from his fingernails and wed at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart!


    <hr>


    1. Mystical beast from Chinese mythology. A glutton.


    2. Four other mystical beasts that feature prominently in Asian mythology: the azure dragon, white tiger, ck tortoise, and vermillion pheasant.

 Chapter 64: A Human Furnace

    <h4>Chapter 64: A Human Furnace</h4>


    Within the bracelet, Qiuqiu had already shut its eyes, expecting the worst. As far as it could remember, no one could stop Li Mo from killing someone once he¡¯d set his heart on it. Qiuqiu¡¯s efforts to wake Yun Ruoyan would be to no avail.


    After all, dying in her sleep would surely be better than waking up and facing her death head-on. The best thing it could do for Yun Ruoyan would be to remain silent.


    But just as Li Mo¡¯s sharp fingernails were about to prate Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart, his hand suddenly stopped moving. His gaze was absorbed by the string of wooden beads on her wrist, which he¡¯d given her aspensation during the day.


    The wooden beads glowed with a faint, red light.


    Li Mo raised his brows, his icy blue eyes sparkling. His father, the Beast King, had given him those beads for his sixth birthday. At the time, he couldn¡¯t identify anything unusual about the beads, and only when his father described the gift did he begin to realize what a precious treasure it was. The beads were made of thousand-year-old redwood, and within each bead was a sliver of the mythical fire qilin¡¯s inner core.


    Such a core had tremendous affinity for fire, as well as fire-aspected spiritual energy so strong that even his father had had trouble absorbing it fully. This was why the core had instead been split into pieces and sealed by ancient wood.


    The Beast King had told his son that, although no one would be able to absorb and im this energy as their own, wearing the beads would naturally increase one¡¯s affinity for fire. For a pillmaster aspirant like Yun Ruoyan or even Li Mo himself, this was undoubtedly a priceless gift.


    Li Mo had never taken it off after his father had put it on for him at the tender age of six.


    During the day, he¡¯d given her the beads temporarily because he didn¡¯t have anything else on him, and had nned to retrieve ite nighttime.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was for the beads, which had been fully inert in the decades since he¡¯d worn it, to begin emitting faint pulses of spiritual energy on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wrist.


    What was so special about this ugly girl, to be able to make the beads react like that?


    His sudden curiosity tempered his killing intent, and he removed his hood as he leaned down and observed Yun Ruoyan by her bedside.


    The only illumination in the dark was from the beads, glowing a dim red. It made Li Mo¡¯s gaunt face take on a demonic tinge and gave Yun Ruoyan a sense of ethereal beauty, her half-beautiful, half-ugly face appearing in front of his cool blue eyes.


    Li Mo slowly closed his eyes as he rxed, breathing in deeply at a spot close to Yun Ruoyan. He seemed to be in great pleasure, as if he were smelling something marvellous.


    It¡¯s that smell!


    The first time Li Mo saw Yun Ruoyan, he¡¯d been attracted by a peculiar smell emanating from her body. It had made him seek, uncontrobly, to get closer to her.


    When they once again encountered each other in the forest up in the mountains, the same thing had happened. This was how they¡¯d ended up sharing two kisses.


    Li Mo himself was a little stunned by his actions: when had he be so thirsty for women?


    So this was why!


    An unusual fragrance, able to make a mythical beast¡¯s core emit spiritual energy¡­ Could it be that this ugly girl from the Yun family was a legendary human furnace, said to appear fewer than once in a millennium?!


    No wonder even that poison wasn¡¯t enough to kill you! Li Mo couldn¡¯t help thinking. Even with his experience and cultivation, he would have been hard-pressed to deal with the poison. A regr person¡¯s body would have festered away, whereas Yun Ruoyan only had her beauty tarnished, her cultivation restricted!


    Lin Yuemei¡¯s corpse was nothing more than a hunk of rotten flesh, so revolting that the Yun family had to rush her burial before rumors could begin to spread.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unique constitution provided a significant resistance against poisons, and this had saved her life. Even so, her face had been ruined and her cultivation blocked.


    A ¡®human furnace¡¯ was a somewhat derogatory term for a certain type of unique constitution. Not only were human furnaces blessed with incredible talent for cultivation, they could even bypass the bottlenecks that gued regr cultivators entirely.


    For a regr cultivator, cultivating alongside such a human furnace would both speed up the rate of cultivation and dampen the effect of bottlenecks.


    Li Mo himself was trapped at a bottleneck on the way to bing a sword saint, and having such a human furnace close by would essentially double his chances of a breakthrough.


    He smiled, and then frowned once more. Unfortunately, her cultivation was too low to help him much. It looked as though he couldn¡¯t kill her and had to help her grow instead!


    Li Mo sighed as he looked at his raised hand, which had almost taken Yun Ruoyan¡¯s life. He bit one finger hard enough that a drop of blood welled out, then smeared it on the beads on her wrist.


    The dim red glow slowly vanished.


    Trapped within the bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension, Qiuqiu knew none of what had happened, nor of Li Mo¡¯s thoughts. Neither did it realize that Yun Ruoyan was actually a so-called ¡®human furnace¡¯.


    It was simply wondering why Li Mo hadn¡¯t yet made his move while hoping fervently that, somehow, he had seen fit to spare her.


    And when Li Mo applied his own blood onto the qilin beads, Qiuqiu¡¯s suspicions were confirmed.


    ¡°Xun Mo, have you decided not to kill her?¡± Qiuqiu asked probingly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± His cold voice had even turned somewhat warm. ¡°I changed my mind. Since you¡¯ve already recognized her as your new mistress, I don¡¯t want to force your hand.¡±


    Li Mo hooded himself once more before suddenly speaking to Qiuqiu again. ¡°There are some things that your mistress shouldn¡¯t know, you understand?¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t harm her again, I won¡¯t tell her about you,¡± Qiuqiu confirmed. Li Mo wasn¡¯t someone that it or Yun Ruoyan could afford to anger easily at the moment.


    ¡°Good. Help her cultivate, and hopefully you¡¯ll be able to regain your old strength quickly.¡± He vanished out the window like a gust of wind.


    The qilin beads rested on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s left wrist along with her silver bracelet. Compared to the bracelet¡¯s intricate carvings, it seemed especially ordinary, as if it were nothing more than a cheap children¡¯s toy that could easily be found at a market stall.


    But at that moment, the seal on the beads had been slightly worn off by Li Mo¡¯s beastkin blood, and an imperceptible amount of fire-attuned energy began to seep into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body.


    In her sleep, Yun Ruoyan suddenly felt warm all over, as if fiery lights were dancing all around her body. They flew around her, glowing like fireflies.


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan woke with the sun. She felt as if she¡¯d been sunbathing,fortably ensconced in a warm aura.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan got up from her bed and stretched deeply, muttering to herself, ¡°I should sleep earlier more often.¡±


    ¡°Qiu, qiu!¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice rang out from her mind. ¡°Mistress, you¡¯re awake!¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu, you¡¯re up pretty early today,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. Usually, if she didn¡¯t talk to Qiuqiu, it would have remained asleep for quite a while. Only rarely did it wake up so early in the morning to greet her.


    ¡°Mistress, have you noticed any changes to your body?¡± Qiuqiu asked probingly.


    ¡°Any changes?¡± Yun Ruoyan lowered her head subconsciously to inspect her body, before rubbing her face. ¡°I feel like my body¡¯s particrly warm andfortable.¡±


    Qiuqiu knew about the qilin beads, of course, but it had been sleeping when Li Mo had handed them to her.


    Last night, it was only when it felt Li Mo smearing his blood on the beads that it noticed that Yun Ruoyan had a string of beads on her wrist. When it inspected the beads more closely and found that it was the string of beads that the Beast King had given Li Mo, it was greatly taken by surprise.


    Qiuqiu didn¡¯t understand why Li Mo had done so, but it hazarded a guess. ¡°Mistress, try sensing the primal element of fire.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes lit up. If Qiuqiu was telling her to do this, did it mean that her efforts thesest few days had paid off? She immediately sat cross-legged in bed and began to meditate.


    When she next opened her eyes, they were filled with amazement.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, I can feel it!¡± She called out excitedly.


    Yun Ruoyan stood in the middle of Lin Zainan¡¯s study. Lin Zainan and the two Lin sisters were both looking at her intently. She¡¯d been standing like that for almost two hours, and Lin Qingxue, ever impatient, couldn¡¯t help turning to look at Lin Qingchen and her grandfather by her side.


    ¡°Condensing a spiritual me isn¡¯t something that can be done in a matter of hours,¡± Lin Zainan spoke up. His voice was soft; he was talking to Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue, not Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°I¡¯d thought that it would be at least three years before Ruoyan could sense the fire in her spiritual energy and begin trying to condense a me.¡± He stroked his white beard as he tried to hide the excitement in his heart. ¡°But in a matter of days, she¡¯s alreadye this far!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had quickly rushed to the Lins to inform her grandfather of her amazing discovery. Shocked and disbelieving, but greatly pleased, he¡¯d immediately imparted upon her a technique for condensing spirit fire.


    Without another word, Yun Ruoyan began to cultivate on the spot.


    ¡°Both of you, remember this well.¡± Lin Zainan turned to his two granddaughters once more. ¡°Cultivation requires not only talent, but also hard work!¡±


    The Lin sisters both nodded.


    Meanwhile, Yun Ruoyan had cleared her mind and was focusing all her attention on her spiritual vortex. It was filled mostly with a white mist, but a small, red patch had begun to emerge near the center of the vortex. This was a direct result of her using the technique that Lin Zainan had just imparted upon her.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan moved!¡± Lin Qingxue called out softly, and the three of them stared at her body even more closely.


    As Yun Ruoyan raised her arms and sped her palms together, strands of red mist began emanating from her fingers.


    ¡°Look, look! That¡¯s fire-attuned spiritual energy! Ruoyan¡¯s sessfully expelling it from her body!¡±


    Being able to observe others condensing spiritual fire was a rare opportunity, especially if it was their first time doing so.


    Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue both opened their eyes wide, not wanting to miss Yun Ruoyan¡¯s slightest gesture.


    That red mist began to revolve about Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palms, bing smaller and smaller as it spun more and more quickly.


    Lin Zainan knew that Yun Ruoyan had reached a critical juncture in the technique, and he couldn¡¯t help but be anxious for her. He clutched his beard tightly as he looked on, fervently praying for her sess.


    Although Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue couldn¡¯t identify how crucial this stage was, they too began anxious upon seeing the rapidly revolving ball of red spiritual energy in her cupped palms.


    ¡°Spiritual fire, spiritual fire!¡± Lin Qingxue pointed at a spark that had appeared above Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fingers, jumping up in excitement.


    Puff! Amidst Lin Qingxue¡¯s excited cries, the spark suddenly vanished.


    Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath and opened her eyes, finding herself face to face with three flushed faces. She smiled tiredly. ¡°Grandfather, I still can¡¯t do it!¡±


    But Lin Zainan onlyughed as he strode forward, patting Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯ve already shocked me enough. Do you know how long it took me to get the same mastery over fire? Four long years!¡±


    Lin Zainan raised four fingers. ¡°And after that, it took me another full year before I was able to condense a true spirit me, five years in all! As for you, it was only¡­¡±


    Lin Zainan raised all five fingers before bending two back down. Unbelievably, he muttered, ¡°...only three days?! If those old geezers in the pillmaking world find out about this, their eyeballs would fall out of their sockets!¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, you can¡¯t say a word of this!¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly eximed.


    ¡°I know, I know.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t want to reveal her incredible talent and let the Yuns reap the benefits.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, don¡¯t you worry. None of us will say a word,¡± Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen walked up to her side and promised, looking at her with idtry.


    ¡°Old master, Miss Yun,¡± Lin Bo¡¯s voice came from the door. ¡°Servants from the Yun family are here to bring Miss Yun back home.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lin Zainan frowned. ¡°Ruoyan only got here a few hours ago. What¡¯s so urgent?¡±


    Lin Bo replied from outside, ¡°ording to the servants, the crown prince himself is heading to the Yun household, and everyone has to be there to wee him!¡±


    The crown prince, going to the Yun household¡­!


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but think of the gold-robed youth sitting leisurely on his pnquin the day that she¡¯d ventured into the imperial hunting grounds.

 Chapter 65: It’s You!

    <h4>Chapter 65: It¡¯s You!</h4>


    Actually, Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with the crown prince.


    Perhaps because he wanted to get in the good graces of all the court officials, among all the princes, the crown prince Li Qianxiao was the one who paid the most visits to the noble families scattered throughout the capital.


    Yun Ruoyan had seen him before her rebirth as well as in her past life, but her disfigured appearance made it difficult for her to appear in public. During such asions, she tended to hide behind a crowd or simply feign sickness to avoid having to attend such gatherings.


    This was why, with regards to Li Qianxiao, Yun Ruoyan would certainly be a stranger.


    Lin Zainan couldn¡¯t help hmphing with dissatisfaction after hearing what Lin Bo had said. ¡°Has Yun Lan finally realized that you should be present when the Yun family is weing guests, as befits your status?¡±


    In the past, whenever such situations had urred, the Yun family would no doubt neglect Yun Ruoyan¡¯s existence. That they were specially sending servants to fetch her indicated Yun Ruoyan¡¯srge advancement in status.


    However, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t feel particrly emotional about any of this. In her heart, it was clear that the Yuns would value her if she had value, and discard her if she had none. Rather than a matter of kinship, it was simply a matter of benefits.


    ¡°Grandfather,¡± Yun Ruoyan obediently called out. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be returning home now. I¡¯lle visit again once I¡¯m free!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself from cultivating too hard. Your body¡¯s the most important, got it?¡± Lin Zainan instructed her again.


    As soon as they left Lin Zainan¡¯s study, Yun Ruoyan pulled Lin Qingchen aside. ¡°Qingchen, do you have more of that gauze?¡±


    Actually, Lin Qingchen had been wondering why she hadn¡¯t applied the gauze beforeing to visit. Was it ufortable? She was about to ask about it, but Yun Ruoyan had done so first.


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Lin Qingchen took out a roll of gauze from one pocket and handed it to Yun Ruoyan.


    There were seven pieces of gauze in that roll in the seven colors of the rainbow. Some were shaped like lotus leaves, and others like bamboo leaves, sakura blossoms, and phoenix orchids.


    ¡°My goodness, they¡¯re so pretty!¡± Lin Qingxue ran over upon seeing the gauze before quickly clicking her tongue. ¡°Sister Qingchen, you¡¯re biased! You only share the pretty things with Sister Ruoyan, not me!¡±


    Lin Qingchen gave her a supercilious look while Yun Ruoyanughed. ¡°Your face is rosy and radiant, so why would you want to cover it up?¡±


    Lin Qingxue stuck her tongue out. She took a piece of gauze shaped like a sakura blossom from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands before applying it on her face.


    Incredibly, Lin Qingxue¡¯s round, pancake-like face immediately seemed to morph into an oval shape once she¡¯d applied the gauze. Her facial features were fine and delicate, and the gauze really did seem to entuate them.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but praise her, and she showed off her appearance shamelessly. ¡°Don¡¯t you two know that this is a popr trend among youngdies in the capital nowadays?¡±


    ¡°A popr trend? What do you mean?¡± This was clearly the first time that Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan had heard about any of this.


    ¡°Aiii¡­¡± Lin Qingxue sighed, looking at her two sisters in exasperation. ¡°One of you reads books the entire day, and the other cultivates. I guess I¡¯ll have to be the one who teaches both of you about popr fashion trends!¡±


    It turned out that a clothes merchant had been enjoying the phoenix orchids blooming on the Minghuang mountain when he suddenly saw a young miss walking by with a patch of gauze on her face.


    Her beauty inspired him to create many such patches of gauze for sale, and they were so popr that people even began lining up to order them in advance.


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen exchanged nces: clearly, that ¡°inspiration¡± was none other than Yun Ruoyan.


    Long after Yun Ruoyan had departed from the Lin household, Lin Qingxue finally realized that something was amiss. ¡°If they didn¡¯t know that this was the trend, where did Qingchene by so many gauze patches?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan went straight to the guest hall as soon as she returned to the Yun household. All the women had already dressed up in formal attire¡ªall excepting Yun Ruoyan, who had just entered.


    The Li kingdom ced a strong emphasis on formality and attire, especially with regards to the nobility.


    There were two usual sses of attire: casualwear, like the muslin dress that Yun Ruoyan was currently wearing, and formalwear, to be donned during festivals or when meeting particrly high-ranking guests. Formalwear was restrictive, heavy, and incredibly gaudy.


    As Yun Ruoyan nced around the room, she was dazzled by the vibrant colors on disy. She didn¡¯t have toment on Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying, but even the Yun matriarch was dressed in a sapphire-blue pleated gown. An ostentatious phoenix hairpin, its tails ring,pleted her outfit. She seemed unusually vibrant and lively, a far cry from her usual appearance that made her look as if she would doze off at any moment.


    ¡°Ruoyan, why aren¡¯t you dressed up?¡± Madam An was dressed in a mboyant red dress with gold embroidery, looking every bit the wealthy matron. She sized up Yun Ruoyan beforementing, ¡°As a wife-born daughter, don¡¯t you know anything about formality?¡±


    Naturally, Yun Ruoyan had had formality drilled into her head ever since she was a child. Despite her status, however, her wardrobe remained rtively barren.


    In thesest few months, Yun Ruoyan had grown half a head and could barely fit into her usual dresses. Most of what she¡¯d been wearing were instead gowns and dresses that her mother, Lin Yuemei, had owned.


    Initially, Xi Lan had prepared two additional sets of clothes for Yun Ruoyan, but Yun Ruoyan had stopped her from making more in order to avoid attention.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve grown quite a bit taller in thest few months, and I can¡¯t fit into my old clothes at the moment. Shall I feign sickness to avoid the reception?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked directly.


    It was rare that Yun Ruoyan said something so pleasing to Madam An¡¯s ears. She was just about to agree with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s suggestion when the Yun matriarch spoke up. ¡°Of course not! As a wife-born daughter, you certainly have to be present on an asion as important as this.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Lan,¡± The Yun matriarch waved at her maid and instructed her, ¡°Help Ruoyan change into the formalwear I¡¯ve prepared for her.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t expected that her grandmother would have prepared something. Although she didn¡¯t want to meet the crown prince at all, she didn¡¯t seem to have any other choice.


    Despite her unwillingness, she beamed outwardly. ¡°Thank you for your grace, grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go, go.¡±


    Putting on the attire was an extremely time-consuming process, but with Xiao Lan¡¯s help, Yun Ruoyan made a reappearance in the great hall in only half an hour. When she appeared, everyone was shocked, especially her father Yun Lan.


    At that moment, he almost thought that his beautiful wife hade back to life once more.


    Yun Ruoyan wore a rose-colored shawl embroidered with golden phoenix orchids, along with a pleated skirt in the same style as her grandmother¡¯s.


    Her hair was loosely coiled and adorned with a ruby brooch. Her face was unblemished and unadorned, save for a pink, phoenix-orchid gauze on her right cheek hiding her birthmark.


    Her clothing was well-made, her appearance elegant, her posture and mannerism impable.


    The Yun matriarch was extremely pleased with the dress that she¡¯d picked out for Yun Ruoyan, and she threw her a tender nce.


    Yun Lan¡¯s gaze shed, and Yun Ruoyu, Yun Ruoyao, and Yi Qianying all looked toward Yun Ruoyan with nces filled with jealousy, envy, and hate!


    Madam An was a little frightened. She looks just like her, that horrible, hateful woman!


    At this time, a servant ran into the hall and bowed toward Yun Lan. ¡°Master, the crown prince is almost here.¡±


    Only then did everyone stop looking at Yun Ruoyan. With Yun Lan in the lead, the grand procession headed to the front door and waited for the crown prince¡¯s arrival.


    Not long afterwards, a ten-man party approached the Yun household, with the crown prince Li Qianxiao riding on horseback in the center.


    Yun Lan immediately greeted him, bowing down, and the women of the household followed suit.


    ¡°Official Yun, there¡¯s no need to be so formal! I simply nned on having a small visit,¡± Li Qianxiao immediately got down from his horse and said politely.


    Yun Lanughed. ¡°Crown Prince, it¡¯s been half a year since youst visited. As a lowly official, how could I not bring out the formalities? Please enter!¡±


    Li Qianxiao walked toward the front doors of the household.


    Yun Ruoyan lifted her head slightly, seeing him dressed in an official robe of amethyst and gold. His jade headband lent him a somewhat distinguished appearance, and both his bearing and manner distinguished him.


    The indolent, lecherous youth she¡¯d seen resting on a pnquin at the hunting grounds seemed to be a different person entirely.


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how duplicitous the nobility all seemed to be.


    ¡°Have you been welltely, Old Madam Yun?¡± Li Qianxiao asked as he walked by the Yun matriarch.


    As a titled madam, the Yun matriarch didn¡¯t need to kneel in front of the prince. She bowed as she replied, ¡°I¡¯m doing well, Crown Prince, thank you.¡±


    Li Qianxiao nodded and was just about to head inside when his gaze swept over Yun Ruoyan, kneeling by the Yun matriarch¡¯s side, and his body froze. ¡°Who¡¯s this young miss? Why haven¡¯t I seen her before?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t expect his sudden scrutiny. For a moment, she was at a loss for words.


    The Yun matriarch hurriedly replied, ¡°This is the second daughter of the Yun family, Yun Ruoyan.¡± She then reached out and grabbed Yun Ruoyan by the arm. ¡°Ruoyan, quickly greet the crown prince!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. Only when she reyed the scene in the imperial hunting grounds in her mind and confirmed that no one had seen her appearance did she calm down and bow. ¡°Ruoyan greets the Crown Prince; may he be blessed.¡±


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan¡­¡± Li Qianxiao repeated this name over and over, and then, as if he suddenly recalled something, he eximed, ¡°You¡¯re that¡ª¡±


    One of the servants in Li Qianxiao¡¯s employ suddenly coughed, interrupting the ¡°¡ªfamed ugly girl of the Yun household?!¡± that the prince would undoubtedly have said.


    Li Qianxiao nced behind him surreptitiously before turning back and continuing, ¡°So you¡¯re the second daughter of the Yun household! I¡¯ve been to this ce so many times, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m seeing you in person. Show me your face.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan pursed her lips as she lifted her head.


    Li Qianxiao felt his eyes gleam as he saw a picturesque beauty right in front of him.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, however, he suddenly pointed at the phoenix-orchid gauze patch on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s right cheek. ¡°You! You must be the masked girl who dashed into the imperial hunting grounds that day!¡±

 Chapter 66: Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 66: Invitation</h4>


    Everyone was shocked at the crown prince¡¯s sudden promation that Yun Ruoyan had been the masked girl, including Yun Ruoyan herself.


    That was impossible! She was so far away that nobody could have seen her face clearly. How could the crown prince have recognized her?!


    ¡°Crown Prince, I must admit I don¡¯t understand. What masked girl could you be referring to?¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan was shocked, she didn¡¯t reveal any of her inner turmoil. A cleft appeared in the middle of her forehead as she looked curiously at the crown prince.


    His hand was still in mid-air, but when he met Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze, he couldn¡¯t help but fall into a daze once more. He¡¯d seen more than his fair share of beauties, thin and plump, old and young, and with all sorts of distinct personalities. But never had he seen one with such a limpid gaze, as if she were a fairy who had descended from the heavens.


    ¡°Crown Prince?¡± The servant behind Li Qianxiao slowly nudged him, allowing him to regain his senses and retract his finger.


    ¡°Crown Prince, what masked girl were you referring to?¡± Yun Lan asked him curiously. ¡°And what do you mean by trespassing on imperial grounds?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was hunting in the Minghuang mountain with Father yesterday, and I met a masked girl within the hunting grounds. For a moment, it seemed to me that your second daughter looked exactly like her.¡± Li Qianxiao turned to face Yun Lan when he answered his question, but he couldn¡¯t help sneaking nces at Yun Ruoyan.


    When their gaze met, Yun Ruoyan immediately made a shy expression as she lowered her head, strands of hair by her ear falling and covering therger half of her face.


    Ever since yesterday, the crown prince had been dreaming of the masked girl he¡¯d seen, unable to forget her graceful, lithe image. He often wondered what sort of beauty the masked girl had been hiding beneath her veil.


    And when he suddenly saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s beautiful smile, his mental image of the masked girl merged with the physical girl in front of him, causing him to make a baseless im.


    After the moment had passed, even Li Qianxiao himself found his im ludicrous.


    His closest bodyguard had said that that girl¡¯s cultivation was peak seventh-rank, and the Yun family¡¯s second daughter was widely rumored to be ugly and useless.


    But¡­ Li Qianxiao couldn¡¯t help narrowing his eyes as he inspected Yun Ruoyan more closely. She knelt in front of him, her back straight and dignified, her head lowered. She was draped in finery, and looked every part the nobledy.


    It seemed that the rumors of her ugliness had been baseless!


    But it was true that, at her age, reaching peak seventh-rank cultivation was ludicrous.


    The crowd didn¡¯t know what Li Qianxiao was thinking, but the fact that his gaze had stayed on Yun Ruoyan this entire time made his interest in her obvious.


    Yun Lan¡¯s gaze shifted.


    The Yun matriarch, on the other hand, looked ufortably at her granddaughter. She couldn¡¯t really have gone into the imperial hunting grounds, could she?! But she quickly calmed down. No, no, of course not. With her current cultivation, she couldn¡¯t have trespassed and found her way out safely.


    ¡°Crown Prince, you must be mistaken,¡± the Yun matriarch began. ¡°Everyone in the Yun family is well aware that the imperial hunting grounds are off-limits to outsiders. None of us would dare to risk the emperor¡¯s wrath.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡± Li Qianxiao¡¯s gaze finally left Yun Ruoyan as he smiled. ¡°That girl was amazing, able to ovee even twenty imperial guards at once.¡±


    He leaned down and helped Yun Ruoyan up, gently murmuring, ¡°Apologies for being rash. I hope I haven¡¯t scared you too much, Miss Yun?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head was still lowered as she shook it gently. She didn¡¯t speak, but the loose hairs by her temples fluttered as she moved, making her look even more appealing.


    Li Qianxiao smiled even more deeply.


    ¡°Crown Prince, please enter.¡± Yun Lan smiled as he looked appraisingly at his daughter.


    The procession headed toward the great hall.


    The crown prince took the seat of honor, and Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch sat on either side of him. Madam An sat at the very edge of the table, and Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and Yi Qianying could only stand at the back.


    The Yun matriarch pulled Yun Ruoyan to her side.


    Yun Lan and Li Qianxiao chatted a little before a few servants entered bearing tea and snacks. Madam An quickly stood up and poured everyone a cup of tea.


    ¡°Crown Prince, it¡¯s been too long since you werest here. Is this honey bayberry tea still to your liking?¡± Yun Lan asked the crown prince courteously.


    A long time ago, when the Yun family had been hosting the crown prince, he¡¯d heartily praised their honey bayberry tea when he¡¯d unintentionally stumbled on it. From then on, Yun Lan had tasked his servants to prepare it daily, just in case another asion like this one arose.


    Li Qianxiao stood up and sipped his cup in a genteel fashion, praising, ¡°It¡¯s even better than before! Official Yun, your household still has the best tea and snacks, and if I ever want to quench my thirst in the future, it looks like I should frequent your ce more often.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Crown Prince! During thesest six months, Ruoyao and Ruoyu have always been asking about you, and now you¡¯re finally here!¡± Madam An beamed.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Yun Ruoyu pouted, ¡°We haven¡¯t been doing that!¡±


    Everyoneughed at her tone.


    Yun Ruoyan noted that even the rambunctious Yun Ruoyu was behaving like an obedient little girl. It seemed as if her little sister really was besotted with the crown prince! Her gaze swept over Yun Ruoyu and Yun Ruoyao before she ended up locking eyes with Li Qianxiao. Her bountiful experience from her past life made it obvious that he was brimming with sexual desire.


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh before quickly turning away, resolutely staring at the ground instead. To her side, Li Qianxiao opened his mouth. ¡°As a guest, I¡¯ve always been ying with Ruoyao and Ruoyu, but I¡¯ve rarely seen Ruoyan. That was partly why I made that baseless im at the front door when I first saw you, Ruoyan, and I apologize for the usation.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was still inspecting the ground earnestly, as if she hadn¡¯t heard a word of what the crown prince had said.


    ¡°Ruoyan,¡± the Yun matriarch pulled on her wrist and murmured, ¡°The Crown Prince is talking to you!¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh!¡± Only then did Yun Ruoyan raise her head. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright.¡± She lowered her head once more.


    What was wrong with this child today? Why was she keeping her head down, as if she didn¡¯t dare look anyone in the eye? What a waste of her effort in dressing her up!


    ¡°Haha.¡± Li Qianxiao misunderstood her reluctance to look at him, only thinking her shy. ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s magnanimous and willing to forgive me, but as the crown prince, I surely can¡¯t just paper over this affair. In the future, I¡¯ll be sure to bring a gift with me to properly apologize.¡±


    Yun Lanughed heartily. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, Crown Prince. My daughter¡¯s long been bedridden by illness, and she rarely has a chance to meet with visitors. This is why she¡¯s been rather reserved; please don¡¯t think badly of her.¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Li Qianxiao immediately replied before looking considerately at Yun Ruoyan once more. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors about your ill health, Ruoyan, but are you doing better now?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s quite alright,¡± the Yun matriarch replied. ¡°Not only has her body recovered, her cultivation¡¯s also greatly improved. She¡¯s been epted into Kongming Academy and is simply waiting for her admissions letter.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Li Qianxiao¡¯s eyes gleamed. He hadn¡¯t expected that, despite her frail, weak appearance, that Yun Ruoyan had actually passed such a grueling trial.


    He too had experienced Kongming Academy¡¯s recruitment trials; even the royal families of the four kingdoms had to take part to be granted admission.


    Of course, they only had to take part in name: Li Qianxiao had simply brought a few higher-ranked demasters, pillmasters, and summoners along with him for a ten-day excursion in the secret territory.


    But he did know how powerful the beasts that prowled about the realm were. On the tenth night of his trial, his party had suddenly encountered a saber-toothed tiger, and only with the entire party¡¯sbined strength had he managed to take it down. For this feat, half the warriors he¡¯d brought with him had perished.


    ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s truly both beautiful and capable,¡± Li Qianxiao praised.


    Yun Lan smiled again. ¡°Excellent in all respects, save her personality in front of guests. Crown Prince, if you don¡¯t mind, pleasee visit more often and help instruct my daughter.¡±


    ¡®Help instruct my daughter.¡¯ These words were simply an open invitation for him! He looked once more at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dark, glossy hair, rosy lips, and elegant bearing, unable to help the smile creeping onto his face.


    ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s certainly not great with guests,¡± Li Qianxiao murmured, ¡°Or there wouldn¡¯t be so many deceitful rumors about her in the capital.¡±


    He looked as though he¡¯d suddenly thought of something and quickly continued, ¡°In a few days, it¡¯ll be the start of summer. My mother always organizes a flower-viewing party during this transitory period, and we¡¯ll have the scions of the aristocracy gathering over at the pce. I¡¯ve never seen Ruoyan there before, so, on behalf of my mother, I¡¯d like to invite Ruoyan now.¡±


    When the crown prince brought up the flower-viewing party, everyone¡¯s gaze¡ªbesides Yun Ruoyan¡¯s¡ªlit up.


    The so-called flower-viewing party was really an arena for the scions of the younger generation topete: in cultivation, martial skill, schrship, beauty, speech, and clothing.


    Anything that could bepared was, and all of this would take ce in front of the empress herself.


    The imperial family consisted of eight princes and five princesses, none of which had yet been betrothed. The object of their attention would be chosen from one of these scions.


    Members of the nobility would do their utmost to secure an invitation to this illustrious flower-viewing party. Even if they ultimately lost out in terms of whateverpetition they chose to partake in, it was still an opportunity to shine and learn about theirpetitors.


    ¡°What a wonderful opportunity!¡± The Yun matriarch smiled broadly, as did Yun Lan.


    This actually did get Yun Ruoyan¡¯s interest.


    In the past, she had been curious about this flower-viewing party. However, even though she was the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family, she had never been able to attend. That had been a source of constant frustration.


    But now that she had a chance to resolve this regret, why wouldn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Ruoyan thanks the crown prince.¡± Yun Ruoyan finally looked Li Qianxiao in the eye and smiled.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyao, can I attend this flower-viewing party too?¡± Yun Ruoyu whispered, and Yi Qianying also leaned over.


    The spots at the party were limited: one couldn¡¯t be too young, too ugly, or too weak, and preference was given to those with higher status.


    Last year, Yun Ruoyao had gone on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s behalf. When she returned, she recounted the experience to Yun Ruoyu and Yi Qianying, making them dream so much about the opportunity that they began to salivate.


    This was why they¡¯d be so earnest as soon as Li Qianxiao brought the party up.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± Yun Ruoyao whispered back. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the crown prince? He gave our family¡¯s slot to Ruoyan directly. I performed well enoughst year that I¡¯ll be invited back, but in general, there are only at most two scions from each family in attendance.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean we have no chance, then?¡± Yi Qianying sighed.


    Yun Ruoyu began to pout, her eyes ring daggers at Yun Ruoyan. The slot that was destined to go to her had been stolen by Yun Ruoyan, just like that! She refused to ept this harsh reality, and she would snatch that rightful slot of hers back!

 Chapter 67: It’s Gone?!

    <h4>Chapter 67: It¡¯s Gone?!</h4>


    Li Qianxiao wasn¡¯t intending to have dinner with the Yuns, but he did so because of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s presence.


    After dinner, the Yun matriarch retired to her quarters on ount of tiredness, leaving Madam An to host the crown prince.


    Because it was the start of summer, the night air was cool and refreshing, and constetions dappled the night sky. Li Qianxiao toured the Yun family garden with Yun Lan, Yun Ruoyan, and Yun Ruoyao.


    Within the garden was a pavilion, a small stream of running water, and all sorts of exotic flowers. The pebbled path, pavilion, and flowerbeds were all iid with glowing moonstones, giving the scene an ethereal, otherworldly quality.


    As soon as the party gathered by the pavilion, a servant came rushing to Yun Lan to report an urgent affair. After hearing the report, Yun Lan quickly bade the prince farewell and departed to his own quarters.


    Li Qianxiao couldn¡¯t have been happier. With an official as high-ranking as Yun Lan present, he¡¯d had to act every bit the noble crown prince, and keeping up the act was tiring.


    After Yun Lan¡¯s departure, the Yun sisters were far less reserved than before. They all gathered by the crown prince¡¯s side as they amused him with idle chatter. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan sat alone on the other side of the pavilion, not joining---nor wishing to join---the conversation.


    Li Qianxiao wanted to sit by Yun Ruoyan, but Yun Ruoyu caught him in time. Ever since he was ten, he would often frequent the Yun household and even invite Yun Ruoyu and the others on excursions, so the Yun sisters were all quite familiar with him.


    This was why he had to be patient with Yun Ruoyu, even if she was clingy and getting rather bothersome. ¡°Crown Prince, why haven¡¯t you been here in so long?¡± Yun Ruoyu asked unhappily.


    ¡°I had to leave for an official visit to the Yue kingdom, and I just came back recently,¡± Li Qianxiao answered.


    ¡°What were you doing there?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Li Qianxiao muttered, somewhat angrily. ¡°It¡¯s all trouble that my uncle got me into!¡±


    His uncle? Wasn¡¯t that Li Mo? As soon as Yun Ruoyan heard these words, she immediately perked up.


    ¡°The ughtering King!¡± Yun Ruoyu and the other two girls called out simultaneously.


    ¡°What sort of trouble would someone as powerful as the ughtering King bring you?¡± Yun Ruoyao asked curiously. Even Yun Ruoyan shifted her posture as she began listening in.


    But Li Qianxiao stopped speaking and suddenly turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Ruoyan, now that Official Yun¡¯s gone, why are you still so reserved?¡±


    The other girls looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s proper, upright posture and scoffed. What sort of act does she think she¡¯s putting on now?


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yun Ruoyu continued. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today, sister? Why are you behaving so formally? What happened to all your eloquence from yesterday? Who are you putting on this act for?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t wanted to stir up trouble. All she¡¯d hoped for was for this dreadful prince to leave, so that she could retire to her own rooms to cultivate. But if Yun Ruoyu wanted to provoke her and stir up trouble, then she would dly apany her.


    She recalled how bashful Yun Ruoyu appeared to be that afternoon and decided to use that as the basis for her attack.


    ¡°Sorry to incur such ridicule, Ruoyu, but I¡¯m not as fortunate as the rest of you. After all, this is the first time I¡¯m meeting the crown prince, and I still can¡¯t interact with him as closely as all of you can. I¡¯m a little intimidated by his aura, you see, and I feel a little nervous inside.¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t worry!¡± As soon as Li Qianxiao heard these words, he immediately stood up. ¡°We should have met long ago, but it¡¯s still not toote. I¡¯ll be sure to find you more frequently from now on.¡± He moved away from Yun Ruoyu and moved right beside Yun Ruoyan as he spoke.


    Yun Ruoyan was sitting on the side of the pavilion closest to theke, and the glow of the moonstones projected her beauty on theke.


    Li Qianxiao seemed to be dazed by her reflected appearance.


    ¡°Crown Prince, why are you standing? Please, sit!¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled gently, even as she was inwardly smirking coldly.


    Li Qianxiao¡¯s gaze shifted away from theke and directly onto Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, his heart thudding so loudly that he was sure she could hear it.


    His gaze seemed to be fixated on her, as if he couldn¡¯t bear to look away from her for even a single moment.


    Yun Ruoyan patted the stone bench by her side, motioning for Li Qianxiao to sit, and he did so obediently.


    Yun Ruoyao pulled on Yun Ruoyu¡¯s sleeve to get her attention as she motioned at Yun Ruoyan and the crown prince. Yun Ruoyu bit her lips as she looked at Li Qianxiao, her gaze filled with aplicated mix of longing, envy, and hate. She didn¡¯t understand why the crown prince, who had always been close to her, seemed to be so besotted with Yun Ruoyan.


    He was surely deceived by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fake appearance, and she could barely restrain herself from rushing up and peeling off the patch of gauze that covered Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark. If she did so, she was sure that her crown prince would finally see the truth and return to her once more.


    But because of her father Yun Lan¡¯s presence, she didn¡¯t dare do anything.


    Yun Ruoyan nced askance at Yun Ruoyu. She red back at Yun Ruoyan, her small face and wrinkled brows making her look like a chrysanthemum flower. Her two hands were clenched into fists, and she was almost vibrating as she tried to restrain herself.


    Yun Ruoyan smirked as she leaned against one of the pavilion¡¯s stanchions in anguid fashion. ¡°Crown Prince, I¡¯m getting a little tired. Would you walk me back to my residence?¡±


    ¡°O-Of course.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and the others hadn¡¯t brought any of their maids with them. There was about a ten-minute walk from the pavilion to her residence, and the prince¡¯s eyes grew bright at the thought of being able to spend all that time alone with a beauty.


    Li Qianxiao quickly jumped up from the stone stool. Yun Ruoyan extended a hand to him, allowing him to help her up. He immediately grasped her hand delicately, as though she were a fragile piece of jade. His voice was doting when he eximed, ¡°Ruoyan, your body must still be weak! I really shouldn¡¯t have asked you to go on a night excursion through these gardens with me.¡±


    A smile hung on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face as she nced at Yun Ruoyu once again. Her face had turned a sickly puce. It¡¯s about time.


    ¡°Crown Prince, please don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s my poor health that has ruined your enjoyment of this evening.¡± Li Qianxiao helped her walk out of the pavilion, but she stumbled on a stone step.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Her body tilted to the side, but Li Qianxiao was agile enough to catch her in an embrace.


    ¡°Ruoyan, are you alright? It¡¯s all my fault, I wasn¡¯t looking---¡± Li Qianxiao kept ming himself for her stumble, his tone and gaze filled with self-incrimination for almost hurting the beautiful Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Just then, Yun Ruoyu suddenly shouted from within the pavilion.


    Li Qianxiao looked at her, uprehending. She dashed out of the pavilion and reached out to grab Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face!


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yun Ruoyan screamed and buried her head in Li Qianxiao¡¯sp.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Li Qianxiao thundered as he grabbed Yun Ruoyu¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m going to tear off her mask.¡± Yun Ruoyu¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°Crown Prince, she¡¯s an ugly girl in disguise. Don¡¯t be tricked!¡±


    ¡°What disguise?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan curled up in Li Qianxiao¡¯sp, murmuring pitifully, ¡°Ruoyu, I know you like the crown prince, and I don¡¯t intend on snatching him from you. I was just hoping he¡¯d be able to help me get back to my residence, but if you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t insist¡­¡± She attempted to leave Li Qianxiao¡¯s embrace, but he only hugged her even more tightly.


    ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t worry about her. I must have coddled her too much during my previous visits.¡± He pushed Yun Ruoyu aside, and she stumbled into Yun Ruoyao¡¯s arms. ¡°Ruoyan, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Li Qianxiao didn¡¯t even turn back to see whether Yun Ruoyu was doing fine. He clutched Yun Ruoyan in her hands and continued to walk away from the pavilion. Behind them, Yun Ruoyu called out, ¡°Yun Ruoyan, do you dare to take off the gauze on your face, revealing your birthmark to the crown prince?! You¡¯ll always be ugly, no matter how hard you try to hide it!¡±


    Hearing Yun Ruoyu¡¯s crazed shout, Li Qianxiao actually did stop. As if she saw a ray of hope, Yun Ruoyu continued, ¡°Crown Prince, aren¡¯t you curious what that patch is hiding?¡±


    Li Qianxiao looked back at Yun Ruoyan in his arms. He turned and frowned, questioning, ¡°Isn¡¯t it the trend these days to wear such gauze patches?¡±


    Li Qianxiao had sent the lotus-leaf shaped patch that Yun Ruoyan had discarded to be inspected, hoping to be able to identify its owner. However, the guards that had been tasked with the investigation reported that such patches had caught the capital by storm, and that there were too many nobledies with such patches to make identification possible.


    ¡°No, no!¡± Yun Ruoyu hurriedly eximed. ¡°Other girls do it to entuate their features, but Ruoyan¡¯s doing it to hide an ugly birthmark on her right cheek! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Sister Ruoyao or Sister Qianying!¡±


    Li Qianxiao¡¯s gaze swept over the two silent girls. Yi Qianying couldn¡¯t help but take a step back, as if there was something she didn¡¯t dare say.


    Neither did Yun Ruoyao answer this question directly. ¡°Won¡¯t you know if you take the patch of gauze off?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that there¡¯s a birthmark on my face,¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly said.


    ¡°You admit it!¡± Yun Ruoyu pped her hands. ¡°You know you can¡¯t hide it, can you?¡±


    ¡°...but, after my treatment, it¡¯spletely gone now.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s follow-up left the three girls in a daze. ¡°The birthmark on my face has been removed.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Three separate voices came together as one. ¡°Your birthmark¡¯s gone?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I consumed the antidote that my grandfather gave me, and my birthmark¡¯s slowly vanishing. There¡¯s still a trace of it at the moment, but it¡¯ll all be gone soon enough.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! None of us will believe you, unless you take off the gauze and show us for yourself.¡± Yun Ruoyu continued, unrelenting. After all, she¡¯d seen her scar just a few days ago while they were having afternoon tea with their grandmother. There was no way a birthmark could vanish that quickly!


    But even if the girls didn¡¯t believe it, someone actually did.


    Yun Ruoyan inclined her head to peer into Li Qianxiao¡¯s eyes. ¡°Crown Prince, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m willing to take off my gauze, but there¡¯s still a little remnant of the birthmark left, and I don¡¯t want you to see it and have a bad impression of me. If you insist, however, I¡¯ll take it off¡­¡±


    As Yun Ruoyan trailed off, she really did put her hand to her right cheek.

 Chapter 68: Terrified

    <h4>Chapter 68: Terrified</h4>


    Yun Ruoyu and the girls waited for the big reveal with bated breath.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at Li Qianxiao gently as she slowly peeled off the patch of gauze on her right cheek.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Just at this moment, Li Qianxiao grabbed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand. He looked deeply into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes as he promised, ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t. I¡¯m not in a hurry, and I¡¯m willing to wait to see your perfect, unblemished face. Let me send you back to your rooms now.¡±


    He left supporting Yun Ruoyan, not turning back no matter how hard Yun Ruoyu screamed behind him.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan tilted her face toward Yun Ruoyu, her lips curved up in a gentle smile. Like a needle, that smile prated deeply into Yun Ruoyu¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Why? She¡¯s so ugly no one wanted to look at her. Why?¡± Yun Ruoyu clutched one of the pavilion¡¯s stanchions, her five fingers gripped tightly around the cool stone. ¡°Why does the crown prince believe her over me?¡±


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be upset.¡± Yun Ruoyao helped wipe away Yun Ruoyu¡¯s tears with a handkerchief. ¡°You know how protective Grandmother is of her, and even Father¡¯s been looking at her differently ever since she passed the trial for getting into Kongming Academy. Even Mother doesn¡¯t dare to push her too far now, so don¡¯t you go getting any thoughts in your head!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Yun Ruoyu turned her teary-eyed expression toward Yun Ruoyao. ¡°How did that wench manage to climb above all our heads in just a few short months?¡±


    It truly was a conundrum, one that gued not only Yun Ruoyu, but also Madam An, Yun Ruoyao, and Yi Qianying. Every other day, Madam An would ask Ling Lan for a report on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s situation, and every time, she would reply that Yun Ruoyan appeared no different from usual.


    No different from usual? Surely not. Something must have happened, something none of them were aware of!


    ¡°I also feel that she¡¯s changed far too much from before,¡± Yi Qianying began. ¡°Look at how she made the crown prince dance to her tune! Does she look like a young, innocent girl who¡¯s not even fifteen to you?¡±


    Even Yi Qianying, who had long since trained in enticing the opposite sex, couldn¡¯t im that she would have charmed the crown prince morepletely.


    ¡°I refuse to let this ugly wench do whatever she wants!¡± Yun Ruoyu cried out hatefully, as if she wanted to shred Yun Ruoyan to pieces. The crown prince might not be hers, but she certainly wouldn¡¯t let him be Yun Ruoyan¡¯s, either!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ruoyu.¡± Yun Ruoyao helped wipe away the tears that had stained Yun Ruoyu¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    A dark gleam passed through Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes.


    As they left the garden, Yun Ruoyan extricated herself from the crown prince¡¯s embrace. Li Qianxiao¡¯s arms went ck, and his heart fell.


    ¡°Ruoyan, are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, Crown Prince, thank you.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tone was as polite and courteous as it had been.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one around, so don¡¯t bother with formalities! Why don¡¯t you just call me by my given name, Li Qianxiao?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan doesn¡¯t dare, crown prince.¡± Yun Ruoyan lowered her head, remaining a respectful distance away from him. Despite her outwardly polite nature, she really despised Li Qianxiao.


    In her past life, Pei Ziao had told her that, despite his gentlemanly appearance, he was umonly lecherous. Every year, the Peis would curry favor with him with beauties gathered from all over the kingdom, and he would never refuse them.


    ¡°You mentioned just now that the ughtering King caused some problem in the Yue kingdom. What problem could be so major that you¡¯d have to deal with it yourself, Crown Prince?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked casually.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Li Qianxiao¡¯s tone turned vexed. ¡°My uncle killed the Yue emperor¡¯s own nephew for a female ve. The emperor couldn¡¯t do anything about him, of course, so he came crying to my father, and my father sent me to the Yue kingdom as a gesture of goodwill.


    That man had killed the Yue emperor¡¯s own nephew for a female ve?! Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyebrows couldn¡¯t help but shoot up.


    Suddenly, a harsh wind rose up amidst the cool summer night, mussing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hair and making her dress re up. For a brief moment, all she could hear was the rustling of leaves.


    Li Qianxiao immediately shielded Yun Ruoyan with an arm.


    That gust of wind dispersed as suddenly as it had appeared.


    ¡°Where did such arge gust of winde from?¡± Li Qianxiao dropped his arm as he turned toward Yun Ruoyan once more. ¡°Ruoyan, are you¡ª¡±


    Halfway through, his voice suddenly choked, his eyes and mouth both widening in shock. He had never before seen such a revolting face! Half the face was as beautiful as a fairy, and the other half, as red and swollen as a demon¡¯s!


    The crown prince breathed in and out rapidly. A strong wind had passed them by, and then this face had appeared in front of him out of nowhere. His mind turned nk, and the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up. When he finally reacted, he screamed. ¡°Help, a ghost!¡±


    Li Qianxiao took a few staggering steps back as he yelled out. In his hurry, something tripped him up, and hended heavily on his butt.


    ¡°Crown Prince¡­¡± As soon as Yun Ruoyan began stepping toward him, Li Qianxiao shrieked once more. ¡°Don¡¯te closer, don¡¯te closer!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stopped moving.


    ¡°Yo-yo¡ªyour face!¡± Li Qianxiao even went as far as to shut his eyes while speaking, not wanting to look at Yun Ruoyan for even a single moment more.


    Yun Ruoyan raised her hand and touched her right cheek, finding that the phoenix-orchid gauze had long since vanished.


    ¡°Crown Prince, my face hasn¡¯t fully recovered¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered softly as she began walking toward Li Qianxiao once more. ¡°It¡¯s already a lot better than before, and it¡¯ll get even better in the future.¡±


    ¡°St-stand still!¡± Li Qianxiao opened his eyes a tiny slit, but he only dared look at her dress and the bottom half of her body. ¡°I-I-I¡¯m going back to the pce; you can go back to your residence on your own!¡±


    Li Qianxiao turned around and hastily scrambled off, not even stopping to check for any injuries after his bad fall.


    Yun Ruoyan looked expressionlessly in his direction as his back became smaller and smaller, before vanishingpletely.


    She turned back toward her residence, calling out for Qiuqiu mentally.


    Qiuqiu would usually respond after just one or two calls, but this time, it was quite a while before Qiuqiu finally answered.


    ¡°Qiuqiu!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out once again.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress?¡± Qiuqiu finally responded.


    ¡°Who was that just now? Could you sense him?¡±


    ¡°Qiu¡­ Mistress¡­ I was sleeping and wasn¡¯t paying attention, qiu.¡±


    When she got back to her rooms, Yun Ruoyan sent the maids away and sat cross-legged on her bed. Despite multiple attempts, she was unable to get into the right mental state for meditation.


    That gust of wind was surely unnatural. What sort of person could have created it, and what was that person¡¯s goal? Yun Ruoyan tried to think this through in her head.


    When she recalled the crown prince¡¯s terrified expression, however, she couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    ¡°Haha,¡± she muttered to herself. ¡°Qingchen really was right: my face was frightening enough to make the crown prince himself beat a hasty retreat!¡±


    Unable to muster up the energy to cultivate, Yun Ruoyan slumped andy on her bed. She¡¯d ry this encounter to Qingchen soon, and even if she wasn¡¯t one to smile very much, Yun Ruoyan was certain that this story would make herugh out loud.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tinklingughter reached the dark shadow resting underneath her windows. Arge hood covered up his features, revealing only a distinct jaw and scarlet lips.


    By the northwestern corner of the Yun mansion, in a remote cottage, Qin Jianmei knelt on her praying mat, a buddha figurine on the desk in front of her.


    The cottage wasn¡¯t particrly big, but it was filled with the smell of incense.


    Yun Ruoyu suddenly burst through the front doors. Qin Jianmei turned toward the daughter she hadn¡¯t seen in days and couldn¡¯t help breaking out into a smile. However, her expression turned to worry as she took in her swollen eyes and puffy nose.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, why were you crying?¡± Qin Jianmei asked.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Yun Ruoyu leaned into Qin Jianmei¡¯s embrace. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve been bullied!¡±


    Qin Jianmei patted Yun Ruoyu¡¯s back softly. ¡°Ruoyu, you know we don¡¯t have much backing in this household. Don¡¯t draw attention to yourself, and just try to perform your tasks to the best of your ability, alright¡­?¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡± Yun Ruoyu abruptly raised her head, her gaze equal parts disappointed and furious. ¡°Someone bullied me, but you won¡¯t stand up for me?!¡±


    Her gazended on the buddha figurine in front of her mother¡¯s desk, and she scoffed. ¡°Ever since I could think, Mother, all I¡¯ve seen you do is eat and pray. When have you ever fought hard for me? If not for Madam An, I¡¯d likely be worse off than even Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    But as soon as she brought up Yun Ruoyan, she was reminded of how besotted the crown prince had been with her, and she only seethed all the harder.


    ¡°Ruoyu, what¡¯s wrong with Ruoyan?¡± Qin Jianmei asked curiously.


    Yun Ruoyu ignored her mother¡¯s questions and stood back up. ¡°Mother, just stay in this cottage and keep praying for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, Yu¡¯er!¡± Qin Jianmei called out to her daughter from behind, but she ran off without turning back.


    Yun Ruoyu headed to Madam An¡¯s residence next. In her mother¡¯s rooms, Yun Ruoyao was recounting what had urred at the pavilion to Madam An.


    ¡°I¡¯d thought that she was only gifted at cultivation, but it seems like she¡¯s even more difficult to deal with than her mother.¡± Madam An mmed a palm on her table.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Yun Ruoyao spoke up from behind, ¡°Today she even imed that her grandfather had prepared an antidote for her that would clear away her birthmark. If that were true, wouldn¡¯t the whole Yun family end up in her grasp?!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible,¡± Madam An replied curtly. ¡°That birthmark was a result of cental poison¡ªthere¡¯s no way it could be treated! She must be lying to you.¡±


    ¡°cental poison¡­? Mother, what do you mean?¡± Yun Ruoyao asked curiously. ¡°Isn¡¯t her birthmark natural?¡±


    ¡°We¡ª¡± Realizing that she had said more than she meant to, Madam An broke off halfway and tried to change the topic. Right at this moment, one of the maids keeping watch whispered through the door, ¡°Madam, Miss, the third miss ising.¡±


    And then Yun Ruoyu strode into Madam An¡¯s rooms in a huff. ¡°Mother!¡± Large tears were already falling down her face once again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Ruoyu.¡± Madam An walked over and wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. ¡°Your sister¡¯s already told me everything. This Yun Ruoyan definitely has to be dealt with¡ªhow dare she try to seduce the crown prince!¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± Yun Ruoyu grabbed Madam An¡¯s sleeves and snarled, ¡°Mother, you have to help me get revenge on that wench!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as before.¡± Madam An patted her head as she sighed. ¡°In the past, despite being the sole wife-born daughter, neither your father nor your grandmother thought highly of her, so we were able to deal with her at our leisure. But now, both of them have had a change of heart. Even if she were to seduce the crown prince, I¡¯m sure they would be happy to have closer ties with the royal family.¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Yun Ruoyu shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t care whom the crown prince marries, as long as it¡¯s not Yun Ruoyan! No matter what, I won¡¯t let her supersede me! Mother, you have to help me! I¡¯ll do anything!¡±


    Madam An frowned as she looked at Yun Ruoyu. ¡°As long as it¡¯ll destroy Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯re really willing to do anything?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yun Ruoyu pursed her lips and nodded fervently.


    Madam An turned around to look at Yun Ruoyao, and mother and daughter exchanged a covert nce.


    After two calm summer days, the weather suddenly turned harsh.


    Yun Ruoyan had just finished cultivating and was about to have a cool shower when one of Madam An¡¯s maids came in search of her. Allegedly, Madam An was hosting a small tea party by thekeside pavilion, and Yun Ruoyan had been invited for afternoon tea with them.


    Yun Ruoyan was about to decline immediately when she added that the Yun matriarch would also be in attendance. Not having gone to her grandmother¡¯s residence for quite a few days, Yun Ruoyan reluctantly agreed.


    After tidying up a little, Yun Ruoyan walked over in a jade-green dress, a green, bamboo-leaf gauze patch on her cheek.


    As she walked into the garden, Yun Ruoyan saw Madam An, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu within the pavilion from afar. Yi Qianying had been summoned back home, and Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t seen her for quite a few days.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t see her grandmother. She scoffed coldly, but still walked toward the pavilion.

 Chapter 69: Begging for Mercy

    <h4>Chapter 69: Begging for Mercy</h4>


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re here!¡± Madam An smiled at Yun Ruoyan as she approached. ¡°Quick, sit down.¡±


    ¡°I heard Grandmother would being, so I wanted to join in the fun. Is she still not here yet?¡±


    ¡°She was nning oning, but as soon as she stepped out of her rooms, the heat made her dizzy¡­¡± Yun Ruoyao jumped in.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan was still smiling prettily. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s so warm and stifling today, and there aren¡¯t even breezes. What made you think of hosting the gathering at this pavilion?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Madam An sighed. ¡°It¡¯s because of Ruoyu, of course.¡± She looked toward the sullen and silent Yun Ruoyu by her side. ¡°ording to Ruoyao and Qianying, on the day that the crown prince came over to visit, it was at this pavilion that Ruoyu made you mad. Thesest few days, she¡¯s been pestering me for an opportunity to reconcile with you.¡±


    Madam An handed a cup of cool tea to Yun Ruoyan. She took it and held it for a moment before cing it back down on the stone table.


    ¡°We¡¯re all sisters, and there¡¯s no need to be so formal,¡± she replied coolly.


    ¡°You¡¯re a generous girl, Ruoyan, but there¡¯s such a wide gulf in status between the two of you that Ruoyu surely has to apologize formally. The Yuns have always been strict on decorum, after all.¡±


    As soon as Madam An finished speaking, Yun Ruoyu stood up and walked to her sister¡¯s side. She lowered her forehead and spoke, ¡°I brewed this honey bayberry tea for you myself, Sister. If you really don¡¯t me me anymore, then please have a sip.¡±


    Her eyes were glued to the teacup in her hands. It was a zed porcin cup on which a white lotus had been painted, and on one of the petals was a bright red dragonfly.


    Yun Ruoyu couldn¡¯t help but think back to that night, when Madam An had handed her an equally red bottle.


    ¡°This is a poison made from the Wu kingdom to the west. It¡¯s a slow-acting poison that¡¯ll slowly seep through one¡¯s body. Within a day, symptoms will appear on her body: her skin will turn swollen and itchy, and her organs will slowly fester away. Within two weeks, she¡¯ll die with her body all but turned to mud.¡±


    Upon hearing Madam An¡¯s introduction of the poison, Yun Ruoyu immediately felt the bright red bottle burn up, scalding her skin.


    ¡°That girl¡¯s birthmark had already festered once. Even if it¡¯s better now, there¡¯s sure to be some scarring left behind, and it¡¯ll be the most sensitive and weak part of her body.¡± Madam An spoke casually, as if she were discussing thetest fashion. ¡°Once the poison strikes, it will spread starting from the birthmark on her face. Even she would think that there were a problem with the birthmark, let alone others, so you don¡¯t have anything to fear. Simply be warned that, if the poison everes into contact with your skin, it¡¯ll almost certainly leave a scar!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, if you don¡¯t drink the tea, does that mean you won¡¯t forgive Ruoyu?¡± Madam An sighed when she saw that Yun Ruoyan had no intention of picking up the teacup once more. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I can only punish her ording to our family rules.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled, her hand moving as if to pick up the teacup but ending up patting her hair instead. ¡°Then, Mother, please punish her.¡±


    Madam An hadn¡¯t expected such a response, and she stalled.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, Mother, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up and prepared to leave, but Yun Ruoyu couldn¡¯t let her do so! She¡¯d struggled long and hard before finally deciding to go with the n, and it had toe to fruition. Furthermore, the empress¡¯s flower-viewing party was in a few days. If she missed this opportunity, there wouldn¡¯t be anything else she could do.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan,¡± Yun Ruoyu immediately picked up the teacup and followed after her.


    As if knowing that she would chase after her, Yun Ruoyan suddenly turned around, the thin summer dress she was wearing gyrating with her. It red as she sent a pulse of spiritual energy at Yun Ruoyu: struck by what felt like a sudden gust of wind, she lost her grip on the teacup in her hands, and its contents spilled toward her body.


    Cold, sticky tea dripped down Yun Ruoyu¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!¡± She screamed violently. In the still, summer heat, Yun Ruoyu¡¯s terrified voice travelled far into the distance.


    The Yun matriarch rested on a pnquin. She had just been brought through the entrance to the gardens when she heard the shrill scream. She frowned as she looked toward Peony, who was holding a parasol for her by her side.


    The Yun matriarch had just had her lunchtime nap when Peony went looking for her. She informed the Yun matriarch that her mistress wished to invite her to the back gardens for a show. The Yun matriarch eded without asking any questions, but she hadn¡¯t expected to hear themotion before she saw it.


    ¡°Mother, mother, quick, help me wipe it off! It¡¯s sticking to my skin!¡± Yun Ruoyu jumped up and down, tears streaming down her face as she ran toward Madam An.


    ¡°Don¡¯te over, don¡¯te over!¡± Madam An¡¯s face shook as she hurriedly ran from her.


    ¡°Sister, sister, save me! I don¡¯t want any scarring!¡± Yun Ruoyu turned toward Yun Ruoyao instead.


    ¡°No, no, stay away!¡± Yun Ruoyao¡¯s expression was pallid as Yun Ruoyu chased after her, making loop after loop around the pavilion.


    ¡°Eldest Miss, are you alright?¡± The servants that had apanied them were all greatly confused by themotion, and the heavy summer atmosphere turned raucous.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± It had been a long time since the Yun matriarch saw such improper behavior in her own household, and she thundered in rage. She tended to speak softly in her advanced age, but this shout was so loud that everyone within the pavilion stilled.


    ¡°Grandmother, save me!¡± Yun Ruoyu hurriedly ran in her direction.


    Yun Ruoyan took two steps forward, stepping between her and her grandmother. With both hands sped behind her back, she raised a foot and kicked at Yun Ruoyu¡¯s chest.


    Yun Ruoyu felt a strong force push against her body. It didn¡¯t particrly hurt, but she couldn¡¯t control herself as her body flew up into the air andnded in the pond with a great ssh.


    In the center of the pavilion, the Yun matriarch sat on a stone bench. Yun Ruoyu knelt by her feet, her clothes drenched.


    ¡°Grandmother, please summon a physician to save me!¡± Her skin felt iparably itchy where the tea had made contact with it, and she couldn¡¯t help wanting to scratch herself.


    The current Yun Ruoyu cut a sorry figure. Her clothes were damp, her hair loose and matted, and she kept on scratching at her chest.


    The Yun matriarch couldn¡¯t bear to look at her. She had her maid Xiao Lan summon a physician before turning to Madam An and asking coldly, ¡°Tell me what happened!¡±


    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t know either!¡± Madam An¡¯s face was the epitome of worry and anxiety. She imed that she¡¯d only wanted to help the two girls reconcile, and that she had no idea what was going on either. In a few sentences, she¡¯d absolved herself from the fiasco.


    Yun Ruoyu¡¯s chest was numb, her heart pounding. With teary, incredulous eyes, she looked at the mother who had always doted on her, not daring to expose the truth.


    Ever since she was small, she had been stubborn and strong-minded. Her birth mother didn¡¯t have the power to protect her, and she¡¯d always been shielded by Madam An. She didn¡¯t dare imagine what her life would be like in the Yun family if she didn¡¯t have Madam An¡¯s protection, nor her sister Yun Ruoyao¡¯s support.


    ¡°Ruoyu? What¡¯s going on?¡± The Yun matriarch pinned her with a gaze.


    Yun Ruoyu only trembled as she bowed her head, unable to say a single word.


    ¡°Ruoyu, why don¡¯t you admit it?¡± At this point, Yun Ruoyao spoke up. ¡°Grandmother, Ruoyu was temporarily blinded by her emotions. Please spare her.¡±


    Yun Ruoyu turned toward her good sister, a series ofplex emotions welling up from her heart and turning into tears. Nevertheless, she grit her teeth, not speaking a single word.


    ¡°If she won¡¯t say anything, then you do it, Ruoyao!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao looked bleakly at Yun Ruoyu. ¡°Last night, Ruoyu said she had an interesting thing to show me.¡±


    ¡°What thing?¡±


    ¡°A red bottle containing powder that would make one¡¯s body itch. I hadn¡¯t expected that she would pour that powder into the tea she made, and I imagine she only did it to y a prank on Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? Itching powder?¡± Yun Ruoyanughed coldly. ¡°Where¡¯s the powder now? Ruoyu, can you show it to me?¡±


    ¡°Th-there¡¯s no more,¡± Yun Ruoyu stammered as she raised her head. ¡°There wasn¡¯t much to begin with, and I¡¯ve used it all up. Grandmother, I know I¡¯ve made a mistake,¡± Yun Ruoyu began to cry softly as she knelt once more by the Yun matriarch¡¯s knee. ¡°I don¡¯t dare to do it again, Grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Again?!¡± The Yun matriarch¡¯s face turned red. ¡°I really haven¡¯t been as disciplined on all of you as I should have been. How dare you try to drug your own sister! This time, it might have been a prank, but what next? Something that¡¯ll poison her to death?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare, Grandmother, I don¡¯t dare!¡± Yun Ruoyu continued to moan, her hands still incessantly scratching at her neck. Her originally slender, white neck was now pitted with bloody impressions.


    ¡°Mother, Ruoyu¡¯s still young,¡± Madam An pleaded. ¡°She¡¯s also suffered consequences for her own action, so please calm down and spare her this once.¡±


    ¡°As her mother, you also have to take responsibility.¡± The Yun matriarch nced askance at Madam An. ¡°She didn¡¯t harm me, but rather Ruoyan. Why don¡¯t you ask Ruoyan if she¡¯s willing to spare her?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyu, quick, apologize to your sister!¡± Madam Anmanded.


    Despite her unwillingness, Yun Ruoyu still turned around and knelt in front of her sister. ¡°Sister, I apologize for my mischievous behavior. Please, won¡¯t you spare me this once?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan continued smiling coolly, her gaze sweeping over Madam An and Yun Ruoyao. ¡°You¡¯ve yed simr pranks on me more than once or twice. If I forgive you each time, won¡¯t it mark me as someone easy to bully?¡±


    She turned to her grandmother. ¡°Grandmother, please don¡¯t me me for being careful. The Yun family emphasizes decorum, and if this were to continue¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Madam An. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Her clear, limpid eyes seemed to sparkle.


    Madam An couldn¡¯t help but frown. This had been her excuse for bringing Yun Ruoyan here, and the odious girl was now countering her based on exactly that! ¡°Ruoyu did overstep her bounds, but she is still young. Mother, I hope you won¡¯t hurt her too badly.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to look at Yun Ruoyu once more, seeing the bloody streaks on her neck. ¡°Well, I suppose I am the older sister,¡± she sighed and turned to the Yun matriarch. ¡°Why not send Ruoyu to her cottage for solitary confinement?¡±


    The Yun matriarch patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands, thinking that this punishment really couldn¡¯t be any lighter.


    ¡°Alright, Ruoyan.¡± She nced at her appreciatively. ¡°I¡¯ll let you decide how long your sister should be confined for, and you can let her out when you feel appeased about this whole affair.¡±


    Yun Ruoyu¡¯s hands, which were still scratching her neck, suddenly trembled. Didn¡¯t that mean that Yun Ruoyan could choose to lock her up for life if she so chose?


    She was just about to speak when Madam An red at her, and she couldn¡¯t help snapping her mouth shut once more.


    ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s too hot here. Why don¡¯t I send you back to your rooms?¡± Yun Ruoyan obediently helped support the old matriarch.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back.¡± She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been too long since you came over to my ce. Do you like the fruits I had Xiao Lan send you?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯d even considered seeking you out to ask for more, Grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. Have as many as you want.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan walked out of the pavilion with her grandmother, shrugging off the icy stares at her back and standing even straighter. It¡¯s too early for any of you to try to catch me unawares. In this life, it¡¯ll only be me harming you, not the other way around. Just you wait!

 Chapter 70: Entering the Palace

    <h4>Chapter 70: Entering the Pce</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, it was already June. The days began to heat up, but the phoenix orchids only bloomed all the more beautifully. Their pale pink petals slowly turned a vibrant crimson, and fields containingrge swathes of such orchids were so resplendent that it hurt to look at them directly.


    In the middle of June, after a week filled with rain, the stuffy, stifling heat had finally dissipated a little.


    That day, while Yun Ruoyan was cooling herself off in her grandmother¡¯s quarters, Yun Lan himself came by to inform Yun Ruoyan that the empress¡¯s flower-viewing party would ur in two nights.


    He handed an ornate, gold-embossed invitation to Yun Ruoyan. As soon as she opened it, eight words jumped out at her: ¡°Daughter of the Yun family, Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    She was a little mystified: hadn¡¯t Li Qianxiao been scared enough by her appearance that night? Yet the invitation had still showed up.


    As soon as it was noon the next day, Peony began to rush about preparing to help Yun Ruoyan dress up. Her dress was, once again, supplied by her grandmother. It was a splendid design, a veridian silk dress, lightweight and airy, perfect for summer. Patterned in gold embroidery were butterfly designs of all sorts, interwoven with fresh flower petals. When Yun Ruoyan wore the dress, it made her appear both dignified and adorable.


    Because she hadn¡¯t yet reached a marriageable age, her hair was still tied up loosely behind her back.


    ¡°Miss, what gauze patch would you like to use today?¡± Peony asked.


    Although Xi Lan was responsible for much of the manualbor in her quarters, she was skilled at handicraft. In the past month or so, she¡¯d made all sorts of multicolored patches for Yun Ruoyan, none losing out in color or design to Lin Qingchen¡¯s.


    Yun Ruoyan inspected the dizzying array of patches allid out in the table in front of her. She thought back to that night when the crown prince had been so scared that he¡¯d dropped to the ground, smiled, and picked out a phoenix-orchid patch for herself.


    That evening, Yun Ruoyan and Yun Ruoyao departed for the pce in the same carriage.


    They¡¯d greeted each other superficially when they met outside the Yun matriarch¡¯s rooms, but didn¡¯t converse with each other at all afterward.


    Although Yun Ruoyao spent much of the journey looking out the window, she couldn¡¯t help ncing at Yun Ruoyan a few times. More specifically, she couldn¡¯t help looking at one of her hair ornaments. It was a thin rod, and a few pieces of colored ss dangled off one end.


    Last year, she¡¯d seen this exact ornament in her grandmother¡¯s jewelry box, and she¡¯d pleaded with her mother to get it for her.


    Madam An had told her that it had been part of the Yun matriarch¡¯s dowry, and it would be passed down to the next female heir. Once Yun Ruoyao took Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ce, it would naturally be hers.


    At the time, both mother and daughter had expected that Ruoyao would soon ascend to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s position. But, even a yearter, that gilded rod was clearly hanging from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Sister, if you¡¯re tired, why don¡¯t you rest a little?¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly murmured.


    ¡°I had an afternoon nap, so I¡¯m not tired,¡± Yun Ruoyao replied, embarrassed. A little shocked that Yun Ruoyan had noticed her envious gaze, she buried her negative emotions more deeply.


    As the sun began to set, the carriage finally arrived at the eastern gate to the pce.


    The Li kingdom¡¯s pce had four entrances. The northern one was the official entrance, meant for royalty and high-ranking officials. The western and southern gates were for trade and shopping and for pce maids and eunuchs respectively, whereas the eastern gate was fordies.


    Quite arge group of carriages had gathered by the eastern entrance, all waiting to enter the pce for the flower-viewing party. Yun Ruoyao bade farewell to Yun Ruoyan, got off the carriage, and began to mingle with familiar faces.


    Yun Ruoyan stayed in the carriage a little while longer. As soon as she got off the carriage, she saw Pei Ziao in a long, moon-white robe, with his hair secured in a white jade headband. He was beaming as he walked toward her. ¡°Ruoyan, you were here? I¡¯m d I found you so easily!¡±


    He¡¯d long since arrived at the pce and hadbed through the carriages looking for her. Only moments ago had he noticed the Yun family carriage and hurried over, just in time to see Yun Ruoyan preparing to descend. After one nce at Yun Ruoyan, he found that he couldn¡¯t look away.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brows were arched. ¡°Young Master Pei, are you here to hand me the promised high-grade pills, or to inform me that my tiger-canine arrowheads are ready?¡±


    Pei Ziao stilled, his face a little embarrassed. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you know how precious high-grade pills are. I mentioned your request to Father, but he was unwilling to part with them. As for the arrowheads, they¡¯re being forged at the moment.


    Yun Ruoyan scoffed. ¡°So your words as Young Master Pei aren¡¯t trustworthy, I take it. Why did you agree to my request so easily back then? Were you simply teasing me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Pei Ziao¡¯s face began to turn red. In a hurry, he continued, ¡°As long as it¡¯s anything but high-grade pills, I¡¯ll do anything I can for you.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s smile was clearly mocking, but it was so pretty that Pei Ziao couldn¡¯t bring himself to hate it.


    ¡°Yes, really!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Yun Ruoyan continued, clearly enunciating each and every word. ¡°From now on, except to hand me high-grade pills and my tiger-canine arrowheads, please stay far, far away from me. I don¡¯t want to look at you!¡±


    Pei Ziao¡¯s thumping heart suddenly fell silent, as if it had been thrown into a frozen cer. He really didn¡¯t understand why Yun Ruoyan hated him so!


    Based on status, although the Peis weren¡¯t an aristocratic family like the Yuns, their position within the capital had been growing year after year under Pei Yingxiong¡¯s guidance.


    Yun Ruoyan was a full daughter of the Yun family, and he was the sole heir of the Peis. As long as she married him, she would be able to inherit the entire Pei family, without worrying about any sibling feuds that were somon among the aristocracy.


    In terms of appearance, he believed he was near the top. On the other hand, no matter how beautiful Yun Ruoyan looked, she couldn¡¯t wipe away the birthmark that disfigured her face.


    So why did she refuse to treat him like a potential suitor? On what grounds did she stomp on his efforts?!


    As these thoughts rampaged through his mind, he couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists tightly, aplicated mix of emotions welling up in his heart.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t care less about Pei Ziao¡¯s emotional changes. For someone who would die at her hands sooner orter, wasting any thoughts on him would be pointless.


    ¡°Brother Ziao, you¡¯re here! I¡¯ve been searching for you for so long!¡±


    At this moment, a female voice that Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t heard for quite a while piped up, and she couldn¡¯t help but turn toward the source of the voice.


    Yi Qianying, decked in a summer gown, was slowly and sinuously walking toward the two of them. Her sparkling eyes were fixated on Pei Ziao by her side.


    ¡°Young Master Pei, since your good sister¡¯s here, I won¡¯t bother the two of you any longer.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled coolly before walking toward the pce entrance.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± Yi Qianying hurriedly rushed to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s front. ¡°Why did you leave as soon as you saw me? Are you still mad aboutst time?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could smell a faint flowery fragrance emanating from her, a hint of cloying sweetness mixed into the scent. Who knew how many bees and butterflies would be attracted to her figure this night?


    It was rare that anyone would manage to snag a prince or princess at the flower-viewing party, but this was a rare chance for the young scions of the noble families to meet each other. Who wouldn¡¯t want to show off?


    Yi Qianying¡¯s gaze was still fixed on Yun Ruoyan, and she had no choice but to reply coolly. ¡°Why would I me you, my dear sister? Weren¡¯t you also kept in the dark by He Xiang? If there¡¯s a person to me, it¡¯s her!¡±


    ¡°Of course, sister, you¡¯re absolutely right. He Xiang has been dealt with, and I¡¯m sure you feel better now,¡± Yi Qianying replied impassively.


    ¡°Sister Qianying, how are you here?¡± Pei Ziao walked over and asked somewhat curiously. It had been a long while since he¡¯dst seen Yi Qianying, but as far as he was aware, she didn¡¯t have the qualifications to be invited to such an event.


    Yi Qianying¡¯s smile was resplendent. ¡°My second uncle helped me secure an invitation.¡±


    Although Yi Qianying was indeed a full daughter of the Yi family, her parents had both passed away early. Fearing that she would be ostracized in the Yi household, the Yun matriarch had kept her by her side, and the Yi family had almost forgotten about the existence of this daughter of theirs.


    But of the two daughters of the current head, one was ugly and the other talented, and the only presentable daughter they could send to this party was Yi Qianying.


    The crowd suddenly fell silent as a eunuch approached the eastern gate and announced themencement of the party.


    Under the supervision of the pce maids and eunuchs, Yun Ruoyan fell in line with a group of thirty young scions and entered the Li kingdom¡¯s pce, a location that she¡¯d never yet had a chance to enter in both her lives.


    Night had settled, and the imposing pce looked all the grander in the dark.


    Some among the group had been at the partyst year, and they were less affected by the magnificent sight ahead of them. The ones who hadn¡¯t, however, were murmuring quietly between themselves as they gasped in admiration.


    After passing a ten-foot-long stone statue, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but stop for a moment.


    It was a statue of a qilin wreathed in fire, its hind legs against the ground and front paws reaching for the sky, as if it were about to start flying.


    Yun Ruoyan raised her head, following the sinuous body of the qilin up to itsrge head, its protruding maw, tworge, copper eyes staring into the night sky.


    The statue looked as though it coulde alive at any moment. The image transfixed her, and she simply stood still, admiring its grace and strength.


    ¡°This is a fire qilin!¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice piped up from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind, its voice yearning.


    ¡°A fire qilin?! The legendary spirit creature that¡¯s said to be able to swallow the sun and the moon?¡±


    Suddenly, a stern, sharp voice interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Which family is that girl from? Don¡¯t you know the rules? Keep up!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to see a white-faced, middle-aged eunuch reprimanding her. The group that she¡¯d been in had long since moved on.


    ¡°Eunuch Hao, she¡¯s my friend.¡± A familiar male voice spoke up from behind Yun Ruoyan.


    Before she had a chance to turn around, a ck-d figure appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Li Qianhan stared at her figure, his mouth agape. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, but it seems like the ugly girl has morphed into a phoenix!¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± Yun Ruoyan beganughing at his exaggerated expression. ¡°On the other hand, you haven¡¯t changed at all, Third Prince. Even in your own home, you still wander around sneakily.¡±


    Eunuch Hao stood behind the two of them. As they began to converse, he couldn¡¯t help but bow and interrupt, ¡°Third Prince, this miss, if you don¡¯t keep moving, you¡¯ll bete for the empress¡¯s party.¡±


    Li Qianhan suddenly tugged at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand as he turned toward the pale-faced eunuch. ¡°Eunuch Hao, I¡¯ll be right back with my friend.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt as though a gust of wind had enveloped her body as he steered them through the air. The wind whistled by her ears, and the structures and buildings to either side of her seemed to be retreating rapidly.


    ¡°Miss Yun, my uncle¡¯s here tonight, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happy to see you in person.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Dazed by the sudden motion, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t hear Li Qianhan clearly.

 Chapter 71: The Reveal

    <h4>Chapter 71: The Reveal</h4>


    Once demasters reached seventh rank, they could begin to learn how to glide on their swords, albeit only after fulfilling harsh criteria. In particr, demasters needed both a specialized technique for controlling the sword as well as a high-grade sword with which they had developed a sympathetic resonance. As a result, both talent and wealth were needed to develop this rare skill.


    Although there were quite a number of seventh-rank demasters on the Chenyuan continent, only a privileged few were capable of gliding, let alone true flight.


    Li Qianhan brought Yun Ruoyan up soaring into the skies, and the duo arrived even before the thirty-person party that Yun Ruoyan had been with.


    From afar, Yun Ruoyan could see a long chain of red clouds by the edge of the sky. The crimson sun was slowly disappearing underneath the cloud cover, and she couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the marvellous sight. ¡°How beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡± Li Qianhan let go of Yun Ruoyan; the two hadnded amidst a patch of flowers. ¡°Except for the Minghuang mountain, the royal pce is the only ce where you¡¯ll find suchrge swathes of phoenix orchids.¡±


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan realize that what she¡¯d mistaken as clouds before were instead fields of orchids.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you to the garden where the flower-viewing party¡¯s hosted.¡±


    By this time, the scions of the aristocracy had entered the garden and naturally separated into small groups.


    The moonstones iid on the garden trails were slowly bing brighter and brighter under the darkening sky, illuminating the gardens with an ethereal light.


    By the time Yun Ruoyan turned around again, Li Qianhan had already vanished.


    ¡°Ruoyan,e sit here!¡± Yi Qianying motioned to Yun Ruoyan. She turned all around her and saw that the tables by each patch of flowers had since filled up with people.


    Yun Ruoyao was sitting with a girl that Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t recognize, and the two were chatting happily. The only seat avable was next to Yi Qianying, and beside this seat was none other than Pei Ziao.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head began to hurt. <i>Why is it always the two of you?! I need to find some way to resolve this curse!</i>


    She sat down, her features impassive despite her mental outburst. There was a bouquet of flowers in all colors at the center of each table. Naturally, she reached out for the bouquet and began to admire it.


    As she did so, she turned to inspect the scions of the nobility, scattered all around her. Most of them were unfamiliar; she only recalled seeing a rare few within the imperial territory.


    Yi Qianying nced askance at Yun Ruoyan, and an almost imperceptible malice skirted over herrge, expressive eyes.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bouquet contained a flower that no other bouquet had: a purple flower bud, one that Yi Qianying had discovered by ident while she was searching for ingredients for concocting beast-attracting or beast-repelling powders.


    It had no smell of its own, but would immediately release a particrly potent aphrodisiac whenbined with other flower fragrances. One small magical beast was known to use the property of this flower to find mates.


    ¡°Sister, look at how pretty this flower is!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was daydreaming when a white, slender arm suddenly appeared in front of her. Yi Qianying¡¯s rather loose garments revealed her jade-white arm, and a flowery, sickly sweet scent engulfed Yun Ruoyan as she did so.


    Subconsciously, Yun Ruoyan began holding her breath, but she still ended up breathing in some of the overwhelming fragrance.


    Yi Qianying plucked the small, purple bud out of the bouquet and cupped it in her hands. She smiled brightly, as if it were the prettiest thing she had seen all day. ¡°Ruoyan, I¡¯ve never seen such a beautiful flower bud! Would you give it to me?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intuition was pinging. She didn¡¯t respond, and Yi Qianying murmured a ¡®Thanks!¡¯ before keeping it.


    At this time, the bustling garden suddenly became silent. Someone whispered, ¡°It¡¯s the ughtering King, the ughtering King¡¯s here!¡±


    The crowd all looked toward the entrance of the garden. Meanwhile, however, Yun Ruoyan noticed a lone purple petal from the flower bud that Yi Qianying had just taken away. Calmly, she tore it to pieces before dropping it into Yi Qianying¡¯s tea.


    ¡°Sister, look! It¡¯s the ughtering King himself!¡± Yi Qianying motioned excitedly at Yun Ruoyan, her eyes fixed on the figure in the distance.


    When Yun Ruoyan raised her head, she found that two people had entered: Li Mo and Li Qianhan walked in as a duo, both wearing ink-ck robes.


    Li Qianhan had a purple-gold crown on his head and a jade-colored belt. Li Mo¡¯s attire was even simpler: his robe was unadorned, and his long, ck hair was draped casually over his shoulders. A third of his distinguished face was hidden behind his hair, and his eyes seemed to gleam in the shadows.


    That pair of eyes made Yun Ruoyan think of the magical beasts she¡¯d seen in the imperial territory, and her heart thumped.


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t the only one who was affected; the whole garden and its bustling atmosphere seemed to have evaporated all of a sudden.


    Almost everyone present had grown up on the tales of the ughtering King. Now, shrouded in shadow, this legendary figure was right in front of their faces. The garden was so quiet that one couldn¡¯t even hear the sound of breathing.


    Noticing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze, Li Qianhan looked toward her and blinked mischievously a few times, causing the crowd to divert its attention to her.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that girl? The third prince actually blinked at her!¡±


    Someone else murmured softly, ¡°She looks a little unfamiliar, but given how pretty she is, she¡¯s probably the young miss of some big family.¡±


    ¡°Definitely¡ªshe has a phoenix orchid gauze patch! I searched all over the capital for one, but I had to settle for a sakura blossom one instead.¡±


    Yi Qianying sat even straighter and announced pridefully, ¡°This is my cousin, the second daughter of the Yun family, Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°What? She¡¯s <i>that</i> daughter?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t they all say that the second daughter of the Yuns is hideous? Was that all a lie?!¡±


    ¡°The rumors don¡¯t seem to be very credible¡­¡±


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan!¡± Right then, the girl sitting opposite Yun Ruoyao suddenly stood up and looked towards Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I heard that your cultivation¡¯s gotten better. Today, in front of the ughtering King, I want to challenge you!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment. The girl was dressed borately, and although her face and voice sounded somewhat familiar, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t recall where she¡¯d seen her before.


    ¡°Dare you ept my challenge?¡± Not having received a response, the girl called out again.


    Li Mo had already settled in his seat. He¡¯d poured himself a ss of wine and was slowly imbibing it, as if interested in the scene developing in front of him.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled and stood up. ¡°How would you like topete, Miss?¡± She had heard of all sorts of matches being held at the flower-viewing party. Most of them, however, only started after the presence of the empress, and she hadn¡¯t anticipated that the timeline would be shifted ahead in light of Li Mo¡¯s presence.


    Because almost everyone was dressed in formalwear, tests of pure martial ability were difficult. Instead, the challenges were often somewhat creative.


    The two girls moved to an empty clearing, a thin willow branch in their hands. Li Qianhan stood in the middle of both parties, his cupped hands full of flower petals. As he announced the start of the match, he threw the petals up into the air.


    The twobatants had to infuse their spiritual energy into the willow branches to make them hard, then use the branch to skewer as many of the falling petals as they could. The party who skewered more petals would be the winner.


    Instantly, the soft willow branch in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand turned perfectly straight. She was just about to reach out and skewer the petals when a sudden gust of heat emerged from her body. That gust of heat rapidly spread throughout her body, and her thoughts quickly became clouded. It was difficult for her to focus, and the willow branch in her hand turned soft once more.


    Suddenly, Yun Ruoyan turned around to look at Yi Qianying, who was sipping her tea as she smiled.


    The girl who was challenging her clearly wasn¡¯t weak. With sword <i>qi</i> surrounding her willow branch, she deftly skewered over ten petals in a stunning show of technique, and the crowd cheered all around her.


    ¡°I admit defeat!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly called out. She tossed the willow branch in her hand away before turning to leave.


    ¡°Hey! Surrendering without even trying topete?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan, who had already turned around, felt a gust of air swiftly approach her. She tilted her head slightly, and the willow branch in the other girl¡¯s hands thrust toward her face.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Murmurs from the crowd sprang up. ¡°Her face is so frightening!¡±


    ¡°It looks like the rumors are true: the second daughter of the Yun family is truly hideous and disfigured.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re still that ugly girl from the past.¡± The girl plucked the gauze patch off her willow stick and stepped forward, taunting, ¡°Well? Come and get it!¡±


    As if she hadn¡¯t heard the tittering all around her, Yun Ruoyan ignored the girl¡¯s provocations. Without even turning around, she said coolly, ¡°If you like it, you can keep it.¡±


    Amidst the crowd¡¯s gaze, she walked down the small path to the garden¡¯s entrance.


    She tried very hard not to stagger or stumble, but her body was already raging inside. The heat left her mouth parched, her tongue dry.


    Given her past life, she knew quite well what this sensation represented, but her head was getting fuzzier and fuzzier. In desperation, she bit her tongue: the pain and taste of blood cleared her head up a little, but it was only a temporary measure.


    What was she to do?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± A hand reached out and grasped her shoulder.


    Yun Ruoyan turned and rushed into his embrace, just like a drowning man reaching out for driftwood.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been drugged!¡± Li Mo felt a bundle of warmthing from her body. ¡°...and with an aphrodisiac, no less.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan felt her limbs go weak, her body filled with a difort she couldn¡¯t quite express. ¡°Like fire roasting me from within, hot¡­¡±


    She felt as if she was about to melt. She needed ice, a whole basin of water, to quench the mes.


    ¡°Quick! Water¡­!¡±


    Like a soft vine, Yun Ruoyan was desperately trying totch onto Li Mo¡¯s statuesque body.


    Her face was flushed, her hair scattered. The cor of her gown revealed a patch of pink skin, the same color as a phoenix orchid¡¯s petal.


    Li Mo couldn¡¯t help but raise his brows. He murmured by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ear, ¡°This isn¡¯t an appropriate ce to quench your fire.¡±


    Draping a long arm around Yun Ruoyan¡¯s slender waist, he soared up into the air with Yun Ruoyan in tow.


    In her delirium, Yun Ruoyan felt as though she had somehow floated into the clouds, that the fire in her heart was spreading all throughout the sky.


    Li Mo leaned down and saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face turn redder and redder. He couldn¡¯t help but frown once more: now wasn¡¯t the time to engage in sexual rtions with her, and he needed to find an antidote rapidly.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s arms dug into his robes.


    ¡°If you keep trying something like this and I can¡¯t control my urges, we¡¯ll both fall from the skies.¡± As he said this, icy-cold breathnded on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, and she instinctively sought out that refreshing feeling once more.


    ¡°Mm¡­¡±


    The ughtering King, man of legends, was forcefully kissed by the first time tonight.


    ¡°...Let go.¡± Having to focus on both keeping them in the air and on making sure that Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t fall from his grip, Li Mo didn¡¯t have the ability to break free from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s harassment.


    While he was distracted, Yun Ruoyan had deftly removed his inky gown and thrown it into the distance. Like an unmoored boat, it slowly drifted into a patch of phoenix orchids.


    ¡°You¡­¡± That final act had broken Li Mo¡¯s concentration entirely, and the two of them began to fall from the skies. Fortunately, theynded in one of therger ponds situated in the gardens, making a huge ssh as they did so.


    In the pond, the two bodies tangled with each other as if they were two squirming fishes.


    As the water brushed against her face, the fake birthmark on her right cheek slowly faded away. Her appearance, prettier than even a petal from a phoenix orchid, began to emerge in front of Li Mo¡¯s eyes.


    Li Mo¡¯s eyes widened, and his dark pupils slowly frosted over...

 Chapter 72: To Plot Against

    <h4>Chapter 72: To Plot Against</h4>


    Submerged in a pond deep within the imperial gardens, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s disguise began to fade. She was like a beautiful crystal that had lost its luster after being buried in dirt, discarded in a corner as nothing more than an ugly pebble to the masses.


    But one day, when the dirt and grime were washed off, her original appearance would dazzle the world once more.


    Before dazzling the world, she sessfully dazzled Li Mo.


    Li Mo looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pristine face, pinpricks of light in his icy-blue eyes like stars shimmering in the gxy. Of this gxy, Yun Ruoyan was the brightest star.


    ¡°Originally, I only thought that you smelled good. Who knew you would look so good too?¡± Li Mo¡¯s maic voice was hoarse. ¡°More than a mere instrument, and instead a perfect piece of art.¡±


    The man¡¯s unique voice was like a piece of malt candy, sweet but not cloying, soft but firm. As it snuck its way into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ears, past the fiery heat that consumed her, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but curl her legs around his more tightly.


    Beset by stimtion after stimtion, by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s jaw-dropping beauty and her intoxicating scent, he finally couldn¡¯t help it any longer and let out a deep grunt. As if infected by the beauty next to him, his face finally took on a dash of red.


    Because of the aphrodisiac, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intellect had been all but consumed by her sexual desire. What meager rationality she had left was only sufficient to identify the appearance of the man in front of her.


    Right, she should figure out whom she was with!


    No, she had to figure it out!


    Yun Ruoyan gasped for breath as she forcibly suppressed her desire to twine her body around his, her legs crossed around his narrow waist. One of her slender arms looped around his neck, and the other was tracing out his features.


    His face was as beautiful as a jade carving, his features masculine yet fine. He had a prominent forehead with two sharp brows, his eyes a mysterious blue, his lips so red it seemed they would bleed at any moment.


    Yun Ruoyao was too befuddled to think about the identity of this bewitching man, nor why he was with her.


    Instead, her gazended on Li Mo¡¯s slightly pursed lips. If those lips really were to bleed, surely the blood would be sweet, as sweet as honey.


    Following her heart¡¯s desire, she kissed Li Mo once more.


    If this were the Li Mo of the past, he¡¯d have turned his nose at Yun Ruoyan. Her cultivation was far too low, so low that she didn¡¯t even have the right to be his tool for growing stronger.


    But now, Yun Ruoyan was no longer just an unpolished instrument but instead a sweet fruit, the most captivating, alluring fruit he could imagine.


    As a man, how could he refuse such a tempting treat?


    He deepened the kiss as he pressed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head against his, taking control even as he tilted his body backwards. Yun Ruoyan leaned into his body, and the duo emerged with a small ssh among the petal-filled surface of the pond.


    Li Mo¡¯s legs propelled the two of them to the edge of the pond as they kissed. When he felt his body reach the shore, Li Mo grabbed on to the bank with both hands as he flipped Yun Ruoyan around, pressing down on her with his body.


    His hands were a little clumsier than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s. Piece by piece, he removed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s offending outer garments before starting to battle with her underwear.


    By this point, the potency of the drug had reached its climax. Yun Ruoyan thrashed and wed at Li Mo¡¯s back with frenzied haste. The fire that ravaged her body caused her to tear up uncontrobly; the tears streamed down her face and merged with the pond water.


    This was the first time Li Mo found female clothing obnoxious. In the future, as his woman, she didn¡¯t need to wear any of this¡ªit would be best if she dressed herself in a simple robe, just like him, which could be easily shrugged off.


    In the end, Li Mo resorted to the most direct, most effective strategy: tearing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s undergarments apart.


    This sudden tearing sound seemed to rend the fog in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. Qiuqiu¡¯s anxious voice piped up, ¡°Mistress, Mistress, can you hear me? Wake up!¡±


    ¡°Qiu¡­qiu,¡± Yun Ruoyan finally answered.


    Now that it had finally gotten Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attention, Qiuqiu finally lowered its ws. ¡°Mistress, you can finally hear me now! My throat¡¯s so hoarse it¡¯s about to smoke,¡± Qiuqiu continued rapidly. ¡°I can deal with the aphrodisiac in your body. Do you want my solution, or the solution that¡¯s happening now? Choose!¡±


    Qiuqiu understood Yun Ruoyan quite well and knew that she would be upset if she were to have casual sex with someone under the influence of the drug. Even if it were simply to relieve the effects of the drug, and even if the other party seemed decent in all aspects, it knew that Yun Ruoyan would be ufortable at not having done so willingly.


    After all, Yun Ruoyan hated to lose control. Unless she had to, she wouldn¡¯t control someone else, but never, ever did she want to be controlled or beholden to another.


    Yun Ruoyan squinted as she finally saw the beguiling appearance of the man pressing her down. Inclining her head and gritting her teeth, struggling her hardest to bear with the pain wracking her body and the thirst that couldn¡¯t be sated, she said resolutely to Qiuqiu, ¡°I choose your method!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then find a way to escape!¡±


    After long moments of stripping away fabric, Li Mo had finally managed to uncover Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pristine body. Snowy white and without even the slightest speck of dust, her perfect body appeared under the moonlight, within the rippling pond, amidst vast swathes of phoenix orchids.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Mo¡¯s icy-blue eyes took on a tint of red, and he panted, ¡°Time to relieve the effects of the drug!¡±


    He pulled on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s waist and was just about to prate her¡­


    ¡­when his abdomen suddenly became numb. As if his whole body had been shocked by electricity, Li Mo went rigid.


    The next moment, he copsed on top of Yun Ruoyan, and the resulting spray of waternded on both their faces.


    She¡­had schemed against him!


    Li Mo opened his blue eyes wide, disbelieving that the intoxicated girl in front of him would resist at this moment. In the brief instant in which he was least on his guard, she had struck his only weak spot, a point right above his dantian.


    Once again, Yun Ruoyan bit her own tongue, trying to use the pain to force herself awake. Mustering all her body¡¯s reserves, she pushed Li Mo away from her body.


    Climbing out of the pond and casually picking up something on the ground to cover herself with, she left without turning back and looking at Li Mo!


    She left him behind naked and floating on the pond like a piece of driftwood.


    His muscles were all tightly bunched up, and his long, dark hair trailed behind his head like seaweed.


    The moment after Yun Ruoyan left, arge ssh of water disrupted the pond¡¯s surface.


    Li Mo suddenly flipped his body around, his two palms tightly clenched into fists. ¡°Trash of the Yun family? Famed for her ugliness? Yun Ruoyan¡­!¡± These were the cold, half-frozen words of a man who was being consumed by his inner fire.


    Under Qiuqiu¡¯s guidance, Yun Ruoyan quickly caught a small magical beast within the forest, about the size of a cat. It was known to make use of the aphrodisiac that Yi Qianying had poisoned her with, and was even taken as a pet for members of the nobility with¡­ special¡­ urges. More importantly, its tears were the best antidote for all sorts of aphrodisiacs.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, how long has it been since I was poisoned?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. Ever since the duel, she had been in a daze, losing all track of time.


    ¡°Not more than an hour. If you hurry back, you should still be able to make it back in time for the party,¡± Qiuqiu replied.


    After finding the antidote, Yun Ruoyan hurriedly found a deserted courtyard in the pce. The one she chose wasn¡¯t particrly close to the outskirts, but it was isted. Although it hadn¡¯t been locked, there was a considerableyer of dust on the furniture within. It was apparent that no one had stayed there for quite some time.


    Curiously, however, that supposedly deserted residence still contained a rather expensivemp of sorts. The light was produced by a pearl-of-night, a more valuable analogue of a moonstone. It released a pale white glow and had continued to shine despite apparent dereliction.


    Luckily, Yun Ruoyan found a set of clothes just the right size for her in one of the rooms. It was a full-body dress patterned with multicolored flower petals, and even came with a girdle. Numerous small butterflies had been stitched on the cor and sleeves of the dress with gold and silver thread, giving her a distinguished appearance.


    Yun Ruoyan reached out and brushed off the dust in front of a copper mirror. Her face appeared in the reflection; after her intoxication, it had turned pale, almost bloodless.


    Without her birthmark, she looked stunning.


    Yun Ruoyan hurriedly found some water and retrieved the bottles of ointment from her pocket dimension in order to recreate her fake birthmark.


    Because of how dim it was, the birthmark seemed to be a little darker than usual, but she didn¡¯t have the time or luxury to care too much about the details. After fixing her appearance once more, she hurriedly left the yard for the flower gardens.


    After Yun Ruoyan had left, Li Qianhan had encouraged the scions of the nobility to beginpeting with each other. In the bustle, everyone soon forgot about Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s hurried departure.


    Not long after, the various princes and princesses began to arrive. By the time Yun Ruoyan returned, the party was in full swing.


    However, Li Mo had clearly recovered far more quickly than Yun Ruoyan, and he was already sittingzily by Li Qianhan¡¯s side at the front of the stage.


    No one would know what had happened during his short disappearance, and no one could identify the anger seething beneath his indolence.


    No one could have guessed that, when he had bared himself in front of a woman and was right about to engage in sexual rtions with her, that she would paralyze him and run off! He, a manmanding as much status as a dragon!


    And then, with a raging erection and mes of lust wreathing his body, he¡¯d floated on the surface of the pond for a good minute or two! He¡¯d never, ever experienced such humiliation!


    Not finding any trace of Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo clutched his cup of wine tightly and drained it all in one gulp.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan was carefully looking all around her. The only familiar face she could recognize was Pei Ziao, who was engaging in a series of trifling duels with some other scions of the nobility.


    She couldn¡¯t find Yi Qianying at all. She had likely gone off in search of something to ke her thirst and quench her fire, but would she be as lucky as Yun Ruoyan herself? It would serve her right if she didn¡¯t!


    ¡°You, get over here!¡±


    Just as Yun Ruoyan was mulling things over in her head, Li Mo had spotted her and suddenly stood up. With an empty cup of wine in his hand, he pointed at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°You, fill up my cup of wine!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned as she looked toward Li Mo, not understanding why he was calling out to her. She didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°I said,e over here!¡± Li Mo called again, his voice bing somewhat angry.


    Shadowed by his hair, his face looked to be somewhat ruddy from the alcohol, but his dark eyes were so bright they were frightening. She was somewhat surprised at his outburst and attitude¡­ it couldn¡¯t be that he was tipsy enough to be preying on her in a drunken fit, could it?


    <hr>


    1. Remember, Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t clear-headed enough to get a good look at the man she was with, and when Qiuqiu finally got her out of her drug-filled haze, she kicked him off and left without turning back¡­

 Chapter 73: Death by Recklessness

    <h4>Chapter 73: Death by Recklessness</h4>


    Despite being unwilling, Yun Ruoyan had no choice but to obey the ughtering King¡¯s orders¡ªopenly defying a legendary figure with all the members of the nobility present would surely be a terrible idea.


    Yun Ruoyan lowered her head, walked obediently to Li Mo¡¯s side, and poured some wine out of Li Qianhan¡¯s sk.


    ¡°Will that be all?¡± She asked coolly, not looking at Li Mo outright.


    Li Mo tilted his body slightly forward, leaning toward Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ear. With an icy smile, he murmured, ¡°You¡­ can¡­ I¡¯m not in a hurry¡­ you can leaveter!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yun Ruoyan finally frowned and looked Li Mo in the eye. ¡°Don¡¯t try to use your drunkenness as an excuse.¡±


    Not only did she stare him directly in the eye, she even pointed a finger at his nose.


    The princes and princesses by Li Mo¡¯s side couldn¡¯t help but suck in a cold breath. Of course, Li Qianhan was among them. In his entire life, he¡¯d never seen anyone so bold as to re at Li Mo, let alone point a finger at him. Even his own father, the emperor himself, had never done so.


    The entire court knew of the ughtering King¡¯s irritable and mercurial moods. He was famous throughout the entire continent, and ughtering even an emperor¡¯s rtive was nothing he would balk at. After all, even though the Yue emperor¡¯s own nephew had been killed at his hands, the Yue emperor himself had no other recourse but toin to the Li emperor.


    How bold was this ugly girl from the Yun family to dare challenge his will?!


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, what¡¯re you doing? Quick, leave!¡± Li Qianhan hurriedly shouted as he made faces at her.


    But Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have any intention of listening to him. Her boldness was simply a side-effect of the aphrodisiac: after the entire mess, her unbridled vitality had had nowhere to go, and she was barely able to control herself.


    Li Mo was equally frustrated himself, and he barely suppressed the desire to forcefully remove her fake birthmark, lead her to an isted part of the gardens, and strip her clothes once more! As the disgrace from thest half-hour coursed through him, he drained his cup fully again.


    Li Qianhan looked at the two of them, feeling particrly confused. He¡¯d never before seen his uncle, as cold as ice, reveal such emotion on his face. For a time, he¡¯d even suspected that his uncle wasn¡¯t a person at all, because he didn¡¯t seem to have the full set of emotions and desires that a regr human would have.


    But now, he could clearly feel that his uncle was about to erupt in anger!


    He just didn¡¯t understand why. Who had provoked him? Was it the ugly girl in front of him? No, that couldn¡¯t be¡­ but they had both vanished for a little while, could something have happened then?!


    What a pity that he hadn¡¯t followed them!


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Li Mo mmed his cup on the table in front of him before pointing a finger at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s nose. In a tone so low only the two of them could hear, he rumbled, ¡°Now, immediately, at once, get the hell away from me!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan raised her brows and replied in an equally low register, ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± And then she turned around and walked gracefully away.


    As she retreated to a quiet corner to calm down, a taunting female voice called out, ¡°My goodness! Who could that be but the ugly girl from the Yun family, back again?¡±


    Once again, Yun Ruoyan became the center of attention.


    She stood straight up, both hands sped behind her back, as she quietly inspected a multicolored bouquet. The lc dress she was wearing, patterned with the same multicolored flowers, entuated her slender and elegant frame. She looked to be an orchid growing at the top of the highest mountains, unsullied by human hands.


    If she hadn¡¯t turned her head around, her image in profile would surely have lingered in many a young master¡¯s mind. But she did turn her head, slowly, toward the speaker. Her birthmark, painted too dark and in stark contrast to her pale face, looked almost like a gigantic spider crawling down her body.


    It was a frightening, horrendous sight!


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    ¡°My goodness!¡±


    Shrill shouts rang out amidst the quiet in voices both male and female. Even those scions who hadn¡¯t screamed still sucked in a cold breath.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she that girl who lost the first bout, Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    ¡°It is her! Her face looks even more frightening now after her change of clothes!¡±


    ¡°At first, I even thought she was a princess, but once she turned her face¡­!¡±


    Murmurs began circting around the crowd, but Yun Ruoyan was focused solely on the exquisitely dressed girl not five paces from her.


    Her again!


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, Yun Ruoyan. Who would have expected that the onceuded genius of the Yun family would end up in this sorry shape after just three years?¡± The girl¡¯s voice dripped with disdain and arrogance.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but frown. This girl seemed to have some deep-seated conflict with her to have taunted her once and again, but she couldn¡¯t recall anything about her.


    ¡°Ha.¡± The girlughed incredulously. ¡°Have you really forgotten who I am? You severely wounded me three years ago during a friendly spar. Don¡¯t you remember?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned and thought back to the past. Because she had rebirthed, what had been three years ago to others were more than ten years ago to her.


    Eventually, faintly, Yun Ruoyan seemed to recall something. At that time, the poison in her body hadn¡¯t yet revealed itself, and her cultivation was unparalleled in her age range. During a spar with the younger generation of another family, a girl had tried to attack her with underhanded means. In blocking the attack, she had unintentionally injured her severely. That was likely the girl in front of her now.


    In her mind¡¯s eye, that girl, not even ten years old,y on the ground as she pointed at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I, Rong Yuehong, swear I¡¯ll get back at you one day!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyao, how did your elder sister manage to secure an invitation to this party despite being so weak and ugly?¡± Rong Yuehong turned and asked Yun Ruoyao, who had been sipping her tea and enjoying the show. ¡°Were you just trying to scare me when you bragged about how strong she was just now?¡±


    An embarrassed expression flitted over Yun Ruoyao¡¯s face, but it quickly vanished. She smiled and replied, ¡°Miss Rong, you must be joking. My second sister is certainly skilled and talented in her own ways.¡±


    Rong Yuehong sighed and spoke loudly, so one and all could hear. ¡°Ruoyao, you¡¯re far too kind. Don¡¯t you know that the kindest people are the ones who get bullied? Given your cultivation, if not for your kindness, you would certainly be the heir apparent to the Yuns instead of her! Doesn¡¯t everyone agree?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Who knows what the head of the Yun family is thinking, letting such an ugly, weak girl take that position!¡±


    ¡°If I weren¡¯t familiar with Yun Ruoyao, I¡¯d have thought that the Yuns had no other children!¡±


    The crowd immediately exploded with agreement and usation after usation. It was amidst thismotion that Yun Ruoyan finally spoke. ¡°Rong Yuehong, when you attacked me in an underhanded fashion three years ago, simply sparing your life was gracious of me. Are you back to court death today?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had a stomach full of anger, and someone had stepped right up to be her punching bag.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Rong Yuehongughed. ¡°You used to be skilled, but now it seems all you can do is talk.¡± Her face turned downcast. ¡°If you have the guts, have a fight with me. Then we¡¯ll see who¡¯s courting death!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan leaned down and picked up a flower stalk from a bush, pointing it straight at Rong Yuehong. ¡°I ept!¡±


    Seeing that Yun Ruoyan had epted the duel but was nning on using a flower stalk as her weapon, she couldn¡¯t help but turn even more disdainful. Was she trying to show off even despite herck of talent?


    She took two steps back and took off her ornate gown in one fell swoop, revealing form-fitting clothes underneath. It was clear that she had been prepared to shine during the flower-viewing party.


    ¡°Yuehong,¡± Yun Ruoyao tugged on her sleeve and spoke lightly, ¡°My sister has been a little unusual thesest few months. After three years, she finally broke through to fourth rank within the imperial territory, so don¡¯t treat her lightly!¡±


    But Rong Yuehong didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°I was already a sixth-rank demaster a month ago. Just sit back and watch me defeat her!¡±


    When she heard that Rong Yuehong was already a sixth-rank demaster, Yun Ruoyao stopped talking and began to look at Yun Ruoyan with a smirk.


    She¡¯d seen Yun Ruoyan¡¯s explosive power during a battle, but she had attributed that to the Peis¡¯ high-grade spear that Yun Ruoyan was using, not to Yun Ruoyan herself.


    And now that Yun Ruoyan was trying to face a sixth-rank demaster with nothing more than a flower stalk¡­


    Rong Yuehong picked up the willow branch with which she had initially defeated Yun Ruoyan as she moved to face her. ¡°I¡¯m not taking advantage of you, you see.¡± She raised the branch in her hand. ¡°When I beat youter, you¡¯ll only have yourself to me!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled coldly. ¡°Same to you.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, this eldest miss of the Rong family¡¯s pretty strong, and I¡¯m worried the ugly girl won¡¯t be her match!¡± Li Qianhan muttered as he leaned closer to Li Mo. Li Mo handed him the empty cup in his hands, and he immediately filled it. ¡°Shall I help her out during the match?¡±


    Li Mo pinned him with a nce. ¡°Don¡¯t be a busybody!¡±


    Li Qianhan immediately shut up.


    Everyone else¡¯s gaze turned to the duo about to fight. People who were speaking halted their conversations halfway, and even the princes and princesses who had been the heart of attention turned toward the two girls.


    Almost at the same time, the girls rushed toward each other. The flower stalk and willow branch, imbued with spiritual energy, shed like two steel swords...

 Chapter 74: So That’s the Case

    <h4>Chapter 74: So That¡¯s the Case</h4>


    The remnant energies from the sh of sword qi caused the flowers all around Rong Yuehong and Yun Ruoyan to shower down on them like rain. Those onlookers closest to the two of them also had their hair and robes ruffled by the resulting sh.


    ¡°What strong sword qi!¡± Someone praised.


    ¡°Are they really fighting? Aren¡¯t most of the duels at this flower-viewing party not physical in nature?¡±


    ¡°You fool!¡± Someone else eximed. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? The two of them clearly have some grudge against each other. They must both be students from Kongming Academy, to be so arrogant as to have a fight to the death here!¡±


    On the Chenyuan continent, the status of a Kongming Academy student was unparalleled. Even if a student were to murder someone, Kongming Academy was the only entity that could punish them¡ªand in Kongming Academy, power wasw.


    This was why Rong Yuehong dared to announce her intention to kill Yun Ruoyan, and Yun Ruoyan herself naturally wouldn¡¯t hold back.


    When the two of them began to sh, Rong Yuehong found that she had indeed underestimated her opponent. In shock, she realized that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual energy was no weaker than her own.


    Because she¡¯d thought that Yun Ruoyan was only a fourth-rank demaster, she¡¯d only used the spiritual energy of a fifth-rank demaster. Against a fourth rank, that would have been more than sufficient!


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s capabilities, however, surpassed Rong Yuehong¡¯s expectations. The fifth-rank spiritual energy imbued in her willow branch was blocked by equally strong spiritual energy from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s flower stalk.


    What¡¯s the matter? Isn¡¯t she just a fourth-rank demaster? Rong Yuehong turned to Yun Ruoyao in a confused manner, but thetter girl appeared as confused as she was.


    At the beginning, Yun Ruoyao had even thought that Rong Yuehong was deliberately pretending to be weaker than she really was to progressively pressure her. That was amon tactic that the strong often used against the weak. However, the seemingly desperate nce that Rong Yuehong shot her made her feel as if something had gone wrong once more.


    In her shock, Rong Yuehong hurriedly raised her spiritual energy from an early fifth-rank¡¯s level to a peak fifth-rank¡¯s.


    Simrly, Yun Ruoyan raised the level of her own spiritual energy.


    Rong Yuehong¡¯s rxed face quickly turned anxious, then frightened. By the time she began using her sixth-rank spiritual energy in its fullest, her face had already turned the color of puce.


    On the other hand, although Yun Ruoyan looked ugly, her face remained impassive, even insouciant. This unexpected event left the crowds, who were hoping tough at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s quick defeat, at a loss.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Isn¡¯t the second daughter of the Yuns weak? How can she continue facing the eldest daughter of the Rongs for such a long time?¡±


    ¡°Right? During their first match, didn¡¯t this ugly girl forfeit on the spot? Where¡¯s her spiritual energying from now?¡±


    ¡°Unless¡­ unless she was hiding her true capabilities all along?!¡± Someone finally gleaned the truth.


    Following thisment, the crowd gasped. That was the only usible exnation for this sort of scene, but why?! Why would this ugly girl try to hide her own talent, rather than unting it like the rest of them?!


    Even Li Qianhan was craning his neck to get a better view of the duel. He was a little surprised, and a little excited.


    ¡°Who would have thought, who would have thought?¡± He turned toward Li Mo. ¡°This uglyss¡¯s stronger than I thought! Isn¡¯t she surprising?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Li Mo snorted and said acidly, ¡°She¡¯ll give you more surprises yet!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Uncle?¡± Li Qianhan asked curiously. It seemed as though there were a deeper meaning behind his uncle¡¯s words, but he really didn¡¯t understand what it could be.


    But Li Mo only lowered his head and continued drinking, neither speaking nor even looking at the ongoing duel.


    The emperor and empress heard the discussion even before they¡¯d entered the gardens, and they couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly.


    One of the eunuchs guarding the entrance to the garden saw the emperor, Li Xiu, and his empress approaching. He was about to loudly announce their presence when the emperor motioned at him from afar; only then did he close his gaping mouth and bow obsequiously.


    Li Xiu was somewhat thin. He was middle-aged, about forty years old, with a pale face and long beard. He was dressed richly in purple and gold, and a gold crown adorned his head. His almond-shaped eyes asionally seemed to gleam.


    As he motioned at the eunuch, he raised his head and observed what was going on within the inner garden.


    The inner garden was where the rarest and most unusual nts and herbs were cultivated, as well as where the imperial family would host high-ranking officials as well as honored guests. There were frequently tea parties and flower-viewing parties within the garden. To make it stand out, the walls surrounding the garden were made not of bricks, but instead of creeping vines.


    Past the vines, Li Xiu could see the leaves and flowers that had been tossed up into the air by waves of spiritual energy. He couldn¡¯t help but stroke his beard and turn toward his empress. ¡°It looks like there are some pretty good seeds in this year¡¯s batch. Impatient ones, too.¡±


    The empress was decked in a robe of golden phoenixes. Her hair was richly decorated with twelve ruby hairpins, giving her a striking, mboyant appearance.


    ¡°Whose family are they from? Don¡¯t they know thatbat duels are frowned upon here?¡± The empress was still frowning.


    Li Xiu smiled gently as he stepped into the garden with her in tow.


    The crowd¡¯s attention was all on Yun Ruoyan and Rong Yuehong, and for the moment, no one had noticed that the emperor and empress that they¡¯d been waiting for had arrived.


    The empress frowned more deeply as she looked at the two girls. She was about to raise her voice in displeasure when Li Xiu shook her head at her.


    Only then did she snap her mouth shut, her gaze still fixed on the offending girls.


    The battle raged on.


    Just as Rong Yuehong looked as though she couldn¡¯t handle fighting any longer, Yun Ruoyan would lower her spiritual energy output, giving her opponent some room to breathe.


    But when Rong Yuehong took the opportunity tounch a counterattack, thinking that her opponent was simrly weakened, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual energy would re up once more and dash her opponent¡¯s dreams.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you¡­ you¡¯re ying around with me!¡± Rong Yuehong shouted as her face turned puce once more.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°Why would I do that? I¡¯m not as boring as you are.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t you going to admit it?¡± Rong Yuehong continued to speak arrogantly, despite being on the losing end of the battle. ¡°You pretended to be weak and hid your strength so I¡¯d lower my guard. But now that you¡¯ve dropped the act, aren¡¯t you going to admit that you did it intentionally so I would lose face in front of everyone? You¡¯re despicable!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help butugh. Did this girl think the whole world revolved around her? Today, Yun Ruoyan would show her what ¡®despicable¡¯ truly looked like!


    She smiled viciously. The spider-like birthmark on her face entuated her features, making them look even more frightening and sinister. ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized what type of situation you¡¯re in? I¡¯m not messing around with you; I¡¯m crushing you! I might even just kill you!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you dare!¡± Only then did Rong Yuehong begin to feel fearful. Although she¡¯d talked on and on about killing Yun Ruoyan, she¡¯d never associated death with herself, because she was always on the winning end. ¡°This is¡­ the pce, and my aunt¡­ is the empress herself¡­ Don¡¯t you know?!¡± Rong Yuehong was so strained that even speaking was an exertion. Nevertheless, she was as arrogant as ever.


    Yun Ruoyan retracted some of her spiritual energy so that she could finish her words in one go.


    Feeling the pressure dissipate, Rong Yuehong thought that her words had frightened Yun Ruoyan. ¡°The Yuns will be in big trouble if you hurt me, let alone kill me.¡± She straightened up and continued, ¡°Three years ago, when you severely injured you, your father expelled you from your family academy in order to settle my family¡¯s anger. Otherwise, how would he have received my father¡¯smendation? Today, if you hurt me again, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll have no ce in the Yun family!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan finally seemed perturbed. ¡°You mean the reason I was expelled from my family¡¯s academy three years ago was because of you?¡±


    Those memories that she¡¯d never forgotten but never tried to relive swarmed back into her mind.


    During herst match in the academy, she¡¯d lost to both Yun Ruoyu and Yun Ruoyao, who had never before been able to best her. As shey exhausted on stage, blood dripping out of one corner of her mouth, Yun Lan told her coldly, ¡°Yan¡¯er, I¡¯m very disappointed in you. In thesest six months, you¡¯ve just been getting worse and worse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a situation before. If your cultivation¡¯s regressing at such an early age, you¡¯ll likely never be able to improve again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! The family academy is supposed to foster talents, not to raise useless trash.¡±


    As soon as Yun Lan spoke, so too did other scions from the family and their instructor.


    ¡°It¡¯s widely known that childhood potential doesn¡¯t necessarily trante into youthful talent, but I didn¡¯t expect this to happen to you, Yan¡¯er. In the future, don¡¯t return to the academy.¡±


    Yun Lan walked off after these cold, icy words, leaving Yun Ruoyan to lie helpless on stage, shivering as she bore the crowd¡¯s scorn and tittering.


    She¡¯d always thought that the reason she had been forced out of the academy was because her cultivation had regressed. For a long period of time, she had continued to wonder why it was that she had been kicked out despite her status in the family. Even if her cultivation was slowly regressing, she was still doing better than quite a number of the less capable students from the branch families.


    But as time passed, she gradually epted this reason without questioning it further. Who would have known that this had been the reason?


    It didn¡¯t seem to be beneath Yun Lan to sacrifice even his own daughter for advancement.


    ¡°Well? Are you scared?¡± Sensing that Yun Ruoyan was attacking her more and more weakly, Rong Yuehong raised her prideful jaw once more. ¡°I advise you to stop now, or¡ª!¡±


    Before Rong Yuehong could finish speaking, she sprayed out a mouthful of blood, and her entire body was swept off stage by a strong gust of spiritual energy.


    ¡°Hong¡¯er!¡± By the corner of the stage, the empress shouted at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°How dare you hurt my Hong¡¯er!¡±

 Chapter 75: Relying on Myself

    <h4>Chapter 75: Relying on Myself</h4>


    Yun Ruoyao was the first to run to Rong Yuehong¡¯s side. When Yun Ruoyan flung Rong Yuehong aside, Yun Ruoyao couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of Wang Kuang¡¯s death within the imperial territory.


    ¡°Miss Rong, Miss Rong¡­¡± Yun Ruoyao shook Rong Yuehong, who had fallen amidst a patch of flowers, but her eyes were tightly closed and she didn¡¯t react visibly.


    ¡°Yuehong, Yuehong, how are you? Wake up!¡± Yun Ruoyao was a little nervous: if Yun Ruoyan had truly killed Rong Yuehong, then the whole Yun family would suffer along with her!


    The empress hurriedly walked to Rong Yuehong¡¯s side and began to cradle her.


    Yun Ruoyao darted to one side and turned to re at Yun Ruoyan, who was standing with her hands behind her back. ¡°You¡¯ve really done it now!¡±


    ¡°Guards!¡± The empress called out, and fourrge warriors quickly appeared at her behest. ¡°Arrest this girl!¡± She pointed at Yun Ruoyan andmanded.


    The four warriors made a beeline for Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Li Qianhan immediately stood up, intending to help the girl, when Li Mo caught his hand. ¡°The uglyss has really caused a big mess for herself this time,¡± he continued anxiously.


    Suddenly, Rong Yuehong coughed a few times from within the empress¡¯p.


    ¡°Hong¡¯er¡­¡± the empress called out anxiously. Rong Yuehong struggled to open her eyes, but she clearly wasn¡¯t dead!


    Yun Ruoyan truly had wanted to kill her, but she had noticed the emperor and empress as soon as they entered the inner garden.


    And when Rong Yuehong said that her aunt was the empress, Yun Ruoyan had given up on killing Rong Yuehong on the spot. But how could she let her go so simply without at least collecting some interest?


    After a long period of cultivating and fighting, along with Qiuqiu¡¯s guidance, Yun Ruoyan was very skilled at manipting spiritual energy. She¡¯d used two-thirds of her maximum output to fling Rong Yuehong off the stage, but retracted it before it was able to cause significant injury to her.


    At that moment, Rong Yuehong thought that she was about to die. This was the first time she¡¯d received such a strong spiritual attack from an opponent, and brushing against death was a particrly unpleasant affair.


    ¡°Aunt,¡± Rong Yuehong began to cry as she looked into her aunt¡¯s face,ining, ¡°Please, you have to stand up for me! That ugly girl from the Yun family actually tried to kill me!¡±


    The empress calmed down after checking that her injuries weren¡¯t critical.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she consoled her. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely deal with that girl for you.¡± The empress stood up and turned to Yun Ruoyan. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t yet restrained, she shouted at the four warriors once more, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you done anything?!¡±


    The four warriors surrounded Yun Ruoyan and were getting ready to arrest her when the emperor walked up. ¡°Hold it.¡±


    The crowd finally realized that both the emperor and empress were present, and immediately bowed down to both dignitaries.


    Li Xiu waved a hand to let the crowd rise. To the four warriors, hemanded, ¡°Stand down!¡±


    Instead of following his orders, however, they turned to the empress instead.


    ¡°Emperor,¡± the empress looked at her consort and said, dissatisfied, ¡°This ugly girl from the Yun family actually dared to try kill someone within the pce. She has to be punished harshly!¡±


    But Li Xiu onlyughed. ¡°Empress, it¡¯s only a small bout. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, she tried to kill me!¡± Rong Yuehong pointed at Yun Ruoyan and eximed from afar, so loudly that it seemed as though she hadn¡¯t been injured at all. The empress had fed her a bone quintessence pill, and most of the small injuries that she¡¯d sustained had recovered.


    ¡°If I truly wanted to kill you, you wouldn¡¯t be standing here right now. Don¡¯t forget, you were the one who initiated the duel, and you were the one who said you wanted to kill me!¡± Yun Ruoyan countered as she began to defend herself. ¡°Three years ago, when you lost to me, you had your father punish me on your behalf. This time, after losing to me once more, you¡¯re counting on the empress to help? Who knew how petty you were, and to think you¡¯re the heir apparent to the Rongs!¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Not knowing how to refute these usations, Rong Yuehong could only yell out, ¡°You ugly wench!¡±


    ¡°So what if I¡¯m ugly?!¡± Yun Ruoyan stood straight up, holding her head high. Coincidentally, a gust of wind blew toward her, fanning out the hair at her temples and revealing her birthmark for all to see. ¡°I, Yun Ruoyan, live and die by my own strength!¡±


    As if her words were a stone dropped into a pond, they left ripples in the hearts of all present. Even yearster, others would recount the tale of how the ugly girl stood up to the emperor and empress herself, how her dignified aura had actually made the birthmark look like a mark of courage than of scorn.


    ¡°Good, good!¡± Li Qianhan couldn¡¯t help but p the table as he stood up. ¡°Miss Yun, a toast to you.¡± He tipped a cup of wine at her.


    Li Mo didn¡¯t look at Yun Ruoyan. Instead, he continued to sip at his wine as if nothing that had happened here concerned him. His head was lowered, but the corners of his lips curled up slightly.


    Li Xiu looked at Yun Ruoyan appreciatively. Her actions and words made him think of another person who was simrly unafraid of anything and anyone, and he slowly turned to eye Li Mo instead.


    At the time, Li Mo¡¯s entire body was sprawled against the table, as if he were drunk.


    Li Xiu raised his brows as he turned to the empress once more. ¡°Shall we leave the matter at that?¡±


    ¡°Miss Rong was the one who initiated the duel.¡±


    ¡°Right, and they¡¯ve both been admitted to Kongming Academy. No matter what crimes they¡¯vemitted, Kongming Academy¡¯s the only one that can punish them.¡±


    ¡°Right, and isn¡¯t Miss Rong hale and well?¡±


    The mood appeared to be in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s favor. The empress knew that punishing Yun Ruoyan now would surely lead to displeasure, and it was in her best interests to appear magnanimous instead.


    Finally, the empress spoke up. ¡°I only wanted to teach her a lesson. Since the emperor himself has spoken, let¡¯s drop the matter.¡±


    ¡°Aunt!¡± Rong Yuehong tugged at the empress¡¯s sleeve, and she looked back at her in displeasure.


    Just now, Rong Yuehong had pressed her palms against the soil as she fell, and all that dirt was now clearly imprinted on the empress¡¯s royal garments. Rong Yuehong herself didn¡¯t seem to have realized a thing, and she was still looking at the empress with aggrieved eyes.


    Although her niece was above-average in terms of both appearance and beauty, she was far too pampered. The empress clicked her tongue. ¡°If there¡¯s anything to me, it¡¯s that your skills aren¡¯t up to par.¡± She shook her arm and dislodged her grip.


    Rong Yuehong stared at her nkly for a moment before she processed the empress¡¯ words¡ªand then all her grievance and rage turned into a hateful stare she directed at Yun Ruoyan.


    But Yun Ruoyan simply ignored her gaze. Instead, she gave Rong Yuehong a resplendent smile, one only a winner would have.


    That ugly smile, like a poisonous needle, stabbed into Rong Yuehong¡¯s eyes. She was so angry that she began to tremble. Ever since her birth, she had been loved and praised by all. Among others her own age, she had always been the best. Why was it that Yun Ruoyan would always foil her ns?


    Yun Ruoyan was her nemesis and bane. She had clearly intended on killing her during their duel, and Rong Yuehong didn¡¯t ever want to feel the fear of death again! Thinking about this, Rong Yuehong couldn¡¯t restrain herself any longer. She began chanting silently before pointing toward Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan had turned around and was headed back to her own seat when Qiuqiu suddenly warned her, ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s dangering from behind!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to see a silver beam flying straight for her. With her rapid reflexes, she dodged the iing blow, but it simply circled back and headed for her once more. All around her, people began moving away.


    Yun Ruoyan looked to Rong Yuehong and saw her deep in concentration. Somehow, she¡¯de into possession of a high-grade concealed weapon and was using it on her!


    ¡°Hong¡¯er, stop this immediately!¡± the empress chided.


    But as if possessed, Rong Yuehong seemed to be unable to hear anything around her. She was wholly focused on getting rid of Yun Ruoyan.


    As she dodged the silver beam, Yun Ruoyan looked around her for a ce to hide. Her gaze suddenlynded on Li Mo, still sprawled at his table. Instinctively, she felt that Li Mo was the only one able to save her from her current predicament.


    She ran rapidly in his direction, the silver beam chasing her from behind.


    In desperation, she stooped by Li Mo¡¯s side.


    The silver beam continued chasing her, and Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes wide. Just as the beam was about to strike Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead, arge palm suddenly appeared in front of her vision.


    By the time Yun Ruoyan reacted, Li Mo had already caught the silver beam in his hand.


    ¡°My goodness, the ughtering King caught a high-grade concealed weapon with his bare hands!¡±


    Everyone in the crowd began to shout. Catching a high-grade weapon was exceedingly dangerous.


    Li Mo spread his palms wide, revealing a silver needle about three inches long.


    ¡°Return it to me!¡± Rong Yuehong¡¯s eyes had turned red. She hurriedly ran up to Li Mo and extended her hand at him rudely.


    ¡°Here you go!¡± Li Moughed coldly. The silver needle flew out from his palm and stabbed right into Rong Yuehong¡¯s dantian.

 Chapter 76: A Flower on a Cowpat

    <h4>Chapter 76: A Flower on a Cowpat</h4>


    Rong Yuehong didn¡¯t let out a pained scream, and neither did she spit out blood. Instead, she simply moaned and slumped over, falling to the ground in a heap.


    The sudden shock had cleared her mind. She could feel the spiritual energy swiftly leaving her body, including the spiritual vortex swirling within her dantian, which she had built up over decades of effort.


    Her eyes wide, she looked at the dark shadow in front of her. Only then did Rong Yuehong realize that the man who had been watching the show quietly was the legendary ughtering King, Li Mo.


    As Li Mo motioned at Rong Yuehong, the silver needle flew out of her abdomen and into his hands once again.


    Everyone in the garden continued to watch the scene unfolding in front of them with bated breath, even the empress and emperor himself. It was so silent that one could almost hear the sound of the silver needlending in Li Mo¡¯s palm.


    ¡°A high-grade concealed weapon, hmm?¡± The silver needle shone with an icy aura as Li Mo picked it up.


    The crowd¡¯s gaze naturally pivoted to the needle. High-grade weapons were already hard toe by, let alone high-grade concealed weapons.


    The more delicate the weapon, the harder it was to forge. The silver needle in Li Mo¡¯s hands was so thin and fine that it likely had no counterpart within the entire kingdom of Li.


    The empress finally recovered from her daze: the events had unfolded so quickly that she hadn¡¯t had the ability to react.


    She quickly walked over to Rong Yuehong¡¯s side and felt her pulse. As she did so, her face turned pale.


    Rong Yuehong copsed softly into the empress¡¯sp. ¡°Aunt, please save me!¡±


    But the empress let go, and Rong Yuehong¡¯s lifeless hand fell to the ground. She could only sigh and say coldly, ¡°You won¡¯t die, but your cultivation¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°Gone? Aunt, what do you mean?!¡± Rong Yuehong looked at the empress incredulously.


    The empress stood up and flicked the dust off her robe. ¡°Your dantian has been destroyed. From now on, live out your life in peace as a regr girl.¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­!¡± Rong Yuehong cried out bitterly. ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m the most talented scion of the Rong family! I became a third-rank demaster at six, a fourth-rank at ten, andst month, I even broke through to sixth-rank! Aunt, you can¡¯t discard me like this. Please, help me!¡±


    The empress frowned. Her crying, unsightly niece left her with more and more of a headache. Because she had the lion¡¯s share of the family¡¯s resources, Rong Yuehong had indeed grown as a cultivator, but she still seemed to remain brainless.


    The empress had long warned her brother not to coddle her niece too much, or her niece would get herself in trouble sooner orter.


    But Rong Tianling didn¡¯t take her words to heart: after all, who in the Li kingdom would dare to challenge the Rongs? Even the current emperor had to treat him politely; didn¡¯t his daughter have the right to be arrogant?


    But he had forgotten that there was one person that even their family couldn¡¯t afford to offend. The empress looked toward Li Mo, perplexed.


    This ughtering King rarely showed his face in the capital, and never cared about what went on in court. Why had he suddenly appeared at the flower-viewing party today?


    It had been three years since the empress hadst seen him. If he hadn¡¯t struck at Rong Yuehong, the empress likely wouldn¡¯t have noticed his presence at all.


    ¡°Now that the ughtering King himself has moved against you, no one can save you.¡± The empress spoke to Rong Yuehong even as she looked at Li Mo. ¡°In fact, you should even thank the ughtering King for sparing your life.¡±


    Li Mo continued ying with the needle in his palm until he realized that the empress was waiting for him to speak. ¡°No need. I¡¯ve never been lenient. The only reason I didn¡¯t kill her was because I thought being handicapped would hurt her more than being dead.¡±


    Everyone sucked in a breath, as if the garden had suddenly be five degrees more chilly.


    If they couldn¡¯t cultivate, the female scions of nobility were only tools to forge alliances between families. Furthermore, regardless of their status, such females could only be concubines, not full wifes.


    Ever since Rong Yuehong¡¯s birth, her talent had made her the pride and joy of the Rongs. She had grown up used to being above everyone else, and it was hard to imagine what she would be like squashed underfoot as a concubine.


    ¡°No, no!¡± As soon as Rong Yuehong thought of this, she copsed. ¡°Aunt, I don¡¯t want to be a useless mortal. Please, kill me, kill me!¡± She cried and howled as she hugged the empress¡¯s feet.


    Tired of this entire fiasco, the empress called out to the four warriors, ¡°Send the young miss back to the Rong manor! Don¡¯t let her disgrace herself like this out here!¡±


    Even as she was being towed outside, the gathered crowd could still hear her yell, ¡°Yun Ruoyan, I¡¯ll get revenge on you even if I be a ghost¡­!¡±


    The empress looked at the soul-chasing needle in Li Mo¡¯s hands and narrowed her eyes. That was a Rong family heirloom, and she couldn¡¯t help but curse her brother once more. Did he give her ess to all the family treasures so she could defile them?!


    She was just considering how to retrieve the needle from Li Mo when he said coolly, ¡°This is something that the Rongs handed to me directly, so I¡¯ll consider it a gift.¡±


    The needle vanished into his robes.


    The empress¡¯ eyes twitched, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Fourth brother, I didn¡¯t expect you to join the party as well,¡± Li Xiu greeted Li Mo before turning to the eunuch beside him. ¡°Announce the start of the banquet.¡±


    The eunuch immediately straightened up and shrilly announced, ¡°Hence begins the start of the banquet! Young masters, young misses, please have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Empress, it¡¯s time to start the banquet.¡± Li Xiu smiled at his consort, who was still standing and staring at Li Mo.


    Unwilling to give up a family heirloom, but equally unable to perturb Li Mo, the empress could only follow silently behind the emperor.


    The scions of the nobility immediately tidied themselves and sat back in their seats, as if nothing had just happened.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyao stared at the empty seat next to her in rm. If Rong Yuehong was a sixth-rank demaster, then what about Yun Ruoyan, who was ying with her during the duel?! How could someone cultivate so quickly? Had she somehow broken through to seventh rank in the two weeks after entering the imperial territory? Was Yun Ruoyan indeed a demon?!


    She looked all around her. Not finding any sign of Yi Qianying or Pei Ziao, she became even more frantic.


    Yun Ruoyan sat by Li Mo¡¯s side. Just as she was about to get up, a hand reached in front of her.


    She was a little dazed. It was this hand which had caught a high-grade concealed weapon right in front of her. How strong did his cultivation be to achieve such a feat?


    Li Mo reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to hisp.


    This left the crowd, which had just quieted down, gasping for breath once more. The ughtering King, pulling that ugly girl into hisp¡­ Although Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t look quite so pathetic as before, but¡­ was she really the ughtering King¡¯s type?


    Li Qianhan had found a seat elsewhere in order to leave the two of them with plenty of space.


    Faced with the crowd¡¯s rmed gaze, Yun Ruoyan began to blush. Although she¡¯d lived two lives and wasn¡¯t the inexperienced maiden she appeared to be, she was still naturally a private, conservative woman.


    Even when the aphrodisiac had all but taken control of her body, she had escaped the need for sex. How could she stand to let someone take advantage of her now? Of course, what she didn¡¯t realize was that, in the crowd¡¯s eyes, she was the one taking advantage of Li Mo, not the other way around.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured, pushing against Li Mo¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Be obedient,¡± he whispered back. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice to be able to rely on others? You did very well just now.¡±


    Just now? Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment. My goodness, that was a matter of life and death! How could itpare to the present moment?!


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to be able to ask for protection from you, ughtering King, but I can¡¯t be so irresponsible as totch onto you like a leech,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied eloquently, still trying to break free from his grasp.


    Li Mo didn¡¯t seem to be using any strength. He wasn¡¯t hurting Yun Ruoyan at all, but she couldn¡¯t get him to release his hold. Even after what seemed like half a day¡¯s worth of struggling, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t free herself. She turned to look at him in anger, but only saw his dark eyes twinkling. It made her even more furious, but she stopped resisting.


    After all, she wasn¡¯t the type of person who would try to break a rock with an egg; if the opponent really was far too strong for her to handle, then she simply had to find some other means of getting back at him.


    Only when thess in hisp stopped struggling did Li Mo rx and look around him. As if it were a razor-sharp weapon, his gaze caused all those whonded in it to squirm and turn away.


    ¡°Brother, isn¡¯t the banquet going to begin?¡± In the end, he looked to Li Xiu and asked coolly.


    ¡°Right, right, it¡¯s time to begin. As always, the banquet is hosted by the empress.¡± After Li Xiu finished speaking, he couldn¡¯t help but nce at Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, still in hisp.


    I¡¯ve never seen Li Mo care about anything, so why¡¯s he standing up for a girl now?!


    A few days ago, when the Yue emperor sent an envoy toin about how Li Mo had killed his own nephew on ount of a female ve, Li Xiu had thought that his brother had finally found the love of his life. However, Li Mo had apparently released the ve as soon as he¡¯d rescued her.


    Upon further investigation, Li Xiu¡¯s confusion was resolved when it turned out that the female ve was a beastkin.


    But what was going on today? Was his brother truly interested in that Yun girl?


    When Li Xiu smiled, his eyes turned into thin crescents, and no one could tell where he was looking when he did so. As he sat smiling at the head of the table, his pupils, like tadpoles, swam to the corner of his eyes and focused on Yun Ruoyan. He was in just the right position to see Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark, which was such a dark red that it was almost ck.


    Li Xiu couldn¡¯t help but twitch. Could this ugly girl really be to his brother¡¯s liking?

 Chapter 77: Antidote in the Greenhouse

    <h4>Chapter 77: Antidote in the Greenhouse</h4>


    Li Xiu couldn¡¯t help but think back to fifteen years ago. At that time, the previous emperor had still been alive, and he was still the crown prince.


    One day, he had brought back to the pce a seven- or eight-year-old boy, whom he announced as a son of his who had been living withmon folk. He was to be reinstated with his rightful title: the fourth prince of the Li kingdom, Li Mo.


    Originally, Li Xiu had believed his father¡¯s words, but as time progressed, he became more and more suspicious. This child was nothing like him or any of his siblings, and was unsurpassed in both looks and talent.


    Li Mo¡¯s personality was entric and reclusive: during the first three years of his stay at the pce, he spoke not a single word to anyone. Despite his age, he was already as cold as a block of ice. Although he never reprimanded any of his servants, both the pce maids and court eunuchs were fearful of him. Even Li Xiu¡¯s children, who were barely younger than Li Mo, didn¡¯t dare provoke their uncle.


    The emperor¡¯s attitude toward Li Mo was also quite curious. Although he would present him with all sorts of curios and treasures, he never expressed any measure of fatherly love. Instead, he even seemed to be revering his supposed son.


    It was under a shroud of mystery that Li Mo entered the army at the age of ten, became a general at fifteen, and ughtered the beastkin at seventeen.


    There was a long period in which Li Xiu had been especially frightened of Li Mo, afraid that he¡¯d take over his position as crown prince. After a while, however, that fear dissipated, reced by the certainty that the reason Li Mo hadn¡¯t taken over his position was because he didn¡¯t care for it.


    Li Xiu was led to this rather outrageous conclusion by Li Mo¡¯s eyes. In those dark orbs were only disdain, disdain for him, for his father, and even for the entire kingdom of Li.


    When his father finally passed away, Li Mo didn¡¯t usurp the throne. Instead, he handed Li Xiu the authority tomand tens of thousands of soldiers and even helped him ascend to the throne smoothly.


    Even now, Li Xiu could remember the words histe father said to him at his deathbed: ¡°Xiu¡¯er, as long as you don¡¯t offend Li Mo and treat him with respect, the Li kingdom will prosper for millennia.¡±


    ¡°Emperor, do you think Mei¡¯er¡¯s dancing has improved?¡± The empress¡¯ voice suddenly filled his ears, interrupting Li Xiu¡¯s reverie. He looked toward one of the beautiful girls dancing in the garden, his eldest daughter, Li Mei¡¯er.


    ¡°Yes, Mei¡¯er¡¯s dancing gets better by the day!¡± he praised effusively before looking at his heirs sitting by his side.


    Except for the second prince Li Qianyuan, who was out on official business, the fourth prince Li Qianyue, who was often away from the pce, and a few other princesses who had been betrothed and were waiting to be married, the rest of his heirs seemed to be present.


    No, one was missing!


    Li Xiu¡¯s smile shrunk. ¡°Where¡¯s the crown prince?¡±


    The empress coughed. ¡°Probably some urgent matters. I¡¯ve already sent some servants for him.¡±


    ¡°Urgent matters? Horse racing, perhaps, or ying with eagles?¡± Li Xiu¡¯s smile vanished entirely.


    The empress had sent people in search of the crown prince as soon as she noticed his absence. Her servants had scoured the eastern wing of the pce, as well as the vast center, to no avail.


    Seeing that her consort¡¯s face was turning worse and worse, she bade her servants search once more.


    It was little wonder that the maids and eunuchs couldn¡¯t find Li Qianxiao: after all, he was busy toiling away in a greenhouse in the back gardens.


    ¡°Brother Ziao, help me, help me! Oh, I feel so ufortable!¡± The aphrodisiac had fully assailed Yi Qianying¡¯s senses. Unable to control herself, she writhed and twisted her body as shey with the man next to her in a twisted heap.


    The man began to move faster. With one final thrust and a satisfied grunt, he turned over andy down amidst a bed of fresh flowers.


    Having finally relieved herself of the aphrodisiac, Yi Qianying fainted, her vitality drained.


    The man rested for a moment before donning his gold and purple robes again. He looked at the girl on the ground with a rather disdainful expression.


    This man was none other than the crown prince, Li Qianxiao.


    Actually, he had been the first to arrive at the inner gardens. Because no one was there yet, however, he simply strolled around and enjoyed the flowers.


    But suddenly, he heard a voice that haunted his dreams. Craning his head forward, he received a big scare: the ugly girl from the Yun family was here, dressed to the nines! Was she nning on frightening everyone once more?! How was she here, at any rate? He certainly didn¡¯t invite her!


    She was evenughing and chatting with his third brother, Li Qianhan. Clearly, his foolish brother was tricked by her outwardly beautiful appearance, just as he had been.


    He wanted to jump out and expose her. Once he thought back to how ridiculous he must have appeared that day when he turned tail and ran, however, he decided not to do so. To expose Yun Ruoyan would have made him out to be a fool as well. In addition, he was interested in seeing how his carefree, uninhibited third brother would react when he found that the beauty right next to him was actually an ugly witch.


    Seeing Yun Ruoyan present hadpletely dampened his spirits, and he didn¡¯t want to attend the flower-viewing party any longer. After all, the only reason he was doing so was to check out the beauties. With as unappealing a girl as Yun Ruoyan around, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to look at anyone else.


    He¡¯d nned on waiting until right before the party began to tell the empress that he wasn¡¯t feeling well, and hence to avoid the party entirely.


    The party normally began in the night, when the moonstones shone most brilliantly. At the time, it was only evening, so Li Qianxiao continued wandering around the gardens.


    As the crown prince, Li Qianxiao had been quite busy recently. Not only did he have to go to the Yue kingdom to console the Yue emperor, then up the Minghuang mountain to hunt with his father, then to make house visits at each of the high-ranking officials¡¯ manors¡­


    It was only in thest few days that he¡¯d finally had the freedom to race horses and y with eagles, and quite a long time since he¡¯d been back to the gardens.


    He saw a particrly beautiful magnolia tree at the far edge of one cottage, shining with a golden glow amidst the evening rays of the sun andpelling him forward.


    He was right by the tree when he heard some ndestine whispers from the bushes next to him.


    ¡°Brother Ziao, give it to me, quick¡­!¡± Yi Qianying begged impatiently.


    ¡°I can¡¯t! This is the pce: we can¡¯t do it here!¡± Pei Ziao refused.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand it anymore, oh, oh¡­¡± Yi Qianying was almost about to cry.


    Pei Ziao had noticed something amiss with Yi Qianying: back in the inner gardens, when he was duelling with others, Yi Qianying had suddenly called him away, saying that she had something important to tell him.


    And so Pei Ziao followed her to this isted location, only to find Yi Qianying pouncing on him. For quite a while, Pei Ziao was dazed. He knew that Yi Qianying liked him, but it was always he who initiated their intimacy, and always no more than hugs or kisses. They¡¯d never crossed the line before.


    ¡°Qianying, what¡¯s the matter?¡± He secured Yi Qianying¡¯s hands, which were wandering down his robes, and asked.


    At the time, Yi Qianying still had a shred of rationality left in her mind. Her clothes were all in disarray as shey in Pei Ziao¡¯sp, breathing out in deep, scorching pants. ¡°I, I think¡­ I¡¯ve been drugged with an aphrodisiac. Save me!¡±


    After that, Yi Qianying began pulling off Pei Ziao¡¯s robes.


    Pei Ziao¡¯s thoughts were in turmoil.


    Li Qianxiao¡¯s face was one of disdain as he looked toward the couple hiding in the bush. He was rather impressed by their daring; even he, the crown prince, had only ever dared to entertain the notion of seeking a thrill in the pce¡¯s back gardens. But they were actually carrying it out!


    He was about to call some eunuchs over to arrest the couple when he suddenly realized that they were people he was familiar with.


    Pei Ziao, he knew full well. The first time Li Qianxiao had gone to a brothel was with Pei Ziao. He¡¯d been governed too strictly in the pce, so he would find means to sneak out to the Pei household. Waiting for him there was always plenty of alcohol and beautiful girls, almost like paradise.


    Li Qianxiao wasn¡¯t stupid: there was only one thing the Peis could want from him. In the years since they¡¯d known each other, he had let slip quite a number of secrets while half-drunk and giving the Peis a reason to continue theirvish treatment.


    As for Yi Qianying, Li Qianxiao only knew that she was a daughter from the Yi family who was staying with the Yuns. She had been a cute, petite girl ever since her youth, but he hadn¡¯t known how sex-crazed she was!


    Li Qianxiao narrowed his eyes as he looked at Yi Qianying¡¯s pink skin. Not only were they having an illicit gathering here in the pce gardens itself, she had even consumed a stimnt.


    Suddenly, out of nowhere, a nefarious desire captivated him. As the crown prince, he was naturally familiar with theyout of the pce gardens, and he knew that there was a greenhouse nearby. At the present, it would be empty.


    Checking once more that no one else was around, he strode forward and knocked Pei Ziao down with a strike to the back of his head, then carried Yi Qianying into the greenhouse.


    Li Qianxiao nced back at Yi Qianying, who was still slumped over on the ground. He smirked and then turned to leave.


    Out of the kindness of his heart, Li Qianxiao had relieved Yi Qianying of the aphrodisiac¡¯s effects. He began to whistle as he strolled,mending himself for the good deed.


    ¡°My goodness, Crown Prince, there you are!¡± Eunuch Chang, a close attendant of the empress, had heard Li Qianxiao¡¯s humming from afar and quickly ran over.


    ¡°Eunuch Chang, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Li Qianxiao smiled, his heart still up in the clouds.


    ¡°Crown Prince, the flower-viewing party has already started. The emperor¡¯s very upset that you¡¯re not present!¡± Eunuch Chang couldn¡¯t help but continue anxiously, ¡°The empress sent everyone out in search of you. We¡¯ve gone through the entire eastern wing of the pce, but were you in the gardens all this time?!¡±


    As soon as he heard that his father was looking for him, Li Qianxiao slumped, and his spirits quickly plummeted into the sea. He feared nothing at all, nothing other than his father¡¯s smile. Luckily, the empress was there to save him.


    No longer caring if Yun Ruoyan was present, he quickly followed Eunuch Chang into the inner gardens.

 Chapter 78: Betrothal Pronouncement

    <h4>Chapter 78: Betrothal Pronouncement</h4>


    When Li Qianxiao entered the inner gardens, the first thing he saw was Li Mo, sitting right beside Li Xiu, and the ugly girl in Li Mo¡¯sp. He almost stopped to gape in shock. Was his uncle tricked by her false appearances, too? No, that ugly girl wasn¡¯t even wearing a gauze patch to cover up her birthmark!


    Li Qianxiao immediately turned away from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face. Just the one nce prior had almost blinded him.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er, why are you standing there in a daze? Quick, have a seat!¡± the empress urged.


    Li Qianxiao looked up to see his father staring at him. He immediately lowered his head once more, greeted the emperor and empress, and retreated to his own seat.


    In the middle of the gardens, two young masters were duelling with each other, demonstrating impressive mastery over showmanship¡ªbut which came at the price of substance. Li Qianxiao looked on in boredom when his father suddenly asked him a question. ¡°Where were you just now?¡±


    Li Qianxiao immediately put down the cup of wine in his hands and sat up straight. ¡°Father, I arrived early and had been roaming through the gardens. After feeling a little tired, I found a ce to rest, and identally fell asleep.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I indeed found the crown prince within the outer gardens,¡± Eunuch Chang immediately vouched for the crown prince.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er, you must have been busy thisst month. If you¡¯re too tired, make sure you return to the pce; you can¡¯t simply rest outside so casually.¡± The empress¡¯ voice dripped with concern. ¡°Where are your guards?¡±


    The warriors by the crown prince¡¯s side were all warriors from the Rong family, given special dispensation by the emperor to enter the pce to protect the empress and crown prince.


    ¡°I gave them a holiday, and they¡¯re back home visiting their families,¡± Li Qianxiao replied.


    ¡°The crown prince is benevolent indeed,¡± Eunuch Chang sighed.


    Only then did Li Xiu shift his gaze away from Li Qianxiao. He let out a breath that he¡¯d been holding, raised his head once more, and couldn¡¯t help but look to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan again.


    ¡°Ah, third brother,¡± Li Qianxiao leaned in close to Li Qianhan by his side and whispered, ¡°Why¡¯s Uncle here today?¡±


    ¡°Because he wanted to, of course,¡± Li Qianhan replied coolly.


    Ignoring his attitude, Li Qianxiao continued, ¡°Why¡¯s Uncle hugging that ugly girl from the Yun family?¡±


    ¡°Because he wanted to, of course,¡± Li Qianhan replied coolly again.


    ¡°......¡± Li Qianxiao scowled and sat up straight once more.


    As others¡¯ gazes swept across her, Yun Ruoyan sat on Li Mo¡¯s thigh the same way she would have sat on a carpet embedded with pins and needles. However, she couldn¡¯t reveal any of her anxiety on her face.


    ¡°ughtering King, isn¡¯t your thigh numb? Why don¡¯t I sit by your side instead?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked carefully.


    ¡°No, I quite like it the way it is.¡± Li Mo smiled. ¡°Now, pour me some wine.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan grit her teeth as she filled up Li Mo¡¯s cup.


    She had already forgotten whether this was the seventh or eighth cup. All she could tell was that the sk of wine was nearly empty, and the person behind her was tipsy, but he refused to fall into a drunken sleep.


    Li Mo was indeed a little drunk¡ªbut it was because of the girl sitting on his thigh, not the wine.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s womanly scent was something unique to her alone, and only Li Mo was close enough to smell it. That scent was incredibly potent, making one want to get close to and possess her.


    Only by drinking more and more could Li Mo suppress these instincts of his. Perhaps it would have been most rational to let Yun Ruoyan go, but Li Mo didn¡¯t want to.


    Realizing that Li Mo was watching her every move with tipsy, shining eyes filled with scorching heat, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but feel for her birthmark. It was clearly still present!


    Did this famed ughtering King like ugly women? That couldn¡¯t be!


    In her anxiety, Yun Ruoyan suddenly thought of a n. She began to scratch at the skin right next to her birthmark as she made an expression of pain. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so itchy!¡± Her voice was pitiful. ¡°ughtering King, my face is acting up again, and it¡¯s so itchy! Please, let go of me.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Shall I call the imperial physician over?¡± Li Mo frowned.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s an old problem of mine, and even summoning the imperial physician won¡¯t help. Every night, it¡¯ll start itching so much that I can barely bear it. As soon as I scratch the skin, it¡¯ll break and leak pus. If anyone were to identally get the pus on them, my skin condition would definitely spread!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is it that serious?¡± Li Mo raised his eyebrows again.


    ¡°Oh, very serious. ughtering King, your body¡¯s precious. Please don¡¯t get infected!¡±


    Contrary to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expectations, however, Li Mo didn¡¯t seem to be disgusted or shocked by her exmation. Instead, he reached a hand out toward Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark. ¡°It would be a serious issue if you were to bleed. I¡¯ll scratch your skin gently for you.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Yun Ruoyan grabbed Li Mo¡¯s wrist as her lips twitched. ¡°ughtering King, aren¡¯t you afraid of getting infected?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you disgusted?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan very much wanted to give him a supercilious look. Clearly, this man had a very¡­ unique sense of beauty. When she looked into a mirror, she would scare even herself. How could this man stand to look at her with such a gaze, and even dare to scratch the birthmark that even she found disgusting? Yun Ruoyan had no other exnation for his actions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me scratch it for you,¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice was soft. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be gentle¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately shook her head, and her grip on Li Mo¡¯s wrist tightened. She wasn¡¯t afraid that Li Mo would make her skin bleed; she was afraid that Li Mo would identally peel off the fake birthmark that she hadn¡¯t secured very well!


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not itchy anymore,¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly added.


    ¡°Really?¡± Li Mo asked suspiciously. ¡°Weren¡¯t you especially itchy just now?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m really fine now!¡± Yun Ruoyan raised her voice and opened her eyes wide, pretending to be delighted. ¡°My goodness, how amazing! I feel just fine now!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s truly amazing!¡± Li Mo¡¯s eyes twinkled as he continued, ¡°I can¡¯t believe your itchiness was cured, just like that!¡±


    Li Xiu was watching the match when he suddenly heard the couple by his side begin to talk loudly in what appeared to be a particrly excited manner.


    What, his brother could actuallyugh out loud? He couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Fourth brother, what itchiness are you two talking about?¡±


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan react. She¡¯d been speaking too loudly, and she immediately clutched her mouth. But it was toote, because her exmations that it was no longer itching had sessfully captured the attention of everyone around her.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, brother,¡± Li Mo responded with a cool smile. ¡°She was itchi¡ª¡±


    Yun Ruoyan immediately sped her hand over Li Mo¡¯s mouth before turning to the emperor with a smile. ¡°Your Majesty, we didn¡¯t say anything, nothing at all!¡± Yun Ruoyan was very scared that Li Mo would end up causing the emperor to summon the imperial physician.


    ¡°I¡¯m really not itchy anymore, so don¡¯t speak nonsense and ruin everyone¡¯s dinner.¡± Yun Ruoyan sat in Li Mo¡¯sp, one hand on his wrist and the other against his mouth. Even her gaze was threatening.


    The ughtering King, famed for his indiscriminate ughter¡­ seemed to be cowed by this ugly girl?


    Li Xiu¡¯s eyes twitched. Li Qianhan¡¯s eyes twitched. Li Qianxiao¡¯s eyes followed suit and twitched.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes twitched.


    What secret did this ugly Yun girl have, to be able to sit in the ughtering King¡¯sp, to grab his wrist, to clutch his mouth, to¡­ to even threaten him with her gaze!!!


    On the other hand, the ughtering King was enjoying himself immensely. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fragrance was intoxicating, and he couldn¡¯t help but stick out his tongue and lick her palm, the palm that was currently clutched against his mouth.


    ¡°Ah!¡± As if struck by lightning, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand spasmed. Even the hairs at the back of her neck were beginning to rise.


    ¡°Miss Yun? Are you alright?¡± Li Xiu turned to her and asked again.


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately forced a smile, but her eyes continued to twitch.


    This was the most animated anyone had seen Li Mo in recent times. Even his fury at being left high and dry by someone by thekeside had dissipated unknowingly.


    Yun Ruoyan still couldn¡¯t break free of Li Mo¡¯s grip, and she could only wipe her palm off on Li Mo¡¯s long robes.


    ¡°You sick pervert¡­¡± She red at Li Mo.


    Although Li Xiu¡¯s eyes were trained on the match, his attention was entirely focused on the duo next to him. He couldn¡¯t understand why, but it was almost certain that Li Mo was interested in Yun Ruoyan. However, the ugly girl didn¡¯t seem to be happy at all with his advances.


    At this time, as the eldest brother, he clearly had to think of his younger brother¡¯s future.


    After the match ended, Li Xiu presented a milquetoastmentary regarding the two fighters: that their performance was both eptable, but not to be proud and to continue working hard.


    He then continued, ¡°Our purpose in hosting this flower-viewing party is, I¡¯m sure, well-known. No one present has been betrothed to another, even my sons and daughters. The Li kingdom has always been open-minded, so please, don¡¯t be reserved. If there¡¯s anyone you¡¯re interested in, I¡¯ll allow your betrothal.¡± As he spoke, Li Xiu turned toward Li Mo. ¡°The ughtering King himself has been a perfect example. If you see a woman that pleases you, be sure to take the initiative.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan lowered her head, already insensitive to the attention that had been heaped on her again and again during the party.


    However, the emperor continued, ¡°That¡¯s why, during this banquet, my first betrothal will be between my fourth brother, the ughtering King, and the second daughter of the Yun family, Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan raised her head in shock as she looked at Li Xiu. ¡°What? Betrothal?!¡±

 Chapter 79: I’m Not Willing!

    <h4>Chapter 79: I¡¯m Not Willing!</h4>


    Li Xiu could tell that Yun Ruoyan was the more passive person in their rtionship, but her vehement response to the betrothal pronouncement was still beyond his expectations.


    ¡°No, I refuse!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted. With an explosive strength born from her shock, she actually managed to escape Li Mo¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°I oppose this conferral, Your Majesty,¡± she emphasized, leaping out of Li Mo¡¯sp.


    Li Qianxiao had been sipping from a cup of wine. When Li Xiu announced his intentions to betroth Yun Ruoyan to Li Mo, he began to choke, and when Yun Ruoyan refused his father¡¯s offer, he almost spat out the wine in his mouth.


    She refused the betrothal?!


    Everyone looked on in shock. This ugly girl was actually refusing the ughtering King himself?


    On what grounds?!!!


    ¡°How could she refuse such a betrothal? If anything, Uncle¡¯s the one who should be vehemently opposing this!¡± the third princess Li Yu¡¯er murmured in disbelief.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t this girl crazy? As legendary a figure as the ughtering King¡­¡± the fifth prince Li Qianhui added.


    Hushed whispers broke out from all around them. Everyone was shocked, except for the couple themselves. Li Mo looked at the girl in front of her, who was always bringing surprises with her wherever she went.


    The first time they met, he¡¯d fallen into her yard with a grave injury. Rather than panic or call for her servants, nor leave him to die, she had dragged him into her rooms and treated him while hiding the fact from everyone.


    When she approached him, he had been attracted to the faint fragrance emanating from her body. In his delirium, weakened from blood loss, he was unable to control himself and had kissed her on instinct. What he puzzled over was why there seemed to be hints of rot amidst the fragrance.


    When Li Mo woke up and saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark, he btedly realized that the smell of rot was because the girl had been poisoned.


    This was a highly unusual poison. Li Mo had studied herbs and poisons of all types ever since his youth, but even he couldn¡¯t identify this poison with a single nce. This piqued his interest, and he¡¯d promised Yun Ruoyan to cure her as he left.


    After he recovered from his injury, Li Mo began to research the poison in earnest. Finally, in one of the ancient tomes of the pce¡¯s collection, he found a poison that was described in very simr terms as Yun Ruoyan¡¯s experience.


    The tome traced the origins of the poison to an ancient shamanic tribe in the Yue kingdom. After travelling to the Yue kingdom and conducting an investigation there, he found that the tribe had long since died out, as had any hope of following the lead further.


    The second time they¡¯d met was on the Minghuang mountain, in the royal hunting grounds forbidden to outsiders. At the time, Li Mo was rushing back from the Yue kingdom for an annual venture, one that always failed.


    This year, just like all previous years, he failed again. Worse, the old codger had actually struck him a devastating blow. With another grave injury, Li Mo hid in the crown of one of the trees in the forested region.


    At the time, spiritual energy was leaking out of his entire body. He couldn¡¯t fight with anyone, and if he didn¡¯t get treatment quickly, he would even lose four-fifths of his cultivation temporarily.


    As if predestined, Li Mo found Yun Ruoyan once more. When he jumped down from the crown of the tree and covered them both with his cloak, he was struck by her enticing fragrance and kissed her once again.


    This time, however, the hints of rot on her body had vanished. Initially, he thought that this was because of the life quintessence pills that he¡¯d had Li Qianhan send over.


    Later, Li Mo hid in the tree and watched Yun Ruoyan fight against twenty or so imperial guards, each move mature and practiced, more the act of a seasoned demaster than a young girl of thirteen.


    When he saw Yun Ruoyan release the Fei de, he was certain that the young girl had had a fortuitous encounter.


    That night, Li Mo snuck by her residence and found the qilin that was the previous Beast King¡¯spanion in a pocket dimension. Not only that, he even discovered that Yun Ruoyan was actually a human furnace from the tales of legends!


    From then on, he knew that this second daughter of the Yuns would be a rtively important tool for him in the near future. Yes, just a tool. Just like a cultivation manual that would make him stronger, or a secret recipe for enhancing his cultivation.


    But, tonight, the girl that seemed like just an object in Li Mo¡¯s heart had captivated and enthralled him once more.


    Li Mo looked at the clear alcohol in his cup. Slowly, the image of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s transcendent beauty seemed to surface. It was this beauty that had, in his rare moment of passion, overwhelmed him and left him adrift in the pond.


    Yun Ruoyan, what other surprises do you have in store for me?


    Li Mo smiled as he drained his cup once more. Yun Ruoyan had brought him far too many surprises, so much so that he had almost be inured to them. This was why he hadn¡¯t been shocked that Yun Ruoyan would reject the betrothal. However, he was still upset.


    Unwilling? How dare she look down on him! Li Mo smiled like the Cheshire cat.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to be betrothed to Li Mo? Why not?¡± The emperor asked the questions everyone wanted to know the answer to. ¡°Is it that you already have someone in mind?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Has your family found you a suitable partner?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Majesty.¡±


    Li Xiu blinked and stroked his beard. ¡°How strange. As far as I¡¯m aware, your rtives are all in good health, and you¡¯re not forbidden from being betrothed due to a recent death. Why would you refuse?¡±


    Why? Yun Ruoyan hesitated. To everyone else, this betrothal was surely tipped in her favor. In both status and appearance, the ughtering King was far above Yun Ruoyan herself.


    What was a reason that others would be convinced by? Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head hurt.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m still underage. I¡¯m only able to be married off next year, Your Majesty,¡± she replied after finally thinking of a suitable excuse.


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. The marriage can wait until you¡¯re of age.¡±


    ¡°Then, oh, alright!¡± Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath before responding seriously, ¡°Actually, the reason is¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Li Xiu craned his neck forward, as did everyone else at the banquet.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worthy!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed loudly.


    Oh, that was why! Everyone instantly rxed.


    ¡°No wonder: even she knows she¡¯s not good enough for the ughtering King!¡± One of the young misses tittered.


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s not that she¡¯s unwilling, but that she doesn¡¯t dare to be willing.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Can you imagine such a shocking face next to the ughtering King himself!¡±


    ¡°At least I can¡¯t ept it, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    The crowd nodded in agreement, but Li Mo couldn¡¯t help scoffing. Her face would best any of the females here at the banquet, and yet she insisted on pretending to be ugly. Would this be something that a self-abasing girl would do?


    But it did make him a little curious as to why.


    Yun Ruoyan turned back as she heard the scoffingughter, but when she saw that Li Mo¡¯s almost-luminous eyes fixed on the alcohol in his cup, she rxed.


    Thinking back to his two kisses that hade out of nowhere, and how he had forced her to sit in hisp, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s only exnation was that this ughtering King actually just had a warped, revolting sense of taste.


    Li Xiu had been inspecting Li Mo from afar, ever since the pronouncement. Although Li Mo hadn¡¯t said anything or reacted particrly strongly, Li Xiu¡¯s long years of observing him told him that he was in tacit agreement with the proposal.


    ¡°Miss Yun,¡± Li Xiu advised, ¡°If you miss out on such an opportunity because of your own self-abasement, you¡¯ll regret it for life.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brain whirred as she tried to think of an adequate response. She didn¡¯t expect that Yun Ruoyao would actually be the one to save her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid Sister Ruoyan might not be a good fit for the ughtering King.¡± Yun Ruoyao stood up from her seat and bowed.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Yun family, I presume. What do you mean by those words?¡± Yun Ruoyao had been closely scrutinizing Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo all through the party, and she¡¯d caught all their interactions.


    This should have been the first time that the two of them had met, and she really couldn¡¯t understand why they seemed so close.


    It was said that the ughtering King was reclusive and entric. Was he only making fun of the ugly girl? And the emperor¡ªhow could he suggest such a betrothal so casually?!


    Yun Ruoyan already didn¡¯t think much of her; if she were to be the consort of the ughtering King, then Yun Ruoyao would forever be beneath her. Anxious and frustrated, Yun Ruoyao began to sweat all over. At least that ugly girl knew to be self-abasing!


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan¡¯s self-abasing is only natural. Three years ago, for some reason, Ruoyan suddenly lost her talent for cultivation. Not only that, the birthmark on her face began to grow. In the past three years, Father has recruited the services of talented physicians from all over the continent in hopes of finding a cure. It was only recently that there had been improvement, and Ruoyan regained some of that talent once more.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao sighed as she continued. ¡°But although her talent returned, the birthmark on her face became more and more engorged. Quite recently, during the expedition in the imperial territory, it wouldn¡¯t stop leaking pus. It was only after the Yuns had expended arge amount of medicinal and spiritual herbs on her that her face had recovered to its current state.¡±


    She shook her head sadly, ever the enterprising thespian. ¡°Connecting the Yun family to the ughtering King by marriage is a great honor, Your Majesty, but my conscience won¡¯t permit me to allow this without speaking up. If my sister¡¯s condition were to worsen, and if Your Majesty and the ughtering King were to find out about this only after the marriage, then my pitiful sister will be the one to suffer most.¡± Yun Ruoyao raised her head and looked toward Li Xiu earnestly. ¡°Your Majesty, please reconsider!¡±


    Her words were so logical and reasonable that the crowd had firmly aligned itself behind her.

 Chapter 80: I Don’t Mind!

    <h4>Chapter 80: I Don¡¯t Mind!</h4>


    If Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t understand what Yun Ruoyao was trying to do, she would have been touched by her words. Truly, her sister was more clever than she gave her credit for!


    Although Yun Ruoyao hadn¡¯t opposed the betrothal out of the kindness of her heart, and ¡°her father sought out physicians from all over¡± and ¡°used all sorts of spiritual herbs and medicines¡± were clearly warping the truth, Yun Ruoyan had to find an opportunity to thank her dear sister.


    ¡°So the second daughter of the Yuns is both ugly and has some incurable disease?!¡±


    ¡°How pitiful!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see her birthmark going from red to ck and red again? That must be why!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more surprised that the Yun family hasn¡¯t given up on her despite this pernicious illness. They revealed the truth despite knowing that it might ruin their chances of marrying into the royal family¡ªit¡¯s not for nothing that the Yuns have such a great reputation!¡±


    ¡°Right? Surely all the Yun daughters are refined and morally upright. If no princesses fancy us, perhaps one of the Yun daughters would be a good choice.¡±


    The scions¡¯ discussions quickly went from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark to the ethical conduct of the Yun family.


    This was beyond Yun Ruoyao¡¯s expectations; initially, she had been a little worried that Yun Lan would rebuke her harshly for ruining a potential union between the two families, but that didn¡¯t seem to be a problem any longer.


    The empress, who had been appalled by the entire fiasco, turned to Eunuch Chang and berated, ¡°Who sent the second Yun daughter an invitation? Didn¡¯t anyone investigate this beforehand? How ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°This, I didn¡¯t know about this either, Your Majesty!¡± Eunuch Chang responded fearfully.


    The empress red at him before turning to Li Xiu. ¡°Your Majesty, this would truly be an inappropriate betrothal.¡±


    Li Xiu finally began to waver. He¡¯d hoped to be able to provide for Li Mo and his future descendants to keep the kingdom prosperous, and it surely wouldn¡¯t be good to force a sickly wife upon him.


    Li Xiu blinked and was about to speak when an elegant, maic voice interrupted him.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, I didn¡¯t know of your woes.¡± Li Mo slowly stood up from his seat, his dark eyes looking soulfully at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°As I¡¯ve told you, I don¡¯t mind your issues. Please, don¡¯t abase yourself.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s scalp went numb.


    ¡°......¡± You might not mind me, but I mind you. She looked at Li Mo, her eyes wide, her mouth agape, wanting but not daring to speak her thoughts aloud.


    As Li Mo looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dumbfounded expression, he suddenly sighed. ¡°Yan¡¯er, if you really mind so much, then let¡¯s postpone the betrothal. I¡¯m somewhat familiar with medicine, as you know, and I¡¯m confident I¡¯ll be able to treat your illness. Why don¡¯t we discuss our marriage then?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes twitched. I¡¯m only thirteen, and you¡¯re already twenty-something. If you really don¡¯t mind, then let¡¯s leave it at that. After all, I have arge supply of the ointments needed to make my fake birthmark.


    Yun Ruoyan yed along and gasped as if moved by his words. ¡°ughtering King, your generosity knows no bounds. I am forever in your debt¡­¡±


    ¡°Then pay it off with your body!¡±


    A low, charming voice suddenly sounded in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. She stilled and turned to Li Mo, who was smiling at her, but his mouth hadn¡¯t moved.


    Then who was speaking to her? Was it Qiuqiu? No, that surely wasn¡¯t its voice.


    Yun Ruoyan thought the voice sounded quite familiar, as if she¡¯d heard it somewhere before. But precisely where, she wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, if you¡¯re not feeling well, don¡¯t keep standing. Why don¡¯t you return to myp?¡± Li Mo reached out for Yun Ruoyan once again.


    Li Xiu, the empress, Yun Ruoyao, and everyone present widened their eyes once more.


    ¡°Th-third brother, what makes Uncle so interested in such a sick, ugly girl?!¡± Li Qianxiao leaned over and asked the impassive Li Qianhan skeptically.


    Li Qianhan shrugged.


    ¡°Well, well, in that case¡­¡± Li Xiu immediatelymended Li Mo. ¡°Do you all see how devoted the ughtering King is to the apple of his eye? All the men of the Li kingdom should be like him!¡±


    Li Xiu stood up from his dragon throne, impassioned. ¡°Lads, if you see ady you¡¯re interested in, be influenced by nothing other than your own heart.¡±


    With the ughtering King as a model, and the emperor¡¯sst words, the nobles began to leave their seats and mingle with each other.


    ¡°Miss Yun, I¡¯ve heard wonders about your cultivation. Might I trouble you for a match?¡± An eloquent young master d in blue walked to Yun Ruoyao¡¯s side and asked politely.


    Only then did Yun Ruoyao recover from Li Mo¡¯s shocking words. She immediately shook her heads and responded modestly, ¡°No, no, both of us have much to learn from each other.¡±


    And then she followed that young master to the side for a private discussion. Before she left, however, she turned back to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan once more, the suspicions in her heart growing deeper and deeper.


    ¡°What exactly are you trying to do?¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but ask Li Mo.


    ¡°Pour me some wine.¡± Li Mo continued sitting indolently on his seat, as if his body was entirely rxed. However, as soon as Yun Ruoyan tried to break free, there would immediately be a force restricting her once more.


    Li Mo looked at the girl in hisp. She was like a little tabby cat who¡¯d been enraged and wanted to w her attacker. Seeing that her attacker was a domineering mountain lion, however, she couldn¡¯t help but retract her ws unwillingly.


    She was cuter and cuter the more he looked at her!


    ¡°Pour me some wine, and then I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Li Mo nudged Yun Ruoyan with his cup.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed hatefully before pouring out a full cup of wine and mming it down on the table. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± She turned back to Li Mo. ¡°What do you want?!¡±


    Li Mo looked at the cup, his expression turning serious. ¡°Come closer, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lower half was in Li Mo¡¯sp, her upper half was as far away from him as possible.


    ¡°We¡¯re in a public location, and it¡¯s not as if I can eat you with everyone else here,¡± Li Mo whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else to know about this.¡±


    Against her better judgment, Yun Ruoyan leaned in toward him, tilting her head to the side so as to hear his exnation better.


    Li Mo¡¯s gaze swam over Yun Ruoyan¡¯s round earlobe, her jade-white lower jaw and slender neck, her long eyshes, her pert nose, and her rosy cheek.


    He couldn¡¯t help but nuzzle her.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted and scrambled back before quickly looking around her. Luckily, her shout had been drowned out by themotion of tens of groups of people talking.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found that I truly desire you.¡± Before Yun Ruoyan could explode, Li Mo sighed and murmured, ¡°What shall I do?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes were about to pop out of her sockets. ¡°Sick! Bastard!¡±


    In the bustle of the party, with groups of teenagers duelling, having fun, and chatting with each other, no one but Yun Ruoyan, Yun Ruoyao, and Li Qianxiao noticed that two people were missing.


    When Pei Ziao woke up, he found that it was alreadypletely dark, and Yi Qianying wasn¡¯t by his side. He wanted to stand up, but as soon as he moved his neck, a sudden, sharp pang of pain spread down his spine.


    Clearly, someone had knocked him unconscious, but why had they left it at that? If either pce maids or eunuchs had found him, wouldn¡¯t they have reported him and gotten him tossed out? And if it weren¡¯t the pce maids or eunuchs, who else could it be?


    When Pei Ziao left the party following Yi Qianying, he was very careful to make sure that no one was following them. No matter how hard Pei Ziao thought, he never once suspected that the culprit was his good friend, the crown prince Li Qianxiao.


    ¡°Qianying, Qianying, where are you?¡± Pei Ziao called out softly. The night was quiet save for the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, unknown insects chirping, and the hubbub of the party in the distance. No one seemed to be near.


    Yi Qianying had ingested an aphrodisiac and urgently needed to have sexual intercourse to relieve herself. Someone had discovered them, but instead of reporting them, had only knocked him out. Yi Qianying had gone missing.


    Pei Ziao had an uneasy premonition. Ignoring the pain from the back of his neck, Pei Ziao ran toward the inner garden. As he suspected, he found no trace of Yi Qianying. It wasn¡¯t just his attraction toward Yi Qianying that he was concerned about: when Yi Qianying had dragged him out, people had seen her do so.


    If something were to have happened to her, he would be consideredplicit.


    Anxious and worried, he couldn¡¯t help but sweat.


    He knew he couldn¡¯t dy the matter further. The longer her disappearance, the less he would be able to defend himself. In urgency, he decided on the simplest, most direct solution: walking up to the emperor¡¯s throne and kneeling down.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯d like to report a case!¡±


    Li Xiu was currently discussing his children¡¯s marriage prospects with the empress. When a youth suddenly walked up to him and knelt down, he was a little surprised. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Because of Li Xiu¡¯s presence, Li Qianxiao had been particrly well-behaved, never straying from his seat under the watchful eye of his father.


    Trapped as he was, he couldn¡¯t help but daydream, reliving his encounter with Yi Qianying in the greenhouse again and again.


    But, just as he was enjoying himself, Pei Ziao suddenly walked out of the crowd and knelt down by his father¡¯s side. In anxiety, Li Qianxiao¡¯s hand trembled. His cup of wine dropped to the ground and broke.

 Chapter 81: The Truth of the Matter

    <h4>Chapter 81: The Truth of the Matter</h4>


    Li Xiu faced the kneeling Pei Ziao, but his sharp gaze was fixed on Li Qianxiao.


    In each of the four kingdoms of the Chenyuan continent, there had been historical precedent for the crown prince seizing the throne. As a result, while the crown princes of each kingdom were bestowed with power and authority, they were also subject to close scrutiny. This was how it had been for Li Xiu, and this was how it would be for Li Qianxiao.


    As Li Xiu¡¯s gaze swept over him, Li Qianxiao forced his demeanor to remain calm. Turning to Li Xiu and bowing, he exined, ¡°Father, I¡¯ve drunk overmuch.¡±


    Li Xiu hmphed before turning back to Pei Ziao. ¡°What case do you wish to report?¡±


    Pei Ziao took a deep breath to calm his nerves before recounting what had happened to him this evening: how he had been knocked out and how Yi Qianying had vanished. Naturally, he omitted the fact that Yi Qianying had been drugged with an aphrodisiac.


    Yun Ruoyan, who was still trapped in Li Mo¡¯sp, also perked up her ears. Yi Qianying had drugged her, and she¡¯d returned the favor. When Yun Ruoyan returned to the party and didn¡¯t see Yi Qianying and Pei Ziao, she was all but certain that they¡¯d found a ce to deal with the aphrodisiac.


    She¡¯d been nning on threatening the couple with knowledge of this fact, but who would have expected things to develop in this manner? Yi Qianying had actually vanished!


    ¡°Sister Qianying¡¯s been kidnapped? Goodness, what shall we do?¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed from Li Mo¡¯sp, deep concern seemingly exuding from her voice.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t be too worried. We¡¯re in the interior of the pce, and it¡¯s very safe. I¡¯m sure your sister will be found soon.¡± Li Mo had once sent Li Qianhan to inspect Yun Ruoyan¡¯s living situation at home, and naturally knew that she was at odds with her sisters. What was Yun Ruoyan trying to aplish with her sudden act of concern?


    But, no matter what Yun Ruoyan wanted to do, Li Mo would be happy to go along with it.


    He turned to Li Xiu and said, ¡°Brother, who would have the gall to kidnap someone within the pce? The offender must be harshly punished!¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡± Li Xiu¡¯s usually smiling face turned solemn, and he immediately sent out guards tob the pce for the missing Yi Qianying and the culprit who hadmitted such a heinous crime.


    In his urgency, Pei Ziao hadn¡¯t noticed Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. Only when Yun Ruoyan made her dramatic exmation did he notice that she was right there by his side. When he saw that Yun Ruoyan was sitting in the ughtering King¡¯sp, he too was very shocked, and his gaze couldn¡¯t help but linger on the couple.


    Yun Ruoyan suddenly raised her head to look at Pei Ziao. Although he was a little shocked, he didn¡¯t panic: he coolly met and held her gaze before turning away.


    Pei Ziao didn¡¯t seem to be lying.


    Did Yi Qianying really get kidnapped? Who could have done it?


    The Li pce was well guarded at all times, and it was highly unlikely that an intruder would be able to break throughyer afteryer of security, unless the culprit was from the pce itself.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze surveilled the crowd. Some of the scions had noticed themotion and were looking over to Pei Ziao. Others were unperturbed and continued to do their own things. None seemed guilty.


    Thest person Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze touched was the crown prince, Li Qianxiao.


    His head was bowed, his waist bent. It seemed that he¡¯d been maintaining such an ufortable posture for quite a while. Li Qianxiao¡¯s anxiety was almost palpable. Although he was making amendable effort to hide it, his antics couldn¡¯t escape Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes.


    When she linked his current guilt to hisscivious personality and the fact that he¡¯d only shown up at the banquet well after it had begun¡­


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile in satisfaction at having figured out the mystery.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, what¡¯re you thinking of to make you so happy?¡± Li Mo whispered into her ear again. ¡°Won¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shuddered as her scalp went numb once more. With a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes, she turned. ¡°ughtering King, would you like to see a show?¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯ll watch anything you put on, my dear Miss Yun.¡±


    The two shared conniving smiles.


    ¡°Young Master Pei,¡± Yun Ruoyan began, ¡°Can you show us where my cousin and you were attacked? I¡¯m quite worried, and I¡¯d like to partake in the effort of finding my cousin as well.¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s right¡ªsitting here and waiting isn¡¯t going to solve our problems.¡± Unusually, Yun Ruoyao actually agreed with her.


    Li Mo added, ¡°Given how big the pce is, trying tob through every nook and cranny will take significant time. Since the banquet¡¯s about to end, why don¡¯t we have everyone help out? We¡¯ll start with where this Young Master Pei was attacked.¡±


    Li Xiu naturally wouldn¡¯t disagree with Li Mo¡¯s suggestions. The emperor, empress, and about thirty scions followed Pei Ziao to the outer gardens.


    Pei Ziao stopped as he reached a small courtyard by the northwestern corner of the imperial gardens. ¡°I was knocked unconscious right around here.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan inspected her surroundings and frowned. ¡°Young Master Pei, why did Sister Qianying follow you to such an isted location?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s seemingly innocuous question immediately stimted a round of hushed whispers.


    This crowd of teenagers naturally understood why a couple would want to hide in an isted corner.


    ¡°Ruoyan, everyone, please don¡¯t misunderstand,¡± Pei Ziao immediately began defending himself. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Qianying who followed me here, but rather she who summoned me here. I have a witness.¡±


    ¡°I can vouch for Young Master Pei.¡± The blue-d young master who had been initiating a conversation with Yun Ruoyao stood up. ¡°Before the banquet began, I was deep in discussion with Young Master Pei about fighting stances. Miss Yi suddenly walked up to him and said that she had an important matter to inform him of. Because she did seem very flustered, Young Master Pei left with her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan nodded before continuing, ¡°In that case, I wonder what urgent matter my cousin had to say to Young Master Pei?¡±


    In his haste to distance himself from the matter, Pei Ziao almost told the truth: that Yi Qianying had been fed an aphrodisiac. But just as he was about to speak, he swallowed his words once more. The truth would likely spark even more usations, and it would be more expedient to pretend he didn¡¯t know anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. Before she was able to tell me, I¡¯d been knocked unconscious.¡±


    ¡°Finding Qianying¡¯s the highest priority right now; let¡¯s not worry about other things for the moment,¡± Yun Ruoyao urgently called out.


    ¡°Alright, everyone, spread out and start searching.¡± As soon as Li Xiu spoke, the crowd dispersed in search of Yi Qianying.


    A eunuch brought Li Xiu, the empress, and Li Mo a few chairs. Li Xiu motioned to Li Mo, ¡°Fourth brother, let¡¯s have a seat while they search.¡±


    Li Mo dragged Yun Ruoyan to his side. Just as he sat down, he suddenly remembered something. ¡°Brother, do you remember a greenhouse around here?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Li Xiu answered, hiding a grimace. That greenhouse had been made for his rare, special breeds of nts and grasses. When Li Mo had entered the pce, he¡¯d taken over the greenhouse, uprooted all his nts, and reced them with medicinal herbs instead. Li Mo had mourned the loss of his nts for quite a while afterwards.


    Although Li Xiu was old enough to be Li Mo¡¯s father, thetter¡¯s aura always seemed to overpower him.


    ¡°Fourth brother, what makes you bring it up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while since I¡¯ve been to this part of the gardens. Brother, could you apany me to that greenhouse?¡± Li Mo smiled.


    It was rare that this brother of his would show such an interest, and Li Xiu was naturally willing to amodate him. ¡°Of course, brother.¡± Li Xiu stood up. ¡°We¡¯ll go right away.¡±


    As soon as Li Qianxiao heard Li Mo¡¯s words, his legs went soft and he almost fell.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er, are you feeling unwell? Now that the banquet¡¯s over, why don¡¯t you go have a rest?¡± the empress advised, having discovered something amiss with her son.


    As if freed from a great burden, Li Qianxiao was just about to do so when Li Xiu suddenly called out from the front, ¡°How can men be so weak? It¡¯s rare that your uncle¡¯s interested in touring the pce, so we¡¯ll all apany him.¡±


    Li Qianxiao¡¯s heart sunk as he trudged behind the party. Surely no one would have discovered his involvement in the affair? After all, he was the crown prince. Who would dare use him carelessly? Even if they did, without any real proof, what could they do?


    His heart gradually calmed down, and even his legs stopped trembling.


    The moon was particrly bright that night, and the moonstones iid all over the garden made the visibility almost as clear as day.


    Yun Ruoyan was right by Li Mo¡¯s side. When she tilted her head slightly, she was able to track how Li Qianxiao¡¯s expression changed over the course of the walk.


    Her gazended on his purple-gold crown, which was shaking visibly with his head. Her smile couldn¡¯t help but deepen.


    Eunuch Chang was tasked with tending to this part of the gardens, and he guided their way. When they reached the greenhouse, Eunuch Chang turned and bowed to Li Xiu and Li Mo. ¡°It¡¯s too dark within the greenhouse, so please allow me to light somemps inside first.¡±


    He brought a few eunuchs-in-training into the greenhouse with him.


    Although he was confident that he wouldn¡¯t be found out, Li Qianxiao still couldn¡¯t help clenching his fists.


    Li Xiu looked at the greenhouse and couldn¡¯t help sighing. ¡°It¡¯s too long since I¡¯ve been here. I remember the rare nts that I¡¯d been cultivating; I could easily spend an entire day just pruning and attending to them. Will I ever have such carefree days again?¡±


    ¡°Brother, yourbor brings happiness to the entire popce. That the Li kingdom is foremost among the four kingdoms is in no small part your effort.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s rare praise caused Li Xiu tough out loud. ¡°Fourth brother, you tter me.¡±


    Suddenly, exmations rang out from the greenhouse. Eunuch Chang ran out with the eunuchs-in-training in tow as he shrilly called out, ¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty, there¡¯s a girl in the greenhouse!¡±

 Chapter 82: Retribution

    <h4>Chapter 82: Retribution</h4>


    When Yun Ruoyan and the others heard about this, they immediately rushed forward into the greenhouse.


    Perhaps because of his panic, Li Qianxiao tripped and fell forward, his head barely avoiding Yun Ruoyan to his front.


    Li Mo stretched out an arm and blocked Li Qianxiao from hitting Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going,¡± Li Mo turned back and criticized Li Qianxiao.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t pay much attention to the two of them, and instead clutched the item in her hands more tightly.


    Li Xiu walked at the front, and it took only two steps for him to reach the entrance to the greenhouse. He was about to step inside when Eunuch Chang called out, ¡°Your Majesty, please wait!¡±


    But Li Xiu had already strode forth, revealing a scene he could never have imagined.


    Eunuch Chang had only managed to light a singlemp in the greenhouse before running outside, so it was still quite dim in the interior of the greenhouse.


    But in this faint light, Li Xiu could still see the nude girl lying on the floor of the greenhouse.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The empress shouted in shock before turning back and quickly walking away, dragging Li Qianhan with her.


    Li Xiu¡¯s eyes widened to twice their original size. He critically examined the girl¡¯s body all over before suddenly turning around.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at Yi Qianying, then at Li Mo. He was looking at him, his dark eyes gleaming.


    Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan and slowly murmured, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve found your sister, aren¡¯t you going to see how she¡¯s doing?¡±


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan reveal a shocked and terrified expression. ¡°Sister Qianying!¡± She rushed over hurriedly. The girly spread-eagled on the ground, her hair mussed up, her pale white skin marred with green-purple bruises all over. There were even a few traces of blood by her lower body.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s smile slowly vanished. She clenched her fist tightly, not caring that her fingernails dug into her palm, shivering all over as she shut her eyes. Memories from the past filled her brain.


    ¡°Sister, today¡¯s the day the Yun and Lin families are to be beheaded. Won¡¯t you go have a look?¡± Yi Qianying had asked with a smile stered on her face and a bowl of poison in her hands. Yi Qianying, whom she¡¯d always treated like a little sister!


    ¡°As ugly a girl as you, sister¡­ how could you dream of apanying Brother Ziao for life?¡± Yi Qianying scoffed. ¡°Sister, did you know that Brother Ziao was so disgusted by you that he was too nauseated to eat?¡±


    ¡°Sister, if you weren¡¯t the sole wife-born daughter of the Yuns, would Brother Ziao ever deign to talk to someone as ugly as you? Just bringing you outside with him would embarrass him to no end!¡±


    Yi Qianying poured the poison slowly into her mouth. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. Once you pass away, I¡¯ll take good care of both the Yun family businesses and your husband for you.¡±


    Yi Qianying looked gently at Pei Ziao. ¡°Brother Ziao, why don¡¯t we throw her outside? Otherwise, it would dirty our shack for storing firewood.


    Barely clinging on to life, Yun Ruoyan was thrown out the Peis¡¯ front door. Using thest of her remaining strength, she questioned, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan would never forget Yi Qianying¡¯s smiling response. ¡°Retribution? Oh, certainly. Unfortunately, you¡¯re a piece of trash, and I¡¯ll never face any retribution from you in this lifetime!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan finally opened her eyes wide, the pain from her past memories once again quashed within the recesses of her heart. She slowly stooped down and covered Yi Qianying¡¯s nude upper body with her clothes scattered on the floor.


    Serenely, she muttered, in a voice so soft none but she could hear, ¡°Retribution will alwayse for you, even if it¡¯s for a sin youmitted in your previous lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Scandalous, scandalous!¡± Outside the greenhouse, the empress gasped as she took deep breaths. ¡°That something like this would happen within the pce¡­ when I catch the culprit, I¡¯m going to skin him!¡±


    Li Qianxiao¡¯s heart began palpitating again, his vision filled with Yi Qianying¡¯s bruised skin. He didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d hurt her so. When he left the greenhouse, Yi Qianying¡¯s body wasn¡¯t, in fact, so heavily bruised. However, her skin was sensitive, and the long period of time she spent on the cold floor had aggravated her bruises.


    ¡°I clearly covered her up before she left, but this girl must have moved around!¡± Li Qianxiao mumbled angrily.


    When Pei Ziao and the other scions heard that Yi Qianying had been found, they all rushed to the greenhouse. However, without exception, they were all barred at the entrance.


    Suddenly, Yun Ruoyan pushed open the entrance to the greenhouse. ¡°Let Sister Ruoyao enter, please.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao quickly walked to the entrance. She frowned and nced at Yun Ruoyan, who shifted aside to let her pass, her expression calm.


    When Yun Ruoyao entered the greenhouse and saw Yi Qianying lying on the floor, she immediately sucked in a deep breath. Her sister¡¯s reputation would be forever stained.


    On the Chenyuan continent, women with tarnished reputations had extremely poor marriage prospects, no matter how noble their birth.


    ¡°Qianying, Qianying, wake up, please, wake up!¡± Yun Ruoyau grabbed Yi Qianying, shaking her softly and shouting into her ear. After a moment, Yi Qianying finally responded.


    ¡°Brother Ziao, stop, I don¡¯t want it¡­¡± Yi Qianying didn¡¯t seem to be fully awake, and she kept on murmuring Pei Ziao¡¯s name.


    ¡°Qianying, open your eyes. Tell me who did it¡ªwas it Pei Ziao?¡± Yun Ruoyan shook Yi Qianying¡¯s shoulder until she finally widened her eyes.


    She nced quizzically at Yun Ruoyao¡¯s furious expression. ¡°Sister Ruoyao, is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Is something the matter? Look at yourself!¡± Yun Ruoyao lowered her voice and criticized her. ¡°You¡¯ve destroyed the reputation of the Yun family!¡±


    Although Yi Qianying was from the Yi family, she had grown up with and been educated by the Yuns. Now that something like this had happened, it was the Yun family who would lose face.


    Only when Yi Qianying leaned down to inspect her body did she fully awaken in shock. Clearly, she too was dumbstruck by her own appearance. She wanted to scream, but Yun Ruoyao clutched her mouth in the nick of time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve disgraced yourself enough?!¡± Yun Ruoyao whispered vehemently. ¡°The scions of the entire Li nobility are right outside! Did you want everyone in the capital to know of your plight?!¡±


    Yi Qianying panicked even more after hearing Yun Ruoyao¡¯s words. She grabbed her wrist and cried out, ¡°Sister, what should I do? Where¡¯s Brother Ziao? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll take responsibility for me!¡±


    ¡°I think not.¡± Yun Ruoyan crossed her arms and said coolly.


    Only then did Yi Qianying notice Yun Ruoyan¡¯s presence. Her eyes immediately went wide, as if she¡¯d seen a ghost. ¡°Why, why, you¡­?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew what she was thinking even before she said it. ¡°You want to know why I¡¯m doing just fine, while you were drugged?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? What drugs?¡± Yun Ruoyao asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Our dear sister drugged me with an aphrodisiac. Rather than harming me, however, she ended up being the affected one herself.¡± Yun Ruyoan looked at Yi Qianying and smiled coldly. ¡°This is retribution. Would you like to hear another piece of news? Your Brother Ziao doesn¡¯t seem to be willing to admit it.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Yi Qianying stood up all of a sudden and shouted, ¡°No, there¡¯s no way! He wouldn¡¯t!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao shook her head in disappointment as she looked at Yi Qianying¡¯s disheveled appearance. She had intended to make use of her, but she had ruined herself.


    ¡°Let me find Brother Ziao! I need to talk to him!¡± Yi Qianying tried to stand, but the pain that radiated from her lower half made her fall back down again.


    ¡°It was he who told us toe find you.¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at her coldly. ¡°In front of everyone, he announced that he was knocked unconscious in the outer gardens. By the time he woke up, you were already gone. ording to him, he wasn¡¯t the one who relieved you.¡±


    Yi Qianying shook her head in a daze. ¡°No, no, it couldn¡¯t be¡­!¡±


    She looked toward Yun Ruoyao and begged, ¡°Sister Ruoyao, please bring Brother Ziao over to me. Please, I beg you, find him!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao didn¡¯t want to look at this sister of hers at all, but she had to act the part of her elder sister. ¡°Tidy up your clothes. Pei Ziao¡¯s right outside, as is the emperor. We¡¯ll reim justice for you, Qianying.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao opened the door to the greenhouse, and Li Xiu, Li Mo, the empress, Li Qianxiao, and Pei Ziao walked in, while everyone else remained outside.


    ¡°What in the world happened?¡± A young master asked a skinny eunuch-in-training. Coincidentally, that was one of the eunuchs who had followed Eunuch Chang into the greenhouse to light themps.


    The skinny eunuch looked all around him before whispering, ¡°Oh, it was terrible! That miss¡¯s skin was all mottled green and purple!¡±


    ¡°Really, that really happened to her?!¡± the youth eximed in surprise.


    ¡°Of course!¡± The eunuch couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice. ¡°I saw with my own eyes that¡ª¡±


    With a dull thunk, Eunuch Chang¡¯s fistnded on his head. ¡°Do you want your tongue to be cut off?¡±


    The skinny eunuch immediately shuddered and walked off.


    At the beginning, the scions didn¡¯tpletely believe the skinny eunuch, but Eunuch Chang¡¯s swift censure gave his words more credibility.


    And word began to spread, all throughout the kingdom of Li, that the young Miss Yi had been assaulted and raped in the royal pce.


    ¡°Brother Ziao!¡± Yi Qianying immediately walked toward him when she saw him enter.


    But Pei Ziao immediately took a few steps back. ¡°Miss Yi, please restrain yourself.¡±


    Miss Yi, please restrain yourself! When Yi Qianying heard these words, her heart instantly froze over. ¡°Brother Ziao, aren¡¯t you going to take responsibility for me?¡± Yi Qianying¡¯s tears dripped down her face like pearls.


    As soon as Yi Qianying disappeared, Pei Ziao knew that he had to cut off any rtions with the girl. When he heard Yi Qianying asking him to take responsibility, he hurriedly raised his head. ¡°Why should I take responsibility for you? Miss Yi, you must be mistaken!

 Chapter 83: The Time is Ripe

    <h4>Chapter 83: The Time is Ripe</h4>


    Pei Ziao¡¯s rejection left Yi Qianying in panic. ¡°Brother Ziao, what are you saying? I¡¯m already yours, and if you¡¯re unwilling to take responsibility for me, then¡­ only death will clear my name!¡± She attempted to hurl her head against a flowerpot half as tall as she was, but Yun Ruoyan caught her in the nick of time.


    Yi Qianying turned around with a hateful gaze. ¡°Let me die! Why won¡¯t you let me die?!!¡±


    If you die, how can I continue to put on this show? She tried to calm Yi Qianying down. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be impulsive. I¡¯m sure His Majesty will support you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao hurriedly rushed over as well, hissing, ¡°You idiot! If you die, it¡¯ll make everything worse!¡±


    Only then did Yi Qianying give up on courting death. She allowed Yun Ruoyao to drag her to the emperor, and the two of them knelt down together.


    ¡°Your Majesties, the ughtering King,¡± Yun Ruoyao raised her head and beseeched the three dignitaries, her face lined with an older sister¡¯s grief. ¡°Please, I beg of you, give my poor sister¡¯s justice and reim my Yun family¡¯s reputation.¡±


    Li Xiu and the empress looked at each other and sighed.


    ¡°Miss Yun, please rise.¡± The empress¡¯ severe features revealed a rare expression of pity. ¡°Given that this urred in the pce, and during my flower-viewing party no less, I will personally make amends to your sister.¡±


    When she finished speaking, she red at Pei Ziao. ¡°Young Master Pei, won¡¯t you admit what you¡¯ve done?!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve not done anything of the sort! Please, I swear I¡¯m innocent!¡± Pei Ziao replied anxiously.


    ¡°You still deny the allegations? Pei Ziao, to think I once thought highly of you!¡±


    Finding an opportune time to interject, Li Qianxiao added, ¡°Young Master Pei and Miss Yi have always been close. Now that something like this has happened, Young Master Pei, if you don¡¯t take responsibility, do you intend to force Miss Yi to her death?!¡±


    Li Qianxiao would have loved for all this to blow over with Pei Ziao as his scapegoat.


    Pei Ziao nced at Yi Qianying, still sobbing within Yun Ruoyao¡¯s embrace. Her pitiful appearance touched the crowd¡¯s hearts, but Pei Ziao began to find her more and more vexing.


    ¡°Your Majesties, the ughtering King, if I truly were the one who had done it, I would definitely take responsibility. I swear this was not my doing!¡±


    Seeing that Pei Ziao didn¡¯t look the slightest bit guilty, Li Xiu began to think more critically about the whole affair. The empress, however, was almost seething with anger. ¡°Pei Ziao, do you think a woman would use you of something like this unfairly?!¡±


    The empress turned toward Yi Qianying. Gently, she asked, ¡°Miss Yi, I understand the importance of your reputation as a woman. Can you tell me clearly whether Young Master Pei was the man who assaulted you?¡±


    Yi Qianying looked resentfully as Pei Ziao, but he refused to meet her gaze. Her heart was about to break into countless pieces. Why? He was clearly the one who had done it, so why didn¡¯t he admit it?! Were his affections all a lie?!


    No matter what, Yi Qianying knew that Pei Ziao was her only hope for salvation. If she couldn¡¯t bind him to her, then her life would be forever tarnished.


    ¡°Empress!¡± Yi Qianying knelt down and bowed deeply at her feet. ¡°No matter how muddleheaded I might be, how could I mistake something like this? During the expedition to the imperial territory, Brother Ziao and I had already made ns to be together for life, and he had promised that he would find an opportunity to propose to me. But now¡­ but now, I don¡¯t know why he won¡¯t admit it!¡±


    When Yi Qianying finished speaking, she suddenly turned toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Sister, Sister Ruoyan, was it you who forbade him from taking responsibility? I know Brother Ziao favors you, sister, and I know your status is higher than mine. But if you¡¯re willing to permit our rtionship, Sister, I¡¯m even willing to be a concubine for you and Brother Ziao!¡±


    Yun Ruoyanughed coldly in her heart. She was just about to speak up when Li Mo¡¯s icy voice rang out. ¡°Miss Yi, what strange words you¡¯re saying. Why would my consort share a husband with you?¡±


    Yi Qianying hesitated before replying incredulously, ¡°Your¡­ your consort?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Li Mo reached out for Yun Ruoyan with his long arms, his dark, glowing eyes looking at her with tender affection. ¡°During the flower-viewing party, I¡¯ve announced my intentions to propose to Yun Ruoyan as my consort once she¡¯s of age. So, Miss Yi, you won¡¯t have to worry about anyone snatching your husband away.¡±


    Yi Qianying knelt on the floor, unable to ept this reality.


    But the ughtering King had no reason to lie, and his ardent gaze toward Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t be faked.


    Yi Qianying¡¯s hands trembled as they clutched the hem of her dress. At that moment, she had actually forgotten her plight; her whole heart was filled with jealous, envy, and hate.


    Why?! How had Yun Ruoyan gotten into the ughtering King¡¯s good graces with that face of hers?!


    Neither of them had grown up with motherly love. Without any backing, both of them struggled to stay afloat in as cutthroat an environment as the noble house of Yun. They were both wife-born daughters of their respective family, but neither was afforded the status of one. Both had been all but discarded.


    Given how simr their plight was, they should have be good sisters, but Yi Qianying couldn¡¯t help but feel repulsed whenever she saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face.


    Whenever she saw her pitiful appearance, her resignation to her fate, Yi Qianying was reminded of her own past self. She hated Yun Ruoyan the same way she hated her past, so she would always bully Yun Ruoyan with the others. It was only in this perverted fashion that she could feel a shred of superiority, of bnce.


    How had this ugly girl, whom they¡¯d knocked down once and again, stood back up?


    Not only had she regained her grandmother and father¡¯s trust and appreciation, but she had even charmed the crown prince and her own Brother Ziao with her fake appearance! Now, she had even schemed and tricked her way into the ughtering King¡¯s good graces!


    Was she truly inhuman?! Yi Qianying couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of Wang Kuang¡¯s dying words within the imperial territory. ¡°You¡¯re no human, you¡¯re a demon, a demon!¡±


    She subconsciously looked toward Yun Ruoyan, only to find her gaze already fixated on her. Her bright eyes looked as though they could prate her body and soul.


    She looked at Yi Qianying the way she would look like an ant.


    It had shocked Yi Qianying so much that she almost unbnced herself and fell. She wasn¡¯t the same ugly girl she used to be!


    Yi Qianying forced herself to remain calm, but she didn¡¯t dare look at Yun Ruoyan anymore.


    Although Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appearance still looked the same as before, her gaze looked like that of a different person entirely. Had someone else taken over her body? Or had she been consumed by a parasitic demon?


    She couldn¡¯t believe that she was only realizing this now! This new development resolved quite a number of Yi Qianying¡¯s thoughts about the abrupt changes in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s personality, but it didn¡¯t help her current dilemma.


    ¡°Your Majesties, the ughtering King, Crown Prince,¡± Pei Ziao addressed each person one by one. ¡°Miss Yi would certainly not have been able to identify me as her assant.¡±


    He took a deep breath and continued. As he breathed out, he imagined that his remnant feelings for Yi Qianying were likewise being expelled from his body. ¡°Because Miss Yi was drugged with an aphrodisiac, one that befuddled her mind! Under these circumstances, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to identify whom she was with!¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Everyone gasped, and the empress even raised her voice. ¡°Pei Ziao, don¡¯t you dare talk nonsense! Why would there be such a drug in the pce?!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I wouldn¡¯t dare. Miss Yi suddenly told me that she had an urgent matter to discuss with me, which was why I followed her to that small courtyard in the outer gardens. It was there that she began to perform¡­ a series of strange actions, and I naturally rebuffed her advances. Under my questioning, she revealed that she had been drugged with an aphrodisiac, and wanted me to help relieve her symptoms. I was getting ready to bring her to Your Majesties to seek help from an imperial physician when I was attacked from behind!¡±


    Pei Ziao raised a hand and swore to the high heavens, ¡°I swear to my ancestors that I, Pei Ziao, did not assault Yi Qianying tonight!¡±


    As soon as Pei Ziao finished speaking, Yi Qianying copsed onto the ground. ¡°No, no¡­ that¡¯s impossible. If not Brother Ziao, who¡­ who could it be?¡±


    She had lost her innocence, and she didn¡¯t even know who did it! Yi Qianying buried her head in her arms and began to weep even more fervently than before.


    ¡°The pce guards, the scions of the nobility, and all the royal princes,¡± Pei Ziao bowed and continued, ¡°Any man who was in the vicinity is a suspect, not just me.¡±


    ¡°You dare use the royal princes?!¡± the empress thundered.


    Pei Ziao bowed once more. ¡°Your Majesties, I only seek to prove my innocence.¡±


    At this time, Li Qianxiao was hiding behind the empress, not daring to even breathe loudly.


    But Li Xiu seemed to have thought of something, because his eyes turned toward his eldest son.


    The time was finally ripe for Yun Ruoyan to speak up. She stepped forward and walked to Yi Qianying¡¯s side. As she went through the motions to help her up, she suddenly seemed to notice something. Pointing at a crevice on the floor in shock, she eximed, ¡°What could that be?¡±


    The crowd¡¯s gaze followed her finger to a purple-gold jewel illuminated by themplight and moonlight.


    Pei Ziao immediately walked over and picked up the jewel. ¡°This must be something the man left behind!¡± He immediately handed the jewel to Li Xiu. ¡°Your Majesty, this looks like a jewel that fell from a crown. The person whose crown this jewel belongs to must be the assant!¡±


    Li Xiu grabbed the jewel. In agitation, his slender fingers squeezed it tighter and tighter, turning his fingernails white.


    The empress widened her eyes, her face full of shock, as she turned to Li Qianxiao¡¯s purple-gold crown.


    It was missing a jewel!


    <hr>


    1. In this context, crown refers to the formal male headdress used in ssical Chinese society. Men would often keep their hair long and tie it up in a topknot; the crown goes over the topknot and is secured with a hairpin.

 Chapter 84: Taking Responsibility

    <h4>Chapter 84: Taking Responsibility</h4>


    Li Xiu and the empress couldn¡¯t be any more familiar with that purple-gold jewel.


    It was part of the tribute from the Chen kingdom by the eastern seas. There were only four such jewels in the Li kingdom, the tworgest of which were kept in the pce¡¯s treasure vault.


    Of the two smaller ones, one was embedded on Li Xiu¡¯s belt. The empress had given the other to the crown prince as a birthday gift, to be embedded as the centerpiece of his crown, and that crown was currently on Li Qianxiao¡¯s head.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Your Majesty, don¡¯t¡­¡± When the empress saw her consort¡¯s face darken, she immediately tried to plead with him.


    ¡°Father, Father, I didn¡¯t¡­ it wasn¡¯t me¡­¡± Li Qianxiao stumbled over his words as he tried to deny the unspoken usation, but he wasn¡¯t able toe up with anything coherent.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Li Xiu yelled out, raising his foot and kicking at Li Qianxiao¡¯s abdomen.


    Although Li Xiu was rather thin, he was still a seventh-rank demaster.


    One blow was sufficient to knock Li Qianxiao onto the ground. When Li Xiu raised his foot, about to kick him a second time, the empress quickly shielded her dear son.


    ¡°Your Majesty, even if the jewel is Xiao¡¯er¡¯s, shouldn¡¯t you give him a chance to defend himself? You¡¯re going to kick him to death otherwise!¡±


    Li Xiu¡¯s face was green. His eyes widened, then contracted once more. After a moment¡¯s deliberation, he finally lowered his foot. ¡°Late to the banquet, iming that he¡¯d fallen asleep in the outer gardens, and this pearl¡­?¡± Li Xiu¡¯s tone was filled with anger and disappointment. ¡°Isn¡¯t it clear what happened?¡±


    Li Qianxiao became the center of attention as everyone waited for him to speak up.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er,¡± the empress patted Li Qianxiao down and gently murmured, ¡°Tell your father what happened. How did your jewel end up here in this greenhouse?¡±


    Although what had happened was obvious, the empress was unwilling to admit that her son was the bastard she¡¯d promised to skin.


    ¡°Mother¡­ I¡­¡± Li Qianxiao stuttered and stammered, wanting to refute his father¡¯s usations but not daring to do so.


    Pei Ziao stood by the side and stared coldly at Li Qianxiao. He clearly hadn¡¯t expected that Li Qianxiao was the one who had backstabbed him.


    He and his father had always pampered him, giving him whatever he wanted: alcohol, women,rge feasts¡­ but not only did Li Qianxiao cuckold him, he even intended to make Pei Ziao take the me for the entire affair.


    ¡°Crown Prince, weren¡¯t you the one who said that a true man would admit to his deeds?¡± Pei Ziao interrogated. ¡°As the crown prince of the Li kingdom, you have to resolve this matter. Otherwise, how can you call yourself an example for themon people?!¡±


    If word ever spread, it would be a serious scandal for the royal family.


    Given the Li kingdom¡¯s customs and its strong emphasis on morality, rape and sexual assault carried the death sentence formoners. If it were the crown prince whomitted such a crime, he might very well have to relinquish his position and status.


    The empress turned to Pei Ziao. ¡°Young Master Pei, that¡¯s a strong usation. Didn¡¯t you say that Miss Yi had consumed an aphrodisiac? Doesn¡¯t that mean that the crown prince did not, in fact, assault¡ª¡±


    ¡°Right, right, I didn¡¯t assault her!¡± Only then did Li Qianxiao react. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t assault her. She was the one who seduced me!¡±


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. Tell us everything slowly.¡±


    ¡°In the evening, as I was taking a stroll through the gardens, I suddenly heard a couple kissing in the nearby bushes.¡± Li Qianxiao nced at his mother¡¯s face, found it encouraging, and continued, ¡°I thought that it was a pce guard and pce maid having an illicit encounter, so I stepped forward and knocked the man out. Only then did I realize that the couple was actually Pei Ziao and Miss Yi. I was about to shout for guards when Miss Yi suddenly pounced on me. In my bewilderment, Imitted a grave mistake.¡±


    Li Qianxiao knelt in front of his father, a look of repentance on his face. ¡°Father, I¡¯ve made a mistake. Given that this is my first offense, please forgive me this once.¡±


    Yi Qianying sat dazed on the floor of the greenhouse, her eyes vacant. She couldn¡¯t believe that the person who¡¯d taken her virginity actually wasn¡¯t her Brother Ziao!


    She nced at Pei Ziao¡¯s cold back and began to tremble, as if she had fallen into an abyss of despair.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Xiao¡¯er¡¯s at the prime of his youth, and Miss Yi was willing. Surely this incident can¡¯t fully be med on Xiao¡¯er alone?¡± The empress continued to plead with her consort, her gazending on the wooden Yi Qianying.


    Her gaze took on a few motes of disdain. How had Yi Qianying been drugged, anyway? Based on her attitude toward Pei Ziao, it seemed that she was deliberately trying to target Pei Ziao. By making sure that she could be discovered in apromised position, the emperor would be forced to betroth her to him! This sort of scheme wasn¡¯t unheard of in the pce. What a pity that her son had gotten himself tangled up in this affair!


    The empress hid her fury very well. It didn¡¯t matter who was in the right or in the wrong; all that mattered was that Li Qianxiao had indeed taken someone¡¯s virginity. In order to pacify the emperor and the nobility, there was only one choice left.


    The empress decided on her course of action. Turning toward Yun Ruoyao, she began, ¡°Miss Yun, please help Miss Yi up; the floor¡¯s too cold. Since the crown prince was responsible for this affair, the royal family will take responsibility. In the next few days, I¡¯ll send people over to the Yun and Yi families to set up a betrothal between Miss Yi and the crown prince.¡±


    Li Qianxiao stood up all of a sudden and looked toward his mother, his gaze filled with unwillingness.


    Whenever he recalled Yi Qianying¡¯s intimacy with Pei Ziao in the bushes, Li Qianxiao couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted. When he was ying with Yi Qianying, he¡¯d thought it no different than ying with a woman in a brothel, but his mother was actually forcing him to marry her¡ªand as his wife, no less?!


    He hadn¡¯t yet been betrothed, and the position of the crown princess had always remained free. Was it to be filled now just because of this minor incident? The Yis were nothing! His wife would be the future empress, admired by one and all¡ªwho was this girl to think she could be the empress?!


    ¡°Mother, I can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Be silent!¡± The empress turned around and red at him.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    ¡°What, are you unwilling?¡± Li Xiu finally spoke up. ¡°If you can¡¯t take responsibility for your own actions, then I really do have to consider whether there¡¯s someone more fit to be the crown prince.¡±


    This deration tightened the noose on Li Qianxiao¡¯s neck. Despite his indignation, all he could say was, ¡°Yes, Father, I¡¯m willing to ept this marriage.¡±


    The development of these affairs hadpletely gone beyond Yun Ruoyao¡¯s expectations. Clearly, marrying into the royal family was far more beneficial than marrying into the Peis.


    The Yun family¡¯s status would, unbelievably, be elevated by this affair!


    ¡°Your Majesty, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this resolution. Qianying is blessed to be able to marry the crown prince.¡±


    But Yi Qianying,pletely befuddled by the numerous shocks and setbacks that she¡¯d suffered that day, suddenly gasped. As if she had just awoken from a nightmare, she broke free of Yun Ruoyao¡¯s grasp and pounced on Pei Ziao. ¡°Brother Ziao, I only wish to remain by your side! Even if I¡¯m only one of your concubines, one of your maids¡­!¡±


    Pei Ziao immediately dodged to one side. ¡°Miss Yi, why lower yourself so? The crown prince is a dragon among men, and following him will be the most prudent decision.¡±


    ¡°Brother Ziao, do you truly not care for me at all?¡± Yi Qianying wasn¡¯t willing to give up quite yet.


    Pei Ziao hesitated, then raised his head. When he saw the bruises around her neck, however, he couldn¡¯t help but be vexed. ¡°Miss Yi, I¡¯ve only ever been a friend to you. If I¡¯ve done anything to make you misunderstand, I will apologize now.¡±


    Pei Ziao bowed courteously at Yi Qianying. ¡°From now on, please take care of yourself, Miss Yi.¡±


    Yi Qianying stood still. After quite a while, her starkugh broke the awkward silence that had descended. She wasn¡¯t a virgin anymore¡ªwould Pei Ziao want her? No, of course not.


    Actually, she was well aware that, even if she were a virgin, Pei Ziao wouldn¡¯t necessarily have married her. He was the sole heir of the Pei family, after all, and what family would want the discarded, disgraced daughter of minor nobility?


    Her feelings toward him had always been one-sided, hadn¡¯t it? When had Pei Ziao promised her anything definite?


    ¡°Ha, haha.¡± Yi Qianyingughed, but her face scrunched up as though she were about to cry.


    The empress sighed as she monitored Yi Qianying¡¯s behavior. When she thought of the fact that this disgraceful child would be her first daughter-inw, she couldn¡¯t help but feel vexed.


    In order for Li Qianxiao to remain the crown prince, however, she didn¡¯t say a single word. So what if she were the crown princess? The empress would be able to depose her in a hundred different ways. She had been steeped in the cruel ways of the pce, after all, and she would do anything to guarantee her son¡¯s happiness.


    Momentster, just when Yi Qianying seemed to be on the verge of breaking down, her expression returned to normal. With a gentle smile, Yi Qianying walked to Li Xiu and the empress, slowly knelt down, and began, ¡°Your Majesties, I humbly thank you for the grace I have received today. I know my birth is lowly, and I¡¯m not fit for the crown prince, neither in looks nor in talent. Please, allow me to be just a mere concubine, rather than the crown princess herself.¡±


    The emperor and empress were both taken aback by her request. After all, the crown prince was indeed at fault. Although Yi Qianying¡¯s birth wasn¡¯t quite noble enough, the fact that the crown prince had assaulted her was indubitable.


    Furthermore, the Yun family backed her. The head of the Yun family, Yun Lan, was well known to be courteous, humble, and considerate. Under his rule, the entire Yun family had maintained a sterling reputation within the capital.


    But Yun Lan was prickly when it came to issues of posterity, and his displeasure could very well create a bacsh against the royal family. It was for this reason that the empress had promised Yi Qianying the position of crown princess directly. She hadn¡¯t expected that Yi Qianying would request to be a mere concubine instead.


    It seemed that the girl could, at the very least, discern what was appropriate of her. The fake smile stered on the empress¡¯ face slowly became somewhat genuine.

 Chapter 85: Dispelling the Poison

    <h4>Chapter 85: Dispelling the Poison</h4>


    ¡°Good girl. On behalf of my son, I apologize to you, Miss Yi.¡± Rong Yi helped Yi Qianying up and helped her brush aside the stray hairs by her temple.


    Yun Ruoyao clearly didn¡¯t understand Yi Qianying¡¯s thought process. The crown princess would be the future empress! Was Yi Qianying crazy, to give up a chance at such power and prestige?!


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan examined her cousin thoughtfully.


    ¡°Your sister¡¯s not a simple girl to deal with,¡± Li Mo whispered into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ears. ¡°But with me around, you won¡¯t have anything to fear.¡±


    Thus concluded the triannual flower-viewing party.


    Rather than returning to the Yi family, Yi Qianying followed Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyan back to the Yuns. When Yun Lan found out about what had happened, although he thought it somewhat damaging to the Yuns¡¯ reputation, he was satisfied that the crown prince had at least taken responsibility for the affair.


    Her grandmother, the Yun matriarch, contemted the news quietly. She stared at Yi Qianying with aplicated expression while mulling the information over, as if trying to discern what she thought of the matter. After quite a while, she finally closed her old, lined eyes. Madam An was the happiest, and she handed Yi Qianying a pair of cat¡¯s-eye earrings as a gift.


    ¡°Mother, the empress originally handed Yi Qianying the position of crown princess, but she actually refused it! I can¡¯t believe she was willing to settle for the role of one of his concubines,¡± Yun Ruoyao recounted to her mother in her residence.


    The crown prince could have two concubines, but only one crown princess. The crown princess would even be able to ascend to the throne. How could Yi Qianying have given up such a valuable position?


    ¡°This is what makes Qianying so clever,¡± Madam Anmented, as she pruned the newly grown peonies. ¡°This child knows her ce in society. The position of crown princess is certainly valuable, so valuable that she¡¯s undeserving of it. If she had epted the empress¡¯ offer, I promise you, she wouldn¡¯t have lived to see another year.¡±


    Hearing her mother¡¯s words, Yun Ruoyao felt cold sweat drench her back. If she had been found under simr circumstances, she would have epted the empress¡¯ offer without a second thought. What would have happened to her then?


    Madam An clearly knew what Yun Ruoyao was thinking, because she smiled and continued, ¡°Silly girl, you don¡¯t have to worry about any of this. Even though she¡¯s the sole wife-born daughter, Yun Ruoyan can hardly find a groom. Among the Yun daughters, you¡¯ll have the grandest marriage and thergest dowry, and you certainly have the status to be the crown princess.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao thought back to the crown prince¡¯s behavior yesterday. ¡°No, oh no.¡± She shook her head immediately. ¡°Having Qianying there is quite enough.¡±


    Madam An looked toward her crimson-red peonies and smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Qianying should consider herself lucky to be the crown prince¡¯s concubine, given her birth.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao then told her mother about the ughtering King and Yun Ruoyan. While Madam An was initially shocked, she then began tough. It was fitting that as entric a personality as the ughtering King would pick someone like Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that be a problem for us, Mother?¡±


    ¡°The ughtering King might be well-known throughout the entire continent, but he doesn¡¯t have a good reputation. There are no wars on the horizon, and his martial skills don¡¯t mean anything in times of peace. Removing a girl as vexing as Yun Ruoyan from this household won¡¯t hurt us.¡±


    The vexing Yun Ruoyan was feeling quite vexed herself. The ughtering King, whom she¡¯d rarely encountered in the past, now began to show up with increasing frequency in her rooms. Furthermore, just like Li Qianhan, he didn¡¯t like going through the main entrance.


    Unlike Li Qianhan, however, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t even feel Li Mo¡¯s presence at all. He snuck in and out almost as if he were a ghost, and even Qiuqiu had no recourse against him.


    One night, Yun Ruoyan was just about to wash the birthmark off her face when her back window opened, and Li Mo entered her rooms like a gust of wind. It shocked Yun Ruoyan so much that she almost spilled her basin of water.


    Li Mo handed a white jade bottle to Yun Ruoyan, supposedly containing ¡°a miraculous salve for improving her appearance¡±, and refused to leave until she applied it on her skin.


    With no other recourse, Yun Ruoyan could only do so. On Li Mo¡¯s request, she applied the sweet-smelling salve evenly over her face, then closed her eyes for about fifteen minutes. When she next opened them, Li Mo had vanished.


    Another afternoon, while she was meditating, she suddenly felt someone¡¯s eyes on her. When she opened her eyes, she was so shocked that her heart almost burst out of her ribs.


    Li Mo¡¯s ink-dark eyes were right in front of hers, and their noses were almost touching. She reached out to push him away, but Li Mo dragged her into his embrace instead. She was about to scream when Li Mo kissed her passionately.


    Yun Ruoyan began to struggle in earnest, but the more she did so, the more ferociously Li Mo kissed her. In the end, she almost cried. When she blinked, the tears beaded up and rolled down her face, and the pervert actually caught one with a finger and gave it a taste. He even seemed to enjoy it, as if her tears were a sort of delicacy.


    Afterwards, with that maic voice of his, he added, ¡°Yan¡¯er, you really taste good. If not for my self-restraint, I¡¯d have eaten you up long ago.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was certain that Li Mo was an unbelievable pervert. The crystallized wisdom from her many dealings with him was that, as long as she ignored and was unresponsive to his advances, then she would be safe.


    Whenever Li Mo appeared, Yun Ruoyan would stop whatever she was doing, lie in bed, and pretend to be dead.


    At that point, Li Mo would only look at her silently before sighing, ¡°Yan¡¯er, it¡¯s no fun when you don¡¯t resist.¡±


    After she had done that a few times, the ughtering King finally stopped showing up for a few days in a row.


    Two dayster, after Yun Ruoyan made sure that her back window was firmly sealed, she finally rxed and washed her face cleanly. Her fake birthmark had long since hardened, and Yun Ruoyan had to peel the gunk off her face.


    ¡°Oh, this is sofortable.¡± Yun Ruoyan dunked her entire head into the bathtub before letting out a satisfied moan.


    In order to deal with Li Mo¡¯s sudden appearances, Yun Ruoyan had kept the fake birthmark on her face, unable to wash it off lest Li Mo show up at that exact moment. In the hot summer heat, half her face was trapped in what essentially amounted to an airtight mask.


    It was a terribly ufortable feeling, and it was quite fortuitous that the ointments that Lin Zainan had given her weren¡¯t harmful to the skin. Otherwise, she would surely have developed sweat rashes all over the left half of her face.


    Yun Ruoyany in the bathtub as she nced at the salves that Li Mo continued to bring her. It was a brown substance, sticky and somewhat gel-like in consistency. She rubbed it in her palms, waited for them to be frothy, and then applied the gel to her face.


    If nothing else, applying it on her face gave her a very satisfying feeling, so much so that she wouldn¡¯t be able to have a good night¡¯s sleep without having done so.


    It waste at night, and after Yun Ruoyan finished her nightly cultivation routine, she quickly fell asleep.


    A long fingernail slowly picked at thetch to her back window, and the tightly closedtch easily popped off after some deft maniption. Li Mo pushed the window open and jumped into her room.


    Yun Ruoyan turned in her sleep, her mouth forming the barest hint of a smile. The midsummer night¡¯s moonlight was like a bright, white veil in front of her bed.


    A ck shadow slowly trod on this veil.


    Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan. In her sleep, with the birthmark removed from her face, she shone more brilliantly than even the most vibrant phoenix orchid.


    ¡°Xun Mo,¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s mirthful voice was transmitted directly to his head through the bracelet. ¡°You¡¯ve fallen in love with my mistress.¡±


    ¡°How can you be sure?¡± A smile still hung by Li Mo¡¯s lips.


    ¡°From how you gaze at my mistress. This was how the Beast King looked at his consort in the past.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Li Mo raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m confident you like her,¡± Qiuqiu chirped happily. ¡°I¡¯d been worried that you would suddenly change your mind and want to kill my mistress, but now you¡¯ll even protect her!¡±


    Li Mo extended a hand, wanting to touch Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face. Before he did so, however, he stopped and said, ¡°Qiuqiu, do you remember Hua¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°Hua¡¯er?¡± Li Mo¡¯s sudden question left Qiuqiu momentarily at a loss. ¡°Oh, the magical beast that the empress gifted you? The spotted leopard cub?¡±


    ¡°I liked it very much, back then. It was always so obedient, so charming. Its fur was as soft as silk, and I loved to touch it as I fell asleep.¡± Li Mo seemed as though he was reminiscing about a pleasant memory. ¡°But, while I was escaping from the beastkin ughter, I ate it.¡± Li Mo¡¯s tone turned harsh, grating, like spring reverting to harsh winter. ¡°I ate its meat, drank its blood, and stitched its skin into afortable pair of boots.¡±


    He grinned at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bracelet. ¡°I¡¯ve liked many things, Qiuqiu, and I¡¯ve destroyed many things I liked. Don¡¯t try to predict my actions, and don¡¯t you dare reveal my identity to your mistress. Otherwise, in order to protect myself, I might destroy yet another prized possession of mine.¡±


    A long and pregnant silence followed.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Qiuqiu finally said.


    Li Mo nodded, satisfied. Yun Ruoyan looked even better than before, and he knew that his medicinal salve was working.


    Although he didn¡¯t know how Yun Ruoyan had managed to cure her poison, he had discovered that the skin underneath her birthmark, which had scarred over, still contained faint traces of the poison. This wouldn¡¯t hurt her in the short term, but there would be longsting effects if the poison weren¡¯t purgedpletely.


    The lethality of the poison deepened Li Mo¡¯s curiosity. Where had such a devastating poisone from, and who had poisoned Lin Yuemei?

 Chapter 86: Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 86: Challenge</h4>


    Li Mo¡¯s ice-blue eyes were fixed on Yun Ruoyan, travelling down her face and onto the qilin beads on her left hand. He reached out and slowly touched the beads before making an expression of astonishment. He¡¯d known that human furnaces had extreme talent for cultivation, but it wasn¡¯t until he actually met one that he realized just how shocking they were.


    The night he handed the bracelet to Yun Ruoyan, he¡¯d used a drop of beastkin blood to crack open one of the beads and release some of the qilin¡¯s fire-attuned spiritual energy. He had expected that this amount of energy would take Yun Ruoyan quite a while to digest, but, not ten dayster, she hadpletely consumed it all.


    What Qiuqiu didn¡¯t tell Li Mo was that Yun Ruoyan had taken only a single day and night to absorb the remnants of the qilin¡¯s energy. If he ever found out about this, even he wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain his famed icy facade.


    Li Mo was already very pleased with Yun Ruoyan. If she kept up her rate of cultivation, he would be able to start cultivating with her as a couple . ncing once more at the sleeping beauty, Li Mo¡¯s lips curled up. He couldn¡¯t help but think back to what had happened by the secluded pond during the flower-viewing party.


    Li Mo was really quite looking forward to cultivating together with her. He grinned once more before turning back to the qilin beads. When the qilin core was first sealed within the beads, the Beast King had used his own blood as the seal. To break the seal, therefore, also required the Beast King¡¯s blood.


    As the Beast King¡¯s son, Li Mo was naturally able to break the seal with his blood. The more blood he used, therger the crack, and the more potent the resulting spiritual energy from the qilin. With the remnants of the energy, the bead would reseal itself once more.


    Li Mo made a shallow cut on his finger with his long fingernails, dripping two drops of blood on the qilin beads. The beads began to glow a dull red before the light and blood vanished once more.


    Qiuqiu didn¡¯t know that Yun Ruoyan was a human furnace, and naturally didn¡¯t understand what Li Mo was doing. However, it didn¡¯t try to ask, knowing that any attempts would be futile.


    Li Mo¡¯s threat to Qiuqiu was quite effective. At least before he demonstrated clear killing intent toward Yun Ruoyan again, Qiuqiu wouldn¡¯t reveal his identity to her.


    Once again, fireflies invaded Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dream. They seemed to be attracted to her, dancing all around her, as she smiled as happily as a child.


    ¡°Miss, Miss, are you awake?¡±


    Peony¡¯s voice, apanied by sharp raps at the door, suddenly jolted Yun Ruoyan awake. She sat straight up and squinted at the bright light streaming in through the windows.


    She knew that she had overslept. Blearily, she sighed and asked, ¡°What time is it?¡±


    Peony, still standing outside her room, responded, ¡°It¡¯s still morning, Miss, but you¡¯re usually already cultivating by this point.


    Yun Ruoyan got off the bed, put on a jacket, and quickly applied a gauze patch on her face, since she didn¡¯t have the time to make a fake birthmark.


    ¡°Miss, you look wonderful today.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan opened the doors to her room, and Peony walked in with a washbasin.


    ¡°When don¡¯t I look wonderful?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true. You look especially radiant today, Miss,¡± Peony assured her. When she walked in, it was almost as if Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was glowing with a gentle warmth, as if her skin were made of moonstones.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled again before pouring herself a little tea.


    ¡°Did you have sweet dreamsst night, Mistress?¡± Peony set the washbasin on the table before turning to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°As soon as I reached the door, I heard yourughter. I thought that you were awake and tried to call out to you, but you never responded! Only then did I realize that you were simplyughing in your sleep.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment before recalling her firefly-fuelled dreams. This wasn¡¯t the first time that she¡¯d encountered it, either. When was thest time?


    While she tried to sift through her memories, Qiuqiu called out to her. ¡°Mistress, quickly check your spiritual vortex.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan immediately hurried Peony outside and told her to make sure not to let anyone in. Although Peony wasn¡¯t formally trained in cultivation, her years of experience in the Yun household had left her with some information about the basics. Combining this with her understanding of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s reclusive habits, she naturally followed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s orders and stood outside her cottage as a guard.


    To Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual senses, her spiritual vortex was ayer of dense, white fog. Recently, with her pillmaster training and the qilin beads, a dull red patch had begun to appear. Today, however, the red patch was positively vibrant, and it had almost doubled in size.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, can you see how my fire-attuned spiritual energy has grown? It¡¯s incredible!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed to Qiuqiu. ¡°I¡¯d been worried thesest few days that my fire attunement is still too impure, and that it would be exceedingly difficult for me to condense a spiritual me. I can¡¯t believe that such arge change happened overnight!¡±


    Afraid that Yun Ruoyan would suspect something, Qiuqiu immediately exined, ¡°That¡¯s how cultivation is sometimes. You might think that you¡¯ve hit a teau, but you¡¯re actually just brewing and saving up energy for a breakthrough. As long as you put in the requisite work, you¡¯re sure to have amensurate reward.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded agreeably. Thesest few days, she had spent essentially all her time trying to enhance and purify her fire-attuned spiritual energy. She wanted to be a pillmaster as quickly as possible in order to help out the Lins.


    ¡°Mistress, it¡¯s worth trying to condense spiritual fire again,¡± Qiuqiu reminded her.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded once more. She sat cross-legged in bed, her palms sped together. Wisps of red fog emanated from her dantian and through her body before condensing outside her palms. Thest time she¡¯d tried to condense a spiritual me, this entire process had taken two whole hours. This time, she managed to do so in no more than fifteen minutes.


    The pure fire-attuned spiritual energy revolved rapidly between Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palms, forming a miniaturized vortex. It revolved faster and faster, until a tiny orange tendril erupted into me in the eye of the vortex.


    Looking at that small me, Yun Ruoyan excitedly shouted, ¡°I¡¯ve done it, I¡¯ve finally done it!¡±


    The person she most wanted to share her victory with was, undoubtedly, Lin Zainan.


    When Yun Ruoyan rushed to the Lin family, she saw that there were two half-breed ming steeds by the main entrance. Half-breed horses referred to the offspring of a magical beast with amon horse, docile enough that one didn¡¯t need to be a beast tamer to train them, and fast enough that they could travel a thousand miles in a day.


    Yun Ruoyan could count the number of people in the capital wealthy enough to possess such steeds with her fingers.


    The servants by the gate told Yun Ruoyan that there were two people who woulde to the Lin estate daily at around this time. As to exactly why they were here, however, the servants didn¡¯t know.


    As Yun Ruoyan entered the yard, she found the housekeeper Lin Bo, who told her that Lin Zainan was entertaining guests in the main reception chamber. Although she was curious, she wasn¡¯t formally considered a member of the Lin family, and it would be impolite for her to barge in on their conversation.


    She was heading toward the backyard to find Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue when an exasperated male voice emerged from the reception chamber.


    ¡°Elder Lin, we¡¯ve travelled more than a thousand miles to get here, all the way from the Yue kingdom. Won¡¯t you show us any courtesy?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but stop dead in her tracks as she pricked up her ears. Her grandfather¡¯s cold voice came next.


    ¡°I¡¯ve stated, once and again, that I won¡¯t be selling you any pills. Do you intend on snatching them from me?!¡±


    ¡°Our young master has always been an admirer of your work, Elder Lin. He has long wanted to study under you, but the Lin family doesn¡¯t take any disciples from outside the family. Please, won¡¯t you sell us some of your pills so our young master may research them?¡± the traveler, a middle-aged man, asked earnestly. ¡°The young master and I have sought you out four days in a row, but you refused our visit each time. Now that we¡¯ve finally had a chance to speak with you in person, you reject us once and again! The Lins are some of the most well-known pillmasters on the continent. Won¡¯t you sell us even a few mid-grade pills?¡±


    ¡°Even if you won¡¯t sell me any pills, I wouldn¡¯t dare to insist, Elder Lin,¡± a gray-d youth spoke up from the middle-aged man¡¯s side. ¡°Would you be willing to give me a few pointers instead?¡±


    ¡°I regret to disappoint you, Young Master Wang, but my failing health has prevented me from making pills ofte. I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to provide you with any helpful pointers.¡± Lin Zainan stood up from his seat and gestured toward the door. ¡°Please return.¡±


    ¡°Elder Lin, are you sure you want to show such gross disrespect to the merchant coalition of the four kingdoms?¡± the middle-aged man retorted, seeing that Lin Zainan didn¡¯t intend to back down. ¡°Do you think the Lin family¡¯s still in its golden age?¡±


    Lin Zainan mmed a palm down on the table. ¡°The Wang family of the Yue kingdom, is it? You dare challenge my authority in my house? Do you think the Lins are easy to bully because there¡¯s no one left to defend the family?¡±


    ¡°Elder Lin, please calm down.¡± The youth stood up. His tone was respectful, but his mannerisms dripped with pride and haughtiness. ¡°Since childhood, I¡¯ve been engrossed in the art of pillmaking. During my visit to the Li kingdom, I¡¯ve approached many other famed pillmasters, only to find that their reputations were ill-deserved. Elder Lin, as one of the most famous pillmasters of the Li kingdom, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t let me down.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Since you won¡¯t sell me any pills, Elder Lin, nor will you give me any pointers, then my only recourse is to challenge you as a pillmaster. Dare you ept my challenge, Elder Lin?¡±


    Lin Zainan blinked. The youth was no more than eighteen, so what had given him the confidence to be so haughty and domineering?


    Seeing that he had Lin Zainan¡¯s full attention, the youth continued, ¡°Not long ago, I became a fifth-rank pillmaster. I know my cultivation¡¯s still far too low to mean anything to you, Elder Lin, but I¡¯d still like to challenge you. Elder Lin, will you give me a chance to learn from my defeat?¡±


    Lin Zainan nced at the youth impassively, but his inner thoughts were in turmoil. This young scion from the Wang family was truly a pillmaking genius, one that would appear once in a hundred years.


    Lin Zainan had immersed himself in pillmaking for decades, but he had only ever been a peak fifth-rank pillmaster. This youth, on the other hand, had already be a fifth-rank pillmaster at such a tender age, disying his frightening prowess.


    The middle-aged man smiled in pride. ¡°My young master has spent thest year travelling across the four kingdoms in search of opponents. If he meets his match in you, Elder Lin, it wouldn¡¯t have been a waste of our time.¡±


    Lin Zainan frowned, his forehead clenching. If he had had his peak fifth-rank pillmaster cultivation, giving this arrogant youth a lesson would be nothing. With his current third-rank cultivation, however, he wouldn¡¯t be a match.


    Was his name to be ruined at the hands of this impertinent brat today?!


    <hr>


    1. By having sex.

 Chapter 87: Response

    <h4>Chapter 87: Response</h4>


    ¡°Elder Lin, will you ept the challenge?¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°If not, then hand over five mid-grade pills. Of course, we¡¯ll pay market price for them.¡±


    On the Chenyuan continent, spiritual pills were always in short supply and high demand. The only supply of spiritual pills came from pillmasters; the other noble houses would only ever purchase, not sell, these pills.


    In the past year, these two fellows from the Wang family had managed to forcefully purchase or challenge forrge quantities of mid-grade pills, and they¡¯d even acquired a few high-grade pills as well. Now that they were at the Lins, they naturally didn¡¯t n on returning empty-handed.


    Lin Zainan clenched his fists, but he had no recourse. He was just about to speak when a clear, pleasant female voice came from outside the door.


    ¡°I ept this challenge.¡± Yun Ruoyan walked into the chamber in an emerald-green dress, her hands sped behind her back and a bamboo-leaf gauze patch on her face.


    The middle-aged man and grey-d youth hesitated as they looked at the sudden interloper.


    ¡°Where did this girle from? Don¡¯t mess around!¡± The middle-aged man screeched.


    The grey-d youth looked toward Yun Ruoyan and smiled. ¡°Little girl, you must be a young miss of the Lin family? I¡¯m challenging Elder Lin to a match. Don¡¯t act willfully, alright?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, when did you get here?¡± Lin Zainan asked.


    Yun Ruoyan walked to her grandfather¡¯s back. ¡°Just now. Right when I arrived, I heard an egotistical fellow challenging you, Grandfather. With your reputation, wouldn¡¯t it be lowering your status to ept a challenge from such an arrogantd?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned and nced at the youth in gray. ¡°That¡¯s why I epted this challenge for you, Grandfather.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan helped support Lin Zainan by the elbow, her calm and rxed attitude managing to trick even Lin Zainan himself.


    He immediately guessed that Yun Ruoyan must have had another breakthrough, but even so, surely she couldn¡¯t best a fifth-rank pillmaster.


    ¡°Grandfather,¡± Yun Ruoyan squeezed her grandfather¡¯s arm, looking at him with bright eyes. ¡°Please, let Ruoyan do something for you and for the Lin family!¡±


    Lin Zainan couldn¡¯t help but smile. Throwing away all his worries, he said, ¡°Alright. As myst disciple, Ruoyan, it¡¯s perfectly reasonable for you to ept the challenge on my behalf.¡±


    He turned to the youth. ¡°Lad from the Wang family, I¡¯m one generation older than even your father. You¡¯re far too unqualified to challenge me. My granddaughter, however, has already received my personal tutge. She will be the one to face you, as long as you¡¯re daring enough to challenge her.¡±


    ¡°You must jest, Elder Lin,¡± The middle-aged man gave him a supercilious look. ¡°Is there truly no one capable left in the Lin family? Isn¡¯t it ridiculous to be shielding yourself with such a young girl? You must be¡ª¡±


    Before the man could finish, Yun Ruoyan suddenly extended her right hand at him. A burst of red mist seeped out of her hand, and it instantly became an orange me which licked at his face.


    With a loud Bang!, the mes dispersed, and the portly man was left open-mouthed with a half-ckened face.


    ¡°Uncle, I advise you to be more careful when you speak,¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled daintily. ¡°Or there might be severe repercussions.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan produced a spiritual me, Lin Zainan¡¯s eyes gleamed before he hurriedly tried to hide all signs of his excitement in front of the two strangers. ¡°Not bad, not bad, Ruoyan! You have my temperament!¡±


    Even the grey-d youth¡¯s eyes lit up, and he no longer spoke to Yun Ruoyan with a patronizing tone. ¡°I was blind not to see it earlier, but you must be a prodigy, Miss. I¡¯ll naturally ept challenging you.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Yun Ruoyan answered, ¡°But I get to choose when.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. When would you like topete, Miss?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan thought for a moment before revealing two fingers. ¡°How about in two years and a day?¡±


    ¡°Two years?! Why not now?¡± The middle-aged man wiped at the dust and soot on his face before shouting angrily, ¡°You ought to be punished now, you impudent girl!¡±


    Having been caught unawares by Yun Ruoyan, the man rolled up his sleeve and made as if to hit her.


    ¡°Wang Gang,¡± the grey-d youthmanded, ¡°Stand down.¡±


    The middle-aged man turned to the youth. The youth didn¡¯t seem to be angry, but his gaze was flecked with granite.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Wang Gang finally lowered his head and retreated to the side, like a rooster defeated in battle.


    The youth turned toward Yun Ruoyan once more. ¡°Isn¡¯t two years a little too long?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed before responding in exasperation, ¡°I¡¯m only thirteen, and only when I¡¯m fifteen will I be considered an adult. Young Master Wang, you don¡¯t intend on challenging a child, do you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words left the youth with no refutation. It was clear that he was arrogant and prideful, and there was clearly nothing to be gained from besting a child.


    ¡°In that case, two years it is,¡± the youth responded. He walked up to Yun Ruoyan and introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Wang Meng, the eldest son of the Wang household from the Yue kingdom, which leads the merchant coalition spanning the entire Chenyuan continent. May I ask who you are, Miss?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Wang Meng?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss,¡± Wang Meng replied, somewhat quizzically. ¡°Have I met you before?¡±


    This was the elder brother of Wang Kuang, whom she¡¯d killed within the imperial territory! This was the man who had hurt Lin Zainan in her past life!


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes turned deathly cold for a fleeting moment before she smiled once more. ¡°Famed pillmaster prodigy from the Yue kingdom, Wang Meng. I¡¯ve naturally heard of you, and I look forward topeting with you in two years¡¯ time.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to our duel as well, Miss,¡± Wang Meng held a palm up as he spoke.


    ¡°My name is Yun Ruoyan, thest disciple of Lin Zainan,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded, before pping his palm with hers.


    With the crisp p, a startling killing intent shed through Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes.


    When Wang Meng and Wang Gang finally left, Lin Zainan looked excitedly at Yun Ruoyan, his two hands shaking as hey them on her shoulders.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯ve already broken through again, and not just by one stage!¡±


    Lin Zainan had told Yun Ruoyan that there were seven tiers of spiritual me: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.


    At the beginning, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual me would be a dark red. As her cultivation improved, and the fire-attuned spiritual energy in her spiritual vortex became purer and purer, the spiritual me would start changing colors to a vibrant orange.


    Under the same principles, the me would subsequently turn yellow, then green, and all the way through violet.


    The red me was too impure for refining pills, but the orange me would suffice for low-grade pills. The green me was sufficient for high-grade pills, and the violet me, supposedly, for legend-grade pills.


    At his peak, Lin Zainan was able to condense green spiritual me.


    ¡°I can hardly believe that your talent¡¯s so overwhelming, Ruoyan. In this short amount of time, not only have you condensed your spiritual me, you¡¯ve even managed to turn it orange!¡± Lin Zainan had been worried about the impending challenge, but now he could finally rx. ¡°Ruoyan, I firmly believe that, in two years, even if you don¡¯t surpass that Wangd, you¡¯ll at least be no weaker than he is.¡±


    But Yun Ruoyan responded resolutely, ¡°Grandfather, I will beat him without fail.¡±


    Lin Zainan handed her a manual containing prescriptions and recipes for low-grade pills and tasked her with memorizing its contents anding back again the next day. Then, he would teach her how to refine the most basic pills.


    When Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue found out that Yun Ruoyan had finally managed to condense her spiritual me, they were so happy for her that they began shouting and jumping up and down¡ªand then their happiness quickly turned to pity when they realized that they had missed such a pivotal moment of her development.


    Lin Qingchen tugged at Yun Ruoyan, wanting to show her around her little bamboo garden. Surprisingly, Lin Qingxue, who loved being in the know, ran off after iming that she had to work on the homework that Lin Zainan had assigned.


    Lin Qingxue was a rather bold girl, but whenever her sister brought up her little bamboo garden, she immediately became a scaredy-cat. Lin Qingchen¡¯s bamboo garden hosted many a creature that would leave her scalp numb: a toad asrge as her washbasin, a scorpion with a foot-long tail, a centipede with a pair ofrge, bulbous eyes, and a catfish that couldugh.


    Any of these creatures would leave Lin Qingxue with nightmares. Unfortunately for her, her only sister loved these creatures and would often spend the entire day in her garden, so she couldn¡¯t even pop in to have a quick chat even if she wanted to.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, look!¡± Lin Qingchen unveiled a ck cloth and revealed a ss tank underneath.


    Yun Ruoyan followed her finger and saw a white, three-inch long small magical snake amidst the dark, sandy soil.


    ¡°Is this from one of the snake eggs that you brought out of the imperial territory?¡±


    ¡°Yep! There were five eggs in total, but only this one hatched.¡±


    The snake was as white as snow, and it looked almost like an ice sculpture as ity on top of the soil.


    Yun Ruoyan had seen green snakes and ck snakes, but never a white snake like the one she was looking at now. It even looked a little cute.


    ¡°Has Grandfather seen its like before?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Lin Qingchen put her face right by the ss tank as she peered in. ¡°If not for Grandfather¡¯s help, not even one would have hatched.¡±


    ¡°Does it have any special abilities? Can it breathe me?¡± Yun Ruoyan tapped on the ss with her finger, and the little snake, as if sensing her, suddenly opened its eyes and looked over.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at the snake in excitement and began shaking Lin Qingchen¡¯s wrists. ¡°Qingchen, look, its eyes are even double-lidded!¡±

 Chapter 88: Demonic Ring

    <h4>Chapter 88: Demonic Ring</h4>


    As if it could understand Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words, the little snake wriggled its body as it slithered toward Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan knew that, the higher the tier of a snake-type magical beast, the worse its vision. This little snake that had just been hatched had a pair ofrge, inky eyes, like two wless ck pearls.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of Li Mo, whose eyes were simr. The snake continued moving all the way to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s front, staring at her through the pane of ss.


    Yun Ruoyan lifted her finger andid it on the ss. As she did so, the little snake kissed the ss her finger was touching on the other side.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed. She¡¯d had to fight with snakes twice in the imperial territory, and had long since lost all her goodwill toward such beasts. At the start, she had even been against Lin Qingchen bringing the snake eggs back to her ce.


    But when she saw this little snake, she was simply blown away by how cute and adorable it was. She turned toward Lin Qingchen. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected it to be so obedient at such a young age!¡±


    ¡°Whitey¡¯s still just a snakelet, like a baby just a few months old. How could it know what we¡¯re saying?¡± Lin Qingchen responded. ¡°It¡¯s actually a very temperamental beast, not obedient at all.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ its behavior?¡± Yun Ruoyan was shocked.


    Lin Qingchen smiled mischievously before showing Yun Ruoyan her left hand. ¡°It¡¯s only because of this that it¡¯s calm.¡±


    On Lin Qingchen¡¯s middle finger was a dark, ancient ring, on which was carved the image of a snake.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t this the ring that we found in the imperial territory?¡±


    More than a month ago, during their expedition, they¡¯d managed to get quite a haul of treasure in the wild vine spirit¡¯s den deep in a mountain cave, and this snake ring was among the loot. Lin Qingchen had fallen in love with it at first sight, and the party had decided to give it to her. Yun Ruoyan had simply not noticed when Lin Qingchen first began to put it on.


    ¡°I unintentionally found that this ring could actually be used to control snake-type beasts.¡± Lin Qingchen moved her left hand back and forth, and the small white snake began to dance with her movement.


    When Lin Qingchen stopped, that white snake stopped as well.


    ¡°Grandfather told me that this was a ring brimming with demonic power.¡± Lin Qingchen took off the ring and passed it to Yun Ruoyan, motioning for her to put it on.


    As Yun Ruoyan did so, a pair of ck eyes¡ªfully ck, including the sclera¡ªsuddenly shed through her mind, giving off a cold aura. It had only appeared for a single moment, but Yun Ruoyan felt as if her whole body had beenid bare. In shock, she turned toward Lin Qingchen.


    Before she could ask about what had happened, Lin Qingchen spoke up. ¡°The first time I saw this pair of eyes, I was also shocked. When I handed the ring to Grandfather, he told me that these eyes belonged to the previous owner of the ring. The owner¡¯s long dead, of course, but the demonic energy that he injected into the ring still remains to this day, giving rise to this ring¡¯s power.¡±


    Mimicking Lin Qingchen¡¯s actions, Yun Ruoyan pointed the ring at the snake and wiggled her fingers, but the snakey there without responding to her actions.


    Lin Qingchen told Yun Ruoyan to inject some of her spiritual energy into the ring. The moment that she did so, the pair of eyes once again appeared in her mind. This time, however, they remained in her mind¡¯s eye without disappearing.


    Yun Ruoyan could feel the pair of eyes looking at the snake through her eyes, and then the snake began to move following Yun Ruoyan¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Does demonic energy really exist in this world?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at the ring in her hands, almost disbelieving. The demonic realm, demonic energy, demonic artifacts¡­ these, to her, had always been nothing else than fantastical stories that the bards and storytellers at teahouses and taverns might repeat.


    One of her favorite stories was about arge war between humans and demons that took ce more than a millennium ago. Armed with their spiritual energy and cultivation, the humans were able to drive back the demons from thend once and for all.


    Yun Ruoyan enjoyed the story, but didn¡¯t believe that such a war had truly urred.


    ¡°Grandfather said that a millennium is a long time, and the truth of history has long since been muddled and warped. When he was young, he had even spent quite a significant amount of time investigating whether or not the demonic race truly existed, but he didn¡¯t manage to find much reliable information. But I think this ring is clear evidence of their existence.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan returned the ring to Lin Qingchen. As she put it back on, she happily continued, ¡°Although I don¡¯t have any talent as a beastmaster, I¡¯m able to control andmand snake-type beasts with this ring. Whitey here will be my first magical beast.¡±


    In the evening, Yun Ruoyan bade her sisters and grandfather farewell and went back to the Yun household.


    When she entered her cottage, she found Xi Lan drying the phoenix orchid petals that she¡¯d picked during their excursion to the Minghuang mountain.


    When Xi Lan saw Yun Ruoyan, she happily waved at her. ¡°Mistress, look how beautiful these petals are!¡± Xi Lan grabbed a handful of petals and flung them into the air. As they drifted back down, they emitted a faint fragrance.


    ¡°May I ask if your mistress is present?¡± Suddenly, a strange woman¡¯s voice piped up from behind Yun Ruoyan.


    She turned around to see a inly dressed woman by the door. She was wearing no makeup nor any ornaments, and neither did she look young. However, her appearance nevertheless exuded a certain charm.


    ¡°I am she. May I ask who you are?¡± Yun Ruoyan replied quizzically.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re Ruoyan!¡± The woman¡¯s shock quickly turned into excitement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me? I¡¯m your father¡¯s second concubine!¡± The woman walked up and touched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so beautiful these three years. At the time, I¡¯d even thought that you might not be able to live.¡±


    Yun Lan had four concubines. The second concubine, Qin Jianmei, was one that Yun Ruoyan was more familiar with.


    Madam An and Lin Yuemei had entered the Yun household at approximately the same time. Madam An and Yun Lan had had an arranged betrothal as minors, whereas Lin Yuemei and Yun Lan had found an affinity with each other as adults.


    Madam An was intended to be Yun Lan¡¯s wife, but no one had expected Lin Yuemei to pop out before their marriage could take ce. In the end, Madam An had no choice but to be his first concubine instead.


    When Lin Yuemei passed away and Madam An became the wife of the household, Yun Lan took on three more concubines in session. The second concubine gave birth to Yun Ruoyu, and he had had no heirs with the other two.


    For some reason, both the other two concubines had been sent away to external properties owned by the Yun family, and only Qin Jianmei remained in the main household.


    In her impression, Qin Jianmei was a friendly, peaceful woman who didn¡¯t like to fight for power. As a devout woman, she would spend her entire day praying, and almost never left her residence. What had caused her to show up at her cottage out of nowhere?


    ¡°Madam Qin, what brings you here today?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled pleasantly.


    When Madam Qin¡¯s expression turned awkward, Yun Ruoyan immediately understood that she must havee to beg for forgiveness for her daughter, Yun Ruoyu.


    Ever since Yun Ruoyu had tried to poison Yun Ruoyan, she had been under house arrest on the Yun matriarch¡¯s orders. It had been over two weeks since the incident, and the Yun matriarch had announced that the house arrest would only be lifted when Yun Ruoyan allowed it. In the intervening period, Yun Ruoyan had been so absorbed in her cultivation that she had forgotten about it entirely.


    ¡°Ruoyan, I know that Ruoyu has really been too excessive this time,¡± Madam Qin finally began. ¡°As her birth mother, I im responsibility for her upbringing. Would you be willing to do me a favor and spare her this once considering our past interactions?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked at Madam Qin¡¯s earnest nce and couldn¡¯t help but think back to the period of time right after she¡¯d been expelled from the family academy.


    To Yun Ruoyan, that period was like the transition between heaven and hell. She¡¯d gone from being a genius at cultivation to a discarded piece of trash, from the second daughter of the Yun family to an ugly, wretched girl that no one wanted to interact with.


    Everyone in the Yun family who had once bowed down to her now took this as an opportunity to spit on, spurn, and trample her. Among them all, only Madam Qin had shown her any kindness and respect. She had continued calling her Miss, even when no one else did so.


    After her serious injury during the match with Rong Yuehong, it was Madam Qin who had spared no effort to take care of her for three days and nights.


    In the past, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t repay this gratitude. She spent day and night ming herself for being inept without making any attempt to reciprocate the kindness that others had given her.


    After her rebirth, however, this was a debt that Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t afford not to pay.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded earnestly, sping Madam Qin¡¯s hands in hers, ¡°Madam Qin, you have my gratitude. Although you may not be interested in vying for power, I know you well understand what ploys take ce in this household. Ruoyu was clearly instigated to do this by someone else. She¡¯s stubborn and temperamental, and I¡¯m sure she hates me after this whole incident. Nevertheless, Madam Qin, I hope you can persuade her to give up on seeking revenge. Otherwise, if there¡¯s a next time, please don¡¯t me me for being harsh.¡±


    Having received permission for Yun Ruoyu to go free, Madam Qin nodded gratefully before rushing to Yun Ruoyu¡¯s cottage to give her the good news.


    Within Yun Ruoyu¡¯s cottage, the maid Xiangcao was attempting to apply a medicinal salve onto Yun Ruoyu¡¯s face. However, her hands trembled and trembled, and she didn¡¯t seem to have the courage to touch the affected regions.


    ¡°Imbecile! Can¡¯t you even do something like this right?!¡± Yun Ruoyu yelled in frustration before grabbing the gauze in her maid¡¯s hands.


    Xiangcao was so scared that she immediately knelt on the floor and began to apologize.


    Yun Ruoyu looked into the mirror, her chest heaving. Below her neck and corbone were angry patches of red. Some of the wounds had scabbed over, but flesh was still visible in others. In the humid summer night, a strange stench emanated from her body.


    With trembling hands and gritted teeth, Yun Ruoyu pressed the gauze against her wound. Instantly, pain radiated across her entire body. She couldn¡¯t help but scream, sweeping the mirror on the table, as well as the bowl containing the medicinal salve, onto the ground.


    As the bowl fell, its contents sttered onto Yun Ruoyu¡¯s exposed wounds and prompted another overwhelming round of pain. Cries of pain and frustration quickly began to emerge from Yun Ruoyu¡¯s cottage.


    Madam Qin could hear her daughter¡¯s shouts from afar. She clutched the handkerchief in her hand all the tighter as she hurried to see her daughter once more.

 Chapter 89: The Empty Book

    <h4>Chapter 89: The Empty Book</h4>


    ¡°Miss, Miss, please stop struggling.¡± Xiangcao tried to grab ahold of her rampaging mistress. ¡°Miss, the physician said that you can¡¯t irritate your wounds further, or they¡¯ll take longer to heal.¡±


    Yun Ruoyu shrugged off Xiangcao and yelled for her to leave. Before she could do so, however, Madam Qin walked in.


    ¡°Ruoyu, how are you?¡± Qin Jianmei walked toward her daughter anxiously, but before she could help her up, Yun Ruoyu had tossed her hand aside.


    She looked at her mother with eyes full of tears. ¡°Mother, are you here tough at my wretched appearance?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, silly child¡­¡± Qin Jianmei couldn¡¯t help but cry with her daughter. ¡°You¡¯re my precious daughter. How could I bear tough at you? If only I could ease your pain and suffering!¡±


    She hugged her daughter as the two of them began to cry anew.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken with Ruoyan, and you won¡¯t be subject to house arrest any longer.¡± She used her handkerchief to wipe away Yun Ruoyu¡¯s tears. ¡°Take what happened this time as a warning, alright? In the future, let¡¯s live out our lives in peace without provoking anyone else.¡±


    But Yun Ruoyu pushed her aside, disbelieving. ¡°Mother, look at me, look at my appearance! A simple warning?!¡±


    When Madam Qin¡¯s gazended on Yun Ruoyu, she couldn¡¯t help but suck in a deep breath. ¡°Who gave you this poison?! Was it Madam An?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyu had never seen her mother so angry.


    ¡°This is a poison from the Wu kingdom, isn¡¯t it? Rotting your body,yer byyer¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t ever recall seeing such an ugly expression on her mother¡¯s face. ¡°Madam An gave you such a vicious poison to use against Ruoyan?! If your father were to find out, we¡¯d both be expelled from the family! Oh, silly child, how could you do something like this?!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Frightened by her mother¡¯s almost manic appearance, Yun Ruoyu could only stammer, ¡°It was a moment of folly, and Mother said no one would find out.¡±


    ¡°You mean, no one would find out that she was responsible,¡± Madam Qin quickly corrected. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that your supposed mother¡¯s taking advantage of you?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyu couldn¡¯t refute that usation. Although she was rash and impetuous, she wasn¡¯t an idiot. Even in the pavilion itself, Madam An and Yun Ruoyao had heaped all the me on her!


    And while she was under house arrest, Madam An had only sent someone to check on her wounds at the beginning. She hadn¡¯t heard from her since.


    ¡°Mother, I know I¡¯ve made a mistake,¡± Yun Ruoyu finally cried out. ¡°Mother, please help me. How am I ever going to be presentable in front of someone else again?¡±


    Madam Qin sighed deeply before lifting Yun Ruoyu up. Gently, she continued, ¡°This wound will only heal with a high-grade antidote. The best treatment would probably involvebining a green lotus pill along with a restoration salve for your ruined flesh.¡±


    Before Madam Qin had married Yun Lan, she had been a somewhat famous physician, and was familiar with treating poisons.


    Yun Ruoyu¡¯s eyes brightened before going dim once more. A high-grade spiritual herb? How would she ever acquire that?


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, for you, Mother¡¯ll do anything.¡± Madam Qin hugged her daughter as she looked outside the window. Twilight had fallen, and the skies were dark and gloomy.


    As night came, strong gales morphed into thunder and lightning, then a huge downpour.


    Within her residence, Yun Ruoyan was flipping through the manual that Lin Zainan had given her. Recorded in the manual were recipes for making all sorts of low-grade pills, and Yun Ruoyan was able to memorize most of it after having flipped through it twice.


    In her boredom, she put down the manual and entered her pocket dimension. Qiuqiu was cultivating, floating in midair with its eyes shut. Instead of disturbing it, Yun Ruoyan began to tidy up the various bits and pieces she had lying around.


    Ever since she returned from the imperial realm, her pocket dimension had had a number of treasures she¡¯d tossed into it, which she hadn¡¯t yet examined carefully.


    But Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t expect that Qiuqiu had already done most of the grunt work for her. As a very organized mystical beast, it had already separated the spiritual herbs, pills, and all sorts of manuals into their own little piles.


    Yun Ruoyan could see her entire collection at a single nce.


    The high-grade pill furnace was ced in the most eye-catching position, and all around it were the herbs that she had collected from the thousand-herb valley.


    Most of the herbs were for refining low-grade spiritual pills. When she learned the basics from Lin Zainan tomorrow, she would be able to try refining her own pills at that time.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but smile when she thought about this.


    ¡°Right, there¡¯s also this treasure,¡± Yun Ruoyan muttered to herself as she opened up a red sandalwood box and a faint medicinal fragrance began to spread through the air.


    This was the inner core of the medicinal rabbit, a prime ingredient for concocting mid-grade spiritual remedies.


    Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath of the medicinal fragrance before closing the box and putting it back in its original spot. As she did so, she noticed that there was a book right by the side of the box. That book¡¯s cover was a curious faded yellow, just like the color of a dried leaf.


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan remember that she had indeed found such a book in the wild vine spirit¡¯s den, but even she didn¡¯t remember when she had tossed it into her pocket dimension.


    Yun Ruoyan reached out for the book and began flipping through it. The pages were as yellowed as the cover, but they felt surprisingly smooth to the touch. She flipped through the book again and again, scrutinizing it closely. Nevertheless, she found not a single stroke, let alone aplete word.


    Who would be so bored as to bind a book with nothing written in it? Feeling that this book was exceedingly strange, she decided to take it with her to see if she could unlock its mysteries. She cast onest nce at Qiuqiu, still deep in cultivation, before leaving the pocket dimension.


    She blinked once as she returned back to her room, with the mysterious book in her hands. As sheid it out in front of her, she told it seriously, ¡°You must be hiding something. I won¡¯t stop until I uncover your secrets.¡±


    She walked up to the table, removed her oilmp¡¯smpshade, and ced the book directly over the fire. The book didn¡¯t start burning, or even smoking. In fact, when she took the book out and ced one finger on its cover, she found it still cool to the touch. Of course, not a word popped up either.


    Could it be that regr mes were ineffective? Yun Ruoyan tried summoning her spiritual fire. But even that fire, which could char a man¡¯s face ck in an instant, couldn¡¯t do anything against the book.


    Outside, the storm was still raging on. Silence had descended on the Yun household, but Yun Ruoyan had no intention of sleeping. Instead, she had be fully engrossed in this strange, wordless book.


    If fire wasn¡¯t effective, then perhaps water would do the trick. Otherwise, perhaps a knife¡­? But when even her knife failed to leave even the slightest indentation, Yun Ruoyan gave up. She threw the book by a corner of her dresser, yawned loudly, blew themp¡¯s me out, and went to bed.


    In the dark of the night, as the storm finally petered out, Qin Jianmei stood under a green parasol. She was dressed in a lotus-colored gown adorned with peach blossoms, and she stood erect outside Yun Lan¡¯s rooms.


    Unusually, she had even dressed up that night. Herbed hair was adorned with a ruby hairpin, and a faintyer of makeup hid the wrinkles on her face. Her brows were fine, her lips plump. Once more, she became the dainty maiden who had brushed by a young master in the streets at the prime of her beauty.


    As Yun Lan checked over thest of the court documents, stood up, and prepared to retreat to his sleeping quarters, he saw Madam Qin standing in the yard. He stopped moving. No expression could be seen on his serious face, but his hand on the doorframe trembled.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s been quite a while. Are you still doing alright?¡± Qin Jianmei bowed from afar.


    The next day, in Yun Ruoyu¡¯s cottage, Qin Jianmei applied the salve that she¡¯d made overnight on Yun Ruoyu¡¯s wounds. The salve, cool but not chilly, soothed her skin. The itchiness and pain that had gued her for two weeks seemed to vanish in an instant.


    ¡°Mother, where did you get this salve?¡± Yun Ruoyu asked curiously.


    ¡°Your father, of course,¡± Qin Jiamei replied.


    ¡°My father!¡± Yun Ruoyu opened her eyes wide. ¡°My father was willing to grant me such precious medicine?! No¡­¡± Yun Ruoyu frowned as she looked at Madam Qin before eximing even more disbelievingly, ¡°Mother, you went to see my father?¡±


    Qin Jianmei nodded.


    Yun Ruoyu was so happy that she almost jumped out of her seat. Her sudden action tore at her wound and made her hiss, inviting another round of rebukes from her mother.


    Qin Jianmei handed two bottles of salve to Yun Ruoyu. ¡°I¡¯ve written down how to apply this medicine to your skin. Do it twice daily, and your wounds will recover within three days.¡± Then she sighed and continued, ¡°It¡¯s just that the scars won¡¯t fully vanish, but this is already the best I can do.¡±


    ¡°Mother, aren¡¯t you going to help me apply the salve?¡±


    Qin Jianmei reached out to caress her daughter¡¯s face. ¡°Buddha¡¯s still waiting for my worship, Ruoyu.¡±


    Disappointment clouded Yun Ruoyu¡¯s eyes as she brushed Madam Qin¡¯s hand aside. ¡°Get out! Get out now! I don¡¯t want to see you!¡±


    There was more that Qin Jianmei wanted to say, but Yun Ruoyu had already plugged her ears with her fingers. Before she left her daughter once more, she couldn¡¯t help turning back. ¡°Yu¡¯er, heed my words. Don¡¯t bind yourself to Madam An.¡±


    ¡°Leave, leave!¡± Yun Ruoyu shook her head in frustration.


    Madam Qin sighed before finally walking out. Yun Ruoyu heard her mother¡¯s footsteps get fainter and fainter before vanishing.


    Shey in bed and gritted her teeth. You¡¯re not going to shield me, and you won¡¯t even let me approach others either? You might be fine minding your own business and keeping a low profile, but I want to stand out!


    ¡°Xiangcao,¡± Yun Ruoyu called for her maid. ¡°Get me some clothes! I¡¯m going to pay my respects to Mother!¡±


    It was particrly crowded in Madam An¡¯s yard. Because of the downpourst night, the weather was no longer as oppressive as it had been.


    Madam An had instructed her servants to set up a tea table by her peonies and invited Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying over for a little tea party.


    Just as the three had gathered and sat down, one of her maids called out, ¡°Madam, the third miss is here.¡±

 Chapter 90: Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 90: Conspiracy</h4>


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m here to pay my respects to you,¡± Yun Ruoyu announced before stepping into the courtyard.


    Madam An, Yun Ruoyao, and Yi Qianying all looked at each other, surprised by Yun Ruoyu¡¯s sudden arrival.


    Yi Qianying hadn¡¯t been there to witness Yun Ruoyu¡¯s injury. However, the servants recounted the tale to her so vividly that she felt as if she had been present.


    ¡°Mother, how could you invite my sisters to tea but forget all about me?¡± Yun Ruoyu smiled as she walked forward. She had on a red dress with gold frills, and she¡¯d specially put on makeup on her face to cover up how pale her skin was.


    She looked vibrant and energetic, as if she hadn¡¯t been injured or subject to house arrest at all.


    ¡°Ruoyu, quick,e over here.¡± Madam An immediately stood up and beckoned her over, before instructing the servants to add another chair and teacup for her.


    Yun Ruoyu sat down and contentedly sipped at her tea. ¡°Mother, how could you not call me over for such good tea?¡±


    When Yun Ruoyu entered the yard, the three of them had specifically inspected her neck. The high cor of her dress hid most of the exposed skin, but one could still see a few traces of red, fleshy growth underneath.


    Why isn¡¯t Ruoyu more agitated? Yun Ruoyao nced at her younger sister¡¯s unusually¡­ normal behavior and wondered.


    Yi Qianying sneered mentally at her cousin. What sort of dimwitted fool would beughing even with this sort of injury? But then she thought back to her own experiences at the flower-viewing party, and her superficial smile quickly became forced. The more she stared at Yun Ruoyu¡¯s smiling face, the more she was reminded of her own ineptitude against Yun Ruoyan, and the more vexed she became.


    ¡°Ruoyu, are you feeling better?¡± Madam An asked. ¡°The Yun matriarch ced you under house arrest herself, so it wasn¡¯t convenient for me to go and visit you. I heard Physician Liu say that your life wasn¡¯t in danger and rxed, but I didn¡¯t expect you to recover so quickly.¡±


    Madam An was fully aware of how vicious the poison she¡¯d given to Yun Ruoyu had been. Even if Yun Ruoyu¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t life-threatening, she would have expected her to be unwilling to see anyone for at least six months. However, the girl was already out running around in less than a month!


    She was exceptionally surprised.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m much better,¡± Yun Ruoyu smiled and said as she took another sip of tea. ¡°Father granted me some medicine, and Madam Qin made me a medicinal salve. I¡¯ll be as good as new within the week.¡±


    ¡°Father granted you some medicine?¡± Yun Ruoyao was a little shocked: the Yun matriarch had been the one to put Yun Ruoyu under house arrest, and neither the Yun matriarch nor Yun Lan knew about the extent of her injuries.


    Madam An¡¯s fingers turned white as she clutched her teacup. ¡°I¡¯m sure Madam Qin was the one who asked the master for help; he¡¯s still very fond of you, you know. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen Madam Qin. How about we invite her for tea as well?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need, Mother,¡± Yun Ruoyu sighed, making a dejected expression. ¡°She went straight back to her cottage. I¡¯m sure she ns on devoting her entire life to Buddha¡ªif not for the fact that I almost died, she wouldn¡¯t have left her cottage at all! Mother, am I really her birth daughter?!¡±


    Madam An put down her teacup before smiling imperceptibly. ¡°There, there,¡± she consoled, ¡°That¡¯s just how Madam Qin is. Don¡¯t you still have me and your two sisters?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± Yun Ruoyu nodded. ¡°I¡¯m so lucky you¡¯re here, Mother, or I¡¯d be the most pitiful child alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense, Sister,¡± Yi Qianying also sighed, ¡°If anyone¡¯s to take that dubious honor, it¡¯s me. Luckily, the Yun family was willing to take me in, and both my aunt and two cousins treat me so well.¡±


    As she spoke, Yi Qianying¡¯s voice suddenly quavered. Big, fat tears rolled down her face, and Madam An quickly got up to console her. ¡°Qianying, don¡¯t cry! You¡¯re about to get married. Remember, the Yun family will always be here for you,¡± Madam An stated firmly as she patted Yi Qianying¡¯s back.


    Yun Ruoyu hadn¡¯t been present for the flower-viewing party, but everyone had long since heard about what had happened.


    Even Yun Ruoyu, still under house arrest at the time, had found out. Never had she expected that her dearest crown prince would actually end up marrying Yi Qianying!


    She looked at Yi Qianying¡¯s dainty, petite face, so appealing and alluring to the eyes. In contrast, her own scarred body¡­¡­ All sorts ofplicated emotions flitted through her heart.


    Yun Ruoyu suppressed her overwhelming jealousy and forced herself to smile. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ll be married to the crown prince himself, Sister? Congrattions!¡±


    Yi Qianying knew that Yun Ruoyu had a crush on the crown prince. Her sudden dejection, pervertedly, made Yi Qianying feel somewhat better: at least she wasn¡¯t the only one who was suffering!


    ¡°Thank you, Sister,¡± she replied.


    Despite the sisters¡¯ negative feelings toward each other, the tea party would have seemed harmonious to an outsider¡¯s eye.


    Madam An had initially been worried that Yun Ruoyu would harbor a grudge against her for her scarring, but no longer. The girl had grown up by her side, and was closer to her than even her birth mother. Furthermore, even if she really held a grudge, Madam An was sure that she could handle whatever the girl tried to throw at her!


    Suddenly, Yi Qianying ced her teacup on the table, crossed her arms, and looked furtively at the other three people. She frowned slightly and began, ¡°Aunt, during the flower-viewing party, I discovered a huge secret. I¡¯ve not yet had the chance to discuss it with you, and it may sound a little ridiculous, but I really do believe that my intuition¡¯s right!¡±


    As soon as the others heard Yi Qianying¡¯s words, they stopped drinking their tea and looked to her as one.


    ¡°What secret? Qianying, tell us!¡± Yun Ruoyu eximed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Qianying, tell us now while everyone¡¯s still here,¡± Yun Ruoyao agreed.


    With a severe expression, Yi Qianying subconsciously lowered her voice and imed, ¡°I suspect Yun Ruoyan¡¯s not the same Yun Ruoyan as before!¡±


    ¡°Sister Qianying, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If Yun Ruoyan¡¯s not Yun Ruoyan, who could she be?¡±


    But Madam An drummed her fingers on the table thoughtfully. ¡°Her personality has had a significant change¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyao, Sister Qianying, don¡¯t you remember how Yun Ruoyan actually killed that young master from the Yue kingdom¡¯s Wang family?¡±


    The sisters had kept this hidden from outsiders, but Madam An was no outsider to them.


    Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying nodded, but they still didn¡¯t understand what Yi Qianying was getting at.


    ¡°That day in the greenhouse, I suddenly felt that Yun Ruoyan was staring at me in a very strange way. She wasn¡¯tughing at my misery, but neither was she looking on in cold disregard. Instead, her gaze was arrogant and haughty, as if I were nothing but a bug in her eyes,¡± Yi Qianying described. ¡°I suddenly remembered that, right before Young Master Wang died, he yelled out that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t a person, but was rather a demon.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu thought back to the day¡¯s events before considering Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dramatic change in a new light. It was a warm summer¡¯s day, but the three sisters¡¯ backs turned cold.


    ¡°Qianying,¡± Madam An sat up straight and looked intently at Yi Qianying. ¡°Are you iming that Ruoyan¡¯s actually a demon?!¡±


    Yi Qianying nodded before shaking her head. ¡°More precisely, I believe she¡¯s been possessed by a demon.¡± She leaned forward, her eyes wide. ¡°How else could you exin her sudden increase in strength? How could she have be so hard to deal with all of a sudden?!¡±


    ¡°You must be right!¡± Yun Ruoyu stood up. ¡°No wonder she was unwilling to drink the tea I handed her! She must have smelled the poison in it! And when she poured the tea all over me, that must have been intentional too! She has to be a demon!¡±


    Sheid her hands on the table and continued urgently, hatefully, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how she charmed the crown prince the day he came to visit? I bet it was a fox demon!¡±


    ¡°No wonder she was always able to win against those stronger than her in battle. ¡°First, as a third-rank demaster, she managed to beat Wang Kuang. Then, during the flower-viewing party, she beat the sixth-rank Rong Yuehong. No regr human could improve in cultivation so quickly. What¡¯s more, she¡¯s even hiding her cultivation from Father¡­¡±


    Madam An mmed her palm on the table. ¡°There¡¯s really no other exnation for such unusual urrences. Qianying¡¯s suspicion might well be true!¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s tell Father and Grandmother about this,¡± Yun Ruoyu continued hurriedly. ¡°Let them take care of her!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyu, we can¡¯t do that.¡± Yun Ruoyao shook her head. ¡°We have no proof that she¡¯s been possessed by a demon. If we actually did present such a im, not only would Father and Grandmother not believe us, they might even rebuke us for trying to cause a conflict within the household.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do? Are we going to let Ruoyan run rampant around the house?!¡±


    Everyone frowned, and an uneasy silence descended. After a moment, Madam An¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened. ¡°I know something that can force demons to assume their true form!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and Yi Qianying eximed together.


    ¡°Realgar wine. I saw a daoistying a trap for a demon once when I was young. Demons with a low level of cultivation will immediately show themselves for who they are when they touch even a single drop of the wine.¡±


    Yun Ruoyu¡¯s eyes also brightened. ¡°Mother, do you mean to spray her with such wine when she¡¯s not paying attention? That¡¯s easy!¡±


    Madam An shook her head. ¡°Based on your descriptions, she¡¯s probably a high-ranking demon. It probably wouldn¡¯t be enough to just spray her with the wine¡ªshe¡¯d likely have to be forced to consume it.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s always so cautious! Even with all of us there, we couldn¡¯t force her to drink that cup of tea, so how are we going to get her to drink the wine?¡±


    Madam An ground her teacup against the table as she formted a n. As the three girls looked anxiously at her, she took a sip of tea and finally said, ¡°It looks like it¡¯s time to put one of my pawns into action.¡±

 Chapter 91: Refining Pills

    <h4>Chapter 91: Refining Pills</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan was naturally unaware of Madam An and her three sisters¡¯ ploy. All her attention was focused on her own cultivation. After paying her respects to the Yun matriarch early in the morning, Yun Ruoyan headed for the Lin family. Lin Zainan, Lin Qingchen, and Lin Qingxue had finished their preparations and were only waiting for Yun Ruoyan to show up.


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan entered, they had an official ceremony to induct her as Lin Zainan¡¯s disciple. They were all gathered in the Lin family¡¯s pillmaking chambers, with Lin Zainan taking the seat of honor. Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen stood on either side of him, and Yun Ruoyan knelt on the floor.


    ¡°Disciple Ruoyan greets Master Lin!¡± she called out, before kowtowing three times.


    Lin Zainan beamed as he bade her rise, fully satisfied with his new disciple.


    Yun Ruoyan took a sk of wine from Lin Qingchen, poured a cup out, and served it respectfully to Lin Zainan, who drained it in one go.


    Hence concluded the ceremony.


    ¡°Ruoyan, from now on, not only are you my granddaughter, but you¡¯ll also be the first external disciple of the Lin family in over a hundred years, as well as myst disciple.¡± Lin Zainan stroked his beard, pride staining his words. After all, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s talent and temperament was beyondpare.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan¡ªoh, no, I mean¡­¡± Lin Qingxue mischievously sped her hands behind her back and put on an act. ¡°Junior Apprentice Ruoyan, quickly greet your senior sister!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled, took two steps forward, and began to knead at her cheeks.


    ¡°Ahh! Sister Ruyoan, be more gentle!¡± Lin Qingxue yelped.


    The silent and deste chambers were infused once more with joy and conviviality.


    As Lin Zainan sent the Lin sisters to their rooms with more homework, Yun Ruoyan prepared to have her first lesson as a pillmaster. Lin Zainan moved several medicinal herbs and grasses that he¡¯d prepared to a countertop. He pointed at one of them and asked, ¡°What sort of herb is this?¡±


    Yesterday, Lin Zainan had passed Yun Ruoyan apendium for basic low-grade pills and tasked her with memorizing its contents. The first lesson today was meant to test how well she had done so.


    ¡°This is heaven¡¯s sedge, used to treat internal injuries,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded.


    Lin Zainan nodded with satisfaction before pointing to a few more herbs, whose functions Yun Ruoyan was clearly familiar with.


    ¡°Very good. In that case, let¡¯s start refining pills immediately. Let me demonstrate.¡± Lin Zainan led Yun Ruoyan to the furnace positioned in the center of the pillmaking chambers, about half an adult¡¯s height. It was made of old copper, kept in such pristine condition that she could see her reflection on its surface. On its four legs were carved four qilin, about to take to the skies.


    Because of how frequently it had been used for pill refining, a medicinal scent permeated the furnace. She could smell the heady scent from quite a distance away.


    ¡°This pill furnace has already been with us Lins for three generations. Although there are better furnaces out there, long-term usage has infused it with spirituality. In this sense, pills from this furnace won¡¯t be worse than those from a high-grade furnace,¡± Lin Zainan introduced.


    Yun Ruoyan reached out and touched the furnace, feeling the warmth that emanated from it.


    Ever since she was little, she had seen her grandfather sitting in front of this furnace and refining pills. She¡¯d never expected that she, too, would have the chance to do so one day.


    When Lin Zainan sat in front of the furnace, Yun Ruoyan could keenly feel the aura of a master. He spread his arms wide, forming a crescent, and red spiritual mist seeped out of his palms. Although his cultivation had gone down, decades of experience had tempered his movement and actions, making them appear graceful and elegant to her eyes.


    When the spiritual mist had formed a vortex in front of him, he pushed his palms forward and sent the vortex into the interior of the furnace. With a sudden sh, orange mes filled the furnace. Amidst the firelight, the four qilin seemed toe to life, staring at the mes and baring their teeth, as if wanting to devour it whole.


    The orange light, reflected on Lin Zainan¡¯s snowy hair, beard, and brows, made him look like an immortal who had descended from the heavens.


    ¡°Ruoyan,e over here.¡± Lin Zainan motioned to Yun Ruoyan, who was standing in a daze to the side. ¡°Furnaces are endowed with their own spirituality, and our spiritual mes have their own unique signature. Before using a furnace for the first time, you need to make sure that it¡¯s familiar with your signature.¡±


    Under Lin Zainan¡¯s supervision, Yun Ruoyan dripped one drop of blood into the furnace, and the orang mes within seemed to rise up to catch it.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough! Now, watch carefully. I¡¯m going to be refining a low-grade spiritual pill, the darkened heavens pill, based on the ingredients from earlier.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stepped back and watched as Lin Zainan extended a hand toward the counter. The heaven¡¯s sedge flew into his palm, and with a push, it floated above the furnace. Through the opening at the top of the furnace, the mes began to bake the spiritual herb. Lin Zainan then threw in three different herbs in differing quantities. Then, he stepped back and sat cross-legged in front of the furnace, his hands continuing to infuse fire-attuned spiritual energy into the furnace.


    ¡°By controlling the rate at which you¡¯re releasing your spiritual energy, you can control the size and heat of the resulting mes. You¡¯ll do this until the ingredients fuse with each other and the pill isplete.¡± Lin Zainan¡¯s eyes were firmly fixed on the mes within the furnace and the spiritual herbs floating on top of it. ¡°Pillmaking requires both talent and diligence: I might be able to teach you the basics, but everyone¡¯s attunement is different. To improve, you¡¯ll have to work diligently on your own and figure out what works well for you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked at the four spiritual herbs beginning to change color and shape under the intense heat. Along with the changes in the herbs, the mes in the furnace also began to change in size, fluctuating betweenrge and small, between red and orange.


    Perhaps fifteen minutester, the herbs had slowly transformed into viscous, gum-like substances which mixed with each other in a spherical blob. As it revolved on top of the furnace, it eventually became a mud-yellow pill, about the size of a marble. A strong, concentrated medicinal aroma was released with the finished pill.


    Lin Zainan cupped his palms, and that pill floated down the furnace and into his hands. Without any further input of spiritual energy, the spiritual me in the furnace was slowly extinguished, and the pillmaking chambers went dark once more.


    ¡°The darkened heavens pill is finished.¡± Lin Zainan smiled as he looked toward Yun Ruoyan.


    Only then did she realize that his original ruddyplexion had be a little pale, and although he was smiling, it couldn¡¯t hide the fact that he looked somewhat tired.


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart twinged as she immediately stepped forward to help support him.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting old, nothing more.¡± Lin Zainan smiled. ¡°And to think that I once stayed awake for three days, eating and drinking nothing, producing thirty-two low-grade pills and four mid-grade pills in session!¡±


    Whenever she was reminded that Lin Zainan had gone from a fifth-rank to third-rank pillmaster solely to help her, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but turn miserable.


    How hard had her grandfather worked for those two ranks of cultivation? They were half his life¡¯s efforts, but he was willing to give them up just for her. This sort of affection felt like something Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t pay back, no matter what she did.


    ¡°Grandfather, you¡¯ll never get old in my heart. You¡¯ll always be the best pillmaster I know,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured as she supported him.


    Lin Zainan smiled once again. His viewpoint was quite different from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s: in his eyes, having an even more talented sessor who could advance the legacy of the Lins was far more important than two paltry ranks.


    And this sessor was even his very own granddaughter. How could he be upset by this trade?


    Yun Ruoyan helped bring Lin Zainan outside and poured him a cup of tea. Her grandfather hurriedly took a sip before revealing the mud-yellow pill to Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan knew about the effect of this pill: during the early stages of cultivation, it could help cultivators condense spiritual energy and quickly reach the level of a third-rank demaster, a support-type pill.


    But those cultivators who used such a pill would often find it difficult to progress past fifth rank, so only troops and guards wouldmonly employ them. Despite these drawbacks, however, such pills were still in high demand and difficult to find on the Chenyuan continent.


    Spiritual pills were divided into three grades based on the ingredients, the spiritual energy they contained, and their efficacy: low-, mid-, and high-grade. Within each grade, there were more subtle gradations: inferior, middling, and superior.


    ¡°Look at this darkened heavens pill! It¡¯s shiny and lustrous, and almost a perfect sphere. You can smell its concentrated aroma even from afar, so this is a superior low-grade pill.¡± Lin Zainan held the pill in front of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes and instructed her in how to discern the quality of the pill.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to discern pillmasters¡¯ cultivation based on their pills. If pillmasters try to forcefully refine a higher-grade pill than they¡¯re capable of, in most circumstances, they would simply fail. Even if they were to seed, the resulting pill would be inferior at best.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took Lin Zainan¡¯s pill and ced it into a special pill case. If such pills were exposed to the air for long periods of time, their spiritual energy would easily dissipate.


    ¡°Was the reason that Wang Meng wanted to buy your pills to check your cultivation?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    Lin Zainan frowned as he stroked his beard.


    ¡°Thatd from the Wang family is certainly a rare genius. I¡¯ve heard that, ever since he was small, he¡¯s been able to detect and analyze the process of making a pill just from looking, smelling, and touching the final product.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. Wouldn¡¯t someone who possessed such a talent be a living vault of pill-refining knowledge?


    ¡°Supposedly, he¡¯s almost manic about pill refining.¡± Lin Zainan¡¯s tone couldn¡¯t help turning severe. ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re certainly talented, but trying to beat him won¡¯t be easy. You¡¯ll need to put in multiple times his effort over the next two years in order to do so.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked back at her grandfather and responded solemnly, ¡°Grandfather, I won¡¯t let you down.¡±

 Chapter 92: Roping In

    <h4>Chapter 92: Roping In</h4>


    Rather than allowing her to refine pills right away, Lin Zainan instructed Yun Ruoyan to develop better finesse with her me as the first step to mastering the fundamentals of pillmaking. Spiritual mes were notoriously difficult to control, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to refine pills properly otherwise.


    When she returned to the Yun household, Yun Ruoyan shut herself in her rooms to cultivate, while Peony and Xi Lan sat in the yard and embroidered.


    ¡°Peony, what if our miss tires herself out from cultivating day and night?¡± Xi Lan rubbed her needle against her scalp and asked.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen, surely. Miss Yun knows what she¡¯s doing.¡± Peony continued sewing a delicate phoenix orchid pistil as she spoke.


    She¡¯d brought a few designs to Yun Ruoyan to see which one she liked most, and Yun Ruoyan picked the phoenix orchid design immediately. Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t liked phoenix orchids in the past, thinking that they were too mboyant and ostentatious.


    ¡°She¡¯ll improve more and more as time goes on, I just know it. The phoenix orchid design was the prettiest!¡± Xi Lan joked.


    Peony¡¯s fingers paused before she too agreed, ¡°That¡¯s right, our miss is getting better and better.¡±


    ¡°Peony, Xi Lan¡­¡±


    As the two maids spoke, a sudden voice came from afar. They raised their heads and saw Ling Lan standing half-crouched by the far corner of the yard.


    Meanwhile, Yun Ruoyan was practicing her control over spiritual mes in her room. In the center of each of her palms was a small, red me. As she imbued more fire-attuned spiritual energy into her palms, the two mes grewrger andrger, like two blood lilies that were about to bud in her palms.


    ¡°Not only do you need to be able to control their size at will, but also their color,¡± Lin Zainan¡¯s words rang out in her mind. ¡°The red me is almost incorporeal, with no heat of its own. It can¡¯t be used as the sole me for pillmaking, but remains essential: it can modte and regte the temperature of another me, and can also serve as a transitory me while switching to a me of a different color.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes were pinned to the red fire on her palms. She willed them to turn orange, the same orange she¡¯d demonstrated before, but wasn¡¯t able to seed even after significant time.


    With a puff, the two mes went out: Yun Ruoyan had used up all the fire-attuned spiritual energy she had.


    Maintaining a spiritual me is certainly draining on my energy reserves. No wonder Grandfather wouldn¡¯t let me start refining pills right away. Yun Ruoyan nced at her almost pure-white spiritual vortex and sighed. With this amount of spiritual energy, it¡¯d be hard enough just lighting the furnace! I¡¯d better keep on progressing with my demaster cultivation as well¡­


    demaster cultivation served as the foundation for all other aspects, because such cultivation could both reinforce and expand one¡¯s spiritual vortex, as well as allow one to absorb spiritual energy from the heavens more rapidly.


    Because of how quickly she had broken through these ranks, although Yun Ruoyan was a seventh-rank demaster in principle, her spiritual vortex was still immature and not fully developed. If she didn¡¯t use the bracelet¡¯s power to supplement herself, she would definitely lose a fight on equal footing by running out of spiritual energy beforehand.


    Her goal at the moment would be to continuously absorb spiritual energy from her environment and to convert it into part of her spiritual vortex.


    With this new goal in mind, Yun Ruoyan nned on retreating to her pocket dimension and beginning her training routine immediately. Just as she closed her eyes, however, someone began knocking at her doors.


    Unhappily, she called out, ¡°Haven¡¯t I said not to disturb me when I¡¯m cultivating?¡±


    ¡°Miss, Ling Lan states that there¡¯s something urgent she has to report,¡± Peony replied.


    Yun Ruoyan blinked before allowing them entrance. She sat in bed, Ling Lan bowing in front of her.


    ¡°This is what Madam An told you to put into my food?¡± Yun Ruoyan held a palm-sized sk of wine in her hand. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s in here?¡±


    ¡°Miss, it smells like wine, but I¡¯m not sure what exactly it is,¡± Ling Lan replied respectfully. ¡°All Madam An told me was to mix it with some of the steamed pork you like while no one¡¯s paying attention.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan suddenlyughed coldly. ¡°To even have found out that I like steamed pork¡­ she must have put some effort into this n.¡±


    Ling Lan didn¡¯t respond, and only curved her head downwards even more deeply.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw her trembling form, she relented. ¡°Ling Lan, you¡¯ve done very well.¡± She took out ten taels of silver and left it on the table. ¡°This is a reward for your efforts.¡±


    Ling Lan raised her head and saw the silver, but she didn¡¯t reach out for it. Instead, she knelt down and replied, choked with emotion, ¡°Miss, I can¡¯t repay your gratitude enough. If I were to take this silver as well, my father would certainly rebuke me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°How¡¯s Old Zhang doing?¡±


    ¡°My father¡¯s a lot better, Miss.¡± Ling Lan raised her head and wiped her tears away with her sleeve. ¡°My deepest thanks for summoning a physician for my father, for paying off my brother¡¯s gambling debts, Miss Yun. Please, if there¡¯s anything I can do, just let me know.¡±


    Although Ling Lan was a maid that Madam An had nted, Yun Ruoyan found that she didn¡¯t have a bad temperament. Instead, it was likely that she had some troubles that Madam An had taken advantage of.


    Once, when she was at the Lins, she¡¯d asked Lin Qingchen to look into the matter for her. As expected, Ling Lan¡¯s family was destitute. A serious illness had befallen her seventy-year-old father, and she had no money to help him seek treatment. Her only brother was addicted to gambling, and had racked up severe debt of his own.


    And so Yun Ruoyan asked Lin Qingchen for a favor: to help treat Ling Lan¡¯s father, and to pay off her brother¡¯s debt with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s money.


    When Ling Lan found out about this, she was understandably grateful¡ªthe result Yun Ruoyan had been hoping for.


    Although Madam An was skilled at deceit and trickery, she was a harsh and merciless mistress. She knew of Ling Lan¡¯s plight, but the amount of money she gave her was only sufficient to get by, ensuring that she would forever be in Madam An¡¯s grasp.


    Yun Ruoyan felt that Yi Qianying was far more adept at manipting people¡¯s hearts.


    ¡°Stand up,¡± Yun Ruoyan lifted Ling Lan and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this money is a reward for your informationst time. Take it and use it for your family.¡±


    In fact, it was Ling Lan who had informed Yun Ruoyan that Yun Ruoyu was nning on poisoning the tea she would serve to her elder sister. That day, Ling Lan was just about to report on Yun Ruoyan to Madam An when she heard them discussing the matter in her rooms.


    Ling Lan immediately notified Peony about the matter, who transmitted the information to Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan picked up the silver and stuffed it into Ling Lan¡¯s hands, who trembled and thanked her profusely. She smiled at the silver in her hands, her eyes still brimming with tears.


    The Yun servants had a decent monthly sry of five copper coins, but ten silver taels was equivalent to two years¡¯ sry.


    Madam An had only given her at most two silver taels at a time as a reward, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s position in Ling Lan¡¯s heart became even more elevated.


    But Yun Ruoyan still wasn¡¯t quite done. Despite the respectful look in Ling Lan¡¯s eyes, she felt that anotheryer of security was only prudent. ¡°I heard your brother passed the imperial exam?¡±


    Not expecting Yun Ruoyan to ask about her brother, Ling Lan couldn¡¯t help but hesitate for a moment. ¡°My brother did pass. He¡¯s really quite talented, but our family wasn¡¯t able to pay the master examiner¡¯s fee, so even though he passed¡­¡±


    For the civilians of the Chenyuan continent, there were two major routes to advancement. One was to cultivate and be strong: a third-rank demaster would easily be able to find a position as a guard and make a living. A fifth-rank demaster would even be able to work in a noble family, or even as a martial officer in court.


    But most people didn¡¯t have the talent for cultivation, or had such meager talent that even bing a third-rank demaster was impossible. In that case, they could only try the second route: the imperial exam. Ling Lan¡¯s brother had clearly chosen the second route. However, corruption ran rampant through the court, and the current emperor Li Xiu was much more invested in generals than schrs.


    Because Ling Lan¡¯s brother was unable to pay the ¡°examiner¡¯s fee¡± to pass the imperial exams, he was repeatedly barred from the opportunities that should have been avable to him. After this had happened a few times, the deep trauma caused him to turn to gambling.


    Lin Qingchen had recounted all this to her. She also intimated that, after all his setbacks, Ling Lan¡¯s brother would likely turn back to gambling if he were to simply remain at home.


    Yun Ruoyan walked to her desk, wrote a brief note, and handed it to Ling Lan. ¡°Give this to your brother and tell him to head to the pharmacy operated by the Lin family. They¡¯ll give your brother a job.¡±


    ¡°Miss, wh¡ªwhat?¡± Ling Lan opened her eyes wide, somewhat disbelieving of what she¡¯d heard.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t helpughing at her stupefied appearance. ¡°The pharmacy¡¯s owned by my grandfather¡¯s family, and my cousin and I are the ones handling it at the moment. Do you remember her? The girl who treated your father.¡±


    Ling Lan immediately thought of Lin Qingchen. Coincidentally, that was the day that debt collectors from the gambling den had found their way to her house, iming that they¡¯d burn it down if she didn¡¯t pay her dues.


    How could Ling Lan allow them to do that? Her ill father was still inside! But just as she felt hopeless, a beautiful girl had appeared out of nowhere. Not only did she pay off her family¡¯s debt, she had even treated her ill father.


    In Ling Lan¡¯s eyes, Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan were both people to whom she owed a lifelong debt.


    ¡°Tell your brother to hand this note to Miss Lin. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll take him in,¡± Yun Ruoyan repeated.


    Ling Lan¡¯s trembling hand reached for the note. She was almostpletely dazed¡ªnever had she expected that the two problems that gued her and her family¡¯s lives would be resolved in such a short period of time!


    Now that they weren¡¯t destitute, their lives would improve by leaps and bounds. Her brother had even found reputable work, and it was with one of her saviors.


    Ling Lan didn¡¯t know why, but she was confident that her brother would finally shrug off his vice of gambling once and for all. Her struggling days would finallye to an end.


    She knelt deeply in front of Yun Ruoyan and kowtowed, her head hitting the floor with a dull, resounding thump. ¡°Miss, please let me know if there¡¯s ever anything I can do for you. My life is yours tomand!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, satisfied, before helping Ling Lan up.


    After Ling Lan left, Yun Ruoyan uncorked the little bottle and sniffed it. Suddenly, a strange smell crept up her nose, causing her to sneeze violently. ¡°What in the world is this?!¡±

 Chapter 93: Still in Time!

    <h4>Chapter 93: Still in Time!</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan frowned and tossed the sk aside, ignoring it in favor of meditating once more.


    By this time, Yun Ruoyan was spending most of her energy and efforts on cultivation. Whatever tricks Madam An and her three dear sisters tried to employ would be insufficient to disrupt her concentration.


    After her rebirth, Yun Ruoyan was very clear about her goals and future aspirations.


    In her past life, she had been shortsighted and weak. Too mired in others¡¯ perception of her, she had immediately be enamored with the one man who had shown her even the slightest interest. Without realizing his insincerity, she had ced all her passion, all her hopes, in his hands.


    While reflecting on the past, Yun Ruoyan found to her surprise that she wasn¡¯t, in fact, in love with Pei Ziao. Rather, she saw him as her only route for escaping the Yun family, escaping the trials and tribtions that had beset her.


    The weaker she was, the more shetched onto Pei Ziao. That wasn¡¯t love; it was a debilitating weakness symptomatic of her crumbling mental state. For Pei Ziao, for her only chance at salvation, she would be willing to discard her rtives and her own self. But when she left the Yun family for the Pei family, her circumstances had be all the more dire. In the end, the choices she had made had dragged her into the deep abyss.


    This time, however, she would be strong. She would protect herself as well as those who truly cared for her. With her own strength, she would forge a way out of the Yun household and out into the wide, wide world!


    Madam An, Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, Yi Qianying, and Pei Ziao would all be nothing more than footnotes in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s resplendent, illustrious career. If they didn¡¯t bother her, then she wouldn¡¯t bother them. But if they tried to challenge her, then she would take them on as part of her training routine!


    ¡°Miss, do you have a gift in mind for the Yun matriarch¡¯s eightieth birthday?¡± In the morning, Peony asked Yun Ruoyan while brushing her hair and helping her dress up.


    The Yun household was bustling with activity in preparation for this celebration.


    The fiftieth, seventieth, and eightieth birthdays boasted particr significance on the Chenyuan continent. At fifty, one was halfway through life. At seventy, one was resilient, having survived disasters and cmities. At eighty, one was a font of knowledge, to be venerated for wisdom tempered by the ages. Given the Yun matriarch¡¯s importance to the Yun family and the Yun family¡¯s status, this would have to be a massive asion indeed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at herself in the mirror, but what popped out in her mind was a man¡¯s figure. The man was seventeen or eighteen years old, tall and strong, but with a gentlemanly air. When he smiled, he looked very much like Yun Ruoyan herself.


    On the other hand, when he wasn¡¯t smiling, he looked particrly stern. His thick, dark brows made his sunken eyes look like two deep wells, the splitting image of Yun Lan.


    This youth was none other than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brother, Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°During the Yun matriarch¡¯s birthdayst year, the third miss intentionally broke the top-grade jade from your mother¡¯s dowry that you were nning on presenting to the Yun matriarch,¡± Peony reminded Yun Ruoyan as shebed her hair, ¡°Of the dowry, the only remaining thing that might be worth giving is a gilded jade bracelet, but the design makes it unsuitable as an anniversary gift¡­¡±


    Lin Yuemei had left Yun Ruoyan with quite a number of precious ornaments, but after all these years, she had sold off and given away arge part of her mother¡¯s collection.


    When Yun Ruoyan entered Kongming Academy, her expenditures were only going to increase. The meager amount of money she had left was far from enough for her needs.


    Peony looked around glumly as she wondered how they would make ends meet.


    ¡°Peony,¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly called out, ¡°Do you think my brother will return for my grandmother¡¯s birthday?¡±


    ¡°The young master?¡±


    Peony¡¯s hands stilled. ¡°Now that there aren¡¯t any ongoing wars, the young master should be in attendance, but I¡¯ve not heard anything about his return. Miss, why don¡¯t you see what the Yun matriarch has to say?¡±


    Yun Moxiao was the eldest son of the Yun family, the first child between Lin Yuemei and Yun Lan, as well as Yun Ruoyan¡¯s elder brother. When she was still a toddler, he¡¯d entered the army and had been there for at least a decade.


    The first time Yun Ruoyan saw Yun Moxiao was three years ago, when he was granted a chance vacation to see his family. At the time, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t yet been expelled from the family academy, but her cultivation was already beginning to show signs of stagnation.


    Because she had lost a number of small duels in the academy, others had begun tough at her, and Yun Ruoyan was hiding in a corner and crying.


    When Peony told Yun Moxiao about this, he had sternly punished all those who had mocked his sister.


    Yun Moxiao had even consoled Yun Ruoyan by telling her that, even if she were to lose her talent, he would always protect her. That was the first time Yun Ruoyan had felt familial warmth, but it was evanescent. Soon, Yun Moxiao had left for the army once more.


    Quickly after, she had been expelled from the family academy.


    The next time Yun Ruoyan saw Yun Moxiao was when she married Pei Ziao. Yun Moxiao had rushed back from the army barracks, riding alongside the marriage procession on a tall stallion and personally escorting Yun Ruoyan into the Pei family.


    Even now, Yun Ruoyan remembered the words that Yun Moxiao had said to Pei Ziao from outside the sedan. ¡°If you dare treat my sister badly, I¡¯ll dice you up and raze the Pei household to the ground.¡±


    The next day, Yun Moxiao left the capital for the barracks, and it was on this trip that he met his death, beset by a gang of bandits. When Yun Ruoyan next saw him, it was as a mutted corpse.


    ¡°Miss, are you alright? Have I hurt you?¡±


    Peony had finishedbing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hair and was peering in the mirror to see how it looked on her mistress. In shock, however, she saw tears glistening as they rolled down Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Yun Ruoyan wiped away her tears with a sleeve. ¡°Some dust got into my eyes.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Peony turned to look out the window. It was bright and sunny outside; where would the dust havee from?!


    Yun Ruoyan turned back to her reflection and smiled. No, there¡¯s still time. This tragedy can still be prevented.


    Yun Ruoyan was ying cards with her grandmother, a recent pastime that the Yun matriarch had be enamored with.


    ¡°Oh no, not again!¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out, dropping the remainder of the cards in her hand on the table. ¡°I¡¯ve lost once more! Grandmother, won¡¯t you go easy on me? My pitiful monthly stipend¡¯s all going to go into your pocket!¡±


    The Yun matriarch beamed. ¡°There, there. You agreed to y with me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, not anymore!¡± Yun Ruoyan pretended to be vexed as she continued, ¡°Grandmother, you¡¯re too skilled at cards. If I keep ying, I¡¯ll only lose more!¡±


    The Yun matriarch began tough at her lovable granddaughter.


    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s making you so happy?¡± Madam An suddenly walked into the Yun matriarch¡¯s rooms and asked. She¡¯d heard the Yun matriarch¡¯sughter as soon as she stepped into her residence, and was curious what could be making her so happy.


    When she turned and saw Yun Ruoyan, her eyes couldn¡¯t help but sh. As if nothing had happened, however, she quickly began to smile. ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re here too? No wonder Mother¡¯s so happy!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Ruoyan really does make me happy.¡± The Yun matriarch didn¡¯t hide her affection for Yun Ruoyan at all. ¡°Of all the girls, only Ruoyan had the patience to y cards with me.¡±


    When Madam An heard the Yun matriarch¡¯s words, she smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Ruoyu and Ruoyao have been helping train the new members of the family academy, and Qianying¡¯s about to get married. She¡¯s been working hard with the seamstresses on her clothes thisst week.¡±


    Madam An turned to Yun Ruoyan again. ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s the only one among the girls who has a significant amount of free time, and it¡¯s good that she¡¯s spending that time with you, Mother.¡±


    Madam An was clearly stating that Yun Ruoyan was ayabout, but Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t seem to get upset at all. Instead, mirroring Madam An¡¯s simpering smile, she replied, ¡°Of course, Mother. To me, spending more time with my grandmother¡¯s incredibly important.¡±


    The Yun matriarch didn¡¯t say anything, but she did chuckle a few times, pleased by her granddaughter¡¯s words.


    ¡°What a filial girl you are, Ruoyan,¡± Madam An praised as sheughed hollowly.


    Yun Ruoyan took out a walnut from a tray of snacks, smashed the outer shell with a little hammer, carefully cleaned away the residue, and then handed the clean nut to the Yun matriarch. ¡°Grandmother, here.¡±


    The Yun matriarch took the nut and chewed it carefully as she asked Madam An, ¡°How are the marriage proceedings for Qianying going?¡±


    ¡°The wedding will take ce at the end of next month, on August 28th. It¡¯s a propitious day when the sun will pass over its ecliptic, very suitable for weddings,¡± Madam An replied respectfully, sneaking nces at Yun Ruoyan all the while. This brat must go to her grandmother¡¯s rooms quite often, for the two of them to be so familiar.


    The rest of her sisters were far too unwilling to do so. Even Yi Qianying was only able to sit and chat idly with her grandmother for an hour at a time. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyuined about not having anything to talk about with their grandmother, and wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to visit unless it was necessary.


    The Yun matriarch ate three walnuts in a row and reached out for more, but Yun Ruoyan stopped her. ¡°Grandmother, you can¡¯t have too many walnuts. Walnuts are rather oily, so please have some tea instead. If you¡¯d like more walnuts, I¡¯ll crack more for youter.¡±


    The Yun matriarch took a cup of tea that Yun Ruoyan had poured for her before returning to Madam An. ¡°That¡¯s almost when Kongming Academy¡¯s reopening for the fall, isn¡¯t it? Has the roster been announced?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten the roster yet, but the children themselves know who¡¯s gotten in, and I have a pretty good idea myself. Kongming Academy will open again in mid-September, conveniently after Qianying¡¯s marriage. The children will be able to enter the academy alongside the Crown Prince. Fortunately, the Crown Prince is two years ahead of them, so he can even help make sure that they aren¡¯t bullied.¡±


    When Madam An finished replying to the Yun matriarch¡¯s questions, she brought up a few small details regarding her eightieth anniversary, as well as the list of invited guests.


    Although the Yun matriarch didn¡¯t generally care for matters of the household, Yun Lan ced particr importance on this anniversary. Afraid that she would miss some crucial detail, Madam An had taken to reporting everything to the Yun matriarch in order to safeguard herself from Yun Lan¡¯s displeasure. Those out of the loop would only think that Madam An was careful, conscientious, and respectful.


    As Yun Ruoyan heard Madam An recite the list of guests, she began to frown.


    The Crown Prince, Li Qianxiao.


    The head of the Pei family and his sole heir, Pei Yingxiong and Pei Ziao.


    The head of the Li family, Li Tianling.


    The ughtering King, Li Mo.


    Everyone whom she didn¡¯t want to be present¡­ would be!

 Chapter 94: Something More Potent

    <h4>Chapter 94: Something More Potent</h4>


    Once she finished her report, Madam An left the Yun matriarch¡¯s quarters. When she heard bouts ofughter ringing out, however, she couldn¡¯t help but stop once more.


    She truly is a demon, able to get in the good graces of even someone as shrewd as the old madam. Wasn¡¯t she just fine beforehand? What a good, obedient child. How did a demon end up possessing her? Surely we can¡¯t let this continue! Madam An sighed, even starting to feel sorry for the old Yun Ruoyan. Who knows what happened to her soul? Even if we forcefully expel the demon from her body, she¡¯d probably be an idiot by now. At least that would save us all some trouble!


    ¡°Madam, are you alright?¡± Madam An¡¯s servant, Hong Yu, asked her anxiously. Madam An suddenly stopped moving and her features went ck. All of a sudden, however, her lips curled up in a smile. The exceedingly strange changes left Hong Yu fearful for her madam.


    Madam An broke out of her reverie, waved a hand at Hong Yu, and resumed walking. As she did so, she wondered, It¡¯s already been a few days since I gave Ling Lan the realgar wine, so why hasn¡¯t Yun Ruoyan shown any reaction yet?


    ¡°Call Ling Lan over. I have a few questions for her.¡±


    Not long after Madam An left, Yun Ruoyan noticed that her grandmother was looking somewhat tired, so she bade her farewell.


    The Yun matriarch motioned for her servant to bring out a sandalwood box, which she handed to Yun Ruoyan. The Yun matriarch opened it in front of her, revealing a few ornaments and pieces of jewelry, as well as a few taels of silver.


    The jewelry wasn¡¯t as exquisite or precious as those that Lin Yuemei had left her, but they were still valuable. There were about a hundred taels of silver, not too much but not too little. Although the Lin family still had some money, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t want to beg her grandfather unless it was absolutely necessary. This hundred taels of silver would be just enough to handle her urgent financial needs.


    ¡°Ruoyan,¡± the Yun matriarch began, ¡°All these years, I¡¯ve not given you very much. Take this box of things and get yourself a few nice dresses.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan thanked her grandmother before leaving with the box.


    As she reached the door, as if she had suddenly thought of something, she turned back and asked, ¡°Grandmother, will my brother be back for your anniversary?¡±


    The Yun matriarch had alreadyin down on her mattress, and her servant was draping a thin nket over her prone body. When she heard Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question, she briefly opened her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯ve told your father to send a letter to the barracks, but I haven¡¯t yet gotten a response.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked a little dejected, but she quickly cheered up. ¡°Grandmother, have a good rest. Tomorrow, if I¡¯m free, I¡¯lle y cards with you again.¡±


    The Yun matriarch¡¯s servant, Xiao Lan, sent Yun Ruoyan out the door. As she turned to wait on the Yun matriarch once more, Yun Ruoyan called her back.


    ¡°Xiao Lan,¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled as she tugged on her hand.


    Xiao Lan turned and looked back at Yun Ruoyan. Her dark, voluminous hair, starry smile, and beautiful face really made her appear pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°Miss Ruoyan, is there anything else I may do for you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took out a jade bracelet from her sleeve and put it on Xiao Lan¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Miss, I can¡¯t ept this!¡± Xiao Lan tried to take off the bracelet, but Yun Ruoyan held her hand still as she said, ¡°This is simply my thanks for the phoenix orchid design that you¡¯ve shown Xi Lan. She¡¯s already embroidered it on my pillow, and I¡¯d like to ask for a smaller design of the same sort for my slippers. Xiao Lan, would you have the time to make me such a drawing?¡±


    Because it was in thanks for her efforts, Xiao Lan couldn¡¯t really refuse the gift. She immediately agreed to make Yun Ruoyan such a drawing as soon as possible. When she returned to the matriarch¡¯s quarters, Xiao Lan showed her the jade bracelet. The matriarch nodded and motioned for Xiao Lan to keep the gift.


    ¡°This child, she waited for all this time to ask that question, didn¡¯t she?¡± The Yun matriarch¡¯s eyes were shut, but she didn¡¯t feel as sleepy as before. ¡°Full siblings by birth, yet with no way tomunicate to each other¡­¡±


    Xiao Lan piped up, ¡°I think Miss Ruoyan¡¯s rather pitiful. She clearly misses her elder brother, but doesn¡¯t dare to ask about him outright. Madam, did you see how dejected she was when you told her that there wasn¡¯t any news?¡±


    The Yun matriarch sighed. ¡°Xiao¡¯er¡¯s stubborn by nature, and particrly protective of his sister. Three years ago, when he returned for a holiday, he severely injured his cousin Moyuan. If he were to find out that Ruoyan was expelled from the family academy, he¡¯d surely make a big fuss.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t the young master find out about it when he returns anyway?¡± Xiao Lan asked worriedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s different now.¡± The Yun matriarch began to smile. ¡°Ruoyan struggled hard and managed to get into Kongming Academy based on her own determination. With her intellect, she surely wouldn¡¯tin to him.¡±


    Back in Madam An¡¯s residence, Hong Yu finally found Ling Lan and brought her over. By the time she did so, Madam An was impatiently tapping her fingers against her tea table. ¡°Why are the two of you only back after so long?¡± she asked coldly.


    Ling Lan was her usual trembling self.


    ¡°Ma-Madam An, Xi Lan insisted on dragging me to the main kitchen to help make Miss Ruoyan a little soup while the cooks were having their mid-afternoon nap. She told me to help light the fire, and it was only after a full hour that I was free enough to leave.¡±


    Madam An looked at Hong Yu, who nodded in confirmation of Ling Lan¡¯s words. Only then did her face soften, and she continued, ¡°Did you put what I handed you in that soup?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± Ling Lan replied, her head still bowed. ¡°Whenever I have a chance, I put a little in Miss Ruoyan¡¯s food. However, because of the strong smell of the alcohol, I don¡¯t dare use too much in one go.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Madam An nodded and thought for a moment before she concluded, ¡°Keep doing what you¡¯ve been doing. You can return.¡±


    By this point, Ling Lan was so anxious that her heart was about to leap out of her mouth. This was the first time that she¡¯d lied to Madam An. Luckily, she¡¯d always seemed to be afraid of something or another, so she didn¡¯t have to hide how nervous she was.


    When Madam An finally dismissed her, she was tremendously relieved. She turned and was about to leave when she was called back.


    ¡°Here, this is for you.¡± Madam An handed a bag of fragmented silver taels to Hong Yu, who then passed Ling Lan the bag.


    ¡°Keep working hard for Madam An, and she won¡¯t mistreat you,¡± Hong Yu added.


    Ling Lan took the bag of money gratefully, bowing once and again, before Madam An finally dismissed her once more.


    In Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cottage, Peony and Xi Lan were doing embroidery.


    Ling Lan held a handkerchief in her hands as she sat gracefully on the bamboo bench. Mimicking Madam An, she parroted, ¡°How¡¯s Ruoyan doing? You need to keep a close eye on her and her servants in case they¡¯re doing anything untoward. Make sure you don¡¯t get caught!¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Ling Lan coughed drily, changed her posture, and raised her wrist. ¡°Here, this is your reward.¡±


    By this time, Peony and Xi Lan had long since put away their needles and were rubbing their stomachs as they tried to stopughing.


    ¡°My goodness, Ling Lan, you¡¯re really something!¡± Xi Lan clutched her stomach as she pointed a trembling finger at her. ¡°I thought you were an honest girl, but you¡¯re even more scheming than I am!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you,¡± Peony smiled at Xi Lan. ¡°It¡¯s all because you¡¯ve been teaching her the wrong things!¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan walked back with the redwood box, the first thing she noticed was her three servants allughing like madwomen.


    ¡°Care to share what¡¯s so funny?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled as she walked closer.


    Xi Lan immediately jumped up and repeated Ling Lan¡¯s motions. Ling Lan had long since stood up from the bench and was standing respectfully to the side, her head bowed and her cheeks flushed.


    Suddenly, Ling Lan raised her head and took out a bag of silver bits, which she handed to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Miss, this is what Madam An rewarded me with.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan went from the silver in her hands to her body. The Yun family servants had different uniforms based on their rank. Ling Lan was a third-rate servant, and she wore hemp. Her attire was rather tidy, but third-rate servants needed to get their own footwear. Ling Lan¡¯s slippers were well-worn and had been patched many times.


    ¡°Since she gave it to you, you should keep it. Get yourself a good pair of slippers,¡± Yun Ruoyan instructed.


    Miss cared even about her slippers? Ling Lan¡¯s heart warmed, and she almost began to cry.


    Meanwhile, back in Madam An¡¯s quarters, Madam An had summoned Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and Yi Qianying. ¡°We really can¡¯t let this demon do as she wishes,¡± Madam An began. ¡°Even the old madam¡¯s beenpletely brought over to her side!¡±


    Yi Qianying added, ¡°First, it was the crown prince, then the Yun matriarch. Next, will it be Father? Once everyone¡¯s bewitched by her, she¡¯ll control the entire family!¡±


    ¡°In that case¡­ in that case, what should we do?!¡± Yun Ruoyu began to panic. Everyone present despised Yun Ruoyan, but only she and Yi Qianying loathed her with bitter hatred.


    ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t you have someone put realgar wine in her food? Why hasn¡¯t it had any effect?¡± Yun Ruoyao asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that this demon¡¯s cultivation is so high that even ordinary realgar wine wouldn¡¯t have an effect,¡± Madam An replied heavily.


    ¡°Mother, what are we going to do?! You have to find a solution! We can¡¯t let her keep doing as she pleases!¡± Yun Ruoyu called out.


    Madam An looked askance at her, displeased by her ruckus.


    ¡°If ordinary realgar wine won¡¯t do the trick, then we just have to use something more potent.¡± Madam An¡¯s smile was sinister.


    Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and Yi Qianying perked up simultaneously. ¡°What¡¯s this something?¡±

 Chapter 95: A Daoist Spiritual Master

    <h4>Chapter 95: A Daoist Spiritual Master</h4>


    That afternoon, a curious visitor arrived by Madam An¡¯s quarters. That man looked normal in all respects: tall and thin, he had dark hair and an ageless face.


    He dressed as a Daoist priest, held a string of Buddhist prayer beads in his hands, and titled himself a master of both Daoism and Buddhism.


    ¡°Spiritual Master, please have some tea.¡± Madam An took the teapot from her maid¡¯s hands and poured him tea herself.


    The master did so in a lofty, imposing fashion before initiating the conversation. ¡°Madam, did you invite me here today because of the matter you describedst time?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Madam An sat by his side and responded, ¡°the realgar wine you provided didn¡¯t seem to be of much use against the demon. I believe her cultivation might be too high for regr methods to have much of an effect, and I¡¯ve invited you here to have a look at the demon for yourself, Master.¡±


    The spiritual master stroked his shiny beard as he listened to Madam An¡¯s words.


    Madam An could personally attest to his aplishments. Before she had gotten married, one of the red foxes that a concubine in the An household kept as a pet had morphed into a wild demon. This fox slept in the same bed as the concubine each night, gradually stealing away her vitality until her jade-like beauty crumbled to nothing but skin and bones.


    Madam An¡¯s father was particrly fond of this concubine, and he¡¯d summoned physicians from all over the county to try to treat her. However, the physicians all came up with the same conclusion: the concubine¡¯s body was exceptionally weak, and she needed rest and recuperation.


    When those physicians attended to the concubine, they couldn¡¯t help giving the old Master An strange looks. However, none of them dared suggest that the seemingly virile old man refrain from having too much sex with her.


    Despite her increased rest and consumption of all sorts of recuperative tonics, the concubine¡¯s body only got worse with each passing day. Within the household, rumors began to spread that the concubine had been possessed by a demon, and her body was failing as a direct consequence.


    Madam An¡¯s curiosity was so piqued by the rumors that she couldn¡¯t help sneaking a look at the concubine while no one was around. The womany in bed, her nkets drawn. Her body was paper-thin, her head almost skeletal. She tookrge, gulping breaths with her mouth open wide.


    Hidden behind the curtains, Madam An was terrified by that concubine¡¯s appearance. She was just about to turn and creep slowly away when she saw a red fox jump into her bed through the open window.


    Madam An recognized this red fox: the concubine¡¯s pet, one that she¡¯d had since she was a child. It was as fussy as a cat, and had been pampered so much that it wouldn¡¯t suffer anyone¡¯s touch. She watched as the red fox leaped onto the concubine¡¯s bed, before climbing down her neck and into her nkets. The thin, shapeless nket rose up as it tunneled down her body.


    Following that, the lifeless concubine suddenly began to move. Her zed-over eyes suddenly began to sparkle with life, and her gray-white skin turned a rosy red. Even more strangely, she opened her mouth wide and began to moan.


    The moans reflected both pain and passion, and the teenage Madam An was yet too young to understand what they signified. Regardless, her heart beat faster and her face began to flush as the concubine¡¯s moans grew more erotic.


    Just as she was at a loss as to what to do, a thunderous voice boomed from outside.


    ¡°Demon, know your ce!¡± A Daoist leaped in through the door, a sk of wine in one hand and a string of Buddhist beads in the other. With bright, spry eyes, he honed in on the bump under her nkets.


    When the fox heard the voice, it scrambled out of the nkets and tried to run.


    The Daoist tossed the string of beads in his hands like asso and promptly caught the red fox. ¡°To suck up someone¡¯s vitality through such a disgusting technique¡­!¡±


    Incredibly, the fox began to defend itself. It spoke in a particrly deep and maic male voice. It imed not to be a demon, but rather a spirit who had obtained insight into cultivation, one that had a chance of bing an immortal. As long as the spiritual master spared it, it surely wouldn¡¯t forget his gratitude once it achieved immortality.


    On the Chenyuan continent, humans weren¡¯t the only race who could absorb spiritual energy from the heavens. Any living creature would be able to cultivate. Through cultivation, they would be able to develop the intellect and emotions of humans; at that point, they were termed spirits. Continuing to cultivate would allow them to morph into humans, and, further along the path of cultivation, to even be immortals.


    Of course, these were mostly legends. Regr civilians had no chance of meeting the truly aplished cultivators, let alone the near-legendary demons, spirits, or monsters.


    The reason the red fox emphasized that it was a spirit, rather than a demon, was because the two types of mystical creatures were intrinsically different.


    Demons were departed souls left behind after a human¡¯s passing that had somehow managed totch onto a living creature. That creature could be a human, but also some sort of animal. Unlike spirits, demons couldn¡¯t use this living body to cultivate. Rather, they had to use alternative, usually cruel and malicious, techniques to extract vitality from other human beings.


    As a result, demons were by andrge a sly and treacherous lot. In order to exterminate them, a new profession had sprung up on the Chenyuan continent: the demon hunter, whose specialty was trapping and catching demons.


    This spiritual master was such a being. Ignoring the red fox¡¯s ims, the spiritual master stepped on its tail and poured the wine from his hand over its proney body.


    Madam An recalled hearing that red fox let out a pained scream before a gray, smoky substance began emanating from its mouth and nose. That smoke slowly congealed into the shape of a man, which was then sucked into the spiritual master¡¯s prayer beads.


    This was Madam An¡¯s first, and only, time seeing a demon hunter capture a demon.


    ¡°From your descriptions, Madam, this young miss does not appear to be a demon,¡± the demonologist concluded after hearing Madam An¡¯s recounting of the events.


    Madam An wasn¡¯t clear of the distinction between demon, spirit, monster, and mystical creature. Indeed, most folk were confused about these concepts. When she heard the spiritual master¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. After Yi Qianying conjectured that Yun Ruoyan was a demon, Madam An gradually became more and more convinced of this reality. When the spiritual master disagreed, she couldn¡¯t help but be shaken.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Spiritual Master,¡± Madam An hurriedly responded. ¡°There¡¯s no way that a person would be able to change so much in such a short period of time. In terms of her bearing and behavior, she¡¯s like a different person entirely! Furthermore, she¡¯s advancing so quickly in her cultivation that it¡¯s unbelievable. Unless she¡¯s been possessed by a demon or some other sort of creature, I can¡¯t think of any other possible exnation for these changes.¡±


    ¡°Madam,¡± the spiritual master asked as he put down his cup of tea and began to manipte his prayer beads, ¡°Have there been any strange murders in the capitaltely, or unusual illnesses?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Madam An responded, ¡°My husband¡¯s responsible for the going-ons in the capital, and I don¡¯t recall him bringing up any such cases.¡±


    ¡°Then this miss is surely not a demon,¡± the spiritual master concluded. ¡°And in that case, the realgar wine naturally wouldn¡¯t have any effect on her.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ then¡­¡± Having her worldview so suddenly disrupted left Madam An unable to respond coherently to the spiritual master¡¯s ims.


    ¡°But,¡± the spiritual master began once more, ¡°based on your descriptions, Madam, this miss does seem to be hiding some secrets. Would you allow me to meet her?¡±


    Within the pocket dimension, Yun Ruoyan was sitting cross-legged, floating in the middle of the space alongside Qiuqiu. The dense spiritual energy swirled in a vortex, and Yun Ruoyan was in its center. As she continued meditating, spiritual energy flooded into her body and was rapidly added to her spiritual vortex. As the white mist in her spiritual vortex became denser and more concentrated, Yun Ruoyan finally felt her spiritual vortex slowly starting to expand.


    Along with this expansion, she felt a dreadful lethargy.


    ¡°Mistress, qiu, Mistress!¡± Qiuqiu called out to her. ¡°Mistress, you¡¯ve been cultivating day and night! If you don¡¯t rest, you won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan finally opened her eyes and stopped meditating. ¡°Qiuqiu, I feel like my spiritual vortex was just starting to expand,¡± she replied tiredly. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to stop just when I¡¯m seeing some progress.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯ve been using so much spiritual energytely, Mistress. You need to be almost at capacity to be able to expand your spiritual vortex, so that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been having such a hard timetely.¡± Qiuqiu continued, ¡°In order to expand your spiritual vortex requires slow, steady effort, and you¡¯ve already been doing very well, Mistress.¡±


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan let out a faint smile.


    After her cultivation, Yun Ruoyan had Peony and Xi Lan prepare a bath for her so that she could rx and have a good sleep. As she soaked in the bathtub, Yun Ruoyan closed her eyes and probed the extent of her spiritual vortex, a small routine that she had been performing constantly over thest few days.


    When she felt the spiritual energy all around her, Yun Ruoyan would be particrly gratified with herself. Conversely, if she couldn¡¯t feel dense spiritual energy, she would begin to fret before cultivating as if her life depended on it until her spiritual vortex was full once more.


    After her bath, Yun Ruoyan prepared to sleep before beginning her fire-attunement spiritual training. However, as soon as shey down, she heard her maids shouting in the yard.


    The first thing she heard was the voice of Hong Yu, Madam An¡¯s head servant. She couldn¡¯t help but frown at her intentionally loud tone, designed to create a disturbance.


    ¡°Peony, how dare you! Madam An wants to see the second miss immediately. As a servant, how could you try to prevent her from doing so?¡±


    ¡°Miss Ruoyan is resting, and we can¡¯t bother her at the moment,¡± Peony replied, not backing down.


    ¡°How can she be resting when it¡¯s so bright outside?!¡± Hong Yu pointed an using finger at Peony and Xi Lan. ¡°If the old madam and master were to find out about this, you servants will be in trouble too! Hurry, call her over!¡±


    In the past, Hong Yu had frequentlye over to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s quarters to make a big ruckus, shielded as she was by Madam An. But now, even after Yun Ruoyan had regained some of her authority, she continued doing the same thing.


    Xi Lan stood by the side, her two fists clenched, ready to start pping Hong Yu the same way she had pped Xiangcao and Qiuhong the day they¡¯d gone to the Minghuang mountain.


    Just then, however, the door opened and Yun Ruoyan stepped out.

 Chapter 96: A Surprising Secret

    <h4>Chapter 96: A Surprising Secret</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan walked out of her rooms with furrowed brows.


    ¡°Second Miss, you¡¯re finally up!¡± Hong Yu was very pleased to see that Yun Ruoyan had finally been awoken by her ruckus. ¡°Madam An wishes to discuss an important matter with you in her quarters.


    But Yun Ruoyan pretended that Hong Yu didn¡¯t exist. Instead, she looked toward Peony and Xi Lan. ¡°It¡¯s so bright and early. Where did such a noisy, squawking birde from?¡±


    When Hong Yu heard herself described as a squawking bird, her face reddened, but she didn¡¯t dare to refute Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words.


    During this period of time, she¡¯d heard Madam An and the three misses discuss how Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t a human, and Xiangcao and Qiuhong had gossiped to her about how she had a strange power that inflicted direct pain to their hearts. As a result, she was still quite cautious around Yun Ruoyan.


    But just as Peony was about to reply, Xi Lan interrupted, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s indeed an obnoxious pest. Shall we beat it away?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded coolly.


    Xi Lan rolled up her sleeves and picked up a broom by the side of the cottage, smacking the handle against her palm as she prepared to wave it around.


    Startled, Hong Yu had no choice but to retreat. It had been quite a while since she hadste to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s residence. Not only had Yun Ruoyan changed, so had Xi Lan and Peony.


    Had Xi Lan and Peony also been possessed by demons? ¡°Xi Lan, how dare you hit me!¡± Forced back to the cottage¡¯s entrance, Hong Yu could only point at Xi Lan and shout with false bravado.


    As Xi Lan raised the broom in her hands high up in the air, she shouted, ¡°So what if I¡¯ve hit you? Do you think we¡¯re pushovers?!¡± She hurled the broom at Hong Yu, who was so scared that she yelled out in panic and leaped out of the cottage. Before she left, she shouted once more that Madam An was summoning Yun Ruoyan for an urgent matter.


    Xi Lan put her hands on her hips andughed loudly as she saw Hong Yu stumbling away.


    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s been quite a while since Madam Anst tried to cause trouble for you,¡± Peonymented. ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s up to this time?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. To deal with someone like Madam An, she had to face her head-on without trying to hide. ¡°Peony, help meb my hair. I¡¯ll be going to Madam An¡¯s residence.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned and headed back into her rooms to dress. Momentster, she emerged. In a lotus-colored gown and with a lotus-flower gauze patch on her cheek, Yun Ruoyan walked over to Madam An¡¯s residence.


    As soon as she stepped into the yard, she saw huge swathes of peonies. Their scent was overwhelming, as was their mistress, who was dressed in a mboyant, peony-red dress.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re here! Quick,e in. The sun¡¯s just about to start burning.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled as she let Madam An pull her inside. ¡°Mother, I heard Hong Yu say that you had an urgent matter that you needed me for. What¡¯s the problem?¡± Yun Ruoyan appeared to be gentle and affectionate. If Madam An wanted to pretend to be the warm, caring mother, then she would let her do so.


    When Madam An heard Yun Ruoyan¡¯s obedient voice, her scalp couldn¡¯t help but prick. Her gentle, smiling face suddenly reminded her of the red fox from her past. She immediately released Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, her expression equal parts terrified and fearful.


    ¡°Mother, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± Madam An patted her hair in an attempt to hide her difort before sitting down at her tea table. ¡°Come sit, Ruoyan.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was quite curious as to why Madam An appeared so difited today.


    Madam An instructed one of her maids to begin serving tea. When Madam An said nothing even after Yun Ruoyan had two sips, she finally asked, ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t you have an urgent matter that you needed me for? I still have to pay my respects to Grandmother today¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, the thing is,¡± Madam An began, ¡°My nephew went out hunting recently and gave me a red fox pelt as a gift. The color¡¯s too mboyant for me, so I thought I¡¯d pass it along. If you¡¯re interested, take it and have a vest or scarf made out of it.¡±


    She nced at Yun Ruoyan as she spoke, trying to detect any abnormalities in her appearance. Although the spiritual master had judged that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t, in fact, a demon, Madam An wasn¡¯t quite so certain.


    More questions popped up in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. Giving a fox pelt to her in the middle of the summer? ¡°Mother, you should leave such a wonderful gift for Ruoyao,¡± Yun Ruoyan countered. ¡°How could I ept it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve already given all your sisters part of it, so you can¡¯t refuse. Otherwise, people might think that I¡¯m prejudiced toward you.¡± Madam An signalled for Hong Yu to retrieve the pelt andid it out in front of Yun Ruoyan. The fiery-red fur was lustrous and attractive, indeed a top-tier pelt by all standards. ¡°Well, Ruoyan? Do you like it?¡±


    Madam An scrutinized Yun Ruoyan once more. Not quite understanding her intentions, Yun Ruoyan could only smile and decline cautiously, ¡°It really is quite charming, but I think it¡¯s too mboyant for me as well. Why not give it to Qianying? I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll love having more!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, it suits you just fine!¡± Madam An insisted. ¡°Won¡¯t it suit your phoenix-orchid gauze patch? Come winter, if you wear both this pelt and that gauze patch, you¡¯d look just like a phoenix from afar!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan really couldn¡¯t reject a gift from her mother withouting off as grossly impolite. In addition, she couldn¡¯t detect anything amiss with the pelt. After another bout of hesitation, she finally relented and epted it.


    As she left with the pelt in hand, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but wonder what hade across Madam An today. She looked at the pelt in her hands once more, frowning. It would be better to have Lin Qingchen take a look as well, just in case there was something that she¡¯d missed.


    After Yun Ruoyan left, the spiritual master stepped out from behind the curtains in Madam An¡¯s rooms. ¡°Well? She epted the pelt, didn¡¯t she? If she were possessed by a fox demon, she wouldn¡¯t have epted it so readily. In addition, she didn¡¯t seem to be panicking upon seeing the pelt at all.¡±


    ¡°Could my suspicions really be misced?¡± Madam An mumbled to herself. ¡°But she¡¯s clearly behaving like a different person entirely¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because she¡¯s finally wisened up to the error in her ways, or perhaps there¡¯s some other reason,¡± the spiritual master murmured, stroking his beard. Suddenly, he turned to Madam An. ¡°Madam, is there some other reason you¡¯re trying to get rid of this daughter of yours?¡±


    Not expecting the spiritual master to ask such a question, Madam An was temporarily caught unprepared. The spiritual master suddenly began tough. ¡°Did you know that demons have a surprising propensity to show up in noble households? After I¡¯ve caught so many of them, some things naturally be clear. Regardless of whether she¡¯s possessed or not, Madam, don¡¯t you want to get rid of her?¡±


    Only after some reflection did Madam An respond to the spiritual master¡¯s questions. With a calm expression stered on her face, she stated, ¡°The Yun family has always been well regted, and we can¡¯t have someone breaking this peace. That¡¯s why¡­¡± Madam An slowly turned to the spiritual master and continued earnestly and solemnly, ¡°Even if it¡¯s unclear what exactly that girl is, for the sake of the Yun family, I have to get rid of her!¡±


    Madam An finally revealed her true intentions, burdened though they were by a tenuous leap of logic.


    After hearing Madam An¡¯s solemn words, the spiritual master couldn¡¯t help breaking out intoughter. ¡°In that case, I can surely lend you a hand, Madam. I have only one condition.¡±


    ¡°As long as you can handle it, Master, money¡¯s not a problem,¡± Madam An replied anxiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t require money, Madam.¡± The spiritual master shook his head.


    ¡°In that case, what condition do you have in mind?¡±


    The spiritual master opened his mouth, his features screwed up as if he were about to cry. He slowly enunciated, ¡°I want the girl.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Madam An could hardly believe what she¡¯d heard. ¡°You want the girl, Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    The spiritual master¡¯s smile vanished, reced once more by grave dignity. In a low voice, he warned, ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t have to worry about this. I¡¯ll remove her from the Yun family, but I want her person.¡±


    Madam An looked at the spiritual master. After a moment, as if she suddenly realized something, a trace of anger seeped into her features, and the spiritual master¡¯s sanctified, priestly image crumbled to pieces in her mind.


    There wasn¡¯t a single good man in this world, and even Daoists¡­!


    This was a little too much for Madam An. No matter how she detested Yun Ruoyan, she was still a young miss of the Yun family, Yun Lan¡¯s child by blood. Even if she were to kill her, it would be a clean death. Allowing her to be defiled, however, was still a step too cruel for Madam An.


    ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling, Madam, then forget it.¡± The spiritual master began to walk out.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m willing.¡± Madam An finally overcame her mental hurdle. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t let Yun Ruoyan stay in the Yun family!


    ¡°Good!¡± The spiritual master turned toward Madam An, not a hint of his passion and excitement


    Showing on his face. When Yun Ruoyan entered the room, he had discovered a tremendous secret.


    This so-called demon was actually a legendary human furnace!


    The spiritual master wasn¡¯t a particrly talented individual. Except for his cultivation as a demaster and some experience at catching demons, he had no other skills to his name. Nevertheless, after many long years of cultivation, along with rare and esoteric methods, he had somehow advanced all the way to a peak ninth-rank demaster. He was only one small breakthrough away from the mythical tenth-rank, the apex of demaster cultivation!


    But that was almost impossible. As far as he knew, in the thousand years since the Chenyuan continent had first formed, no human had ever managed to ascend to tenth rank. He, just like everyone before him, would remain stuck at peak ninth-rank.


    But today, the spiritual master saw a route forward: Yun Ruoyan, the legendary human furnace.


    As long as he had the human furnace in hand, he would be destined to be the strongest cultivator in the world! The spiritual master was so excited by the prospect that he was even able to ignore the implications of the scathing nce that Madam An had shot him.

 Chapter 97: Something Fishy About the Beads

    <h4>Chapter 97: Something Fishy About the Beads</h4>


    After leaving Madam An¡¯s residence, Yun Ruoyan headed to her grandmother¡¯s quarters to y cards with her. As she left, Xiao Lan walked her out.


    ¡°Xiao Lan, I really like the designs you had someone send over yesterday,¡± Yun Ruoyan said softly as they walked alongside each other.


    The Yun matriarch had alreadyin down to rest. Xiao Lan nced back before replying equally softly, ¡°I¡¯m d you like them, Miss Ruoyan. It¡¯s really nothing impressive.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Lan, don¡¯t belittle yourself! You¡¯re the best at handicraft among all the servants!¡± Yun Ruoyan praised earnestly.


    Xiao Lan was an old maid who had been serving the Yun matriarch for quite some time, and was one of the highest on the servant hierarchy. More unusually, however, unlike Xiangcao and Hong Yu, Xiao Lan didn¡¯t misuse her authority. She was generous and kindly, intelligent and skilled at all aspects of being a maid. The Yun matriarch thought very highly of her.


    It was a pity that Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t had much opportunity to interact with her in her past life.


    ¡°Xi Lan likes handicraft as well, but it¡¯s unfortunate that she doesn¡¯t have anyone to learn from. Xiao Lan, if you¡¯re free, I¡¯d love it if you coulde over to my quarters and interact more with her.¡±


    Actually, Xiao Lan quite liked Xi Lan¡¯s personality and had taught her quite a bit in her spare time. When she heard Yun Ruoyan mention this, however, her expression turned a bit awkward. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t really leave the old madam¡¯s side. However, in the afternoon, she tends to take long naps. If it¡¯s fine with you, Xi Lan can find me then.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Xiao Lan, I¡¯ll thank you on Xi Lan¡¯s behalf!¡± Yun Ruoyan grabbed Xiao Lan¡¯s hand happily, excited to see that she was wearing the jade bracelet she had given her.


    This jade bracelet was one of the better pieces of jewelry that Lin Yuemei had left Yun Ruoyan. When Yun Ruoyan had asked Peony, she was somewhat unwilling to hand it over, saying that Yun Ruoyan really wouldn¡¯t have much to remember her mother by if she kept giving her jewelry away.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded her head seriously, but she felt that it was far better to have them being used and well cared for rather than being stuck inside a jewelry box.


    Her feelings for her mother wouldn¡¯t dissipate just because she didn¡¯t have any mementos of her. Instead, she would bury these feelings deep within her heart, sealed shut until the day her mother¡¯s poisoner was found!


    As Yun Ruoyan turned to leave, Xiao Lan called her back. ¡°Miss Ruoyan¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned back, a faint smile on her face.


    Xiao Lan took one step forward and murmured, ¡°There¡¯s news from your brother.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes lit up and her smile deepened as she tried to hide the excitementing from her heart.


    ¡°Xiao Lan, my brother¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan grabbed Xiao Lan¡¯s hands, so excited that she couldn¡¯t continue.


    ¡°The barracks sent back news saying that he¡¯s been granted leave, but it¡¯s not clear if he¡¯ll be able to make it back on time.¡±


    In others¡¯ eyes, it had only been three years since Yun Ruoyanst saw Yun Moxiao, but to Yun Ruoyan, it had been far longer than three years. In her past life, thest fond memory she had of Yun Moxiao was during her wedding to Pei Ziao, and herst nce at him was at his funeral. From then on, the siblings were never to see each other again. But now that Yun Ruoyan could see her doting brother well and hale once more, how could she not be excited?


    ¡°Thank you, Xiao Lan,¡± Yun Ruoyan repeated. After she left her grandmother¡¯s residence, she immediately headed to the Lin family in order to tell her grandfather the good news. Lin Zainan was naturally very happy: he¡¯d only interacted with his grandson as a baby. During those days, Lin Zainan was very busy with Lin family affairs, and had been traversing the entire continent. He hadn¡¯t had many opportunities to interact with Yun Moxiao, and by the time he was finally free, Yun Moxiao was already stationed at the army barracks.


    ¡°Wonderful!¡±


    Lin Zainan stroked his beard happily before sighing once more. ¡°I hope Xiao¡¯er will be able to stay home a few more days this time. When hest came back three years ago, I was absent once again, so all I remember of him is how he looked as a baby¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, I remember his face, I remember!¡± Lin Qingxue happily called out. ¡°When Cousin came by three years ago, he brought me a lot of tasty treats!¡±


    Lin Qingchen chuckled. ¡°I bet you only remember those treats and not Cousin¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°Definitely not!¡± Lin Qingxue refuted, ¡°He¡¯s very tall, even taller than Grandfather. When he¡¯s not smiling, he looks somewhat stern, but he looks really cute when he does smile.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± Lin Qingchen pretended to be amazed. ¡°You actually do remember him!¡±


    Three years ago, Lin Qingchen wasn¡¯t even ten years old. That she could remember so many details was clear evidence that she had a strong impression of this cousin of hers.


    Lin Qingchen also remembered Yun Moxiao, a tall youth with a sunny disposition.


    ¡°Grandfather, Cousin and Ruoyan look very simr. If Ruoyan were to dress up as a man, she would look like a miniaturized version of Cousin¡­¡±


    ¡°Like Ruoyan?¡± Lin Zainan couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows. ¡°It¡¯s not good for men to look too pretty.¡±


    After announcing the news, it was time for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pillmaking lessons once more. Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue had rushed to finish their homework in the morning, so they were permitted to stay and watch.


    Yun Ruoyan stood in the middle of the room, her hands outstretched. Two mes appeared on her palms. This was the first time that Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen saw Yun Ruoyan condense spiritual fire, and they opened their eyes wide in amazement.


    Lin Qingxue had no talent for pillmaking, and she had never been close to any sort of magical beasts since her childhood, so she likely didn¡¯t have talent for beast taming either. As a result, Lin Zainan had always focused on standard demaster and forgemaster training for her.


    On the other hand, Lin Qingchen had some talent for pillmaking. Although it wasn¡¯t a particrly outstanding talent, she was hardworking and diligent, and had developed a substantial body of knowledge with regards to both medicine and all sorts of magical beasts. As a result, Lin Zainan was confident that she would be able to make a name for herself with her talent. He was simply waiting for her to be a seventh-rank demaster so he could start training her as a pillmaster in earnest.


    Lin Qingxue was just there for the excitement, but Lin Qingchen was looking at her cousin very seriously. The two mes in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palms started to change, bing asrge as a fist before shrinking to a focused, needle-like me.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Lin Zainanmented. ¡°You¡¯re already able to change the size of these mes as will. How about changing the color and quality of your mes?¡±


    As soon as Lin Zainan spoke, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual fire went from red to orange, and then, after a little while, to yellow! This time, Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue weren¡¯t the only two opening their eyes wide. Even Lin Zainan and Yun Ruoyan were doubting what they¡¯d seen.


    The spiritual fire eventually died out, and Yun Ruoyan checked her spiritual vortex. It had be pure-white, and there was no trace of any fire-attuned spiritual energy left.


    ¡°Ruoyan, how did you do that?¡± Lin Zainan walked over, his tone expressing his shock and surprise.


    Yun Ruoyan blinked at Lin Zainan in a rather confused fashion.


    ¡°Grandfather,¡± she began, ¡°I also don¡¯t know how I was able to do that. In the morning, I didn¡¯t have any fire-attuned spiritual energy in my body, but while you were training me just now, I found that some fire-attuned energy had appeared out of nowhere.¡±


    Lin Zainan was stroking his beard absent-mindedly as he listened to her, but thisst point made him narrow his eyes.


    ¡°Thesest few days, I¡¯ve been fully focused on trying to absorb more spiritual energy and condensing it. I haven¡¯t had the time to train my spiritual fire, so I don¡¯t know how the quality suddenly went up another level and turned yellow!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Zainan were naturally suspicious of such miraculous gains: something that provided such rapid improvement was likely to incur equally massive drawbacks. How could excess spiritual energy have appeared out of nowhere? And how had her cultivation suddenly improved without training it? This was undoubtedly a very strange scenario!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing that Sister Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation¡¯s improving?¡± Lin Qingxue turned toward her sister. ¡°Why are they looking so stern?¡±


    Lin Qingchen¡¯s face had also turned serious. ¡°I heard Grandfather said that having your cultivation increase out of nowhere was a very rare situation that might arise from a block in your spiritual vortex.¡±


    This block referred to an inability to expand one¡¯s spiritual vortex further. In such a situation, there had been recorded cases of patients experiencing temporary boosts to their cultivation. Thus, experiencing such an unusual increase in cultivation wasn¡¯t a good sign. But the probability of something like this happening was vanishingly small. Was it really the case that it had happened to Yun Ruoyan?


    As Lin Zainan and Yun Ruoyan continued to think in silence, the Lin sisters couldn¡¯t help but panic.


    ¡°Qiu, qiu,¡± Qiuqiu suddenly piped up. ¡°Mistress, don¡¯t worry, your spiritual vortex is fine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine?¡± Yun Ruoyan rxed after hearing Qiuqiu¡¯s confirmation. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on, Qiuqiu?¡±


    Qiuqiu very much wanted to tell Yun Ruoyan about the qilin beads, but it didn¡¯t dare to reveal anything rted to Li Mo to her. Otherwise, if he were to find out, she might suffer! It could only wait for Yun Ruoyan to discover the secrets of the beads on her own.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, qiu. If it¡¯s not rted to your spiritual vortex, could it be because of some external source? Mistress, think carefully¡ªhave you encountered anything that might have increased your cultivation recently?¡± I might not be able to tell you outright, Mistress, but I can at least lead you down the right track! It¡¯s not my problem if you guess it on your own!


    ¡°You¡¯ve been with me all the time, so how could you not know if I¡¯ve encountered some spiritual object?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked quizzically. As soon as she spoke, however, she suddenly thought of something. Could it be¡­?!


    Yun Ruoyan immediately rolled up her sleeve and exposed her silver bracelet and the qilin beads. ¡°Grandfather, can you see if there¡¯s anything unusual about this string of beads?¡±

 Chapter 98: Unbelievable

    <h4>Chapter 98: Unbelievable</h4>


    When Lin Zainan saw the dull gray-brown color of the beads, he frowned. They didn¡¯t look special at all; indeed, they seemed no different from wooden beads one could find for a dime a dozen on the streets.


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Lin Zainan asked after not seeing anything special about the beads at first nce.


    ¡°I got it from the ughtering King,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. She might not volunteer information to her grandfather, but she didn¡¯t want to lie to him unless it was necessary.


    ¡°The ughtering King!¡± Lin Zainan looked at Yun Ruoyan, shocked.


    ¡°The man of legends himself?¡± Lin Qingxue sounded particrly excited, and her eyes were shining. She had loved to listen to stories about the ughtering King from Lin Bo when she was young. Rather than making her terrified, those war stories reeking of blood instead stirred up her passion.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one ughtering King on the entire Chenyuan continent.¡± Much unlike her sister, Lin Qingchen¡¯s tone and expression revealed a distaste for this man. Ever since she was a child, Lin Qingchen had been learning the art of medicine from Lin Zainan, treating the sick and bandaging the wounded. It was exactly because of this medical training that Lin Qingchen began to detest anyone that had anything to do with blood and death.


    ¡°When I went to the Liu family to y with Miss Liu, I heard her mention that the ughtering King himself attended the empress¡¯ flower-viewing party,¡± Lin Qingxue volunteered. ¡°I even heard that something happened between the ughtering King and Sister Ruoyan! Hehe, I¡¯ve always wanted to ask her about it, but¡­¡±


    Lin Qingxue nced at her sister nervously. She could hear the displeasure in her voice, but Lin Qingxue herself was still a fan of the ughtering King.


    Lin Qingxue was too young to have received an invitation, but Lin Qingchen was indeed invited to the flower-viewing party. However, she was unenthused by such gatherings, and had declined on ount of illness. Honestly, staying at home and taking care of her magical beasts was far more interesting than trying to impress a whole bunch of people she didn¡¯t care about!


    Lin Qingxue then looked toward Yun Ruoyan, her ardent gaze filled with her soul-deep passion for gossip. As soon as she heard about this rtionship between Yun Ruoyan and the ughtering King, she¡¯d told Lin Qingchen right away. If her sister hadn¡¯t stopped her, she would have immediately asked Yun Ruoyan about the matter and bragged about it to all her friends. After all, this was something that she thought was worth being proud of.


    However, Lin Qingchen told her that the ughtering King often acted erratically. He might have wanted to marry Yun Ruoyan then, but who knew whether he would suddenly change his mind and decide to kill her instead?


    As a result, it was better not to spread the news further, or even tell their grandfather about it lest he worry. This was why Lin Zainan, who rarely left the manor, only now heard about what had urred between the ughtering King and Yun Ruoyan during the banquet.


    His thoughts were almost the same as Lin Qingchen¡¯s: the ughtering King would often take inscrutable actions, and it was better not to think too much about them. However, what Lin Zainan was more worried about was the response from the Rong family.


    Although Rong Yuehong had been stripped of her cultivation by the ughtering King, Yun Ruoyan had yed a significant role in the affair. The head of the Rong family, Rong Tianling, was a small-minded man. He wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about Li Mo, so he¡¯d likely take things out on Yun Ruoyan instead.


    ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t worry. After all, I¡¯m still the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family. Even if he wanted to, Rong Tianling wouldn¡¯t be able to do much to me without a valid reason!¡± Yun Ruoyan assured her grandfather confidently.


    Lin Zainan didn¡¯t ask precisely how Yun Ruoyan had obtained the qilin beads from the ughtering King. All he said was that, even though the beads looked like nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that the ughtering King owned would be useless. Perhaps it was an artifact that helped with cultivation?


    Yun Ruoyan looked at the beads on her wrist. Suddenly, she was reminded that the annoying fellow seemed to have stopped bothering her for quite a while by now.


    Presently, Li Mo was on the way back from the Yue kingdom. Ten days ago, he¡¯d received news that a surviving descendant of the shamanic tribe from which the poison had originated had been found.


    After receiving this news, Li Mo had hurriedly left for the Li kingdom once more. Finally, from the wizened old shaman himself, he found out about the origins of the poison that had gued Yun Ruoyan and her mother.


    The origin of this poison was even intimately connected with another affair that Li Mo would otherwise never have assumed was rted!


    Two days passed in the blink of an eye. In these two days, Yun Ruoyan had spent a significant amount of time in her grandmother¡¯s quarters, knowing that her brother would immediately pay his respects to his grandmother as soon as he returned.


    However, Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t shown up.


    Early in the morning, while the moon was still high up in the sky, the Yun household was already bustling with movement. By the time the sun rose, everything had been prepared for the grand asion, and all that was left was the guests¡¯ arrival.


    Compared to a normal day in the Yun household, the Yun matriarch¡¯s residence was positively crowded today. Yun Ruoyan arrived even earlier than she did thest two days, but someone was already present.


    ¡°Mother, you look so lively dressed like this!¡± Madam An herself was standing behind the Yun matriarch andbing her hair.


    The Yun matriarch didn¡¯t like wearing red, but it wouldn¡¯t do to wear garments that were too in on such a grand asion. As a result, she wore a deep, sapphire-blue pleated dress, on which had been painstakingly sewn a thousand characters for longevity. Her sleeves and skirt were lined with gold thread and embroidered with auspicious omens, indeed making her shine with positivity.


    On the other hand, Madam An was dressed in a rich, red brocade. With herplicated, ornamental hairstyle, she even looked more the star of the show than the Yun matriarch was.


    The Yun matriarch looked at her descendants gathered all around her: Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, Yi Qianying, and a few other concubine-born granddaughters. They were all dressed vibrantly, each with dazzling hair ornaments of their own. Gathered together, theirbined appearance made one¡¯s head swim.


    Yun Ruoyan stood quietly by a corner. Although she was dressed in a festive pale red skirt, she seemed far less mboyantpared to the other girls all around her. Those who weren¡¯t paying attention would surely neglect her at first nce, but if they were to look carefully, they would have been astonished.


    Rather than having her dress steal the spotlight, it instead entuated her natural beauty. She wore a gauze patch about the same color as her flesh, revealing a youthful, feminine face that looked like a dewy flower bud.


    Her pale red dress outlined her supple, elegant form, introducing a few hints of maturity almost unbefitting her age. Somehow, she was able to meld it with her youthful innocence into a cohesive whole.


    The Yun matriarch nodded in satisfaction as she looked at Yun Ruoyan before turning to Madam An. ¡°It¡¯s good that everyone¡¯s dressed so vibrantly for a festive asion.¡±


    ¡°Grandmother, long may you live.¡± Suddenly, a purple-robed youth walked in and bowed toward the Yun matriarch.


    ¡°Oh, Moyuan.¡± The Yun matriarch bade him rise as she asked, ¡°When did you and your father get here?¡±


    Yun Moyuan stood erect as he replied, ¡°We rushed backte in the night. Father¡¯s outside speaking with Uncle, but I couldn¡¯t wait to greet you, Grandmother.¡±


    The Yun matriarch only had a single son and daughter by birth, but three concubine-born sons and two such daughters. Among these three sons, one was Yun Moyuan¡¯s father, Yun Feng, who was in charge of the family¡¯s businesses.


    Yun Feng was often travelling the kingdom. Because Yun Moyuan didn¡¯t have an outstanding talent for cultivation, he had focused on learning about trade from his father, and frequently followed him on his trips. After exchanging a few additional pleasantries with the Yun matriarch, Yun Moyuan moved to stand with Yun Ruoyao and the rest of the members of the Yun family of his generation.


    When his gazended on Yun Ruoyan, he was immediately enthralled. There were quite a number of beauties present: the girls in front of him, for example, were beauties among beauties. But the girl in the corner seemed to have an ethereal, distant charm¡ªenticing him, but forever out of his reach, just like a mirage.


    As if feeling his covetous gaze, Yun Ruoyan turned to him and revealed an expression of disdain.


    When Yun Moyuan saw her expression, he couldn¡¯t help but flush. He clearly wasn¡¯t aware of the changes that had urred to Yun Ruoyan in the few months that he¡¯d been gone. As far as he was aware, Yun Ruoyan was still an ugly wench, the ck sheep of the Yun family. How could she have any rtion to this beauty in front of him?


    ¡°Sister Ruoyu,¡± Yun Moyuan finally shifted his gaze away from her and whispered to Yun Ruoyu, ¡°Who¡¯s that girl dressed in pale red over there?¡±


    He was familiar with his uncles¡¯ daughters, but not his aunts¡¯.


    ¡°Cousin, be careful. That¡¯s a fox demon who¡¯ll drag your spirit away,¡± Yun Ruoyu reminded her cousin, having long noticed his starry-eyed infatuation.


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t joke with me! I¡¯m serious.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao turned to them and interjected, ¡°That¡¯s the same Yun Ruoyan you fought with just a few months ago, Cousin. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    ¡°What? Her!¡± Yun Moyuan couldn¡¯t help raising his voice.


    Yi Qianying looked over and sneered imperceptibly.


    Yun Moyuan rubbed his eyes with his sleeve before looking back at Yun Ruoyan. Finally, he thought he could see some of the features that reminded him of the ugly girl that he¡¯d once despised. Was it really her? How could it be? Wasn¡¯t she an ugly wench?!


    Yun Moyuan¡¯s disbelief expressed itself as a nk, vacant stare.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the guests to arrive,¡± the Yun matriarch announced. ¡°Don¡¯t wait for me; go have fun and mingle with your friends.¡±


    ¡°Cousin, aren¡¯t you going to head out with us?¡± Yun Ruoyu tugged on Yun Moyuan¡¯s sleeve, noticing that he was still a little dazed.


    He finally broke out of his reverie. After giving Yun Ruoyan aplicated nce, he finally followed the crowd out.


    ¡°Ruoyan, why don¡¯t you go y too? It¡¯ll be boring to stay with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not bored, Grandmother! I enjoy being by your side.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright, you.¡± The Yun matriarch smiled as she gazed at her beloved granddaughter. She had long since forgotten about the hideous birthmark that covered her face, and couldn¡¯t be more pleased to have such a lovely granddaughter by her side.


    Madam An seethed with hatred as she looked toward Yun Ruoyan. Yun Ruoyan, don¡¯t me me for being heartless. I wouldn¡¯t have to do this if it weren¡¯t for you!

 Chapter 99: Carry Her on Her Back

    <h4>Chapter 99: Carry Her on Her Back</h4>


    When the crowd left, peace and quiet reigned in the Yun matriarch¡¯s quarters once more. All the bustle and excitement had moved to the main gates. All sorts of carriages had filled up the rather wide street in front of the manor, leaving only a small trail in the middle for walking civilians.


    Yun Lan himself was standing by the front door weing guests. Suddenly, a male servant responsible for handling the carriages lowered his head and scampered through a side door. There, Housekeeper Wu was currently assigning servants to sort out the birthday gifts that the nobility had brought over. When he saw the servant passed by, he thundered, ¡°Stop right there! What if you knock over a guest in your rush?!¡±


    Only then did the servant raise his head, aggrieved. When he saw Housekeeper Wu walking over, he immediately began, ¡°Housekeeper Wu, quick, report to the master that Elder Rong¡¯s carriage is here. He¡¯s unwilling to stop by the roadside and insists on having it driven all the way to our front door. When I said that that wasn¡¯t possible, he pped me!¡± The servant turned his head to let Housekeeper Wu see the swollen flesh in the shape of a palm imprinted on his face.


    Luckily, Elder Rong hadn¡¯t used any of his spiritual energy, or the servant would have died on the spot. Even stripped of his status and position, Elder Rong would still be fearful simply because of his bossy and domineering personality. Knowing how serious the matter was, Housekeeper Wu immediately sought out Yun Lan.


    The smile that Yun Lan had stered on his face for half the day finally vanished. He¡¯d long since heard about what had happened at the flower-viewing party from Yun Ruoyao and the others, and had specially reached out to Yun Ruoyan as a result.


    Yun Lan knew that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s temper was getting fiercer and fiercer, and he wanted to take the opportunity to punish her and force her to curb herself, lest she stir up even more trouble for the family.


    But what Yun Lan hadn¡¯t anticipated was that Yun Ruoyan would be able to refute his usations so cleanly that he was at a loss for words. It was something he could clearly remember even now. He¡¯d told Yun Ruoyan to kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment, but she had asked what she had done that was worth punishing.


    Yun Lan criticized her actions as arrogant, extreme, and liable to cause enmity.


    ¡°In that case, Father, as a wife-born daughter of the Yun family, was I simply supposed to refuse Miss Rong¡¯s challenge in front of the entire Li nobility?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked straight into her father¡¯s eyes with no intention of backing down. ¡°Rong Yuehong was trying to maim or kill me. When she attempted to overwhelm me with spiritual energy, I could only resist. In the end, not only was she unwilling to relent, she even tried to assassinate me with a high-grade concealed weapon after the fight! If not for the ughtering King¡¯s assistance, I wouldn¡¯t be here speaking to you today, Father.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head was erect, her slender body straight. Her hands were clenched into fists, herrge, expressive eyes glistening with tears. She stared directly into Yun Lan¡¯s eyes, refusing to cry. ¡°Father, are you going to discard me the same way you did three years ago?¡±


    When she said this, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips curled up a little in a mocking smile. By the time Yun Lan noticed it and tried to scrutinize her expression carefully, it had vanished. What was left on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was only regret and misery.


    In the end, she had still found out about it. Probably from the Rong girl herself, Yun Lan thought.


    Three years ago, Yun Lan was on the cusp of a promotion for which Rong Tianling was a deciding factor. If he were to offend Rong Tianling, his promotion would undoubtedly be barred.


    At the time, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation had been dropping sharply, and the birthmark on her face also seemed to be worsening. After discussing the matter with the Yun matriarch, Yun Lan decided to temporarily abandon Yun Ruoyan to suppress Rong Tianling¡¯s anger.


    After his promotion, depending on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s situation, he would decide whether or not to bring her back to the academy. In the subsequent three years, however, Yun Ruoyan had only disappointed Yun Lan more and more. He was even considering whether to have one of his other daughters take her ce in the family instead.


    But, just recently, this second daughter that Yun Lan had almost forgotten about seemed to have morphed into a different person entirely. In terms of cultivation, appearance, and aura, she was iparable to her past self.


    Despite his excitement, Yun Lan had been suspicious of such radical changes, and had even had his own daughter investigated. Except for the fact that Yun Ruoyan headed to the Lin family quite often, she seemed no different from before.


    From this, Yun Lan concluded that Lin Zainan must have given Yun Ruoyan a high-grade pill that had fundamentally changed her for the better. This certainly wasn¡¯t anything bad for the Yun family, so he¡¯d allowed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s constant visits to the Lin family to continue.


    ¡°Master, what should we do?¡± The Rong family¡¯s carriage is blocking the east entrance, so no one there can enter.¡± Old Wu drooped his head, waiting for his master to think of a solution.


    Although Yun Lan had since received his promotion, the Rong family was still a force to be reckoned with in the Li kingdom, and he didn¡¯t yet have the resources he needed to have a falling out with them without repercussions.


    After thinking for a moment, he turned to Yun Feng, who was by his side. ¡°Fourth brother, I¡¯m going to head over to have a look, so please greet the guests in my ce.¡±


    The servant who had been pped guided Yun Lan to the east entrance, where arge carriage drawn by five horses was firmly blocking the road. Quite a few carriages were lined up behind therger one, but no one dared toin.


    Those who were in a hurry had already taken a detour to the other side of the road, but it was only noon. There were a considerable number of visitors still yet toe, and if everyone were to use the western entrance, then it would be blocked up as well.


    ¡°Elder Rong, my apologies for being unable to amodate you,¡± Yun Lan shouted toward the carriage from afar. He¡¯d infused spiritual energy into his voice, and his words were transmitted as clear as day.


    The curtains to the carriage were lifted up, and Rong Tianling poked his head out. His brows were thick, his eyes like a tiger¡¯s, his nose like an ox¡¯s. He had a full beard that was perfectly trimmed, and he was dressed in royal purple with gold and blue highlights.


    ¡°Official Yun, isn¡¯t this road a little too narrow?¡± Rong Tianling raised his eyebrows and mocked.


    ¡°My apologies, Elder Rong.¡± Yun Lan ignored Rong Tianling¡¯s tone and walked up to his carriage, smiling gently. ¡°Please leave the carriage and proceed on foot. I¡¯ll pay a house visit to you soon and formally apologize then.¡±


    Yun Lan was a stern man, but he would always have a disarming smile stered on his face in court. That was the smile he now used: a seemingly gentle, weing smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    Not long ago, Rong Tianling had sent some men to the Yun manor to condemn Yun Ruoyan¡¯s involvement in the ruination of his daughter, but Yun Lan had refused to see them on ount of work.


    When Rong Tianling then went to the pce toin, his sister, the empress,shed out at him about failing to properly discipline his daughter. Even the emperor, who had always been respectful to him, had seemedckadaisical and unenthused during his visit.


    Unable to take out his anger on either of them, he had nned to make a big fuss about the matter today at the Yun manor.


    Rong Tianling snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t mind getting off the carriage, but there¡¯s someone else in here who can¡¯t. What will you do about it?¡±


    Rong Tianling drew the curtains fully and revealed an almost-skeletal girl sitting deep in the recesses of the carriage. As soon as Yun Lan saw her, he began to frown.


    Her eyes were sunken, her skin yellow and waxy. She was thin and emaciated but draped in avish, ornate dress. Jewelry and ornaments were forcefully affixed to her patchy, clumped hair. She was a skeleton decked out in luxury, making a mockery of herself.


    ¡°Elder Rong, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Yun Lan finally stopped smiling. Today was the Yun matriarch¡¯s eightieth birthday, a festive and momentous asion¡ªbut Rong Tianling had brought this sickly, wretched girl with him and blocked the entrance to the Yun manor. No matter how skilled he was at hiding his emotions, this was a gesture of gross disrespect and ill fortune that couldn¡¯t go unanswered.


    Rong Tianling raised his voice and pointed at the sickly girl. ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize her, Official Yun? She¡¯s my daughter, my obedient Yuehong!¡±


    Yun Lan¡¯s frown deepened. When he looked carefully at the husk of a girl, he finally saw a few traces of the Rong family¡¯s eldest daughter, who had been as bossy and domineering as her father.


    But how had her appearance deteriorated so?!


    Rong Tianlingughed hatefully. ¡°You see? The reason my daughter¡¯s the way she is now is all because of your daughter, Yun Ruoyan! How could I have missed this opportunity to thank you and your daughter?¡±


    After Rong Yuehong had been crippled by Li Mo, she had remained as bossy as ever. However, now that she had be powerless, the other scions of the Rong family began to stand up against her. One day, when Rong Yuehong pped one of her obedient followers in anger, that girl who had never fought back actually pped Rong Yuehong back.


    How could Rong Yuehong take such humiliation? She rushed up intending to punish the offending party. In her anger, she had already forgotten that she was now crippled, whereas the other girl was still a fourth-rank demaster.


    Naturally, she was soundly defeated.


    What made Rong Yuehong even more frustrated was that all her past followers and admirers were crowding around the battle, taunting and mocking the once-illustrious girl.


    Like a poisoned needle, theughter embedded itself in her brain, making her wish for death.


    In the end, Rong Yuehong was dragged back home by her servants. She instructed them to find Rong Tianling: surely her father, who had always treated him like the jewel of his eye, would help her get revenge on them! But all she got was a scathing, icy-cold rebuke.


    That day, Rong Tianling had been snubbed at the pce. When he returned home to see Rong Yuehong beaten to within an inch of her life, crying to him for help, he lost his temper. After giving his daughter a vicious scolding, he expelled her from the family academy.


    Rong Yuehong sat dazed where her father had left her for half the day. When she finally came to her senses and realized that she had been expelled from the family academy, that she would soon be nothing more than a minor concubine, that all that awaited her was a life of taunting, mocking, and ridicule, her mind went nk.


    That night, the eldest daughter of the Rongsmitted suicide by poison. Fortunately or otherwise, however, one of her servants found her in time. Rong Yuehong¡¯s life was saved, but her body had been ruined by the poison coursing through her body.


    Suddenly, Rong Yuehong opened her tightly shut eyes. Her mouth was wide open as she made a few strange, gurgling sounds in her throat.


    ¡°Daughter, what do you want?¡± Rong Tianling immediately put his ear against her mouth, trying to understand her more clearly. Soon afterward, he raised his head again and looked toward Yun Lan. ¡°I don¡¯t mind getting off my carriage, but my daughter wants Yun Ruoyan to carry her to the manor!¡±

 Chapter 100: I’ll Carry Her!

    <h4>Chapter 100: I¡¯ll Carry Her!</h4>


    While Rong Tianling was making a fuss by the entrance of the Yun manor, Yun Ruoyan was ying a simpler variant of go with her grandmother. This was a variant that Yun Ruoyan had developed herself. It remained interesting while being far less taxing, and she¡¯d had great sess introducing it to her grandmother thesest few days.


    ¡°Oh, Grandmother, no, I¡¯ve changed my mind!¡± Right after Yun Ruoyan put down a stone, she immediately wanted to undo her move.


    ¡°No, you¡¯ve put it down already!¡± The Yun matriarch smacked Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palm as she tried to grab the stone back.


    ¡°Grandmother, won¡¯t you relent just once?¡± Yun Ruoyan pleaded with puppy eyes.


    As expected, the Yun matriarch relented. In a huff, she emphasized, ¡°Just this once, you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, just this once.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes twinkled as they met Xiao Lan¡¯s, who was standing behind the Yun matriarch.


    Just then, a servant hurriedly ran into the pavilion and stated that the master was summoning Yun Ruoyan. Yun Ruoyan nced at the man, whose expression instinctively told her that this wasn¡¯t about to be a pleasant summons.


    Without raising her head, she replied casually, ¡°Is it something urgent? I¡¯m ying go with Grandmother at the moment. Would it be fine if we finished this game first?¡±


    The servant rubbed his hands nervously. ¡°No, Miss, the master wants you to go immediately!¡±


    Before Yun Ruoyan could respond, the Yun matriarch mmed the stones in her hand on the board. ¡°What¡¯s so urgent that it has to interrupt my eightieth birthday celebration?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my goodness!¡± The servant was so frightened that he knelt down and recounted the entire sordid affair, even revealing his own half-swollen face to the Yun matriarch and Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Pshaw! That Rong Tianling was a dirtbag even as a child, but I can¡¯t believe he hasn¡¯t matured in all this time,¡± the Yun matriarchmented. She knew about what had happened during the flower-viewing party because Yun Ruoyan had told her herself. ¡°He dares try to interrupt my birthday celebration for this?¡±


    The Yun matriarch stood up immediately, and Yun Ruoyan scrambled to help support her. ¡°Grandmother, please be careful.¡±


    The Yun matriarch patted at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand and continued benevolently, ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t be scared. Whoever dares bully you today is disrespecting me. Come, let¡¯s head to the entrance of the manor together.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew that the celebrations wouldn¡¯t go smoothly, but she hadn¡¯t expected the problems to start so early on. Since this wasn¡¯t an event she could afford to miss, her safest choice was to stay by her grandmother¡¯s side throughout the entire celebration. That was why, during thesest few days, she had either been cultivating in her rooms or spending time with her grandmother ying cards or go.


    Her goal was to get her grandmother used to herpany, until she expected to see Ruoyan daily. At the start, Yun Ruoyan was simply making use of her grandmother¡¯s authority, but after a period of time, she found that she actually did enjoy spending time with her grandmother.


    Slowly, her feelings became genuine.


    The Yun matriarch got on a pnquin, and Yun Ruoyan stood behind her. The procession followed the servant all the way to the entrance.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Whose carriage is that blocking the eastern entrance?!¡± a guest who had just arrived asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s Elder Rong¡¯s carriage, and it¡¯s been there for quite a while,¡± someone jumped in.


    ¡°Elder Rong!¡± The first guest had a shocked expression on his face as he continued in a whisper, ¡°How did someone like Official Yun manage to enrage that tyrant?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? During the empress¡¯ flower-viewing party, the ughtering King crippled the eldest daughter of the Rongs for the second daughter of the Yuns, Yun Ruoyan! Naturally, that tyrant can¡¯t handle the ughtering King himself, so he¡¯s here to make a fuss with the Yuns.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that too excessive? It¡¯s the Yun matriarch¡¯s birthday!¡±


    ¡°That tyrant wants everyone to see what¡¯s going on, of course! The crown prince and the ughtering King haven¡¯t yet arrived, but when they do, sparks are going to fly. Just you watch!¡±


    Along with a growing crowd, the crown prince slowly made its way to the Yun manor.


    Li Qianxiao didn¡¯t want to attend the celebration at all. Because of what had urred during the flower-viewing party, Li Xiu had punished him with two weeks of house arrest, and he was all gloomy by the time his punishment was over.


    Furthermore, the Yun manor had two girls he didn¡¯t ever want to see again. One was Yun Ruoyan, and the other, Yi Qianying. Despite all this, the empress had forced him to attend. If it were under usual circumstances, it would be fine if he feigned illness, but while the repercussions from the flower-viewing party lingered, he had to be on his best behavior.


    Luckily, the second prince Li Qianyuan had finally returned to the pce and was very happy to be attending the celebrations with him. The two brothers rode from the pce, surrounded by an escort of imperial guards, toward the Yun manor.


    ¡°Brother, is that second daughter of the Yuns really as frightening as you im she is?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Li Qianxiao responded without hesitation. ¡°It would be fine if she were ugly all around, but if you look at her with her gauze patch on, she looks like an incredible beauty. But as soon as she takes it off¡­ it¡¯s like watching a fairy transform into a female ghoul! If I weren¡¯t so daring, I¡¯d have be ill from the shock!¡±


    ¡°Really, that frightening?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you. You¡¯ll see for yourself once we get closer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really quite interested. I wonder if she¡¯s more frightening than the female demons roaming the eastern seas?¡± Li Qianyuan raised his slender eyebrows. He looked more feminine than the rest of his brothers, having inherited his father¡¯s almond-like eyes. His skin was fine and his features elegant; when he smiled, he looked more charming than many a noble girl.


    When Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t arrived despite a significant wait, Rong Tianling began to get anxious. Almost like a gossipy woman, he asked, ¡°Official Yun, is your daughter afraid of crowds? I¡¯ve heard that she¡¯s unbelievably ugly. She tried to seduce the ughtering King himself during the flower-viewing party, jumping into his embrace before then refusing his advances. I¡¯m sure word of this incident has spread far and wide to everyone gathered here!¡±


    Yun Lan peered once more at Rong Yuehong, still within the carriage. Your daughter looks far more ghastly than mine, but she¡¯s right here. What does Ruoyan have to fear? But he didn¡¯t want to give the crowd more to talk about.


    When he saw that Rong Tianling was still about to speak, Yun Lan continued mildly, ¡°The ughtering King himself will be here today. Elder Rong, you should be careful with your speech: it wouldn¡¯t do for you to provoke the ughtering King himself, would it?¡±


    When he heard this, Rong Tianling snapped his jaws shut awkwardly.


    ¡°Master, Master, I brought her here!¡± Finally, the servant with the half-swollen face appeared with Yun Ruoyan in tow. He was shouting as he ran, and by the time he reached Yun Lan¡¯s side, he was wheezing.


    ¡°What took so long?¡± Yun Lan asked


    The servant clutched his stomach and gulped his saliva as he continued, ¡°Master, the old madam¡¯s here as well.¡±


    As soon as he said this, the Yun matriarch¡¯s voice could be heard from a distance. ¡°I heard Elder Rong¡¯s here to celebrate my birthday, but that he¡¯s blocking the entrance and refusing to enter. Has my Yun family somehow offended him?¡± she called out as her pnquin moved slowly forward.


    The Yun matriarch¡¯s voice rang out bright and clear, not at all sounding like that of an eighty-year-old woman. When she was young, she had been a rather talented cultivator, and had even reached peak eighth-rank. Despite her advanced age, she still retained some of the authority of the strong.


    Only then did Rong Tianling deign to get off the carriage and bow toward the Yun matriarch. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m not trying to be unreasonable, but I¡¯ve been wronged!¡±


    The Yun matriarch snorted. ¡°Well, go find whoever wronged you! I heard that the one who crippled your daughter at the flower-viewing party was the ughtering King. Coincidentally, the ughtering King has epted my invitation and will be at my celebration today. You have my blessings to discuss this matter with him then.¡±


    Everyone knew that the ughtering King was the true culprit, but the Yun matriarch was the only one who dared to point that out.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, the Yun matriarch¡¯s words are reasonable,¡± someone finally piped up by the site of the blockade.


    ¡°Elder Rong, you¡¯re looking for the wrong person. Since the culprit himself hasn¡¯t shown up yet, could you move aside and let us through?¡±


    ¡°It would be terrible if the banquet couldn¡¯t start at an opportune time for the celebration, Elder Rong, so please let us through.¡±


    A ruckus began to spread by the dissatisfied carriages that had been forced to wait behind the ostentatious Rong carriage.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of that!¡± Vexed by the crowd, Rong Tianling resorted to brute strength.


    With a wave of hisrge palms, a strong spiritual energy emanated from his hands. That spiritual energy morphed into a huge gust of wind, fanning out the curtains and disying the sorry, wretched sight of Rong Yuehong for all to see.


    As soon as the crowd saw the girl in the carriage, there were gasps of astonishment all around. So much wealth flowed through the capital that even the beggars ate well, and no one had seen such an emaciated, ghastly figure.


    ¡°That¡¯s my daughter! My daughter, reduced to this sorry state just because she fought with Yun Ruoyan at the flower-viewing party! Everyone, have you had a good look?! Who else should I seek out but the Yun family?!¡±


    ¡°My goodness, what happened to her?!¡±


    ¡°She used to be so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°I apanied Miss Rong up the Minghuang mountain not a few months ago, and she was still a sight to behold then! How did something like this happen just because she attended a party?!¡±


    When they saw Rong Yuehong¡¯s figure, they couldn¡¯t help but pity the poor girl. In the carriage, Rong Yuehong began to make more gurgling, strangled noises.


    Rong Tianling immediately leaped back into the carriage before nodding intently. He then turned toward Yun Ruoyan, who had been standing quietly by the Yun matriarch¡¯s side. ¡°Although Yuehong was hurt by the ughtering King, this ultimately resulted because of her duel with Yun Ruoyan, the source of her grudge. Now that Yuehong looks like this, the only reason she braved this trip today was because she wanted Yun Ruoyan to carry her on her back to resolve her grudge. Is the Yun family unwilling to make even such a small, reasonable concession?!¡±


    ¡°She really is quite pitiful, isn¡¯t she? The eldest daughter of the Rongs, reduced to such a state!¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s particrly heavy, so it should be fine, shouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡ªit doesn¡¯t look like she has long to live, at any rate.¡±


    Crowds naturally sympathized with the weaker party, and the momentum was in Rong Yuehong¡¯s favor.


    Yun Lan had long since be exasperated by Rong Tianling¡¯s antics. Now, hemanded, ¡°Ruoyan, go carry her.¡±


    The Yun matriarch hesitated. She certainly wouldn¡¯t let any harme to her beloved granddaughter, but if the Rongs just wanted her to carry Rong Yuehong on her back for a little, this didn¡¯t seem too troublesome. As a result, she also advised, ¡°Ruoyan, how about you do it?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled scathingly. ¡°As you will, Father, Grandmother.¡±

 Chapter 101: Angered to Death!

    <h4>Chapter 101: Angered to Death!</h4>


    Almost everyone found it eptable for Yun Ruoyan to carry Rong Yuehong on her back. After all, Rong Yuehong did appear quite pitiful. Given that Yun Ruoyan did have some role to y in Rong Yuehong¡¯s downfall, wasn¡¯t it reasonable for her to carry out Rong Yuehong¡¯s request?


    All that Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch were considering was whether or not they could quickly resolve the matter, and Rong Yuehong could hardly hurt Yun Ruoyan with everyone watching.


    The only thing that Yun Ruoyan had to do was carry the skeletal Rong Yuehong a few steps. Then, the Rong carriage would stop blocking the eastern entrance to the Yun manor, all the other carriages stuck behind the blockade could finally move forward, and the banquet could proceed as nned.


    No one really cared about how Yun Ruoyan herself felt about the matter. Carrying someone as ghastly as Rong Yuehong on her back? Someone whom she detested, and who detested her in turn? Even with her past life¡¯s experience, Yun Ruoyan still found this to be a humiliating and nauseating affair.


    She slowly walked toward the carriage. Surely Lin Zainan wouldn¡¯t have allowed her to suffer such abject humiliation! It was lucky that Li Mo wasn¡¯t here; she would have hated for him to see her sorry figure now.


    Arge group of scions from the Yun family were standing near the entrance to the manor, some whispering, some silent, and someughing and enjoying the show. Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and Yi Qianying watched on without hiding their amusement at Yun Ruoyan.


    By this time, Li Qianxiao and Li Qianyuan had reached a nearby intersection. From a distance, they could see a crowd gathered near the road to the Yun manor. Li Qianxiao wanted to send someone forward to drive the crowd away, but Li Qianyuan quickly stopped him. ¡°No, no! If there¡¯s such arge crowd ahead, there must be something going on. How about we go watch too, Brother?¡±


    And so the two brothersmanded their escort to remain behind as they proceeded forward on foot.


    Li Qianxiaomented, ¡°What¡¯s there to watch? I heard the Yihong brothel just imported a shipment of female ves from the Mo kingdom. How about I treat you to that lovely view tonight, hmm?¡±


    There were four kingdoms on the Chenyuan continent: Li, Yue, Chen, and Mo. The Li and Yue kingdoms were the most powerful; Li had the strongest military might, and Yue thergest merchant coalitions. Chen was close to the eastern seas, from which they routinely found all sorts of rare treasures. Mo was barren, but filled with beauties. Any established brothel on the Chenyuan continent would have female ves from Mo.


    When Li Qianyuan heard Li Qianhan¡¯s words, however, he simply smiled, leaned over, and covered his mouth with a folding fan as he whispered a few sentences to Li Qianxiao.


    ¡°Really?¡± Li Qianxiao looked toward Li Qianyuan, his face filled with undisguised shock and delight.


    ¡°When have I ever lied to you, Brother?¡± Li Qianyuan pointed at the sky with his fan. ¡°I promise you¡¯ll be satisfied.¡±


    They squeezed into the crowd. Because they weren¡¯t dressed formally, no one paid them much attention; instead, everyone¡¯s attention was on Yun Ruoyan at the front.


    ¡°Look, that¡¯s Yun Ruoyan.¡± Both brothers were tall, and Li Qianxiao was easily able to spot the girl. But as he pointed at her, he began to frown. ¡°What¡¯s she doing?¡±


    Li Qianyuan looked in the direction that Li Qianxiao was pointing and saw her carrying another well dressed girl on her back.


    ¡°There are so many servants standing around. Why aren¡¯t they doing anything?¡± Li Qianxiao continued.


    When a youth by his side saw the two princes, he gaped and immediately tried to bow, but Li Qianyuan motioned him to stop. The youth froze for a moment, terrified, before beginning to blush.


    By this time, Yun Ruoyan had gotten Rong Yuehong on her back and was beginning to walk toward the front doors of the Yun manor. She continued smiling gracefully, hiding all her emotions deep within her heart. To the crowd, it looked as if she were perfectly calm and bearing no ill will to Rong Yuehong. The Yun matriarch nodded in satisfaction, and even Yun Lan felt that his daughter could be counted on in a pinch.


    Just then, Rong Yuehong began to cough forcefully. A curious, rotting stench emanated from her mouth and assailed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s nostrils.


    ¡°Ha, haha.¡± She made a few guttural sounds before continuing hoarsely, ¡°Yun Ruoyan, the reason I look like this is because of you! Do you know what all my pastckeys said to me? That I¡¯m worthless, no better than dog shit, a withered husk of a girl! Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯ll suffer retribution for doing all this to me!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Yun Ruoyan, who had remained silent the entire time, finally began to speak. In an equally low tone, she began, ¡°Miss Rong, I¡¯ve heard all these remarks time and time again. I¡¯ve even heard worse¡ªshall I repeat them to you?¡±


    She intentionally slowed down as she continued, her whispers in so hushed a tone that only Rong Yuehong could hear her. ¡°No matter how noble your birth, you¡¯re ultimately the one in control of your life. If you don¡¯t take advantage of your resources, then you would have fallen into dire straits even if you were the crown princess herself! If there¡¯s anyone to me, it¡¯s yourself¡ªyour blind eyes, your perverse heart, your dim-witted mind! That¡¯s why, Miss Rong, rather than ming others for your downfall, you¡¯d best reflect on your own actions! What have you done in all these years as the eldest daughter of the Rong family?!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ no, I¡¯ve done nothing wrong, nothing wrong at all!¡± Rong Yuehong was so enraged by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words that tremors wracked her entire body. Even if she refused to admit her wrongdoing, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words prated her soul. Thesest few days, she¡¯d med herckeys, her father, even heaven and earth. All this me was now concentrated on one target: Yun Ruoyan.


    In Rong Yuehong¡¯s mind, Yun Ruoyan was the one who had orchestrated her downfall. If not for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s presence, she would still have been the talented eldest daughter of the Rong family, the geniusuded for her cultivation. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appearance had ruined everything, and she herself had done nothing wrong.


    ¡°Has no one ever mentioned anything like this to you?¡± Yun Ruoyan continued. ¡°Ever since your childhood, you¡¯ve been called a genius. Who would dare tell you to reflect on your own actions, to understand their consequences? Well, I¡¯ll give you a lesson out of kindness, Miss Rong. Your downfall was due to your pride and arrogance. During the flower-viewing party, did Yun Ruoyao incite you to pick a fight with me?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ how did you know?¡±


    At the time, Yun Ruoyan was paying particr attention to the fact that, while Yun Ruoyao and Rong Yuehong conversed, they were also covertly sneaking nces at her. When Rong Yuehong challenged her, it must have been on ount of Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°My dear sister loves manipting others, and she naturally wouldn¡¯t let go of so pointed yet brainless a tool as you. Being so idiotic that you would let someone manipte you so simply is your first mistake, Miss Rong. Your second mistake was to imagine that everything would have continued as it was even after being crippled. Rather than exercising restraint, you picked a fight you knew you would lose.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could easily picture the crippled Rong Yuehong still trying to act bossy and domineering, followed by an ignominious defeat at the hands of her once-underlings.


    ¡°Even without your cultivation, you would still have been the eldest daughter of the Rong family, and your father would have continued doting on you. You could easily have begged him to find a good groom to marry you off to¡ªand if you didn¡¯t want to marry anyone, he would hardly have forced you. But you, you chose the method that would be harshest on yourself: consuming poison! This was your third mistake!¡±


    By some trick of fate, the stench from Rong Yuehong¡¯s breath was exactly the same as the poison that Yi Qianying and Pei Ziao had fed her in her past life.


    ¡°Worse, even after you decided to kill yourself, you chose to do it in a location where someone easily found you! And here you are now, revived in agony, halfway between human and ghost. This was your fourth mistake, Miss Rong!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ no, you¡­ I¡­ I¡¯ve done nothing wrong! It¡¯s all¡­ it¡¯s all your¡­ I¡­¡± Rong Yuehong¡¯s face, originally a waxy yellow, now became the deep purple of pork liver. She had spoken in a stuttering fashion, as if she were constantly out of breath, but now it took her long seconds just to choke out a word.


    ¡°Rest a little, will you?¡± Yun Ruoyan mocked her and continued, ¡°Three mistakes would have killed a regr person, Miss Rong, but you¡¯re well past your fourth! Aren¡¯t you tired? Save your breath and rest, and you might even end up rebirthing like I did.¡±


    Rong Yuehong¡¯s present circumstance was very simr to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s past: a wife-born daughter, robbed of her status and designated as trash, then forced to ingest poison. But others had schemed against Yun Ruoyan, and the one who had schemed against Rong Yuehong¡­ was herself.


    ¡°But even if you were to live again, with this sort of personality, you¡¯d still end up reliving your tragedy!¡± Yun Ruoyan continued mercilessly. ¡°With your blind eyes, your perverse heart, and your dim-witted mind!¡±


    By this time, Rong Yuehong had be so incensed that her body felt as if it were burning up. With thest of her energy, she raised her head high. Like a monstrous beast, she seemed as if she would take a bite out of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s slender neck at any moment.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Rong Yuehong shouted to the skies so hoarsely that it seemed her vocal cords would break. Then she raised an arm and wed at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, her slender fingers pulling off her gauze patch and revealing the fake birthmark on her cheek.


    Rong Yuehong waved her hands around madly, trying to use her remaining life to deal Yun Ruoyan a vicious blow.


    Subconsciously, Yun Ruoyan tried to fling her off, but the thin and emaciated Rong Yuehong held on tightly to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body as though she were a squid. In a blink, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face became bloody.


    Clearly, no one in the crowd had anticipated Rong Yuehong¡¯s sudden bout of madness.


    ¡°Xiao Lan, go help Ruoyan out.¡± The Yun matriarch¡¯s gaze had been fixed on Yun Ruoyan. Although she couldn¡¯t hear their conversation, she noticed Rong Yuehong¡¯s increasing agitation and eventual outburst.


    Xiao Lan hurriedly ran over and somehow managed to drag Rong Yuehong off Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan¡­ I¡­ I won¡¯t forgive you¡­!¡± The ornaments affixed to Rong Yuehong¡¯s hair came loose, and her gown was in shambles. As the Yun servants took hold of her, she called out, ¡°Yun Ruoyan, even as a ghost¡­ I will¡­ pull you down with me!¡±


    With a final exmation, Rong Yuehong¡¯s heart gave out. She spurted out a mouthful of blood, her body fell limply to the ground, and she died.

 Chapter 102: Grudge

    <h4>Chapter 102: Grudge</h4>


    ¡°My daughter!¡± As Yun Ruoyan carried Rong Yuehong to the Yun manor, Rong Tianling had been standing beside Yun Lan andining about his resentment and discontent. He had hurriedly run over as soon as he heard his daughter¡¯s enraged shouts, but it was already toote.


    By the time Rong Tianling was at Rong Yuehong¡¯s side, she had already been forcefully pulled off Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back. Quickly afterwards, she fell to the floor, spurted out blood, and stopped breathing. Till the very end, her gaze was fixed on Yun Ruoyan.


    Rong Tianling curled his arms around his daughter¡¯s dead body as he sobbed. Then he suddenly raised his head, and his piggish eyes shot daggers at Yun Ruoyan. Hatefully, he cried out, ¡°Yun Ruoyan, did you kill my daughter by underhanded means! I won¡¯t spare you!¡±


    ¡°Elder Rong, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Xiao Lan supported the Yun matriarch as she walked over, blocking Yun Ruoyan with her own body. ¡°Everyone here can serve as witnesses that it was your daughter who first struck Ruoyan!¡±


    Rong Tianling hadn¡¯t seen what had urred and wasn¡¯t satisfied by the Yun matriarch¡¯s exnation. ¡°Yuehong consumed a high-grade spiritual pill that will prolong her life. The physician himself told me that, as long as she takes good care of herself, she could easily live another three to five years! How could she have died so suddenly? Yun Ruoyan must have done something ignoble!¡±


    ¡°Elder Rong, I¡¯ve been considerate to you out of pity for your daughter, but I won¡¯t allow you to frame my family without any evidence.¡± Yun Lan also stood in front of his daughter, but he turned around to peer at her as soon as he finished speaking. In that nce, Yun Ruoyan could clearly see the suspicion in his eyes.


    ¡°Grandmother, I really haven¡¯t done anything!¡± As if scared, Yun Ruoyan stood up and hid behind her grandmother, clutching her right cheek as she did so.


    The Yun matriarch patted her hand. ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m right here.¡± She instructed Xiao Lan to pick up the gauze patch, clean it, and re-affix it to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face. Then, she turned toward Rong Tianling with a pair of gleaming eyes unbefitting her age. ¡°Everyone here saw how your daughter died! Do you still insist on ming Ruoyan?!¡±


    Murmurs had rapidly circted amidst the crowd regarding Rong Yuehong¡¯s death.


    ¡°How did Miss Rong die just now? Did any of you see? Was it Miss Yun¡¯s doing?¡±


    ¡°No, Miss Rong suddenly went crazy, attacked Miss Yun, then died!¡±


    ¡°Right, I saw it too. After scratching Miss Yun¡¯s face, she was pulled off her body, spat out blood, and then passed away!¡±


    That Miss Rong didn¡¯t look like she had long to live, at any rate. Did she deliberatelye by the Yun family as an ill omen?¡±


    ¡°Even though she¡¯s a wife-born daughter of the Yun family, that Miss Yun didn¡¯tin at all about carrying Miss Rong on her back! And Miss Rong¡¯s bossy and domineering personality clearly hasn¡¯t changed at all, sick though she might be. I¡¯m sure she intended on making a big fuss but died because her body was too weak!¡±


    ¡°Right, right. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t do a thing!¡±


    Quite a few bystanders had once been bossed around by Rong Tianling, and they immediately began making a fuss upon seeing an opportunity to take revenge. Someone even shouted, ¡°Elder Rong, Miss Rong has already passed away! You¡¯d better bring her corpse back home and prepare for her funeral!¡±


    ¡°How can you continue standing here, blocking the way and disrupting the Yun family¡¯s celebration? Isn¡¯t that too much?¡±


    Not only had Rong Tianling lost his daughter, the crowd hadpletely turned against him. When he heard the scathing remarks insulting him and his daughter, his face shed red and green. He could no longer suppress the anger and resentment that had been building up, and his hands wed at Yun Ruoyan.


    In that moment, Yun Ruoyan could see a few motes of spiritual energy beading around his palms, and she could tell that Rong Tianling was an early ninth-rank demaster.


    Yun Ruoyan was only at peak seventh-rank herself, and she could only condense a meager amount of spiritual energy outside her body. On the other hand, Rong Tianling¡¯s palms had already gathered an egg-shaped ball of light, revealing the clear difference between their abilities.


    ¡°Grandmother, watch out!¡± Yun Ruoyan knew that Rong Tianling¡¯s attack was aimed at her. At a time like this, she surely couldn¡¯t hide behind her aged grandmother. Bracing herself for the blow, she stepped in front of the Yun matriarch.


    As Rong Tianling¡¯s blow struck at her, Yun Ruoyan spread her arms wide and closed her eyes.


    ¡°How dare you hurt my family!¡± At that moment, Yun Lan¡¯s voice rang out beside her, and then she heard an explosion resulting from the sh of opposing spiritual energies.


    The resulting shockwave broke against Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, making her skin smart. Her eyes remained shut as surprised gasps came from the crowd all around her.


    When she finally felt the spiritual energy dissipate, Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes once more. Yun Lan was shielding her with his body, his back straight. To Yun Ruoyan, he had never been more imposing.


    On the other hand, Rong Tianling was clutching his chest, his waist bent and his face pale. Clearly, he had suffered from Yun Lan¡¯s counterattack.


    ¡°And to think he¡¯s the brother of the empress himself! How could someone like him dare to attack a girl and the elderly? It¡¯s shameful, utterly shameful!¡±


    ¡°Disgraceful! He¡¯s ruining the name of the imperial family!¡±


    Before Yun Lan could say a word in rebuke, the crowd had already begun vilifying Rong Yianling.


    Li Qianxiao was hiding behind his brother, afraid that Rong Tianling would spot him in the crowd and divert attention to him. Although this uncle of his had an impressive cultivation, his behavior was so tyrannical that even he, as the crown prince, could hardly stand him at times. His cousin, Rong Yuehong, was an exact replica of her father. That she had been reduced to such a state and still tried to target Yun Ruoyan spoke volumes, and her death was rightly deserved.


    ¡°Second brother,¡± Li Qianxiao whispered, ¡°there¡¯s an entrance on the west side, so let¡¯s take a detour that way.¡±


    Li Qianyuan was staring closely at Yun Ruoyan, who continued standing in front of the Yun matriarch. When he heard Li Qianxiao speak to him, he mumbled, ¡°She¡¯s truly someone to be reckoned with.¡±


    ¡°To be reckoned with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Yun Ruoyan. She¡¯s not as naive as she appears.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, she¡¯s frightening! Oh, but her birthmark doesn¡¯t look as bad now.¡± Only then did Li Qianxiao turn his attention to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face.


    Now that she both had to cultivate and apany the Yun matriarch, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have much time for herself. In order to save time and make herself feel morefortable, she¡¯d begun using less ointment when preparing her fake birthmark. As a result, it did look smaller and fainter, and was far less foreboding than before.


    Yun Ruoyan felt that, since she had a gauze patch to cover her face with, no one would be able to see it anyway. Even if they did, no one would take a careful nce at something so disturbing.


    When Rong Yuehong had batted away her gauze patch, Yun Ruoyan had still carefully covered her cheek up with her hand. After all, everyone knew that she was hiding a birthmark, and no one would pay attention, surely?


    No one besides the crown prince, that was.


    ¡°It really did get smaller!¡± Li Qianxiao gasped as he scrutinized it carefully. It was then that he remembered Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words: her birthmark would slowly vanish as she used her grandfather¡¯s medication. Initially, Li Qianxiao had thought that that was a lie, but was it actually true? He couldn¡¯t help but start to regret spurning her.


    Rong Tianling finally stopped panting. ¡°You¡¯ve got a far better cultivation than I expected, Yun Lan.¡±


    Since Yun Lan was a schrly official, he rarely had the desire or opportunity to end up fighting with others. Regardless, he had focused on his cultivation, knowing that it might well be his trump card given the current emphasis on martial skill in the Li kingdom. Rong Tianling simply hadn¡¯t expected that Yun Lan was already a mid-ninth-rank demaster.


    Yun Lan snorted. ¡°Elder Rong, if you¡¯d like a duel, I¡¯d be happy to humor you some other day. Please, leave with your daughter so that I may celebrate my mother¡¯s eightieth birthday. If you still have a grievance with Ruoyan, you may present it to the emperor himself.¡±


    Yun Lan was a shrewd man. Before his promotion, he had been at Rong Tianling¡¯s beck and call, so Rong Tianling had never thought much of Yun Lan. However, he had well and truly lost to him today.


    Rong Tianling¡¯s greatest asset was his domineering strength, but Yun Lan had soundly beaten him even in that. ¡°I¡¯m not as skilled as you are, I admit, but I will seek revenge for my daughter.¡±


    Rong Tianling finally left with his daughter¡¯s body in tow.


    ¡°Apologies for the disruption, honored guests.¡± After Rong Tianling left, Yun Lan cupped his hands and faced the crowd, though no one seemed all too upset by the show.


    The Yun matriarch went back to the manor. Rather than returning to her quarters, she sat in the seat of honor at the great hall, pulling Yun Ruoyan with her all the while.


    ¡°Ruoyan, let me see whether you¡¯ve been hurt anywhere.¡± The Yun matriarch looked Yun Ruoyan up and down as she spoke. When Yun Ruoyan had risked her own body to shield her against Rong Tianling, she had been very touched by her granddaughter¡¯s gesture.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, Grandmother,¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°Just a scratch on my face, but my gauze patch will hide it.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡± The Yun matriarch nced at her granddaughter once more, her eyes flecked with guilt. ¡°Ruoyan, are you upset that your father and I told you to carry Rong Yuehong on your back?¡±


    The Yun matriarch had clearly detected the fleeting emotions in her eyes right before she agreed to do so.


    ¡°Grandmother, I was indeed a bit upset at first. However, both of you shielded me when I was in danger. It¡¯s clear to me now that both Father and you truly do care about me, so how can I still remain upset?¡±

 Chapter 103: A Calm Veneer

    <h4>Chapter 103: A Calm Veneer</h4>


    How could Yun Ruoyan not be upset by the humiliation? It was simply that she had died harboring such a deep resentment for Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying that this matter paled inparison.


    Of course, Yun Ruoyan knew full well that the Yun matriarch and Yun Lan would readily discard her if the family would benefit from doing so. Although she would mock them for doing so, she wouldn¡¯t be particrly surprised or hurt.


    Perhaps her hard work had raised her status in the Yun matriarch and Yun Lan¡¯s hearts, but she was nothingpared to the integrity and longevity of the family as a whole. At most, they would feel a little guilty about sacrificing her as a pawn.


    Yun Ruoyan was very clear that harboring grudges wouldn¡¯t bring her anything good: Rong Yuehong was a perfect example of this. Only when she used her grievances as a driving force to propel herself forward in cultivation, when she grew so strong that no one could control her, would she truly be free.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± The Yun matriarch reached out and helped smooth Yun Ruoyan¡¯s somewhat tangled hair.


    Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, Yi Qianying, and the other scions of the Yun family stood not far away from their grandmother. When the three sisters saw how much their grandmother cherished Yun Ruoyan, their faces were all somewhat ugly. At the entrance to the Yun manor, they had been carefully scrutinizing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s actions, and were almost certain that Yun Ruoyan had killed Rong Yuehong with her demonic arts.


    Despite the fact that Rong Yuehong¡¯s death had incited Rong Tianling even further, the Yun matriarch and Yun Lan stood in front of Yun Ruoyan without hesitation. If this were to happen in the past, Yun Ruoyan would surely have suffered, but now¡­


    That demon¡¯s ridiculous! It seems like Grandmother and Father have been wholly bewitched by her. If we don¡¯t get rid of her, we¡¯ll never have peace and quiet in the Yun household again! Why isn¡¯t Mother here yet? Didn¡¯t she say that she¡¯ll bring someone over to get rid of her? The three sisters all thought the same thing, and they all craned their necks as they tried to search the crowd for any sign of Madam An.


    ¡°Old Madam Yun, may you enjoy boundless longevity,¡± the crown prince greeted the Yun matriarch as he entered the great hall.


    ¡°Crown Prince, you¡¯re too polite.¡± The Yun matriarch hurriedly got up and bowed to him.


    ¡°Old Madam Yun, please sit. You¡¯re the star of the show today!¡± Li Qianxiao quickly replied. No matter his character, he had perfected the art of etiquette after an entire lifetime of training. ¡°I¡¯m simply here to join in the celebration, so please, there¡¯s no need to be overly courteous, everyone.¡±


    Dressed in a light purple robe and adorned with a jade crown on his head, the crown prince smiled effusively. He looked the part of a gentlemanly young master, and it was almost enough to make one forget his wretched appearance at the flower-viewing party.


    ¡°My greetings to you, Crown Prince.¡± When Yun Ruoyan saw that Li Qianxiao had turned to stare at her, she couldn¡¯t help bowing.


    ¡°Please be at ease, Ruoyan.¡± Li Qianxiao stepped forward, his face full of smiles as he helped her up. Yun Ruoyan was unaware that Li Qianxiao, thinking that her birthmark was slowly vanishing, had once again been enticed by her stunning beauty.


    She found it exceedingly strange that he was so attentive to her: after all, she had thoroughly scared him that night at the pavilion. Even during the flower-viewing party, this crown prince hadn¡¯t dared to give her a single nce. What had changed between then and today? While she was lost in her thoughts, Li Qianxiao¡¯s hand had ended up on her wrist. She immediately stepped back, disgust shing through her face.


    Yun Ruoyu nudged Yi Qianying, motioning at the sight. Yi Qianying nced at Li Qianxiao coolly before lowering her head once more, her face remaining impassive all the while. Yun Ruoyu frowned, very much displeased by Yi Qianying¡¯sck of attention to her would-be groom.


    Ever since Li Qianxiao entered the room, Yun Ruoyu¡¯s gaze had been stered on him. Seeing that Li Qianxiao seemed to be interested in Yun Ruoyan, she guessed that Yun Ruoyan had made him infatuated with her demonic arts. But her word would hold no weight, so she nudged Yi Qianying in an attempt to have her make a move. She hadn¡¯t expected Yi Qianying not to care at all.


    ¡°Crown Prince, now that your betrothal with Qianying has been settled, doe by the Yun family more often to cultivate your rtionship with her,¡± the Yun matriarch began.


    Li Qianxiao nced at Yi Qianying, her head still studiously fixed to the ground. A sudden sense of vexation came over him¡ªhaving already had sex with her, he now found her as interesting as a dish of stewed mustard greens.


    Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t reveal his vexation. A smile still on his face, he replied, ¡°Of course, Old Madam Yun. I¡¯ll definitely head to the Yun manor more often in the future.¡±


    Going to the Yun manor would certainly be necessary, but as for whom he would cultivate a rtionship with¡­ well, that would be up to him.


    Li Qianxiao could hardly imagine Yun Lan minding if one of his daughters were to end up the crown princess. If she were without that ugly, disturbing birthmark, Yun Ruoyan would have been the perfect bride. Her strength, her status, her beauty¡ªhonestly, Li Qianxiao couldn¡¯t find any fault with her!


    ¡°Ha, haha.¡± Just then, a young master with a folding fan in his handughed behind Li Qianxiao. He bowed toward the Yun matriarch. ¡°Old Madam Yun, I¡¯m honored to be able to attend the festivities.¡±


    After staring at that young man for a moment, the Yun matriarch smiled even more broadly. ¡°Second Prince, when did you return to the capital?¡±


    ¡°Just yesterday, Old Madam Yun. I rushed to make it back before your birthday, and it looks like I¡¯ve seeded,¡± he replied familiarly.


    This was the first time that Yun Ruoyan had seen Li Qianyuan, and she couldn¡¯t help sneaking a few additional nces at him. He looked very much like the current emperor Li Xiu, especially with regards to his almond-shaped eyes. Unlike Li Xiu, however, he seemed to look a little feminine. Perhaps because he had had a strong female influence in his life, his mannerisms and expressions took on a gentler, softer aspect. In his case, it was subtle enough that it added to, rather than diminished, his charm.


    As Li Qianyuan greeted the Yun matriarch, one of his servants brought out a long, rectangr case, which he presented to her himself. ¡°Old Madam Yun, this is a present for you.¡±


    He opened the case slowly in front of the Yun matriarch, revealing a jade-white scepter.


    It was well-known that the Yun matriarch was very appreciative of scepters. The present that Yun Ruoyan prepared for her birthday was a brocade quilt with a scepter motif, precious more in the design and implementation than the actual item itself. However, inparison with this pristine, pure-white scepter in front of her, it seemed like an insufficient gift.


    Li Qianyuan lifted the scepter out of its box and ced it in the Yun matriarch¡¯s hands. ¡°Old Madam Yun, do you like this gift?¡±


    The scepter was as lustrous as jade, but didn¡¯t seem to have the right texture for it. Indeed, when she picked it up, it even felt somewhat cool to her hands. With some shock, the Yun matriarch looked toward Li Qianyuan. ¡°Is this made of pearl?!¡±


    When the crowd heard her exmation, everyone appeared equally shocked. Even Yi Qianying, whose head had been drooping like that of a dead chicken, craned her neck for a better look.


    ¡°Old Madam Yun, you¡¯re really quite discerning.¡± Li Qianyuan folded his fan up and tapped it against his other palm. ¡°While I was on an ocean voyage in the Chen kingdom, I caught a gigantic mussel spirit. I had a jade scepter ced inside it, and then retrieved it a yearter.¡±


    ¡°My goodness! What a rare, precious gift! My deepest thanks, Second Prince.¡± The Yun matriarch¡¯s face seemed to turn into a chrysanthemum as her face wrinkled when she smiled broadly.


    ¡°Naturally, Old Madam Yun.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t expected that the second prince would be on such good terms with the Yun matriarch. In her past life, she hadn¡¯t been close with her grandmother. During this eightieth birthday celebration, she had shown her face once or twice before hiding in a corner. As to what else had urred during the celebration, or who else had shown up, she wasn¡¯t clear.


    When Li Qianyuan felt Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze, he turned toward her. His narrow, gleaming sent shivers down Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spine, but by the time she reacted, his eyes revealed nothing but mirth.


    Yun Ruoyan only hesitated for a moment before smiling back at him.


    After greeting the Yun matriarch, Li Qianxiao and Li Qianyuan headed to a side of the reception hall and began speaking with court officials, while the Yun matriarch allowed the scions from the Yun family to disperse and intermingle. In the end, only Yun Ruoyan, Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and Yi Qianying were left by her side.


    For Yun Ruoyan, by the Yun matriarch¡¯s side was the safest ce for her to be; the other three girls had to stay by Yun Ruoyan to prevent her from running off before Madam An could finish her preparations.


    As afternoon came, another group of guests showed up to the Yun manor. Feeling that the reception chamber was too loud, the Yun matriarch retired to a side chamber to rest, and the four girls followed suit.


    Just as the Yun matriarch had settled herself on afy couch, Pei Ziao suddenly walked in. As usual, Pei Ziao had a steel scepter for the Yun matriarch, even more finely crafted than the one he had previously presented to her. Inparison to Li Qianyuan¡¯s pearl scepter, however, it was nothing interesting.


    The Yun matriarch instructed Xiao Lan to store it without giving it a second look before exchanging a few pleasantries with Pei Ziao. He said that his father was engaged in conversation in the main reception chamber, so he was here to bottle up some of her wisdom and good luck on his father¡¯s behalf.


    As he spoke, he constantly looked towards Yun Ruoyan, who ignored him.


    Ever since the flower-viewing party, Pei Ziao had sent a few servants in search of Yun Ruoyan. Allegedly, the tiger-canine arrows had been crafted, but Yun Ruoyan would have to pick them up from the Pei household herself.


    She knew that Pei Yingxiong and Pei Ziao likely thought her too meek to reveal the secret about the thousand-herb valley, since she hadn¡¯t already done so. After all, that was a secret precious even to the imperial family. If she were to reveal it, then she would be held ountable along with the Pei family.


    From the beginning, Pei Yingxiong had realized this point. In order to be safe, however, he¡¯d tasked Pei Ziao with ensuring that Yun Ruoyan would keep mum. Now that he¡¯d all but confirmed this, he had nothing left to fear.


    Yun Ruoyan had no intention of stepping back into the Pei household. She had plenty of ideas as to how to let Pei Ziao¡ªeven Pei Yingxiong himself¡ªbring her the items that she¡¯d bargained for, but it wasn¡¯t yet the right time to use those tricks.


    Yun Ruoyan turned to nce at her three sisters, all sitting together. Although they tried to calm themselves down, Yun Ruoyan could clearly make out their fidgeting and slight expressions of unease, as if they were plotting something.


    If they wanted to put on a show to embarrass themselves, Yun Ruoyan would naturally cooperate.

 Chapter 104: Accident

    <h4>Chapter 104: ident</h4>


    Coincidentally, the day Yun Ruoyan left Madam An¡¯s residence with the fox pelt in tow, she ran into Xi Lan and Ling Lan on the way to the storeroom to retrieve some silk. The girl and her two servants hadughed a little about the entire affair.


    Not long after, as Xi Lan and Ling Lan returned to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s residence with the silk in tow, they saw the spiritual master walking down the path that Yun Ruoyan had been on. Xi Lan didn¡¯t pay the stranger much heed, but Ling Lan did.


    Because she was often sent in for questioning by Madam An, she was very familiar with the paths and passages close to Madam An¡¯s residence. That was the path that led directly to Madam An¡¯s quarters, and Ling Lan took note of him.


    Why had a Daoist priest followed Yun Ruoyan out so quickly after she had left Madam An¡¯s quarters? Yun Ruoyan had only told them that Madam An had given her a fox pelt out of nowhere, but she hadn¡¯t mentioned the presence of a priest at all!


    When they returned to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s rooms, Ling Lan quickly informed Yun Ruoyan of the incident.


    Yun Ruoyan had also found her encounter with Madam An quite unusual: she could sense an unfamiliar presence during their talk, but she had only thought it a new servant. When she heard Ling Lan¡¯s report, it became quite clear that the stranger she had sensed was this unusual Daoist priest.


    At the time, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t realized why Madam An had summoned a priest. Although she was quite curious, she didn¡¯t press the matter further.


    When she next went to the Lin estate, Yun Ruoyan brought the fox pelt and the wine that Ling Lan had given to her. Lin Qingchen confirmed that the fox pelt was not only perfectly safe, it was even a somewhat precious treasure: it hade from a fox with some achievement at cultivation.


    Humans weren¡¯t the only species gifted with the ability to cultivate: any living creature could, and once such a creature was able to convert the spiritual energy from the heavens into a form it could use, it was termed a spirit beast. Naturally, the pelt from a fox spirit was far more precious than that from an ordinary fox.


    When Lin Qingchen heard that the pelt was given to her by Madam An, however, she too felt that there had to be some problem she hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Next, Lin Qingchen sniffed the sk of wine and quickly pronounced it to be realgar wine. It wasn¡¯t alcohol brewed for consumption: only demon hunters knew how to make it, and, as a result, it wasn¡¯t widely avable on the market. Such wine could only be bought at a high price from a demon hunter.


    Regr folk might have heard of realgar wine, but they surely wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford any. At any rate, it was a preciousmodity. This was the first time that Yun Ruoyan herself had seen it. Lin Qingchen even told Yun Ruoyan that realgar wine, consumed in small quantities, would actually boost her physique.


    But why would Madam An task Ling Lan with putting such a precious substance in her food? She couldn¡¯t be trying to make amends, could she?!


    ¡°She thinks you¡¯re a demon, of course!¡± While Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen remained puzzled by the series of events, Lin Qingxue had solved the mystery. Although her two sisters had been ignoring her presence, Lin Qingxue had heard every word of their conversation.


    Lin Qingxue loved stories about demons, beasts, spirits, and all sorts of mythical creatures. She would often pester her grandfather and Lin Bo about such stories, and the storyteller who spoke at length about demon hunters in the teahouse was an old friend of hers.


    As a result, Lin Qingxue knew far more than her sisters did about mysticism and the ult, and she naturally understood the intent behind Madam An¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, your stepmother must think that you¡¯ve been possessed by a fox demon!¡± Lin Qingxue exined. ¡°First, she tried to get a servant to pour realgar wine into your food to make you show your true form. When it wasn¡¯t effective, she called in an old priest to deal with you. This fox pelt must have been to frighten you into revealing your demonic origins so that priest could have gotten rid of you.¡±


    Lin Qingxue¡¯s words made Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen gape. When Yun Ruoyan thought back to her recent interactions with Madam An and her curious fear of her, she was all but able to confirm Lin Qingxue¡¯s hypothesis.


    After realizing Madam An¡¯s ploy, Yun Ruoyan did nothing. Although she did die and return to life with a vengeance, it had nothing to do with demons. No matter what sort of demon hunter Madam An sent after her, it would all be a farce.


    But coincidences happened more often than one might expect in the world, and the spiritual master was one such coincidence. Not only did he realize that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t a demon, he had even identified her as a human furnace, a legendary presence that he might not have met even once in a millennium.


    In a side room by the reception chamber, the spiritual master was impatiently waiting to snatch Yun Ruoyan up and begin to cultivate with her.


    ¡°Spiritual Master, the time is nigh,¡± Madam An attempted to cate him. ¡°You¡¯ll soon be able to reveal her for the demon that she is in front of the entire gathering, and then you can both increase your fame and reputation while snatching her up!¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s no demon,¡± the spiritual master corrected. ¡°In fact, not only is she not a demon, she¡¯s a rarity I¡¯d be lucky to possess!¡±


    When the spiritual master said these words, his eyes were half-lidded, as if he were lost in his desires.


    Madam An had be greatly disturbed by this seemingly ascetic old man, but she still maintained a polite facade. ¡°Spiritual Master, if she¡¯s not a demon, how do you n on capturing her in front of the crowd?¡±


    This was what worried her most.


    Rather than replying, the spiritual master waved a hand at Madam An. She suddenly saw a fox emerge from within his sleeve, a fox with fiery red fur, almost as if the fox pelt that she had given to Yun Ruoyan hade back to life.


    The fox wed at Madam An¡¯s head as soon as it emerged, and she was so scared that she leaped to the floor.


    ¡°Spiritual Master, please save me! The fox spirit¡¯sing for me!¡± Madam An clutched her face as she called out.


    But the man onlyughed. ¡°There¡¯s no need to fear, Madam. This is only a little trick of mine, and it won¡¯t be able to harm you at all.¡±


    Madam An slowly removed the hands covering her eyes: indeed, the fox had vanished. ¡°Where is it?¡± She looked all around her.


    The spiritual master shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s never been a fox spirit. I simply have the ability to conjure one up, or to mask a perfectly normal human as a demon.¡±


    Eight hundred miles from the capital, a few half-breed ming steeds were galloping in haste. One of the riders was the ughtering King, Li Mo.


    ¡°ughtering King, with your injury, you should refrain from using any spiritual energy,¡± a ck-robed man quickly advised. Seeing that he was about to miss the Yun matriarch¡¯s banquet, Li Mo was about to try to fly on his sword instead.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, ughtering King, it¡¯s only a banquet, and you¡¯ll be fine even if you¡¯re a littlete,¡± another ck-robed man advised.


    Li Mo looked toward the capital, his icy-cold eyes narrowing. His spiritual vortex had been recently injured, and the injury was rapidly growing worse as a result of his harsh riding the past few days. If he were to employ an ability as taxing as flight, it would significantly worsen the state of his body.


    The best thing for him to do would be to rest, but a niggling, ominous difort gued his mind.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that the old shaman who¡¯d possessed the information he was searching for would choose to self-destruct in order to take Li Mo down with him. Luckily, he had noticed the attempt early enough to be able to escape without too severe an injury, but two of the guards that had travelled with him weren¡¯t as lucky.


    Outside the entrance to the Yun manor, Yun Lan was standing and waiting for more guests to show up. It was almost past noon, and the guests were mostly assembled. They were simply waiting for an auspicious hour for the start of the banquet.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s almost time for the banquet to start. Why don¡¯t you head in and prepare?¡± Housekeeper Wu walked out from the manor and urged him inside.


    Yun Lan waved his hands at him, ignoring him and continuing to wait. A momentter, Yun Feng walked out. ¡°Brother, the banquet¡¯s almost about to start! Why are you still here?!¡±


    ¡°The ughtering King isn¡¯t here yet.¡±


    ¡°Did he state that he woulde?¡±


    Yun Lan nodded. ¡°I met him in the pce, and he asked me about the uing banquet. I personally delivered an invitation to his manor, and he promised to attend. But why isn¡¯t he here yet?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know about the ughtering King¡¯s personality? Just because he promised toe doesn¡¯t mean that he¡¯ll actually do so,¡± Yun Feng replied. ¡°At any rate, Brother, you should head inside. Mother¡¯s already seated, and we¡¯re all waiting for you to start the ceremony. If you tarry, you¡¯ll miss the most auspicious timing!¡±


    The etiquette for which the Li kingdom was famed naturally came into y during such a formal asion. The head of the household would lead all its descendants in kowtowing to the person of honor at the start of an auspicious hour. This so-called auspicious hour referred to the time at which the person of honor was born, and the Yun matriarch was born right after noon.


    Yun Lan nced up at the sky once more before huffing in exasperation, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head inside.¡±


    The great hall was filled to the brim with guests, and the Yun matriarch naturally sat at the seat of honor. Her descendants, in order of seniority, filled up the tables ahead of her. All of them were standing, preparing to kowtow to the matriarch.


    Including the concubine-born, the Yun matriarch had seven children in total. Her eldest daughter had passed away, and the two concubine-born daughters had been married off to nobility in the Yue and Chen kingdoms. Neither of them were able to rush back in time for the celebration.


    Madam An stood at the very front. Next were her two concubine-born sons and their wives. Behind them was solely Yun Ruoyan; Yun Moxiao¡¯s seat was empty. And behind Yun Ruoyan were Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and about an additional ten or so concubine-born grandchildren. Because Yi Qianying was a member of the Yis, she could only stand with that crowd. Yun Ruoyan nced at the empty spot next to her. In her past life, Yun Moxiao had failed to return in time for the banquet.


    Although most of the events that took ce in her past life continued to do so now, many of the smaller details had changed. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dramatic shift in personality had caused a cascade of effects, and she couldn¡¯t be sure whether Yun Moxiao would make it back on time, or if he would do so at all.


    Right then, Yun Lan stepped into the great hall, quickly followed by Yun Feng. The guests began to murmur pleasantries and auspicious greetings as they entered. In response, Yun Lan smiled and cupped his fists.


    Yun Feng stood together with his half-brothers, whereas Yun Lan stood right in front of the matriarch herself. In a sonorous voice, he began chanting the appropriate rites. Finally, he recited, ¡°The auspicious hour ise. Descendants, kneel and kowtow!¡±


    With Yun Lan taking the lead, all the descendants of the Yun matriarch bowed to her as one.


    After doing so, Yun Lan stood and deimed, ¡°Mother, may your life¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hold!¡±


    Yun Lan¡¯s well wishes were interrupted by a loud cry, one so loud that it must havee from a high-ranking cultivator. The crowd stirred and turned to the entrance to the great hall in shock, seeing a slender, thin man dressed in Daoist robes.


    Naturally, this was none other than the scheming spiritual master!

 Chapter 105: Response

    <h4>Chapter 105: Response</h4>


    Some among the crowd recognized the spiritual master.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a famed demon hunter? Why is he here today?¡±


    ¡°Judging from his appearance, he doesn¡¯t look like one of the guests that Official Yun invited. Is he crashing the banquet?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense! There¡¯s only ever been one reason that demon hunters would show up unannounced: to catch demons! But where would a demon in the Yun manor havee from?¡±


    As the crowd watched on, the spiritual master walked to the center of the great hall. Yun Lan¡¯s face was unpleasant: the spiritual master¡¯s interruption had dyed the ritualistic ceremony beyond its opportune time, and the ceremony couldn¡¯t be continued as it was.


    ¡°Yun Lan, who¡¯s this Daoist?¡± The Yun matriarch was naturally also upset by the interruption.


    ¡°A rather famous demon hunter within the capital, Mother. Please, let me try to understand the circumstances on your behalf,¡± Yun Lan walked over as he replied.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze had turned to Madam An. Although she was trying to remain severe, the corners of her lips began curling up in a smile. Clearly, this demon hunter¡¯s target was Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Mistress, qiu, Mistress!¡± Suddenly, Qiuqiu spoke up in a hurry.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Qiuqiu?¡±


    ¡°I suddenly felt a curiously strong presence. Did someone just approach you?¡±


    ¡°A Daoist, it seems.¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned. It seemed that Madam An had found a true demon hunter, but how could such a talented individual not realize that she wasn¡¯t, in fact, a demon? Something was going on; she had to be careful!


    ¡°Daoist, do you have business at my Yun manor?¡± Yun Lan began, not impolitely. Although he was dissatisfied with his sudden interruption, a man as strong as this demon hunter wasn¡¯t to be treated lightly.


    ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m here to hunt a demon.¡±


    ¡°A demon?! The Yun manor has been a quiet abode for centuries, without a single link to the mystic or ult. Daoist, you must be mistaken!¡±


    ¡°Whether I¡¯m mistaken or not, we shall soon see.¡± The spiritual master¡¯s head swiveled toward Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°You mean to im that there¡¯s a demon present here?¡± Yun Lan frowned.


    It wasn¡¯t as if demon hunters were all thatmon to begin with, and this particr one was famous enough to lend his words credibility.


    ¡°Naturally. Official Yun, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± He moved around Yun Lan and headed directly for Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Mistress, this person¡¯s cultivation is really strange. He has an unusual depth of spiritual energy, so much so that I suspect he might be a deviant cultivator. Mistress, be careful!¡±


    The spiritual master¡¯s gaze was sharp and cold, but it didn¡¯t contain a shred of killing intent. Perhaps the other party wasn¡¯t just here to hunt a demon, and perhaps he knew full well that she wasn¡¯t one! In that case, what did he n on doing?!


    She was a peak seventh-rank cultivator, but before her spiritual vortex could expand, the bracelet¡¯s power wouldn¡¯t do much for her. Clearly, she wouldn¡¯t be a match for this old Daoist. Given the number of people gathered here today, she didn¡¯t dare to use the Fei de either. As such, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but begin to panic.


    ¡°Grandmother!¡± Faced with the spiritual master¡¯s overwhelming presence, Yun Ruoyan began to retreat behind her grandmother. ¡°This old Daoist¡¯s so frightening! Grandmother, I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    The Yun matriarch held Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand as she looked toward the Daoist priest, her words brimming with anger. ¡°Daoist, my granddaughter¡¯s easily frightened. Please, rein in your aura.¡±


    ¡°Old Madam, I apologize for the interruption,¡± the spiritual master replied coolly, his gaze unflinching. ¡°Miss Yun, if you don¡¯t want to be hurt, then please leave with me.¡±


    ¡°Daoist, what do you mean by this?¡± Yun Lan asked from behind.


    The crowd erupted into murmurs. Wherever a demon hunter appeared, there surely were demons. Could there be a demon hiding in the Yun household?!


    ¡°Master, can¡¯t you tell?¡± Finally, Madam An walked out and pointed at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°She¡¯s been possessed by a demon! The real Yun Ruoyan has long since been killed!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch shouted as one.


    The crowd was likewise in shock. Even Li Qianxiao and Li Qianyuan, who were standing by the side as they observed the ceremony, were dazed for a moment.


    ¡°Master, Ruoyan has changed so much in just a few months. Didn¡¯t you find it strange?¡± Madam An began, before turning to the Yun matriarch. ¡°Mother, would the past Ruoyan have spent so much time with you making you happy? How could such a girl have undergone such a dramatic change in so short a time?¡±


    ¡°Grandmother, father,¡± Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu stood out with Madam An and added, pointing to Yun Ruoyan, ¡°the Yun Ruoyan in front of your eyes must be a demon! Otherwise, how could she have gone from a third-rank demaster to a seventh-rank demaster in a matter of months? This isn¡¯t something that a human would be capable of!¡±


    ¡°A seventh-rank demaster?!¡± Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch were both shocked. ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re already a seventh-rank¡­?¡±


    Every month, the Yun family academy would track the scions¡¯ improvement in their cultivation in order to understand their development. Because Yun Ruoyan had been expelled from the academy, she was naturally excluded from this tracking. Although Yun Ruoyao and the others had suspicions as to her cultivation, without actual evidence, they could hardly report anything to their father.


    It was only until the spiritual master determined her exact cultivation that Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu dared to announce it in front of the crowd, and it was only then that Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch found out about the matter.


    Met with her father and grandmother¡¯s gaze, Yun Ruoyan was quickly able toe up with a reasonable exnation. ¡°Part of the reason that I was able to break through so rapidly was because I consumed a miraculous high-grade pill given to me by my grandfather,¡± Yun Ruoyan began.


    ¡°This, along with my recent singr emphasis on cultivation, led to this unbelievable result. Ever since I was little, I¡¯ve possessed an extreme talent for cultivation, and I became a third-rank demaster before I was six. Now that I¡¯m thirteen, based on my original talent, if not for my sluggish cultivation in the past three years, wouldn¡¯t it seem reasonable that I should already be a seventh-rank demaster?¡±


    When she put it that way, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s aplishment didn¡¯t seem too unbelievable. She evaded the idea of rising through four ranks in rapid session and instead moved the emphasis to her original talent. Based on that talent, if she were a third-rank demaster at six, it didn¡¯t seem unlikely that she would be a seventh-rank demaster at thirteen.


    ¡°Father, Grandmother, I¡¯m certainly not a demon,¡± Yun Ruoyan emphasized. When she saw the Yun matriarch and Yun Lan¡¯s expressions rx, she continued, ¡°Demons all have a demonic aura. Grandmother, I¡¯ve been with you all this time, but have you ever found me suspicious?¡±


    ¡°Your demonic cultivation must be high enough that you can hide that aura! Even when I had you drink realgar wine, I couldn¡¯t force you to take on your demonic form!¡± Madam An eximed.


    ¡°Mother, you fed me realgar wine? When was this?¡± Yun Ruoyan pretended not to know about the situation.


    ¡°Mother tasked one of your servants with putting it in your food secretly, so you naturally wouldn¡¯t have known,¡± Yun Ruoyu crowed.


    ¡°What?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to Madam An with faux shock. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve always respected you! How could you plot against me like that?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to exin anything,¡± Yun Ruoyan interrupted her as Madam An tried to defend herself. ¡°Grandmother, I know that you¡¯re the only one who truly cares for me in this household. I lost my mother at an early age, and no one liked me because of my looks. Finally, after I lost my talent for cultivation, I was expelled from the family academy.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked toward the Yun matriarch, a pitiful expression on her face. ¡°But I¡¯ve never given up! I bore with everyone¡¯s taunting and bullying, cultivating on my own. What I dreamt of was to regain my talent, then to astound one and all with my aplishments.¡±


    She turned back to Madam An. ¡°And now that I¡¯ve done it, my mother denounces me as a demon! Is there to be no ce for me in the Yun family?!¡±


    Madam An knew that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t a demon, and she couldn¡¯t help but look guilty upon hearing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s usations.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued interrogating Madam An, ¡°are you iming that I¡¯m a demon just because I¡¯m not as useless, as ugly and stupid, as before? Surely all mothers wish the best for their children, but why are you denouncing my abilities instead?¡±


    As Yun Ruoyan¡¯s leading questions filtered through the crowd, they naturally began to guess at Madam An¡¯s intentions. Yun Ruoyan was the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family, but she wasn¡¯t Madam An¡¯s birth daughter. The gathered crowd was well aware of the politics that went on in noble households. As a mother, wanting your birth children to seed was a natural instinct, and they¡¯d seen countless such stories y out in the past.


    Struck dumb by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words, Madam An could only open her mouth and close it again. Even Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu had no refutation to her words.


    ¡°Ruoyan, I believe you. You¡¯re my dear granddaughter, not a demon,¡± the Yun matriarch dered. Then, she turned to the spiritual master. ¡°Refrain from inciting disharmony in my household! Daoist, please leave.¡±


    The Yun matriarch wanted to ease the conflict between Ruoyan and the rest of the family, so she directed the me at the spiritual master instead.


    ¡°Daoist, leave us!¡±


    ¡°Leave! There aren¡¯t any demons in the Yun household, and we don¡¯t wee your presence.¡±


    The Yun matriarch¡¯s concubine-born children began to holler. As members of the Yun family, they were clearly aware of Madam An¡¯s treatment of Yun Ruoyan in the past, so they were quite confident that this was another of her ploys.


    Madam An was very anxious. The spiritual master had revealed to her that he could turn Yun Ruoyan into a demon, but it was only a temporary illusion. Just like the fox spirit that had apparently been stowed in his sleeves, this illusion was conjured out of spiritual energy.


    The spiritual master would have to conjure up a grand illusion on this asion, one that could mystify and befuddle the minds of everyone present. This would naturally take a considerable amount of time, and Madam An¡¯s objective was to stall for time. But Yun Ruoyan¡¯s glib tongue had caught Madam An off-guard once again, and she had only one recourse. ¡°Spiritual Master, quick, perform your sorcery!¡±


    The spiritual master, who had been standing still, suddenly spread his arms wide open and sketched out the arc of a great circle in mid-air. The prayer beads in his hand began to emit a faint aura, not particrly bright, but one that spread through the entire hall...

 Chapter 106: Traps Within Traps

    <h4>Chapter 106: Traps Within Traps</h4>


    Daoism and Buddhism represented two different schools of thought. Although they weren¡¯t in opposition with each other, they seemed all but mutually exclusive. The fact that a Daoist could emanate a Buddha-like aura was quite extraordinary to the gathered crowd.


    Yun Ruoyan stared warily at the man, preparing to counterattack at any moment. If she were truly about to lose, then she would reveal the Fei de and damn the consequences.


    The aura from the spiritual master¡¯s prayer beads grew stronger and stronger. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know what he was nning, and she couldn¡¯t help but be more anxious. Her five fingers curled slightly as she began mobilizing her spiritual energy reserves. But as soon as she tried to do so, her right cheek erupted in pain, as if someone were repeatedly stabbing her with a knife.


    ¡°Agh!¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but shout. The sensation of pain grew more and more intense: it was a dull knife, repeatedly stabbing into her, pulling at her skin¡­


    ¡°Arghh!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted once more, clutching her cheek with her face, as she curled up in pain.


    The crowd, momentarily bedazzled by the spiritual master¡¯s aura, now turned curiously to Yun Ruoyan because of her sudden shouts and expression of pain.


    ¡°Ruoyan, what¡¯s going on?¡± the Yun matriarch began.


    ¡°The master¡¯s demon-hunting arts must have taken effect!¡± Madam An yelled out. ¡°Xiao Lan, get the Yun matriarch away from that demonspawn! She¡¯s about to reveal her true appearance!¡±


    The crowd began to murmur once more.


    ¡°Could the second miss of the Yun family really be a demon?!¡±


    ¡°None of us are reacting to this aura, except for her¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was in such pain that she was just barely avoiding the temptation to knock her head against the ground. She had curled up into a little ball, shaking and trembling against the ground. In her mind, she tried calling out to Qiuqiu. If this were to continue, she would be in such pain that she could neither think nor reach out to it.


    ¡°Mistress, you¡¯ve been poisoned!¡± Qiuqiu was as anxious as she was. Being sealed, however, it could provide her with no physical support. Even if it could leave the pocket dimension, with its current appearance and ability, it would be in as much danger as she was.


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ been poisoned?¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned. When had that happened?!


    ¡°Mistress, the poison was in your face, and now it¡¯s spreading throughout your body!¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Yun Ruoyan cursed, finally realizing the origin of the poison. ¡°That damned Rong Yuehong¡ªshe intended to drag me to my death!¡±


    On Yun Ruoyan¡¯s right cheek, by her birthmark, was a scratch from Rong Yuehong¡¯s fingernails. That girl had been out for her life from the very beginning. She had painted poison on her fingernails, and any little scratch would be Yun Ruoyan¡¯s death sentence.


    In somepse of judgment, Yun Ruoyan had failed to ount for this possibility when Rong Yuehong had asked for her to carry her into the Yun manor. It was such an unassuming request that there had to have been a trick behind it!


    Ever since her rebirth, Yun Ruoyan had been careful and prepared for every eventuality¡ªbut now, not only had she gotten poisoned, it had taken effect at the worst possible moment. At this point, she couldn¡¯t use her spiritual energy at all, let alone summon the Fei de. Could she only sit back and watch Madam An¡¯s ns unfold?


    ¡°Look, she <i>is</i> a demon!¡± Madam An suddenly shouted.


    The crowd¡¯s gaze had already been drawn to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body. Out of thin air, they saw nine long fox tails sprouting out of her back. The tails were white and fluffy, each about a foot long. They swayed in the air, making Yun Ruoyan look as if she was about to attack the nearby guests.


    ¡°Ah! Ruoyan¡­¡± The Yun matriarch looked at the sudden tails in astonishment, and Yun Lan simrly opened his eyes wide in shock.


    ¡°Master, look, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s truly a nine-tailed fox demon!¡± Madam An called out again. She was both anxious and excited¡ªthe scene in front of her was unbelievably real! Even if the spiritual master had told her that it was only an illusion beforehand, she still couldn¡¯t believe that the sight in front of her could be falsified.


    Yun Lan immediately reacted, grabbing hold of the Yun matriarch and tasking Xiao Lan with bringing her to a safe location. As she was brought away, the Yun matriarch continued looking at Yun Ruoyan, doubt creeping into her eyes.


    ¡°The demon, the demon¡¯s been revealed!¡±


    Some of the guests were schrly officials, and quite a number were women and children. When they saw this unbelievable sight, they turned pale and began to swarm toward the entrance of the hall in fright. Those who had a considerable level of cultivation chose to stay behind, encircling Yun Ruoyan and the spiritual master as they watched on.


    The imperial guards quickly escorted Li Qianxiao and Li Qianyuan to a corner of the great hall.


    ¡°She¡¯s actually a demon?!¡± Li Qianxiao¡¯s eyes were almost popping out of his head. On the other hand, Li Qianyuan only narrowed his eyes, not saying a word.


    ¡°Father, Sister Ruoyan must have been killed by this demon a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill this demon to get revenge for her!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu stood by their father¡¯s side and said in unison. Yi Qianying had long since vanished, as had most of the other scions from the Yun family.


    ¡°Daoist, what can we do about this demon?¡± Yun Lan looked at the spiritual master, sighing.


    ¡°Allow me to handle the matter. Stay away as I subjugate the demon,¡± the spiritual master hurriedly replied, afraid that the crowd would harm Yun Ruoyan. He was also rather curious as to why Yun Ruoyan was screaming in pain: his illusions didn¡¯t inflict pain, and all he wanted to do was to misdirect the crowd¡¯s attention in order to sneak Yun Ruoyan away without hurting her.


    However, she looked as though she had consumed some grave poison.


    <i>Madam An must have distrusted me and made a move beforehand! </i>The spiritual master turned and red fiercely at Madam An, who didn¡¯t understand his sudden malice. When she saw him turn to her instead of to Yun Ruoyan, she quickly urged, ¡°Spiritual Master, what are you waiting for? Please, take her away!¡±


    If Yun Ruoyan were to die, then the spiritual master would have done all this for nothing. Without any further hesitation, he threw his prayer beads at her. Because Yun Ruoyan had been poisoned, her right cheek began to swell up once again. Consumed by the pain, she had lost all rationality and was trying to scratch the wound. Luckily, the prayer beads entrapped her before she could begin hurting herself in earnest.


    Even so, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face had begun to bleed, and purplish-red blood spilled down her finger and into the <i>qilin </i>beads on her bracelet.


    Meanwhile, Li Mo¡¯s ming steed had arrived by the border of the capital, and they could see the imposing eastern gates of the capital from a distance.


    ¡°ughtering King, we¡¯re here!¡± one of Li Mo¡¯s subordinates called out as he pointed ahead of them. He was bewildered by his master¡¯s actions: wasn¡¯t it just a simple banquet? Why was their master so anxious to make it to the Yun manor on time, so much so that he ignored his wounds and was even willing to exacerbate them?


    Li Mo had just begun to rx when a sudden pain shot up a finger on his right hand, and his forehead scrunched up. The <i>qilin </i>beads contained three drops of Li Mo¡¯s blood, and the only reason that his finger had begun to hurt must be because the person wearing the beads was in danger.


    The capital¡¯s gates were right ahead of him. Beside him, his subordinates were getting ready to enter when their master suddenly soared up into the skies as he rushed in the direction of the Yun manor.


    ¡°ughtering King!¡±


    ¡°Find me at the Yun manor,¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice rang out in his mind.


    The group of five or six ck-d men all raised their heads as their master disappeared from view. One of them asked, ¡°Su Bei, where¡¯s he gone now?¡±


    ¡°To the Yun manor!¡± Su Bei continued galloping toward the capital gates.


    Back in the Yun manor, Yun Ruoyan, who had been entrapped in the prayer beads, was in such pain that she was smashing her head against the ground.


    This poison was unusually nasty: despite the head-splitting pain, Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t close to fainting from her agony at all. Rather, the pain seemed to sharpen her mind, so that she could feel each surge ever more strongly.


    In the pocket dimension, Qiuqiu was so flustered that it had almost begun rolling on the ground as well. Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t conscious enough to maintain her connection with it, but it was still able to sense the pain that agonized her.


    ¡°Calm down, demon!¡± The spiritual master plucked a gourd from his waist, walked to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side, and poured it over her body. Then, the crowd saw Yun Ruoyan transformpletely into a nine-tailed arctic fox, lying unmoving on the ground.


    The spiritual master picked it up and hurriedly began walking out. The medicinal wine that he¡¯d poured on her would only be able to resist the poison for a little while, and he had to find an antidote rapidly.


    If a human furnace were to die in front of him just like that, despite all his efforts, he would surely be so vexed that he¡¯d spit out blood!


    ¡°Daoist,¡± Madam An¡¯s voice interrupted his thoughts, and her body blocked his path. ¡°Daoist, please exin¡ª¡±


    Madam An wanted the Daoist to describe how he¡¯d detected that Yun Ruoyan was a demon in the first ce, as well as why he¡¯d chosen to strike at this particr time. Madam An had worked out the specifics with him beforehand, and if he were to leave just like that, it would surely sow doubt in Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch¡¯s minds.


    But before Madam An could finish, the spiritual master had already knocked Madam An aside. He thundered, ¡°Who told you to poison her?! If she dies, I won¡¯t spare you!¡±


    ¡°Daoist, what do you mean?¡± Yun Lan blocked his way upon seeing the spiritual master suddenly strike at Madam An before shouting something about poisoning.


    ¡°All of you, move aside!¡± The poison was insidiously worming its way through Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body. By this time, the spiritual master had lost all his patience.


    As the spiritual master clutched the fox in his hands even more tightly, Yun Lan detected something amiss. ¡°Daoist, if you drop the fox in your hands, I won¡¯t forbid you from leaving.¡±


    ¡°Official Yun, do you intend on picking a fight with me?!¡±


    Yun Lan was already preparing for a big fight. Having seen the spiritual master in action, he knew that his opponent would be strong indeed, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to mobilize his entire reserve of energy.


    But the spiritual master only snorted. ¡°You¡¯ll have your fight, but not today!¡± Under the crowd¡¯s surprised gaze, he morphed into a cloud of ck smoke and rushed by Yun Lan¡¯s side.


    Yun Lan hesitated for a moment, and by the time he regained his senses and ran out to the courtyard, the ck smoke had already risen into the air. Just as the ck smoke was about to vanish entirely, a ck shadow appeared from the horizon, and an ice-cold voice echoed from the heavens. ¡°You dare snatch my possession?!¡±

 Chapter 107: Heavenly Vow

    <h4>Chapter 107: Heavenly Vow</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s the ughtering King!¡±


    ¡°The ughtering King¡¯s here.¡±


    Some eagle-eyed guests noticed that the man soaring above their heads was the ughtering King himself. The spiritual master naturally knew of the ughtering King, and began flying away at an even faster rate toward the west.


    Li Mo steered his sword in front of the ck smoke. Refusing to have a head-on sh with the man, the ck smoke turned toward the northwest. As he did so, however, he found Li Mo¡¯s figure in front of him once again. In the end, after the ck smoke had tried to escape in all the cardinal directions and found itself blocked, it had no choice but to remain still.


    Li Mo¡¯s face was grim. His eyes shed with an icy light, and he could clearly see that, within the ck smoke, Yun Ruoyan was caught in the embrace of a pure-ck centipede spirit. The gauze patch on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face had fallen off. Her right cheek was swollen and bulbous, a clear sign of extreme poison. Although Yun Ruoyan could neither move nor speak, she hadn¡¯t fainted. That pain continued to gue her, and tears rolled down her face like pearls.


    Li Mo¡¯s hands were clenched behind his back.


    Finding himself fully trapped, the spiritual master could only reveal himself.


    ¡°ughtering King, I¡¯m simply here to hunt a demon. This thousand-year-old fox demon killed the second daughter of the Yun family and was trying to bewitch the entire household!¡±


    ¡°You bastard.¡± With a slicing motion, Li Mo dimmed the aura of the prayer beads that were holding Yun Ruoyan captive.


    All the guests had left the great hall and were looking toward the sky. The Yun matriarch and her scions had also walked out from the side room they were hiding in. As a result, everyone could see the fox in the spiritual master¡¯s hands transform back into Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°An illusion might be able to trick everyone else down there, but do you think it¡¯ll work on me?¡± Li Mo shouted coldly. ¡°You¡¯re the demon here, not her!¡±


    Li Mo had made his pronunciation with spiritual energy, so all the bystanders could hear his words loud and clear. The crowd once again erupted in shock: it seemed that the demon wasn¡¯t Yun Ruoyan, but rather the demon hunter himself¡­!


    Xi Lan, Peony, and Ling Lan had been getting ready for the banquet when themotion urred. When they asked around, they found out that Yun Ruoyan had been caught and branded a demon by a Daoist. The three maids jumped in shock and tried to rush into the great hall to inform Yun Lan that it was all a ploy by Madam An, but the throng of people rushing out of the hall left them unable to enter.


    When the three servants heard the ughtering King¡¯s words from outside, they immediately shouted, ¡°Our mistress isn¡¯t a demon! Madam An summoned that demon hunter to scheme against her, and we saw him leave her quarters with our own eyes!¡±


    ¡°Master, Old Madam, this demon hunter is in cahoots with Madam An!¡±


    ¡°Please, Master, Old Madam, you have to believe us. Please save our mistress!¡±


    The three servants were almost crying in their agitation.


    ¡°Master, Mother, don¡¯t listen to those servants¡¯ nonsense! I never harmed Ruoyan!¡± Madam An was as flustered as anyone else present: the development of these events had gone far beyond her expectations. Why had the spiritual master suddenly be hostile to her, and how did the ughtering King appear at this exact moment?


    Yun Lan eyed Madam An coldly. Although he didn¡¯t say a word, that gaze left chills on her body, and she couldn¡¯t help taking a step back.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Yun Ruoyao supported her mother from behind before whispering into her ear, ¡°don¡¯t worry, Mother. Yun Ruoyan seems to be suffering from a highly toxic poison of some sort, and she might not be able to live. If she dies, it won¡¯t matter whether she¡¯s a demon or not.¡±


    When Madam An heard her daughter¡¯s words, she immediately raised her head and began to pray that the heavens above wouldn¡¯t allow Yun Ruoyan to live.


    The spiritual master was feeling equally flustered. That Li Mo was able to break his illusion on Yun Ruoyan and on himself so easily was clear evidence that Li Mo¡¯s cultivation was far beyond his.


    Trying to resist such an overwhelmingly strong foe was clearly an illogical decision, but Yun Ruoyan¡¯s status as a human furnace was too enticing to the centipede spirit. If he were to give up on her, then he would likely never have a chance for improvement in his lifetime, forever doomed to remain a centipede spirit. As a result, the spiritual master decided to fight for her.


    ¡°ughtering King, the demon is in my hands. If you try anything, I¡¯ll kill her immediately.¡±


    ¡°If you dare hurt her, I¡¯ll y your skin and pulverize your bones.¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice was faint and cool, but his fury was evident. ¡°I don¡¯t care what sort of demon you are, but if you let her go, I¡¯ll spare your life.¡±


    ¡°ughtering King, please calm down. The girl¡¯s hideous, and I¡¯m not interested in her in that manner. I doubt your taste is that unfortunate, so¡­ is it also her unusual physique that interests you?¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t respond, but he¡¯d mentally ted the centipede spirit to death. No one else could know that Yun Ruoyan was a human furnace; anyone else who found out had to die!


    The centipede spirit rxed somewhat in the resulting silence. ¡°There are too many people here, so shall we make a transaction in a private location, ughtering King?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s eyes were so icy that they¡¯d all but frozen over. He could see that the spirit had a hand on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s neck, ready to end her life at any moment. If he weren¡¯t hurt, he could have teleported to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side and rescued her in a sh.


    But flying all the way here on his sword had significantly agitated his wound, and Li Mo really wasn¡¯t confident that he could save Yun Ruoyan from the centipede spirit¡¯s grubby hands without harming her.


    ¡°Let us,¡± Li Mo responded after thinking for a moment, before taking out a pill from his robes that he handed to the spiritual master.


    When the spiritual master took the pill and saw that it was, in fact, a high-grade antidote, he smiled and praised the ughtering King before feeding it to Yun Ruoyan. Having ingested the antidote, Yun Ruoyan finally was able to fall unconscious.


    Li Mo followed behind the spiritual master as they rushed westward. When Yun Lan saw them leave, he shouted toward the heavens, ¡°ughtering King, please save my daughter!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Official Yun. With Uncle around, nothing will happen to Miss Yun,¡± Li Qianyuan spoke up by Yun Lan¡¯s side.


    The spiritual master finally stopped in a forested, mountainous area, and Li Mo perched on a treetop a few meters distant from him.


    ¡°ughtering King, I know I¡¯m not your match,¡± the centipede spirit began. ¡°I can hand you Miss Yun, but you need to promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯ve gotten what you want from her, and when she¡¯s no longer of any use to you¡­¡± The centipede spirit¡¯s eyebrows waggled. ¡°Would you give her to me then?¡±


    The spirit¡¯s words weren¡¯t explicit, but his intent was clear: after the ughtering King had made use of her to bypass his bottleneck, to lend her to the centipede spirit for his own use.


    After all, Yun Ruoyan was so ugly that he doubted the ughtering King would have any reason to guard her if not for her body. Once the ughtering King broke through, he wouldn¡¯t need such a furnace any longer.


    Li Mo¡¯s fingernails grew as sharp as ws behind his back, and his lips curled up into a mocking smile. ¡°I ede to your request. Now, hand her over.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, not yet. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, ughtering King, but this is too precious a treasure for me to y around with. Whether or not I¡¯ll be able to be a sword saint depends solely on this girl.¡± After thinking for a moment, he continued, ¡°I¡¯d like you to make a vow to the heavens.¡±


    The mythology of the Chenyuan continent supported the notion that saints and immortals existed above the heavens, that the key to bing an immortaly at the very end of cultivation. As a result, the people of the Chenyuan continent, and especially cultivators, ced a particrly significant emphasis on such vows.


    ¡°ughtering King, I hold your word in high regard. As long as you take this vow, I¡¯ll hand the girl over to you immediately.¡±


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡±


    The centipede spirit¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°If you wish to monopolize her, ughtering King, then I¡¯ll simply have to kill her. If I can¡¯t have her, then no one else will.¡±


    He waited grimly for Li Mo¡¯s response as his fingers tapped on her neck. After a momentary silence, Li Mo opened his mouth. ¡°If I ever break thispact, may I be struck by lightning, my cultivation stunted, never to reincarnate!¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± The centipede spiritughed before throwing Yun Ruoyan to Li Mo. ¡°Three years from now, I¡¯ll return for the girl. Farewell!¡± He cupped his palms at the ughtering King as he made to leave. What he didn¡¯t expect, however, was for Li Mo to appear in front of him once more, blocking his path.


    ¡°ughtering King, what do you mean by this?¡± The centipede spirit frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve already handed you the girl. Are you thinking of going against your pact?¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t deign to reply. One of his hands held Yun Ruoyan securely, and the other he ced in front of him. As he spread out his long, slender fingers, his fingernails slowly turned sharp, gleaming with gold.


    ¡°ughtering King, don¡¯t you humans fixate on vows?¡± The centipede spirit was finally getting anxious. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of karmic retaliation?!¡±


    ¡°Ha, haha.¡± Li Mo began tough. ¡°You can tell that she¡¯s a human furnace, but not that I¡¯m not a human?¡±

 Chapter 108: True Form

    <h4>Chapter 108: True Form</h4>


    It was clearly beyond the spiritual master¡¯s expectation that the ughtering King himself wasn¡¯t human. He looked at Li Mo¡¯s sharp, golden fingernails, dread welling up in his heart.


    ¡°As for vows and all that? Those are games that humans y. I¡¯ve never once believed in such ridiculous nonsense,¡± Li Mo murmured, admiring his fingernails. ¡°All I believe in is whose ws are longer, whose teeth sharper.¡±


    The spiritual master¡¯s eyes widened. As if he suddenly thought of something, he eximed in fright. ¡°No, are you a beastkin?!¡±


    And then he shook his head. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s impossible. You were the one who led the charge against the beastkin, killing tens of thousands of them by the border of the Li kingdom. But if you¡¯re neither a demon nor a spirit, what else could you be?¡±


    ¡°Either way, the answer won¡¯t matter to you.¡± As soon as Li Mo finished speaking, he extended his right arm and wed at the spiritual master.


    Each of his fingernails were half a foot long, and an icy aura danced around them. They were as sharp as adamantium, able to cut gold and steel with a single blow.


    The spiritual master didn¡¯t dare to defend against the attack; instead, he rushed back as quickly as he could¡ªbut the green sword under Li Mo¡¯s feet was quicker. Soon, he caught up to the spiritual master, and those long ws of his were inches from skewering his neck.


    At this point, the spiritual master raised a hand, his fingernails likewise extending into ws and blocking Li Mo¡¯s attack. In just one hit, however, Li Mo¡¯s ws broke two of his fingernails. Just as he was about to kill the spiritual master in one fell swoop, his prayer beads began to light up.


    The Buddhist aura formed a shield in front of the spiritual master, one that was even sturdy enough to block Li Mo¡¯s attacks.


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ve still underestimated you.¡± Li Mo narrowed his eyes as he looked at the centipede spirit in front of him. ¡°Despite being a spirit, you¡¯re somehow able to employ a Buddhist artifact¡­¡±


    The spiritual master snorted. ¡°ughtering King, do you think I¡¯ve spent two hundred years cultivating for nothing? After gaining a human form, I entered a Daoist temple to cultivate. When my master died, I moved to a Buddhist shrine. When my master there also died, well, only then did I start roaming the human world, subduing demons to benefit themon people.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You make it sound so noble. Aren¡¯t the prayer beads in your hands ones you forcefully wrested from your dead master¡¯s hands? Your cultivation looks to bergely from sucking dry the spiritual vortices of your dead masters. It¡¯s because you¡¯ve used such deviant, vile techniques that your cultivation wasn¡¯t able to progress after that!¡±


    ¡°ughtering King, you¡¯re really quite impressive.¡± The spiritual master didn¡¯t deny his usations. ¡°It looks as though we¡¯ll have to have a fight to the death today.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You think you have a chance of killing me?¡± Li Mo¡¯s dark eyes turned an icy blue, and his sharp ws became even sharper.


    Not only did his ws be sharper, even his arm began to change form. It became thicker, more corded with muscle. Out of his fingers and the back of his hand grew silvery scales, spreading all the way into his robe.


    ¡°You, you¡¯re¡ª¡± The spiritual master¡¯s voice quavered as he choked, ¡°You¡¯re a dragon, the son of the Beast King himself!¡±


    When Li Mo revealed his true identity, the spiritual master lost all hope of surviving.


    ¡°ughtering King¡­ no, Crown Prince,¡± he begged, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to contest you for that human furnace, but please, spare my life!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote, you fool!¡± As Li Mo exerted more and more of his strength, the shield of holy light slowly began to dissipate. ¡°Die!¡±


    As the beads flew apart, that shield finally vanished into nothingness under Li Mo¡¯s ws. The ws sank into the spiritual master¡¯s flesh as easily as they would impale a watermelon.


    The spiritual master¡¯s eyes and mouth opened wide, his dying scream choked up in his throat.


    One of Li Mo¡¯s hands was clutching the unconscious Yun Ruoyan, and the other was impaling the spiritual master¡¯s head, with red blood sliding down his fingers. Flying on his green sword, he looked like both an indomitable warrior and a demon that had crawled out of hell.


    The golden-yellow glow of sunset gave Li Mo¡¯s inky robes a mysterious shine. He stretched out a leg and kicked the spiritual master¡¯s corpse aside. As his body fell into the forests below, it morphed into a gigantic, ck centipede, shocking arge group of birds into flight.


    Li Mo took two deep breaths, cancelled his partial transformation, and continued hugging Yun Ruoyan in his embrace. Just as he was about to rush back to the Yun manor, his spiritual vortex started fluctuating wildly.


    Li Mo was already injured. He¡¯d been holding himself together all throughout the match, and the fight just now had undoubtedly worsened his injuries. His spiritual vortex had destabilized to such an extent that he was no longer able to hover on his sword, and he clutched Yun Ruoyan tightly as they plummeted into the forests down below.


    Luckily, theirnding was softened by the lush greenery. Li Mo and Yun Ruoyannded on the branches of arge tree before falling all the way through the branches and into the shadowy undergrowth beneath.


    As they fell, Li Mo positioned his back against the ground. Protected by his body, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t suffer a single injury. On the other hand, the force of impact and the tremors running through Li Mo¡¯s body caused him to spit out a mouthful of blood as hended.


    Li Mo¡¯s back was wracked with pain, and his spiritual vortex was frothing. Hey on the ground a little before trying to stand up once more a few times, to no avail. In the end, he could only give up.


    He reached out and touched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, checking to ensure that her right cheek was no longer swollen, before sighing in relief. Clearly, the high-grade antidote had an almost-miraculous effect.


    ¡°Alright, stop pretending,¡± Li Mo suddenly began while pinching Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cheek. ¡°It¡¯ll be dark soon. We¡¯re in the middle of the forest of dead souls, five hundred miles from the capital. At night, there¡¯ll be all sorts of ghouls and spirits showing up. Right now, my body¡¯s heavily wounded and I can¡¯t use any spiritual energy, so we have to find a safe ce to rest.


    Yun Ruoyan was lying on Li Mo¡¯s chest, and she could feel his failed attempts at getting up. When Li Mo finally spoke, she was still debating whether to keep pretending to be unconscious or to miraculously wake up. Slowly, she opened her eyes and sat up straight.


    ¡°Wh¡ªwhere are we?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked as though she had just awakened as she rubbed at her eyes. ¡°Why am I here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Li Mo responded, ying along with her act.


    ¡°I¡­ All I remember is that a demon bewitched me in the great hall of the Yun manor.¡± Yun Ruoyan looked all around her. ¡°Where did that demon go?¡±


    ¡°I killed him!¡±


    ¡°You killed him? That¡¯s great!¡± Yun Ruoyan was so excited that she jumped up and bowed toward Li Mo. ¡°ughtering King, you¡¯re truly a legend of the ages. I¡¯ll be forever impressed!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan said all this in order to hide the agitation in her heart. She had awoken while Li Mo and the spiritual master were fighting, and had even opened her eyes a crack at that time. Coincidentally or otherwise, that was right when Li Mo was partially shapeshifting, and it shocked her so much that she closed her eyes immediately.


    When she heard the spiritual master call him a dragon, the son of the Beast King himself, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s clever mind came to a standstill. Even now, she didn¡¯t know what to think. How could the emperor¡¯s little brother, a marquis of the Li kingdom, the ughtering King himself, not be human? Was he really a dragon, the heir of the Beast King?


    But if that were truly the case, then why was it rumored that he¡¯d ughtered tens of thousands of beastkin to quell the beastkin rebellion?! Allegedly, the beastkin¡¯s blood had dyed the rivers bordering the Li kingdom red, and the iron tang of blood had been blown all the way into the capital!


    Could Li Mo have betrayed his own kinsmen? Or were the rumors false to begin with?


    ¡°If you have any questions, you need only ask,¡± Li Mo said outright when he saw Yun Ruoyan disy her confusion on her face.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment before realizing what had to have happened. ¡°No, no, what questions could I have?¡± She scratched her head: why was it that this man could always make her so expressive?


    ¡°If you really don¡¯t have any questions, then help me up. It¡¯s going to be dark soon, so if we don¡¯t hide, we¡¯ll both be in danger.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan helped drag him up and began traipsing through the forest. Despite some effort, they couldn¡¯t find a single safe ce. Unlike a valley where they could hide in a cave, there were only trees in a forest. As they walked, the sun set.


    She was somewhat anxious. It was summer: the days were long, the nights short. However, the sky would darken rapidly as soon as the sun had set, and then all sorts of nocturnal and darkness-loving creatures would show up. Although Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t particrly timid, she didn¡¯t want to be hounded by ghosts and the like.


    ¡°There¡¯s arge tree up in front,¡± Li Mo began, his voice weak.


    Yun Ruoyan knew that he urgently needed to sit down and rest, so she hurried onward. The tree trunk was wide; about five or six men would be needed to encircle it at its base. While the treetop was luxuriant with growth, she couldn¡¯t see where they would be able to hide. Were they expected to climb up the tree?


    Of the two of them, one was gravely injured, and the other¡¯s spiritual energy was sealed by poison. Under normal circumstances, it would have been an easy task, but now¡­


    ¡°Turn to the back of the tree,¡± Li Mo reminded after noticing that Yun Ruoyan kept on looking at the treetop.


    With an ¡°Oh,¡± Yun Ruoyan moved to the back of the tree, where she was excited to find a hole wide enough for both of them.


    ¡°I really hadn¡¯t expected to find such arge cavity, especially in a tree that looks so lush.¡± Yun Ruoyan helped Li Mo into the hole and asked, ¡°How did you know that there¡¯d be a hole here?¡±


    Li Mo had already sat down, his eyes closed and preparing to rest. When he heard Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question, he replied without opening his eyes, ¡°Most of the trees in such ancient forests will have holes.¡±


    Neither in this life nor her past life had Yun Ruoyan ever gone out into the wilderness. The farthest she¡¯d gone was probably the imperial territory on the Kongming mountain, and that was only a ten-day adventure. As a result, Yun Ruoyan knew very little about the outdoors.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a natural cavity¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan felt at the edges of the hole, finding some scratch marks left on the bark. But surely there weren¡¯t that many people living out in the wilderness? How could so many such trees be hollow, unless¡­ unless¡­


    ¡°Are these hollowed-out areas where spirits and demons reside?!¡±

 Chapter 109: Night in the Dark Forest

    <h4>Chapter 109: Night in the Dark Forest</h4>


    Li Mo had entered a recuperative trance and didn¡¯t respond to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question. After thinking for a moment, however, she confirmed her logic.


    Yun Ruoyan had heard of the forest of dead souls before. It was situated in what was considered deathly territory, right by a graveyard filled with <i>yin </i>energy and low in spiritual density. Those vengeful ghosts who refused to leave the world would drift into the forest and possess an animal, turning them into demons.


    Since demons weren¡¯t able to cultivate on their own, they tended to flock together in a horde before trying to invade towns and viges. Generally, however, such demons were weak. Although it would be rtively difficult for low-ranking cultivators to get rid of them, it would be as easy as squashing an ant for demon hunters.


    As a result, many demons weren¡¯t daring enough to rush into densely popted areas. Instead, they would gather in the forest. During the day, they would prowl around the edges of the territory and attack any lone cultivators they saw; during the night, they would return back to their usual haunts.


    In addition to these demons, there were also a few spirits and other creatures who hade from all over the continent.


    Because of the Li kingdom¡¯s propensity for fighting and cultivation, those areas that were rich in spiritual energy had long since been imed by one sect or another, and the beastkin that found themselves with nowhere else to go could only gather at some less-than-ideal territories to continue cultivation.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were currently in the hollowed-out section of an old tree, an abode for one such demon or beast.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered at Li Mo.


    He had already been resting for more than two hours. Now that it waspletely dark, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t even see her outstretched hand.


    When Li Mo still didn¡¯t respond, Yun Ruoyan pulled out a few monster cores from her pocket dimension. The cores weren¡¯t of particrly high quality and glowed rather dimly. Only after Yun Ruoyan had taken out five of them could she barely see her surroundings.


    What Yun Ruoyan was most worried about was that the owner of this hollow would soon return. Neither she nor Li Mo could use their spiritual energy, and if they were to encounter a demon, she really didn¡¯t know how they would survive the encounter.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, can you hear me? If so, please respond.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan tried to get in contact with Qiuqiu once more, but the usually reliable Qiuqiu didn¡¯t respond. Not only that, she couldn¡¯t even feel the Fei de in her mind.


    The link between Yun Ruoyan and Qiuqiu, as well as that between Yun Ruoyan and the Fei de, was mental in origin. This mental energy originated from one¡¯s brain.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know what sort of poison Rong Yuehong had used on her, but it had hurt so much that, even now, she was still feeling twinges of phantom pain. That bone-searing pain was torture for body and mind, and her mental energy had all been sapped away by the poison.


    At this point, she barely had enough mental energy to retrieve some items from her pocket dimension.


    She hugged her knees as she sat by Li Mo¡¯s side. She couldn¡¯t contact Qiuqiu nor use the Fei de, and the person by her side was in a trance.


    It was a summer night, but the high density of <i>yin </i>energy in the region made the air surprisingly chilly. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help leaning closer against Li Mo.


    As the night grew darker, all sorts of chittering and chattering noises began to emerge from deep inside the forest. As these noises crept into her mind, an emotion that Yun Ruoyan had managed to dislodge for quite some time took over her mind: fear.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned toward Li Mo once more. Despite knowing that he wouldn¡¯t answer, she tried to use conversation as a tactic to divert herself and prevent fear from taking over her mind.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you taking so long? Didn¡¯t you get rid of that centipede spirit pretty quickly? I even thought that you¡¯d be able to send me straight home! How did we both end up falling into this terrible ce?¡±


    She subconsciously nced all around her, at the two shadows reflected on the tree bark.


    Her head swivelled as she looked all around her before turning to Li Mo once more.


    Li Mo was draped in a ck robe. She couldn¡¯t tell where his inky hair ended, nor where his robe began. His facial features were hidden in shadow, but he still gave off an icy aura that prevented anyone from getting close.


    The first time Yun Ruoyan had seen Li Mo, he was dressed exactly like this. In fact, she had never seen him looking any different¡­


    Her eyes shed as she crept even closer to Li Mo¡¯s body before taking a sniff.


    He didn¡¯t smell bad!


    And again¡­


    A faint medicinal smell emanated from his body, one unique to pillmasters. Lin Zainan smelled much like Li Mo, for instance. Because pillmasters spent a significant amount of time refining pills with their own spiritual fire, their bodies would naturally take on a medicinal, earthy smell characteristic of medicinal pills. Even if they washed regrly, the smell would linger.


    Li Mo was both a pillmaster and beastmaster, so it wasn¡¯t unusual that he would smell like medicinal herbs.


    What Yun Ruoyan was rather surprised about was why he didn¡¯t smell more like a wild beast. ording to popr knowledge, beastmasters had such an odor about them, one which they could control using their spiritual energy to attract, frighten, and control beasts.


    Yun Ruoyan smelled his body left and right, but except for the faint scent of medicinal herbs, she could smell nothing else.


    In truth, Yun Ruoyan had never seen a true beastmaster before, and she didn¡¯t quite know what they smelled like. Perhaps it was an odor that only beasts could distinguish?


    Yun Ruoyan stopped sniffing and turned to his face. Apparently, only a select few had ever seen the ughtering King¡¯s face clearly. It was always partially hidden by long hair, just like a veil. Although he didn¡¯t wear a mask, his emotions had always seemed shrouded.


    Yun Ruoyan had had quite a number of close-contact encounters with Li Mo, but they had always been rather passive on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s part. Guarded due to his untoward behavior and panicking due to how close he was to her, she had never focused on his face during such episodes. Either she didn¡¯t dare to meet his gaze, or she had given up on stopping him and had closed her eyes entirely.


    Until now, the only memories Yun Ruoyan had of his face were his dark eyes and clear, distinguished features. As a result, in this dark alcove where she could barely see a few feet from her, Yun Ruoyan became curious about the ughtering King¡¯s true appearance.


    And what better time to satiate that curiosity than now? She stooped down and leaned forward, until she was right in front of Li Mo¡¯s face. Under the dim lighting from the monster cores she held in one hand, Li Mo¡¯s face emerged from the shadows.


    His cheekbones were high, his nose straight, and his brows dark.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Yun Ruoyan muttered to herself. ¡°Somewhat like Li Xiu, and very much like Li Qianhan. It¡¯s just that his face is a little too white.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan cocked her head. Perhaps because his face was constantly hidden behind his hair, Li Mo¡¯s face was very pale. It wasn¡¯t a stark white, but rather a¡­ lustrous white?


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but think back to Li Mo¡¯s transmogrified arm during his battle with the spiritual master. That wrist, almost three times the size of a regr human wrist, was covered with reflective silver scales, dazzling against the evening sun.


    The heart which she¡¯d just barely managed to calm began thumping again. When she looked again toward Li Mo, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the air.


    Just as she was about to look away, Li Mo suddenly opened his eyes. His ink-ck eyes, rimmed with frost, pierced Yun Ruoyan.


    In shock, Yun Ruoyan was just about to scream when she clutched her own mouth. However, she lost her bnce and her body began tilting backward.


    Li Mo extended a long arm and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into his embrace. Yun Ruoyan thought that he was about to take advantage of her again, and she began to struggle.


    ¡°Let go of me, let go of me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! There¡¯s somethinging,¡± Li Mo whispered.


    <i>Somethinging!</i>


    Yun Ruoyan immediately quieted down. The ¡®something¡¯ that Li Mo had mentioned could only be a demon or beast. They could hear the sound of footstepsing closer, as well as a conversation between two parties.


    ¡°Brother, we¡¯ve got quite a good haul today. We can finally have a good meal for once!¡± a shrill voice piped up.


    ¡°Haha.¡± Along with that shrill voice came a coarseughter. ¡°I¡¯ve barely eaten for three days, and my chest¡¯s about to be stered to my back. Quick, cook this meat and serve it to me.¡±


    That voice seemed to be heading right for their hollow.


    ¡°How¡¯s your injury?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked Li Mo in a quiet voice. Based on their voices, at least, these creatures didn¡¯t seem to be particrly high-rank.


    If Yun Ruoyan weren¡¯t hurt, she could easily have dealt with five or six of them at once. But now that she had just a smidge of mental energy left and wasn¡¯t able to use her spiritual energy at all, she could only hope that Li Mo was faring better.


    Li Mo had barely stabilized his own injury, and he needed quite a bit of peace and quiet to recover. If he were to try to use his spiritual energy now, it would only worsen his injury.


    Both of them were crippled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Li Mo lowered his head and nced at Yun Ruoyan. Although she appeared calm, Li Mo could feel her heart pounding. ¡°I¡¯m here, so you¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    For some reason, Li Mo¡¯s voice really did make her feel calmer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured, standing up and pulling out a steel dagger from her leg. She stared grimly at the tree hollow, waiting for the demon toe closer.


    ¡°Sheathe your dagger!¡± When Li Mo saw what she was intending on doing, he hurriedly stopped her. If she were to rely on brute strength, she would be no match for the demon. Furthermore, the demons¡¯ tough flesh meant that regr weapons wouldn¡¯t be able to do much damage to them.


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo, not understanding his intentions.


    ¡°Listen to me and store that dagger. I naturally have a solution.¡±


    The two demons¡¯ footsteps drew nearer. Yun Ruoyan frowned, but she decided to believe in Li Mo.


    ¡°Come, sit here.¡± Li Mo motioned to his side, and Yun Ruoyan moved without any hesitation.


    Just then, voices came from outside once more.


    ¡°Brother, something¡¯s wrong! There¡¯s a strange scent around here,¡± the shrill voice spoke once more.


    ¡°A strange scent?¡± The coarse voice thundered, ¡°Who¡¯s there?! Are you blind, trying to steal my territory?!¡±


    As that voice rang out, a coarse leg stepped into the hollow...

 Chapter 110: A Talkative Demon

    <h4>Chapter 110: A Talkative Demon</h4>


    Behind that thick and solid leg was a massive head. As the head poked into the hollow, Yun Ruoyan first saw the fellow¡¯s ck face, fierce tusks,rge fleshy ears, small beady eyes, and a few tufts of yellow hair on his crown. It was a wild boar!


    ¡°Where¡¯re you guys from, daring to take over my hollow like that?¡± The wild boar¡¯s beady little eyes gleamed.


    Yun Ruoyan lowered her head as soon as she saw him. Li Mo spoke up beside her, ¡°My wife and I were just passing by when it got dark. We nned on setting up a camp but were afraid of the creatures roaming outside, so we decided to find some shelter.¡±


    ¡°Where are you from?¡± a shrill voice piped up from under the boar¡¯s armpit. Yun Ruoyan raised her eyes slightly, just enough to see what looked to be a yellow weasel.


    The hollow wasn¡¯t all that small, and it would easily fit four or five Yun Ruoyans. The wild boar was particrly wide, however, and the hollow seemed cramped even with only half his body squeezed inside.


    Yun Ruoyan had no idea how these two beastkin could rest well in this hollow.


    ¡°We came from the Xuanfeng Mountains to the south,¡± Li Mo answered. ¡°The two of us were cultivating on the Xuanfeng Mountains, but a peak eighth-rank demaster took over our dwelling. He even threatened that he¡¯d kill us if we stepped into the Xuanfeng Mountains again.¡±


    Li Mo sighed wearily. ¡°All the good cultivation spots by the east have been upied by the humans. We had no choice but to move west, hoping to find a quiet abode to continue our journey of cultivation.¡±


    The wild boarmiserated with them. ¡°Ah, the good old days! When the Beast King was still alive, we could still get by, but now that he¡¯s passed away¡­ even surviving has be a problem!¡±


    ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it?¡± Li Mo continued, his tone cold and hollow. When Yun Ruoyan turned to him, she froze in shock. Li Mo¡¯s current appearance hadpletely changed. His ck robe was now yellow, and his dark hair had morphed into a red ponytail, revealing two sharp ears. He was now¡­ a fox?


    Yun Ruoyan slowly reached out her hands and touched herself, finding the same sharp ears replicated on her body.


    This revtion came as a big surprise to her. She firmly believed that cultivation would give her the strength and independence she so deeply desired, but had beenpletely unaware of such an incredible transmogrification technique.


    ¡°The two of us would like to seek shelter here for the night. We¡¯ll leave right away the next morning, so would you please¡­?¡±


    The wild boar and weasel nced at each other simultaneously before turning to the monster cores that Yun Ruoyan had been using for illumination.


    ¡°Sure, but not for free,¡± the weasel began.


    Li Mo immediately reached out and gave them two of the monster cores on the ground. ¡°These are night leopard cores that my wife obtained from hunting in the Xuanfeng mountains, and we¡¯d dly hand them over aspensation for the trouble.¡±


    The weasel grinned widely as he snatched up the cores.


    ¡°Heh, the fact that this old tree let you in is proof enough that you¡¯re not evil. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± The wild boar knocked on the hollow of the tree, which began to shake. Yun Ruoyan saw the entrance to the tree hollow expanding at a rate visible to the naked eye, and the wild boar and weasel easily walked in.


    The interior of the hollow had also be significantly more spacious by at least three times the size. Even after the wild boar and weasel entered, there was still plenty of space for everyone.


    Yun Ruoyan finally realized that the tree hollow they had been residing in was actually the stomach of a tree spirit.


    The wild boar sat by Li Mo¡¯s side and put a cloth bag he was carrying on the floor. ¡°The two of you are lucky to have met us. If it had been those demons, you¡¯d be screwed.¡±


    ¡°Yup, yup,¡± the weasel continued. ¡°Even we can¡¯t handle those demons, especially since they all go around in a group. Come nighttime, they maraud through the forest and either possess or suck dry any living creature they encounter.¡±


    ¡°If not for this old tree keeping us safe, we wouldn¡¯t even dare to return to the forest at night,¡± the wild boar finished.


    Yun Ruoyan only knew about the existence of this forest of dead souls, but not how dangerous orwless it was. ¡°We¡¯re at the foot of the capital, so doesn¡¯t anyonee around to deal with these demons?¡±


    When the wild boar and weasel heard Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words, they frowned. The wild boar turned to Li Mo. ¡°Why does your woman sound so much like a human?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you see, we¡¯d often shapeshift into humans and walk around human society. My wife¡¯s impressionable and has picked up a lot of their habits. Please don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a good sign, you know. It¡¯s not our golden age anymore, without the Beast King to shield us. We¡¯re just treated like wild animals to be hunted nowadays,¡± the weasel sighed.


    ¡°Your wife really needs to curb herself,¡± the wild boar urged.


    Afraid that she¡¯d expose herself if she continued speaking, Yun Ruoyan just huddled by Li Mo¡¯s side and mped her mouth shut.


    Li Mo had somehow obtained three sks of wine and handed one each to the wild boar and weasel. The three of them were having an uproarious time drinking.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s confusion only kept growing. Who in the world was Li Mo, to have a dragon¡¯s arm one moment and to be a fox the next? He had even transformed her into a fox without her knowing!


    So, was he a man, a dragon, or a fox?


    His interaction with the two beastkin was effortless and unfeigned, so he clearly was familiar with dealing with them. If he were truly human, why would he treat fellow humans so coolly but interact so warmly with these beasts?


    <i>Rumble, rumble. </i>


    While Yun Ruoyan puzzled over these matters, her stomach began to protest. She¡¯d only eaten a cup of porridge in the morning as breakfast, and nothing ever since.


    Li Mo turned to Yun Ruoyan and was about to speak when the wild boar grunted, ¡°You¡¯ve shared your alcohol with me, so I¡¯ll do the same. We¡¯ll kill our catch and get you some meat.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan saw the wild boar stand up and grab the cloth bag that he¡¯d tossed aside.


    ¡°Weasel, go make a fire and prepare to roast this meat.¡±


    The wild boar walked to a side of the hollow, knelt down, and started untying the cloth bag.


    Yun Ruoyan was very curious as to what the bag contained to make the two beastkin so excited.


    Li Mo leaned over and blocked her vision. ¡°You¡¯d better not look.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you won¡¯t want to, I promise.¡±


    The less specific Li Mo was, the more curious Yun Ruoyan became. She stubbornly craned her neck and saw the wild boar open the bag and drag a human out.


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Li Mo coughed loudly to hide Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sudden exmation.


    ¡°Are they going to kill that man?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked in a quavering tone.


    Li Mo nodded.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we¡­¡±


    Li Mo pressed down on her shoulder and shook his head.


    Yun Ruoyan had lived two lives, suffered gross indignity, and bore great burdens, but she had never seen such a bloody scene.


    Although she wanted to kill Pei Ziao, she had never seeded. This would be the first time that she would see a human being killed and dismembered in cold blood.


    The wild boar grabbed the man the same way she would prepare a chicken for ughter. The man was dressed in a demaster¡¯s garb and appeared to have a reasonably advanced cultivation. However, his arms and legs had all been broken, and he had no means of resisting.


    Luckily, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t recognize the man.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, don¡¯t kill me¡­!¡±


    When the wild boar plucked out a sharp butcher¡¯s knife from his waist, the man, weak though he was, began crying out in fear.


    ¡°Heh, heh.¡± Enjoying his fright, the wild boar waggled the knife in front of his face. ¡°As a demon hunter, why didn¡¯t you stick to hunting demons? Why¡¯d you have to try your luck with beastkin?¡±


    The man was half-crazed from fear, and all he could do was beg for his life.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time since I¡¯ve eaten human meat. I didn¡¯t want to eat you at first, but you bastard killed so many of my kind that I have to take revenge somehow, eh?¡±


    With a swift cut, the man¡¯s desperate begging turned into a wail, abruptly cut short.


    Yun Ruoyan subconsciously grabbed Li Mo¡¯s arm tightly, her gaze still fixed on the man¡¯s prone form. Hey dead on the ground, a pool of red blood slowly spreading out from his body. Quickly, the blood vanished, no doubt absorbed by the tree spirit itself.


    The wild boar began to butcher the corpse. Yun Ruoyan finally had to look away, clutching her mouth.


    ¡°Oh, roast meat, I can¡¯t wait!¡± The weasel was still working on the fire. When he spoke, she could clearly see the saliva dripping out of his mouth.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stomach lurched as she felt a sudden urge to vomit.


    <hr>


    1. Think Timon and Pumbaa¡­

 Chapter 111: Black Bear

    <h4>Chapter 111: ck Bear</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan could clearly hear a series of squelching noises as the wild boar¡¯s knife chopped human flesh. The characteristic odor of human blood grew stronger and stronger in the confined space. In the end, she couldn¡¯t stomach her nausea any further. Bowing her body, she began to retch.


    It was true that, during the imperial territory, she had seen copious amounts of blood and dead corpses. There, however, the blood was from a magical beast and the dead corpse had been killed in a single lethal blow.


    On the other hand, the wild boar was chopping up the human corpse the way he would a chicken or duck, preparing to roast him up¡­


    Li Mo reached out and patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back. She turned to look at him, at his unperturbed face, and guessed that he had experienced such a situation before.


    Allegedly, soldiers would frequently feed tamed, carnivorous beasts with human flesh in order to make them more ferocious. Li Mo had entered the barracks before he was ten, and had surely seen human flesh before.


    Another rumor was that there were army ruffians particrly fond of human flesh themselves. Whenever they captured an enemy general, they would cut him up, mash his meat into a paste, mix it into their porridge, and enjoy a sumptuous meal.


    This apocryphal tale had been rted to Yun Ruoyan by Lin Qingxue, who had heard it from Lin Bo. When he was young, Lin Bo had apanied Lin Zainan during a prolonged stay in the army. ording to him, when the armycked rations, they¡¯d had to make do with human-meat porridge.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze nextnded on Li Mo¡¯s lips. His lips were slightly pursed, as if he were trying to prevent himself from smiling. She began to frown, and couldn¡¯t help but imagine the sight of Li Mo consuming a bowl of human-meat porridge. As she did so, her stomach roiled further.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat that meat.¡± Yun Ruoyan looked away from the grisly sight.


    Li Mo¡¯s smile slowly widened. Ever since the first time he saw her, Yun Ruoyan had startled him at every juncture. It seemed as if nothing could perturb her¡ªuntil now. This was the first time that Li Mo had seen Yun Ruoyan reveal such a pained expression.


    He couldn¡¯t help but want to tease her further. ¡°Human flesh is juicy and tender, and it melts on the tongue. It¡¯s a far cry above regr poultry. It¡¯ll be a pity if you don¡¯t try it, especially when it¡¯s so fresh!¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan heard this, she felt bile rise up her throat and retched twice more.


    By this time, the wild boar had brought the freshly prepared human flesh over to roast on the fire. As Yun Ruoyan nced at the two ears impaled on a wooden stick, she immediately closed her eyes. Regardless, her brain continued supplying the mental image of arms and legs being roasted over a fire.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t think she could stay in this hollow a moment longer. As she stood up, thinking to leave, Li Mo pressed down on her shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your wife?¡± the wild boar asked as he continued preparing the meat. ¡°She¡¯s so pale. Is she famished? Heh, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll leave her the tender thigh meat.¡±


    The wild boar¡¯s words prompted another bout of retching.


    ¡°She¡¯s even vomiting?¡±


    As Li Mo rubbed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back, he smiled and answered, ¡°My wife¡¯s pregnant, and she hasn¡¯t had a very good appetitetely.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? In that case, I¡¯ll prepare some lean meat for her.¡±


    Just as Yun Ruoyan was wondering how she would get through the meal, footsteps suddenly came from afar.


    ¡°Not good.¡± The weasel jumped and peered at the woods outside. ¡°That pest¡¯sing over. He¡¯s attracted by the fragrance of this human flesh, I bet.¡±


    ¡°Old tree, close up, will you?¡± the wild boar shouted up at the tree¡¯s crown. With another shiver, the entrance to hollow closed up like a wild beast¡¯s jaws.


    ¡°Brother, that fellow¡¯s already smelled the meat, so¡­¡±


    The wild boar spat into the mes and thundered, ¡°That glutton eats everything he sees! Sooner orter, I¡¯m going to kill him and gobble him up.¡±


    Please, take the meat away! Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know whom the wild boar and weasel was referring to, but she was very grateful for his appearance. She wasn¡¯t sure she could stand looking, hearing, or smelling it any longer.


    Thudding footsteps quickly approached the outside of the hollow, followed by loud knocks.


    ¡°Wild boar, weasel!¡± a voice thundered from outside, ¡°I know you¡¯re in there! Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in and share what you¡¯ve got with me?¡±


    When neither the wild boar nor weasel spoke up, Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo. His brows were furrowed, and his gaiety from the chat with the beastkin had vanished.


    ¡°What¡¯s outside?¡±


    ¡°A bear. From his voice, his cultivation¡¯s probably advanced enough that it¡¯s already formed an inner core.¡±


    ¡°Inner core? Do beastkin have inner cores too?¡± Yun Ruoyan only knew that magical beasts had such cores, but not beastkin as well.


    Li Mo nodded. Rather than exining further, he murmured, ¡°I can¡¯t use too much spiritual energy right now, so my illusions are rtively weak. If that bear enters, he might be able to break the illusion, so hide behind me and don¡¯t show your face.¡±


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan realize that neither she nor Li Mo had truly be a beastkin. It was only Li Mo¡¯s illusions that had bewitched everyone present, including Yun Ruoyan herself.


    ¡°Tell this old tree to open up!¡± The ck bear continued pounding on the wood, making the entire hollow shake. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll burn it down.¡±


    As soon as the ck bear made that threat, the hollow opened up before the crowd could react.


    ¡°Old tree, you traitor!¡± the wild boar and weasel both shouted in unison.


    ¡°ck bear, why aren¡¯t you asleep thiste at night?¡± the weasel gulped as he stood up.


    Yun Ruoyan peeped out behind Li Mo¡¯s back as she nced at the entrance to the hollow.


    A gigantic shadow was standing outside, covered from head to toe with ck fur. He was naked save for a tiny patch of ck cloth covering up his privates.


    ¡°I might have left you a bite or two, but given how long you ignored me¡­¡± The ck bear swiped at the weasel with a huge w, knocking him t against the tree bark. When he slid down, he curled up into a little ball, not daring to say anything.


    ¡°Take what you want, but don¡¯t hurt him,¡± the wild boar grunted.


    ¡°Of the entire forest, you two are the most dishonest. If you exclude me from something good next time, I¡¯ll skin both of you and eat you up!¡± the ck bear warned, pointing a furry finger at both of them.


    The wild boar red at the ck bear, but also didn¡¯t dare reply.


    The ck bear stamped out the fire with a few stomps and grabbed all the human meat, both the pieces that were already roasting over the fire and the ones that were still raw.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed as she saw the bear¡¯s actions. Take it all away! Don¡¯t leave anything behind!


    Just as the bear was about to leave, he suddenly began sniffing the air as if he¡¯d smelled something unusual. Turning back around, he asked, ¡°Are there strangers here?¡±


    Neither the wild boar nor the weasel answered, but the ck bear¡¯s gleaming eyes had alreadynded on Li Mo in the corner.


    ¡°Where¡¯re you from, fox?¡±


    Li Mo bowed, respectfully recounting the story he¡¯d told the wild boar and weasel.


    The ck bear listened to his introduction expressionlessly, his face an impassive mask.


    He didn¡¯t speak, so no one else dared to, either. After a pregnant silence, he suddenly asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that woman behind you?¡±


    Woman, not spirit! Had they been discovered? Yun Ruoyan clutched Li Mo¡¯s arm more tightly. As if perfectly unperturbed, however, Li Mo replied calmly, ¡°This is my wife. She¡¯s pregnant and feeling a little unwell.¡±


    ¡°Your wife?¡± The ck bear clearly didn¡¯t believe his words. ¡°Why does she smell like a human?¡±


    ¡°We frequently travel through the human cities, so we¡¯ve picked up some of their scents,¡± Li Mo exined.


    ¡°They¡¯re truly two fox spirits. We¡¯re sheltering them tonight, and they¡¯ll be gone by tomorrow,¡± the wild boarmented.


    ¡°Right, they¡¯re just passersby. There¡¯s nothing to be suspicious about,¡± the weasel added, bending down.


    The ck bear nced at them, turned to Li Mo, thought for a little, and then finally left.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help letting out a long breath, but the ck bear suddenly turned right back around.


    ¡°No, my nose has never been wrong! There¡¯s a live human here, a very fragrant one!¡± the ck bear muttered to himself before walking up to Li Mo. ¡°Let your wifee out. I¡¯m going to inspect her.¡±


    When Li Mo didn¡¯t move, he continued, ¡°What, you don¡¯t dare? You little brat, you¡¯re hiding something good too, aren¡¯t you? You want to die?!¡±


    The ck bear thought that, just like the wild boar and weasel, Li Mo was hiding something good to eat, and he reached out behind Li Mo with his grubby ws.


    ¡°You dare!¡± A sudden shout emerged from Li Mo¡¯s lips, emitting a discernible pressure that affected all the beastkin present. The old tree trembled, the wild boar and weasel stumbled backwards, and even the ck bear took a step back.


    ¡°Interesting, very interesting.¡± The ck bear took only one step back before stabilizing. ¡°I¡¯ve been trapped in this forest for too long without anypetition. Tonight, you¡¯ll be my sparring buddy.¡±


    The ck bear began to grunt loudly as its hulking form grew even more imposing.

 Chapter 112: Who Are You?

    <h4>Chapter 112: Who Are You?</h4>


    The ck bear¡¯s burgeoning growth quickly filled the entirety of the tree hollow.


    ¡°Stop, stop!¡± the wild boar and weasel shouted at the top of their lungs, ¡°If you keep growing, the old tree¡¯s going to copse!¡±


    But the ck bear didn¡¯t care. As he grew, his nose becamerger, his sense of smell far more pronounced. He continued sniffing during this transformation and began to salivate as he did so.


    ¡°So fragrant¡­¡± The ck bear¡¯s eyes gleamed with greed as he lowered his head toward Li Mo. ¡°Little fox, who¡¯s that behind you? Why does she smell so good?¡±


    The ck bear pounced and opened its jaws wide as it rushed toward Li Mo.


    Peng!


    Li Mo stomped on the bear¡¯s chest with such force that its gigantic body began flying away. The tree spirit quickly widened the entrance to its hollow, and the ck bear wasunched back out into the forest.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡± Li Mo shouted in an icy-cold tone.


    Behind him, Yun Ruoyan could see his yellow robe and red hair suddenly turn silver. An unbelievably strong aura began emanating from Li Mo¡¯s entire body.


    Peng!


    The ck bear¡¯s body broke countless trees before all the force dissipated, and then it fell to the ground with a low, resounding thud. Themotion seemed to make the whole forest shake for a moment.


    The wild boar and weasel were both dazed as they looked at Li Mo. He turned slightly, sweeping over them with cold blue eyes. The two beastkin felt their legs go numb as they knelt down, trembling all over.


    Even Yun Ruoyan, standing behind Li Mo, was staring at the scene in shock. No matter her mental fortitude, it would be hard to digest her shock at seeing Li Mo¡¯s transformation and sudden release of aura.


    He turned around, his gaze finallynding on Yun Ruoyan. She met his icy gaze, his charming, otherworldly face.


    This face was both strange and familiar to Yun Ruoyan. In her mind¡¯s eye shed a pair of blue eyes that would often appear in her dreams. They were equally cold, and they had silently gazed at her with an icy aura for many a long night.


    ¡°Was it you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Li Mo raised his silvered brows. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The man at the pond the day of the flower-viewing party. Was it you?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s smile vanished. This damned woman still remembered what happened?!


    He¡¯d initially thought that Yun Ruoyan would have forgotten about the entire episode after she had recovered from the aphrodisiac, but¡­


    Li Mo had never had a more wretched night. It was rare enough that he would feel interested in a woman, let alone be discarded by that same woman at a most inopportune period, then left floating on the pond, alone, for what seemed like an eternity.


    He didn¡¯t want anyone to know about that wretched moment, especially not Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°No!¡± Li Mo replied coldly.


    Yun Ruoyan opened her mouth, ready to ask another question, when Li Mo stopped her. ¡°I¡¯m still hurt, so I can¡¯t maintain this form for long. We have to leave.¡±


    He grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the hollow. They¡¯d only talked for moments, but there had to be over a hundred beastkin gathered by the forest. Within the darkness of the night were countless pairs of glowing eyes.


    Except for beastkin, there were also will-o¡¯-the-wisps floating all around them.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the ck bear spoke up. Li Mo didn¡¯t answer his question, and the ck bear continued persistently. ¡°Why do you smell like the Beast King? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Scram!¡± Li Mo shouted coldly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, get out of my way!¡±


    Because of Li Mo¡¯s aura, none of the spirits or demons dared approach, but they weren¡¯t retreating either.


    They all seemed to listen to the ck bear. If he didn¡¯tmand them, none of them would move. However, the ck bear stood in front of Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, blocking their way like a sturdy brick wall.


    Li Mo let out a dragon¡¯s roar with a majesty that cowed all present.


    Amidst the roar, the ck bear slowly stepped back before kneeling down, and the other beasts all around them followed suit.


    ¡°Long live his majesty, the Beast King!¡± the ck bear shouted emotionally, as did the crowd mere momentster. They repeated the gesture, more and more beasts gathering amidst themotion, as if night had turned to day.


    Yun Ruoyan grew more and more shocked, the mysteries that gued Li Mo rearing their head and momentarily leaving her befuddled.


    ¡°Go.¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice suddenly rang out by her ear, and then Yun Ruoyan found herself floating in the skies in Li Mo¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Beast King, don¡¯t go!¡±


    ¡°Beast King, we¡¯ll forever serve you!¡±


    ¡°Come back, Beast King!¡±


    With a green sword aura underfoot, the two of them swiftly soared into the skies, leaving the anguished, excited cries of the beastkin behind.


    Li Mo directed the sword aura straight toward the capital to the east.


    Outside the forest of dead souls, they could finally see the moon once more. A strand of silver hair blew by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, seemingly emanating a cold chill.


    Yun Ruoyan grabbed the strand of hair. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°The ughtering King, Li Mo.¡±


    ¡°Do you have another identity?¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t reply, clearly not wanting to answer this question.


    ¡°Truly, who are you?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s boundless curiosity demanded that she speak.


    Li Mo finally murmured, ¡°On the Chenyuan continent, anyone who knows my true identity has died, as have all those who have seen my true appearance. Your life is forfeit.¡±


    As he spoke, a cold hand slowly tightened around Yun Ruoyan¡¯s neck. His tightening grip made Yun Ruoyan feel as if she would suffocate.


    ¡°You¡­ won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you?¡± Li Mo¡¯s clear voice seemed on the verge ofughter, but Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t identify what that signified. It was partially mocking, but there was something more nuanced.


    ¡°Why are you so confident?¡± Li Mo began tough.


    Why? Surely it wasn¡¯t because Yun Ruoyan was beautiful. ¡°You¡­ you spent so much effort¡­ in order to save me, so¡­ you naturally won¡¯t¡­ kill me.¡±


    That hand continued tightening around her neck, just like a noose.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever heard that I¡¯m a person who acts on my whims? I can kill you as easily as I can save you, and it all depends on my moods.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sight had gone blurry. The bright, clear moon slowly seemed to go dim.


    No, no! Am I going to die like this?! With thosest thoughts, Yun Ruoyan finally shut her eyes. But, at that exact moment, her world suddenly shook. The green sword aura began to shake and waver, as if Li Mo had lost control of it. His hand slid away from her neck, losing its grip, quickly followed by his entire body.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know whether she should consider herself lucky that Li Mo fainted at this moment. Without his direction, the green sword aura returned to Li Mo¡¯s body as a beam of green light. He hugged Yun Ruoyan tightly as they began falling once more.


    At this height, without any sort of buffer, neither of them would survive. At least she had a cushion¡­? The whistling wind rushed by her ears as Yun Ruoyan screwed her eyes shut tightly, subconsciously holding onto Li Mo more tightly as she settled in.


    Ssh!


    Just as Yun Ruoyan thought herself dead, the two of themnded in a pool of water with a big ssh.


    Shocked and unprepared, water filled Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mouth and nostrils, causing her to choke. With Li Mo binding her arms and legs, she couldn¡¯t break free, and the two of them began to sink into the depths.


    After gulping down a few mouthfuls of water, Yun Ruoyan finally understood that she was not, in fact, about to die. She quickly calmed down, began holding her breath, and tried to drag Li Mo¡¯s arm away from her body.


    Just as she was about to give up, she finally broke free. Before pushing Li Mo away, she turned back around to him.


    In the dark water, Li Mo¡¯s long, silvery hair and robe fluttered around his body, as if he were a slumbering silver dragon who would wake at any moment.


    A pain in her chest left Yun Ruoyan with no choice but to head to the surface, paddling with her feet. At the same time, Li Mo¡¯s body sank down and down.


    When she finally broke the surface of the water, Yun Ruoyan took a few gulps of fresh, cold air to assuage her aching lungs and half-choked throat and neck. Once she felt a little better, she looked all around her. Aside from her, the surface of theke was still. About seventy or eighty feet away was a patch of ck, likely the shore.


    Yun Ruoyan began swimming for the shore, but not two strokester, she stopped again. She couldn¡¯t help but think back to Li Mo¡¯s voice from earlier in the night.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ with me around, you don¡¯t have to fear anything.¡±


    Despite her two lives, this was the first time that anyone hadforted Yun Ruoyan while she was feeling scared. With him around, she truly felt like she had nothing to fear.


    Her brain told her that she shouldn¡¯t try to save him; that if she did so, Li Mo would likely kill her. But her heart vehemently objected¡ªSave him! Save him now, or you¡¯ll regret it!


    Groaning, Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath before diving back into theke.

 Chapter 113: Saved!

    <h4>Chapter 113: Saved!</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan dove back into the water. Because it was night, she couldn¡¯t see far into the depths, and Li Mo¡¯s body was nowhere to be found.


    She wanted to dive to the bottom of theke to search for Li Mo, but her dress produced a considerable amount of drag. In her rush, she floated back up to the surface, tore off her dress, took a deep breath, and dove back in again.


    This time, she sessfully swam all the way to the bottom of theke, where she finally saw and rushed toward the man in silver.


    Li Mo seemed to be lying peacefully on theke floor. In a short amount of time, arge number of strange fish had gathered around his body. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t see what exactly the fish looked like, but each dark shape was easily thrice the size of a regr fish.


    Yun Ruoyan wanted to approach Li Mo, but the swarm of fish actually attacked her. Having no other recourse, she pulled out a dagger from her leg and waved it at the fish. After finally dispersing the swarm, she began to drag Li Mo back to the surface.


    But the fish weren¡¯t so easily dealt with. Although they didn¡¯t attack Yun Ruoyan or Li Mo, they surrounded them and stopped them from moving further. One of the fish even bit on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dagger, fighting to take it from her.


    With only a few lungfuls of air left, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t muster up the strength to grab hold of the dagger, and the fish actually managed to snatch it from her. The tussle had drained thest of her oxygen. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help opening her mouth; as she did so, water rushed into her body and her head began to spin.


    Just then, Li Mo suddenly opened his eyes. His cold blue eyes shone like gems, exuding a power that repelled the fish far more effectively than Yun Ruoyan had been able to.


    With ast-ditch effort, Yun Ruoyan actually managed to swim back to the surface with Li Mo in tow. As she broke the surface, she gasped and took inrge mouthfuls of air as she dragged Li Mo to shore.


    When they were finally back onnd, she was so tired that she justy on the shore, gasping and coughing. Life as a regr human without spiritual energy was far harsher than she remembered.


    After finally recovering a little strength, Yun Ruoyan turned to check on Li Mo. His face was serene, his breathing regr, as if he were simply asleep. When she confirmed that his vitals seemed to be fine, Yun Ruoyany back down.


    After resting for a longer period, she mustered her strength to pull Li Mo further up thekeshore.


    ¡°You¡¯re really heavy, you know?!¡± Yun Ruoyan began huffing after just two steps, and it took a whole fifteen minutes before she finally dragged his dense body to a t, dry, and rtively covered location.


    By that time, Yun Ruoyan was damp all over and both hungry and tired. Although it was a summer night, she still felt chilled to the bone. She forced herself to stagger upright and look all around her. The area surrounding theke was a rather wide expanse, and there wasn¡¯t a forest nearby.


    That meant that the two of them were free from demons and beastkin for the moment. With this thought, Yun Ruoyan rxed, hugging her knees as she sat by Li Mo¡¯s side. Exhaustion from the day¡¯s travails instantly overcame her. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body nted as she fell right asleep on Li Mo¡¯s body.


    Su Bei, along with a troop of ck-d guards, began their search for Li Mo westward of the Yun manor. At daybreak, they finally found Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    By that time, Li Mo had just woken up, but Yun Ruoyan was still deep asleep. She was wearing only a thinyer of clothes, which were still damp. Over the course of the night, her body¡¯s temperature had only kept dropping, and she was icy cold all over. Li Mo sat up embracing her.


    A silvery-white Li Mo sat by a patch of dry ground, a girl in his arms. As dawn broke, light drenched the couple in a golden tinge.


    This was how Su Bei found Li Mo.


    ¡°Your Highness, I apologize for our tardiness.¡± The group of seven or eight ck-d guards stood far in the distance; Su Bei rushed forth and knelt in front of Li Mo.


    ¡°You¡¯re notte,¡± Li Mo said, his tone actually somewhat mirthful¡ªa rare sight for Su Bei, who was used to his master¡¯s icy demeanor.


    Su Bei couldn¡¯t help but raise his head, finding the barest traces of a smile on his master¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t know what had happened to make his master so happy, but it surely had something to do with the girl.


    ¡°Your Highness, is this the second daughter of the Yun family?¡± Su Bei asked.


    Li Mo nodded.


    ¡°Has she seen your true appearance?¡±


    He nodded once more.


    With some hesitation, Su Bei continued, ¡°ording to the usual rules, anyone who¡¯s seen your true appearance is to be killed, Your Highness. How shall we deal with this Miss Yun?¡±


    Li Mo turned to the sun, which had barely peeked over the horizon. ¡°As long as she doesn¡¯t abandon me, I won¡¯t kill her. Bring her back to the manor and take care of her.¡±


    After sleeping for what seemed like forever, Yun Ruoyan finally woke up. She didn¡¯t want to open her eyes; she was lying on what seemed like soft down, sofortable that she didn¡¯t want to wake up.


    Just then, a pair of eyes appeared in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind: a pair of icy-cold eyes staring straight at her.


    Yun Ruoyan jerked up in fright.


    What she saw as she opened her eyes were purple veils all around her, and a soft,fortable mattress underneath her body. There was birdsonging in from the windows streaming with light, and it seemed to be early morning.


    Yun Ruoyan nced all around her. This was a strange, unfamiliar room, richly decorated though it was. Just like her bedroom, this room was divided into two segmentsprising an inner chamber and an outer room, separated by a red curtain.


    <i>Where was this? Where was Li Mo?</i> Yun Ruoyan was just about to pull off her nkets and get off the bed when she found that she was only dressed in her undergarments. A severe frown on her face, she covered herself up with the nket once more.


    ¡°Li Mo, are you there? Is anyone present?¡± Yun Ruoyan tried to call for help.


    With a groan, the outer door opened and an unfamiliar girl walked in.


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re up!¡± the girl greeted Yun Ruoyan before cing the bundle of pale green clothes in her arms, along with a simrly colored gauze patch, by her bedside table.


    She was seventeen or eighteen, fair and graceful, a beauty in her own right. Dressed in a sky-blue muslin dress, she had put on neither makeup nor essories. She didn¡¯t look like a young miss or madam, but neither did she have the bearing of a servant.


    When the girl saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s confused expression, she smiled. ¡°Miss, your clothes were all damp, so I helped you out of them.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan heard these words, she finally rxed. ¡°Sister, who are you? And where am I?¡± She still had no clue where she was, but the other party seemed polite enough.


    ¡°This is the ughtering King¡¯s manor,¡± the girl responded. ¡°My name is Li Luo, and the ughtering King sent me over to take care of you, Miss.¡±


    ¡°The ughtering King¡¯s manor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Miss,¡± Li Luo smiled. ¡°These are the clothes that His Highness bade me prepare for you. Please see if they¡¯ll fit.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Li Mo? He seemed to have suffered a rather severe injury. Is he still alright?¡± When Yun Ruoyan asked this question, she subconsciously touched her own neck. Li Mo had attempted to strangle her quite fiercely, and she didn¡¯t know if there were still any remnant bruises.


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed the case, Miss.¡± Li Luo nodded and continued, ¡°But he should be fine after a period of rest and recuperation.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt as if a burden had left her body when she was told that Li Mo would recover, a curious sensation¡ªgiven how vicious he was to her, shouldn¡¯t she be happier if something were to happen to him?


    But not only did Yun Ruoyan choose to save Li Mo, she even seemed to care for him subconsciously.


    The only exnation she coulde up with was that, after all, he was her savior and benefactor. If he hadn¡¯t rushed to save her from the centipede spirit, this entire fiasco would never have happened. <i>Right, he saved my life, and then I saved his. We¡¯re even!</i>


    As she put on the clothes that Li Luo had prepared, she turned to the mirror by the dressing table. Although she had prepared herself mentally, she was still shocked when she saw her appearance.


    Yesterday¡¯s ordeals had certainly taken a toll on her, but what caught her eye immediately were therge, red scratches on her right cheek, no less frightening than her birthmark.


    When Yun Ruoyan thought back to what had happened, it was clear that those were her own scratches from when the poison had left her insensate.


    ¡°This is from His Highness, Miss.¡± Li Luo put a white porcin bottle on the dressing table by her side. ¡°Although your wounds aren¡¯t minor, if you keep applying this salve, you won¡¯t end up with a scar.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan picked up the bottle and sniffed its contents lightly¡ªit was the familiar fragrance of fish oil and snow lotus honey. Without a doubt, this was the salve that Li Mo had previously prepared for her.


    She had long since used up the two bottles that Li Mo had left by her table once upon a time. Only when Li Luo brought this bottle out did she remember that she still owed Li Mo for all his concoctions. This fact allowed her to shore up her rationalization for saving Li Mo further.


    As expected, Yun Ruoyan also had a few tender bruises on her neck. Luckily, the clothes that Li Luo had prepared were high-cored, and she could easily hide her neck from in sight.


    After washing up, Li Luo informed Yun Ruoyan that someone wanted to see her, so she followed her out into a garden. In the garden was a pavilion, and a ck-robed man was sitting inside. Li Luo bowed toward Yun Ruoyan before departing, leaving her alone with the man.


    Yun Ruoyan walked toward the pavilion. Hearing her footsteps, the man turned around, revealing himself to be none other than the third prince, Li Qianhan.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± He smiled as he gestured at her.


    ¡°Still alive, at the very least!¡± Yun Ruoyan sat right opposite him. On the table were green bean pastries, lotus cake, biscuits with phoenix-orchid filling, and a white tureen.


    Yun Ruoyan eyed the snacks greedily and tucked in, a pastry in her left hand and a slice of cake in her right. She took turns eating from both hands,pletely disregarding her image as the wife-born daughter of a noble family.


    ¡°Your style of eating¡­¡± Li Qianhan shook his head as heughed, before uncovering the white bowl and scooping a bowl of white fungus soup for Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Eat more slowly¡ªyou don¡¯t want to choke, do you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took the proffered bowl of soup and began gulping it down immediately. It was clear and sweet, neither too cold nor too warm, and left a refreshing aftertaste behind.


    ¡°I bet you like meat, but Uncle wouldn¡¯t let you have any,¡± Li Qianhan continued. ¡°But you seem happy enough with what¡¯s avable, so¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t expect that Li Mo would be such a thoughtful man, but she didn¡¯t believe that he would be providing for her unconditionally. ¡°Does he have any requests for me?¡±

 Chapter 114: The Siblings Reunite

    <h4>Chapter 114: The Siblings Reunite</h4>


    Li Qianhan nodded. ¡°He wants you to keep his secret to himself, otherwise¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have no interest in revealing others¡¯ secrets.¡± Yun Ruoyan broke Li Qianhan off. Although she was still very curious as to Li Mo¡¯s identity and even wanted to ask Li Qianhan about it, she chose to ignore the mystery.


    Who cared if Li Mo was man or beast? Regardless of whether he was the ughtering King or the Beast King, what did that have to do with her, Yun Ruoyan? She was a simple girl. She had no interest in courtly intrigue or secrets beyond her ken¡ªall she cared about was getting stronger, and others¡¯ affairs didn¡¯t concern her at all!


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll remember your promise. If therees a day when you speak of this secret to anyone, both you and that person will surely die,¡± Li Qianhan replied gravely.


    Li Qianhan wasn¡¯t a grave man, so the fact that he spoke with such solemnity emphasized the importance of the matter.


    Before Li Qianhan could continue, Yun Ruoyan swore to the high heavens of her own ord, and he nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Also, because you saved himst night, Uncle¡¯s granting you a favor¡ªanything he can do, he will. Don¡¯t you dare refuse this! The ughtering King¡¯s promises are priceless.¡± Li Qianhan emphasized thistter point because Yun Ruoyan had once refused Li Mo¡¯s pills in the past, but the reason she had done so was because she wasn¡¯t aware of his identity or motives.


    Now, Yun Ruoyan certainly wouldn¡¯t refuse such a tempting offer. In fact, she did have something she needed his help with. ¡°Yun Moxiao is my brother. I¡¯d like the ughtering King to keep him safe for three years.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let him know on your behalf,¡± Li Qianhan affirmed.


    After a satisfying meal, and with her brother¡¯s safety guaranteed, Yun Ruoyan was sent home by Li Qianhan himself.


    In a hidden chamber in the ughtering King¡¯s manor, Li Mo was sitting cross-legged while he mediated.


    Su Bei and Li Luo entered his chambers to give him their respective reports. Su Bei began, ¡°Your Highness, Miss Yun has been sent home by the third prince.¡±


    ¡°Is she alright?¡± Li Mo¡¯s eyes were still closed.


    Li Luo replied, ¡°Miss Yun is in good health, but her mental energy was rather severely damaged by the poison. With the antidote, she should recover in due time without any permanent impact.¡±


    Li Mo nodded, and Su Bei and Li Luo left his chambers together.


    ¡°The master seems to be particrly interested in this young miss,¡± Li Luomented.


    Su Bei turned to her and replied expressionlessly, ¡°As subordinates, we need only perform our duties as the master requests. Do not attempt to guess his intentions, Li Luo.¡±


    Li Luo lowered her head.


    At exactly ten in the morning, Li Qianhan¡¯s carriage arrived by the Yun manor.


    ¡°The second miss¡¯s back, she¡¯s back!¡± When the servant guarding the door saw Yun Ruoyan get out of the carriage, he hurriedly ran into the manor and shouted. Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t used to themotion; when had the Yuns begun caring so much about her?


    Li Qianhan offered to send Yun Ruoyan inside, and she didn¡¯t refuse. Just as the two of them were about to step into the manor, hoofsteps rang out from the roadside.


    From how loud it was, there had to be at least ten horses rapidly approaching them. By the time Yun Ruoyan turned to the source of the noise, the horses had arrived at the entrance of the manor.


    Yun Ruoyan instantaneously recognized the man riding on the ming steed at the very front. Yun Moxiao was decked in red, a cape billowing behind him. After long years of separation, the siblings finally reunited once more.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    Yun Moxiao didn¡¯t immediately recognize his sister. The girl in front of him was dressed in a pale green gown. With the wind blowing at her back, she appeared graceful in the extreme. Her lush ck hair was styled simply, and she wore a gauze patch on her face of the same color as her dress.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m Ruoyan!¡± Yun Ruoyan began walking quickly toward him.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Ruoyan?¡± Yun Moxiao finally recognized his sister¡¯s appearance as he leaped off the horse and walked toward her.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯ve finally returned!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, I¡¯m back!¡±


    The siblings stood looking at each other, Yun Ruoyan so happy her eyes were brimming with tears, and even Yun Moxiao¡¯s eyes were turning red.


    Compared to thest time she¡¯d seen him, Yun Moxiao was even more mature and imposing than before, but his features had remained the same. That was how Yun Ruoyan was able to pick him out at a single nce.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s changes were far more dramatic. Not only had she grown taller, her aura hadpletely transformed.


    Yun Moxiao remembered his sister as a timid and rather depressed girl. Even when she smiled, her smile was tenuous and forced, as if she were hiding a darker undercurrent of emotion underneath. ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯ve changed. You¡¯ve grown more and more beautiful.¡± Yun Moxiao reached out and helped pat down his sister¡¯s hair, which hade loose in the wind.


    ¡°Brother, why haven¡¯t you changed? You¡¯re still as dashing as ever.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood on tiptoe as she patted Yun Moxiao¡¯s shoulders.


    The siblings gazed at each other as they broke out inughter, which spread all the way to the interior of the manor.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t impose on you any longer.¡± Li Qianhan smiled. He¡¯d been worried that Yun Ruoyan would be criticized upon her return to the manor, so he¡¯d wanted to exin the situation to Yun Lan himself. Now that Yun Moxiao was here, however, surely no one would dare to pick on her.


    His long years stationed at the army barracks meant that Yun Moxiao was unfamiliar with the third prince. Only when Yun Ruoyan introduced them to each other did he hurriedly bow in greeting.


    Li Qianhan smiled politely, exchanged a few pleasantries with him, before turning to leave.


    ¡°Young Master, Young Miss, pleasee in.¡± Housekeeper Wu walked out from the manor and rushed the two siblings along. ¡°The old madam and master are waiting for you in the great hall.¡±


    The two siblings chatted as they walked inside the manor.


    Yun Moxiao told Yun Ruoyan that he¡¯d arrived at the manorst night. When he heard that Yun Ruoyan had been captured by a demon, however, he rushed to the west with a few trusted guards immediately, not resting for even a moment despite the long, harrowing journey.


    ¡°We went all the way till dawn, to the forest of dead souls,¡± Yun Moxiao continued. ¡°I guessed that you were likely abducted into the forest and was just about to enter when the forest suddenly began to ze. There was no wind, but the fire spread incredibly quickly. Soon, the entire forest was alight.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan heard her brother¡¯s recounting of the event, she was immediately certain that Li Mo had sent someone to burn up the forest. The hundreds of demons and creatures within had clearly seen Li Mo¡¯s true appearance, and they¡¯d all been killed as a result.


    It seemed as though Yun Ruoyan truly was the only one who had been spared from death.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little shocked. Knowing that that was the policy was one thing, but hearing about what had happened to the unlucky observers was another affair entirely.


    ¡°Ruoyan, quick, let me see if you¡¯re alright!¡± the Yun matriarch spoke from quite a distance away.


    Yun Ruoyan walked into the hall and hurriedly approached her grandmother. ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m safe. The ughtering King saved me.¡±


    When Yun Lan saw that his daughter was safe and sound, he too let out a long breath. ¡°Yan¡¯er, do you know where the ughtering King is? Since he saved you, it¡¯s only natural that we should pay him a visit and express our gratitude.¡±


    ¡°The ughtering King was injured after fighting with the demon, and he¡¯s currently recuperating. Now¡¯s not an opportune time, Father,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, before turning to the side and meeting Madam An, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu¡¯s gazes.


    When the three of them saw Yun Ruoyan safe and sound, they revealed identical expressions of shock and consternation on their face. They quickly looked away, trying to hide the growing unease in their hearts.


    Yun Ruoyan stepped up to Madam An. ¡°Mother, why are you still sitting here?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sudden question startled everyone present.


    ¡°Ruoyan, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re alright. We didn¡¯t hear from you for an entire day and night, and I was worried sick!¡± Madam An responded without blushing.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but be impressed at Madam An¡¯s acting ability. ¡°Mother, have you forgotten what caused me to be abducted by that demon in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°That, that¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, Mother was also tricked by that Daoist!¡± Yun Ruoyao defended Madam An. ¡°She was only trying to help restore peace to the family. Surely you can¡¯t me her?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan scoffed. Did they think her suffering would be washed away with a few simple words? Did they really think that she would be satisfied with excuses like ¡°I was tricked,¡± or ¡°I did it for the family¡¯s greater good¡±?


    ¡°Father, I have a question for Mother.¡± Before Yun Ruoyan could speak up, Yun Moxiao interrupted. ¡°Yesterday, I heard people im that Madam An invited the demon who snatched Ruoyan away. Mother even imed that Ruoyan was a demon during Grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet, but it¡¯s now evident that that was a lie. Mother, don¡¯t you think you should take responsibility for your own actions?¡±


    Having been stationed by an army barracks for years, Yun Moxiao¡¯s actions and speech were unwaveringly direct.


    ¡°Mother onl¡ª¡± Yun Ruoyao wanted to continue defending Madam An, but Yun Moxiao snorted. ¡°I¡¯m talking to Mother, not you. Be quiet.¡±


    After hemming and hawing for an ufortably long moment, Madam An finally replied, ¡°Ruoyan, this was truly my fault. I apologize to you for my thoughtless actions, Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°Mother, you framed me and tried to publicly humiliate me in front of the entire Yun family. I can¡¯t ept your apology.¡±


    The Yun matriarch looked worriedly at her granddaughter. Although Madam An was indeed at fault, she was still in charge of the family. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to punish her harshly, and the Yun matriarch had indeed forced her to reflect on her errors by kneeling in the ancestral hall for the entire night. She hadn¡¯t expected that Yun Ruoyan had suffered so much that she wasn¡¯t willing to let the matter drop so easily.


    ¡°Ruoyan, Grandmother has already punished me for my wrongdoing.¡± Madam An was still hoping to smooth things over. ¡°You must have suffered after being out for the entire day and night, so why don¡¯t you go rest in your rooms?¡±


    ¡°Grandmother,¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly eximed, ¡°everyone knows that Mother didn¡¯t make a mistake! She¡¯s made mistakes like this countless times now, and I¡¯ve suffered and suffered all the more for it. If I just keep letting her do as she wishes, she¡¯ll only keep hurting me, so I won¡¯t give in! Grandmother, are you just going to let this slide once more?¡±

 Chapter 115: A Proper Accounting

    <h4>Chapter 115: A Proper ounting</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan was ready to break off all rtions with Madam An.


    In the past, the schemes that Madam An and the other girls drew her into were all small, petty things, nothing which would merit more than a mild punishment. Of course, the overall goal was more insidious: to discredit her and depose her of her position in the family.


    However, as Yun Ruoyan grew more and more talented, Madam An and the others began deploying ever more malicious ns.


    The attempted poisoning at the pavilion, followed by this im that Yun Ruoyan was a demon¡­ either of these ploys could easily have killed her if she had fallen into Madam An¡¯s trap.


    In the past, Yun Ruoyan had focused all her attention on cultivation, and had all but ignored Madam An and the other girls. However, now that Madam An was getting more and more crafty, she couldn¡¯t guarantee that she would be safe. If not for Li Mo¡¯s timely arrival, she really might have died.


    This wasn¡¯t something she would let happen again!


    ¡°Grandmother, I know you truly care about me¡ªthat¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you to hear me out.¡± Relentless, Yun Ruoyan continued, ¡°Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of staying in the family?!¡±


    The Yun matriarch and Yun Lan had never seen Yun Ruoyan so angry, and they were momentarily at a loss for words. They naturally knew that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t lying. Over the past few years, countless small incidents hadunched themselves at Yun Ruoyan, most of which they had overlooked.


    What was fairness? As long as she was useful to the family, she could have redress for her grievances. Otherwise, she would only be dismissed with a few words of constion.


    The Yun Ruoyan of the past surely didn¡¯t deserve such fairness, but although she now had that right, Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch didn¡¯t want to dig up the past. They would certainly punish minor transgressions, but it simply wouldn¡¯t do to hurt the harmony of the family atrge. Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch held the family above all, even if that family was only held together by superficial ties.


    Madam An¡¯s face was ugly. Ever since Yun Ruoyan was abducted, Yun Lan hadn¡¯t given her a pleasant look. And although he didn¡¯t chastise her, the Yun matriarch had forced her to kneel in the ancestral hall the entire night. There had never been precedent for punishing the female head of the household in the Yun family, and Madam An had stewed in her negative emotions from sunset to sunrise.


    And now, Yun Ruoyan was even trying to heap more punishment upon her, as if she wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until she was stripped of all her authority.


    <i>Why? I was supposed to be the wife of the Yun household, until that damned Lin Yuemei showed up! What right did she have to snatch away my status and position? And now that she¡¯s finally dead and I¡¯ve reimed what¡¯s mine, what right does her useless, ugly daughter have to take </i>my <i>daughter¡¯s position?!!</i>


    Madam An¡¯s guilt morphed into a whole slew of grievances in a single moment. ¡°Mother,¡± she choked out, ¡°everyone tells me how hard it is to be a stepmother, and I truly see why now. A single misunderstanding, and now I¡¯m treated like a viin, a murderer!¡±


    ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± Yun Ruoyan scoffed. ¡°Three years ago, when I was badly injured at the family academy, Peony begged you to find me a physician. Although you agreed, you kept dragging the process out. If not for Madam Qin¡¯s care, I would likely have perished due to my injuries.¡±


    Madam An wanted to defend herself, but Yun Ruoyan barrelled on. ¡°And in the past three years, during every holiday and event, each of the young misses of the household were given cloth and money for new clothes. However, without fail, the inest fabrics would be sent to my residence, and I wouldn¡¯t even get half the money that the other misses did! Is that also a simple misunderstanding?¡±


    ¡°There are so many scions in the household that I certainly can¡¯t guarantee equal portions each time, Second Miss,¡± Madam An hurriedly began, now that Yun Ruoyan had finally stopped speaking over her. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve always had Housekeeper Wu emphasize that you should reach out to me if you feel like you¡¯ve been shortchanged. The other scionsin to me from time to time, and I¡¯ve always given them the materials or money they¡¯ve asked for. But you¡¯ve nevere talk to me about this, Ruoyan, so isn¡¯t this quite a bit of a stretch?¡±


    In the past, Yun Ruoyan was timid and fearful, so she wouldn¡¯t speak up even if she received unfair treatment. This was why Madam An was able to discriminate against her so tantly.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s drop that matter for the moment,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued. ¡°Last year, as is tradition, I went to pay my respects to Grandmother during the first day of the Chinese New Year. However, I met Hong Yu halfway. She told me that Grandmother was unwell, that she didn¡¯t want to see anyone, and to return to my cottage and await further news. In the end, every other member of the Yun family paid their respects except for me!¡±


    Given the Li kingdom¡¯s emphasis on formality, Yun Lan had flown into a rage when he heard about the matter. Without giving Yun Ruoyan a chance to exin herself, he¡¯d sent her to kneel in the ancestral chambers for three days and nights.


    ¡°Mother, who else would havemanded Hong Yu but you?!¡±


    ¡°Is this true?¡± The Yun matriarch looked shocked. She too remembered that all her descendants had indeed gathered at her chambers to pay their respects to her during the New Year, all save Yun Ruoyan.


    The Yun matriarch had always thought Yun Ruoyan a timid girl, but one who was at least familiar with proper etiquette. That incident had left her quite dissatisfied with Yun Ruoyan.


    She turned toward Madam An. ¡°Is this true?¡±


    Madam An¡¯s face shook slightly before she called out, ¡°Hong Yu!¡±


    Hong Yu, who had been standing by her side, began to tremble as she bowed down. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Did the second miss tell the truth? Did you lie to her?¡± Madam An¡¯s tone was sharp and acerbic.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Hong Yu¡¯s stammers filled the silent room.


    ¡°Well? Yes or no?!¡±


    ¡°No, Madam, I didn¡¯t!¡± Hong Yu bowed even lower, her head shaking.


    Yun Ruoyan nced askance at her and asked coldly, ¡°Hong Yu, if you truly didn¡¯t lie to me, then why did you stammer so much just now?¡±


    Hong Yu was Madam An¡¯s aide and trusted confidante, who had carried out arge number of her ploys. She would be far harder to catch off-guard than a regr servant.


    Except at the very beginning, when she had been suddenly called out by Madam An, she hid her anxiety very well.


    ¡°Miss Ruoyan,¡± Hong Yu bowed and replied, ¡°because it¡¯s been so long, I was worried I wouldn¡¯t be able to remember the incident clearly, so I needed a moment to think. On the madam¡¯s orders, I spent the entire day in the small warehouse helping to organize the gifts that were sent to the residence. I didn¡¯t step out of the warehouse until veryte at night, and I surely wouldn¡¯t have crossed paths with you, Miss. Could there be an error in your recollection?¡±


    ¡°That day, I did task Hong Yu with helping out in the small warehouse,¡± Madam An affirmed. ¡°As for whether or not she did anything elsewhere, I can¡¯t say. If you don¡¯t believe Hong Yu¡¯s words, I can send for some of the other women working with her to testify.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sneered grimly in her mind. Right by the side of the small warehouse was a path leading from her quarters to the Yun matriarch¡¯s, and it was there that Hong Yu intentionally waited for her before reporting to the warehouse.


    The other women working there were all Madam An¡¯s subordinates, and they clearly wouldn¡¯t provide a damning testimony.


    Madam An had really set up some intricate ns against her!


    The Yun matriarch was about to ask Madam An to send for the other women when Yun Ruoyan interrupted her. ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s alright. Since Madam An was prepared for this, nothing wille out of having more servants attest.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had stopped calling Madam An Mother, and Madam An had also stopped calling Yun Ruoyan Ruoyan.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, aren¡¯t you being too overbearing?¡± Yun Ruoyao, who had remained silent ever since Yun Moxiao scolded her, finally began speaking up again. ¡°How can you use Mother like that without any evidence?¡±


    As Yun Ruoyao spoke, she turned to Yun Ruoyu. Usually, Yun Ruoyu would be wing at Yun Ruoyan by this point, so why was she remaining silent?


    ¡°Shall we talk about you too, Ruoyao?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to her sister. ¡°Ignoring your repeated attempts to plot against me, you should be expelled from the Yun family just for your antics during the imperial expedition! When the saber-toothed tiger attacked me, you fled with Yun Ruoyu and Yi Qianying! When youter found my group safe and sound, you even tried to lead us into a snake¡¯s den to kill us all!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Yun Ruoyao anxiously shouted, not expecting her to dredge up the past. ¡°Stop trying to pin all these crimes on Mother and I! As long as you don¡¯t have evidence, these are just empty words. Since we¡¯re all in front of Father and Grandmother now, I¡¯d really like to ask you why you keep trying to frame us!¡±


    ¡°Second Miss, if you¡¯re dissatisfied with my performance as the head of the household, you need only direct your attention at me. There¡¯s no need to bring your sisters into this too.¡± Madam An¡¯s tone was disappointed and hurt. ¡°Ruoyan, I can¡¯t believe you thought this of m¡ª¡±


    Yun Moxiao snorted from the side. As he heard Yun Ruoyan¡¯s recounting of what had happened to her while he was gone, waves of fury shook his core. He clenched his fists tightly in order to suppress his rage. Interrupting Madam An, he yelled out, ¡°When I was small, Mother didn¡¯t treat either of you badly. Who could have expected you to repay her kindness in this manner after her passing?!¡±


    Yun Moxiao knew that Yun Ruoyan had been introverted because of her birthmark, that she never dared to look someone in the eye despite her status as the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family. But he had still underestimated the extent of her bullying in the household.


    Yun Moxiao turned to Yun Lan, who had remained passive throughout the argument. ¡°Father, you forbade me from writing to my sister, telling me that it would influence her cultivation. You promised to take good care of her¡ªis this what that promise looks like to you?!¡±


    Yun Lan sat at the head of the table, as immobile as a marble sculpture. Only when Yun Moxiao directed his anger at him did he finally speak. ¡°These are all one-sided ims from Yan¡¯er. She doesn¡¯t get along well with her mother, so you can¡¯t trust her words.¡±


    Yun Moxiao was clearly taken aback by his father¡¯s curt response. ¡°Father, if you don¡¯t believe her, I will! And if you can¡¯t take care of my sister, then I¡¯ll take care of her myself.¡± He took Yun Ruoyan by the hand and announced, ¡°I¡¯m bringing Yan¡¯er to the barracks with me.¡±

 Chapter 116: Hidden Words

    <h4>Chapter 116: Hidden Words</h4>


    Yun Moxiao was direct and upromising, so when he imed he would bring Yun Ruoyan to the barracks, both Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch looked at him in consternation.


    ¡°Nonsense! Do you think you can do as you want in the army?¡±


    The reason Yun Lan refused to let Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao make contact was because he was worried that Yun Moxiao would do something ridiculous in defense of his sister.


    Four years ago, when Yun Moyuan hadughed at her, Yun Moxiao had beat him up so harshly that he was bedridden for over two weeks. If Yun Moxiao were to find out about what had happened to her over thest few years, he would certainly upheave the entire household.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking around. I promised Mother to take good care of Ruoyan after her death, but I¡¯ve clearly failed all these years.¡± He looked grimly at Yun Lan, criticizing both himself and his father.


    When Lin Yuemei had passed away, he could clearly remember how she had begged her husband to take care of the two siblings.


    But the second year after her death, he was marched off to the army while Yun Ruoyan had been bullied severely at home. How could Yun Moxiao not be disappointed in his father?


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to atone for my guilt,¡± Yun Moxiao continued. ¡°Father, how do you think Mother would feel about your treatment of Ruoyan? Are you at all apologetic to her?!¡±


    Yun Moxiao criticized his father directly.


    ¡°You dare¡­!¡± Yun Lan mmed his palm against the table before pointing a crooked finger at Yun Moxiao, so angry that he couldn¡¯t get any words out.


    In one fell swoop, Yun Moxiao had both broken with tradition and formality, the two ts of the Li kingdom. Not only did he disrespect his father by calling him out, he had even challenged his authority.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you something, Young Master?¡± Seeing Yun Lan get angry, Madam An began, ¡°Challenging your elders in public¡ªis this the kind of decorum you learned in the army? I really must speak to General Huang one of these days!¡±


    The General Huang that Madam An mentioned was Yun Moxiao¡¯s direct superior, as well as his mentor at cultivation. He was a man whom Yun Moxiao deeply respected.


    ¡°Master taught me to discern right from wrong, to fulfill my promises, to protect my kingdom!¡± Yun Moxiao suddenly turned to Madam An. ¡°On the other hand, Madam An, bullying an orphaned girl and colluding with an outsider to frame your family¡­ is this the kind of etiquette you were taught in the An family?¡±


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s words were serious: he had denigrated not only Madam An herself, but also her entire family.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­!¡± In her fury, Madam An actually became as speechless as her husband.


    ¡°Yun Moxiao!¡± When Yun Ruoyao saw her mother be so angry that she was turning pale, she spoke up again. ¡°How dare you disparage Mother and the An family! Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re the eldest son of the Yun household, and your words matter!¡±


    Yun Moxiao scoffed, not even sparing Yun Ruoyao a nce. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me who I am, but don¡¯t you forget your ce. A concubine-born daughter, daring to address me by my full name? Is this the courtesy your mother taught you?¡±


    Yun Moxiao turned back to Yun Lan, disappointment and disdain flickering through his eyes. ¡°Or has Father already tacitly epted you as Ruoyan¡¯s recement?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you speaking? You¡¯re doubting Father himself?!¡±


    Yun Lan had never experienced such a severe breach of respect, and his icy demeanor finally cracked.


    He stood back up, calling out, ¡°Housekeeper Wu!¡±


    Housekeeper Wu hurriedly rushed in. Before he could inquire as to the matter, Yun Lanmanded, ¡°Bring over the Yun familymandments! It seems that I¡¯m going to have to discipline my son well today.¡±


    ¡°Father, please calm down,¡± Yun Ruoyan finally interjected, afraid that things were taking a turn for the worse. ¡°Brother must be worn out from rushing back to see Grandmother. As soon as he returned home, he received news that I had been abducted, so he clearly isn¡¯t in the right state of mind at the moment. Father, please forgive him for his offense.¡±


    But Yun Moxiao broke her off. ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t beg him for forgiveness! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. He didn¡¯t take care of you, and he¡¯s the one at fault!¡±


    As soon as Yun Moxiao began to speak, Yun Ruoyan tugged on his sleeve to no avail. When he heard his son¡¯s words, Yun Lan thundered again at Housekeeper Wu, ¡°What¡¯re you waiting for? Get themandments!¡±


    Housekeeper Wu raised his bowed head, seeing that Yun Lan¡¯s face had gone from white to red, before nodding and heading off to fetch it.


    ¡°Enough!¡± The Yun matriarch called out. ¡°It¡¯s been decades since west made use of themandments! This is not a matter of such importance. Housekeeper Wu, stand down.¡±


    Housekeeper Wu peered up at the Yun matriarch before bowing and retreating to the side.


    ¡°When did my Yun family be so at odds with itself? When did we start using and scheming against each other?¡± The Yun matriarch thumped on the ground with her cane as she spoke, emphasizing her words. ¡°Everyone present will copy down the family¡¯smandments two hundred times over!¡±


    After she made her pronouncement, the Yun matriarch gazed at her family, aplicated series of expressions shing through her face. ¡°Xiao Lan, I¡¯m tired. Help me back to my rooms.¡±


    Xiao Lan walked off with the Yun matriarch, but as she passed by Yun Ruoyan, the Yun matriarch paused. ¡°Come to my quarters with me. I have questions for you.¡±


    Yun Moxiao followed behind Yun Ruoyan as she left with the Yun matriarch. He¡¯d wanted to apany her in, but Xiao Lan stopped him outside the outer chambers.


    ¡°Xiao Lan, don¡¯t stop me!¡±


    ¡°Young Master, the old madam won¡¯t make things difficult for Miss Ruoyan.¡±


    Within her chambers, the Yun matriarch was reclining on a soft mattress. Unusually, however, her muddied yellow eyes weren¡¯t closed, but instead staring straight at Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s actions were beyond her expectations. She was a sensible girl, and surely knew better than to act up while Yun Moxiao was home. She was clearly aware of his personality, and she knew what airing this dirtyundry would do to the rtionship between him and his father. So what was the cause of her actions?


    The Yun matriarch mulled it over silently, and Yun Ruoyan likewise remained silent.


    ¡°Ruoyan.¡± After a pregnant pause, the Yun matriarch finally started talking. ¡°I know well the grievances you¡¯ve suffered all these years, and your father and I also want topensate you. But airing out your grievances in this manner will hurt your brother¡¯s rtionship with his father, and surely this isn¡¯t something you want to see?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s decision didn¡¯t appear logical, but she had done so with a n in mind. However, this wasn¡¯t something she could reveal to the Yun matriarch, because no one but Yun Ruoyan herself would understand the meaning behind her actions.


    As a result, she thought up a reasonable excuse. ¡°Grandmother, I don¡¯t want to see Father and Brother angry at each other, but Madam An truly tried to kill me. If I remain as passive as ever, there¡¯ll surely be a second, then a third attempt. This time, it was only the ughtering King¡¯s fortuitous presence that saved me. In the future, I may not be so lucky.¡±


    The Yun matriarch sighed. She knew that Madam An had to be dissatisfied at having to give up her position as Yun Lan¡¯s rightful wife so many years ago, and this was one of the reasons she had always been so lenient to her.


    In partial rpense to Madam An, she had intended to have Yun Ruoyao take over Yun Ruoyan¡¯s position if Yun Ruoyan proved herself underwhelming.


    But now that Yun Ruoyan appeared fully capable of taking on the responsibilities of a wife-born daughter of the Yun family, Madam An¡¯s actions were only hurting the family.


    ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t worry. As your grandmother, I promise you she won¡¯t dare to hurt you again. This won¡¯t happen a second time. However, if you push this matter further, you¡¯ll cause a schism between the Yun and An families. You¡¯re surely aware that your mother had, in some sense, taken over the position of your father¡¯s rightful wife from Madam An, and our rtions with the An family have been strained as a result.¡±


    The Yun matriarch sighed. ¡°Neither your father nor I want to worsen our rtionship with the An family.¡±


    When the Yun matriarch was finally done speaking, Yun Ruoyan replied, ¡°Grandmother, I understand your intentions, and I know that there¡¯s more than my future at stake. I won¡¯t pursue this matter further, and I¡¯ll persuade my brother not to, either. But if something like this were to happen again, I hope Grandmother and Father will give me my rightful justice.¡±


    And even if Madam An doesn¡¯t provoke me, I have to provoke her, or who knows when this justice will be meted?


    After finishing her conversation with Yun Ruoyan, the Yun matriarch next called Yun Moxiao inside. Under theirbined persuasion, his anger was finally quenched, and he promised not to pursue the matter further.


    As they left their grandmother¡¯s quarters, Yun Moxiao told Yun Ruoyan, ¡°Ruoyan, if you¡¯re ever tired of the capital, join me at the army barracks. Out there, the wilderness will be your enemy, not any of this stuffy political intrigue.¡±


    ¡°The barracks are full of men, aren¡¯t they? What good would I be there?¡±


    Sensing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ¡®interest¡¯, Yun Moxiao immediately perked up. ¡°My master said that women aren¡¯t worse cultivators than men, so why can¡¯t they be soldiers?¡±


    Naturally, the master that Yun Moxiao referred to was the General Huang that Madam An had brought up earlier.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the army¡¯s preparing to field female soldiers. If you¡¯re willing to go with me, I¡¯ll be sure to get you a position as a female general!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan wanted tough, but when she saw Yun Moxiao¡¯s expectant expression, she responded seriously, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m going to be a student at Kongming Academy, so I really can¡¯t just go to the army with you.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t heard about this. ¡°You¡¯ve been epted by Kongming Academy?!¡±


    Although Yun Lan had been hiding the fact that Yun Ruoyan had been expelled from the academy, Yun Moxiao did know about his sister¡¯s cultivation regressing. As a result, he had only hoped that his sister would find a good spouse and remain happily married for the rest of her life.


    What Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t expected, however, was that she would actually pass Kongming Academy¡¯s recruitment examination and obtain the qualifications to enter Kongming Academy.


    ¡°Ruoyan, I¡¯m sure Mother would have been overjoyed to learn about this.¡± He looked at her with gratification.


    But instead of filling up with delight, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes misted over. Her brother¡¯s words reminded her that it was time to tell him about Lin Yuemei¡¯s poisoning.

 Chapter 117: Madam An’s Hatred

    <h4>Chapter 117: Madam An¡¯s Hatred</h4>


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s head to Grandfather¡¯s ce. I have something I need to tell you.¡±


    The Lins and Yuns had grown estranged over the years. For the Yun matriarch¡¯s birthday celebration, the Yun family had sent the Lins an invitation as a superficial courtesy; in a simrly superficial gesture, the Lins had quickly left after dropping off a small gift.


    Thesest few days, Lin Zainan had gone into seclusion. Lin Qingchen spent all her time in her little bamboo garden except when she had to manage the family¡¯s physician practice. Even Lin Qingxue, normally the most active, had remained home the past few days to finish the homework that her grandfather had assigned her.


    As a result, although news of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s abduction had spread far and wide throughout the capital, no one from the Lin family knew about it.


    It was only this morning that Lin Bo had overheard the news while out shopping. He hurriedly went to find Lin Qingxue, who then rushed to her sister¡¯s garden.


    And then the two sisters went to their grandfather¡¯s pillmaking chambers, but when they found that the room was still entirely sealed, neither of the girls dared disturb their grandfather.


    Just as they were at a loss for what to do, Lin Bo led Yun Ruoyan to the Lin family¡¯s backyard.


    ¡°Misses, look who¡¯s here!¡± Lin Bo called out to Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen from afar.


    The two girls turned around to see Yun Ruoyan and a tall youth standing behind her.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re alright?¡± Lin Qingxue rushed to her cousin and grabbed her hand. ¡°I heard Lin Bo mention that you were abducted by a demon! We were so worried that we went straight to Grandfather, but he¡¯s still in the middle of his pillmaking, so we didn¡¯t know what to do¡­ but you¡¯re safe, you¡¯re safe!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m alright now, don¡¯t worry.¡± The Lin sisters¡¯ glum faces turned bright the moment she appeared, and Lin Qingxue looked so happy it seemed like she could cry at any moment.


    The two of them really seemed to be concerned for her, and she was both touched and somewhat apologetic.


    ¡°And this is¡­ Cousin?!¡± Lin Qingchen eximed in shock.


    ¡°Qingchen, you remember me?¡± Yun Moxiao began to smile, his stern expression turning as gentle as the sun.


    ¡°Of course I do!¡±


    Lin Qingxue had also shifted her attention from Yun Ruoyan to her cousin, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for many years. ¡°Wow, Cousin, you¡¯ve grown taller and even more dashing!¡±


    Yun Moxiao chortled at Lin Qingxue¡¯s enthusiastic praise.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lin Qingxue circled Yun Moxiao, looking at his clothes. ¡°Cousin, didn¡¯t you bring anything for us? I loved the dried horse jerky you brought back thatst time! I¡¯ve been waiting for you for so long, but¡­ don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t bring anything?!¡±


    ¡°Ah! I came back in such a rush that Ipletely forgot¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I want a gift! I want a gift, a gift! It¡¯s been so long since youst came back¡­¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s expression immediately turned sullen. ¡°Anything will do, even if it¡¯s not horse jerky!¡±


    Lin Qingxue tugged on Yun Moxiao¡¯s sleeve, pouting.


    ¡°Cousin, ignore her. All she does is make a fuss.¡±


    Lin Qingxue¡¯s personality meant that she was most rowdy among people she liked being with. Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen were both used to her antics. Although Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t seen his two cousins for quite a few years, his personality was really quitepatible with Lin Qingxue¡¯s. Rather than getting annoyed with her, he found her unadulterated petnce somewhat charming.


    ¡°If we have the time to go shopping, I¡¯ll buy you whatever you want!¡±


    ¡°Really? Brother, you¡¯re not lying?¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s round face wrinkled into a sunflower as she smiled, her even rounder eyes brimming with desire. ¡°Great! There¡¯ll be a temple fair within the next few days to celebrate the changing of the seasons, and the streets will be packed!¡±


    Lin Qingchen smiled and sighed. ¡°Cousin, ignore my sister¡¯s words. You must be tired after your long trip, so spend some time resting.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m d to be able to spend time with all of you.¡±


    Both her brother and her cousins¡¯ faces were filled with smiles, and the anger and disappointment from the events at the Yun household were slowly dissipating.


    Just at that moment, the doors to the pillmaking chambers opened up, and the white-haired Lin Zainan walked out.


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± Yun Moxiao¡¯s voice cracked as he saw the old man. On the way to the Lin manor, Yun Ruoyan had told her brother about how Lin Zainan had sacrificed his cultivation to help her cure her poison.


    That was why Yun Moxiao felt a sudden kinship for the wizened, white-haired old man even though he didn¡¯t remember him.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er¡­¡± Lin Zainan had been busily working in his chambers when he heard a male voice in the yard. His intuition told him that it had to be Yun Moxiao, and he hurriedly unsealed the chambers.


    Although he had heard the Lin sisters and Yun Ruoyan describe Yun Moxiao to him a few times, Lin Zainan¡¯s eyes nevertheless brightened when he saw the youth in person.


    He looked sturdy and strong, his dark hair tied up in a golden crown and his body garbed in a dark-red martial artist¡¯s outfit. His facial features were simr to but sharper and more pronounced than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s, giving him a sunny, masculine grace.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er!¡±


    Yun Moxiao quickly stepped forward and knelt down in front of his grandfather. ¡°Grandfather, please allow me to pay my respects to you on behalf of my mother.¡±


    ¡°Good child, good child.¡± Lin Zainan quickly leaned down to help him up, but Yun Moxiao insisted on kowtowing thrice. He was very agitated at meeting his only grandson for the first time in recent memory, so much so that he was almost at a loss for words.


    After losing his only daughter, then having his two sons go missing, all he had left were Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue. Although Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao weren¡¯t part of the Lin family, his blood still ran through their veins. To Lin Zainan, they were equally important existences.


    ¡°Old Lin, Old Lin!¡± As Lin Zainan smiled serenely, he called out to Lin Bo, who ran in from outside the yard.


    ¡°Have the kitchen prepare a feast with meat!¡± Lin Zainan dered. ¡°And then get the fifty-year-old alcohol from the cer. Tonight, I¡¯m going to have a good drink with my grandson!¡±


    Lin Zainan had long abstained from eating meat, and he¡¯d even stopped drinking as much as he used to in recent years. When Lin Bo heard his sudden request for meat, he hesitated for a moment before bowing and rushing off in preparation.


    ¡°Meat, meat!¡± Lin Qingxue yelled out happily. Neither Lin Zainan nor Lin Qingchen were particrly fond of meat, so Lin Qingxue was a frequent customer at food stalls and restaurants all throughout the capital. Today, finally, she would get a chance to have meat at home!


    Everyone retreated to Lin Zainan¡¯s study to talk. Lin Zainan recounted a story of how he¡¯d cradled Yun Moxiao as a baby, but in what seemed like almost no time, Yun Moxiao was already a head taller than he was.


    The grandfather and grandson had no shortage of things to discuss, and Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue, and Yun Ruoyan sat by the side listening to them talk.


    Lin Zainan asked Yun Moxiao quite a number of questions about his stay at the army, a topic of great interest to Lin Qingxue. She would often interject, but Yun Moxiao answered all her questions patiently.


    When Lin Qingxue heard Yun Moxiao mention that the army was recruiting female soldiers, she was very excited and eager to participate, but it would conflict with her ns to attend Kongming Academy.


    Lin Qingxue¡¯s face turned conflicted as she debated whether or not to give up on the academy, but Lin Qingchen and Lin Zainan quickly excised that notion in rm. Lin Qingxue could only sigh theatrically, causing everyone to smother a smile.


    The afternoon passed by in the blink of an eye.


    In contrast, back in the Yun household, time seemed to pass at a snail¡¯s crawl. Although thenterns that had been hung up yesterday for the Yun matriarch¡¯s birthday were still swaying in the wind, the atmosphere in the household was cold and chilly.


    After the Yun matriarch left with Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao in tow, Yun Lan pronounced, ¡°All of you, return to your quarters, reflect on your past actions, and think about whether you have the right to stay in this household.¡±


    Then he too walked off.


    What did those words mean? Is he nning on chasing me away? Madam An¡¯s heart froze over. Ever since she had married into the Yun family, no matter how hard she tried to gain his favor, Yun Lan had never cared for her.


    When she was young, Madam An fell in love with Yun Lan at first sight, conquered by his handsome features and cold, aloof aura. Even when she found out that he¡¯d fallen in love with some other woman and was to marry her, she was nevertheless willing to be his concubine.


    As a result, Madam An and Lin Yuemei entered the Yun household at the same time.


    By tradition, the groom¡¯s first night would be in his wife¡¯s chambers, but his second night should have been in his concubine¡¯s. However, Madam An waited for two whole weeks before Yun Lan visited her for the first time.


    That day, Yun Lan was so drunk that he called out Lin Yuemei¡¯s name even while engaging in sexual rtions with her. Like poisoned needles, his drunken mutterings stabbed into Madam An¡¯s tender heart.


    She would have been sufficient with just the slightest portion of his affection, but the only woman in his eyes was Lin Yuemei. How could she be satisfied? Oh, how she hated Lin Yuemei!


    In the end, Madam An, who was once the flower and pride of a noble household, slowly transformed into a malicious, vengeful wife and stepmother. When Lin Yuemei died, Madam An thought that her chance had finallye. However, Yun Lan then took in three concubines in quick session.


    Each of those concubines shared a fraction of Lin Yuemei¡¯s features.


    Madam An¡¯s heart shriveled. She might not have been able to best Lin Yuemei in life, but how could she monopolize Yun Lan¡¯s feelings even in death?! Lin Yuemei, I might be nothingpared to you, but I won¡¯t lose to even your daughter!


    The more Madam An stewed, the angrier she became. In the end, she felt so short of breath that she couldn¡¯t help but start huffing and coughing miserably.


    ¡°Mother, are you alright?¡± Yun Ruoyao asked in concern as she patted her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go back to our quarters.¡± Madam An stopped coughing rtively quickly, and her tone seemed neutral enough. However, when Yun Ruoyao reached out to support her, she found that her entire body was trembling lightly.


    ¡°Sister, Mother,¡± Yun Ruoyu began, ¡°Madam Qin has asked me to apany her tonight, so I won¡¯t follow the two of you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao frowned at Yun Ruoyu. She was about to lecture her when Madam An shook her head, allowing Yun Ruoyu to leave.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t we seen Qianyingtely?¡± Madam An turned to her daughter.


    ¡°She¡¯s still preparing her bridal clothes,¡± Yun Ruoyao replied. ¡°Sister Qianying¡¯s still attached to Young Master Pei, and she¡¯s been quite distressedtely.¡±


    Madam An straightened up, a smile suddenly appearing on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s go visit her at some point.¡±

 Chapter 118: Source of the Poison

    <h4>Chapter 118: Source of the Poison</h4>


    After dinner, Lin Zainan called Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao into his pillmaking chambers. He pulled out a bottle and poured its contents onto a porcin dish. The dark red liquid slid viscously out of the bottle and emitted a strange, unpleasant odor.


    ¡°Grandfather, what¡¯s this?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    Instead of replying directly, Lin Zainan pulled out a silver needle and held one end in the liquid. In an instant, the needle tarnished and ckened.


    ¡°Grandfather, that¡¯s a strong poison!¡± Yun Moxiao eximed.


    Lin Zainan carefully held out the needle in his hands. The three of them all peered at it closely¡ªdespite the short duration of contact, half the thin needle had turned ck.


    ¡°This is the poisoned blood that was forced out of Ruoyan¡¯s body.¡± Lin Zainan¡¯s tone was grave, his expression solemn.


    Both Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan jerked back in shock before looking at the viscous blood withplicated expressions on their face.


    Yun Moxiao even mmed his palm down on the table. ¡°Who dared to use such a malicious poison on Ruoyan?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Yun Moxiao. ¡°Brother, there¡¯s something you need to know, but you have to remain calm.¡±


    Yun Moxiao frowned. Before they¡¯d arrived at the Lin estate, Yun Ruoyan had already mentioned something of that nature. However, she then proceeded to tell him about her own poisoning.


    Yun Moxiao thought that that was precisely what Yun Ruoyan had wanted to tell him, but her expression seemed to suggest something even more serious.


    ¡°Grandfather, please speak.¡± Although Yun Moxiao tended to be rash and impulsive, his training in the army had quickly trained him to remain calm and collected as necessary.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er,¡± Lin Zainan began quietly, ¡°your mother was poisoned to death!¡±


    Although he was mentally prepared, Yun Moxiao couldn¡¯t help but stand up in shock when he heard those words, his hands clenched into fists. ¡°Grandfather, you mean¡­ Mother¡¯s death wasn¡¯t the result of a strange illness?!¡±


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er, your mother was poisoned to death,¡± Lin Zainan repeated. ¡°The poison that slew her is the poison in this dish, and also the poison with which your sister was poisoned!¡±


    Yun Moxiao turned to Yun Ruoyan in shock, but she nodded and exined, ¡°When Mother was poisoned, she was pregnant with me. As a result, the poison spread through the cental cord into my body, manifesting as my birthmark.¡±


    ¡°Not only is this poison malicious, it has a number of unusual characteristics,¡± Lin Zainan continued. ¡°The incubation period is surprisingly long, and the poison is asymptomatic at the outset. Nevertheless, once the poison is triggered, the victim will surely die. Luckily, Ruoyan managed to find a panacea during the imperial expedition. Otherwise, if the poison had triggered¡­¡±


    Yun Moxiao forced himself to calm down, but he couldn¡¯t help smashing his fists against the wall in frustration. As he did so, the entire chamber seemed to quake.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll find the culprit and tear him to pieces with my bare hands!¡± Yun Moxiao¡¯s voice was filled with anger, hatred, and bloodthirst.


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Zainan could clearly detect the remnants of spiritual energy in his blow, and they were both amazed to find that Yun Moxiao was already an eighth-rank demaster.


    Lin Zainan nced at his grandchildren in front of him. A peak seventh-rank demaster at thirteen, and an eighth-rank demaster at eighteen¡­ It would be very difficult to find their match in age and talent, even among the entirety of the Li kingdom. Judging that they were capable enough, Lin Zainan decided to tell the siblings about the result of his research.


    ¡°In thest month, I¡¯ve spent most of my effort trying to discern the origins of the poison.¡± Lin Zainan turned to the shelves behind him and pulled out a worn tome. He opened it up and spread it out on the table, and Yun Ruoyan and Yun Zainan both craned their necks to have a look.


    The tome was old and heavy, the pages made of silken cloth. On its cover were zoned in gold the words ¡°Records of the Native Species on the Chenyuan Continent¡±.


    The Chenyuan continent initially consisted of arge number of ancient tribes of different species, which gradually formed the four modern kingdoms. This tome of records described the history of those native tribes in great detail.


    As Lin Zainan leafed through the pages, he announced, ¡°By analyzing the properties of the poison, I judged that the poison did not originate from the Li kingdom. After perusing many such tomes and records, I finally found a description of a very simr poison in this book.¡±


    He pointed at a particr paragraph on a certain page. It wasvishly illustrated with descriptions of poisonous insects and grasses that Yun Ruoyan had never before seen, as well as some strangely dressed indigenous people.


    The tome spoke of an ancient, shamanic tribe that lived deep in the forested mountains of the Yue kingdom. Such a location was a haven for all sorts of poisonous herbs and insects, and that tribe concocted all sorts of poisons using these readily avable materials.


    One such poison, the carmine embrace, appeared to be an exact match for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s poison. Lin Zainan read from the page, ¡°When applied to a pregnant woman, this poison possesses an unusual incubation period dependent on the rtive fortitude of mother and child. Both will fall prey to the poison¡¯s insidious effects; the stronger shall watch the weaker die.¡±


    How the culprit must have hated Lin Yuemei to use such a vicious poison on her!


    ¡°Grandfather, I suspect that Madam An is the culprit.¡±


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s eyes shot up. ¡°Madam An killed Mother?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s only a guess, and I have no evidence.


    ¡°Although Madam An would have the motives to do so, it¡¯s unlikely that she was the culprit.¡± Lin Zainan shook his head. ¡°Yuemei was poisoned while she was pregnant with Ruoyan, and Madam An was pregnant at the same time. In addition, Yun Lan was protective enough of Yuemei during that period that Madam An, as a concubine, surely wouldn¡¯t have been able to touch her.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan found herself agreeing with Lin Zainan¡¯s analysis. If Madam An truly were the culprit, the shrewd Yun Lan would likely have noticed something amiss almost immediately.


    ¡°If not for Madam An, who could it be?¡± Yun Moxiao muttered.


    A pregnant silence descended on the conversation. Lin Yuemei wasn¡¯t one to antagonize others. If the culprit weren¡¯t Madam An, the most obvious suspect, who else could it be?


    ¡°I think we have to start from the poison,¡± Yun Ruoyan spoke up. ¡°Since this poison originated from a shamanic tribe in the Yue kingdom, that¡¯s where we should start our search.¡±


    Lin Zainan sighed. ¡°My contacts in the Yue kingdom determined that the tribe had vanished many years ago.¡±


    ¡°Vanished?¡±


    It was then that Lin Zainan¡¯s investigations had ground to a halt, and the three fell silent once more.


    Yun Ruoyan flipped through the tome distractedly before suddenlying across a certain paragraph, mentioning how a religious schism had proceeded to split up the tribe into multiple factions, some of which had left their native, mountainous habitat.


    ¡°Grandfather, it¡¯s very possible that this offshoot of the tribe also possessed knowledge of this poison,¡± Yun Ruoyan hypothesized. ¡°Could it be that they were the ones who manufactured and sold the poison that my mother ingested?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s extremely likely,¡± Lin Zainan responded after a few moments of thinking. He continued reading, ¡°Two warring modes of thought split the shamanic tribe: those who sought immortality, and those who sought reincarnation. Neither mode waspatible with the other, and the resulting infighting grew so pronounced that half the tribe was purged and expelled.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan continued on the following page, ¡°Those who believed in reincarnation never found an ideal abode. Instead, by circumstances both external and internal, they adopted a nomadic lifestyle that saw them spread far and wide across the Chenyuan continent.¡±


    ¡°Could they have passed through the Li kingdom as well?¡± Yun Moxiao suggested.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost a certainty, from the looks of it. Mother¡¯s poison must havee from them, so if we can find them now¡­ The problem, of course, is howrge the Li kingdom is. If we¡¯re searching aimlessly, it¡¯ll be like searching for a needle within a haystack,¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed.


    But Yun Moxiao¡¯s gaze was resolute. ¡°Even if I have to dismantle the haystack one straw at a time, I won¡¯t stop until I¡¯ve found it!¡±


    ¡°Look here,¡± Lin Zainan murmured, pointing at a certain illustration. That illustration depicted a statue of a Guanyin and a Buddha sitting back-to-back, and was captioned as ¡°the idol of worship for those from the faction of reincarnation.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, why are there two figures shown on this idol?¡±


    Lin Zainan continued reading through the tome. ¡°The idol of reincarnationprised two personalities: the Guanyin, reflecting worship of the present, and the Buddha, reflecting worship of the future. Devout believers would worship the Guanyin during the day and the Buddha at night, keeping incense burning day and night.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather,¡± A thought suddenly came to Yun Ruoyan, and she perked up. ¡°If these believers have to worship their idol day and night, how do they make a living?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, have you thought of something?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t keep us in suspense! Do you have an idea?!¡±


    ¡°Could these devout believers be hiding in a shrine or temple? Only in such a location would there be incense burning day and night, and only then would they be able to gratify both personalities of their deity.¡±


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan advanced this theory, Lin Zainan and Yun Moxiao¡¯s eyes brightened. In order to consecrate and worship their deity, they might even have constructed a temple on its behalf!

 Chapter 119: The Fragrant Garden

    <h4>Chapter 119: The Fragrant Garden</h4>


    ¡°That¡¯s why I think we should start by investigating the temples,¡± Yun Ruoyan concluded.


    After deciding on a next step, the three finally rxed a little.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start with those temples in the capital tomorrow,¡± Yun Moxiao volunteered.


    ¡°Brother, we¡¯ll go together.¡±


    ¡°Kongming Academy will shortly be in session, and Ruoyan will have to spend ample time on her cultivation. Xiao¡¯er, you only have ten days of vacation, and you should take this period to rest. I¡¯ll let Lin Bo deal with the temples.¡±


    Lin Bo had been a loyalpanion of Lin Zainan ever since their youth, and the three were naturally satisfied with his efficacy.


    Before they left, Lin Zainan frowned. ¡°Ruoyan, give me your hand.¡± He had felt something amiss since his first look at her today: herplexion wasn¡¯t as rosy as usual, and her breath seemed to be somewhat congested. However, she was no less vigorous than usual, and it didn¡¯t seem as if whatever was affecting her was doing so unduly.


    Lin Zainan knew that Yun Ruoyan must have encountered something. He¡¯d been waiting for Yun Ruoyan to bring it up over the course of conversation. Because she wasn¡¯t volunteering the information, however, Lin Zainan had no choice but to ask.


    When Yun Ruoyan extended her hand to Lin Zainan and he felt her pulse, he frowned again. Her body did seem to be clogged up, and there were only dregs of spiritual energy in her system.


    ¡°Ruoyan, who poisoned you again?¡±


    Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t discovered Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unease, but this was simply a result of his long years of separation from his sister. In fact, she was still far more hale and hearty than the sister of his recollections.


    When he heard Lin Zainan¡¯s words, he hurriedly added, ¡°Was it the demon? Or was it Madam An?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head to both questions before revealing the details of her encounter with Rong Yuehong.


    ¡°The devourer¡¯s poison, made with the blood of venomous insects¡­ Once the poison enters your bloodstream, it¡¯ll feast on your blood and flesh, causing unbelievably agonizing pain. In mere minutes, the pain aggravates your mind to such an extent that you can die from the pain alone.¡± Lin Zainan shook his head as he continued feeling Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pulse. ¡°The Rong family is unscrupulous in its dealings, and it doesn¡¯t surprise me that this Miss Rong would do something so cruel.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan snorted. ¡°She may have poisoned me, but I did anger her to death, so I¡¯ll consider that even. However, her father won¡¯t be as easy to deal with, and I¡¯m worried he¡¯ll try to hurt me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Yun Moxiao. When she saw his worried, distressed expression, she consoled him, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re not responsible for all my problems. I¡¯ve survived all these years even without your presence, haven¡¯t I? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a naive young girl anymore.¡±


    Yun Moxiao pursed his lips, as if he wanted to say something. In the end, however, he didn¡¯t mutter a word.


    Lin Zainan continued, ¡°Luckily, you consumed an antidote in time. Although there are still remnants of that poison in your body, it¡¯ll slowly be excreted, so you don¡¯t have much to worry about.


    The reason Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t tell Lin Zainan about her poisoning was because she found that her spiritual energy and mental energy were both slowly regenerating, and she didn¡¯t want to worry her family.


    When he heard Lin Zainan¡¯s reassurances, Yun Moxiao¡¯s gloominess dissipated slightly, and he felt even more tenderness toward his sister. In the two short days since he¡¯d returned, his sister had suffered so much! Yun Moxiao didn¡¯t dare to contemte what her life must have been like all these years.


    Yun Moxiao lightly ced a hand on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s slender shoulder. His gazended on the gauze patch on her right cheek, and the bloody scratches that were swollen underneath the patch.


    When she felt Yun Moxiao¡¯s gaze, Yun Ruoyan turned back and smiled at him¡ªa smile so unfettered, warm, and free that he could almost believe that all her suffering had been a dream.


    But Yun Moxiao¡¯s heart clenched in pain.


    As the sky darkened, Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao returned to the Yun manor. Yun Moxiao sent Yun Ruoyan back to her quarters, and Peony, Xi Lan, and Ling Lan all wept when they saw their mistress return safely.


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve frightened us half to death!¡± Xi Lan wiped at her tears, while Peony inspected Yun Ruoyan all over to see if there were any remnant wounds on her body before she rxed.


    Ling Lan stood by the side. Although she didn¡¯t rush up to Yun Ruoyan like the other two servants, her eyes were also red and puffy.


    Yun Ruoyan waved at Ling Lan, who hurriedly walked over. ¡°After you apanied Peony and Xi Lan in calling out for me outside the great hall, did Madam An make things difficult for you?¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head felt as though it would split apart from the pain, she hadn¡¯t fainted. As a result, she still could remember many small details regarding what had happened that day.


    That day, her three servants had loudly screamed that Madam An hadid a trap for her, and Ling Lan¡¯s voice was the loudest. As a result, Yun Ruoyan was worried that Madam An would suspect that her pawn had somehow been subverted.


    ¡°No, Miss!¡± Ling Lan hurriedly shook her hands. She was very touched as to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s care despite her own obvious suffering. ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. Madam An hasn¡¯t been doing well thesest few days either, and she doesn¡¯t have the time to care about me. If she were to ask, I can always say that it¡¯s to put on an act for the others.¡±


    Although Ling Lan always seemed like she was afraid of something, she was actually very astute. Because she was grateful to Yun Ruoyan for her assistance with her family, she tried her very best when carrying out tasks for her.


    In the beginning, Yun Ruoyan had only intended to stop Madam An from spying on her, but now she really was starting to like the girl.


    ¡°Given that Ruoyan has you three girls to look after her, I¡¯m a little more relieved,¡± Yun Moxiao began.


    Only then did the three girls realize that the young master had entered the manor with their miss, and they all looked at him in unison.


    ¡°Young Master, when did you return?¡± Peony eximed happily before bowing. ¡°Peony greets the young master.¡±


    ¡°Please, dispense with the greetings.¡±


    Peony was about the same age as Yun Moxiao, and she was quite familiar with him. On the other hand, Xi Lan was younger and tended to be assigned manualbor, so she hadn¡¯t had much opportunity to see Yun Moxiao. As a result, she didn¡¯t have a deep impression of him, and he was a perfect stranger to Ling Lan.


    ¡°This is my older brother, the eldest young master of the household.¡±


    Only then did Xi Lan and Ling Lan react, immediately bowing to Yun Moxiao. Because he knew how loyal they were to his sister, he treated them kindly and helped each of them up.


    Yun Moxiao was tall and broad, his smile as resplendent as the sun. The two girls took only a single look at him before lowering their heads, blushing.


    He then bade his sister farewell as he headed to his own residence. It was quite far from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s quarters and instead closer to his father¡¯s. Along the way would be the guesthouse where Yun Moxiao¡¯s ten bodyguards were stationed, and he intended on having a chat with them as well.


    Not long after he left his sister¡¯s residence, however, he found a shadowy figure hidden by the shrubbery to the side of the main path.


    ¡°Who is it? Come out!¡± Yun Moxiao shouted to the shadowed figure, who immediately scampered off upon hearing themotion.


    Yun Moxiao rushed forward, but by the time he arrived at the shadow¡¯s location, there was no one to be found. This was a rather featureless location of the Yun manor, and there were only his sister¡¯s quarters nearby. Without a doubt, this figure must have been aiming for her.


    Yun Moxiao looked all around him, but he didn¡¯t recognize much of the ce. Although he was born in the Yun manor, he hadn¡¯t lived there for very long.


    He had moved to General Huang¡¯s residence quite early in his childhood. There, he trained and cultivated with him, and when he grew slightly older, naturally followed General Huang into the army. As a result, Yun Moxiao was quite unfamiliar with much of the Yun manor.


    After a few steps, Yun Moxiao found himself surrounded by greenery, with a rock mountain in the distance. The scenery felt subtly different, and he deduced that he had unwittingly walked into a misdirection array.


    Under General Huang, Yun Moxiao trained not only in cultivation, but also in leadership, battlefield tactics, and arrays. The array that he¡¯d stumbled into was quite an interesting one, but it couldn¡¯t stump him.


    The goal of the array was misdirection: one who had unwittingly fallen into the array would find themselves sent to another location in the Yun manor, but Yun Moxiao was able to walk straight to the heart of the array.


    After following the hidden path through two bushes and three rock mountains, he saw a small pond in the distance. At its center was a little house.


    Yun Moxiao walked toward the house, the memories in his mind clearing up with every step. That pond, that little bridge, that house made of red sandalwood¡­


    As he walked across the bridge, the iid moonstones began to light up. Their faint, ethereal light made the scene take on a mirage-like appearance, the splitting image of a memory from his childhood.


    This was none other than Lin Yuemei¡¯s house, where Yun Moxiao had spent the start of his childhood. Although it was only for a short time, the memories he developed in this house were ones that he would never forget.


    His lovely mother loved to dance outside the house at night, illuminated by the faint light of the moonstones, casting reflections into the pond. As he looked at the house and illuminated pond, it was as if his mother hade to life again and was dancing right in front of him.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± Yun Moxiao called out, tears uncontrobly dripping down the eyes of a youth who had spent therger part of his life in the army.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er,¡± a familiar voice spoke up behind him.


    Yun Moxiao turned to see Yun Lan standing not far away from him.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er, why are you here?¡± Yun Lan walked to his side.


    ¡°Father.¡± Yun Moxiao cupped his fists as he bowed, and Yun Lan motioned for him to rise.


    Although Yun Moxiao had criticized his father in the heat of anger, he understood the etiquette expected of him.


    ¡°On the way back from sending my sister back to her residence, I noticed a sneaky figure by the side of the path. Chasing that figure, I was unintentionally led into this array.¡±


    ¡°A sneaky figure?¡± Yun Lan frowned. ¡°Did you see his appearance?¡±


    Yun Moxiao shook his head. ¡°That person seemed to be even more familiar with the Yun household than I was, and he escaped my grasp. This area is closest to my sister¡¯s residence, and I¡¯m afraid that someone might be aiming for her. Father, please investigate this matter.¡±


    Yun Lan nodded and stepped across the bridge, until he was in front of the small house. ¡°Do you still remember this ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. Mother loved to dance at the spot you¡¯re standing on, Father, but I¡¯m afraid Ruoyan doesn¡¯t have any recollection of this ce.¡±


    When Yun Lan heard him bring up Yun Ruoyan, he sighed. ¡°Your sister doesn¡¯t look like your mother at all, not one bit. Even you look more like her than she does.¡±


    During this period of time, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appearance had greatly improved after her judicious use of gauze patches. However, the day Yun Ruoyan was poisoned by Rong Yuehong, her half-swollen face had been revealed to one and all, and those who weren¡¯t privy to the truth would once again start discussing the unbelievable ugliness of the Yun family¡¯s second daughter.


    Yun Lan was naturally unaware of the truth. His encounters with Yun Ruoyan had left him with the indelible impression that she was an ugly, uncontrolled, and contentious girl, a far cry from her beautiful and gentle mother.

 Chapter 120: The Decision

    <h4>Chapter 120: The Decision</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan had once taken off her gauze patch and removed her fake birthmark for Yun Moxiao to see. The original birthmark on her right cheek hadpletely vanished along with the original poison in her body. Although her face was swollen from a newly added scar, Yun Moxiao could clearly see Lin Yuemei in his sister¡¯s appearance.


    He firmly believed that, when Yun Ruoyan¡¯s new wound healed, she would be a beauty who would surpass even her mother.


    When Yun Moxiao heard Yun Lan¡¯s dislike for his sister through his tone, he barely stopped himself from revealing the truth. The only thing stopping him was what Yun Ruoyan had told him in confidence: although an ugly appearance would leave most people unwilling to interact with her, it also meant that no one would disturb her, allowing her to cultivate in peace.


    Rather than a beautiful appearance, she would much rather use her cultivation-derived strength to shore up the Yun family. Only when she had gained sufficient power to assure her own independence would she reveal her true appearance for one and all to see.


    Yun Ruoyan said these words blithely, but the resolute gaze that apanied her words was one that Yun Moxiao recognized: such determination could only have been forged by countless years of trial and tribtion.


    When Yun Lan saw his eldest son remain stubbornly silent, he continued, ¡°I know you dote on Yan¡¯er, but you need to remember your position as the eldest son of the household. What you should be most concerned about is the well-being of the entire family.¡±


    But Yun Moxiao still didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°When General Huang picked you to be his disciple amidst a crowd of other young scions, Yuemei agreed to send you off even though she was heartbroken. She must have had great expectations for you, and I hope you won¡¯t disappoint her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always kept my mother¡¯s expectations close to my heart, and I¡¯ve never forgotten my promises to her,¡± Yun Moxiao finally gritted out. ¡°It¡¯ste, Father, and I¡¯m going to head to my rooms to rest.¡±


    Before Yun Lan could continue, Yun Moxiao strode off into the distance. Before stepping back ashore, he turned to look back at the house on theke, where Yun Lan still stood on his mother¡¯s favorite dancing spot.


    When Yun Moxiao returned four years ago, his mother¡¯s residence had been torn down. He¡¯d gone off in search of his father in rage, only to be told that it was the Yun matriarch¡¯s idea.


    What Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t expected was that Yun Lan would simply have moved the house to the heart of a misdirection array. But when he looked back at his father, Yun Moxiao wondered whether he was reminiscing her person or her beautiful appearance.


    If Lin Yuemei hadn¡¯t died at the prime of her beauty, but had instead lived until old age, when her beauty had all but withered away, would his father still long for her so? Yun Moxiao couldn¡¯t be certain.


    He walked to the guesthouse where his guards were stationed, saw that they were all asleep, and decided not to bother them. Instead, he headed straight back to his residence.


    It was grand and imposing, second only to Yun Lan¡¯s own quarters. However, because it had long been empty, there was little trace of familial warmth within.


    Even his newly assigned servants werepletely unfamiliar to him. Yun Moxiao waved at them in dismissal before heading straight to his room.


    He tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep despite his need for rest. As soon as he closed his eyes, he would hear Yun Ruoyan¡¯s usation of Madam An, as well as Yun Lan¡¯s cold, indifferent tone.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er, take good care of your sister.¡± These were thest words that Lin Yuemei had said to Yun Moxiao before he was forced to train under his new master. When he next saw Lin Yuemei again, it was at her grave.


    ¡°For what reason do I cultivate? I might be able to protect my homnd, but what about my only sister? If I can¡¯t even fulfill my mother¡¯s dying wishes, what kind of man am I? The kingdom has tens of thousands more men, but my mother has only me, my sister has only me! If I discard Ruoyan once more to return to the army, how could I ever rest soundly? If I can¡¯t find my mother¡¯s killer myself, how can I call myself filial?!¡±


    He tossed and turned.


    ¡°But my master has personally instructed me for so many years, even promoting me to deputy general using his own power and connections. How can I stand to disappoint him?¡±


    When he finally sumbed to an uneasy repose, he dreamed of a rope, taut and fraying at both ends.


    Back in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s quarters, Peony and Xi Lan were drawing a bath for Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Miss, when will the young master be returning to the army?¡± Peony asked.


    Xi Lan stilled as she pricked up her ears, waiting for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s response.


    As shebed her hair, Yun Ruoyan replied, ¡°He¡¯s only been approved for ten days of leave, and the round-trip journey takes five days. It¡¯s already been two days, so if he still ns on returning, he¡¯ll only be here for three more days.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s still nning on returning?¡± Xi Lan actually managed to discern the hidden meaning in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words. ¡°Miss, do you mean that the young master might choose not to return to the barracks?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stoppedbing her hair as she nced at her two servants and smiled. ¡°What? I¡¯ve not said anything of the sort.¡±


    ¡°Miss, you clearly did!¡± Xi Lan hurriedly eximed, pressing her mistress. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say if he were returning? Doesn¡¯t that mean he might not return?¡±


    ¡°Xi Lan, are you doubting my words?¡± Yun Ruoyan clearly didn¡¯t n on broaching this subject with her servants. ¡°Alright, alright, stop guessing. I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡±


    After dismissing Peony and Xi Lan, Yun Ruoyany in her bathtub, Li Mo¡¯s salve on her face, her entire body rxing for the first time in days.


    What will Brother choose?


    The reason she had intentionally dredged up those old affairs with Madam An in front of her brother was to make him feel guilty. She had brought him over to her grandfather¡¯s ce, telling him about their mother¡¯s poisoning, in order to reinforce the yokes binding her brother to his family.


    Yun Ruoyan had done all this in order to induce him to stay¡ªnot by physical force, but rather by mental and emotional appeal. It wasn¡¯t because she needed his protection, but rather that she wanted to protect him.


    In her past life, not a monthter, Yun Moxiao had passed away. Yun Ruoyan would never let that tragedy ur again in this one.


    It would be best if Yun Moxiao decided to remain at home, but if he chose to depart, then Yun Ruoyan woulde up with another strategy to prevent him from reaching the barracks once more.


    ¡°Brother, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you,¡± Yun Ruoyan vowed.


    At dawn, Yun Moxiao, who had tossed and turned all night in bed, suddenly sat up. He got out of bed, got dressed, and walked to his balcony.


    His bedroom was on the second floor, and he could see half the estate from the balcony. However, his sister¡¯s cottage was covered up by arge number of other buildings.


    As the morning sun rose, the entire Yun manor was dyed in golden light. However, his sister¡¯s cottage was at the farthest corner of the household, the first to darken at dusk, and thest to brighten at dawn.


    Yun Moxiao finally made up his mind. Returning back to his rooms, he sat at his desk and began to write.


    Master,


    I apologize for not being able to discuss matters with you in person. Please ept this letter in lieu of such a conversation.


    When I returned home, I discovered my sister hurt and bullied, absent a guardian to shield her from the intrigue of a noble household. I discovered my mother¡¯s death unnatural, a vicious poisoning that shook me to my core.


    Thest words my mother left me were an exhortation to ensure my sister¡¯s well-being.


    Master, I have failed. I have failed her, and I now fail you. I will stay in the capital to avenge my mother and shield my sister. The day I achieve these goals will be the day I return to the barracks, seeking forgiveness and atonement for my desertion.


    Please forgive your disciple¡¯s selfishness.


    Yun Moxiao


    Finished, Yun Moxiao rolled up the letter into a small cylinder, returned to the balcony, and whistled shrilly in the direction of the rising sun. Soon after, arge bald eagle cawed as itnded on Yun Moxiao¡¯s gauntleted arm.


    ¡°Pal, my apologies for the long trip.¡± Yun Moxiao stroked the bald eagle¡¯s head, stuffed the letter into a small tube by the eagle¡¯s ws, andmanded, ¡°Hand the letter to General Huang.¡±


    He flung out his arm, and the bald eagle soared off once more. It flew high up into the heavens, circled twice, cawed once more in response to Yun Moxiao, and vanished into the skies.


    As Yun Moxiao nced at the departing eagle, he felt a great burden fall from his heart. A wave of lethargy swiftly overcame him. He stretched, yawned, and retired to sleep once more.


    ¡°Mistress, mistress!¡± Right before Yun Ruoyan awoke, Qiuqiu¡¯s voice rang out in her mind.


    ¡°Ah, Qiuqiu.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head immediately cleared up.


    ¡°Oh, you can finally hear my voice now!¡± Qiuqiu released a long breath. ¡°I¡¯ve been worried sick thesest few days.¡±


    ¡°My mental energy was severely exhausted, and I hadn¡¯t been able tomunicate with you,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined. ¡°However, from the looks of it, I¡¯m a lot better now.¡±


    ¡°Luckily, nothing untoward happened to you this time.¡± Although Qiuqiu couldn¡¯tmunicate with Yun Ruoyan, it could still detect that Yun Ruoyan was safe.


    ¡°Truly!¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help sighing. ¡°I never imagined that Rong Yuehong would line her fingernails with poison in order to catch me unawares, but I survived somehow.¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan had encountered a number of difficulties after her rebirth, her life thus far had been rtively sessful on the whole. If she had really died to Rong Yuehong¡¯sst gamble, Yun Ruoyan really would have thrown a fit.


    ¡°Once my spiritual energy and mental energy are fully recovered, I need to learn how to make antidotes. There are too many devious poisons on the Chenyuan continent, and I need to prepare antidotes for the future.¡±


    ¡°Mistress, antidotes aren¡¯t so easy to concoct. If you want to learn how to make antidotes, then you first have to learn how to make poisons.¡±


    And when Yun Ruoyan thought of poison, the first thing that came to mind was the domineering tome in Qiuqiu¡¯s possession. Her smile was blinding. ¡°Have you decided to impart the teachings from that book of poisons to me, Qiuqiu?¡±


    ¡°I want to, Mistress, but your pillmaster cultivation isn¡¯t mature enough yet. Only when you¡¯re a fifth-rank pillmaster can you learn how to refine the poisons in that tome. This isn¡¯t something I can budge on.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s smile turned into a disappointed sigh.


    But Qiuqiu continued, ¡°Mistress, I might not be able to teach you about the poisons from the tome, but I do know of a few other poisons. I can easily teach you how to concoct the corresponding antidotes for those poisons as a temporary precaution!¡±

 Chapter 121: First Concoction

    <h4>Chapter 121: First Concoction</h4>


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± When Yun Ruoyan saw that Qiuqiu was willing to teach her to concoct poisons, she was very happy. ¡°I¡¯m always the one getting poisoned, so once I learn how to make poisons, then I can poison others!¡±


    On the other hand, Qiuqiu wasn¡¯t sure if that was the right choice. After all, to teach Yun Ruoyan to make poisons before she learned how to make pills might end up distorting her path.


    But Qiuqiu prized her safety above all. Even if her cultivation were to be sidetracked as a result, it surely would be better for her to poison others than to be poisoned herself.


    ¡°I have a question, Qiuqiu. Why must I learn how to make poisons before making antidotes?¡±


    ¡°Because trying to create an antidote against a specific poison requires deep knowledge and understanding about the poison and its refining process,¡± Qiuqiu exined. ¡°Trying to counter some of the most devious poisons even requires information about the order of the ingredients used to produce the poison in the first ce. Those who can cook up poison might not be able to make the corresponding antidote, but all those who can concoct the corresponding antidote can produce the poison.¡±


    ¡°But there are a few exceptions,¡± Qiuqiu added after thinking for a moment.


    ¡°What exceptions?¡±


    ¡°Panaceas. For example, the phoenix bezoar you obtained in the imperial territory, Mistress, or the high-grade pill that the ughtering King fed you. Antidotes of such general applicability don¡¯t require knowledge of a specific poison, but are so rare as to be almost impossible to obtain.¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual and mental energy had mostly recovered, it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to tax herself before the remnants of the poison had beenpletely expelled from her body. Rather than begin right away, Qiuqiu instead had her gather the requisite ingredients for her studies.


    Yun Ruoyan spent the entire day meditating and cultivating. Yun Moxiao never came to find her, but she wasn¡¯t worried. She¡¯d expected that Yun Moxiao would be warring with himself. It was likely that he¡¯d begun doing so sincest night and would continue to have conflicting thoughts for two or three days.


    What Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t anticipated was that Yun Moxiao had resolved himself after only a single night, and was now enjoying a good day¡¯s rest in his quarters.


    Over the next two days, Yun Ruoyan continued to cultivate in her room. As night fell on the second day, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual vortex was finally brimming with spiritual energy, and her mental energy had also made a full recovery.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, I¡¯m ready!¡±


    But Qiuqiu didn¡¯t respond for quite a long time. In surprise, Yun Ruoyan called out again, ¡°Qiuqiu, are you there? Why aren¡¯t you responding?¡±


    ¡°Mistress, have you felt some strange aura around your cottage thesest few days?¡± Qiuqiu suddenly remarked.


    Because her mental energy was still recovering, and because she had focused all her attention on cultivation thesest two days, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t noticed anything amiss. When Qiuqiu pointed out the strange aura, Yun Ruoyan immediately closed her eyes, circted her mental energy to its extremes, and tried to probe for any peculiarities around her.


    As expected, she found a slight perturbation in her familiar surroundings.


    ¡°Could it be a new servant?¡± The aura didn¡¯t feel particrly strong.


    ¡°I thought so at first, but it¡¯s been circling this cottage thest few days. Mistress, it¡¯s best to be careful.¡±


    The rest of the night passed without any interruption. The next day would be thest day of Yun Moxiao¡¯s vacation, and if he nned on returning to the barracks, he would depart then.


    After Peony helped Yun Ruoyan dress up for the day, Xi Lan brought her breakfast.


    ¡°Mistress, they¡¯ve made your favorite bird¡¯s-nest soup today!¡± Xi Lan was positively beaming.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw that she was still smiling even after she had taken a sip of the soup, she asked, ¡°Xi Lan, do you have good news for me?¡±


    ¡°Miss, don¡¯t you know yet?¡± Xi Lan nced at Peony, who shook her head.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t tell you. Someone¡¯ll inform you about it sooner orter, Miss!¡± Xi Lan rushed out of her rooms with the tray.


    ¡°Peony?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked toward Peony, who wrung her hands. ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve to im my monthly sry, so please enjoy your meal.¡±


    Then Peony also rushed out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with everyone?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled as she continued drinking her soup.


    After she had breakfast, she walked into the yard, where she heard Ling Lan humming. Yun Ruoyan strode over, and Ling Lan greeted her cheerily as she approached.


    ¡°Ling Lan, you¡¯re the most obedient of my servants. Won¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s making all of you so happy?¡±


    Ling Lan nced at her feet and stammered a few words incoherently.


    ¡°Oh, alright, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you,¡± Yun Ruoyan finally gave up and waved her hands, letting her off. As if relieved of a great burden, Ling Lan hurriedly walked off with a broomstick in tow.


    Why¡¯s everyone so happy, and why are they keeping it a secret from me? Yun Ruoyan nced at Ling Lan¡¯s silhouette before her eyes suddenly brightened. Could it be that¡­


    Yun Ruoyan hurriedly rushed to her brother¡¯s quarters, only to find that he had left early in the morning. She returned to her own rooms in dismay only to find Yun Moxiao in her yard waiting for her.


    ¡°Brother,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, ¡°I was just at your ce, but your servants told me you were out!¡±


    ¡°I went to send others on their trip.¡±


    ¡°Others? Whom?¡±


    ¡°Those guards of mine, of course. Our vacation¡¯s almost over, so they have to rush back to the barracks.¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan had more or less guessed what was going on, she couldn¡¯t help feeling agitated to hear Yun Moxiao¡¯s decision from the man himself. However, she still had to pretend as if she didn¡¯t know anything.


    ¡°Brother, you¡­ why are you sending them off? Are you going to be returning on your own?¡±


    Yun Moxiao rubbed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head lovingly. ¡°Ruoyan, I¡¯m not leaving.¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­ Brother, you¡¯re not leaving?!¡± Yun Ruoyan had guessed that this would be a likely oue, but the spoken admission left her with such happiness and relief that it was as if she hadn¡¯t known.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you crying?¡± Yun Moxiao hurriedly wiped at his sister¡¯s tears.


    Yun Ruoyan clutched his hand, cing it against her cheek. As she felt his palm¡¯s warmth, her tears only fell even more quickly. How many times in her past life had she woken up in the middle of the night, crying after having dreamt of Yun Moxiao¡¯s icy corpse?


    That nightmare would never materialize in this life. Never, ever!


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re not just humoring me, are you?¡± Yun Ruoyan wanted him to confirm it again.


    ¡°Oh, my silly sister.¡± Yun Moxiao embraced Yun Ruoyan. ¡°No, I won¡¯t leave you behind anymore. I¡¯ll stay right here and apany you.¡±


    A sense of security enveloped Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°The young master revealed that he wouldn¡¯t be leaving the afternoon before,¡± Peony began as she came out of nowhere, ¡°but you were cultivating then, Miss, so we didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡±


    ¡°I really wanted to tell you, Miss, but wouldn¡¯t it have been more exciting for the young master to inform you of his decision himself?¡± Xi Lan also walked over, and Ling Lan nodded fervently by her side.


    ¡°Oh, you three girls!¡±


    The two siblings then went to the Lin manor. When Yun Moxiao revealed his intentions to stay and seek out his mother¡¯s murderer, everyone cheered.


    ¡°But if you don¡¯t return to the barracks, what¡¯s your father going to say?¡± Lin Zainan questioned after the initial rush of excitement.


    This wasn¡¯t something that Yun Ruoyan had considered. She firmly believed that, as long as Yun Moxiao was willing to stay, nothing else would be a problem.


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t told him about it,¡± Yun Moxiao replied. ¡°I¡¯ve already written to my master. As soon as official wordes back from the army, he won¡¯t be able to change anything. At worst, I¡¯ll receive a scolding.¡±


    Lin Zainan patted his grandson¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Good, good! A man must not only be able to protect his kingdom, but also his friends and family. Xiao¡¯er, I¡¯m relieved to have you back here.¡±


    When the initialmotion died now, Yun Ruoyan advanced another topic. ¡°Grandfather, my spiritual energy¡¯s almost all recovered now, so I¡¯d like to continue with my pillmaster training.¡±


    They all moved to the pillmaking chambers. Yun Moxiao, Lin Qingxue, and Lin Qingchen were all watching eagerly as Lin Zainan and Yun Ruoyan sat in front of the pill furnace.


    ¡°The first step is to light up the furnace with a red me,¡± Lin Zainan began.


    As he spoke, Yun Ruoyan lifted and cupped her hands, from which a red spiritual mist seeped out. She manipted the mist to revolve in tighter and tighter spirals. Just as it formed into a vortex, Lin Zainan called out. ¡°Alright, now light up the furnace!¡±


    With a shove, she pushed the mist into the center of the furnace. A small explosion rang out, and the furnace sessfully lit up with mes.


    ¡°She did it, Ruoyan did it!¡± Lin Qingxue yelled out excitedly.


    Lin Qingchen smiled, longing to emte her cousin¡¯s sess herself. In her mind, she set a goal for herself: not two yearster, she would reproduce the same feat, lighting up a pill furnace and starting down a long and illustrious path as a pillmaster!


    Yun Moxiao, who had previously been unaware of his sister¡¯s aplishments, could only gape in shock. How could he have imagined that the timid girl who was crying in a corner four years ago would have be so talented?


    He stared at Yun Ruoyan, deeply moved.


    ¡°Today, we¡¯ll be refining the low-grade darkened heavens pill.¡± Lin Zainan had long since prepared all the required ingredients for the pill. He stood to the side, his hands sped behind his back, not intending to provide Yun Ruoyan with further guidance.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at the twenty or so different herbs and grasses strewn across the stone counter, knowing that this was a test of sorts. She closed her eyes, thinking back to her grandfather¡¯s demonstration from a while back, trying to recall each and every gesture of his. Opening her eyes, she began by throwing heaven¡¯s sedge into the furnace, followed immediately by three other herbs.


    The mes that she infused into the furnace turned orange, then yellow; the rate and intensity at which she emitted spiritual energy was almost an exact match to that during Lin Zainan¡¯s demonstration.


    As her mes crackled, the herbs began to harmonize under the effect of the three colored mes. In the end, theybined to form a pill that gave off a medicinal scent.


    ¡°Retrieve the pill!¡± Lin Zainan eximed, nodding in satisfaction.


    Yun Ruoyan reached out to the top of the furnace. As if feeling her spiritual energy tugging on it, the pill floated into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s open palm. She smiled at her creation, but whether her attempt was sessful would have to await Lin Zainan¡¯s evaluation.

 Chapter 122: Whitey

    <h4>Chapter 122: Whitey</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan handed the pill to Lin Zainan, who squeezed it between two fingers and carefully peered at it while he stroked his beard.


    Yun Moxiao, Lin Qingxue, and Lin Qingchen had all gathered around him as they too looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s creation. They were all anxiously awaiting Lin Zainan¡¯s evaluation, especially Yun Ruoyan.


    Although Yun Ruoyan hid her emotions well, Yun Moxiao could still notice her anxiety. He nudged her shoulder lightly, smiling at her.


    ¡°An inferior low-grade pill,¡± Lin Zainan finally judged.


    ¡°Ah, inferior?¡± Lin Qingxue seemed flummoxed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look good?¡±


    Lin Qingchen and Yun Moxiao were equally confused.


    ¡°Qingchen, bring me the darkened heavens pill that I refined that day.¡±


    Lin Qingchen nodded and retrieved a red sandalwood box from the medicinal vault, which she handed to Lin Zainan. He opened the box to reveal the pill that he¡¯d refined that day as a demonstration. When the two pills were ced side by side, the difference in their quality was obvious. ¡°Round, but lumpy; bright, but not lustrous; only faintly scented. Inferior low-grade.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed, a little deted.


    But Lin Zainan smiled, not looking upset with his protege at all. ¡°Ruoyan, being able to make the pill take shape on your first attempt is already quite an achievement, so don¡¯t feel bad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sister Ruoyan! You¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°Refining pills isn¡¯t an easy process, and being able to seed on your first try really is something to be proud of.¡± Although Lin Qingchen hadn¡¯t yet started her study of pillmaking, her long years of study had left her very knowledgeable regarding theory. She was sincerely impressed by her cousin¡¯s efforts.


    But Yun Ruoyan was still disappointed in herself. She took over the pill in Lin Zainan¡¯s hands, stating, ¡°The darkened heavens pill is a low-grade pill to begin with, so is there any reason to keep one of inferior quality?¡±


    She was just about to crush it when Yun Moxiao stopped her. ¡°The darkened heavens pill is a necessity in the army, and even inferior-quality pills are in short supply. Such pills can help forcefully guide spiritual energy into regr people to strengthen them even if they can¡¯t cultivate. Don¡¯t waste it!¡±


    In the end, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t destroy that inferior-quality pill. Instead, she kept it in a pill box that Lin Qingchen brought over for her.


    Once they left the pillmaking chambers, Lin Qingchen invited Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao to her small bamboo garden.


    ¡°Cousin Moxiao, I heard you¡¯re a fifth-rank beastmaster now,¡± Lin Qingchen began. ¡°I have a lot of creatures that I¡¯ve been rearing in my garden, and I¡¯d like you to have a look.¡±


    As soon as Lin Qingxue heard that everyone was heading over to her sister¡¯s garden, she immediately crept away, stating that a young miss from the Zhao family had invited her over for tea. Before she left, however, she didn¡¯t forget to remind Yun Moxiao that there would be arge market fair tomorrow to wee the fall.


    Yun Moxiao had agreed to apany her shopping, and he naturally wouldn¡¯t renege on his promise. ¡°Get up early tomorrow, and I¡¯ll pick you up.¡±


    Lin Qingxue¡¯s eyes curved into crescents as she left with a skip and a jump.


    The reason Lin Qingxue wanted Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao to apany her to her garden was primarily because of her little white snake. In just two weeks, the little snake had already grown asrge as a dish, and that crystal basin Lin Qingchen had kept it in before clearly wasn¡¯trge enough anymore. As a result, Lin Qingchen had moved it into a little pond in the garden.


    Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan both stooped down as they peered inside the pond.


    ¡°Cousin Moxiao, have you seen this sort of snake before?¡± Lin Qingchen pointed at the white snakezing at the bottom of the pond and asked.


    Yun Moxiao shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve seen quite a few mutated snake-type beasts, but never any white ones.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced at the white snake in the pond. Perhaps because silver and white were so close in hue, she couldn¡¯t help thinking about Li Mo¡¯s appearance as hey drifting in theke.


    ¡°This pond wasn¡¯t here thest time I came over, was it? Is it new?¡±


    Although Lin Qingchen¡¯s garden wasn¡¯t small, each of her magical creatures needed its own little habitat. There used to be a ratherrge pond in the garden, but all that was inside was a single catfish.


    ¡°I¡¯d originally kept Whitey and Greenie together,¡± Lin Qingchen sighed. That catfish was green, so Lin Qingchen called it Greenie. ¡°But Whitey would give off a chilly aura from time to time. One night, I heard Greenie crying out, so I rushed out to have a look and found that the entire pond was frozen solid.¡±


    Lin Qingchen shuddered as she continued. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t heard Greenie¡¯s cries in time, it might have frozen to death.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen snakes that can breathe out mes before, but never ones that can emit a chilling aura.¡± Yun Moxiao appeared very interested in Lin Qingchen¡¯s creatures. ¡°Does this snake have a pact with you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lin Qingchen replied. ¡°I¡¯m not a beastmaster, so I can¡¯t initiate such pacts with magical beasts. Whitey hasn¡¯t proposed one, either.¡±


    On the Chenyuan continent, humans and beasts could enter into pacts in one of two ways. The first way was for a beastmaster to tame the beast and force it into a contract. This required that the human be a beastmaster, one strong enough to tame the beast in question. The second way was for the beast to recognize a master and initiate a pact. This situation didn¡¯t require anything of the human, and even regr, talentless humans could form pacts with magical beasts in this manner. Yun Ruoyan and Qiuqiu¡¯s rtionship was of this second type, but this was a rare situation indeed.


    Yun Moxiao clearly wanted to tame Whitey as one of his contracted beasts. Beastmasters could have up to three such contracts at once, and Yun Moxiao only had a bald eagle at the moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯ve been searching for a second magical beast for quite a while, and I¡¯ve finally found one of interest!¡±


    Lin Qingchen stilled for a moment as she heard Yun Moxiao¡¯s words. She wanted to say something, but when she saw how excited he was, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to dampen the mood.


    Yun Ruoyan was quite surprised that Whitey had grown from a cute little snakelet to this rather intimidating size. Lin Qingchen¡¯s description of Greenie¡¯s close shave with death had also brought back unpleasant memories of her own encounters with snake-type beasts.


    As a result, even though she could see that Lin Qingchen didn¡¯t particrly want to give up Whitey, she didn¡¯t stop Yun Moxiao. After all, he was a professional beastmaster, and as seemingly dangerous a magical snake as this could seriously harm Lin Qingchen if she weren¡¯t careful.


    ¡°Move further away. I¡¯m going to tame this white snake now.¡± Yun Moxiao waved at Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen, instructing them to watch from a safer distance.


    Yun Ruoyan brought Lin Qingchen back with her. Despite her age, this was the first time she was seeing a beastmaster tame a magical beast, and she was very much looking forward to the show. If Lin Qingxue knew what a sight she¡¯d missed out on, she would undoubtedly turn green with envy.


    Yun Moxiao stood by one side of the pond, cautiously putting a hand into the water. As he began releasing spiritual energy from his spiritual vortex through his palm, ripples spread through the surface of the pond. Those ripples becamerger andrger, turning into waves thatpped the pond¡¯s borders.


    The dozing snake finally began to react, raising its head and looking at Yun Moxiao with eyes asrge as copper bells.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Yun Moxiao couldn¡¯t help eximing. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen snakes with such expressive eyes.¡±


    Generally, snake-type beasts had rather dull eyes, which would continue degenerating as their cultivation increased. The higher their cultivation, the less useful their eyes; most snakes were functionally blind.


    However, Whitey¡¯s eyes were noticeably different from those of his kin. When other snakes noticed unusual activity, they would turn their heads to listen or begin sniffing to try to detect strange smells. Whitey, however, stared straight at Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°Emerge from the pond!¡± Despite Yun Moxiao¡¯s attempts, he wasn¡¯t able to force the snake out of the water. With a shout, he immersed his other hand inside the pond as he released a unique skill, sucking up the water in the pond with his hands.


    The snake was naturally forced out of the pond along with the water. Yun Moxiao reached out with his hands and sent a pulse of spiritual energy at the snake, who fell against the stone bs by the side of the pond. No longer restrained by Yun Moxiao, the remainder of the water rushed back into the pond with a gigantic ssh.


    Yun Moxiao took two steps forward, bit his finger to draw blood, and began sketching out a beastmaster¡¯s subjugation formation in mid-air. Apanied by a beastmaster¡¯s unique aura, his blood gleamed as Yun Moxiao finished the formation.


    ¡°Go!¡± Yun Moxiao pointed at the white snake, and the formation rushed toward it.


    Although Whitey had grownrger, it hadn¡¯t be much smarter or more agile. After all, it had only been three months since it hatched from its egg under Lin Qingchen¡¯s careful ministrations.


    It only blinked dazedly at the blood-red formation quickly drawing closer to its body. Before it could react, the formation imprinted itself on Whitey¡¯s brain. With a hiss and sizzle, as if the formation was an iron brandnding on tender flesh, the air began to smoke and fill with a charred odor.


    Whitey stilled for a moment before starting to thresh against the stone b in pain.


    ¡°Whitey!¡± Lin Qingchen began rushing over as soon as she saw Whitey¡¯s agitation, but Yun Ruoyan held her back in order to stop her from getting injured.


    ¡°ept the contract and submit to me!¡± Yun Moxiao stood in front of the white snake, his broad body emanating an aura of might.


    As Yun Moxiao¡¯s aura grew stronger, the formation imprinted on Whitey¡¯s forehead became even more scorching. Whitey continued to thresh and twist in agony against the stone asrge tears fell from its eyes.


    ¡°Once you submit, the pain will stop,¡± Yun Moxiao advised.


    Whitey threshed all the more vigorously, diving once more into the pond before leaping into the other pond some distance away, causing Greenie to cry out in shock. But even after quite some time, Whitey showed no signs of submission.


    Yun Moxiao was stubborn and hard-headed, and he tended to solve all his problems by applying more and more force. Once again, he dredged Whitey ashore. His white scales were cracked and bleeding, blood staining its body.


    ¡°You¡¯re stubborn, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Yun Moxiao praised, ¡°but I must have you. If you don¡¯t submit, I¡¯llyer on a secondary imprint.¡±


    Whitey writhed limply against the stone b. Red blood seeped from its mouth, but its bright, unyielding eyes continued to gaze at the girl looking equally ardently in its direction: Lin Qingchen.

 Chapter 123: Snake Pact

    <h4>Chapter 123: Snake Pact</h4>


    Lin Qingchen met Whitey¡¯s gaze. She couldn¡¯t help thinking back to how she had arduously brought the five snake eggs back from the imperial territory, how she had spent day and night taking care of them, and how Whitey had finally hatched from the fifth egg after four unsessful attempts.


    Lin Qingchen could clearly remember Whitey poking its little head out of its shell, looking as cute and innocent as could be.


    She¡¯d carefully held its body, merely a few inches long, in her palms. Whitey¡¯s limpid, lustrous eyes stared at her as soon as it had hatched, as if it were trying to imprint her figure in its mind.


    ¡°Cousin Moxiao, stop!¡± Lin Qingchen couldn¡¯t help shouting out, before trying to break free from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Qingchen¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan could clearly see Lin Qingchen¡¯s conflicted expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how ferocious those snakes were back in the imperial territory? You¡¯re not a beastmaster, and you won¡¯t ever be a summoner. Only summoners can control such high-ranking magical beasts as they mature.¡±


    On the Chenyuan continent, summoners were existences only below pillmasters in status. However, bing a summoner first required being a seventh-rank beastmaster. Beastmasters were only able to control the beasts with which they¡¯d contracted, but top-tier summoners could summon tens of thousands of beasts to fight for them.


    Of course, summoners of such ability were spoken of only in legends. Yun Moxiao¡¯s master was only a novice summoner, and he was able to summon at most a dozen low-tier magical beasts at one go. Nevertheless, he was still an impressive presence on the battlefield.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, make Cousin Moxiao stop!¡± Lin Qingchen was unfazed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words. Despite her usual calmness, she seemed unusually agitated at this moment. ¡°Whitey won¡¯t surrender to him, even if it¡¯s about to die!¡±


    Yun Moxiao was beginning to incant a second formation.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, have you forgotten that I have this demonic ring?¡± Lin Qingchen hurriedly shook the ring on her hand at her. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t establish a contract with Whitey, I can still control it with this snake ring! It won¡¯t harm me, I assure you!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had seen the ring thest time she visited the Lins, and she¡¯d even tested out its effects for herself. After returning home, she¡¯d specially asked Qiuqiu about the demonic realm, but it didn¡¯t seem to want to reveal too much information to her.


    However, Qiuqiu did warn her that demonic artifacts were rather dangerous to use. If the user were too weak and used the artifact too frequently, that user could easily be controlled by the previous owner of the artifact.


    ¡°Qingchen, that reminds me¡ªit¡¯s fine if you keep wearing this ring, but you definitely can¡¯t overuse it. If your cultivation¡¯s not high enough, there¡¯s a chance you¡¯ll be possessed by the previous owner of the ring!¡±


    While Yun Ruoyan tried to persuade Lin Qingchen, Yun Moxiao finished his second formation and was just about to direct it at Whitey. Seeing his arm move, Lin Qingchen forcefully broke out of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s grasp and ran toward Whitey.


    ¡°Qingchen!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out in shock and dismay as she saw Lin Qingchen run between Whitey and Yun Moxiao.


    Yun Moxiao was trying to direct the formation toward Whitey, but when Lin Qingchen suddenly ran over, Yun Moxiao was so shocked that he lost control over the formation. As a result, it struck Lin Qingchen squarely.


    Lin Qingchen threw up an arm to shield herself, and the formation imprinted on her left arm. In a sh, a hole had been scorched through her white blouse, and a searing pain radiated from her flesh. Cold sweat drenched Lin Qingchen¡¯s body as she bent down and curled up in agony. Instead of screaming, however, she gritted out, ¡°Cousin, stop.¡±


    Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t expected that Lin Qingchen would suddenly interrupt him. When he finally got over his shock, he shouted, ¡°Qingchen, what are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t hurt Whitey. It won¡¯t submit to you.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how reckless running into the middle of a beast taming can be?!¡± Although Yun Moxiao was angry that Lin Qingchen had interrupted him, he was even angrier that Lin Qingchen had put herself in danger.


    The process of taming was a fight between man and beast, and either party could release a life-threatening blow at any moment. Lin Qingchen¡¯s reckless behavior might easily have endangered her life.


    ¡°Cousin, stop hurting Whitey!¡±


    Yun Moxiao hesitated, only now seeing Lin Qingchen¡¯s reluctance to part with Whitey. ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t want this dull snake.¡±


    Lin Qingchen finally rxed, releasing a long breath before turning to inspect Whitey¡¯s injuries.


    ¡°Whitey, it must hurt, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Lin Qingchen stroked Whitey¡¯s body while trying to avoid its bleeding wounds. The bloody formation imprinted on its forehead had gone dim after Yun Moxiao had removed his spiritual energy, but the wound left by the formation continued to bleed.


    Lin Qingchen¡¯s face had gone white as she tightly squeezed her left arm with one hand, but she still continued to stroke Whitey¡¯s body. A trail of blood slid down her arm and seeped into the imprint on Whitey¡¯s forehead.


    In a split second, Whitey¡¯s eyes turned even brighter, and the imprint on its forehead once again began to glow red.


    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s going on?!¡± When Yun Ruoyan saw the sudden transformation, she immediately alerted Yun Moxiao.


    Yun Moxiao turned around and gasped in shock. ¡°It¡¯s a blood pact, that snake¡¯s about to form a blood pact with Qingchen!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pact with Qiuqiu was also a blood pact, but it had been formed without Yun Ruoyan¡¯s knowledge. When her blood unintentionallynded on the silver bracelet, Qiuqiu had initiated a contract with her.


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao walked forward as they stared at Lin Qingchen and Whitey. The formation on Whitey¡¯s forehead began to change, and although Yun Ruoyan had no idea what the formation signified, she could clearly see that it had grown even more profound.


    Slowly, the formation dimmed and Whitey¡¯s wounds began to heal. It finally closed its eyes and fell into a deep slumber.


    ¡°Whitey, Whitey!¡± Lin Qingchen anxiously shook Whitey¡¯s bulbous head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s alright,¡± Yun Moxiao spoke up. ¡°The wounds on its body are all superficial and won¡¯t have any permanent effect on the snake. Even the formation I¡¯d imprinted on its forehead was co-opted into its pact with you, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lin Qingchen turned to Yun Moxiao and nodded.


    Yun Moxiao continued, ¡°Cousin Qingchen, congrattions on forming a pact with a magical beast. For someone without talent in beast taming, that¡¯s an incredibly fortunate event.¡±


    Because Lin Qingchen looked like she didn¡¯t understand her cousin¡¯s words, Yun Ruoyan exined to her that Whitey had formed a blood pact with her.


    While Lin Qingchen had heard about such pacts, she had clearly never experienced one herself. As a result, what she first felt was confusion rather than excitement.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I feel anything unusual?¡± As far as she understood, forming a pact with a magical beast would lead to some sort of resonance, but she didn¡¯t feel a single thing.


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly true for a pact between a beastmaster and a contracted beast,¡± Yun Moxiao replied, ¡°but I can¡¯t be sure how things change if you¡¯re not a beastmaster.¡±


    And although Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have any theoretical understanding of this phenomenon, she had experienced the same thing for herself. As a result, she could confidently assure her cousin, ¡°Qingchen, don¡¯t worry, you just have to wait for Whitey to initate contact with you.¡±


    A blood pact was far more stable than a beastmaster¡¯s contract. If the beastmaster¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t able to keep up with the beast¡¯s maturity, there was a non-negligible probability that the beastmaster would be unable to control a contracted beast. There had been reported incidents of such beasts breaking free of such a contract and causing severe bacsh to the beastmaster¡¯s spiritual vortex.


    However, such a situation would never ur for a blood pact. Once a magical beast chose a master, it would protect that person for life. Only when one or the other died would the blood pact lose effect. As a result, no matter what Whitey became, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have to worry about Lin Qingchen¡¯s safety.


    Yun Ruoyan helped Lin Qingchen up before the two of them released Whitey back into theke. Although its wounds looked rather serious, they were all superficial and would easily heal in time.


    Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t managed to tame Whitey even after spending considerable effort, but he was quite happy about helping Lin Qingchen out. Being a little embarrassed, she volunteered to have Yun Moxiao take one of her other creatures instead.


    Yun Moxiao nced at the strange creatures inhabiting the bamboo garden¡ªa one-eared stubby-legged pig, a blood-crown rooster missing half its crown, and a catfish thatughed shrilly and shrieked piercingly.


    ¡°Qingchen, I can¡¯t do anything with your other magical beasts except eat them,¡± he joked.


    Those beasts had witnessed Yun Moxiao¡¯s frightening aura, and they were all so frightened by his words that they scattered all about the garden.


    At night, Yun Ruoyan sat cross-legged on her bed as she entered her pocket dimension and began demaster training.


    After recovering from the poison, Yun Ruoyan found to her surprise that her spiritual vortex had expanded again, and it was even easier for her to absorb and condense spiritual energy now. Even more exciting was the fact that her cultivation already seemed to be inching toward eighth-rank.


    Yun Ruoyan had always been rather secretive about her cultivation, not wanting to stand out in front of a crowd just to receive vacuous praise. Neither did she want those around her to be shocked by her unusually rapid advancement. Instead, she eagerly awaited the day her cultivation would be sufficiently advanced to guarantee her freedom.

 Chapter 124: A Fork in the Road

    <h4>Chapter 124: A Fork in the Road</h4>


    After attuning part of her spiritual energy with the aspect of fire, Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes and had a short rest.


    Qiuqiu did the same.


    ¡°Qiuqiu,¡± Yun Ruoyan began, ¡°I still don¡¯t fully understand what Grandfather told me yesterday.¡±


    Yesterday was the first time that Yun Ruoyan had practiced pillmaking, and she had made an inferior low-grade pill. Although it was impressive that she had been sessful on her first attempt, Yun Ruoyan had very high expectations for herself.


    She¡¯d asked Lin Zainan why, despite following his motions to the letter, her pill was inferior and his superior. After all, her cultivation was roughly the equal of his, and her spiritual me wasn¡¯t far weaker than his.


    Lin Zainan¡¯s response was that pillmaking wasn¡¯t a matter of following a recipe exactly. Rather, it required thoughtfulness and ingenuity, not vish adherence to some given way of doing things. Even now, Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t quite clear what he meant.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been putting in a lot of thought and effort into this, haven¡¯t I? Why is Grandfather saying that I¡¯m not thoughtful enough?¡± Yun Ruoyan was somewhat flummoxed.


    Yesterday, while Yun Ruoyan was practicing her pillmaking, Qiuqiu was awake and able to understand a little of what was going on even from within the pocket dimension.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s different,¡± Qiuqiu began. ¡°Even though both you and your grandfather are third-rank pillmasters at the moment, his technique and sensitivity are far superior to yours. You might have thought that you¡¯d copied his motions precisely, but even the slightest difference can have cascading effects.¡±


    Qiuqiu continued to break down what it had observed. ¡°And even if you both use the same types of spiritual herbs, the quality of the resulting pill may still depend sensitively on your own cultivation and on the history of the individual herbs that you¡¯ve chosen. As a result, blindly following the proportions that your grandfather used won¡¯t necessarily work well.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt as though she had received a grand revtion. ¡°You mean that different people need their own techniques for refining pills?¡±


    ¡°The techniques arergely identical; the devil¡¯s in the details. You have to adapt your technique to the situation,¡± Qiuqiu corrected. ¡°Before you begin, familiarize yourself with the herbs that you¡¯ve chosen. Once you¡¯vepletely grasped their quality and defects, n out how you¡¯llbine them to get the greatest effect. This is what your grandfather means by ¡®thoughtful¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Qiuqiu.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s doubts felt like they had all been washed away with Qiuqiu¡¯s words.


    She stood up and retrieved the pill furnace, bringing it back to Qiuqiu¡¯s side along with the four spiritual herbs necessary for the pill. She had arge stock of heaven¡¯s sedge from the imperial territory; the other three herbs she¡¯d taken from the Lin warehouse in preparation for her own practice.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at Qiuqiu before sitting down, bringing the furnace to her front, and starting the long, draining process of refining a pill once more.


    This time, after she lit up the furnace, she didn¡¯t rush to throw in the heaven¡¯s sedge. Instead, she carefully examined the spiritual energy in each herb in her hands. Only when she had a reasonable understanding of the energy did she begin in earnest.


    First, she dropped a drop of blood into the furnace, letting it familiarize itself with her aura. Then, she ced the heaven¡¯s sedge on top of the furnace and began roasting it.


    This time, rather than sticking to Lin Zainan¡¯s tempo and actions, she tried to discern how to control the fire based on the changes in spiritual energy she could feel in the herb.


    The red me was warm, useful as a transition between the orange and yellow mes. The orange me was hotter than the red, and the yellow the hottest of the three.


    Yun Ruoyanpletely ignored how Lin Zainan had manipted the mes. Based solely on her intuition and the changes she could glean from the herbs, she continued lowering or increasing the temperature of the me.


    After a few additional attempts in which she charred the herbs with too high a temperature, Yun Ruoyan finallytched onto a set of techniques which felt natural to her and sessfully created a second darkened heavens pill.


    Yun Ruoyan handed the pill to Qiuqiu, who held it gingerly in its ws. After a careful examination, his evaluation was, ¡°Smooth, no lumps, but not quite round enough. Lustrous, but not too fragrant. A regr quality pill, Mistress, you¡¯ve improved!¡±


    But despite the praise, Yun Ruoyan still wasn¡¯t very happy.¡±


    ¡°Mistress, the fact that you managed to even form a pill on your first attempt was impressive enough, and you were even able to improve on your original sess in a few short hours! Your talent¡¯s likely far superior than your grandfather¡¯s.¡±


    Afraid that Yun Ruoyan wanted to rush things even further, Qiuqiu reminded, ¡°At this rate, it won¡¯t be a problem for you to surpass your grandfather in another two years, but you can¡¯t rush it much more than that.¡±


    ¡°I know I can¡¯t rush, Qiuqiu, but¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at the furnace in her hands. ¡°Two yearster, I have topete against Wang Meng. If I lose, he¡¯ll definitely challenge Grandfather, but his body has weakened quite considerably along with his cultivation. I¡¯m worried about what¡¯ll happen, Qiuqiu.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew that her panic and agitation wouldn¡¯t help, that she had to calm down and think things through carefully, but her emotions still overcame her logic.


    ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s no need to worry. Once you¡¯re a fifth-rank pillmaster, I¡¯ll teach you how to make the poisons from that tome. Even if you can¡¯t defeat Wang Meng, you¡¯ll easily be able to poison him to death, so he won¡¯t have a chance of hurting your family.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan heard Qiuqiu¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help smiling. Although it sounded rather dishonorable, Qiuqiu¡¯s words seemed to impart aforting warmth to her.


    The next day, Yun Moxiao fetched Yun Ruoyan early in the morning to head to the Lin manor. That afternoon, they would go shopping at the annual autumn fair with their cousins. The capital was jam-packed with people, and they could barely think amidst the vendors¡¯ cries. Despite being next to each other, they couldn¡¯t hear each other without shouting loudly.


    Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, Lin Qingchen, and Lin Qingxue finally managed to squeeze through the most crowded part of the fair.


    Lin Qingchen threw down all the misceneous bags she was carrying and grumbled to Lin Qingxue, who was contentedly carrying nothing. ¡°These are all things that you bought¡ªaren¡¯t you embarrassed that you¡¯re making us do all the work?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao¡¯s hands were both full with all sorts of snacks and toys, and they too looked at Lin Qingxue upon hearing Lin Qingchen¡¯s question.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the one picking out what to buy! If I have to carry things myself, it¡¯ll obstruct my vision,¡± Lin Qingxue responded in a very natural manner. Then, pouting, she continued, ¡°Sister, it¡¯s so rare that I can ever go out shopping with you, so won¡¯t you please help me out this once?¡±


    Lin Qingchen was speechless. They¡¯d barely been out for an hour! How tired would they be after shopping for the entire day?!


    Usually, she would either be hanging out in her bamboo garden or working at the apothecary. She knew that if Lin Qingxue were to catch her and force her to go out shopping with her, she would be worked to death.


    ¡°Qingxue, is there anything else you want to buy?¡± Yun Moxiao asked, smiling.


    Lin Qingchen immediately shot him an aggrieved look. More? Who¡¯s going to carry all that?!


    ¡°Oh, let me see!¡± Lin Qingxue responded as eagerly as ever.


    Lin Qingchen nced up soullessly at the heavens.


    ¡°Ruoyan, isn¡¯t there anything you want?¡± Yun Moxiao turned to his sister.


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head. She hadn¡¯t beenzing during the trip, and was keeping a close eye on any stalls selling herbs.


    Qiuqiu had asked her to prepare a few poisonous herbs, and all that filled her mind at the moment were unusual ingredients like thunderced vines, grass of hoar frost, red-tipped centipedes. Before she had gathered the ingredients that Qiuqiu had specified, she had no time to think about anything else.


    But even after going through arge ring of stalls and finding quite a few selling spiritual herbs, she hadn¡¯t collected any of the ingredients she needed.


    ¡°Brother, do you know any ces in the capital that might sell poisonous ingredients?¡± she asked her brother in a low voice.


    Yun Moxiao shook his head. He was even less familiar with the capital than his sister, and Yun Ruoyan was asking him as ast resort.


    ¡°Why are you buying poisonous ingredients?¡±


    ¡°No reason¡ªI¡¯m just curious.¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan,¡± Yun Moxiao¡¯s features became unusually severe. ¡°A pillmaster¡¯s talent is rare indeed, so you have to cherish it. You won¡¯t go astray and disappoint Grandfather, will you?¡±


    On the Chenyuan continent, there was a group of people who, despite possessing talent at bing pillmasters, ended up bing poisoners instead. Although concocting poisons advanced their cultivation in leaps and bounds and struck fear in their enemies¡¯ hearts, their reputation suffered as a result. Righteous cultivators on the Chenyuan continent would scoff at those poisoners, iming that they¡¯d gone astray.


    But Yun Ruoyan disagreed with thismon wisdom. In both her lives, she¡¯d been greatly affected by poison, but none of the people who had poisoned her were poisoners. Of the ten most wicked cultivators on the Chenyuan continent, only one was a poisoner, and his reputation was nowhere near the worst of the ten.


    She didn¡¯t believe that poisoners were necessarily malicious cultivators who would stoop to any depths; on the other hand, there were all sorts of malicious people who would scheme against others all day long.


    From Yun Ruoyan¡¯s perspective, anything that could strengthen her was something to consider seriously. If being able to concoct poisons would give her the power she so sorely desired, and if she could do so without killing the innocent while protecting herself and her family, then she didn¡¯t consider it going astray.


    And if concocting poisons would help her be a better pillmaster, then she would surely do so. As a result, Yun Moxiao¡¯s gentle rebuke had actually reinforced Yun Ruoyan¡¯s desire to learn how to concoct poisons.


    Of course, she knew that this wasn¡¯t an exnation that Yun Moxiao would ept. As such, she simplyughed the matter away. ¡°Brother, of course I know! It¡¯s just that I keep getting poisoned by one party or another. I¡¯m just trying to procure some poisonous ingredients to familiarize myself with their characteristics, so that I might be better informed and able to detect such poisons in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ruoyan, detecting poisons isn¡¯t that easy!¡± Yun Moxiaoughed.


    Yun Ruoyan wanted to ask Lin Qingchen about the matter, but she gave up after seeing Yun Moxiao¡¯s attitude. Lin Qingchen was even more orthodox a figure than her brother, and she was far harder to fool than Yun Moxiao.


    It seemed that she would have to rely on herself once more.


    ¡°Thief, thief!¡± Lin Qingxue suddenly shouted. ¡°Cousin, Sister, my coin pouch¡¯s been stolen!¡±

 Chapter 125: Breaking Out

    <h4>Chapter 125: Breaking Out</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao immediately dumped everything they were carrying in front of Lin Qingchen.


    ¡°Qingchen, look after our goods. We¡¯ll go catch that thief!¡± Yun Ruoyan ran off behind Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°Thief, thief! Don¡¯t let that thief escape!¡± Lin Qingxue continued to yell out as she ran.


    Yun Ruoyan could see that the sea of people in front of her was already in a state of disorder. Lin Qingxue had been using her spiritual energy as she chased the thief, and arge number of stalls had been knocked over as a result. In addition, quite a few regr civilians had been hurt by waves of spiritual energy, and were lying on the ground rubbing their bruises.


    ¡°Qingxue, don¡¯t hurt any bystanders!¡± Yun Moxiao shouted.


    Then, Yun Ruoyan saw a yellow sword aura emerge from underneath Yun Moxiao¡¯s feet as he soared into the skies.


    ¡°Ruoyan, take my hand!¡± Yun Moxiao reached out to her as he bnced on the sword.


    She leaped up onto the sword behind Yun Moxiao as he steered the sword in Lin Qingxue¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Over there!¡± Yun Ruoyan could see Lin Qingxue talking to a youth at a restaurant not too far ahead, a youth who looked unusually familiar.


    As theynded in front of Lin Qingxue, Yun Ruoyan recognized the youth as a person whom they hadn¡¯t seen for quite some time: Zhuo Yifeng. Clutched in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hand was the cor of a man who looked like a skinny monkey, likely none other than the pickpocket.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, look! I met Brother Zhuo!¡± Lin Qingxue was so happy that she began jumping up and down, waving the red money pouch in her hand. ¡°Brother Zhuo helped me catch the thief.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked toward Zhuo Yifeng. He was dressed in rough fabrics, and seemed even darker and thinner than when she¡¯d met him within the imperial territory. Nevertheless, his eyes remained as bright as ever.


    However, when Zhuo Yifeng met Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze, he seemed stupefied. When he split up from Yun Ruoyan, her poison still hadn¡¯t been purged, and she appeared far uglier than she did now.


    At that time, Yun Ruoyan was dressed in loose red clothing, and the birthmark on her face was only partially covered by her hair. She looked more like a female pugilist than the daughter of a noble family.


    In contrast, the Yun Ruoyan in front of him right now was dressed in an egg-yellow dress, her hairbed simply into two coils, a few strands of hair dangling by her earlobes. The birthmark on her right cheek was covered by a sakura-blossom gauze patch, revealing tender, rosy cheeks.


    It had been little more than three months, and yet Yun Ruoyan lookedpletely different from the girl she had once been!


    The Lin siblings would see their cousin quite frequently. Despite having witnessed the entirety of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s transformation, they were still amazed at her near-miraculous transformation. Likewise, when Yun Moxiao first met his sister again, he too was amazed.


    However, Zhuo Yifeng seemedpletely shell-shocked by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s new appearance. His mouth was hanging open, as if he could hardly reconcile her new appearance with her old one.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, where¡¯s your sister?¡± Yun Ruyoan asked.


    But Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t respond, still entranced by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s new looks.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, this is Sister Ruoyan! Don¡¯t you recognize her?¡± Lin Qingchen tugged on his sleeve when she saw him looking dazedly at her.


    Only then did Zhuo Yifeng react, scratching at his head and at a loss for words.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, where¡¯s Lin¡¯er? Why isn¡¯t she with you?¡± Lin Qingxue repeated Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question as she looked all around her for her.


    ¡°Lin¡¯er¡¯s at the inn,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied. ¡°I¡¯m only here to get some herbs, and I¡¯ll return straight away. How do you want to deal with this thief?¡±


    ¡°Hand him to me,¡± Yun Moxiao said, stepping forward.


    ¡°This is my brother, Yun Moxiao,¡± Yun Ruoyan introduced. ¡°And this is a friend we met in the imperial territory, Zhuo Yifeng.¡±


    Seeing Yun Moxiao¡¯s gentlemanly appearance, and noting both his flight and advanced cultivation, Zhuo Yifeng barely hesitated before turning the thief over to Yun Moxiao.


    Yun Moxiao had joined the army at a young age, and he had a rather developed sense for people. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s eyes were bright and clear, so although he didn¡¯t seem very talkative, he appeared to be an honest man.


    ¡°I have to return to the inn, or Lin¡¯er will be upset with me.¡± Zhuo Yifeng bowed and picked up a pouch from the floor.


    ¡°What inn are you guys at? Let me go with you!¡± Lin Qingxue grabbed Zhuo Yifeng by the elbow. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen Lin¡¯er, hehe!¡±


    It seemed that Lin Qingxue was adamant on following Zhuo Yifeng to his inn. Yun Ruoyan was also quite interested in checking the ce out.


    Not wanting to waste time bringing the thief to the magistrate, Yun Moxiao kicked the thief away. Knocked onto the ground and afraid that they¡¯d change their mind, the thief hurriedly picked himself up and ran off.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at the thief¡¯s back as he made his escape and inadvertently met his gaze when he turned back to look at them. The thief was ratty, with a pointed chin, long, ppy ears, and a bald patch in the middle of his head. She suddenly thought of a figure from her memories, but when she tried to scrutinize his appearance more carefully, the skinny monkey had already vanished around a corner.


    ¡°Ruoyan, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Moxiao asked after seeing his sister in a daze.


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head, not saying anything.


    Yun Moxiao was preparing to fly back to grab Lin Qingchen when he saw her walking past the crowd in their direction.


    ¡°Sister, where¡¯s everything I bought?¡± Lin Qingxue noticed at once that Lin Qingchen¡¯s hands were empty.


    ¡°I had all the items dropped off at a store for a servant to reim once we return home.¡±


    Lin Qingchen was equally surprised to see Zhuo Yifeng. She still had some of his spoils from the imperial territory, and she would finally be able to give him his share. After exchanging a few greetings, the crowd followed Zhuo Yifeng to the inn he was staying at with Zhuo Lin¡¯er.


    At the top floor of a nearby restaurant, a ck-d Li Mo was sitting by the window as he enjoyed a cup of tea, staring at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dazzling form as she walked away.


    ¡°That¡¯s the eldest young master of the Yun family,¡± Li Qianhan pointed out, sitting opposite him.


    Yun Ruoyan had saved Li Mo, and he had offered her a promise as thanks. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s request was for him to guarantee Yun Moxiao¡¯s safety for at least three years.


    Li Mo put the cup in his hands back on the table. ¡°Prepare me a dossier involving this Yun Moxiao. I want it ready by the time I return to the mansion.¡±


    Su Bei, standing behind Li Mo, nodded immediately as he turned to leave.


    ¡°Although the two siblings didn¡¯t grow up together, they seem to be on very good terms,¡± Li Qianhanmented as he watched them walk off. Yun Moxiao stood behind and to the side of Yun Ruoyan, ready to react to any unforeseen circumstance.


    Li Mo thought back to Yun Ruoyan getting onto Yun Moxiao¡¯s sword. Despite how high he¡¯d flown when he was with her, Yun Ruoyan stubbornly insisted on keeping her back straight and away from his grasp. On the other hand, Yun Moxiao had flown barely above the crowd¡¯s heads, and yet Yun Ruoyan was gripping his waist so tightly!


    When Yun Ruoyan and the others heard that Zhuo Yifeng was staying at an inn, they¡¯d naturally thought that the beastkin siblings were staying in one of the rooms. However, Zhuo Yifeng brought them into a shack for firewood instead. The interior of the shack was small and cramped, consisting solely of a single bed. Zhuo Lin¡¯er was lying in the bed, her frail body looking even frailer than usual.


    ¡°Lin¡¯er, we¡¯re here to see you!¡±


    ¡°Qingxue!¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er clearly didn¡¯t expect Lin Qingxue to show up, and she sounded very excited to see her. When she saw Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan, she began to smile.


    ¡°Sister Qingchen, Sister Ruoyan, why are the two of you here?¡±


    ¡°We met on the streets,¡± Lin Qingxue answered. ¡°My money pouch was stolen, but luckily Brother Zhuo helped me catch the thief.¡±


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er was about to reply when she began to cough.


    ¡°Lin¡¯er, you¡¯re sick!¡± Lin Qingxue nced at her in concern. ¡°Is it serious?¡±


    Lin Qingxue and Zhuo Lin¡¯er hadn¡¯t liked each other at first, but they¡¯d gradually be good friends. After splitting up at the end of the imperial expedition, it had been over two months since theyst saw each other. However, not only did they not feel unustomed to each other, they even seemed to have developed a closer intimacy.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing but a slight cold. My body¡¯s just so thin that it looks more serious than it actually is.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my sister¡¯s here! You¡¯ll be right as rain in no time with her around.¡± Lin Qingxue turned to her sister, who motioned for Lin Qingxue to let her speak with Zhuo Lin¡¯er.


    She took Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s pulse and confirmed that it was only a slight cold. However, Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s constitution wasn¡¯t very good, and she needed to recuperate slowly.


    ¡°When did the two of you arrive at the capital, and why are you staying at a ce like this?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, looking at Zhuo Yifeng.


    She¡¯d heard Zhuo Yifeng mention that they were staying at the city of Bian, eight hundred miles from the capital. He¡¯d saved the lord of a noble family while hunting in the mountains, and the reason they were even able to enter the imperial territory was with the favor of that lord. At the end of the expedition, Zhuo Yifeng had quickly left with his sister in tow in order to thank him for his generosity.


    But how did they end up at a shack in the capital?


    ¡°It¡¯s been more than two weeks now,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied. ¡°I do have some money on hand, but you need identification to stay in the capital. Neither Lin¡¯er nor I have such identification, and it took some time to even find this little shack for shelter.¡±


    There had been quite a few high-profile incidents of demons hurting civilians in the capital, and the local authorities had taken to handing each citizen tokens of identification as a result. Only with such tokens could people stay in the capital for the long term. Zhuo Yifeng and Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s identities were rather special, so it was hard for them to get ahold of them.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you twoe searching for us?¡± Lin Qingxue asked.


    ¡°Oh, we did,¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er replied, ¡°but the capital was so big and the noble families so numerous that we didn¡¯t know where to start.¡±


    Actually, Zhuo Yifeng had found the Yun family, but he was barred at the entrance by the household guards. As for the Lin family, Lin Zainan had been in seclusion, and all guests had been turned away at the entrance.


    ¡°There¡¯s still half a month left before it¡¯s time to enter Kongming Academy, so why have the two of you arrived so early?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    Zhuo Yifeng was silent for quite a while before he continued, ¡°I unintentionally heard a secret and had to escape in the night with Lin¡¯er.¡±

 Chapter 126: A Startling Secret

    <h4>Chapter 126: A Startling Secret</h4>


    To have escaped after hearing a secret?! When they heard Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s words, the girls had to suppress their desire to ask the beastkin siblings what exactly they¡¯d overheard to prompt such a serious reaction.


    ¡°What secret?¡± In the end, that honor fell to Lin Qingxue, the nosiest of them all.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s gaze swept over the gathered crowd, hesitating. Yun Ruoyan and the Lin siblings were friends with whom he had faced death, and they were the only friends he and his sister had outside of their n. He trusted thempletely.


    Of those gathered, only Yun Moxiao was like a stranger.


    ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient, I¡¯d be happy to leave.¡± Yun Moxiao was clearly able to sense Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s misgivings.


    ¡°Brother, I won¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± Yun Ruoyan obstinately stared at Yun Moxiao before turning back to Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°If it¡¯s something sensitive, then don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng slightly frowned before beginning, ¡°This really is quite a big secret, and I don¡¯t feelfortable keeping it all to myself. Perhaps I¡¯ll find a resolution if I can discuss it with you, but this isn¡¯t something any of you can spread or make known that it came from me, or my sister and I will be in danger. Do you understand?¡±


    When the girls and Yun Moxiao heard these words, they nodded solemnly and became even more curious.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, what¡¯s the secret? How can it be so serious?¡± Lin Qingxue added.


    Zhuo Yifeng walked to the door and looked all around before mming it shut and turning back to the crowd. ¡°The secret I overheard was about a rebellion!¡±


    ¡°A rebellion!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Yun Moxiao jumped down from his seat, extremely shocked. ¡°A rebellion?!¡±


    He was already a vice-general in the army despite his young age, and such topics would be particrly sensitive to someone like him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied with certainty. ¡°A rebellion that¡¯s been nned for many years.¡±


    Zhuo Lin¡¯ery on the bed, not saying anything.


    Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue were both in a daze; they hadn¡¯t evere across such an event except in ssical history. The Li kingdom had already been established for over five hundred years, and except for a few cases in which the crown prince forcibly took the throne, peace generally reigned.


    A few centuries ago, before the Chen and Mo kingdoms had been founded, the east and the north were littered with all sorts of small kingdoms, leading to considerable civil strife. With the establishment of the two kingdoms, the entire Chenyuan continent had ushered in centuries of peace and stability.


    The only war in recent memory was that between humans and the beastkin a few decades ago, which had ended in only two years with Li Mo¡¯s bloodthirsty ughter asmander-in-chief.


    That period of history was still filled with a multitude of questions to Yun Ruoyan: if Li Mo truly were rted to the beastkin, then why would he use such bloody methods against his own kin? If Li Mo weren¡¯t rted to the beastkin, why would those beasts and demons revere him as the Beast King in the forest of dead souls?


    Li Mo was likely the only individual in the world who could resolve these questions that gued Yun Ruoyan. But now, with Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s revtion, the whole party was filled with shock.


    ¡°Who¡¯s involved in this rebellion?¡± Yun Moxiao asked sternly.


    Zhuo Yifeng hesitated for a moment before muttering, ¡°The Farsighted King, Li Sheng.¡±


    ¡°Li Sheng?!¡± Yun Moxiao was stupefied.


    Li Sheng was Li Xiu¡¯s elder brother, and was already past fifty. He was famed for being virtuous, as well as for his skill as a forgemaster. Army generals would often boast of having a weapon crafted by Li Sheng himself. How could such a man defect?


    In the Li kingdom, although his reputation wasn¡¯t as widespread as Li Mo¡¯s, it was unterally positive. He often arranged for adventurer groups to ughter beasts and rout bandits, and during cmitous years, he would open up his grain storehouses to regr civilians. At the start of the year, Yun Moxiao¡¯s troops had even received a gift of weaponry made by his own hands.


    The few cities under Li Sheng¡¯s control were very prosperous. If he truly were to revolt, then the Li kingdom would certainly splinter.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, this really is a big deal,¡± Yun Ruoyan stressed. ¡°Are you sure you heard this correctly?¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, how did youe to know the Farsighted King?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain.¡± In fact, the man that Zhuo Yifeng had saved when he was out hunting was none other than the Farsighted King himself! His cultivation was so high that it didn¡¯t make sense for him to be surrounded by a group of beasts, but it seemed that his cultivation had been temporarily restricted on that particr asion.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s appearance had saved him from sudden death. Afterwards, when Li Sheng had found out that Zhuo Yifeng and his sister were orphaned beastkin, he¡¯d invited them to stay in his manor as visitors. Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t want to rely on someone else¡¯s charity, and he declined. However, he did agree to start working for the Farsighted King.


    A few months ago, the Farsighted King¡¯s manor organized a martial artspetition. The Farsighted King was known to be without heir, but he didn¡¯t want to waste his quota for nominees to enter the imperial territory. The purpose of thepetition was naturally to select representatives to enter the territory in his name.


    Zhuo Yifeng had surpassed all others during thepetition, and because of the Farsighted King¡¯s life debt to him, he gave him an additional nomination. This was how Zhuo Yifeng managed to enter the imperial territory along with his sister.


    Zhuo Yifeng was naturally grateful to the Farsighted King upon leaving the territory, and quickly brought Zhuo Lin¡¯er back with him to thank the King.


    Li Sheng was also very happy with his sess, and even hosted a banquet on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s behalf. At the banquet, he once again offered Zhuo Yifeng a position working for him after graduating from Kongming Academy. In gratitude for the king¡¯s patronage, Zhuo Yifeng epted this offer and began to stay in the Farsighted King¡¯s manor.


    Everything seemed to be developing well, but on a raining night half a month ago, after Zhuo Yifeng finished patrolling the manor grounds, he saw a shadow on the way back to his own rooms.


    That shadow blended in so well with the surroundings that it was almost impossible to detect. With his unusually sensitive beastkin senses, however, Zhuo Yifeng was able to identify his approximate location. Zhuo Yifeng slid into the shadows and followed him carefully.


    That shadow finally made its way into the Farsighted King¡¯s study. At the time, Li Sheng¡¯s study was well-lit and clearly upied. Zhuo Yifeng imagined that the ck shadow was about to do something untoward to his master, so he kept a close guard by the door and prepared to rush in at a moment¡¯s notice. What he didn¡¯t expect was for the two men to have a conversation: clearly, the two men knew each other.


    Zhuo Yifeng released a breath and was just about to leave when he suddenly heard his name being mentioned. He stuck one ear against the door and could easily overhear their conversation with his enhanced senses.


    ¡°The entire Li kingdom, even the pce, has been dotted with our spies.¡± The speaker¡¯s voice was unfamiliar and hoarse. ¡°Kongming Academy¡¯s the only imprable defense, and I can¡¯t get any of my subordinates in.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already have ns for that. One of my subordinates is a beastkind named Zhuo Yifeng. He¡¯s passed the admissions exam for Kongming Academy, and will soon be one of the students within.¡±


    ¡°Is that boy reliable?¡± the shadow asked. ¡°Now that we¡¯re at the final stage of our grand, decade-long undertaking, we have to be careful in all regards.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already checked his background meticulously,¡± Li Sheng continued. ¡°He¡¯s orphaned and separated from his n, and his life is bound to his sister¡¯s. As long as we have his sister, we don¡¯t have to worry that he won¡¯t help us out.¡±


    ¡°Your wisdom is boundless, King,¡± the shadowughed in a sinister fashion. ¡°I await your reiming your rightful throne.¡±


    ¡°The ns I¡¯veid for ten long years are finally on the cusp of fruition, and I¡¯ll soon be able to take back what¡¯s mine!¡± Li Sheng couldn¡¯t repress the greed in his voice, nor his discontent against fate. ¡°I was meant to be the emperor of the Li kingdom, but my father was biased toward my third brother! The day I finally reim the throne will be the start of a new dynasty!¡±


    Only then did Zhuo Yifeng understand the extent of the ambition of this universallyuded king. What left him with gross difort was the realization that Li Sheng had been treating him like a pawn all this time, and that his sister would be the lever by which he would exert his control.


    In shock and great unease, he retreated to his rooms. After a short discussion with his sister, they decided to pack up and leave the Farsighted King¡¯s estates in the night. It was that pouring night which had left Zhuo Lin¡¯er with a persistent cold.


    When the group heard Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s recounting, everyone was silent for quite some time. Li Sheng¡¯s position was truly quite unusual: he was the eldest son of the former emperor and the older brother of the current. Even Li Mo had to address him as Brother. In a kingdom which ced great emphasis on seniority, he was at the top of the social hierarchy. Without any definite proof, trying to use him of treason would be akin to seeking death.


    This was why Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t dare to reveal this secret publicly.


    The only method Yun Ruoyan could think of was to let Li Xiu know of this affair so that he could be on guard for it. However, Li Xiu had always been on good terms with Li Sheng. Not only might he not believe the recounting, he might even punish the user for trying to sow dissent within the imperial family.


    No one had any idea how to proceed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home, tell Grandfather about this, and see what he has to say,¡± Lin Qingchen finally suggested.

 Chapter 127: Caught!

    <h4>Chapter 127: Caught!</h4>


    This was a matter of such importance that they wouldn¡¯t be able to resolve on their own, so it was natural for them to seek out help from their family.


    Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan decided not to inform Yun Lan of the matter just yet, because it would necessarily involve revealing Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s existence. In order to protect the Zhuo siblings, they would temporarily tell only Lin Zainan.


    Lin Qingchen even cast a hex on Lin Qingxue to prevent her from saying anything rted to the secret. Even Lin Qingxue herself was unusually solemn as she promised not to divulge anything even on pain of death.


    After their discussion, the group prepared to return to the Lin family. Lin Qingchen wrote a prescription and handed it to Lin Qingxue, telling her to retrieve the stated herbs from the apothecary.


    Although the Lins had quite a few spiritual herbs to protect the body against the cold, they were too potent for Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s frail body. Instead, she would have to make do with simple, medicinal tonics.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo,¡± Lin Qingchen then remarked to Zhuo Yifeng, ¡°you can¡¯t continue living in a ce like this, or Lin¡¯er¡¯s cold might just worsen. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to invite you to live at the Lin estate with us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, you totally should!¡± Lin Qingxue was just about to head out with the prescription, but when she heard her sister¡¯s words, she turned right back around.


    Zhuo Yifeng was naturally unwilling to live on someone else¡¯s charity, especially given his close shave. On one hand, he didn¡¯t want his sister¡¯s condition to worsen, but on the other¡­


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er lowered her head. She¡¯d always listened to her brother on this issue, and would neither grumble nor make a request against his wishes.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s settled.¡± Not letting Zhuo Yifeng vacite any further, Yun Ruoyan began making preparations immediately.


    ¡°Brother,¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to Yun Moxiao. ¡°Go rent a carriage from the streets. We¡¯ll bring Lin¡¯er to the Lin family immediately.¡±


    Then she turned to Lin Qingxue, still standing by the door. ¡°Qingxue, what¡¯re you hesitating there for? Go get the herbs.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll head to the apothecary immediately!¡± Lin Qingxue ran off with a hop and a skip.


    Yun Moxiao also went out to rent a carriage.


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan turn toward Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°The fact that you suddenly ran off with Lin¡¯er in tow means that the Farsighted King will be suspicious of you, even if you weren¡¯t discovered that night. I expect he¡¯s already sent people to the capital in search of you, and it¡¯s only a matter of time before he finds out about this ce. Staying at the Lin estate with the girls will help protect you from his grasp.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng finally nodded and turned to Lin Qingchen. ¡°I can handle a lot of tasks. Will you provide me with a job?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Lin Qingchen replied quickly. ¡°I¡¯m in search of someone to help me take care of my magical beasts, and you¡¯d be just the person for it!¡±


    Not longter, Yun Moxiao returned with a carriage and headed to the front of the inn to settle the beastkin siblings¡¯ bill. He had expected to have to pay a little out of pocket, but to his surprise, the innkeeper ended up handing him a few silver taels. Apparently, Zhuo Yifeng had been going out hunting regrly and selling his spoils to the inn, not only defraying the costs of living in the shack but also providing a little ie.


    Yun Moxiao looked at the silver in his hand, growing even more appreciative of Zhuo Yifeng.


    He¡¯d learned from the others that Zhuo Yifeng was a beastkin. Although human-beastkin rtions had improved significantly over the past four years, they were still considerably discriminated against on the Chenyuan continent. No matter their contributions, no beastkin could advance beyond a certain extent in the army; even as a fifth-rank demaster, a beastkin would likely only be able to get awful identity as a ve in a noble household.


    It was rare for there to be self-sufficient beastkin like the Zhuo siblings who could hide their identity and walk among humans. Yun Moxiao handed the silver to Zhuo Yifeng, who refused it and told him to treat it as the cost of the carriage.


    Just then, Lin Qingchen spoke up. ¡°I still have a lot of your spoils from the expedition, so I¡¯ll return them to you when we get home.¡±


    When they informed Lin Zainan of the matter, he sat contemting the matter for quite a long while before responding, ¡°This is truly a troubling affair. I¡¯m not associated with the court, so I won¡¯t be of much help. You¡¯ll have to report to your father and have him deal with the information, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan then mentioned her reservations involving Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Now that your friend¡¯s gotten himself embroiled in this affair, it¡¯ll be difficult for him to escape unscathed. For the moment, hide his identity. Once Kongming Academy¡¯s in session and all of you are in the academy, he¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    Kongming Academy¡¯s authority was beyond that of the four kingdoms. Although its physical location was within the Li kingdom, it was considered its own sovereignty. The Li kingdom couldn¡¯t manipte the politics of the academy, and the academy wouldn¡¯t disrupt the Li court.


    As soon as the term began and the Zhuo siblings were safely enrolled in the academy, the Farsighted King wouldn¡¯t be able to do much about them. After obtaining Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s consent, the group elected to have Yun Moxiao return to the Yun estate that night and tell Yun Lan about the ploy.


    As night fell, Yun Lan heard someone knocking at his study. He frowned, disliking any sort of disturbance when he was performing his official duties, but was a little surprised by the identity of the person who had entered.


    When Yun Moxiao first returned home from the barracks, he¡¯d briefly seen his father before immediately in search of his abducted sister. Later in the day, the father and son had a big fight over Yun Ruoyan, and Yun Moxiao had left in a huff. A few dayster, the two of them had met again in Lin Yuemei¡¯s former cottage on theke.


    This would be their fourth meeting.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your vacation almost up?¡± Yun Lan asked, dropping the brush in his hands.


    He thought that Yun Moxiao was here to say his farewells.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Yun Moxiao didn¡¯t want to reveal that he wasn¡¯t intending on returning to the barracks at the moment. ¡°The borders are rtively peaceful, and it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve taken leave that I should be able to stay all the way until Ruoyan enters Kongming Academy.¡±


    Yun Lan nodded and began perusing his official documents once more.


    ¡°Father,¡± Yun Moxiao called out.


    ¡°Is there something else?¡± Yun Lan didn¡¯t raise his head.


    Yun Moxiao walked forward and pressed both palms on his father¡¯s desk. ¡°I have an important matter to announce, Father.¡±


    Yun Lan frowned before raising his head once more and looking seriously at Yun Moxiao.


    Without dithering, Yun Moxiao immediately began recounting the day¡¯s events. By the time he finished, Yun Lan was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± was the first thing that he muttered when he finally reacted.


    ¡°Father, I also thought that this was impossible at first, given the Farsighted King¡¯s reputation for virtuosity. However, I¡¯d rather believe a false rumor than ignore a truthful warning, so I think it¡¯s better to consider this affair carefully.¡±


    Yun Lan crossed his arms as he slowly replied, ¡°Are you aware of the fact that the former emperor intended on handing the throne to the Farsighted King? It was thetter who refused in front of quite a few important officials, or the throne wouldn¡¯t have passed to Li Xiu, then the third prince. And now you¡¯re iming that the Farsighted King¡¯s nning a rebellion? Even I don¡¯t believe you, let alone the emperor himself.¡±


    Yun Lan¡¯s words left Yun Moxiao even more confused.


    ¡°The Farsighted King gave up the throne voluntarily?¡± He frowned at Yun Lan, trying to confirm his words. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    Yun Lan nodded. ¡°This is a secret of the imperial family. Except for the past emperor and the Farsighted King himself, six other officials were present. Only these eight people knew of this incident. I was helping your grandfather out with courtly affairs, so I was also among the eight.¡±


    If the Farsighted King truly gave up the throne of his own will, then Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s im that he had been eyeing the throne for twenty years and had spent thest ten concocting this n surely couldn¡¯t be true.


    Could Zhuo Yifeng have lied? But what would he gain from doing so?


    Yun Moxiao left his father¡¯s quarters more confused than ever. He decided to head to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s residence to discuss matters with her once more. Engrossed in thought, the walk seemed to take only a matter of moments. Just as he was about to knock on her door, Yun Moxiao suddenly felt a strange aura nearby.


    Given the incident with the mysterious shadow, Yun Moxiao didn¡¯t turn and shout in the direction of the aura. Rather, he pretended that he needed to pee as he walked toward that direction.


    The aura seemed to being from a patch of shrubbery right by his sister¡¯s yard.


    Yun Moxiao walked over, pretending to be unbuckling his belt. Just as he was by the tree, he suddenly dashed up one tree and plucked a person out of its crown.


    That person seemed to possess some spiritual energy and was just about to retaliate when Yun Moxiao caught his fist with one hand and disabled him with the other.


    ¡°Argh!¡± the man eximed as Yun Moxiao threw him into his sister¡¯s yard.


    At the same time, Yun Ruoyan and her three servants walked out of her rooms.


    ¡°What, have you been nning something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± Peony replied. ¡°Our mistress detected a strange presence around the yard quite a few days ago, and we¡¯ve been carefully watching our surroundings these past few days.¡±


    ¡°We were told to pretend that we didn¡¯t notice anything. As a result, that fellow grew bolder and bolder,ing closer each day.¡± Xi Lan added.


    Ling Lan lowered her head and continued, ¡°I was just about to drill a dog hole by the side of the fence next morning as a trap for him, but I didn¡¯t expect you would catch him right here and now, Young Master.¡±


    Yun Moxiao began tough as he heard each maid¡¯s words. ¡°Ruoyan, your three servants are each more devious than the next! They¡¯re far superior to the dolts at my ce.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled before her gazended on the man clutching his face in the yard. She instructed Xi Lan, ¡°Bring antern over. I want to see who this man is!¡±


    Spying on her for days on end¡­ Yun Ruoyan suspected that this was a man sent by Madam An. Madam An had to be truly frantic to employ such a crude method. Tomorrow, she¡¯d bring the man to her grandmother and see what she had to say!


    ¡°Miss, here.¡± Xi Lan brought thentern over, and Yun Ruoyan held it close to that man. He was leaning on the floor and hiding his face. A dark green robe covered his body, and he had a simrly covered crown on his head. Yun Ruoyan frowned: his back seemed to be unusually familiar¡­


    ¡°Reveal yourself!¡± Yun Moxiao grabbed the man by his hair and revealed his face to one and all.


    ¡°You?!¡± both Yun siblings eximed together.

 Chapter 128: Romance Unbidden

    <h4>Chapter 128: Romance Unbidden</h4>


    The mysterious person that Yun Moxiao revealed was¡­ Yun Feng¡¯s sole son, Yun Moyuan!


    ¡°Second Young Master, what are you doing here?¡± Peony and Xi Lan eximed in surprise, shock evident in their features.


    Thest time they¡¯d seen him was a few months ago, when Yun Moyuan followed Yun Ruoyao and a few others to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s residence to start a fight. If Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t shielded the two of them from harm, Xi Lan and Peony would likely have been severely injured by Yun Moyuan.


    His bossy, domineering personality left a strong impression on the two servants.


    Ling Lan was assigned menialbor along with Peony, and Yun Moyuan was often out on business trips with his father, so she wasn¡¯t familiar with him.


    As a result, when she heard Peony and Xi Lan call him Young Master, she was very confused. Why would a young master of the Yun family be skulking near their quarterste at night? It wasn¡¯t as if they had anything valuable for him to steal!


    Yun Moyuan didn¡¯t say a word and continued to hide his face.


    Yun Moxiao grabbed his hands and forced him to look the girls in the eye. He frowned and yelled out, ¡°You brat, what¡¯re you doing in a tree in the middle of the night?!¡±


    Yun Moxiao didn¡¯t grow up in the Yun family, and he wasn¡¯t very familiar with his brothers. However, he did have some impression of Yun Moyuan, because they¡¯d had a conflict four years ago.


    At that time, Yun Moyuan was bullying Yun Ruoyan. When he found out, he severely punished him. But now, four yearster, a simr situation seemed to be happening. Yun Ruoyan was also very suspicious. When had Yun Moyuan be one of Madam An¡¯sckeys?


    Although Yun Moyuan was on good terms with Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and Yi Qianying, and although he hated her almost as they did, surely he wouldn¡¯t agree to keep watch over her all night long?


    ¡°What did Madam An promise you to have you spy on me?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression and tone were as cold as frost.


    Yun Moyuan immediately looked away when he met Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze.


    His face was flushed red and white, but he gritted his teeth and refused to say a word.


    ¡°Speak!¡± Yun Moxiao lost his patience and raised a fist. ¡°If you don¡¯t start talking, I¡¯ll beat you until you¡¯re bedridden for half a year!¡±


    Yun Moyuan was intimately familiar with Yun Moxiao¡¯s fist. As a fourth-rank demaster, Yun Moyuan had lost handily to Yun Ruoyan a few months ago. How could he stand up to the eighth-rank Yun Moxiao?


    Just his explosive aura left Yun Moyuan¡¯s heart thumping and his teeth chattering. If he truly were to start a fight, Yun Moyuan would be left crippled within seconds! But if he were to reveal his true intentions, he¡¯d likely also be crippled. As a result, Yun Moyuan could only clench his teeth and hope tost through the uing beating.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Yun Moxiao smirked. ¡°Let me reacquaint you with my fist.¡±


    He mmed his fist down right on the bridge of Yun Moyuan¡¯s nose, causing him to cry out in shock. Yun Moyuan felt an indescribable pain rush into his brain, and his vision shed white.


    Although Yun Moxiao¡¯s punches were heavy, his finesse allowed him to target locations on Yun Moyuan¡¯s body that would result in the most pain and disorientation, but have the least permanent impact. As a result, even though Yun Moyuan felt as though he were about to pass out, he quickly came back to his senses.


    ¡°M-my nose!¡± he eximed with a nasally tone, feeling warm, hot liquid bubble out of his nostrils. When he wiped it away with his palm, he found a dark-red smear on it.


    ¡°Oh, your nose¡¯s still perfectly fine now. As forter, well, who knows?¡± Yun Moxiao readied another punch. Even if Yun Moyuan¡¯s nose didn¡¯t break, it would be badly bent out of shape.


    ¡°Stop, stop, I¡¯ll reveal everything!¡± Yun Moyuan hurriedly shouted.


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s fist hovered over his nose.


    ¡°Well? Why¡¯re you spying on my sister? Did Madam An send you here?¡±


    Yun Moyuan nced once more at Yun Ruoyan. In a pale yellow dress, with her birthmark covered by a sakura-blossom gauze patch, she presented a stunning figure. Her bright eyes, her sharp gaze, even the slight frown marring her face¡­!


    ¡°Madam An wasn¡¯t the one who sent me here,¡± Yun Moyuan continued. ¡°I came of my own ord.¡±


    ¡°Of your own ord?¡± Yun Ruoyan could feel his ardent gaze roaming her body in a particrly ufortable fashion. ¡°What¡¯re you trying to do in the middle of the night?!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t get mad! I¡¯m not trying to do anything,¡± Yun Moyuan anxiously defended himself. ¡°I, I just want to look at you.¡±


    Not trying to do anything except to look at you?!


    Yun Moyuan, a seventeen-year-old youth, already an adult by the standards of the Chenyuan continent, hiding in a tree by his sister¡¯s quarters and spying on her, then saying something like this when he was caught?!


    The girls nced at each other. Crazy sicko!


    Yun Moyuan was indeed ill with a near-fatal case of lovesickness. Ever since the Yun matriarch¡¯s eightieth anniversary, when Yun Moyuan had caught a nce of Yun Ruoyan, he had actually be besotted with her. He had travelled the world with his father and seen countless beauties. Although he¡¯d been stupefied by incredible beauties before, he had never, ever felt so lovesick.


    After Yun Ruoyan was abducted by the Daoist master, he had been extremely anxious. When he learned that she had been retrieved safely, he immediately wanted to head over to her rooms to see how she was doing.


    But when he remembered how he¡¯d called her an ugly wench and had even picked a fight with her, he chickened out. It had only been a few months, and any contact between him and her would likely be misunderstood.


    In his indecision, he ended up roaming around Yun Ruoyan¡¯s yard, unconsciously getting closer by the day. After he was spotted a few times during the day, Yun Moyuan decided to roam around in the night instead.


    Even though he could only hear Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bell-like, tinklingughter, it would stick in his brain and lull him to sleepte at night. As a result, he¡¯d be a frequent, unwee guest near Yun Ruoyan¡¯s quarters. Tonight, he was finally caught.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I truly have no intention of harming you. I was just unable to control myself,¡± Yun Moyuan said in agitation.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s past experience made it very clear what Yun Moyuan¡¯s tone and ardent gaze signified. Disgust roiled her heart, and she turned her back on him to avoid looking at him any further.


    Although Yun Moxiao grew up in the army and had no experience with romantic dealings of any sort, there were often loudmouthed army riffraffs who would brag about their illicit encounters. After a moment¡¯s shocked silence, he too picked up on Yun Moyuan¡¯s intentions.


    Instantly, a burst of fury emerged from Yun Moxiao¡¯s chest, and a punch to Yun Moyuan¡¯s left eye sent him reeling back.


    ¡°Ouch! Brother, stop, stop!¡± Yun Moyuan howled in mercy. ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth! I just wanted to have a look¡ªI don¡¯t mean to do anything malicious!¡±


    But those words only stoked his anger. Grabbing Yun Moyuan by the cor, Yun Moxiao dragged him up until he was dangling in mid-air, his feet scrabbling for purchase.


    ¡°You disgusting filth, you think you can spy on my sister just because you want to?!¡± He punched him again, this time on his right eye. ¡°Was that shadow I saw a few days ago you? Tell me!¡±


    As Yun Moxiao¡¯s blows only grew harsher and harsher, Peony tried to stop him. ¡°Eldest Young Master, you have to stop! After all, he¡¯s still a member of the Yun family and the only heir of the second master. If he dies¡­¡±


    Although Peony was very upset, she was still quite rational.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Young Master, you can¡¯t kill him,¡± Xi Lan added. ¡°At most dig out his eyeballs.¡±


    Xi Lan wasn¡¯t familiar with romance, so she didn¡¯t quite understand why everyone else appeared to be so upset. But it surely couldn¡¯t be a good thing for him to be spying on them in the middle of the night, so digging out his eyes seemed like an eptable punishment.


    ¡°Good idea.¡± Yun Moxiao released his grip on Yun Moyuan, causing him to fall onto the ground in a heap. ¡°I¡¯ll pull out your eyes so you can¡¯t continue with your heinous acts!¡±


    He stretched out two fingers, apparently intending to do exactly that.


    ¡°Brother, stop!¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately stopped him. Although Yun Moyuan disgusted her, he was still the only son of their uncle, Yun Feng.


    Yun Feng¡¯s wife, Fang Hua, had died young. He could only remember her by their only child, and Yun Feng doted on Yun Moyuan the way he would a priceless jewel. Despite Yun Moyuan¡¯sck of talent and middling cultivation, he nevertheless held a significant position in the family.


    Yun Feng would frequently keep him by his side while teaching him all he needed to know to take over the Yun family businesses. If Yun Moxiao were to dig out his eyes, it would be the start of a family feud.


    ¡°How dare this brat ogle his own sister? If I can¡¯t even protect you from someone like him, Ruoyan, what sort of brother am I?!¡± Yun Moxiao knew full well how Yun Feng treated his only son, but he still couldn¡¯t bear letting Yun Moyuan¡¯s disgusting behavior go. ¡°I don¡¯t believe Uncle won¡¯t relent when I tell him about his son¡¯s behavior!¡±


    ¡°Brother, even then¡­!¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately grabbed hold of her hotheaded brother¡¯s hands. They were in the right for the moment, but if Yun Moxiao were to punish Yun Moyuan of his own ord, things would be different. Furthermore, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t want to make a big fuss about all this.


    She didn¡¯t have a good reputation to begin with, and all sorts of rumors flying around the capital had already tarnished her name beyond repair. There really was no need to associate another scarlet letter with her face.


    When Yun Moyuan saw Yun Ruoyan begging for mercy on his behalf, he thought that she simply couldn¡¯t bear to see him being hurt further.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I know I¡¯ve treated you badly in the past. Not only did I scold you, I even hit you! I regret my actions, Ruoyan. Ever since I saw you that day in Grandmother¡¯s room, I¡¯ve missed you so much that I lost my appetite until the next time I saw you!¡±


    ¡°You dare speak more nonsense?!¡± Yun Moxiao raised a leg and stomped down hard on Yun Moyuan¡¯s thigh.


    This time, however, Yun Moyuan only grunted before continuing, ¡°Ruoyan, may the heavens witness my devotion to you!¡±


    His passionate delivery and sincere tone left everyone present stupefied.


    Slowly, Yun Ruoyan raised her face to the night sky, closed her eyes, and dragged her hands down her face. Never had she ever expected to hear such a bewildering confession!

 Chapter 129: Helping Him Out

    <h4>Chapter 129: Helping Him Out</h4>


    ¡°Second Young Master, don¡¯t speak nonsense! You¡¯ll be ruining both my mistress¡¯ reputation and your own!¡± Peony was both embarrassed and angry at seeing Yun Moyuan¡¯s untoward promation.


    By this time, Xi Lan had also reacted. She pulled Ling Lan in front of Yun Ruoyan, shielding her mistress from Yun Moyuan¡¯s line of sight.


    Yun Moxiao forcibly suppressed his desire to dig out Yun Moyuan¡¯s eyes, his handsome face turning red with fury.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t feel particrly offended by Yun Moyuan¡¯s sudden promation¡ªshe simply didn¡¯t like the youth.


    On the Chenyuan continent, maternal cousins could get married, but paternal cousins could not. Who knew what Yun Moyuan was thinking? Could this all be an underhanded ploy by Madam An to try to get rid of her?


    Such incestuous behavior was inly forbidden byw and custom, but examples nevertheless gued history. There had been quite a few high-profile cases of siblings who had been found sleeping together and drowned alive even among civilians, and there was a particrly notable case in the annals of the Li kingdom.


    At the advanced age of fifty, the third emperor of the Li kingdom found himself attracted to one of his nieces. He tricked her into going to the pce and was in the middle of carnal rtions with her when the crown prince discovered the emperor¡¯s actions by ident.


    In rage, the crown prince forced the emperor to abdicate. This was the first record of a crown prince seizing the throne in the Li kingdom, and it was after this historic moment that death became a codified punishment for incest.


    If this were truly part of Madam An¡¯s n, then she was more malicious than Yun Ruoyan had given her credit for! Luckily, she had discovered the matter early. If Yun Moyuan¡¯s thoughts were discovered by an outsider, then she would surely be dragged into the affair and have her reputation tarnished further.


    No, this doesn¡¯t make sense. A momentter, however, Yun Ruoyan shook her head. Yun Moyuan wasn¡¯t a fool, and he wouldn¡¯t be controlled by Madam An so easily. Furthermore, given Yun Moyuan¡¯s position as the sole heir of her second uncle, it was unlikely that Madam An would try to target him.


    ¡°Yun Moyuan,¡± Yun Ruoyan said to her cousin, ¡°we share the same surname. Don¡¯t you know that incest is crime punishable by death?¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Seeing that Yun Ruoyan was willing to speak to him, Yun Moyuan tried to stand up and move in her direction. However, his right leg failed him, and he stumbled back down onto the ground.


    Yun Moxiao had infused some spiritual energy into his kick, and although Yun Moyuan¡¯s femur wasn¡¯t broken, it was swelling up considerably.


    ¡°How can you be so heedless of the consequences? You might not be afraid of drowning, but don¡¯t drag my mistress down with you!¡± Xi Lan thundered.


    ¡°I naturally won¡¯t harm Ruoyan,¡± Yun Moyuan quickly replied. ¡°If my surname isn¡¯t Yun, wouldn¡¯t everything be alright then?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yun Moxiao shouted. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re still muddle-headed from your infatuation. Shall I give you a few more punches to clear your head up?!¡±


    ¡°Brother, listen to me!¡± Yun Moyuan hurriedly shied away from Yun Moxiao. ¡°I¡¯m not speaking nonsense. I was adopted.¡±


    When Yun Moyuan revealed this secret, everyone stilled once again. Peony was particrly shocked¡ªshe had been born to a servant in the employ of the Yun family, and had grown up with a fair number of the Yun scions.


    And although she¡¯d never really talked with Yun Moyuan, she had known of him ever since she was little. How could the sole heir of the second branch of the family have been adopted?


    ¡°It¡¯s true! I only found out when I overheard Madam An talking with Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu. Allegedly, my mother was so sickly that she couldn¡¯t have given birth, and it was Madam An who procured me from one of her distant rtives and handed me over to my parents.¡±


    When the others heard Yun Moyuan¡¯s words, they were stupefied. While it certainly seemed like a stretch, it wasn¡¯t impossible. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s aunt had been sickly ever since marrying into the Yun household, and had passed away before Yun Moyuan had turned one. It was very possible that Yun Feng had adopted a child from Madam An in order to console his dear wife.


    ¡°You overheard this from Madam An?¡± Yun Moxiao asked. ¡°Can you even trust her?¡±


    ¡°Not under usual circumstances,¡± Yun Moyuan replied, ¡°but I was particrly distressed because of my feelings toward Sister Ruoyan. When I overheard this news, I was both shocked and excited. In order to confirm Madam An¡¯s words, I confronted my father, who admitted to the secret! He even told me that he wouldn¡¯t stop me if I wanted to meet my true parents.¡±


    Victoriously, he proimed, ¡°Sister Ruoyan, we¡¯re not rted by blood at all!¡± Yun Moyuan¡¯s ardent gaze pierced through both of her servants as he looked toward Yun Ruoyan once more. ¡°As long as I leave the household, we won¡¯t have the same surname anymore. Then, I¡¯ll be able to marry you officially!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt the beginnings of a headache emerge. That the situation had developed to this extent was indeed because of Madam An¡¯s meddling.


    ¡°Wanting to wed my sister? You¡¯re a toad lusting after a swan!¡± Yun Moxiao scoffed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a toad!¡± Yun Moyuan disagreed. ¡°Sister Ruoyan is truly beautiful, but she still suffers from a tarnished reputation. In terms of talent and ability, I¡¯m certainly a match for her. Rather than an arranged marriage, why not marry someone like me, a known quantity? I can guarantee Ruoyan¡¯s happiness.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan clutched her forehead as she sighed. Why did something like this happen to her even when she deliberately tried to appear ugly?


    Yun Ruoyan motioned for Xi Lan and Peony to move away before walking directly to Yun Moyuan¡¯s front, stooping down, and observing him.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± Yun Moyuan called out, his face radiant. ¡°Did you change your mind? I really will take good care of you!¡±


    ¡°Yun Moyuan,¡± Yun Ruoyan finally murmured, sighing. ¡°You im to like me, but what you really like is my face, not me. Isn¡¯t that the case?¡±


    ¡°All men lust for beauty,¡± Yun Moyuan countered. ¡°I like your face, so much so that I¡¯ll lose my appetite if I don¡¯t see it. How is that different from liking you?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Alright.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. Her brows were thin and ck, her gaze like stars. Her lips were red as cherries, her skin pearlescent. When she smiled, her teeth gleamed white as ivory.


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s eyes gleamed, and he almost felt as if his heart would stop.


    Yun Ruoyan waved a hand in front of Yun Moyuan¡¯s dazed eyes before sneering, ¡°If you like my face so much, then have a good, proper look at it.¡±


    She removed the gauze patch on her right cheek and revealed her birthmark once more.


    The birthmark was angry, red, and sprawling. Like a centipede, it stretched from the corner of her right eye all the way down her lower jaw, as if irrevocably ruining the portrait of a beauty.


    Yun Moyuan¡¯s thudding heart trembled as cold sweat began seeping out from his forehead.


    In the past, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t wear a gauze patch. She kept her head lowered whenever there was anyone else around, her body seemingly wilted. Her body and personality matched her face, and although she looked disgusting, vile, and frightening, that was only to be expected.


    Now, however, she looked as though she were a blooming orchid, flowering with such radiance that people were forced to stop and admire her beauty. But when they got closer and she suddenly revealed her true appearance, those without mental fortitude might truly be scared to death.


    ¡°Well, cousin?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled, very pleased at the result of showing her birthmark. ¡°What do you think of my beauty now?¡± Will it make you lose your appetite?


    Yun Moyuan fared far better than the crown prince; at the very least, he didn¡¯t stumble back and fall. He swallowed his saliva as he began, ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I know you must be very concerned with your birthmark. I¡¯m not in a hurry, and I¡¯ll wait for it to heal and vanish. Even if it doesn¡¯t vanish fully, I¡¯ll still be satisfied with your appearance.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°Who told you that my birthmark could heal?¡±


    ¡°That day outside the Yun manor, I unintentionally overheard the crown prince and the second prince discussing your appearance. The crown prince told the second prince that your birthmark had gotten far better than before, that your birthmark was slowly healing after consuming a spiritual pill from Elder Lin. He was very regretful that he was scared off by your current appearance, and was trying to win back your favor!¡±


    It looked as though Yun Ruoyan would find herself with more suitors yet.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I know you won¡¯t want to share a husband with Sister Qianying,¡± Yun Moyuan continued. ¡°I¡¯m willing to give up my position as the second young master of the Yun family in order to marry you as my wife. I¡¯ll let Father know about this tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°And if I refuse?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t refuse. I have plenty of time to make you agree.¡±


    Yun Moyuan was a spoiled brat, and there rarely was an item he couldn¡¯t get his hands on. He looked at Yun Ruoyan as if he knew with certainty that she would soon belong to him.


    His behavior was particrly vexing to Yun Ruoyan. She slowly stood up, took a deep breath, and turned to Yun Moxiao. ¡°Brother, we can¡¯t hide this matter anymore. It¡¯s time to make it public.¡±


    Madam An hadn¡¯t been feeling very well, and Yun Ruoyao had been staying with her mother in order to take care of her.


    Madam An was a little moved when she saw Yun Ruoyao¡¯s sallow, sunken face, a result of her tireless care. She truly is my daughter¡­


    Yi Qianying and Yun Ruoyu hadn¡¯t paid their respects to her for several days in a row now. Did they truly think her powerless?!


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation like with Moyuan?¡± Madam An swallowed the tonic that Yun Ruoyao fed her and asked.


    ¡°ording to his servants, he goes out nightly and only returns past midnight,¡± Yun Ruoyao responded. ¡°And he always leaves in the direction of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cottage.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Madam An swallowed another mouthful of tonic. ¡°I really couldn¡¯t have imagined that child¡¯s change of heart. He truly is besotted by her beauty, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I hadn¡¯t expected that either. I noticed his unusual behavior that day when we were all gathered at Grandmother¡¯s room, but I only really understood what was going on after your prompting, Mother.¡±


    Madam An had also noticed Yun Moyuan¡¯s unusual behavior, but she¡¯d neglected it in favor of focusing on her ploy with the Daoist master. In the end, after Yun Ruoyan had not only returned safely to the Yun manor and even forced her hand, she could only try to get back at Yun Ruoyan indirectly. Yun Moyuan would serve as one of her pawns.


    ¡°It¡¯s at this age that youth like him are most affected by their feelings. But he still knows enough about decorum not to dare incest. I¡¯ve really helped him out by revealing the truth about his parentage, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± Yun Ruoyao ced the empty bowl of tonic on her nightstand and asked, ¡°Will Father really betroth Ruoyan to Cousin Moyuan?¡±

 Chapter 130: Official Business

    <h4>Chapter 130: Official Business</h4>


    Upon hearing Yun Ruoyao''s question, Madam An was silent for a moment. She had never managed to see through Yun Lan nor predict his thoughts. When she''d gotten married with Yun Lan along with Lin Yuemei, she''d seen how much he adored her.


    He had spared no expense in cultivating their first child, Yun Moxiao.


    Yun Moxiao himself wasn''t aware of it, but Madam An was. Every year, Yun Lan would sendrge amounts of materialforts to Yun Moxiao''s troop in the army.


    General Huang was very fond of Yun Moxiao, and the gifts from the Yun family only motivated him to train his disciple all the better.


    Yun Moxiao himself was diligent and hardworking, and it was thebination of these events that allowed him to be an eighth-rank demaster, fifth-rank beastmaster, and the youngest high-ranking military officer in the army since Li Mo.


    But Yun Ruoyan wasn''t treated with the same courtesy. As far as Madam An was aware, even if Yun Ruoyan had be ugly and lost her talent at cultivation, she was still a daughter born to him and the woman he loved most in the world. Even if she were ugly and untalented, he would hardly discard her.


    That was why she hadn''t dared to harm her overtly at the very beginning, only pushing the me for minor incidents on her instead. However, she found to her surprise that Yun Lan didn''t seem to care about his daughter at all.


    She slowly increased the number and severity of such incidents; a light punishment would be a scolding, and a harsh punishment a night of starvation while kneeling in the ancestral hall.


    Madam An hadn''t wanted to take Yun Ruoyan''s life at first, but she couldn''t help but be annoyed every time she saw her. Whenever she looked at Yun Ruoyan, it reminded her of her mother, Lin Yuemei. Even after Lin Yuemei had died, she had left behind another annoyance: Yun Ruoyan! How could she not be frustrated?!


    Especially now, when Yun Ruoyan was no longer an ugly duckling. She moved with unusual grace and dignity, and her cultivation once again began to rise at a rapid pace.


    Startlingly, Madam An found that Yun Lan still didn¡¯t seem to care about his daughter. Although Madam An was a little confused as to why, she would bet that Yun Lan still disliked her, especially after she had tried to settle old feuds in front of Yun Moxiao. Whenever anyone brought up Yun Ruoyan, Yun Lan would frown. Wouldn¡¯t he be happy to see such an eyesore leave the Yun mansion?


    ¡°There¡¯ll be a show regardless of whether your father agrees to the betrothal,¡± Madam An cackled.


    As Madam An spoke to Yun Ruoyao, the curtains suddenly lifted and Hong Yu peeked into the room. ¡°Madam, the old master has sent for your presence at the great hall.¡±


    ¡°Has he mentioned why?¡± Yun Ruoyao asked.


    Hong Yu shook her head. ¡°No, but it looked to be rather urgent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right over once I tidy up,¡± Madam An responded.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s sote at night. What could be the matter?¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re discussing it at the great hall, it surely isn¡¯t a private affair,¡± Madam An replied as Yun Ruoyao helped her dress. ¡°An urgent matter, in need of arbitration?¡±


    Yun Ruoyao¡¯s hands stilled. ¡°Could it be that Cousin Moyuan was detected spying on Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    ¡°That would be good news indeed,¡± Madam Anughed. It was well past time for the family to fixate on another person¡¯s failures. As the female head of the household, how could she have been forced to kneel in the ancestral hall, then to copy down scriptures by hand, and finally to be reprimanded by Yun Lan in front of the entire family?


    Her repeated travails had caused her to contract an illness, and yet none of her family came to visit her.


    Yun Lan¡¯s fourth brother had taken up an official post far from the capital; it was natural that he wouldn¡¯t have an opportunity to pay her a visit. But what of his second brother, his third brother? None of them had even bothered to send her well wishes!


    Really, what did her authority in this household amount to?


    ¡°I¡¯m quite curious as to whom the master will favor: an uglyss born to that woman, or his brother¡¯s prized golden child?¡±


    ¡°Mother, let mee with you.¡± When Yun Ruoyao heard that there would be an exciting show, she too was interested.


    Madam An nodded. As they left her rooms, she reminded her daughter, ¡°We¡¯re just there to see the show, so don¡¯t speak out of turn.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Mother.¡±


    In the great hall, Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao stood in the center of the hall. Kneeling on the ground was another figure: Madam An easily recognized him as Yun Moyuan.


    Yun Lan was coolly ncing down at the scene from the seat of honor. Madam An didn¡¯t see the Yun matriarch present; likely, she was asleep and the master had decided not to bother her.


    Madam An greeted Yun Lan as she entered. Although his face was still icy cold, he motioned her to a seat right next to him.


    Madam An hesitated for a moment before sitting on that seat, whereas Yun Ruoyao stood right behind her. If the Yun matriarch were present, this seat would have gone to her; her usual spot was the rather ufortable wooden chair on the other side of Yun Lan, positioned slightly below the seat that she currently upied.


    Although the Yun matriarch had long since stopped managing the household, she was still a mainstay when it came to matters that affected the entire household. Even if she rarely expressed an opinion, she was still given the honor of the position right by the family head.


    The reason she received such respect was not only because she was the most senior member of the family, but also because of her high cultivation. A peak eighth-rank demaster was far beyond what most men of the household could ever dream of being in their lifetimes.


    On the Chenyuan continent, women of sufficient cultivation could easily ascend to the same, or even greater, heights. Matters would be different if their cultivations were low or substandard, as was the case with Madam An. She was only a fourth-rank demaster, and even that cultivation was built up through precious herbs back when she was still a child. In terms of martial ability, Madam An was far below average for a fourth-rank demaster.


    As a result, although Madam An was supposedly the female head of household, she wasn¡¯t afforded the entirety of the respect usually associated with her position. Now that she was finally on equal footing with Yun Lan, she could finally hold her head high and look down on the other members of the Yun family.


    Yun Ruoyao stood by her mother¡¯s side, feeling as pleased as she was. Her position was usually designated for the wife-born children of the household. She stood primly, looking down at Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao, feeling as if their positions had been reversed.


    ¡°Housekeeper Wu, where are my brothers?¡± Yun Lan asked somewhat impatiently.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve already sent servants for them, and they should be here shortly.¡±


    ¡°Brother, why are you rousing us sote at night?¡± Just then, a loud male voice boomed from the entrance of the hall, revealing a man in his mid-thirties with a tall, sturdy physique. This was none other than Yun Lan¡¯s third brother, Yun Sen, a forgemaster in charge of the Yun family¡¯s two forges.


    ¡°And Moyuan, what¡¯re you doing, kneeling on the floor?¡±


    Yun Moyuan continued lowering his head, not saying a word.


    ¡°Third Uncle, I injured this presumptuous brat¡¯s leg, and now he can¡¯t stand up,¡± Yun Moxiao admitted.


    Yun Sen was about to continue asking for more details when Yun Lan interrupted, ¡°Third Brother, we¡¯ll talk more about this once Second Brother¡¯s here as well.¡±


    Not longter, Yun Feng arrived. Seeing Yun Moyuan¡¯s figure from afar, he hastily walked into the hall. Rather than asking about what Yun Moyuan was doing in the center of the hall, he apologized for his tardiness. There had been a mishap at one of the stores in the capital that required his attention urgently, and Yun Feng had only been able to rush here after dealing with that situation.


    ¡°Brother, did you summon all of us here because of Moyuan?¡± Yun Feng asked.


    Everyone¡¯s gazended on Yun Lan as they waited for him to speak.


    Yun Ruoyan was regretting her rash decision now: Yun Moxiao had intended to beat him up so severely that he would be bed-ridden for the rest of the year. The best-case scenario would be if all his teeth were to fall out, so he couldn¡¯t say a single word.


    By the time he was able to get out of bed, Yun Ruoyan would have long since left for Kongming Academy and no longer have anything to do with him.


    But Yun Ruoyan was afraid that that would cause unnecessary trouble for Yun Moxiao. After all, her brother was to be the sessor to the Yun household, and establishing a feud with his brothers would damage his future rtionships.


    As a result, Yun Ruoyan decided to nip the matter in the bud. Her original intention was to find the Yun matriarch and get her to stop Yun Moyuan¡¯s foolish behavior, but as the siblings headed for their grandmother¡¯s quarters with Yun Moyuan in tow, they encountered Yun Lan heading in the opposite direction.


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t sure why Yun Lan had gathered everyone here; after all, this wasn¡¯t some noble affair. Although everyone present was a member of the household, dealing with such a matter publicly would cause Yun Feng to lose face. Yun Feng had always been respectful to his elder brother, and it really didn¡¯t make sense for Yun Lan to target him.


    ¡°Second Brother, this matter indeed concerns Moyuan,¡± Yun Lan began.


    ¡°I¡¯ve pampered Moyuan from birth, so he¡¯s a little spoilt. What¡¯s gotten you so mad, Young Master?¡±


    Yun Feng was a shrewd, astute man, and he could clearly tell that Yun Moyuan¡¯s wounds were caused by Yun Moxiao. Although he cherished his only child, he knew that Yun Moxiao wouldn¡¯t have attacked Yun Moyuan unless his son had done something to deserve it.


    As a result, it was quite likely that the problemy with Yun Moyuan. The only thing that could anger Yun Moxiao so would be his sister, Yun Ruoyan; four years ago, Yun Moyuan had suffered a simr beating at his hands because of her, and he expected that this incident would likely be a close parallel.


    Yun Feng nced at Yun Ruoyan. In the six months since he¡¯dst seen her, she had changed so much as to be almost unrecognizable. Indeed, during the Yun matriarch¡¯s birthday celebration, Yun Feng could hardly have believed his eyes when he realized that the figure in front of him was none other than Yun Ruoyan.


    She stood there by the corner of the room in silence, with such calmposure that Yun Feng couldn¡¯t help being reminded of his sister-inw, Lin Yuemei.


    ¡°I found Yun Moyuan creeping around my sister¡¯s quarters in the dark of night. As for what he was doing there, I think I¡¯ll let him speak for himself.¡±


    Yun Feng turned to Yun Moyuan, connecting his current circumstance to his sudden question about his birth.


    He¡¯d been nning to reveal that Yun Moyuan was adopted when he turned eighteen, but he hadn¡¯t expected Yun Moyuan to have found out about the matter beforehand. Yun Feng had imagined that his son would be upset, but he actually left with a radiant smile and a spring in his step.


    Yun Feng could more or less guess what had happened now.


    ¡°Father,¡± Yun Moyuan suddenly raised his head and eximed, ¡°you¡¯ve promised to allow me to return to my birth family, haven¡¯t you? Rather than being a descendant to the Yun family, I¡¯d rather be a husband of the family!¡±

 Chapter 131: Already Betrothed

    <h4>Chapter 131: Already Betrothed</h4>


    Everyone stilled in shock when they heard Yun Moyuan¡¯s words.


    Yun Sen turned to his nephew. ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m not speaking nonsense,¡± Yun Moyuan replied. ¡°I¡¯m an adopted child!¡±


    ¡°Who did you hear that from? That¡¯s pure nonsense!¡±


    Yun Moyuan nced at Madam An before replying, ¡°From Madam An!¡±


    The crowd¡¯s gaze then swiftly turned to the woman by Yun Lan¡¯s side. Not expecting that Yun Moyuan would single her out like that, she hurriedly asked, ¡°Moyuan, when did I ever say anything of the sort to you?¡±


    ¡°The day I went to visit you, Madam An, I unintentionally overheard your words to my cousins.¡±


    ¡°Oh! How could you eavesdrop on my conversations with your cousins!¡± Madam An pretended to be shocked. She nced askance at Yun Lan, noticing that he was still looking at Yun Moyuan impassively, before turning to Yun Feng. ¡°Zhu¡¯er¡¯s death anniversary ising up, isn¡¯t it? I was hoping to pay her a visit with my daughters, but I identally revealed too much¡ªI¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Zhu¡¯er referred to Yun Feng¡¯s wife, who had passed away early into their marriage.


    Madam An both epted responsibility for the disclosure while pushing much of the me to Yun Moyuan for eavesdropping on her conversation. Even if Yun Feng was annoyed at her for her revtion, he could hardly reveal his displeasure.


    After sighing, he replied, ¡°Sister-inw, you don¡¯t have to me yourself. I didn¡¯t intend on keeping this from Moyuan forever, and it was you who helped me obtain this child in the first ce. Now that he¡¯s all grown up, it¡¯s perfectly suitable for you to be the one to reveal the truth to him.¡±


    ¡°You mean, it¡¯s true?¡± Yun Sen gaped as he listened to the conversation.


    Only Madam An, Yun Lan, and Yun Feng knew about this entire affair.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true,¡± Yun Feng affirmed. ¡°I¡¯ve also promised Moyuan that, if he¡¯s willing, he can go back to his birth parents¡¯ home at any time.¡±


    ¡°Brother, how can that be?¡± Yun Sen stood up from his seat. ¡°The Yun family raised Moyuan, so how can he just leave because he wants to?¡± Turning to Yun Moyuan, he continued, ¡°Moyuan, are you so ungrateful that you¡¯ll simply leave the family despite all the effort your father spent to raise you?¡±


    ¡°Third Uncle, I¡­¡± Yun Moyuan was stumped for words.


    Even though he was already seventeen, he had been spoiled from birth. He only ever thought about his own feelings, never those of others, let alone of grand principles like equity and gratitude.


    Only when Yun Sen brought up the matter did he realize how ungrateful his actions would seem to the family who had raised him from birth.


    But when Yun Moyuan took a nce at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s profile, he suddenly felt that nothing could be more important than she was. If he couldn¡¯t enjoy spending time with the woman of his dreams, how would he ever be happy in this lifetime?


    And if he weren¡¯t happy, then everything would be meaningless.


    What¡¯s more, even if he decided not to be a descendant of the Yun family, wouldn¡¯t he still be a husband by marriage? It would just be a change in his position in the family.


    ¡°Third Uncle, even if I do decide to find my birth parents, I won¡¯t leave the Yun family,¡± Yun Moyuan concluded. ¡°After I marry Sister Ruoyan, I¡¯ll still be a member of the Yun family.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Yun Sen cried out in shock. ¡°You¡¯re going to marry your sister?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yun Moyuan responded seriously. ¡°I¡¯m only nning on meeting my birth parents in order to marry Sister Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°Yun Moyuan, don¡¯t you dare talk nonsense!¡± Yun Moxiao shouted, marching to his side. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t hit you in front of everyone present!¡±


    But Yun Moyuan only stuck out his chest and continued fearlessly, ¡°Even if you beat me to death, my love for Ruoyan won¡¯t change! I will marry her as my wife!¡±


    ¡°You brat, you¡¯re asking for it!¡± Yun Moxiao looked as though he would go on a rampage, but Yun Sen stopped him in time.


    ¡°Moxiao, he¡¯s still your brother, isn¡¯t he? Don¡¯t be rash!¡±


    ¡°Who wants to be his brother?!¡± Yun Moxiao thundered. ¡°If he keeps saying such nonsense, I¡¯ll give him a beating whenever I see him!¡±


    ¡°Brother,¡± Yun Moyuan called out to Yun Moxiao. ¡°You¡¯ve never fully loved someone before, so you don¡¯t know how I feel. I love Sister Ruoyan, and I¡¯ll marry her no matter what it takes!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao¡¯s mouth was agape. What was so good about this Yun Ruoyan to make even her insufferably arrogant cousin behave in this manner?


    She looked toward Yun Ruoyan, who was standing quietly in the center of the hall. Her head was slightly lowered and her eyes vacant as she slowly ruminated on some thoughts in her mind. At any rate, she seemed to bepletely uninvested in the affair.


    Yun Ruoyao continued criticizing her mentally. Even if Yun Ruoyan weren¡¯t possessed by a fox demon, she certainly knew how to charm men! Otherwise, how could she have so many men all fawning over her?


    Pei Ziao was one such, and Li Qianxiao, and even the ughtering King Li Mo! This time, even her own cousin had fallen prey to her womanly charm.


    ¡°Moyuan,¡± Yun Feng finally spoke up, rebuking his son. ¡°You might not be my son by blood, but you¡¯ve lived with Ruoyao, Ruoyan, and the others for more than a decade. How can you possess such immoral feelings to a girl whom you¡¯ve thought of as your sister for so long?¡±


    ¡°Father,¡± Yun Moyuan replied, inclining his head beseechingly, ¡°if I were truly your son, and if the blood of the Yun family flowed through my veins, I would surely refrain from acting upon such desires. However, I¡¯m not your son by blood, so why can¡¯t I express my honest feelings? You often regale me with stories about your ardent feelings between you and Mother¡ªabout how you¡¯re willing to remain single for the rest of your life in honor and respect for her. I¡¯d like to follow in your footsteps and have such a deep, sincere rtionship of my own.¡±


    Yun Moyuan¡¯s words truly seemed heartfelt. Almost everyone present was touched by his feelings, all except Yun Ruoyan.


    With the experience born of two lives, Yun Ruoyan stalwartly refused to believe his so-called ¡°deep, sincere rtionship¡±. They hadn¡¯t suffered together, nor had they survived any life-or-death situations. His im was solely predicated on her beauty!


    It wasughable that he was willing to give up his position as a member of the Yun family on just this impulse.


    ¡°Moyuan, are you sure that you truly love Ruoyan?¡± Yun Feng asked.


    ¡°Yes, Father, I¡¯m sure.¡± Yun Moyuan turned to Yun Lan, who still hadn¡¯t said a word. ¡°Uncle, I know you must be infuriated with me, just like Brother Moxiao. I swear to you, if you betroth Ruoyan to me, I¡¯ll certainly treat her well!¡±


    Yun Lan finally turned to Yun Moyuan. He had watched him grow up, and he knew that Yun Moyuan¡¯s personality was bossy, domineering, and selfish. His talent was average at best, and he was actually rather easy to manipte.


    There was, however, a quality of his that Yun Lan did appreciate: whenever he was truly fixated on something, he was willing to give up almost anything for it.


    This was a trait that Yun Moxiao shared, and Yun Lan couldn¡¯t help but think about how he¡¯d disyed the same characteristic while he was pursuing Lin Yuemei. And in the end, he had indeed imed her.


    Yun Lan then looked toward Yun Ruoyan, who had maintained the same inscrutable posture ever since she had entered the hall. She was perfectly expressionless, as if nothing that was being discussed here would concern her.


    What was she thinking? This was a question that suddenly appeared in Yun Lan¡¯s mind, followed by shock.


    Yun Lan was used to being able to predict everything. Even if he were in the emperor¡¯s presence, he found it almostughably easy to predict his ns and motives, and he¡¯d never had to guess at his thoughts.


    But although he could easily follow the emperor¡¯s train of thought, was he unable to do so for his second daughter, only a young girl of thirteen? When had Yun Ruoyanpletely extricated herself from his grasp?


    Yun Lan had once held high hopes for Yun Ruoyan, believing that she would be able to help the Yun family prosper, anticipating that she could help improve rtions between the Yun family and both the crown prince and the ughtering King.


    Those beliefs, however, were made under the assumption that he could control her. However, it seemed as if Yun Ruoyan was gradually amassing power of her own and using that power to free herself from the constraints of the family.


    Furthermore, she would soon be entering Kongming Academy. At that point, Yun Ruoyan would be yet another unknown factor in Yun Lan¡¯s ns, making him feel quite uneasy.


    Yun Lan¡¯s dark eyes suddenly shed as he thought of a trick. He looked at Yun Moyuan, his lips curling into a smile.


    ¡°Good, good!¡±


    When Yun Moyuan heard Yun Lan¡¯s words, his expression turned eager. ¡°Uncle, you mean¡­!¡±


    ¡°I mean that you¡¯d be a good match.¡± Yun Lan turned once more to Yun Ruoyan, continuing, ¡°I¡¯m assured that you¡¯ll be a good husband to Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Yun Moxiao was the first to protest. ¡°No, I refuse!¡±


    ¡°On what grounds?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s about to enter Kongming Academy, so how can you n her marriage right now? What¡¯s more, Moyuan¡¯s a far inferior cultivator¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Yun Lan waved a hand, breaking off Yun Moxiao¡¯s words. ¡°My mind is set.¡±


    Yun Moxiao turned to Yun Ruoyan, who seemed as unperturbed as ever. A mysterious smile defined her lips. ¡°Father, you can¡¯t promise me to another man, because I already have a marriage betrothal.¡±


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan spoke, Yun Moxiao froze in shock.


    Before he could react, Yun Ruoyan continued patiently, ¡°Father, aren¡¯t you aware that the emperor himself has betrothed me to the ughtering King during the empress¡¯ flower-viewing party?¡±

 Chapter 132: Will He Help?

    <h4>Chapter 132: Will He Help?</h4>


    Yun Lan naturally knew about this affair; the promation had made waves in the capital in the days directly following the flower-viewing party.


    But after so long, when neither Li Mo nor the emperor had made any further gestures with regards to the betrothal, the court had begun treating it as though it were just a joke that the ughtering King had yed on Yun Ruoyan.


    From the very beginning, Yun Lan hadn¡¯t believed that Li Mo was truly interested in Yun Ruoyan. However, the day of the Yun matriarch¡¯s anniversary, the ughtering King had arrived out of nowhere in order to save Yun Ruoyan from the Daoist priest.


    Only then did Yun Lan detect traces of their unusual rtionship. Not long after Li Mo began chasing after the Daoist priest, his guards arrived: Li Mo had dropped everything in order to rush after her. How many people in the capital couldmand that sort of response from the ughtering King himself?


    Based on his many years of experience at court, Yun Lan became certain that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t amon existence to Li Mo. However, he couldn¡¯t identify why such a man would be so attracted to his daughter.


    After all, Li Mo was famed for not being interested in women. Even if Yun Ruoyan looked a little like Lin Yuemei when she hid her birthmark, it wouldn¡¯t have been enough to attract such a man. So what exactly did Li Mo find so appealing about her?!


    This question would frequently pop into Yun Lan¡¯s mind, leaving him perplexed.


    As a result, he had decided on his current n of action: to betroth Yun Ruoyan to Yun Moyuan. If Li Mo truly cared about Yun Ruoyan, he would certainly appear to disrupt the proceedings. At that time, Yun Lan would be able to make use of his daughter to deepen his rtionship with the ughtering King.


    On the other hand, if Li Mo didn¡¯t show up, then he would be able to pair up his uncontroble daughter with Yun Moyuan, a man he most certainly was able to control. Then, he would slowly reel Yun Ruoyan back into his grasp!


    ¡°Father, surely it would appear awkward to betroth me to someone else despite my pre-existing betrothal to the ughtering King?¡± A faint smile hung on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips, as though she clearly knew of his n.


    Yun Lan couldn¡¯t help frowning.


    ¡°When did you end up with a marriage betrothal with the ughtering King?!¡± Yun Moxiao and Yun Moyuan asked almost at the same time.


    Neither of them were in the capital during the flower-viewing party, and the event had long passed by the time they returned. As a result, this was the first time either of them had heard about the incident.


    ¡°Sister,¡± Yun Ruoyao suddenly spoke up. ¡°If I¡¯m not remembering incorrectly, you refused the emperor¡¯s betrothal publicly during the banquet. Given that the ughtering King hasn¡¯t made any overt gestures to you recently, it¡¯s likely that he¡¯s since lost interest. Sister, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a littlete to be regretting your rash decision.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan¡­¡± Yun Moyuan was standing up, supported by Yun Feng. ¡°How could someone like the ughtering King be interested in you?¡±


    Yun Moxiao turned and red at his brother. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my sister? Why wouldn¡¯t the ughtering King be interested in her?!¡±


    Scared of his fists, Yun Moyuan closed his mouth and prudently decided to stop talking.


    ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let Father betroth you to just anyone,¡± Yun Moxiao continued lightly. ¡°We don¡¯t have to implicate the ughtering King in this affair.¡±


    Although Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t met Li Mo before, numerous rumors of his conquests continued to travel through the army. The bloodbath against the beastkin was still fresh in everyone¡¯s minds, and Li Mo was truly a legendary figure to be feared.


    It was hardly likely that such a figure would disy any interest in his young sister¡ªat the very least, this wasn¡¯t something Yun Moxiao could believe without further proof.


    Yun Ruoyan stood silently as she listened to her family speak, a faint smile still lingering on her face. In truth, Yun Ruoyan also didn¡¯t expect that Li Mo would be interested in her. The only reason she¡¯d brought him up was as a temporary measure.


    She¡¯d always thought that Li Mo¡¯s behavior toward her was just a simple form of teasing, the same way a bored tiger might y with a little kitty. If the kitty were obedient enough, then the tiger would be gentle; but as soon as the kitty looked as though it might annoy the tiger, the tiger would immediately reveal its sharp teeth and ws.


    She could still remember clearly how Li Mo had slowly strangled her that night.


    Yun Lan continued to look at Yun Ruoyan. Despite her siblings¡¯ misgivings, she was silent, calm, and unperturbed.


    Finding his second daughter more and more inscrutable, Yun Lan decided to probe her further. ¡°Ruoyan, that marriage betrothal during the flower-viewing banquet was just a joke.¡±


    Yun Lan slowly stood up from his seat. ¡°I know a little about how the ughtering King behaves. If he¡¯s truly serious, then he wouldn¡¯t have waited all this time without saying anything about the betrothal. It¡¯s likely that he was simply drunk that night at the banquet, so you can forget about the affair and marry Moyuan instead.¡±


    ¡°Father,¡± Yun Ruoyan finally turned to her father and murmured, ¡°the reason Li Mo hasn¡¯t made any further gestures to me is because I¡¯m not yet an adult. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll head to the ughtering King¡¯s manor and have him exin everything to you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan actually addressed the ughtering King as Li Mo, in front of her entire family!


    On the Chenyuan continent, and especially within the Li kingdom famed for its decorum, the birth names of the royalty and the truly strong couldn¡¯t be invoked lightly. But not only had Yun Ruoyan said his name out loud, she had done so in such a natural fashion that it made her familiarity with the ughtering King obvious.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s family began to believe some of her seemingly ludicrous ims.


    Could she really have a rtionship with the ughtering King? That¡¯s right¡ªdidn¡¯t she spend two days and two nights with him during her abduction?


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Yun Lan finally began to smile.


    ¡°Uncle, I¡ª¡± Yun Moyuan quickly tried to persuade Yun Lan, who was on the verge of changing his mind.


    ¡°Moyuan, while I do want to marry Ruoyan off to you, if she truly has a betrothal with the ughtering King, then I can¡¯t do anything about it either.¡±


    When Yun Moyuan heard his words, his legs turned to jelly and he fell once more to the ground. Yun Feng helped him up again.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, no one in this world will treat you better than I would!¡± Yun Moyuan called out, not yet resigned to his defeat. ¡°I must witness the betrothal between you and the ughtering King, or I won¡¯t be satisfied!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan finally turned to Yun Moyuan. ¡°Cousin, I suggest you give up. Regardless of whether you¡¯re from the Yun family or not, I never had, have, or will have any interest in being together with you.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan¡ª¡±


    ¡°Moyuan, rtionships can¡¯t be forced!¡± Yun Feng broke his son off. Yun Ruoyan had never looked at his son since entering the great hall, and it was quite apparent that she loathed his son.


    Yun Feng loved his son, and he knew that nothing coulde out of forcibly binding him to Yun Ruoyan via marriage.


    ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯m heading to the Chen kingdom. You¡¯ll apany me there.¡± This was one of the few times that anyone had heard Yun Fengmanding his son.


    ¡°Father¡ª¡±


    ¡°Brother, there¡¯s been some problem with our stores in the Chen kingdom. I¡¯ll be heading over immediately in the morning, so I won¡¯t have time to bid you farewell.¡±


    Yun Lan inclined his head in understanding, and Yun Feng began pulling Yun Moyuan from the hall.


    ¡°Father, I won¡¯t leave!¡± Yun Moyuan continued to call out. ¡°I won¡¯t give up! Sister Ruoyan, I won¡¯t stop chasing after you until I see you married to the ughtering King with my own eyes!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, I n on having your marriage settled before your fifteenth birthday, be it to Moyuan, the ughtering King, or even someone else entirely.¡±


    This was a naked threat from her father.


    ¡°I understand, Father.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll await the ughtering King¡¯s arrival tomorrow.¡± Yun Lan marched off towards the exit. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s getting ratherte. Everyone¡¯s dismissed.¡±


    Only after Yun Lan¡¯s back hadpletely vanished from sight did Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao turn to leave as well.


    ¡°Mother, is the ughtering King serious?¡± Yun Ruoyao asked.


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. It¡¯s just a matter of howrge a prank the ughtering King¡¯s trying to pull.¡±


    As a gust of cold wind chilled her body, Yun Ruoyan hugged herself tightly.


    Yun Moxiao pulled off his outer robes and draped it over Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Ruoyan, are you and the ughtering King really¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fake.¡± Yun Ruoyan drew her brother¡¯s robes closer to herself.


    ¡°Then what¡¯ll you do tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll help me out, I¡¯m sure,¡± Yun Ruoyan affirmed. After all, he¡¯d done her quite a number of favors already, and she was sure that Li Mo wouldn¡¯t mind such a trivial thing.


    He wouldn¡¯t, would he? Thinking further, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t be sure. After all, Li Mo had also helped her out quite a number of times, and they didn¡¯t have any favors to barter between them.


    Li Mo was a gigantic mystery to Yun Ruoyan. Honestly, even now, she still wasn¡¯t sure whether he was man or beast.


    Li Mo¡¯s unusually familiar gestures were also far more than she could stand. In her words, he was crazy. Would such a mysterious, crazy man help her out?


    Achoo! In the ughtering King¡¯s manor, Li Mo suddenly sneezed while drinking with Li Qianhan.


    ¡°Uncle, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡± Li Qianhan was a little surprised; this was the first time he¡¯d ever seen his uncle sneeze!


    Li Mo frowned, ncing at his right arm. Ever since he¡¯d dripped a few drops of his own blood on the qilin beads, he had been able to feel a few of the stronger feelings emanated by the person wearing the beads, Yun Ruoyan.


    Li Mo had just felt a gust of cold wind snake up his nostrils, the direct cause of the sneeze. He touched his nose and muttered faintly to himself, What¡¯s that brat doing, running outside thiste at night?


    The next day, just as usual, Yun Ruoyan woke up, painted a birthmark on her face, and began to cultivate. After finishing breakfast, she headed outside. A carriage was already waiting for her. Yun Ruoyan got in, and the driver whipped his horses and steered the carriage in the direction of the ughtering King¡¯s manor.

 Chapter 133: Mind Reading

    <h4>Chapter 133: Mind Reading</h4>


    Housekeeper Wu quickly made a report to Yun Lan after seeing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s carriage leave.


    Yun Lan had been cultivating on top of arge stone in his yard. He had specially taken a day¡¯s leave in order to wee the ughtering King¡¯s arrival.


    The ughtering King¡¯s manor was in the northwestern corner of the capital, exactly opposite the location of the Yun manor. Traversing the crowded streets of the capital took about two hours each way.


    Yun Moxiao had volunteered to apany Yun Ruoyan to the ughtering King¡¯s manor, but she rejected him¡ªLi Mo didn¡¯t seem like someone particrly enthused about guests.


    Having nothing to do, Yun Moxiao went out shopping early in the morning. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s carriage coincidentally passed by his side, and Yun Moxiao recognized it immediately. As a result, he immediately began following the carriage in hot pursuit.


    ¡°Mistress, Mistress!¡±


    On the carriage, Qiuqiu suddenly chirped at Yun Ruoyan while she rested.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Qiuqiu?¡±


    ¡°You can take this opportunity to have the ughtering King bring you around and shop for poisonous ingredients. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll know where to look!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed. ¡°And if Li Mo won¡¯t do it, then I can just ask Li Qianhan.¡±


    How had she forgotten about those two?


    There wasn¡¯t much foot traffic so early in the morning, and they reached the ughtering King¡¯s manor easily within two hours. Yun Ruoyan got off the carriage and headed to the entrance, where she was quickly intercepted by guards.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. The day Li Qianhan had escorted her from the manor, she clearly remembered that the guards guarding the entrance were d in ck, so why were they wearing steel armor today instead?


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see the ughtering King,¡± Yun Ruoyan proimed. ¡°Please let him know.¡±


    The two guards nced at each other. The slightly fatter one responded, ¡°You¡¯re here too early. The ughtering King had too much to drinkst night with the Third Prince, and he¡¯s still not up yet. Why don¡¯t you return in a few hours?¡±


    If Li Qianhan was also here, then she didn¡¯t have to expend any effort to find him.


    ¡°Do you know when he¡¯ll be able to receive guests?¡±


    ¡°It really depends on the situation. Sometimes he¡¯s drunk for a day or two, but he might recover within a few hours on other asions.¡± This time, it was the skinnier guard who replied.


    Yun Ruoyan blinked a few times and retreated to a tree near the entrance as she waited.


    Not longter, a woman emerged from the entrance in a green dress. Yun Ruoyan recognized her immediately and quickly stepped forward to hail her.


    ¡°Sister Li Luo!¡±


    When Li Luo heard someone call out to her, she turned around to see Yun Ruoyan standing before her. She wore a light pink dress and a phoenix-orchid gauze patch. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun, revealing her beautiful, refined features.


    Her appearance was almost iparable to when she¡¯dst entered the manor, unconscious and with her face half-swollen.


    ¡°Miss Yun¡­?¡± Li Luo hesitated for a moment before replying. ¡°Are you here to seek the ughtering King?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    The day Yun Ruoyan arrived at his manor, she was too overwhelmed to appreciate its architecture. As a result, she ooh¡¯ed and aah¡¯ed as Li Luo led her to the ughtering King¡¯s quarters.


    The manor really wasn¡¯t too different from a regr manor in the capital. The only thing that she noticed was that it was quiet, too quiet by far.


    The Yun manor wasrge and filled with servants, so she could almost always hear their hushed discussions wherever she went. In the ughtering King¡¯s manor, however, all she could hear were the cawing and chirping of birds.


    ¡°This manor¡¯s so quiet!¡±


    ¡°The ughtering King enjoys silence, you see. There are only about ten of us servants scattered all throughout the estate, and it¡¯s rare to even spot someone else while walking.¡±


    Yun Lan didn¡¯t live with his three brothers, and two of his concubines were elsewhere in the capital. There really weren¡¯t too many Yuns in the manor, and yet they had at least a hundred servantsbined.


    Li Mo really seemed quite ascetic inparison.


    Li Luo brought Yun Ruoyan to a little guest hall and bade her stay while she summoned Li Mo. After Li Luo left, Yun Ruoyan strolled around the guest hall and peeked outside to have a view of the scenery. There was a pond not too far away over which lotus leaves were scattered. Now that it was the end of summer, the lotus flowers had wilted, leaving only their seed pods behind.


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty tasty. Do you want to try some?¡± A low, familiar male voice suddenly emerged by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ears, giving her a big fright.


    ¡°My goodness, how are you so silent?!¡± Yun Ruoyan turned around, clutching her heart.


    She was always quite mindful of her surroundings. Even when she was lost in thought, she would respond to even the smallest interruption. Because it was so rare that Yun Ruoyan was ever frightened by amotion, she was affected quite strongly by his sudden appearance.


    Li Mo¡¯s heart suddenly thumped upon seeing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face turn white, and he reached out to caress her face.


    Yun Ruoyan subconsciously ducked away, leaving Li Mo¡¯s outstretched hand touching nothing but air.


    Li Mo raised an eyebrow and extended his other hand as well. With both hands, he mped down on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulders and dragged her to his front as he continued gazing at her.


    ¡°ughtering King, it¡¯s good to see you again.¡± Yun Ruoyan stuck out her hands against Li Mo¡¯s chest, preventing him from dragging her closer.


    Li Mo¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Yan¡¯er, why have you grown so distant?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced up at him, at his inky hair and ck robes, at the dashing features hidden behind his hair. She couldn¡¯t help but doubt herself. Was the silvery man she¡¯d seen that night in the forest of dead souls just a figment of her imagination?


    ¡°You brat, how can you be lost in your thoughts while staring at me!¡±


    Li Mo rapped on her head before she could doubt herself any further.


    ¡°Ouch! What¡¯re you doing?¡±


    ¡°Clearing your head, of course.¡± Li Mo nced askance at her. ¡°You didn¡¯te searching for me this early in the morning just to stare at me, did you?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡±


    Li Mo waited for her to continue, but she didn¡¯t know how to broach the topic.


    Rather than rush her, Li Mo simply tugged on her hand as he dragged her into the guest hall. As soon as he sat down, a maid came over to serve them breakfast.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the lotus seed soup made from the lotus flowers you saw in the pond. Have a taste.¡± Li Mo pushed the jade tureen closer to her.


    Yun Ruoyan had had a few snacks from the manor thest time she visited. She was famished at the time, but she clearly remembered how tasty the pastries were.


    She scooped up a little soup and found it to be sweet and refreshing, and couldn¡¯t help but take a few more spoonfuls.


    ¡°Do you want more?¡± Li Mo smiled. Only then did Yun Ruoyan realize that he was staring at her with a bright smile, making her feel particrly ufortable.


    Yun Ruoyan felt as though Li Mo had subtly changed. Under usual circumstances, he would pounce on her the moment he saw her, hugging and kissing her, but he seemed to be far more courteous today.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sister Li Luo?¡± Yun Ruoyan decided to go with small talk before bringing up her request.


    ¡°She¡¯s out shopping for groceries.¡±


    ¡°How about the Third Prince?¡±


    ¡°Still drunk. He¡¯ll probably only wake up tomorrow morning.¡± Li Mo smiled wolfishly as he replied.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning?¡± Yun Ruoyan appeared slightly disappointed. ¡°I was hoping he could do me a favor.¡±


    Li Mo immediately stood up and walked to her side. ¡°Yan¡¯er, is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    Li Mo was really behaving quite strangely today, but she found that she quite liked how helpful he was.


    ¡°I do have a request for you, ughtering King,¡± Yun Ruoyan finally began.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to face him. ¡°I¡¯d like for you to inform my father that our betrothal from the flower-viewing party is still valid. Of course, these are just empty words; I simply need my father to believe that I¡¯m betrothed so that I won¡¯t be blindly married off to someone else.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo stared at her seriously. ¡°That betrothal has always been valid. Have I ever mentioned otherwise?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Yun Ruoyan widened her eyes in shock. ¡°But no one else has taken it seriously!¡±


    ¡°So? I¡¯m not everyone else. If I say it¡¯s valid, it¡¯s valid; if I say it¡¯s not, then it¡¯s not.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know what to say in response. Li Mo wasn¡¯t wrong: no matter what others thought, he was the one who had the final say.


    ¡°Then, is it valid or invalid?¡± Yun Ruoyan felt a sense of weakness pervade her, as often it did when she came into contact with him.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, which would you prefer?¡±


    My goodness, what was wrong with the ughtering King today? He was actually asking for her opinion!


    ¡°Temporarily valid, and invalid in the future.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Li Mo replied quickly, before his eyes shed. ¡°In that case, I have a request for you too.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Li Mo agreed so smoothly that Yun Ruoyan was caught off-guard. ¡°What request?¡±


    Li Mo mumbled something indiscernible.


    ¡°Sorry, what did you say?¡± Yun Ruoyan leaned in, not hearing his words clearly.


    ¡°I said¡­¡± Li Mo slowly leaned in to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side before quickly pushing her head towards his.


    Their soft lips coupled and pressed together.


    Yun Ruoyan widened her eyes in shock, unable to resist.


    In the Yun manor, Yun Lan gave up the seat of honor in the great hall to Li Mo. Proper etiquette dictated that Yun Ruoyan should stand behind Yun Lan, but Li Mo refused to let go of her hand.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed. Li Mo was still his usual, mentally diseased self. A fool she was, to think him changed! She couldn¡¯t help but be relieved that she¡¯d told Yun Lan not to make a big deal of weing him on ount of Li Mo¡¯s dislike of crowds. Otherwise, she really would be embarrassed to have everyone see her holding hands with the ughtering King so brazenly.


    ¡°Official Yun, I apologize for not following up sooner with regards to my betrothal with Ruoyan,¡± Li Mo began.


    ¡°Your schedule must be packed, ughtering King, and I perfectly understand.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind marrying Ruoyan at any moment, but she¡¯s still underage at the moment. I must insist that you take care of her for another year, Official Yun.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    Yun Lan hurriedly stood up. ¡°ughtering King, please stay for a meal, at least!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s quite alright. I¡¯ll be taking Ruoyan out on a stroll, Official Yun.¡± Li Mo pulled her out of the great hall before either of them could react.


    ¡°Where are you bringing me?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to go buy poisonous ingredients?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Yun Ruoyan was startled: this wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d had a chance to tell Li Mo yet, so how would he have found out?


    Li Mo smiled as he nced at her. ¡°Because I can read your mind.¡±

 Chapter 134: Into the Underground Market

    <h4>Chapter 134: Into the Underground Market</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan had no clue whether or not Li Mo truly knew how to read someone¡¯s mind, but he did bring her to a rather secretive underground market.


    Not long after they got on the carriage, Li Mo booted the driver out and began driving her himself, rushing through secluded areas of the capital. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t step out of the house frequently and wasn¡¯t familiar with the area, so she became lost in a matter of moments.


    If Li Mo were to drop her off here, Yun Ruoyan would probably have a very hard time finding her way back home.


    ¡°Why are we circling the area like this?¡± Yun Ruoyan poked her head out the window of the carriage and called out to Li Mo in the front.


    ¡°There¡¯s an array guarding the entrance to the market, so we have to travel via this circuitous route,¡± Li Mo called back, his head not turning. ¡°What, are you afraid I¡¯ll sell you off? You¡¯re too ugly to be worth anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan wanted to im herself a beauty, but she forced her words back into her mouth. Even as an ugly girl, she had suitors aplenty; she had no interest in seeing what things would be like when she revealed her true appearance, thank you!


    Li Mo smiled when he heard her indignant tone, followed by muffled words.


    ¡°Have you been using the salve I gave you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. Keep using it, and you¡¯ll eventually be beautiful.¡±


    The carriage finally stopped in a narrow alleyway, and Li Mo motioned for Yun Ruoyan to get off the carriage after handing her a ck robe. After finding a ce to tie up the horses, he walked into the alleyway with Yun Ruoyan in tow.


    Despite the morning sun, the alleyway was dark, with only faint beams of light scattering down from above. The alleyway started out wide enough for both of them, but as it became narrower and narrower, she could only follow behind him in single file.


    As Yun Ruoyan looked up at Li Mo¡¯s lofty back, it felt as if his inky robe was blending into the darkness. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help wanting to pull on his robe, but just as she stretched a hand out, she changed her mind.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Just then, Li Mo suddenly stopped and Yun Ruoyan bumped into his back.


    Her nose twinged, and she was just about to thump him when Li Mo announced, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Li Mo stretched a hand into the darkness before them, peeling it back as though it were a curtain. Light shone in through the gaps between his fingers, along with a mishmash of noise.


    ¡°Partridge grass, thunder-god¡¯s vine¡ªfresh, poisonous stock!¡±


    ¡°Selling a first-grade poison pill for cheap!¡±


    ¡°Only three cobra fangs left! If you¡¯re interested, buy it now!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced at the sight from behind Li Mo¡¯s back. The skies were sunny, and the streets were packed¡ªit really didn¡¯t look any different from a regr market.


    No, there was one difference. Everyone here was dressed in a ck robe, and all they sold were poisonous herbs and ingredients.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°An underground market, where you can purchase things you normally wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡± Li Mo turned and tucked a strand of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stray hair into her hood. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Li Mo walked out of the alley and into the sunlight with Yun Ruoyan in tow.


    ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Cicada wings, baji grass, nightshade, a bear¡¯s galldder¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan listed seven or eight different types of ingredients, all of which Qiuqiu had tasked her to find. As a young girl from a noble household, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t heard of any of the ingredients on the list.


    ¡°How much money did you bring?¡±


    ¡°Two hundred taels of silver,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied pridefully. She¡¯d heard Qiuqiu mention that poisonous herbs and other ingredients all grew in fetid swamps or deep forest, and were far harder to procure than regr spiritual herbs. As a result, theymanded quite a high price.


    Two hundred taels of silver was more than half of her total assets, and it took her considerable effort to wrest it from Peony¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Cicada wings, two pairs of cicada wings!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly heard a vendor call out from a stall to the side.


    ¡°Oh, look, the cicada wings I need!¡± Yun Ruoyan struggled free from Li Mo¡¯s grasp and ran over.


    ¡°Mister, what are your prices?¡± Yun Ruoyan ran up to the stall owner and asked. Not only was he wearing an inky robe, he even covered his face up with a mask, revealing only his eyes.


    ¡°Miss, do you want high-grade, mid-grade, or low-grade wings?¡± What made Yun Ruoyan feel particrly surprised was that, although the hawker¡¯s voice sounded like a male¡¯s while he was advertising his wares, it was now the deep, hoarse voice of an old woman.


    She didn¡¯t express her amazement. In an equally low voice, she asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you only say that there were two pairs?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I mean that there were two pairs of wings of each grade,¡± the owner continued. ¡°There are six pairs in all. Which type would you like, Miss, and how many?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo. His arms were crossed, and he clearly wasn¡¯t nning on helping her.


    ¡°How much will that pair be?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°These are mid-grade cicada wings, and they¡¯ll cost thirty taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°What? Thirty taels a pair?!¡± Even though Yun Ruoyan was prepared for high prices, this was still too shocking for her. Her monthly stipend was only three taels, and that was already half the year¡¯s expenditure for a regr family! And she had to pay ten times that for a pair of cicada wings? That was daylight robbery!


    But what left her mouth agape was yet toe.


    ¡°Sorry, Miss, it¡¯s thirty taels for one wing, and sixty for a pair,¡± the owner hurriedly corrected with a jovial tone. Whether it was mocking, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t tell; she was still in shock from the price.


    ¡°Well, Miss, are you interested?¡± the owner continued to offer her his wares cordially. ¡°If so, I¡¯ll even give you a free pair of low-grade cicada wings.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was a little conflicted. This was her first time here, and she didn¡¯t understand anything about the market. The price shook her, but she was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t find any other store selling the same ingredients¡­


    Just as she was about to bite, Li Mo pulled her away.


    ¡°Miss, why¡¯re you leaving? Wait, I¡¯ll give you a steeper discount!¡± the man¡¯s voice rang out from behind them.


    ¡°Li Mo, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Only after pulling Yun Ruoyan to a corner did Li Mo release her. ¡°That¡¯s fake.¡±


    ¡°Fake? How could you tell?¡±


    ¡°It was too cheap.¡±


    Too cheap?!


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes widened even further.


    Li Mo told her that, because everyone was disguised in the underground market, there were always vendors who would try to pass off counterfeit goods to unwitting shoppers like her. Of course, there was no possibility of returning said goods.


    Ingredients as rare as cicada wingsmonly sold for eighty taels apiece, with no possibility of negotiation.


    ¡°What? Eighty taels apiece¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan patted the silver in her pockets, more than half her umted wealth¡ªenough to buy only a single pair.


    In the end, Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan to a stall in a dpidated corner. A tall, thin man stood behind the counter, wearing an unhooded dark robe along with an ink-ck mask.


    ¡°Mistress, Mistress!¡± Qiuqiu murmured to Yun Ruoyan, ¡°This man¡¯s a fifth-rank poisoner! What¡¯s a man like him doing here, selling pills at an underground market?¡±


    Poisoners were naturally rarer than pillmasters, let alone such high-ranking ones. The poison concocted by a fifth-rank poisoner wouldmand a far higher price than spiritual pills from his pillmaster counterpart, and such high-ranking poisoners were in no dearth of money.


    When that man saw Li Mo approaching him, he stood up and gave him a small bow. Only when Li Mo nodded did he sit back down; the two men clearly knew each other.


    And since they were familiar, Yun Ruoyan was at ease as she inquired about the ingredients she was looking for. This man seemed to have all that she wanted, but the prices were shockingly expensive.


    Yun Ruoyan made a mental tally in her head: to purchase all that Qiuqiu had requisitioned would cost at least 1,200 taels of silver.


    She was a full thousand taels short.


    Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s furrowed brows and pained nce as he sidled up to her. ¡°If you don¡¯t have enough money, I¡¯d be happy to loan you some. You just have to agree to one of my simple requests.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s warm breathnded on her cheek, immediately making her think of his sudden kiss back at his manor.


    She¡­ actually didn¡¯t seem to be as repugned by his intimacy as before.


    During the sudden kiss in the morning, she continued using her tried-and-true tactic of pretending to be dead. In shock, however, she realized that she had already grown somewhat ustomed to Li Mo¡¯s presence, a realization that shook her.


    The ughtering King might be able topel her body, but not her mind! No matter what ploys the ughtering King wasying for her, she wouldn¡¯t fall for it!


    ¡°No! ughtering King, I can¡¯t take advantage of your generosity.¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t force her.


    After a moment of discussion with Qiuqiu, Yun Ruoyan used all her silver to buy a few cheap ingredients to practice making a few low-grade pills.


    As for the rest of the ingredients on her list, she could buy themter after somehow getting enough money to do so.


    Just as they were about to leave, Yun Ruoyan saw the masked man hand Li Mo a dark box, which he stowed away right as he received it.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t see Li Mo pay the man anything before turning to usher her away.


    Eager to get back to her rooms to practice concocting poison after purchasing the requisite ingredients, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯tg behind. Both of them headed directly for the exit.


    But just as they passed a certain stall, Qiuqiu suddenly called Yun Ruoyan back, iming to have felt a cauldron specifically used for concocting poison. Of course, poison could be made with regr pill furnaces, but their efficacy would be considerably reduced.


    ¡°Mistress, such cauldrons are exceedingly difficult to find. From its aura, this is at least a mid-grade cauldron, and you might not ever find one such again.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan immediately stopped walking, but her pockets were empty.


    What was she to do?!

 Chapter 135: Don’t Pretend to be Dead

    <h4>Chapter 135: Don¡¯t Pretend to be Dead</h4>


    When Li Mo saw Yun Ruoyan stop moving, he smiled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yan¡¯er?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was extremely reluctant to ask for money, but Qiuqiu piped up again, ¡°Mistress, it¡¯ll be almost impossible for you to find a cauldron like this again! Having such a cauldron will really help your ability to concoct poisons.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sucked in a deep breath before directly telling Li Mo, ¡°I want to borrow some money from you.¡±


    The cauldron was two-feet tall and ck as soot. A furnace had arge interior chamber for fire, and stood on three legs. A ceramic ting with holes separated the fire from the herbs, and the holes allowed the most intense mes to roast and broil the herbs to extract their essence. On the other hand, a cauldron was square-shaped, had four legs, and no lid.


    Yun Ruoyan had no clue where to light the me nor where to refine the poisonous herbs; Qiuqiu would have to teach her all the fundamentals of using a cauldron.


    ¡°A thousand taels of gold,¡± the stall owner announced firmly.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face became stark white before it returned to normal. Her heart seemed to spurt out blood, and she left without another word.


    A thousand taels of gold! She couldn¡¯t raise that much money even if she sold herself off!!!


    Or, in Li Mo¡¯s words, she was too ugly to be worth so much.


    ¡°Deal,¡± Li Mo said from behind her.


    Yun Ruoyan turned around to see Li Mo suddenly wave his hand by an empty corner of the stall, and a pile of gold appeared out of nowhere.


    That gold only shone for a moment before the stall owner waved his hand over it and vanishing it once more.


    Yun Ruoyan noticed that both men were wearing storage rings, which could only be forged by a fifth-rank forgemaster. Although such rings were iparable to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s silver bracelet, they were still quite precious on the Chenyuan continent. Among the entire Yun family, she had only seen such rings on her father and grandmother¡¯s fingers.


    Then, Li Mo swiped the cauldron and stored that in his ring as well, and the thousand-gold transaction wasplete.


    Li Mo tugged on the still-frozen Yun Ruoyan as he left.


    After leaving the alley, Li Mo removed his ring and offered it to Yun Ruoyan. It was silver in color, the only object that Li Mo wore that wasn¡¯t ck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that much money on me at the moment.¡± Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t rush to take it. ¡°Tell me your request first, and I¡¯ll see if I can aplish it.


    Li Mo leaned closer to Yun Ruoyan, who subconsciously took a step back. ¡°Oh, my request is simple. As long as¡­¡±


    Halfway through his words, he suddenly crept closer once more.


    Yun Ruoyan almost fell over as she continued leaning backwards. Li Mo grabbed her waist and pulled her into his embrace as he lowered his head and kissed her.


    In that isted alleyway, Li Monguidly and leisurely savored her mouth. Luckily, however, he was neither as domineering nor as deeply prating as Yun Ruoyan had feared.


    Although in this life she might still be underage, her past life had given her some experience with the affairs of man and woman. During the kiss, she could clearly feel Li Mo¡¯s restraint and gentleness.


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t sure if it was an illusion, but today¡¯s kiss seemed quite different from normal. In the past, Li Mo¡¯s kisses had always been half-hearted and somewhat yful, as if he simply liked seeing her squirm.


    Now, however, the kiss was passionate and warm.


    Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes as she stared at Li Mo still wrapping her in his arms. She looked at his elegant nose, his long, narrow eyes, and his slightly fluttering eyshes.


    She couldn¡¯t help being reminded of that silvery-white man with icy-blue eyes.


    Were these two men one and the same?


    ¡°Ruoyan, my request for you is that¡­¡± Li Mo finally broke the kiss, looking at her eyes in satisfaction. In a deep, maic voice, he whispered, ¡°...that you not close your eyes or pretend to be dead when I kiss you in this manner.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment as Li Mo put the ring on her finger.


    ¡°I¡¯ll return you the money as soon as I¡¯m able,¡± Yun Ruoyan promised.


    The two got back onto the carriage, and Li Mo steered the carriage away from the isted alley once more. Yun Ruoyan poked her head out of the carriage¡¯s window to ask if he could send her back to the Yun manor immediately.


    Her stomach had begun to protest. It was past noon, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s breakfast had long been digested. Because of how much she¡¯d been cultivating, she was both consuming a great amount of food and constantly hungry. There was constantly a small rumbling noiseing out of the carriage, one that Li Mo¡¯s sensitive ears could easily pick up.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time that Li Mo had heard such a sound; she had made the same noise while they were trapped in the forest of dead souls together. He turned back to look at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s somewhat reddened face as he stopped the carriage by a nearby restaurant.


    The two took a suite on the second floor and ordered a simple meal. Not longter, when the meal was served, Yun Ruoyan began to eat without hesitation. Li Mo only had a ss of wine, slowly sipping from his cup as he watched Yun Ruoyan eat. She was enjoying her meal and eating heartily when she felt Li Mo¡¯s gaze on her. Swallowing, she raised her head and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°And I¡¯m not particrly fond of this fare.¡±


    Earlier in the ughtering King¡¯s manor, Li Mo had only had a few spoonfuls of lotus-seed soup. Even she was hungry with her small physique; shouldn¡¯t a man like Li Mo, so tall and strong, be even hungrier?


    Not particrly fond of this fare? Yun Ruoyan picked up a piece of fried meat and chewed on it: it was tender but not fatty, salty with the tiniest tinge of sweetness. It suited her tastes perfectly.


    When Li Mo saw that Yun Ruoyan was relishing the meat, he couldn¡¯t help but take a piece of his own. However, he was full just from looking at its shiny, oily exterior. As a result, he ced that piece of meat back in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°I heard that, past a certain stage of cultivation, you can nourish your body just with spiritual energy. Is that true?¡±


    Li Mo nodded. ¡°A sword saint¡ªthat is, a tenth-rank demaster¡ªcan easily abstain from food.¡±


    ¡°Sword saint?!¡± This was the first time that Yun Ruoyan had heard of anything of the sort. As far as she was aware, ninth-rank was the peak.


    ¡°What¡¯s a sword saint like? Are you a sword saint?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s excitement at discovering a new frontier of cultivation left her shocked and wildly curious, so much so that she couldn¡¯t even focus on eating. Rather, she stared at Li Mo with bright, beaming eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m just an infinitesimal step away from being a sword saint. Most people are only aware of the first nine ranks, and only a privileged few have any understanding of the mythical tenth stage. Actually, there are still quite a number of stages of cultivation even beyond that of a sword saint.¡±


    Li Mo stopped talking, and Yun Ruoyan eagerly waited for him to continue.


    But Li Mo didn¡¯t seem to want to discuss the matter further. ¡°With your current level of cultivation, there¡¯s no need to know so much. I¡¯ll tell you about these things once you be a ninth-rank demaster.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew that, no matter how curious she was, she wouldn¡¯t be able to pry something out of Li Mo against his will. I¡¯ll just ask Qiuqiu about it when I get home! It knows so much that surely it¡¯ll have some idea about this, too.


    Yun Ruoyan continued eating. Li Mo looked on with a smile, as though he found the sight particrly amusing. She ignored his gaze; just because he was observing her didn¡¯t mean she would eat daintily!


    After she had polished off all the food on the table, she put down her bowl and chopsticks. ¡°I have quite an important matter to inform you about.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Last night, after Yun Moxiao¡¯s encounter with Yun Lan, he had told her about how Li Sheng had renounced the throne. This was at odds with Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s im, but she was certain that he wouldn¡¯t lie to her. However, there was also no reason for Yun Lan to hide the truth.


    Even now, Yun Ruoyan was still quite confused about the matter.


    ¡°I¡¯ve received some news that the Farsighted King has been nning a rebellion for many years, but I don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll put his n into motion.¡±


    She looked at Li Mo as she spoke, but he didn¡¯t seem very surprised. She continued, ¡°But my father told me that the Farsighted King renounced the throne voluntarily, so he doesn¡¯t have a reason to stoke rebellion. Based on your understanding of him, do you think a rebellion¡¯s possible? If you¡¯re not sure, should this be reported to the king?¡±


    Despite his status in the kingdom, Li Mo appeared wholly unperturbed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him,¡± he replied coolly.


    Yun Ruoyan was rather surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t worry? What do you mean?¡±


    A waiter came to their table bearing tea, which Li Mo poured out for both of them. ¡°Just pretend you¡¯re not aware of the matter.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was very surprised to see him handle the news so calmly. ¡°Based on your behavior, it really doesn¡¯t seem like something to be worried about.¡±


    Li Mo took the cup of tea and had a light sip. Clearly, it didn¡¯t agree with his sensibilities; he frowned and put it down once more. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be concerned about such a trifling matter.¡±


    ...Yun Ruoyan had almost forgotten that Li Mo was a pure killer, one with absolutely no interest in politics. Only when the kingdom came to war would he step forth. But by that point, it would be toote.


    ¡°Regardless, haven¡¯t you already informed your father about this?¡±


    ¡°My father said that the Farsighted King doesn¡¯t have a reason to rebel. What¡¯ll happen if he doesn¡¯t report it to the emperor, but the rebellion urs?¡±


    ¡°Your father¡¯s prudent and calcting. Given how serious the matter is and how much he stands to gain, I assure you he¡¯ll look into the matter carefully,¡± Li Mo continued. ¡°The current emperor is also a shrewd man, and trying to im his position won¡¯t be an easy thing.


    ording to Li Mo, rumors of a rebellion weren¡¯t something that Yun Ruoyan and the others needed to be concerned about. Even if Li Sheng were truly fomenting one, it would easily be handled by the current members of the court. All she had to do was wait to enter Kongming Academy and focus solely on her cultivation.


    This¡­ didn¡¯t seem to be a bad idea. After all, she would be entering Kongming Academy at the end of the month. The authority of the Academy superseded that of the four kingdoms, but it had a policy of noninterference. Regardless of intrakingdom rebellion or interkingdom conflict, it wouldn¡¯t make a move unless its own interests were threatened.


    And once she became a student of Kongming Academy, she would likely be barred from joining one side or the other.


    That night, back in her rooms, Yun Ruoyan took out the cauldron and ced the poisonous herbs on her table before asking Qiuqiu, ¡°Do I make poison the same way I make regr spiritual pills?¡±

 Chapter 136: Another Breakthrough!

    <h4>Chapter 136: Another Breakthrough!</h4>


    ¡°Some poisons are concocted the same way as pills, and others aren¡¯t,¡± Qiuqiu replied. ¡°The difference between spiritual pills and poisons is solely in the shape of the final product. Pills are round and solid, but poisonse in all sorts of different forms: solid, liquid, powder, or even gas.¡±


    Just like spiritual pills, poisons needed their own specialized receptacles. Purchasing these vessels took arge toll on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s finances, but Qiuqiu reassured her, ¡°The more expensive the materials, the more valuable the product. Mistress, I promise you won¡¯tck for money.¡±


    Under Qiuqiu¡¯s guidance, Yun Ruoyan began concocting poison for the first time.


    The two-feet tall cauldron stood in the middle of the room, smaller than the furnace in the Lin family¡¯s pillmaking chambers, butrger than her own top-grade furnace.


    ¡°When I refined spiritual pills, I had to drop a drop of blood into the furnace to familiarize it with my scent. Do I have to do the same thing with this cauldron?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. Whereas refining high-grade pills requires arge reservoir of spiritual energy, concocting high-grade poisons is more a matter of technique and ingredients. A yellow me would be sufficient for even the deadliest of poisons.¡±


    This was partially why some pillmasters had decided to be poisoners instead. If someone withtent talent in pillmaking couldn¡¯t be a seventh-rank demaster, then bing a poisoner would be a clear shortcut to power.


    And there were also those pillmasters who couldn¡¯t raise their cultivation and refine high-grade spiritual pills. Without the ability to back up their reputation, such pillmasters would often receive challenges, lose, and tarnish their name. In defeat, many of them would turn to poison.


    High-ranking poisoners could kill without a trace, and were existences to be feared by even ninth-rank demasters.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t quite understand.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Mistress?¡±


    ¡°If poisoners don¡¯t need to have a deep well of spiritual energy, then why won¡¯t you let me read that tome of poisons that you have?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had always thought that it was because her cultivation wasn¡¯t advanced enough, but Qiuqiu had stated that poisoners didn¡¯t require too deep a level of cultivation. In that case, couldn¡¯t she begin learning how to concoct those high-grade poisons immediately?


    Qiuqiu¡¯s response shocked her. Apparently, the poisons stated in the tome were so powerful that she would hardly have a match in the entire continent were she to master the tome.


    The meteoric rise to power was tempting, but came with a dreadful downside: if making these poisons were enough to be strong, then why would anyone bother spending so much time cultivating? Almost all who had learned from the tome had given up other aspects of cultivation and had ultimately be crippled by their dependence on poison.


    Qiuqiu was unwilling to see Yun Ruoyan devolve to such a state, so before she became strong on her own, it wouldn¡¯t impart her with the secrets to the tome.


    The reason Qiuqiu was teaching Yun Ruoyan how to concoct poison wasn¡¯t so she could use it as a quick route to advancement, but rather to allow her to concoct the corresponding antidotes as a safeguard against poison. At the same time, it would also provide her with another safety precaution against individuals currently too powerful for her.


    Qiuqiu simply wanted Yun Ruoyan to be able to live peacefully before she had the power to defend herself.


    The first poison Qiuqiu would teach Yun Ruoyan was rtively simple. It instructed her to toss the ingredients that she¡¯d bought into the cauldron before lighting a fire at its base. Once the cauldron reached a certain temperature, its opening would automatically form a smoky, translucent seal.


    As the mes continued to meld the ingredients together, that smoky barrier would slowly turn more and more transparent, until the smoke vanishedpletely to reveal a viscous, liquid poison.


    At that time, she would be able to further refine the poison into its desired form. Liquid poison required no further refinement. Solid poison required another round of spiritual energy infusion, whereas gaseous poison required two rounds.


    Because Yun Ruoyan only had proper receptacles for solid poison pills, she stoked the mes once more until the viscous liquid coagted.


    From the heart of the cauldron, she removed an ink-green pill. Contrary to her expectations, the pill gave off a medicinal fragrance rather than the stench she was expecting. An unwary cultivator might even have thought the poison a regr spiritual pill.


    Yun Ruoyan ced the pill into a sandalwood box.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, what¡¯s the name of this poison?¡±


    ¡°A soul-stealing pill. One who consumes such a pill will find his senses disoriented andpletely under the control of another.¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu, this pill¡¯s that strong?¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Qiuqiu fluffed up as it bragged, ¡°I can even make poisons a hundred, a thousand times more powerful than this pill! This one isn¡¯t anything special. In fact, you werecking a particrly potent ingredient, so this pill will only be usable against weaker cultivators.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan kept the pill in her silver bracelet.


    Initially, Yun Ruoyan had nned on keeping the cauldron in the silver bracelet and returning the storage ring to Li Mo. However, Qiuqiu reminded her that she couldn¡¯t let anyone find out about the silver bracelet, so it would be difficult for Yun Ruoyan to use the storage function in in sight. The ring that Li Mo had given to her would solve this problem, and Qiuqiu highly rmended that she keep it for the moment.


    ¡°Oh, alright! I¡¯m already beholden to Li Mo, anyway, and a little more won¡¯t matter.¡±


    After storing the cauldron in the storage ring instead, Yun Ruoyan quickly retrieved her top-grade furnace. She¡¯d had quite arge stockpile of medicinal herbs in her silver bracelet, and she had been training by making at least one pill a daytely.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu continued, ¡°I saw that your spiritual mes seemed to be taking on a green tinge during your refining session yesterday. I think you might be on the verge of reaching another breakthrough!¡±


    Spiritual mes could take on all seven colors of the rainbow. The red me was the most basic and essential of all mes, indicative of a first-rank pillmaster.


    Pillmasters who developed an orange and yellow me would be second- and third-rank respectively, and it was only with such mes that they could refine low-grade spiritual pills.


    Next were the green and blue mes, corresponding to fourth- through sixth-rank pillmasters and giving ess to mid-grade spiritual pills.


    And, in the same vein, seventh- through ninth-rank pillmasters were those who had developed indigo and violet mes, and were hence able to refine high-grade pills.


    Of course, there weren¡¯t many such apex pillmasters on the entire Chenyuan continent.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, are you certain?¡± Yun Ruoyan could barely believe its words¡ªno, she could barely believe that she could cultivate so quickly.


    In fewer than two months, she¡¯d gone from aplete novice to a third-rank pillmaster, and almost seemed to be on the verge of bing a fourth-rank. This pace of advancement waspletely unheard of, even among the noble families. All cultivation-type professions faced a significant bottleneck in advancement every three ranks, as well as a minor bottleneck almost every rank.


    Yun Ruoyan had been stalled as a third-rank demaster for three years, but that was solely because of her poison. That had been the hardest advancement; since then, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t feel like she¡¯d teaued at all.


    This was especially true for her pillmaster cultivation: Lin Zainan had only be a fourth-rank pillmaster as he neared his thirties, and this was already considered rapid advancement. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan had managed in two months what a regr cultivator would take ten years to aplish.


    Ignorant as she was of the many factors that yed a role in her remarkable speed, she truly felt as if the heavens were favoring her in this life.


    First, her rapid advancement in demaster cultivation had provided her with the requisite spiritual energy for refining pills. Next, the silver bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension had a hidden, imperceptible influence on the evolution of her spiritual me. Finally, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unique constitution as a human furnace had obviated all bottlenecks in her cultivation.


    Qiuqiu knew of all three reasons, but was unable to openly reveal them to Yun Ruoyan. All it could say was that cultivation was a mysterious affair, and some people were far more favored than others.


    Qiuqiu even warned that what usually came after such rapid bursts of advancement were lengthy periods of stalling, so Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t growcent with her current progress. This warning strengthened Yun Ruoyan¡¯s focus on advancement.


    ¡°Mistress, let¡¯s make an antidote next. Are you prepared?¡±

 Chapter 137: Green Flame

    <h4>Chapter 137: Green me</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan shut her eyes and nced over the ingredients in her pocket dimension once more, so she could take them out in a single instant during the refining process.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    She lit the furnace and tossed in the herbs following Qiuqiu¡¯s previous ingredients, then modted her me and cycled it between red, orange, and yellow.


    ¡°Alright, now put in the extra ingredients I had you set aside earlier while making the soul-stealing pill. Honestly, the antidotes for low-grade poisons are the most troublesome to make.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t understand why Qiuqiu had previously instructed her to set some ingredients aside, but everything made sense now: in certain cases, the ingredients used to make poison could serve as a primer to stimte the antidote and enhance its effects.


    ¡°Mistress, if you can turn your spirit me green now, you¡¯ll be able to obtain a mid-grade antidote!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stared intensely at the mes roaring in the furnace and pushed her output of spiritual energy to its extremes.


    In the furnace, the yellow frame burned incandescent, glowing brighter and brighter until it was a luminous white. From that whiteness came flecks of green, slowly spreading over the entirety of the me until its color stabilized.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done it, Mistress!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced at the green me roaring in the furnace, murmuring, ¡°I¡¯ve broken through, I¡¯m a fourth-rank pillmaster¡­¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan was already disying signs of advancement, she still seemed as though she could hardly believe her aplishment. She would truly have a fighting chance against Wang Meng in their pillmaking contest two yearster.


    Yun Ruoyan recovered thepleted antidote, which Qiuqiu judged to be a regr mid-grade antidote. For Yun Ruoyan¡¯s first attempt, this was no mean feat.


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao went to the Lin estate to visit Zhuo Yinfeng and Zhuo Lin¡¯er. Yun Moxiao told his sister that Zhuo Lin¡¯er had mostly recovered under Lin Qingchen¡¯s care, and she and her sister were staying in a little cottage right by Lin Qingchen¡¯s bamboo garden.


    When Yun Ruoyan arrived at the garden, Zhuo Lin¡¯er was getting ready to leave the cottage and head toward the bamboo garden to help take care of Lin Qingchen¡¯s magical beasts.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you heading to the garden too? Where¡¯s your brother?¡±


    Although Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯splexion was much improved, her body was still rail-thin. She wore a pale green dress and looked just like a leaf, one could be blown away by the wind. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her.


    ¡°Qingxue¡¯s here, and my brother¡¯s teaching her the way of the sword,¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er replied.


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er addressed Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen as ¡®Sister¡¯, but Lin Qingxue as ¡®Qingxue¡¯. Although Lin Qingxue was slightly older than Zhuo Lin¡¯er, the two of them bickered so constantly that Zhuo Lin¡¯er had called her by her full name from the very beginning. Now that they had gotten close to each other, she dropped her surname as well.


    Yun Ruoyan pulled on Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s hand as she walked into the cottage¡¯s backyard.


    ¡°Brother, Qingxue, Sister Ruoyan¡¯s here,¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er shouted to the duo still brandishing their swords in the garden.


    Lin Qingxue and Zhuo Yifeng both turned to them. Zhuo Yifeng had been teaching Lin Qingxue the appropriate posture for shooting a bow, but Lin Qingxue couldn¡¯t seem to get it right. As a result, her arrows curved all over the ce.


    Exasperated, Zhuo Yifeng could only correct her posture from her back, half-hugging her as he taught her how to correctly pull on a bow and release an arrow. To someone looking on from afar, however, they would have looked unusually intimate.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled at the two of them.


    Faced with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s knowing stare, even the usually thick-skinned Lin Qingxue began to blush. Zhuo Yifeng hastily let go of Lin Qingxue when he reacted, standing to the side with his bow.


    His hemp garments had been reced by a forest-green robe, giving him a refreshing look. With his bright, expressive eyes, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that Lin Qingxue would be interested in him. Despite her usual distaste for gossip, Yun Ruoyan quite wanted to discuss the matter with Lin Qingchen at the moment.


    Lin Qingxue blushed even harder when she saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s smile. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, it¡¯s been so long since you¡¯vee to visit! I was bored, so I had Brother Zhuo teach me how to use a bow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very good,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, pinching Lin Qingxue¡¯s rosy cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a bow if you do well in your studies.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Lin Qingxue was so happy that she jumped up and hollered, ¡°Brother Zhuo, let¡¯s keep practicing!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng handed the bow to Lin Qingxue. ¡°Why don¡¯t you practice on your own for a little? I need to head to your sister¡¯s bamboo garden to help take care of her magical beasts. She told me that she would be heading to the apothecary early today, so¡­¡±


    As soon as Zhuo Yifeng brought up the bamboo garden, Lin Qingxue¡¯s face immediately turned brittle. Of the entire Lin mansion, the only ce she was afraid of was her sister¡¯s bamboo garden. Thinking about all the¡­ strange creatures that her sister kept as pets was enough to make the hairs on the back of Lin Qingxue¡¯s neck rise.


    It was clear that Zhuo Yifeng knew about this weakness of hers, and he handed her the bow in his hands while hiding a smile. Then, he waved at Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao, and all three headed to the bamboo garden to the side of the cottage.


    ¡°Ah, ah, wait for me!¡± Lin Qingxue caught up to the party before she was left behind.


    The others stood in ce as Yun Ruoyan turned to her cousin. ¡°Are you nning on going to the bamboo garden with us? Aren¡¯t you afraid of the little critters inside?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared!¡± Lin Qingxue put her hands on her hips, refusing to admit the truth. ¡°I just, I just don¡¯t like how ugly they look!¡±


    The others grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with my sister taking care of pets, but she always chooses the weirdest ones!¡± Lin Qingxue frowned as sheined, ¡°When I was little, I would frequently y with my sister in her garden. One day, I noticed that a carp had appeared in the little pond in her garden out of nowhere, and I curiously knelt down by the side of the pond to look at it. Suddenly,ughter bubbled out of the pond, and I was so frightened that I almost fell inside!¡±


    She sighed dramatically before continuing, ¡°And she even keeps thisrge, hairy centipede, sorge it could coil around my entire body twice over!¡±


    Their short trek to the bamboo garden was peppered by Lin Qingxue¡¯s anecdotes.


    When they entered the garden, they found Lin Qingchen sitting by the pond, feeding little Whitey. Hearing their footsteps, she turned around and waved at them.


    Whitey¡¯s head was sticking out of the pond as it chewed on the meat that Lin Qingxue had prepared for it. Not only had its woundspletely healed, it even seemed to have grownrger.


    Lin Qingchen was dressed in pure white, and in front of her was Whitey¡¯s white, bulbous head.


    ¡°My goodness!¡± Lin Qingxue squawked. ¡°Sis, when did you get such arge, white snake?¡±


    Lin Qingxue never ventured into the bamboo garden if she could help it, and Lin Qingchen didn¡¯t usually discuss her beasts with her. She only knew that her sister had brought back quite a few mutated snake eggs from the imperial territory.


    ¡°It¡¯s Whitey, and it hatched from one of the eggs we brought back,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined, before walking over to the pond.


    Yun Moxiao and the Zhuo siblings followed suit, leaving only Lin Qingxue behind, standing near the entrance to the garden. Whitey nced at them for the barest of moments before turning back to its food, as if they were strangers.


    ¡°Eh, this little fellow dares look down on me?¡± Yun Moxiaoughed. If not for Lin Qingchen stopping him, he wouldn¡¯t have relented until Whitey formed a contract with him. At the time, he¡¯d left quite a number of wounds on its little body.


    Yun Moxiao had expected that Whitey would either be vengeful or deathly afraid, but it had simply disregarded him.


    ¡°Just be happy that it¡¯s not harboring a grudge toward you,¡± Yun Ruoyanmented.


    Whitey was enjoying its meal so much that the other beasts in the cages and forest also began calling out for food.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s plenty of food for all of you,¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er announced, before beginning to distribute it with her brother.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you take care of so many beasts!¡± This was the first time that Yun Ruoyan had realized the extent of Lin Qingchen¡¯sbor.


    ¡°Luckily, I have the Zhuo siblings here to help me,¡± Lin Qingchen replied with a smile. ¡°Otherwise, it would take me four hours daily to feed them all.¡±


    After Whitey finished its food and Lin Qingchen patted its brain, it slipped back into the water contentedly. Lin Qingchen turned and headed back to her quarters, with Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao following behind.


    ¡°How long are you nning on standing there for?¡± As they neared her rooms, Lin Qingchen turned around and smiled at Lin Qingxue.


    She was just about to follow her sister and cousins when Whitey suddenly did a flip-flop in the pond, revealing the entirety of its snake-like body.


    Shocked by the sudden sight, Lin Qingxue¡¯s foot froze in mid-air.


    Whiteynded in the pond with a big ssh. Along with the water came the dreadfulughter of the catfish that Lin Qingxue had feared, followed by the howls and chatters and clicks of the beasts that hadn¡¯t yet been fed.


    ¡°I, I, I think I¡¯ll just wait outside.¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s face turned green as she ran off in fright.


    Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan nced at each other as they tried to hide theirughter.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, Cousin Moxiao,¡± Back in her rooms, Lin Qingchen turned to face them before stating solemnly, ¡°There¡¯ve been quite a few strange people lurking near the mansion and the apothecary these days. Could they be men dispatched by the Farsighted King?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao turned to each other.


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely,¡± Yun Ruoyan concluded.


    ¡°Shall we catch one to interrogate?¡± Lin Qingchen asked.


    ¡°No, we¡¯d better not. If we inadvertently alert them, the Farsighted King will surely send some experts over,¡± Yun Moxiao advised.


    ¡°In that case, what would you suggest?¡± Both girls looked to Yun Moxiao.

 Chapter 138: Clues

    <h4>Chapter 138: Clues</h4>


    Actually, Yun Moxiao had suspected Zhuo Yifeng a little after hearing what Yun Lan had to say, but Lin Qingchen¡¯s assertion that there were suspicious men seemed to affirm his words.


    As for why the Farsighted King would renounce the throne and then scheme to take it back, who knew?


    ¡°Call the Zhuo siblings over. We need to talk about this as a team,¡± Yun Moxiao said.


    When Zhuo Yifeng heard about the news, his face became solemn. ¡°I¡¯m sure these men were sent for me and Lin¡¯er. Will this bring the Lin family trouble?¡±


    The Farsighted King was part of the Li kingdom. If the Lin family were to guard the Zhuo siblings, they would be going against a powerful member of royalty. Zhuo Yifeng was worried that his presence would cause an inordinate amount of trouble to the Lins.


    But Lin Qingchen shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. Even among the noble families of the capital, the Lin family is above average.¡±


    Although they were in decline, their centuries-old reputation wasn¡¯t so easily tarnished. Without sufficient evidence, no one would dare take action against the Lin family.


    ¡°Those men don¡¯t dare to ask for the Zhuo siblings directly, so all they can do is loiter around the area and hope to investigate the matter by spying on members of the Lin family,¡± Yun Moxiao guessed. ¡°However, members of the Lin family don¡¯t tend to head out all that much, so they¡¯re all congregating around the manor and the apothecary.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°I bet they¡¯ve got people tailing Qingxue as well, but Qingchen was the only one who noticed.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhuo Yifeng stood up all of a sudden. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng had seen how devious the Farsighted King was with his own eyes. After all, he had managed to hide such an ambitious, lofty goal for twenty long years under the guise of a sagacious king! To make an enemy of such a man would be to invite disaster.


    Zhuo Yifeng worried that his presence would ruin the Lin family.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, don¡¯t be worried.¡± Yun Moxiao stood up and patted Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s shoulders, motioning for him to sit back down. ¡°There¡¯s another reason why the Farsighted King doesn¡¯t dare make a move,¡± he analyzed. ¡°He¡¯s not sure whether Zhuo Yifeng has really discovered his secret. All he knows is that Zhuo Yifeng disappeared all of a sudden, so we don¡¯t have to make a big deal of things.¡±


    ¡°Brother, do you have a n?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. Since the Farsighted King isn¡¯t sure of Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s allegiance, then we might as well pretend that nothing¡¯s going on. That should temporarily stop the Farsighted King from acting.¡±


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s suggestion wasn¡¯t too different from Li Mo¡¯s.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think the Zhuo siblings should leave the manor for the foreseeable future. The Farsighted King¡¯s men might not be willing to make a big deal of things by forcibly entering the Lin manor, but they¡¯ll easily abduct you if they catch you outside.¡±


    After this discussion, the Zhuo siblings went back to take care of the beasts in the bamboo garden, while the others went to pay respects to their grandfather.


    They didn¡¯t find him in his study, so they headed to the pillmaking chambers instead. Surprisingly, Lin Zainan wasn¡¯t there either.


    Even the Lin sisters had no idea where he could possibly have gone. Lin Zainan rarely headed out, and they¡¯d just checked the two ces in the Lin manor where he had spent most of his time. Just as they were nning to leave, however, they saw Lin Bo limping out of a side path.


    ¡°Young Master, Young Misses,¡± Lin Bo greeted them.


    ¡°Lin Bo, have you seen Grandfather?¡± Lin Qingxue asked.


    ¡°The old master¡¯s in the peach blossom de, Young Miss. He bade me bring him some alcohol, saying that he wanted to be alone for a little.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Grandfather today?¡± Lin Qingxue asked curiously.


    Lin Zainan had loved alcohol in his youth and adulthood, so the Lin family cer was stocked with all sorts of good alcohol. In recent years, however, he had begun restraining himself. Thest time he¡¯d imbibed wine was to celebrate Yun Moxiao¡¯s return.


    Today didn¡¯t seem like a particrly momentous asion, so why was he drinking so early in the day? Based on Lin Bo¡¯s tone, Lin Zainan didn¡¯t seem to be feeling very well, so was there something on his mind?


    Everyone was flummoxed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve obtained some information that the old master was looking for,¡± Lin Bo volunteered. ¡°I passed him the documents this morning.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ is it rted to my mother¡¯s passing?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked after a short silence.


    Lin Bo nodded solemnly. ¡°Perhaps you can make the old master feel a little better with your presence?¡±


    The others followed the path all the way to the peach blossom de. The de was located on and fortified with spiritual energy, so the peach blossoms bloomed for a far longer period than was usual: from early March all the way tote fall. When the spiritual energy was particrly dense, the flowers wouldn¡¯t even wilt until winter.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t like going to the de, because both the sight and smell of the peach blossoms reminded Yun Ruoyan of that terrible memory of Lin Yuemei dancing among the falling petals until she vomited blood.


    Although she had only seen the scene in her dreams, it was a scene which had truly urred in the past. As a result, whenever she was reminded of it, Yun Royan couldn¡¯t help but tremble all over. The moment they entered the de, Yun Ruoyan clenched her fists tightly. Yun Moxiao ced aforting hand on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulder, as if feeling his sister¡¯s anxiety.


    As soon as they walked into the de, they saw Lin Zainan sitting by a stone table imbibing wine alone. Underneath the peach blossoms, he sat silently in a white robe, his expression dejected.


    ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather!¡±


    When everyone saw this sight, they couldn¡¯t help but run to him.


    Lin Zainan raised his head to see his grandchildren surrounding him. His face, momentarily dazed, transformed into a blissful smile. ¡°Xiao¡¯er, Ruoyan, Qingchen, Qingxue¡­ What¡¯s everyone doing here?¡±


    Lin Zainan¡¯s grandchildren sat down at the stone table.


    ¡°Grandfather, let me drink with you.¡± Yun Moxiao poured himself a cup of wine from Lin Zainan¡¯s sk and downed it in a single gulp.


    ¡°Haha, alright!¡± Lin Zainan poured himself a cup and drained it simrly.


    ¡°Refreshing!¡± Yun Moxiaoughed and downed another cup.


    The two were drinking so vigorously that Lin Qingchen was worried that they would get horribly drunk, but Yun Ruoyan tugged on her hand and motioned to let them be. She knew that the reason Yun Moxiao was drinking with his grandfather was to help him purge his negative emotions.


    Drinking alone and drinking with someone else felt entirely different. Lin Zainan had been drinking to drown out his memories, but now he was drinking in a carefree, exuberant manner. After a few more rounds of drinking, Lin Zainan¡¯s face had turned ruddy, but he was feeling a lot better.


    ¡°Grandfather, I can¡¯t handle any more.¡± Seeing that his grandfather looked slightly tipsy, Yun Moxiao knew that it was time to stop. ¡°Grandfather, you really have an impressive tolerance.¡±


    ¡°Of course! There¡¯s no match for my grandfather within the capital, no, the entire Chenyuan continent!¡± Lin Qingxue added, causing Lin Zainan to erupt inughter.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er, Ruoyan,¡± Lin Zainan put down his cup and began, ¡°I have some new information regarding that shamanic tribe that I had Lin Bo search for.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao nced at each other. Although Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue weren¡¯t aware of this matter, they could guess how important it was based on how serious all three of their faces were. As a result, they too held their breath and listened closely.


    ¡°Lin Bo dispatched a few servants to inspect all the temples surrounding the capital, and they really did find one, the Yinling Temple, dedicated to the deity of reincarnation. After further investigation, it was determined that that was indeed the temple hosting a remnant of the splintered tribe.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, does it mean that Mother¡¯s poison came from that temple?¡± Yun Moxiao clenched his fists tightly.


    Lin Zainan nodded.


    There were few remnants of the tribe to begin with, and they¡¯d only found this one temple surrounding the capital. Even if the poison didn¡¯te directly from the temple, the priests within surely had some strong connection with it.


    ¡°Did Lin Bo figure out who in the temple would possess this poison, and who might have sold it to outsiders ten years ago?¡±


    ¡°Lin Bo tried, but the remaining members of the shamanic tribe are so cautious that he was worried of alerting them to his intentions,¡± Lin Zainan responded. ¡°We¡¯ll have toe up with a better n to strike at them further.¡±


    No one coulde up with a better suggestion that wouldn¡¯t reveal their interest in the matter, so Lin Zainan temporarily had Lin Bo station people around the temple. They would have to pay a visit to the temple and investigate themselves before they could decide on a better n of action.


    Lin Zainan and Yun Moxiao had drunk so much wine that, by the time they were finished and were walking away, Lin Zainan looked a little unsteady on his feet. Yun Moxiao stooped down and carried Lin Zainan on his back all the way to his quarters. Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen helped him lie down and settle in bed before quietly leaving.


    After informing Lin Bo of Lin Zainan¡¯s drunken condition, they left the Lin household. As usual, Lin Qingxue headed to the teahouse to hear another story from her good friend, the storyteller, whereas Lin Qingchen went to the apothecary.


    Yun Ruoyan had a few low-grade spiritual pills that she wanted to sell. Not knowing their price, however, she intended on following Lin Qingchen, browsing a few other apothecaries nearby, and buying some spiritual herbs to continue her pill refining.


    Having nothing better to do, Yun Moxiao decided to tag along.


    ¡°Brother, you look a little drunk as well. Do you want to return to the Yun manor?¡± After getting into the carriage, Yun Moxiao had just been staring out the window, his eyes a little ssy.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine.¡± He waved his hands. ¡°A little wind will clear my head up.¡±


    As the carriage trundled along, Yun Moxiao reached into his robes and pulled out a scented sachet. Yun Ruoyan saw it out of the corner of her eye, blinked, and turned to have a closer look. The pink sachet was clearly of feminine make: did her brother have a girl of his dreams?

 Chapter 139: Love, Blossoming

    <h4>Chapter 139: Love, Blossoming</h4>


    On her brother¡¯s pink sachet was embroidered a flower she had never seen before. It had no leaves, and the petals were long, slender, and fiery-red. They looked a little like a chrysanthemum¡¯s petals, but were even more dazzling. As if alive, they stretched out and fluttered in the wind.


    Yun Moxiao gazed at the sachet tenderly.


    Yun Ruoyan was very curious regarding the identity of the person who had made the sachet. Her brother had spent most of his life within the army barracks, so it was highly unlikely that he¡¯d had a chance toe in contact with girls or women.


    And in the few days since his return, there hadn¡¯t been any banquets or parties by the nobility that would have allowed him to meet the scions of the other noble families. So who could have made it?!


    ¡°Brother,¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly called out. Yun Moxiao raised his head to see his sister¡¯s bright eyes directly by his face. ¡°Who made the sachet you¡¯re holding?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words aroused Lin Qingchen¡¯s interest, and she too nced at the sachet in his hands.


    ¡°The wuye flower¡­¡± Lin Qingchen murmured.


    ¡°Qingchen, you recognize this flower?¡±


    ¡°This is called the wuye flower?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao asked at the same time. Yun Ruoyan nced at her brother and noticed that he was looking at Lin Qingchen with a curious expression on his face. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t known the identity of the flower either.


    ¡°The wuye flower is emblematic of the beastkin. It¡¯s a rare, precious flower that only grows on the top of the Yueli Mountain, which can be consumed and used as an herbal remedy to both soothe wounds and cure poison,¡± Lin Qingchen exined. ¡°Trying to sessfully grow the wuye flower in a greenhouse is an extremely difficult affair, and only the beastkin of the past were sessful in doing so. That method has since been lost, so most people aren¡¯t aware of the existence of such a nt. Even Brother Zhuo and Lin¡¯er would only have heard of it, not seen it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yun Moxiao thumbed his sachet appreciatively. ¡°I thought I was ignorant for not knowing what this flower was.¡±


    ¡°Qingchen, you¡¯re really knowledgeable,¡± Yun Ruoyan praised in a heartfelt manner. Lin Qingchen¡¯s talent in pillmaking might not be high, but she worked at least as hard as she did.


    Lin Zainan had advised Lin Qingchen that refining spiritual pills required both significant talent in pillmaking and an advanced demaster cultivation as support. Based on hertent talent, she likely would not be sessful on this front.


    As a result, after a humbling period of self-reflection, Lin Qingchen decided to focus on the theoretical aspects of the craft, including the development of novel techniques for refining pills.


    She had learned about all sorts of spiritual herbs and medicine in order to guide this development. Even if she didn¡¯t have any ability to refine such pills herself, she firmly believed that she could still help advance the field.


    She had learned about the wuye flower while reading a few histories of the beastkin. After meeting the Zhuo siblings, Lin Qingchen had grown interested in the rise and subsequent downfall of the beastkin.


    The flower on the sachet was remarkably lifelike both in color and shape. Although she had never seen its like, she was certain that that was the famed wuye flower.


    ¡°The person who embroidered this sachet must have seen the wuye flower in person,¡± Lin Qingchen continued. ¡°There¡¯s no way she could have captured the brimming vitality and spirituality of the flower otherwise.¡±


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s face revealed an expression of shock.


    ¡°Brother, won¡¯t you tell us who made this sachet for you? I¡¯m really curious now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious as well,¡± Lin Qingchen added. ¡°I¡¯d like to meet this person very much.¡±


    The girls stared fervently at Yun Moxiao, waiting for him to reveal her identity, but Yun Moxiao onlyughed in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m equally curious, because I don¡¯t know whom the owner of this sachet is, either.¡±


    The day that Yun Ruoyan had gone to the ughtering King¡¯s manor, Yun Moxiao had encountered her carriage and had followed behind to ensure her safety. However, along the way, a group of ck-d men snuck up on him and attacked him. The group of men had such advanced cultivation that Yun Moxiao was no match for them, even as an eighth-rank demaster.


    Luckily, their goal didn¡¯t seem to be to hurt him. After stalling him for a moment, they all retreated, and Yun Moxiao lost track of his sister¡¯s carriage.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t familiar with the capital, so after this sudden attack, I both lost track of Ruoyan¡¯s carriage and got lost in the depths of the capital.¡± Yun Moxiaoughed at himself. ¡°I was just about to ask for directions when a mesteed burst out of nowhere. It was wild and rampaging, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. In its path was a little girl, too far for me to save. Just as the horse was about to trample her over, a veiled woman in green suddenly appeared and rescued her from its hooves.¡±


    But after the woman saved the girl, she became the one in danger. Luckily, the temporary diversion had given Yun Moxiao enough time to sessfully subdue the steed and save that woman, who then thanked him and left.


    ¡°I found this sachet on the ground after she left, and it must be hers,¡± Yun Moxiao finished.


    ¡°Brother, how can you be so certain that it was hers? There must have been a lot ofmotion, so what if someone else had left it behind?¡±


    ¡°Because of its smell. This sachet smells exactly like that woman,¡± Yun Moxiao replied confidently.


    As soon as he spoke, Yun Moxiao felt that something was amiss. Discussing a woman¡¯s smell in front of someone else¡­ this was the first time that Yun Moxiao had done so in his entire life. He couldn¡¯t help but blush a little.


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen nced at each other with a slight smile. Yun Ruoyan sighed. Ah, was her handsome brother about to engage in his first romance?


    But then she turned glum again. If they didn¡¯t know the masked woman¡¯s identity, how would they ever find her? She couldn¡¯t bear to have her brother¡¯s budding romance nipped in the bud!


    ¡°Brother, was she beautiful?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. She was wearing a veil.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan furrowed her brows.


    ¡°How old did that woman look to be?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Based on her stature, she¡¯s probably fairly young.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan continued furrowing her brows.


    ¡°Then, did she sound like someone from the capital?¡±


    Yun Moxiao reflected on his memories. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. There was so much idle chatter that I didn¡¯t pay much attention to her voice.¡±


    Brother, what do you expect me to do with so little information?!


    ¡°Young Master, Young Misses, we¡¯re here at the apothecary,¡± the driver informed them.


    The three of them immediately stepped out of the carriage. As soon as they got out, Yun Ruoyan noticed a vendor by the west side of the street, another selling sweets on the east, and three beggars right opposite the apothecary ncing at them with shifty eyes.


    Yun Ruoyan tugged on Lin Qingchen¡¯s sleeve, and she gave Yun Ruoyan a slight nod. Those were indeed the suspicious men she¡¯d mentioned earlier. She leaned in close to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ear and murmured, ¡°The men by our manor try to hide their presence, but those here are spying on us brazenly.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s head inside.¡± Yun Moxiao strode forward without turning to look at the suspicious men.


    The apothecary was located in one of the less-frequented areas of the capital, but its presence had brought new life to the area. Although it was only noon and the streets weren¡¯t as crowded as they would bee the afternoon, the apothecary was already packed with people.


    Lin Qingchen had veiled herself before entering the apothecary.


    Although the women of the Chenyuan continent weren¡¯t particrly conservative, it wasmon for those who didn¡¯t want to advertise their appearance to veil themselves. Quite a number of women had also sumbed to thetest fashion: applying the gauze patches that Lin Qingchen had originally designed for Yun Ruoyan.


    There were a significant number of patients queueing up to see a physician. Those who had just finished their appointments would head straight to the back counter to have their prescription filled, and there were even designated workers to maintain order and answer patients¡¯ questions.


    As a result, despite the density of people in the apothecary, everything was neat and orderly.


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re here!¡± A middle-aged, bearded man walked up to Lin Qingchen. Yun Ruoyan recognized him as the manager of this apothecary, Zhong Bo.


    ¡°I¡¯m just here to show my cousins around, Zhong Bo. Please, don¡¯t worry about us,¡± Lin Qingchen replied.


    Zhong Bo had seen Yun Ruoyan a few times before, but never Yun Moxiao. He couldn¡¯t help but sneak him a few additional nces before returning to his own affairs.


    ¡°Qingchen, are you in charge of the entire apothecary now?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, still admiring her surroundings. She remembered that, thest time she¡¯d been to the apothecary, it was still situated on the most crowded street in the capital and administered by Lin Zainan himself.


    There had only been two physicians on-duty at once, and the long lines would easily snake out of the apothecary and onto the streets in the afternoons, clogging up traffic.


    Now, although the apothecary had moved to a quieter location, the number of patients had only grown. Without the hubbub and traffic of its original location, the apothecary was far more efficient than before.


    Yun Ruoyan was very impressed by her cousin, who had effected these changes on her own at such a young age. After her rebirth, Yun Ruoyan was mentally in her thirties, and even she didn¡¯t think she could have done a better job than Lin Qingchen at twelve.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, look!¡± Lin Qingchen pointed behind the counter at a man who was adroitly filling a patient¡¯s prescription.


    He deftly pulled out five pieces of waxed paper for carrying herbs, took a single nce at the prescription the patient handed him, and began scooping up the requisite herbs from the drawers and cabs all around him. It took him only two breaths to open up the right drawer, scoop out the appropriate quantity of herbs, and evenly distribute it among the five pieces of paper. He repeated this eight times without a second look at the prescription.


    His skills required both a deep familiarity with such herbs and an impressive memory.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help nodding in praise.


    ¡°That¡¯s Ling Lan¡¯s brother, Che Mingchen.¡±

 Chapter 140: The Yuelu Villa

    <h4>Chapter 140: The Yuelu Vi</h4>


    ¡°Oh, him!¡± Yun Ruoyan scrutinized the man carefully after hearing Lin Qingchen¡¯s words. He looked elegant and schrly, and it was hard for her to associate him with the drunken gambler she¡¯d seen before.


    ¡°Schr Che!¡± Lin Qingchen called out. Ling Lan¡¯s brother had passed the imperial exam, so he was worthy of the title.


    The man raised his head and smiled when he saw Lin Qingchen. ¡°Young Miss Lin.¡±


    She pulled Yun Ruoyan to the counter as Che Mingchen tied the waxed bundles together and handed them to the patient. After motioning for a young boy by his side to take over his duties, he stepped out from behind the counter.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Miss Lin?¡± Che Mingchen walked up to the girls and bowed.


    ¡°This is my cousin, Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    Che Mingchen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°My sister heaps great praise on you, Miss Yun. I¡¯ve always wanted to meet you and express my gratitude for your assistance.¡±


    He bowed deeply to Yun Ruoyan. If not for her timely assistance, he would likely have been crippled by the thugs from the gambling den, and his father would have died of an untreated illness. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he owed his life to her. ¡°Miss Yun, I am truly grateful. You¡¯ve saved me from a life of destitution and ruin and prevented my family from being implicated by my thoughtless actions.¡±


    ¡°Your sister has also been a great help to me.¡± Yun Ruoyan epted his thanks with a faint smile. ¡°You don¡¯t look as though this is new to you.¡±


    ¡°You indulge me, Miss Yun. My memory has been refined by long years of studying. In my youth, I had the opportunity to peruse a few medical tomes, giving me some familiarity with these medicinal and spiritual herbs.¡±


    Even his words and manner of speech sounded erudite. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but think of him gambling with this demeanor and style of speaking amidst a den of wolves, and had to cover her mouth to hide herughter.


    After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Che Mingchen, Lin Qingchen brought Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao to the back of the apothecary.


    The front of the apothecary was where ordinary civilians could get medicine to treat simple illnesses, whereas the more expensive spiritual herbs and grasses were stored at the back to be sold to cultivators and pillmasters.


    Yun Ruoyan took a look at the wares on offer and noted that there were quite a few that were on Qiuqiu¡¯s list. She asked about their prices and nned to purchase them from another apothecary in the capital.


    The reason she was unwilling to get the herbs from the Lin family apothecary was because of how scrupulous Lin Qingchen was. She might not interrogate Yun Ruoyan as to what she was doing with those herbs, but her curious, doubtful nces would undoubtedlypel Yun Ruoyan to divulge the truth. It would be best to avoid the trouble if she could.


    ¡°Qingchen, I made a few low-grade spiritual pills in my spare time. I¡¯d like to sell them, so could you give me an idea of the current market price?¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, do you need money?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, do you want some money?¡±


    Lin Qingchen and Yun Moxiao opened their mouths at the same time. In general, unless they were severelycking money or specialized in buying and selling pills, no one would offer spiritual pills up for sale.


    Yes, I do!


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± Yun Ruoyan waved her hands as if to dispel their notions. ¡°I¡¯m just unfamiliar with the price of these pills, so I wanted to understand how much they¡¯re really worth.¡±


    ¡°Usually, you won¡¯t be able to find them on the market at all, but there¡¯s one ce that specializes in the sale of such rare goods. Not only do they have low- and mid-grade pills, they even have a select few high-grade spiritual pills.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°The Chenyuan Auction Hall, right by the foot of the Kongming Mountains. It¡¯s been so long since Ist visited the ce with Grandfather!¡±


    ¡°Oh? I heard of that ce while in the army, but I haven¡¯t yet had a chance to go. Shall we go together?¡± Yun Moxiao suggested.


    After settling a few additional matters, the three of them headed to the Chenyuan Auction Hall that same day.


    By the foot of the Kongming Mountains was the Yuelu Vi, in which the Chenyuan Auction Hall was situated. By the time the three of them arrived at the auction hall, it was already evening.


    The Yuelu Vi appearedrger than life amidst the dusky sky and mountainous backdrop. In front of the vi were all sorts ofvish carriages, and the vi was awash with nobles and merchants from all kingdoms.


    Lin Qingchen hopped out of the carriage and guided Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao into the vi. A manager immediately stepped up to inquire as to their business at the Yuelu Vi, and Lin Qingchen passed him a jade tablet.


    As soon as the manager saw the tablet, he bowed deferentially to Lin Qingchen before leading the party into the rear.


    ¡°Where are they heading?¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered to Lin Qingchen, seeing that other parties were being led in different directions by different managers.


    ¡°The Yuelu Vi hosts quite a number of other attractions beyond the Chenyuan Auction Hall. They¡¯re headed somewhere else.¡±


    Despite having led two lives, Yun Ruoyan had been cooped up at home for the majority of her existence. Before marrying Pei Ziao, she would at least go visit the Lins from time to time, but she had gradually severed her rtionship with the Lin family after her marriage. As a result, Yun Ruoyan was almost as unfamiliar with the capital as Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°I heard myrade in the army mention that there¡¯s a duelling arena here. Is that true?¡± Yun Moxiao also whispered.


    Yun Moxiao¡¯srade was a vice-general from some noble family or another. ording to him, the duelling arena involved duels to the death between ves and magical beasts. Not only did the arena serve to ke the crowd¡¯s bloodthirst, gamblers could even ce bets on the results of the deathmatches.


    Yun Moxiao was very interested.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that, Cousin,¡± Lin Qingchen replied. ¡°When I came here with Grandfather, it was only ever to visit the auction hall. Grandfather did say that there were quite a number of hidden venues in the Yuelu Vi not essible to the public, however.¡±


    As the three of them chatted, they were brought to avish, morous building. As they walked into it, they found themselves in a resplendent, high-vaulted hall, with a stage at the very center.


    To their left and right were stairs that led to private rooms on either side of the stage. Most of the crowd was situated in rooms on the second floor; there were few people on the first floor, and even less on the third. Only three of the numerous silk-curtained rooms on the third floor were lit up, and the rest seemed empty.


    When the manager asked if they would be participating in the auction as seller or bidder, Lin Qingchen answered the former. The manager led them onwards to the farthest room on the first floor, where a few staff were cataloguing the goods to be auctioned.


    Asked about the identity of the party, Lin Qingchen responded, ¡°The Lin family.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan found, with some surprise, that the base price of spiritual pills were dependent on the pillmaster¡¯s prestige. The Lin family¡¯s name alone elevated the price of a low-grade pill to at least double that of a pill made by an obscure pillmaster.


    Yun Ruoyan had three darkened heavens pills on her hands, two regr and one superior. Because she¡¯d used the Lin family name, she handed over the superior-grade pill.


    ¡°A superior low-grade darkened heavens pill,¡± the female clerk dered. ¡°Starting bid: ten gold.¡±


    She handed Lin Qingchen a pile of papers.


    Ten gold! Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart thumped. Although her monthly stipend had increased by a few times, it was only ten silver! This single superior low-grade pill was worth a hundred times her monthly stipend! No wonder pillmasters were the wealthiest profession on the Chenyuan continent; at this rate, even Yun Ruoyan would be drowning in money in no time.


    Lin Qingchen stamped a red seal on the documents before passing them back to the clerk, who informed them that their item would be third on today¡¯s auction.


    The manager then brought them to one of the suites on the first floor. ¡°Honored guests, the auction will begin once all the guests who have made reservations have arrived.¡±


    After the manager left, Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, and Lin Qingchen sat quietly in the suite as they waited for the auction to begin.


    ¡°Qingchen, do youe here frequently with Grandfather?¡± Yun Ruoyan could tell that she was practiced with submitting goods for auction.


    ¡°When I was seven or eight, Grandfather would bring me here frequently to sell our supply of pills. At that time, Grandfather still hadn¡¯t given up on searching for my parents or my second uncle, so he spent a lot of money to fund search teams. In the end, when no news emerged despite the harrowing expense, he finally gave up.¡±


    By then, Lin Zainan had spent more than half the family¡¯s fortunes, and the Lin family had headed toward its slow downfall.


    The Yun siblings were silent for a moment after hearing Lin Qingchen¡¯s words.


    In that silence, Yun Ruoyan suddenly noticed that there was a gaze directed at her. She raised her head and sought it out, but to no avail. In her search, however, she found that the dim third-floor suites had begun lighting up.


    A few more guests proceeded to show up, most of whom climbed to the second floor. There were only a few on the first floor, and even less on the third. Lin Qingchen informed them that those on the first floor were sellers, those on the second bidders, and those on the third a few special guests from all over the Chenyuan continent. Regardless of whether they were sellers or bidders, they could partake in the luxury of the third floor.


    Ding!


    Just then, on center stage, a handsome man in blue rang a little copper bell on stage. Despite its small size, the clear, bright sound reverberated throughout the entire hall.


    ¡°Silence, please,¡± the blue man began. ¡°I hereby announce the start of tonight¡¯s auction.¡±

 Chapter 141: A Senseless Price

    <h4>Chapter 141: A Senseless Price</h4>


    The man imbued spiritual energy into his voice as he spoke, and the sound easily spread to every corner of therge hall.


    ¡°The first item up for auction is a high-grade sprig of cassia herb, the primary ingredient for refining the high-grade cassia pill. Opening bid: twenty-five gold.¡± The man opened a red sandalwood box and disyed a jade-green spiritual herb for all to see.


    ¡°Fifty gold!¡± a buyer called out from the second floor.


    Everyone turned to the suite from which the bid had emerged. Doubling the price from the very beginning meant that the buyer was either trying to raise the price intentionally or had to obtain the item at all costs.


    When Yun Ruoyan nced upward, she found that the bidder was none other than the eldest son of the Wang family, whom she was set to battle: Wang Meng.


    ¡°Fifty-five gold,¡± another bidder called out from the second floor.


    The cassia herb was a vital ingredient for refining a high-grade pill, so it was quite valuable.


    ¡°Seventy gold.¡± The person who bid was the middle-aged man by Wang Meng¡¯s side. Yun Ruoyan recalled that his name was Wang Gang, and he seemed to be a close attendant of Wang Meng¡¯s.


    ¡°Although the cassia herb is valuable, it usually only sells for forty to fifty gold,¡± Lin Qingchen began. ¡°Seventy is already umonly high.¡±


    As expected, seventy gold was the winning bid. Yun Ruoyan saw Wang Meng lower a basket from the second floor, within which was contained seven gleaming ingots of gold. A masked woman inspected the basket before recing the gold with the sandalwood box, after which Wang Meng raised the basket once more.


    Ding!


    ¡°The second item for auction.¡± The blue-robed man hefted another red sandalwood box on stage, this one muchrger than the previous. He opened it to reveal a ck metal flecked with gold. ¡°A mid-grade hunk of metal recovered from a meteorite. Opening bid: one hundred and fifty gold.¡±


    ¡°One-sixty,¡± someone shouted out immediately after the man finished speaking.


    ¡°One-sixty-five!¡±


    ¡°One-eighty.¡±


    ¡°Two hundred!¡±


    The bidders were forgemasters from all over the kingdom. Talent with the forge was rtivelymon on the Chenyuan continent, so there were naturally more bidders. The price rose and rose, soaring all the way to three hundred and seventy-five taels of gold.


    ¡°Going thrice, three-seventy-five! Are there no further offers? Despite being only mid-grade, meteorites are extremely difficult toe by, and such arge hunk will surely be enough for multiple endeavors!¡±


    Just as the man was about to toll the copper bell, signifying the end of the auction for that item, someone from the second floor shouted out, ¡°Four hundred gold!¡±


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan heard this voice, she frowned. No wonder she¡¯d thought that someone had been staring at her! It was Pei Ziao!


    And since Pei Ziao was here, then his father Pei Yingxiong was undoubtedly present. Yun Ruoyan raised her brows. They still owed her her tiger-canine arrows, and this was as good a time as any to collect her debt.


    ¡°Sold! Congrattions to the guests in the sixteenth suite on the second floor.¡±


    Next was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s superior low-grade pill. When Yun Ruoyan saw the man cing a sandalwood box on a stand to reveal the pill nestled within, she couldn¡¯t help but sit up straighter. This was the first time she was auctioning off one of her pills, and Yun Ruoyan was quite nervous.


    ¡°A superior low-grade darkened heavens pill from the Lin family itself!¡± the man announced.


    ¡°A pill from the Lin family!¡± a buyer gasped.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since they¡¯ve sold anything!¡±


    ¡°Right? Thest time I managed to buy one was three or four years ago!¡±


    ¡°I heard Elder Lin decided to stop making spiritual pills. After all, the Lins must be rich enough to buy an entire city by now, so why bother selling goods at auction?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he took on a few sessors?¡±


    ¡°At any rate, pills from the Lin family are a safe investment. Even if you don¡¯t end up using them, they¡¯ll definitely appreciate in price.¡±


    ¡°Opening bid: ten gold,¡± the auctioneer announced.


    ¡°Twenty gold.¡± Pei Ziao¡¯s voice rang out immediately.


    The darkened heavens pill allowed those without any talent for cultivation to rapidly amass spiritual energy and be a third-rank demaster. After consuming such a pill, one would never be able to break through to sixth-rank, so onlyrge families with scions whocked talent in cultivation would purchase them. Yun Ruoyan had no idea why Pei Ziao would be at all interested.


    Pei Ziao had seen Yun Ruoyan as soon as she entered the auction hall. Because Yun Ruoyan was talking to her brother and cousin, she didn¡¯t notice him. The reason he was cing a bid was to get her attention.


    ¡°Forty taels,¡± Wang Gang shouted from opposite him.


    ¡°Are you going to bid?¡± the man who¡¯d wanted to purchase the pill as a safe investment now turned and asked his neighbor.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who wanted to bid? Why¡¯re you asking me? Even the most superior darkened heavens pill is only worth about thirty taels of gold or so. The reason it¡¯s at forty right now is because of the Lin family¡¯s name. If you don¡¯t bid now, you won¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    Agreeing with his friend¡¯s remarks, the man was just about to hedge a bid when Pei Ziao shouted, ¡°Fifty gold!¡±


    Despite its unfortunate side effects, the darkened heavens pill was useful to all sorts ofrge powers, and there were quite a few interested buyers. However, with Pei Ziao and Wang Meng raising the price to such extremes, no one else seemed interested in bidding.


    ¡°This is already as high as it¡¯ll go,¡± Lin Qingchen announced.


    ¡°Sixty gold!¡± Wang Gang shouted.


    Lin Qingchen frowned. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just for the Lin family name, this pill isn¡¯t worth that much.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had also begun to frown. Pei Ziao likely wanted to purchase the pill to get in her good graces, whereas Wang Meng probably intended on deconstructing her technique.


    ¡°Master, this pill isn¡¯t worth such a price.¡± Wang Gang frowned and turned back to Wang Meng, sitting cidly behind him.


    ¡°This pill is from the Lin family. Even after we forced that old geezer¡¯s hand at the Lin manor, he refused to sell us any of his pills, so why would he be auctioning them off now?¡±


    ¡°Master, do you mean that he didn¡¯t make this pill? In that case, why are we still spending so much money on it? It isn¡¯t as if we¡¯recking such low-grade pills.¡±


    ¡°If this wasn¡¯t made by the old geezer but still carries the Lin family name, then there can only be one possibility.¡±


    ¡°What possibility?¡± Wang Gang stared at his young master with beady little eyes.


    ¡°Wang Meng sighed, exasperated by hisckey¡¯sck of intellect. ¡°It¡¯s likely his disciple, that young girl.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you must be trying to understand that little girl¡¯s skills as a pillmaster so as to defeat her in the future!¡± Wang Gang had a sudden sh of insight.


    Wang Meng closed his eyes, not wanting to talk with him any further¡ªpartly because he was unwilling to admit that he would be spending any effort on trying to beat an underaged girl. However, Yun Ruoyan had left him with an indelible impression. He couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of her calm, unruffled disposition, or of how she¡¯d suddenly scorched Wang Gang¡¯s face ck.


    Wang Meng was quite interested in what her pills would be like.


    After he¡¯d raised the price to sixty gold, Pei Ziao had been silent.


    ¡°Sixty gold¡¯s already an exorbitant price,¡± Pei Yingxiong told his son. ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish.¡±


    ¡°Sixty-five gold!¡± Pei Ziao refused to back down.


    ¡°Seventy.¡± Wang Meng stepped up to the balcony of the suite. ¡°Elder Pei, I must obtain this pill. Would you do me this favor?¡±


    When Pei Yingxiong saw Wang Meng, he immediately stood up andughed. ¡°Ah, Wang Meng! I hadn¡¯t recognized your voice earlier¡ªand to think we¡¯re almost as close as family!¡±


    Both men began tough.


    ¡°Father, you know of him?¡±


    Pei Yingxiong nodded. ¡°He¡¯s Wang Kuang¡¯s elder brother, a pillmaking genius. He¡¯s not yet in his twenties but already a fifth-rank pillmaster, and he¡¯ll almost certainly be unsurpassed in the future. I spent a great deal of effort to connect with him, so you can¡¯t offend him lightly.¡±


    Pei Yingxiong looked back at his son to find him slightly dumbfounded. ¡°Did you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Pei Ziao gulped. Wang Meng¡¯s brother, Wang Kuang, had died at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands. Not only had he hidden the truth behind Wang Kuang¡¯s death, he had even killed Wang Kuang¡¯spanions himself! If Wang Meng were to start investigating the matter, he would surely be implicated.


    Pei Ziao had always hidden this from Pei Yingxiong. All he told his father was that Yun Ruoyan had found out about the imperial family¡¯s secret, but not any of the deaths that had taken ce. Even Yun Ruoyan, her sisters, and her cousins had kept this secret. Pei Ziao looked once again toward Yun Ruoyan, knowing that he would have to discuss how to hide this matter with her.


    Pei Yingxiong motioned that he would give up bidding before returning to his suite.


    ¡°Seventy gold, once, twice, thrice! Congrattions to the bidder in the twelfth suite.¡±


    The man was just about to toll the bell when a clear female voice rang out from the third floor. ¡°One hundred gold.¡±


    The blue-robed man hesitated for a moment before retracting his hand. ¡°A bid of one hundred gold, from the honored guests in the ninth suite of the third floor!¡±


    ¡°One-fifty!¡±


    ¡°Two hundred.¡±


    ¡°Three hundred.¡±


    ¡°Five hundred!¡±


    Wang Meng continued to frown as he nced up at that suite on the third floor. There weren¡¯t many guests distinguished enough to warrant such merit, and he was racking his brains as he tried to figure out who the other bidder could be.


    ¡°Master, we can¡¯t raise the price any further¡­¡± Wang Gang was a little anxious.


    ¡°Eight hundred gold!¡± Wang Meng shouted.


    ¡°A thousand gold,¡± the woman replied immediately.


    Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, and even Lin Qingchen just sat in their seats in shock.


    A low-grade pill going for a thousand gold? What idiot would pay such a senseless price?!

 Chapter 142: Schemes in Action

    <h4>Chapter 142: Schemes in Action</h4>


    In the ninth suite of the auction hall¡¯s third floor, the senseless idiot that had just paid a thousand gold for a low-grade pill was enjoying a cup of alcohol.


    When Li Luo saw that her master¡¯s cup was empty, she immediately poured him some more. As Li Mo enjoyed his wine, he inspected Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face through the gray, translucent cloth curtains in front of him. Yun Ruoyan was looking very curiously in his direction, but while Li Mo could see Yun Ruoyan clearly, she could only see a blurred shadow.


    Staring at Li Mo¡¯s suite equally fervently was Wang Meng. Of the famed personalities who would be granted ess to the third floor, he knew of none who would spend a thousand taels of gold on a single low-grade darkened heavens pill.


    Was the person intentionally trying topete against him, or was there some other reason? Wang Meng frowned, deep in thought.


    ¡°Young Master, we can¡¯t bid any further,¡± Wang Gang quickly dissuaded, seeing that Wang Meng still seemed unwilling to give up.


    Wang Meng ignored the man, but did sit back down in his seat.


    The reason he¡¯d wanted to purchase the pill was because he had a rather special impression of Yun Ruoyan, not because she was an opponent, and definitely not because she was a threat. Paying seventy gold for a diversion was eptable, but not a thousand. As a scion of a house of merchants, he surely wasn¡¯t about to take part in a losing proposition.


    ¡°One thousand taels, going once, twice¡­ thrice!¡± Ding! The man struck the bell once more. ¡°Congrattions to the guests on the third floor¡¯s ninth suite for winning the Lin family¡¯s superior low-grade darkened heavens pill!¡±


    Despite his professionalism, the blue-robed man was clearly very excited¡ªthis was the first time he¡¯d ever sold an item with an opening bid of ten gold for a thousand. A thousand taels of gold wasn¡¯t arge sum for such a prestigious auction hall; rather, what was incredible was that it was a hundredfold increase over the opening bid.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan?¡± Lin Qingchen tapped Yun Ruoyan on the shoulder, noticing that she was staring at the suite on the third floor in a daze.


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Lin Qingchen, who motioned at Yun Moxiao. At this moment, he was also staring intently at the suite on the third floor.


    A veiled woman in a green dress stepped out from behind the curtain, and Yun Moxiao¡¯s eyes widened fractionally. Yun Ruoyan took a look at the woman, frowned, and then turned toward her brother. ¡°Brother, do you recognize her?¡±


    Yun Moxiao blushed furiously when he noticed his sister and cousin both staring brightly at him. ¡°That woman¡¯s the one I encountered on the streets that day.¡±


    Although she was veiled on both asions, Yun Moxiao could recognize her as the woman who had saved a little girl from underneath a rampaging horse¡¯s hooves through her body shape and manner of dressing.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure she¡¯s the owner of that scented sachet?¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed.


    Yun Moxiao nodded with certainty. Although the woman was veiled, she looked older than they were. As for how much older, he couldn¡¯t tell.


    Li Luo strode forward to ce a banknote within the hanging basket, then lowered it. When it was reced by the red sandalwood box containing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pill, she drew it back up. Then, Li Luo ced the sandalwood box in her hands on the desk in front of Li Mo. When he opened the box, a fragrant medicinal smell emerged.


    Li Mo took the pill out of the box and peered at it before smiling in satisfaction.


    ¡°Master?¡± Li Luo looked a little anxious.


    Li Mo hadn¡¯t gone to the Yuelu Vi to participate in the auction; he¡¯d only stopped by briefly because he saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s silhouette. It was almost time for the scheduled meeting, and if they didn¡¯t depart right that moment, they would likely bete.


    Li Mo ced Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pill back into its box before storing it in his storage ring. He stood up and was just about to walk out with Li Luo when a manager came to inquire whether Li Mo would be willing to meet the seller of the pill, who had requested a meeting.


    Li Mo waved a hand in refusal, and the manager headed back to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s suite to report.


    When Yun Ruoyan was told that the buyer had refused to meet with her, she suddenly became quite angry. She had clearly recognized Li Luo¡¯s appearance, and had guessed that the person who had bought her pill for such an exorbitant price was none other than Li Mo.


    Just what was he trying to do? Buying her pill at such a ridiculous price, then refusing to meet her!


    Yun Ruoyan stared as Li Mo stepped out of the auction house and stood up in pursuit, followed quickly after by Lin Qingchen and Yun Moxiao. She brushed past Pei Ziao, who had gone downstairs in search of her.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± Pei Ziao called out, but Yun Ruoyan ignored him. As a result, Pei Ziao also stiffly turned and followed behind her.


    Li Mo stepped out into a courtyard, as did Yun Ruoyan and the group behind her. By this time, the Yuelu Vi waspletely packed with people, and Yun Ruoyan quickly lost track of Li Mo amidst the crowd.


    ¡°I lost him,¡± Yun Ruoyan muttered, once Lin Qingchen and Yun Moxiao caught up to her.


    Bestowed with the gift of height, Yun Moxiao was like a crane among chickens. He raised his head and looked all around him before suddenly seeing a person in green slip into a corridor. ¡°Let me take a look. Stay here and wait for me.¡±


    He quickly slipped through the crowd in the direction of that green silhouette.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± Just then, Pei Ziao¡¯s voice rang out again.


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen both frowned when they saw Pei Ziao walking toward them. He had left a terrible impression on the Lin sisters within the imperial territory, and Lin Qingchen distested him almost as much as did Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Ruoyan, can we talk?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled at him. ¡°Young Master Pei, what topics could we have to discuss?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s smile was half-mocking, but her beauty was such that Pei Ziao couldn¡¯t help being smitten regardless.


    ¡°It¡¯s crowded, so how about we head to a quieter location? Let¡¯s talk there, behind those trees.¡±


    Lin Qingchen tugged on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sleeve, but the older girl only patted her on the hand, told her to wait there for her, and left with Pei Ziao.


    ¡°Well, Young Master Pei?¡± Yun Ruoyan crossed her arms.


    ¡°Did you see the man who wanted to buy that spiritual pill from the Lin family?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°That was Wang Meng, Wang Kuang¡¯s brother.¡± Pei Ziao¡¯s expression was serious.


    ¡°And?¡± Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t appear to be shocked at all.


    ¡°He¡¯s Wang Kuang¡¯s brother! Have you forgotten about the man you killed in the imperial territory? Aren¡¯t you afraid that his brother will take revenge on you?¡±


    ¡°Who killed who in the imperial territory?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face appeared to be flummoxed. ¡°Young Master Pei, what on earth are you talking about?¡±


    It had been over two months since the end of the imperial expedition, and there hadn¡¯t been any mention of Wang Kuang¡¯s death in the capital.


    In truth, there were quite a few scions who had lost their lives within the territory. Arge number had been killed and eaten by magical beasts, their corpses never to be found. As a result, no one would guess that Wang Kuang had been killed by Yun Ruoyan without any evidence. Given how much time had passed, even if someone were to use Yun Ruoyan of the crime, she could simply deny it.


    Pei Ziao began to sweat as hepared his own behavior to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s; he had panicked so intensely when he first saw Wang Kuang, but she had hardly batted an eyelid!


    ¡°My apologies, Ruoyan, I didn¡¯t mean anything by those words.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Pei, isn¡¯t there something else that we do need to discuss?¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°Did you n on forfeiting our gentlemen¡¯s agreement? In that case, just give me a price for those tiger-canine arrows that your father has smelted.¡±


    Pei Ziao had repeatedly informed Yun Ruoyan that the tiger-canine arrows were ready, but Yun Ruoyan had to personally pick them up from the Pei manor.


    Knowing that Pei Yingxiong surely had a n to deal with her, Yun Ruoyan clearly wasn¡¯t about to step into the manor. As a result, those arrows had never been imed. Now that Zhuo Yifeng was back in the capital, it was time to settle the matter. Although he hadn¡¯t asked for the arrows, Yun Ruoyan would be sure to keep her promises.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of the price. My father and I simply want to invite you for dinner so we can hand you the arrows in person.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a dinner? There¡¯s no need to go to your manor for that, is there? Why not host it today, right here?¡±


    The Yuelu Vi was sorge and crowded that there was sure to be a restaurant fancy enough for them.


    ¡°But my father¡¯s already arranged to have dinner with others¡­¡± Pei Ziao replied awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh? In that case, how about just the two of us?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled so happily that it seemed as though the icy aura preventing Pei Ziao from stepping closer had fully melted away.


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time visiting the Yuelu Vi, Young Master Pei. Surely you¡¯re not unwilling to have a meal with me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Pei Ziao replied. ¡°The Shenxian restaurant is well-known throughout the capital for its quality of food, and it¡¯s particrly famous for its eponymous shenxian liquor. Clear, sweet, and refreshing, it¡¯s perfectly suited to your tastes, Ruoyan. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love it!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I do feel quite thirsty now.¡±


    Pei Ziao immediately led her to the restaurant. Of course, he too had a n in mind: the shenxian liquor was so strong that it would easily leave her inebriated. Given that it was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s first time at the Yuelu Vi, she wouldn¡¯t be aware of this. If he were to get her drunk and then spend a night with her, then he certainly could avoid the trouble of inviting her to the Pei manor.

 Chapter 143: The Sin of Gluttony

    <h4>Chapter 143: The Sin of Gluttony</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan informed Lin Qingchen that she would be going with Pei Ziao to the Shenxian restaurant. Lin Qingchen wanted to go along, but Yun Ruoyan had her stay put to wait for Yun Moxiao instead.


    When Lin Qingchen pulled on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s arm with no intention of letting go, thetter could only smile and say, ¡°You¡¯re familiar with Young Master Pei, aren¡¯t you? I have a few matters to discuss with him. When my brotheres back, you don¡¯t have to wait for me. Young Master Pei will naturally send me back home.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, there¡¯s no need to worry. I promise I¡¯ll send Sister Ruoyan home,¡± Pei Ziao hastily added.


    When Lin Qingchen saw the gleam in her cousin¡¯s eyes, she knew that she had to be hatching a n. While she was still somewhat concerned, she ultimately did let go of her. Yun Ruoyan followed Pei Ziao toward the north of the vi. Not fifteen minutester, they arrived at their destination.


    The restaurant¡¯s courtyard consisted of a magnificentke, around and on top of which were dotted a number of small pavilions. Moonstones were iid along the balusters and the paved walkways, illuminating the entire courtyard with a dream-like glow.


    Yun Ruoyan nced all around her. Each pavilion was packed with feasting guests. Directly beyond the pond was a small building: the Shenxian restaurant itself.


    ¡°They say that delicacies from all four kingdoms on the Chenyuan continent are avable at this restaurant,¡± Pei Ziao introduced, while leading Yun Ruoyan up a bridge through the pond. ¡°And as for alcohol, the shenxian is undoubtedly the queen of liquor. Sister Ruoyan, you must try someter.¡±


    The two of them headed inside the restaurant, and Pei Ziao asked for a private suite on the second floor. The waiter led them there and handed a menu to Pei Ziao, who then passed it on to Yun Ruoyan.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw that the menu was full of the abstract titles so prevalent in haute cuisine¡ªPhoenix¡¯s Rebirth, Dance of the Dragons, Spires on the Jade Sea¡ªshe simply picked out seven or eight of the most expensive dishes without caring what they described.


    A conservative estimate put the price of dinner at no less than ten gold. Even Pei Ziao, born with a golden spoon, couldn¡¯t help but gulp upon seeing the dishes that Yun Ruoyan had ordered.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go with this.¡± Pei Ziao handed the menu to the waiter and replied extravagantly, ¡°Add on a sk of shenxian and of eryuehong.¡±


    The suite was right by the edge of theke, and Yun Ruoyan could see the courtyard from her vantage point. The stars were dazzling. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sight had greatly improved upon bing a seventh-rank demaster, and she could even make out the mountain range far into the distance. One of the mountains rose up above all others.


    ¡°The tallest mountain is the main peak of the Kongming Mountains, and the Kongming Academy is situated at the top of that mountain.¡± Pei Ziao followed her gaze.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°Young Master Pei, I¡¯ll pay for this banquet. Please hand me the tiger-canine arrows at your earliest convenience.¡±


    ¡°No, no¡ªit¡¯s my treat, Ruoyan!¡± Pei Ziao continued embarrassedly, ¡°I¡¯d like to hand you the arrows soon toplete our agreement, but they¡¯re with my father, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan once again turned to the window, hiding her mocking smile. In that case, you can¡¯t me me for wresting it from you.


    The dishes were served rapidly. Pei Ziao ced the sk of shenxian in front of Yun Ruoyan, whereas he took the sk of eryuehong.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, please have a taste of this magnificent liquor.¡± Pei Ziao poured her a full cup of alcohol.


    ¡°Ah, why aren¡¯t you having any yourself, Young Master Pei?¡±


    ¡°The shenxian is sweeter than I¡¯d like, and I prefer the spicier notes of eryuehong.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan held up the cup of shenxian to her lips. It was clear and fragrant, and just the smell alone was intoxicating. But just as she looked as though she would drink from the cup, she suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s not good to drink alcohol on an empty stomach, so let¡¯s have some food first.¡±


    She put her cup down again.


    Pei Ziao immediately rmended her a few dishes. Although the food was decent, it wasn¡¯t as amazing as Pei Ziao had made it out to be.


    ¡°Does it not suit your taste? If not, when don¡¯t you have a sip of that liquor first?¡±


    Pei Ziao was so insistent that she try the wine that Yun Ruoyan knew that there had to be something suspicious about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m really too famished. These dishes are a little nd, and they¡¯re not very filling. Young Master Pei, could I trouble you to order me some desserts?¡±


    When Pei Ziao heard Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stomach grumbling, he nodded immediately. After he left, Yun Ruoyan quickly took out a soul-stealing pill from her pocket dimension and dropped it into Pei Ziao¡¯s sk of wine. She shook it quickly, and the pill immediately dissolved in the alcohol.


    When she heard his returning footsteps, Yun Ruoyan put down the sk and sat back in her seat. Not long after Pei Ziao returned to the suite, the waiter brought in a tray of snacks. Yun Ruoyan really was quite hungry, and she began eating immediately.


    ¡°Here, Young Master Pei, let¡¯s have a toast.¡± Yun Ruoyan finished a snack and raised her cup toward Pei Ziao.


    She had seen the waiter bring the alcohol in directly, so she was certain that Pei Ziao hadn¡¯t had a chance to poison her. Thus, the only reason he would keep insisting that she drink was in order to make her drunk. But now that she had spiked Pei Ziao¡¯s wine, there was no chance of him doing anything untoward to her.


    Pei Ziao downed his cup in one gulp, whereas she only had a little sip. The liquor was sweet and fragrant, and the alcohol so faint that she felt she was only drinking juice.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, a toast to you! I know you¡¯re still a little upset with me about what happened within the imperial territory, and I¡¯ll be sure to try topensate you,¡± Pei Ziao replied passionately before pouring himself another cup of wine. ¡°Ruoyan, why aren¡¯t you drinking?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan downed the shenxian liquor in one gulp.


    ¡°Another round!¡± Not feeling anything unusual even after consuming the alcohol, Yun Ruoyan rxed. Following Pei Ziao¡¯s lead, she had another cup.


    By this time, Pei Ziao had already drunk three or four cups of wine, and he felt his head go fuzzy. Under Yun Ruoyan¡¯smand, he continued drinking when she told him to drink, and stopped when she told him to stop. It was then that she knew that the soul-stealing pill had begun to take effect.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Pei Ziao,¡± Pei Ziao replied woodenly.


    ¡°What¡¯s your father¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Pei Yingxiong.¡±


    ¡°Who am I?¡±


    Pei Ziao¡¯s head swiveled slowly to her face. ¡°Mistress.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smirked. ¡°Very good. Now, I have a task for you.¡±


    ¡°Your wish is mymand, mistress.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Return to the Pei manor, steal the tiger-canine arrows, and send them to the Lin manor for me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mistress.¡±


    Not yet satisfied, Yun Ruoyan added, ¡°Also hand me your family¡¯s entire collection of high-grade spiritual pills.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mistress.¡±


    How good it felt to get revenge! But Yun Ruoyan quickly changed her mind. No, that was too much. If she really were to ransack the Pei family, Pei Yingxiong would surely go crazy. Pei Yingxiong had even dared to barge into the Yun estate in order to obtain a core foundation pill to save his son. If she truly were to drive him into a corner, who knew what he would do?


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t afraid of him, but it wasn¡¯t worth the effort for just a moment¡¯s satisfaction. As a result, she modified her previousmand. ¡°Ignore my previousmand. Don¡¯t steal all your family¡¯s spiritual pills; just two is enough.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan waved two fingers in front of Pei Ziao¡¯s eyes.


    Her promise with Pei Ziao was to have him bring her a set of tiger-canine arrows and two high-grade spiritual pills, and she was just iming what she was owed.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up and downed another cup of shenxian. ¡°Leave an hour after I do. You only have three days, so work quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± Pei Ziao replied woodenly once more.


    Yun Ruoyan pulled open the door to the suite and found a cold wind blowing at her. Suddenly, she felt as if her head was as heavy as a rock, and she couldn¡¯t help falling onto the ground.


    ¡°Damn it! That shenxian¡­ has too strong an aftereffect,¡± Yun Ruoyan cursed. Why did she drink three cups of it even knowing that it was suspicious?!


    She forced herself to stand upright as she hobbled out of the suite, clutching a railing. I can¡¯t get drunk now. If Pei Yingxionges looking for me, wouldn¡¯t I just be stepping into a lion¡¯s den myself?


    But her drunken haze persisted and even grew stronger over time. She looked at a person walking toward her; even though she¡¯d wanted to step aside, she still ended up knocking into him.


    ¡°So-sorry,¡± Yun Ruoyan mumbled, continuing to force herself down the hallway. She was almost at the stairs, and she gingerly took a step forward. The stairs appeared just like waves in a pond, rising and falling, curved and unsteady. As expected, she stumbled on the very first step.


    Yun Ruoyan closed her eyes, prepared to roll down the stairs. Once she was outside the restaurant, she would climb back up. At any rate, she had to leave as soon as possible.


    Just then, a pair of arms suddenly grabbed her waist from behind, pulling her up and dragging her into its embrace. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart thumped as she raised her head to see who had stopped her, but her vision had gone blurry.


    Subconsciously, she reached a hand out toward him, but that person grabbed her by her wrist.


    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tongue lolled out as she asked.

 Chapter 144: The Dueling Arena

    <h4>Chapter 144: The Dueling Arena</h4>


    ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± Li Mo leaned forward until his nose was just touching Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face.


    Yun Ruoyan could only see a misshapen face suddenly berger in her field of vision. Its nose, eyes, and mouth seemed to be made of a few ovepping shadows, resulting in a strange and unusually humorousbination. She reached out with her other hand and prodded Li Mo¡¯s nose,ughing, ¡°You¡¯re an ugly bastard, haha.¡±


    Li Mo grabbed ahold of her other wrist and murmured by her ear, ¡°You look to be very drunk. Do you want something to clear your head up?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head, trying to break out of his grasp and mumbling somewhat incoherently, ¡°Le-let go of me, I have, I have to leave before I, I get caught.¡±


    Li Mo raised his brows as he brought Yun Ruoyan back into the corridor, ignoring her struggles. ¡°Stay still. If you fall down and hurt yourself, don¡¯t me me.¡±


    A green sword aura shed underneath him before the two of them soared into the skies.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Although Yun Ruoyan was very drunk, she was still able to sense fear. So scared was she that she immediately grabbed Li Mo¡¯s waist and held on tightly. They flew so quickly through the skies that Yun Ruoyan could feel gusts of cold wind by her ears.


    It was nearing the start of autumn, and dawn and dusk were both getting chillier by the day. Yun Ruoyan felt weak and cold all over. Instinctively, she snuggled into Li Mo¡¯s robes for warmth. Li Mo lowered his head to see the girl curled up in hisp like a kitten, a small smile on his face.


    Slowly, the wind dissipated Yun Ruoyan¡¯s drunken haze. She leaned up to see Li Mo¡¯s distinguished features. ¡°Li Mo, where are you bringing me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve finally recognized me?¡± Li Mo¡¯s inky hair danced in the air, as did his robes.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°Where are we headed?¡±


    ¡°To help you clear your head.¡± Li Mo¡¯s flight became even faster. If those onnd were to look up, all they would see was a shooting star wreathed in green.


    Yun Ruoyan clutched Li Mo¡¯s waist more and more tightly. She didn¡¯t have much experience with swordflight¡ªtwice with Li Mo, and most recently with Yun Moxiao.


    This was the first time she had experienced such a rapid flight.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart was thumping so loudly she felt it would burst out of her chest at any moment. She wanted to scream out loud but didn¡¯t want to lose face in front of Li Mo, so she could only bear with her anxiety stoically.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here.¡± Finally, they began to slow down.


    Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes to see a lofty mountain in front of her eyes. In the dark, it looked like a sword slicing open the heavens. By the peak were smaller mountains, an almost never-ending chain, none of which could contest the majesty of the tallest.


    ¡°In northern Ming lies a seemingly endless mountain range, the Kongming Mountains,¡± Yun Ruoyan began to recite.


    ¡°Overlooking them all is an unconquered peak, the Kongming Summit,¡± Li Mo finished. ¡°And the Kongming Academy lies at the peak of this summit.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked up, but the cloud cover was so thick that she could only see halfway up. She had gone to the Kongming Mountains before when entering the imperial territory, but that was only a trek up one of therger mountains in the range, not the peak.


    Now, however, Li Mo had brought her directly to the foot of the Kongming Summit.


    The Kongming Academy, the dream of all cultivators on the Chenyuan continent¡­ and to think that she would be a student at the academy in no more than ten days.


    She was about to walk out of the Yun family, to conquer her nightmares, to enter a new world! Yun Ruoyan¡¯s passions reached a climax as she stretched her fingers toward the sky. ¡°I will conquer even the skies!¡±


    Her clear voice reverberated through the mountains. It was only an errant thought from her drunken mind, but the person behind her replied coolly, ¡°That¡¯s easy. Hold on tight.¡±


    Before Yun Ruoyan could react, his sword aura hadunched them straight up into the skies, breaking through the cloud cover.


    Back in the Yuelu Vi, Yun Moxiao had followed Li Luo to a nondescript entrance guarded by two masked guards. Those who weren¡¯t in the know would undoubtedly think this an entrance to an underground gambling den, and this was indeed Yun Moxiao¡¯s initial thought.


    He knew that following a woman like this was unseemly, and that she would surely think of him as a hooligan if he were caught. But he was very curious about her identity, and also didn¡¯t want to see a woman like her get hurt.


    As a result, Yun Moxiao hid behind a pir as he watched Li Luo head toward the entrance. Li Luo showed one of the guards an identification of some sort, and the guard handed her a mask. Li Luo put on the mask and walked in through the entrance.


    A few breathster, Yun Moxiao emerged from behind the pir and headed toward the entrance.


    ¡°Hold,¡± the guard with the demon-head maskmanded. ¡°Who introduced you to this ce?¡±


    Yun Moxiao had no idea what this ce was, nor that such a ce required an introduction to enter. Revealing none of his confusion, he replied smoothly, ¡°The eldest son of Chengnan¡¯s General Chu, Chu Jing.¡±


    Chu Jing was arade-in-arms to Yun Moxiao, and he was the one who had told him about the goings-on at the Yuelu Vi. Yun Moxiao tried his luck with his friend¡¯s name and was pleasantly surprised to find that his gambit paid off.


    ¡°And who are you? Do you have identification?¡± the masked guard continued asking.


    Yun Moxiao pulled out a jade tablet and handed it to the masked guard. The jade tablet was his army identification, and could be used to direct his troops during a battle.


    ¡°Alright.¡± The masked guard handed the tablet back to Yun Moxiao and motioned to his neighbor, who handed him a ck-ghost mask to put on.


    After Yun Moxiao put on the mask, the guard motioned for him to enter.


    The entrance was a rather short tunnel, the other end of which was bursting with noise andmotion. Yun Moxiao walked straight into the crowd, all of whom were wearing masks like him. Some had a simr ck-ghost mask, whereas others had ones in green and red.


    Yun Moxiao started searching for those in white, since he had seen Li Luo put on a white mask.


    ¡°Go for it, kill him! ughter him!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, bite his neck! Feast on his blood!¡±


    ¡°This bastard¡­ he really got bitten to death like that?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯ve won again!¡±


    A few exmations and curses filtered into Yun Moxiao¡¯s ears as he surveyed the crowd, and only then did he realize that there was a fenced-off arena not too far ahead of him.


    Yun Moxiao walked toward the arena. With his height, he could easily discern a tall, adult man standing inside. His face and body were covered with scratches andcerations, with a deep wound on his chest. Fresh, red blood continued to pour out of his wound, and his feety in a puddle of blood.


    Opposite the man was a lion-type beast evenrger than the man himself. It hadn¡¯t yet died and was continuing to spasm, the fur on its neck torn to pieces, blood gushing out of an uneven slit by its throat.


    The man spat out the fur in his mouth, then stooped down and dabbed ayer of fine dust on the ground on his wound. Yun Moxiao knew that this was a method of reducing bleeding during extreme circumstances, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough for the severe wound on the man¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Not bad, not bad! These beastkin brutes are really wilder than wild beasts themselves!¡± An excited cheer rang out from the crowd.


    ¡°See? You¡¯ll never lose if you bet on beastkin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not for sure. There are weaklings even among beastkin, but this one seems like an unusually ferocious type.¡±


    As he listened to the crowd, it became clear to him that this was the duelling arena that he¡¯d heard Chu Jing mention.


    There was a dais overlooking the duelling arena where the manager was seated. In front of him was a woman in a white-ghost mask, none other than Li Luo.


    Li Luo was looking at the man in the arena, her posture exuding her anxiety.


    With Li Mo¡¯s assistance, she had finally found her senior brother in her old sect, Duan Tianyun. Upon finding out that he had been sold to the duelling arena in the Yuelu Vi, she had begged Li Mo to help save him.


    That night, Li Luo had followed Li Mo to the Yuelu Vi in order to purchase his ve contract.


    However, right after entering the duelling arena, Li Mo had suddenly given her his identification and left, leaving Li Luo to save her senior brother himself.


    But no matter how she insisted, the manager refused to let Duan Tianyun out of the arena even after seeing the ughtering King¡¯s identification.


    ¡°He¡¯s already fought two matches in a row, so why aren¡¯t you letting him go?!¡±


    ¡°There are three matches scheduled, Miss. The ughtering King is an honored guest, and we¡¯re certainly willing to release the beastkin. However, the Yuelu Vi has rules of its own, and having fewer than three matches today won¡¯t be eptable.¡±


    ¡°You want him to fight even when he¡¯s this injured?!¡± Li Luo mmed a palm on the table. ¡°The ughtering King will be back shortly. If the man he¡¯s interested in dies, how will you answer to him?¡±


    The manager¡¯s expression shifted slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice either, Miss. This rule of the duelling arena has been set in stone. If I break it, the next one in that arena will be me.¡±


    ¡°Then, will he be freed after thisst match?¡± Li Luo asked, exasperated.


    The manager naturally didn¡¯t dare to tell her that, when beastkin were ted to fight, they would fight beast after beast until they finally sumbed to their wounds and died.


    ¡°Naturally,¡± the manager smiled and answered. He stood up and waved a small, red g from the stand, causing someone below to proim loudly, ¡°The third match is beginning!¡±


    Two doors on the opposite end of the arena opened at once, revealing two lion-type beasts each asrge as the carcass in front of the wounded man.


    Just one beast had already injured the beastkin man severely, so how could he handle two at once? Did the manager intend for this to be a bloodbath?


    ¡°You underhanded bastard!¡± Li Luo turned in rage as she red at the manager.

 Chapter 145: Making Waves

    <h4>Chapter 145: Making Waves</h4>


    Furious, Li Luo eximed, ¡°Don¡¯t you fear the ughtering King¡¯s wrath?¡±


    ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± The manager innocently overlooked Li Luo¡¯s angry gaze. ¡°I¡¯m simply following the rules set by the Yuelu Vi. If the ughtering King objects, surely I¡¯m not the one to me?¡±


    The Yuelu Vi was itself a special existence on the Chenyuan continent. Although it wasn¡¯t as superior a force as the Kongming Academy, it still possessed enough power that none of the four kingdoms could afford to neglect its existence.


    The host of the Yuelu Vi, Dong Tiehe, was the de facto head and representative of the governing body for human cultivators, as well as the grandfather of the fourth prince, Li Qianyue.


    As a result, even Li Mo had to tread carefully in the Yuelu Vi. It was this backing that allowed the manager to ignore Li Luo¡¯s threats so blithely.


    The two lion-type beasts had split up and surrounded Duan Tianyun from left and right. They bared their canines, eyes gleaming red.


    Duan Tianyun¡¯s eyes were grim, despair emanating from his face despite his effort to remain calm and collected. Having survived years of shame and injustice, was he now to die to these two lions without getting his revenge?


    And yet his feral eyes remained bright as he stared at the two lions.


    Frightened by his primal aura that eclipsed even their own, and having seen their fellow kind being ughtered in his hands, the two lions were actually somewhat hesitant to attack the man.


    ¡°Well? Come on, bite him!¡± The crowd outside the fence was growing impatient by theck of movement and blood.


    ¡°These two bastards aren¡¯t frightened by that man, are they? Useless beasts!¡±


    ¡°Attack, attack, kill him!¡±


    When he heard themotion rising all around him, the masked crowd shouting for his death, Duan Tianyun couldn¡¯t help but seethe with rage.


    ¡°Argh!¡± With a thunderous roar, he lifted the carcass of the lion he had just killed and mmed it against the fence.


    Bang! The massive carcass mmed against the fence, momentarily frightening the crowds which had been moring against it.


    A momentary silence befell the crowd before angry cries erupted.


    ¡°This beastkin actually dared provoke us humans?¡±


    ¡°Kill him, he can¡¯t be allowed to live!¡±


    ¡°You think you¡¯re safe in that little arena of yours?!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll y with your corpse once those lions have had their fill!¡±


    Li Luo, still standing on the manager¡¯s dais, clenched her fists as she looked at the scene. At this rate, even if Duan Tianyun somehow managed to kill these two magical beasts, the frenzied crowd surely wouldn¡¯t allow him to leave with his life.


    She ignored the manager and began walking down from the tform.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the door hit you on the way out, Miss!¡± You think the ughtering King¡¯s name works here in the Yuelu Vi? No matter how great his personal strength, he¡¯s still a vassal of the emperor¡ªand the host of the vi¡¯s the emperor¡¯s own father-inw!


    The manager turned back to the crowd to find them moring to send the arrogant beastkin to his death. Sneering, he began waving a little ck g toward the bottom of the dais, causing two more doors of the arena to open. Another two lion-type beasts emerged, and the four lions trapped Duan Tianyun among them.


    Four lions against a single beastkin? It would be a ughter!


    The crowd began to jeer and cheer in equal measure, eagerly anticipating the bloody affair.


    Yun Moxiao was still looking all around him in search of Li Luo when he saw her familiar green silhouette from a distance. Li Luo was rushing in the direction of the arena, and Yun Moxiao followed her.


    With superiority in numbers, the four lions no longer had even a shred of fear against Duan Tianyun. Amidst the crowd¡¯s cheers, they bared their fangs and pounced on the beastkin.


    Duan Tianyun leaped up, climbed onto the neck of one beast, and pounded on its head.


    Awooo!


    The lion began to howl in pain and frantically shook its body, trying to expunge its beastkin rider. However, Duan Tianyun was prepared and was gripping its mane tightly. The other three lions wedged the saddled lion in the middle, trying to but finding no means of attacking the beastkin.


    Realizing that its shaking was to no avail, the lion decided to roll on the ground instead. It took three or four tries before Duan Tianyun finally fell to the floor of the arena. The other three lions seized the opportunity to pounce on the prone beastkin. Two bit at his legs, and the remaining at his head.


    Duan Tianyun gritted his teeth, bearing with the pain in his legs, as he stretched out his arms to force the lion¡¯s jaws to remain open around his head. The remaining lion, having regained its freedom, mped down on Duan Tianyun¡¯s shoulder.


    With a pained grunt, Duan Tianyun redirected the intense pain into physical power as he tore apart the jaws of the lion trying to bite on his head. This sight threw the crowd into a stunned silence.


    ¡°The beastkin are truly ferocious and physically gifted,¡± someone gasped.


    Even if those lion-type beasts were low-tier, they were still horrendous existences for those without sufficient cultivation.


    ¡°And to think that the beastkin sent to the duelling arena have their cultivation sealed!¡±


    ¡°This beastkin was injured from the very beginning, and he was still a little sluggish when facing the first beast. Now, however, he seems to be getting more and more worked up.¡±


    ¡°How on earth did the ughtering King manage to defeat a race with such frightening physicality? No wonder the ughtering King chose to ughter them to thest¡ªif the beastkin were to rise up in rebellion, the human race would surely be endangered!¡±


    Hushed murmurs spread across the crowd like wildfire.


    Within the arena, after Duan Tianyun expended a considerable amount of strength to rip apart a lion¡¯s jaws, his remaining vitality began to g. After seeing their kind get killed, the other three lions mping down on various parts of his body became even more ferocious.


    ¡°Arghhh!¡±


    Duan Tianyun¡¯s left arm had been entirely severed and torn off, and the unimaginable pain almost caused Duan Tianyun to faint.


    In a haze-like vision, he thought he could see the wuye flowers blooming at the peak of the Yueli Mountain, reaching out toward the sky and covering the entire mountainside in a fiery ze¡­


    No longer would he have a chance to return to his hometown. Duan Tianyun slowly shut his eyes, refusing to put on a show for the bloodthirsty crowd to the very end.


    ¡°Senior brother!¡± Li Luo¡¯s heart wrenched as she saw the scene of Duan Tianyun¡¯s impending death. Heedless of the danger, she pushed off someone¡¯s shoulders and leaped into the arena.


    When Yun Moxiao saw the green silhouette in the arena, his heart thumped.


    Li Luo quickly pulled out a sword and thrust it at the three lions still attacking Duan Tianyun.


    One of the lions howled as it slumped onto the ground. The other two, wary of the neer, pulled Duan Tianyun¡¯s prone body behind them as they stared at Li Luo. When Duan Tianyun heard Li Luo¡¯s voice, he struggled to open his eyes.


    ¡°Junior sister, leave me be! You¡¯re no match for them!¡± Duan Tianyun cried out hoarsely.


    ¡°Senior brother, I¡¯m here to save you. No matter what, I¡¯ll get you out of this cursed arena!¡±


    Awooo!


    The two lions howled as they pounced on Li Luo, who barely dodged to the side. Without giving her any time to rx, the two beasts chased after her in hot pursuit. Li Luo could only use her footwork to dodge their attacks by the barest of margins, with no opportunity to strike back.


    As she depleted her spiritual energy, Li Luo¡¯s agility left her. The two lions got in a pincer formation, one in front and one behind her, and pounced as one.


    Duan Tianyun tried to climb up to defend his junior sister, but he had wholly exhausted his strength. He had lost far too much blood from the gaping wound by his left shoulder, and it was already an incredible feat that he remained conscious as he watched the two lions brutalize his junior sister.


    Li Luo blocked the lion in front of her, but the lion behind opened its gaping maws wide as it pounced at her back.


    ¡°Junior sister, behind you!¡± Duan Tianyun called out. Li Luo turned around to see the lion¡¯s sharp ws about to rake at her defenseless body.


    But just as Li Luo¡¯s death drew near, a man jumped out of nowhere and shielded her body. The man seized her by the waist and expertly twisted both of them away from the lion¡¯s ws.


    Peng!


    Then, he kicked at its head with his bare feet.


    ¡°Can you stand?¡± He was dressed in a dark-red robe and wearing a ck-ghost mask. Li Luo nodded, her head still somewhat dazed, and Yun Moxiao removed his hand from her waist.


    Yun Moxiao turned to face thest lion, his body emanating so concentrated a beastmaster¡¯s aura that the lion slowly prostrated in front of him.


    ¡°You¡¯re far too weak,¡± Yun Moxiao sneered. ¡°Wholly unfit to be one of my contracted beasts.¡±


    He raised a fist, imbued it with spiritual energy, and smashed the lion¡¯s head into the ground.


    ¡°My thanks for your timely assistance, savior.¡± Only then did Li Luo react, thanking Yun Moxiao and running hurriedly to her senior brother.


    Duan Tianyun¡¯s body was filled with all sorts of wounds. His left arm had been bitten off entirely, and viscous blood pooled beneath his body.


    ¡°Senior brother, how are you?¡± Li Luo took out a pill from a porcin bottle and fed it to him.


    ¡°I won¡¯t die just yet.¡± Duan Tianyun swallowed, gasped, and passed out.


    ¡°He needs immediate treatment,¡± Yun Moxiao advised. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the two of you out.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where did those two fellowse from?¡±


    ¡°Are those the beastkin¡¯spanions?¡±


    The crowd was startled by their sudden appearance.


    ¡°Seize them!¡± the manager shouted from atop his dais. The guards stationed around the arena hastily unlocked the fence and surrounded the trio.


    Yun Moxiao leaned down, hoisted up Duan Tianyun on his back, and gripped Li Luo by her waist. A yellow sword aura gleamed from beneath his feet as the three of them soared into the skies amidst the crowd¡¯s outraged hubbub.

 Chapter 146: Dim is the Night

    <h4>Chapter 146: Dim is the Night</h4>


    Yun Moxiao rushed out of the duelling arena with Li Luo and Duan Tianyun in tow and up and away into the skies above the Yuelu Vi.


    ¡°There¡¯s a carriage waiting for us outside the vi,¡± Li Luo shouted amidst the wind. ¡°Please bring us there.¡±


    Yun Moxiao nodded and flew toward the carriages.


    ¡°That one!¡± Li Luo pointed at what was easily the mostvish carriage around.


    Yun Moxiaonded right by that carriage.


    ¡°Old Jiu,e help us!¡± Li Luo shouted to the driver. That man immediately jumped off the carriage and strode forward, taking Duan Tianyun from Yun Moxiao¡¯s back and sending him up the carriage.


    ¡°Savior, may I have your name? I will surely repay this debt,¡± Li Luo turned to the masked Yun Moxiao, cupping her fists.


    Yun Moxiao removed his ck-demon mask and smiled at Li Luo. ¡°Do you still remember me, Miss?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Li Luo immediately recognized Yun Moxiao as the man who had saved her from being trampled by a rampaging horse.


    The tall, handsome, and broad-shouldered Yun Moxiao easily left an impression.


    ¡°I¡¯m Yun Moxiao,¡± he introduced himself. ¡°May I have your name, Miss?¡±


    Although Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t had much experience with women, his natural disposition served him well.


    ¡°I¡¯m Li Luo, and the man you saved was my senior brother, Duan Tianyun. I have to administer emergency treatment for my senior brother, so I¡¯ll reach out to you some other time.¡± Li Luo rushed off after a quick introduction.


    ¡°Miss Li Luo!¡± Yun Moxiao called out.


    Li Luo stopped and turned around.


    ¡°May I see your face?¡±


    Only then did Li Luo realize that, although she¡¯d removed her mask, her face was still veiled.


    Li Luo unsped her veil to reveal an unvarnished beauty. ¡°Savior, until next time.¡± She cupped her fists once more and turned back to the carriage.


    Old Jiu rapidly steered the carriage away, until it vanished down the mountain path. Remembering that Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan were still waiting for him within the vi, Yun Moxiao turned back and headed once more inside.


    At that moment, Yun Ruoyan was breaking past the cloud cover with Li Mo as they headed to the acme of the Kongming Mountains. The whistling winds bore down on the duo, making it a struggle for Yun Ruoyan to even open her eyes. As they rose higher and higher, her heart thumped in excitement: how could she not be excited to see the famed Kongming Academy with her own eyes?


    As she felt them slow down, Yun Ruoyan slowly opened her eyes.


    ¡°Look.¡± Li Mo motioned to their front, where Yun Ruoyan saw a magnificent sight. There were no fewer than a hundred buildings situated all around the Kongming Summit. Even though the moon wasn¡¯t bright, Yun Ruoyan could still make out how vast the buildings seemed.


    ¡°The tallest building is the main hall of Kongming Academy, and that¡¯s the side hall,¡± Li Mo introduced.


    Yun Ruoyan listened attentively to Li Mo¡¯s words, nodding as though she were a little chick pecking at grains.


    ¡°And to the back?¡± Yun Ruoyan saw clusters of cottages situated behind one of the taller buildings.


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯ll be staying as a student. Make sure to choose the cottages farthest to the south.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    They flew to the top of Kongming Academy.


    ¡°Where are you bringing me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re clear-headed now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°More or less. I¡¯m still a little dizzy.¡± The reason that the shenxian was so debilitating was because a mild psychedelic had been added to the alcohol during the brewing process. In general, it would take effect after three cups of wine and cause the drinker to sleep for a full day and night afterwards.


    Luckily for Yun Ruoyan, its effects were much milder on her. She only felt very dizzy at the beginning and was now quickly regaining her senses, without once losing control of her body.


    Actually, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unique constitution muted the effects of all sorts of poisons on her body. Otherwise, she would soon have passed away, just like Lin Yuemei, after being poisoned with the shamanic tribe¡¯s carmine embrace. However, she had stubbornly lived on.


    ¡°It looks like your tolerance for alcohol really isn¡¯t bad. In that case, have a few more cups with me.¡± Li Mo directed the two of them toward a tower in Kongming Academy.


    Theynded on the top of the tower. By the railing was a futon and a table. On the table were a sk of wine and two cups, as if somebody had just been lounging and leisurely sipping wine. Li Monguidlyy on the futon as he filled up the cups of wine on the table.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Li Momanded Yun Ruoyan, who was gawking all around her.


    Yun Ruoyan sat down by Li Mo¡¯s side. As he raised a cup to his lips, she did the same. Her two lives¡¯ worth of experience told her that, when faced with an unfamiliar situation, it was best to obey and figure out what was going on before making a n.


    ¡°Do you frequentlye up here to drink with others?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, noting that Li Mo seemed very familiar with this tower and that there were two cups present.


    ¡°Usually, alone.¡± Li Mo spoke coolly and without passion, but Yun Ruoyan thought she could hear a hint of loneliness in his voice.


    Probably anyone with such power would be lonely.


    Instead of lounging as Li Mo did, Yun Ruoyan sat curled up like a cat, hugging her knees. She looked so small and exquisite that Li Mo felt as though he could hold her up in his palm.


    When Yun Ruoyan felt his gaze, she turned toward him. Li Mo¡¯s hand was on the sk of wine, so she tipped her empty cup at him. ¡°Another.¡±


    Li Mo smiled as he refilled her cup. ¡°Don¡¯t get drunk now. The daybreak is wonderful from this vantage point, and it¡¯d be a pity if you missed out.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Yun Ruoyan pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll juste up with you another time.¡±


    Li Mo raised his eyebrows, his lips quirking up into a smile. Yun Ruoyan, like a little cat that had been guarded against him, her ws poised and ready for attack, was now slowly dropping her defenses.


    Yun Ruoyan had more or less recovered from her previous intoxication, but her head began feeling a bit drowsy after two more cups of wine. However, this feeling was quite different from that before. Her previous intoxication was heavy and needed considerable effort to resist, but this intoxication was dreamy,nguid, enjoyable.


    Yun Ruoyan raised her cup above her head, reaching out for the dark of the night. ¡°Moon, don¡¯t run away!¡± she shouted in dismay, seeing it retreating behind a cloud.


    ¡°Oh, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned back to Li Mo, an indolent grin on her face. ¡°More?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan drained the cup, took a long breath, and stretched her limbs out on the futon.


    When Li Mo saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s adorable face tinged with red, he couldn¡¯t help but think back to what had happened that night during the flower-viewing party.


    Yun Ruoyan shut her eyes, the cup in her hand slowly falling to the floor. Just as it left her grasp, Li Mo reached out and dextrously caught it with one arm. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyshes fluttered, a faint smile still hanging by her lips. The peach-blossom shaped gauze patch made her delicate face look even more exquisite.


    Li Mo couldn¡¯t help reaching out to touch her face, but it felt a little cold. It was almost autumn, and the nights were getting cooler, not to mention their current altitude¡­


    Yun Ruoyan was drunk, so the cold would feel even sharper. Li Mo furrowed his brows.


    In her delirium, Yun Ruoyan felt a warm hand ster itself against her cheek, gentle and radiating heat.


    She couldn¡¯t help reaching out toward that hand, curling it around her cheek.


    Li Mo smiled as hey by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side, his expansive robe covering both their bodies.


    Feeling the warmth suffuse her entire body, Yun Ruoyan leaned in toward Li Mo, their noses almost touching.


    Li Mo took a deep breath. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unusual fragrance had always been irresistible to him, and he had no intention of resisting.


    A hand cupping Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head, he gave her a light kiss on the lips. Thebination of her unusual fragrance, a woman¡¯s sweet odor, and the intoxicating alcohol on her lips caused Li Mo to deepen the kiss.


    The dazed Yun Ruoyan slowly fluttered her eyes open, and the sensations of the kiss and Li Mo¡¯s familiar lips sharpened.


    ¡°Li¡­ Mo.¡± Yun Ruoyan tried to push his chest away, but Li Mo wasn¡¯t about to give her such an opportunity. He held on tightly to her back, trapping her in his embrace, his lips still against hers.


    Yun Ruoyan felt that Li Mo¡¯s kiss was very different from before. In the past, both his gentle and his mocking kisses had been light, nothing more than a peck. But now, Li Mo¡¯s kiss left her somewhat fearful, because Yun Ruoyan knew what a kiss of this nature meant.


    ¡°ughtering King¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan mumbled, almost incoherently. ¡°I¡¯m not yet of marriageable age, and I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not an adult.¡±

 Chapter 147: Return

    <h4>Chapter 147: Return</h4>


    When Li Mo heard Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words, he acquiesced. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you to grow up, my dear little consort.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was quite awake after Li Mo¡¯s¡­ ministrations. She immediately broke out of his grasp and sat back upright as she sucked in lungfuls of air.


    ¡°Why?¡± she suddenly asked.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Li Mo propped his head up with an arm. ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Why me? As the ughtering King, there are surely tens of thousands of women moring to be your consort.¡± Yun Ruoyan pointed out with a frown.


    And regardless of Li Mo¡¯s true identity, he was a god of ughter who could make the entire Chenyuan continent tremble. Even his looks were beyondpare. Yun Ruoyan thought back to that peerless silvery-haired man she had seen. Actually, she was very curious about his real identity, but she didn¡¯t dare ask.


    If he wanted to remain as Li Mo, then she would leave him be.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand myself. You¡¯re so ugly and of such lowly status, so why would I be interested in you?¡± Li Mo met Yun Ruoyan¡¯s questioning gaze and smirked. ¡°Perhaps, just as you im, I¡¯m crazy.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan really did think Li Mo crazy to be able to profess his attraction to such a revolting face. However, he didn¡¯t truly appear to be smitten with her, so Yun Ruoyan rejected this hypothesis. It was more likely that Li Mo had nothing better to do, and was just using her as a source of entertainment.


    That being said, when she was abducted, Li Mo had chased after her at the expense of worsening his own injuries and even revealing a hint of his true identity.


    Li Mo had helped her out countless times, and Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t a fool. His actions were more than mere boredom, and she could even feel a tenuous affection from him.


    Regardless, if her previous life¡¯s bitter experiences had taught her one thing, it was that there was a vanishingly small probability that someone would treat her well for no reason. Li Mo had to have some other motive for doing so, but what could it be?


    Her beauty? She was beautiful, but he wouldn¡¯t know that.


    Her status? She was the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family, but Li Mo¡¯s status was far superior to hers.


    In that case, what could be the reason?! She couldn¡¯t do anything about the fact that Li Mo was unwilling to reveal his intentions.


    ¡°Look!¡± Li Mo sat upright as he stared to the front.


    Yun Ruoyan turned her head to see the morning sun peeping out from the horizon. The dimness of dawn gave way to light, covering everything it touched in a sheen of red¡ªthe clouds, the mountains, and even the birds flying high up in the skies.


    It felt as if the earth and heavens had awakened at that very moment. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help standing up and moving to the railing to have a closer look at her surroundings.


    Kongming Academy, with rows upon rows of buildings, was picturesque in its disorder. The buildings were made of a material unknown to her, glowing brightly where the rays of the morning sun were incident.


    Yun Ruoyan looked far into the distance to see vast mountains snaking their way north until they vanished into the horizon.


    ¡°The Kongming Mountains are spectacr!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the Kongming mountain range anymore, but rather the Yueli mountain range.¡±


    ¡°The Yueli mountain range? Home of the beastkin?¡± While she was still in the Yun family academy, her instructor had once spoken of the geography of the Chenyuan continent. However, that had been so long ago that she couldn¡¯t remember everything clearly.


    ¡°The Kongming mountain range spans east and west, encroaching on the territory of the Li kingdom to the west, and that of the Chen kingdom to the east. A valley apart from the Kongming Mountain is the Yueli mountain range, spanning north and south and covering more than half the Chenyuan continent.¡±


    Li Mo pointed at a spot in the distance. ¡°The kingdom of the beastkin was once situated in a hidden, secluded part of the Yueli Mountain.¡± He stilled for a moment, and his gaze turned introspective.


    Yun Ruoyan could feel the change in his emotions, but she didn¡¯tment on it.


    Before the sun fully emerged from the horizon, Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan away from the Kongming Summit.


    ¡°Where are we headed now?¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted at Li Mo against the wind.


    Li Mo clutched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s waist with one hand and steered with the other. ¡°Where would you like to go, Yan¡¯er?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was just about to ask to see the sea¡ªthe sea demons and merfolk of the Chen kingdom!¡ªand the desert, filled with oases and mirages of fragments of distant worlds, or even the Yueli Mountain, to explore the remnants of the beastkin kingdom.


    But then she snapped her mouth shut.


    The night had passed in far too dreamlike a fashion, so much so that Yun Ruoyan felt disconnected from reality. She patted her head and reminded herself that she had to rush back to the Yun family. Her father might not have noticed that she hadn¡¯t returned all night, but her older brother would probably be sick with worry.


    ¡°Send me back to the Yun family, please,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied unenthusiastically.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to buy some more poisonous ingredients?¡± Li Mo asked. ¡°And you have money now, don¡¯t you?¡±


    If Li Mo hadn¡¯t brought it up, Yun Ruoyan would almost have forgotten. She had auctioned off a superior low-grade darkened heavens pill for a thousand gold, and after paying the auction hall a 10%mission, she still had nine hundred taels left.


    Yun Ruoyan owed Li Mo a thousand gold, and what she had wouldn¡¯t be enough to pay off the debt.


    Surely Li Mo wasn¡¯t in dire need of money, so Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t too concerned about repaying the debt urgently. ¡°I have to head home first to let my brother know I¡¯m alright.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s spirits dampened as soon as he was reminded of the scene of Yun Ruoyan clutching Yun Moxiao¡¯s waist tightly as they flew into the skies. Even if he were her brother, how could his dear little consort act so familiarly with another man?


    ¡°Two yearster, if I¡¯m still infatuated with you, I¡¯ll take you as my wife and consort,¡± Li Mo stated coolly.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo before making a nomittal sound. Who knows what¡¯ll happen in the intervening two years?


    She didn¡¯t take his words to heart.


    ¡°In these two years, you have to stay away from other men,¡± Li Mo continued. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to have a meal with another man alone, or to have any intimate encounters with them.


    ¡°ughtering King,¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, turning once more to face him. ¡°In two years, will you recover from your temporary infatuation and not want to marry an ugly wench like me anymore?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Hearing this answer, Yun Ruoyan was at a loss for words. However, her heart lightened up: she would have felt far more ufortable if Li Mo had promised to marry her.


    They flew all the way to the top of the Yun manor, where Yun Lan was meditating in his quarters. When he felt a strong aura appear above his head, he opened his eyes and looked up to see a green sword aura slowly descending to his daughter¡¯s quarters, a smile on his face.


    As Yun Ruoyan had predicted, Yun Moxiao was so anxious that he¡¯d gone to her quarters at the crack of dawn to ask if Yun Ruoyan had yet returned. Peony and the other maids had waited for her the entire night, and when they saw Yun Moxiao¡¯s anxious expression, they too became flustered.


    Yun Moxiao heard Lin Qingchen say that Yun Ruoyan had been brought away by Pei Ziao. If she hadn¡¯t returned, then she had to be at the Pei manor. Lin Qingchen added that Yun Ruoyan seemed to have a n up her sleeve.


    Yun Moxiao was worried that his sister had failed and had been taken captive in the Pei household. ¡°No, we can¡¯t just sit here and wait! I¡¯m going to the Pei estate to ask for my sister back!¡±


    ¡°Wait, Young Master, the miss is back!¡± Xi Lan suddenly shouted from behind. At the same time, Yun Moxiao felt a strong aura quickly descending on his sister¡¯s quarters. He raised his head to see two bodies standing atop a green sword aura: one was his sister, Yun Ruoyan, and the other was an unfamiliar man from whom power exuded.


    They gave off an intimate expression.


    Could he be the legendary ughtering King himself?! He didn¡¯t know of any other man who would be so intimate with Yun Ruoyan and yet possess such incredible cultivation.


    The twonded on the ground, and Yun Ruoyan walked toward Yun Moxiao. ¡°Brother!¡±


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s gaze, however, was stered on Li Mo; but Li Mo¡¯s own gaze was tracking Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back, and he ignored Yun Moxiao entirely.


    ¡°Brother, he¡¯s the ughtering King,¡± Yun Ruoyan introduced, noticing how seriously her brother was staring at him.


    Yun Ruoyan suddenly became a little anxious, more than she was when she¡¯d introduced Li Mo to Yun Lan. Li Mo had also shifted his gaze from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back to Yun Moxiao¡¯s body, and their two gazes met.


    To Yun Moxiao, Li Mo¡¯s eyes were like ck holes, carrying a secretive and mysterious power the likes of which he¡¯d never felt before. He wanted to break the gaze, but found himself powerless from doing so. His heart throbbed, and he couldn¡¯t help taking a step back.


    ¡°Brother, are you alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly stepped forward to support her brother.


    Forcing himself to straighten his back, Yun Moxiao didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo¡¯s gazended on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands, which were clutching her brother¡¯s arm. ¡°Come over here,¡± hemanded.

 Chapter 148: The Slave Li Luo

    <h4>Chapter 148: The ve Li Luo</h4>


    When Li Mo released his hold on Yun Moxiao, he took a long breath. His face had gone white, and sweat was beading on his forehead. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know what had happened between the two men, but Yun Moxiao looked to be on the losing end. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help butmiserate with him.


    ¡°Li Mo, what have you done?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to him angrily.


    ¡°Ruoyan, Xiao¡¯er,¡± Yun Lan¡¯s stentorian voice came from outside the yard. ¡°How can you treat the ughtering King so impolitely? Kneel!¡±


    Peony, Xi Lan, and the other servants btedly knelt down and greeted the ughtering King.


    Yun Moxiao followed suit. ¡°Yun Moxiao greets the ughtering King. I apologize for my disrespect earlier, Your Highness.¡±


    Under Yun Lan¡¯s fierce gaze, even Yun Ruoyan knelt down.


    ¡°Please forgive me for not weing you earlier, Your Highness.¡± Finally, even Yun Lan stepped forward and bowed to Li Mo.


    However, Li Mo didn¡¯t even spare a single nce for him. His hand still hanging in mid-air, he reached out once more to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Yan¡¯er, get over here.¡±


    She raised her head to look at Li Mo, not understanding what nonsense the man was thinking of now.


    ¡°Ruoyan, aren¡¯t you going to head over? Do it quickly!¡± Yun Lanmanded.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned as she walked to Li Mo¡¯s front. He held her hand tightly as he murmured to her, ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t forget what you just promised me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated. What had she promised?


    Oh, that. Not dining with a man alone, not interacting intimately with another man¡­ Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brows furrowed even more tightly. When she¡¯d promised this, she hadn¡¯t expected Li Mo would try to enforce it so seriously. That was her own brother!


    Yun Ruoyan wanted to protest, but Li Mo didn¡¯t give her an opportunity to do so.


    ¡°Official Yun.¡± Li Mo turned to Yun Lan, whose head was still bowed. ¡°I still have some affairs to take care of, so I won¡¯t intrude on your hospitality any further.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Highness!¡± Yun Lan replied immediately.


    His posture remained frozen until Yun Ruoyan finally said, ¡°Father, the ughtering King¡¯s gone.¡±


    Yun Lan raised his head to see a streak of green rushing in the direction of the ughtering King¡¯s manor.


    ¡°Father, you need to hurry to court as well,¡± Yun Moxiao reminded him.


    Yun Lan nodded and turned to leave, but not before gazing deeply at his daughter. He had never seen Li Mo so interested in a woman, and his suspicions that Li Mo¡¯s feelings were fake had to be unfounded.


    Yun Lan sighed. Not for nothing was Yun Ruoyan the daughter of Lin Yuemei, able to attract someone like the ughtering King even without her mother¡¯s captivating looks!


    ¡°Brother, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, where were youst night?¡±


    The siblings gazed at each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright. The ughtering King didn¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    ¡°Qingchen told me that you left with Pei Ziaost night. How did you end up returning home with the ughtering King?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had Peony and Xiao Lan prepare breakfast before starting to discuss matters with her brother as they headed back into her rooms.


    ¡°The ughtering King really promised to marry you as his consort?¡± Yun Moxiao stood still in shock.


    Yun Ruoyan turned quizzically to him and nodded.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that he was just doing you a favor?¡± Yun Moxiao¡¯s expression was fierce.


    ¡°They¡¯re just empty words, surely. It¡¯s not definite that he¡¯ll actually marry me when I¡¯m of age.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not even an adult yet, so if he truly were to marry me, that¡¯d happen at least two years into the future.¡±


    But Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t feel as carefree as she portrayed. She really couldn¡¯t understand Li Mo¡¯s thoughts, and she really didn¡¯t like having an uncertain element like him in her life.


    However, Li Mo wasn¡¯t herrgest problem at the moment, so she could temporarily put him on hold.


    On the other hand, particrlyplex feelings were flitting through Yun Moxiao¡¯s mind. He¡¯d heard quite a number of tales about Li Mo since joining the army, and had mentally equated Li Mo to a distinguished personage somewhat like his master.


    But when he saw him in person for the first time, he was struck by how young Li Mo really was¡ªbarely older than he! Suspicious of Li Mo¡¯s true cultivation, he subconsciously probed at the man¡¯s aura with his spiritual energy. He thought his own cultivation rather aplished for his age, but in front of Li Mo, he was as helpless as a child.


    Yun Moxiao felt the same way as Yun Ruoyan did: how did an individual so strong as Li Mo be interested in his own sister?


    It wasn¡¯t that Yun Moxiao found Yun Ruoyancking to be the ughtering King¡¯s consort, but rather that the ughtering King was so far removed from their existences that he didn¡¯t know how their social circles had intersected. This whole marriage proposal seemed so unexpected, so unrealistic.


    During their breakfast, Yun Ruoyan suddenly remembered that Yun Moxiao had recognized the owner of the scented sachet as Li Luo, and had even chased after her.


    ¡°Did you end up finding the owner of the sachet?¡±


    Yun Moxiao recounted his own experiences in the duelling arena.


    ¡°You helped Li Luo rescue a beastkin?¡± Yun Ruoyan sounded a little doubtful after hearing Yun Moxiao¡¯s words.


    Li Luo was a servant in the ughtering King¡¯s manor. To have her save the beastkin was undoubtedly amand from the ughtering King himself. But Li Mo was famed for ughtering tens of thousands of beastkin by his own hands, so why on earth would he rescue a beastkin?


    She couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the beastkin and demons in the forest of dead souls who had addressed him as the Beast King. Although Li Mo didn¡¯t admit to being beastkin royalty, he was definitely connected to the beastkin.


    Li Mo, who in the world are you?


    Just as Yun Ruoyan was mulling things over, Yun Moxiao suddenly asked, ¡°You recognize her?¡± Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t told Yun Ruoyan the woman¡¯s name, but Yun Ruoyan had said it out loud.


    ¡°Right, she¡¯s Li Luo, a servant in the ughtering King¡¯s manor. I¡¯ve seen her before,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°She¡¯s from the ughtering King¡¯s manor?¡± Yun Moxiao was surprised once again.


    Yun Ruoyan told her brother that she could bring him to the ughtering King¡¯s manor if he wanted to see Li Luo.


    Knowing that Li Luo was certainly busy trying to help treat her senior brother¡¯s wounds, and that his visit would only be a disruption at the moment, he shook his head and stated his ns to see her sometime in the future.


    After breakfast, Yun Moxiao returned to his own residence while Yun Ruoyan continued her daily training. She was very close to breaking through to eighth-rank, and she was eagerly anticipating the day when she became an eighth-rank demaster.


    At that time, she could start training in swordflight herself. Once she managed to ¡®be one with her sword,¡¯ she would be able to soar into the skies like Li Mo and Yun Moxiao.


    That dream of independence and breaking free from her shackles propelled her forward in her training. She meditated all the way until the evening, once again filling up her spiritual vortexpletely and transmuting arge quantity of fire-attuned spiritual energy.


    After that training, Yun Ruoyan had Xi Lan prepare her a few dishes, after which she rested for a little. Li Mo had promised her to take her out shopping in the underground markete nighttime, and she had to preserve her strength.


    By that time, Li Mo had returned to his manor and found that Li Luo had been sessful in her attempt to rescue her senior brother. However, he was gravely injured and had lost an arm.


    In a guest room of the manor, Duan Tianyun was sleepingatose on a bed. Li Luo had taken care of him the entire night, and was so exhausted that she was slumping by his bedside.


    Li Luo awoke to the sound of footsteps. As she roused herself, she found that it was already midmorning. Thinking that the footsteps behind her belonged to a servant sending tonic over, she muttered, ¡°Leave the tonic by the table. I¡¯ll feed him myselfter.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s quite grievously injured,¡± Li Momented, seeing Duan Tianyun¡¯s pale, bloodless face.


    When Li Luo heard Li Mo¡¯s voice, she immediately stood up and bowed.


    Li Mo nodded before handing her a hardwood box. ¡°This is a high-grade spiritual pill, particrly effective for external injuries.¡±


    Li Luo hesitated for a moment before taking the box gratefully, her voice quavering. ¡°On behalf of my senior brother, I thank you for your grace, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Do you me me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare, Your Highness.¡±


    Li Mo nodded before departing.


    Li Luo really was a little upset with her master; if not for his sudden decision to head toward the auction hall, perhaps Duan Tianyun could have been extracted without harm. And if Li Mo hadn¡¯t left her so suddenly while they were heading into the underground arena, the manager surely wouldn¡¯t dare to be so arrogant, and neither would Duan Tianyun have received such serious injuries.


    But what right had she toin?


    After all, she was just a ve that Li Mo had purchased. Instead ofining, she should have been grateful that Li Mo had even eded to her request in the first ce, then taken out a high-grade spiritual pill to help him recover.


    She thought back to her own auction in the Yue kingdom a little more than a year ago.


    She was caged in steel mesh, wearing only the skimpiest of underclothes, as disgusting men surrounded her cage all around her. They drooledsciviously at her nude body, critiqued her with their filthy tongues, and whispered how they would torture her after their purchase.


    There were a surprising number of bidders for her, not just because of her beauty but also because of a pervasive rumor that beastkin women were particrly suited as a source of yang energy for male cultivators.


    She had heard of the terrible aftereffects of ending up as such a source, and was ready to send both herself and her would-be master to their deaths.


    In the end, there were just two men bidding.


    Li Luo raised her eyes to see a pale young master with a powdered face and slicked-back hair, ostensibly dripping with wealth, facing off against a dark-robed man with inky hair veiling his face. And no matter how much the pampered young master bid, the dark-robed man would always bid a hundred taels more.


    In the end, spurned by hispetitor¡¯s relentlessness, the pampered young master pulled out a bow and arrow, intending to shoot Li Luo dead. ¡°If I can¡¯t get her, then no one else will!¡±


    Li Luo faced that steel-tipped arrow with a grim smile, as if she would soon be free from this blightednd.

 Chapter 149: Kidnapping

    <h4>Chapter 149: Kidnapping</h4>


    That cold arrow shot toward Li Luo as she shut her eyes in relief. But the arrow didn¡¯t strike flesh, and death didn¡¯t descend. Instead, the sound of breaking pottery could be heard from a distance. The dark-robed man had adroitly changed the trajectory of the arrow with the wine cup in his hand.


    The arrogant young master sent his servants against him to get revenge, but the other man easily subdued the dozen thugs. And when the arrogant young master then tried to mount a sneak attack against him with a spring-loaded arrow in his sleeve, the man flicked an arm and sent the arrow straight back into the young master¡¯s head.


    Li Luoy curled up in the steel cage as she watched the dark-robed man step toward her. He stretched a hand out, and the brilliant light emanating from his fingers easily broke the lock apart. He walked into the steel cage and continued extending his hand.


    ¡°Shall we leave?¡± The man¡¯s voice was deep. His tone was cool, but it was a scene that would be forever imprinted in Li Luo¡¯s memory.


    Li Luo shook her head. She had been fed a paralyzing poison that had sapped the strength from her bones and muscles, unable to even open her mouth. The man shrugged off his dark robe and draped it over her body as he carried her away.


    ¡°He¡¯s the ughtering King from the Li kingdom!¡± Finally, someone recognized the dark-robed man, and a hubbub emerged from within the auction hall.


    ¡°That legend who quelled the beastkin rebellion?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Dressed all in ck and with such extreme cultivation¡ªit can¡¯t be anyone else but him!¡±


    ¡°No wonder he could be so calm even after killing that prince¡­ it looks like that tyrant¡¯s death will be in vain, then.¡±


    Only then did Li Luo realize that the man carrying her was the ughtering King, the same man who had killed tens of thousands of her kind!


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Just then, Duan Tianyun¡¯s pained groan broke Li Luo out of her reverie.


    ¡°Senior brother!¡± Li Luo hurried over to Duan Tianyun and helped him sit upright.


    ¡°My arm¡­¡± Duan Tianyun looked at his missing left arm, his gaze pained and desperate.


    ¡°Senior brother, even without your right arm, you¡¯re still the premier warrior of us beastkin,¡± Li Luo consoled, before handing the spiritual pill that Li Mo had granted her to Duan Tianyun.


    When he saw the pill enveloped in a heady mist of spiritual energy, Duan Tianyun was a little shocked. He¡¯d only ever heard of high-grade spiritual pills from the wizened old men of his tribe, but had never seen one with his own eyes.


    ¡°This is a high-grade spiritual pill?¡± Duan Tianyun had to confirm.


    ¡°Right,¡± Li Luo nodded. ¡°Senior brother, you¡¯ll have aplete recovery once you consume it.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get such a precious pill?¡± Duan Tianyun asked, still uneasy. After all, they were no more than ves. He was worried that Li Luo had stolen the pill and would face drastic consequences if she were caught.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. His Highness granted us this pill himself after he saw how grievous your injuries were.¡±


    Only then could Duan Tianyun rx. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely have to pay my respects to him once I¡¯m well again.¡±


    While he wasst awake, Li Luo had told him that he had been rescued by a nobleman, and was now going to be his ve. It was this nobleman who had helped her find out where he had been kept in captivity.


    Li Luo deliberately hid the fact that this nobleman was none other than Li Mo, and Duan Tianyun was, as a result, very grateful to the man.


    As Duan Tianyun consumed the spiritual pill, improving hisplexion dramatically, Li Luo¡¯s heart turned heavy. How was she to tell her senior brother that the nobleman who had saved him was the ughtering King himself?


    Yun Ruoyan was enjoying a nap in her own rooms when she suddenly detected a presence right by her side, as well as the familiar taste of his aura.


    She opened her eyes to meet Li Mo¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded expressionlessly.


    Li Mo raised his brows. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cold, aloof attitude left him dissatisfied, and he suddenly leaned down toward her.


    Yun Ruoyan stretched her palm out and held it against Li Mo¡¯s chest, and the two of them stared at each other an arm¡¯s-length apart.


    ¡°How ugly!¡± Li Mo suddenly eximed.


    Knowing that Li Mo was going to stop by in the night, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t washed off the birthmark on her face. Because she didn¡¯t wear a gauze patch when she was asleep, the birthmark on her right cheek was fully exposed.


    In order to avoid any further suitors like Yun Moyuan, Yun Ruoyan was now very conscientious about making her birthmark asrge and grotesque as possible. As Li Mo stared at that grotesque birthmark, he became even more unhappy, and unfiltered disgust morphed his face.


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated, thinking that Li Mo¡¯s disgust with the fake birthmark on her face was actually disgust with her, and she felt pinpricks of pain that had longin in hiding since her rebirth. Was there a man in this world who didn¡¯t like beauty? Li Mo was still a man, after all, so how could he avoid this fate?


    Yun Ruoyanughed coldly. ¡°It¡¯s not as if I¡¯ve recently be ugly, ughtering King. If my looks bother you, please stay away.¡±


    Distracted, Yun Ruoyan stopped pushing as hard on Li Mo¡¯s chest, and he seized that opportunity to kiss her. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes widened as she pounded on his back. The more he struggled, however, the more fiercely Li Mo kissed her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find me ugly?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, panting. ¡°What are you trying to do?!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help myself,¡± Li Mo responded. ¡°Yan¡¯er, no matter how ugly you are, I¡¯ll still love you and your birthmark.¡±


    Not understanding Li Mo¡¯s particr emphasis on her birthmark, she frowned and muttered, ¡°Crazy bastard!¡±


    ¡°Right, and a terminally crazy one too.¡± Li Mo chuckled. ¡°Yan¡¯er, if you don¡¯t want to head to the night market, I don¡¯t mind enjoying our intimacy some more.¡± Li Mo was just about to lean down again when Yun Ruoyan quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go! Who said I wasn¡¯t going?¡±


    She jumped out of bed. Because she was already dressed, she only needed to apply a gauze patch before heading outside. The two of them jumped out through the back window. Unlike before, Li Mo didn¡¯t steer them around on his sword; instead, they waited for Li Mo¡¯s carriage after leaving the manor.


    The carriage driver handed Li Mo the reins and quickly scampered off, leaving Li Mo to steer the carriage toward the underground market.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you using swordflight today?¡± Yun Ruoyan peered out the window.


    ¡°Swordflight requires a considerable amount of spiritual energy, a valuable resource even for me.¡± He nced askance at Yun Ruoyan before continuing, ¡°What¡¯s more, isn¡¯t it boring to just get on a sword every time you need to go somewhere? I find it considerably more interesting to be driving you around in a carriage in the middle of the night, Yan¡¯er. The night¡¯s long, and we aren¡¯t in a rush.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you responding? You¡¯re so much cuter when you¡¯re drunk, you know, smiling and joking as befitting a girl your age. Now, while you¡¯re not speaking, you appear like a woman even older than I am.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded, her tone taking on the sagacity of age. ¡°I¡¯m an old woman to begin with, and everyone has been tricked by my appearance.¡±


    After all, if she added her ages from her past and present lives, she would be past thirty!


    ¡°Oh, Yan¡¯er, you truly have a unique personality. Who else but me would love such an old, ugly girl?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan gave him a supercilious look.


    After a moment¡¯s silence, Yun Ruoyan suddenly began, ¡°Did Li Qianhan tell you about the promise you granted me?¡±


    Because she had saved him from drowning in theke, Li Mo had promised to fulfill one of her requests. Yun Ruoyan had asked for him to protect her brother¡¯s life for the next three years.


    ¡°He¡¯s mentioned it,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°The man you saw at the Yun manor this morning was my brother, Yun Moxiao.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan red. ¡°And yet you still¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the promise you made me?¡± Li Mo broke her off.


    ¡°But he¡¯s my dear brother!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he still a man?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was appalled by this man¡¯s logic and shamelessness.


    The two of them walked to the underground market in silence. At night, it appeared even more crowded than during the day. As soon as Yun Ruoyan saw all sorts of poisonous ingredients for sale, her mood lifted and she began looking all around her.


    Qiuqiu had given Yun Ruoyan another long list of ingredients to search for. Even with her newfound wealth, however, it would only be sufficient for a small subset of those ingredients.


    As a result, Yun Ruoyan decided to purchase only the most essential ones for the moment while tracking the price, appearance, and function of the other ingredients for future purchases. She strolled from stall to stall, interacting with the vendors, asking about prices, discussed the medicinal and poisonous properties of each ingredient¡­


    Li Mo followed behind Yun Ruoyan as she nitpicked and haggled, looking to all involved like a regr to the underground market rather than a novice on her second trip there. He couldn¡¯t help but admire her adaptability.


    Yun Ruoyan spent almost four hours buying more than twenty ingredients, spending much of her money. However, she continued gallivanting from store to store, not seeming to want to leave at all. Even after touring the greater half of the underground market, Yun Ruoyan still looked as energetic as ever.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, didn¡¯t you want to head to the Lin manor?¡± Li Mo reminded. ¡°It¡¯s almost dawn by now.¡±


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan perk her head up. That¡¯s right¡ªshe had almost forgotten. With the soul-stealing pill that she¡¯d fed Pei Ziao, she hadmanded him to bring the tiger-canine arrows and two high-grade spiritual pills to the Lin family within three days. Today was the second day since themand, and Pei Ziao should have obtained everything by now.


    The two left the underground market and headed for the Lin manor. The carriage passed through alleys and streets, traversing half the capital and finally ending up in an alleyway by the Lin manor right before dawn.


    Li Mo was so familiar with the capital that Yun Ruoyan was struck dumb. She waspletely lost all the way until she saw the familiar walls and peach blossoms of the Lin estate.


    Just then, Yun Ruoyan saw a familiar silhouette walking out from a back door. Zhuo Lin¡¯er? Why¡¯s she out here?


    Yun Ruoyan was just about to call out to her when a mysterious man darted out from the side, threw a cloth sack over her body, and then hefted her up onto his shoulders.

 Chapter 150: An Enemy’s Visage

    <h4>Chapter 150: An Enemy¡¯s Visage</h4>


    Early in the morning, just as Zhuo Yifeng and Zhuo Lin''er were getting ready to head to Lin Qingchen''s bamboo garden to take care of her magical beasts, Lin Qingxue appeared by their cottage.


    During this period of time, Lin Qingxue had been eagerly practicing her archery, and was now even able to asionally hit the target. Because of how seriously she was treating her studies, Zhuo Yifeng had also begun taking his teaching responsibilities more seriously.


    Lin Qingxue was supposed to be finishing her grandfather''s cultivation assignment for the day, but she had actually stayed up the entire nightst night and finished it then! The next morning, she appeared at the Zhuo siblings'' backyard as usual for her daily archery training.


    Touched by Lin Qingxue''s passion, Zhuo Lin''er motioned for Zhuo Yifeng to stay behind to help Lin Qingxue practice, while she headed to the little bamboo garden on her own.


    When she arrived, Lin Qingchen told her that one of her pigs had just given birth to a pigletst night, which needed particr care. Then, Lin Qingchen headed to the apothecary, leaving Zhuo Lin''er alone in the little bamboo garden.


    Just as usual, Zhuo Lin''er prepared food for and fed the magical beasts. After spending quite some time together, the magical beasts had all gotten used to Zhuo Lin''er''s presence. After finishing her duties, Zhuo Lin''er cut up a little carrot to feed the piglet that had just been birthed.


    Zhuo Lin''er waved the carrot slices in front of the pig''s cage. The sow was asleep and snoring, but the piglet was awake. It opened its beady eyes and stared at Zhuo Lin''er. She opened the cage to put the carrot slices into a little bowl in the cage, at which point the piglet began to nuzzle at her fingers.


    This pig-type magical beast grew so rapidly that one could track its growth by the hour. In about a week, it would grow up to three feet long and remain at that size. Cute, tiny, and lively, they were one of the most favored pets for humans.


    And because their flesh was fresh, tender, and fragrant, they were also frequent guests at nobles'' dining tables. They could sell for up to a hundred gold a head, and weremon targets for opportunistic hunters.


    The piglet that had just been born yesterday was currently only about the size of a kitten, round, fluffy, and snowy white all over, just like a little furball. Like a mischievous child, it was sniffing at Zhuo Lin''er''s hands with its soft, pink snout, trying to get her to y.


    Zhuo Lin''er removed the piglet from the cage and began to stroke it. It struggled to get free, so she lowered it to the ground. The little piglet ran around in circles chasing its own tail, a sight so humorous that dhe couldn''t help butugh. After it had had its fun, she was just about to put the piglet back into the cage when the piglet suddenly ran off.


    Zhuo Lin''er rushed behind the little piglet. Although it wasn''t running very quickly, its petite stature allowed it to evade her grasp quite well. Even after running two rounds about the little bamboo garden, Zhuo Lin''er hadn''t managed to catch it.


    The little piglet found the door leading outside the garden and ran through it. In anxiety, Zhuo Lin''er followed suit. She followed the piglet all the way to the backyard, at which point the little piglet snuck out of a hole in the corner of the wall. Seeing that there was an open door by the back of the estate, she followed the piglet out without a second thought.


    But just as she did so, she found a male stranger blocking her way. It was then that she remembered everyone''s warnings from before. She was just about to turn tail and run when her body was suddenly lifted up into the air and flung into a bag.


    In her fright, Zhuo Lin''er opened her mouth and let out a big scream. As soon as she did so, she heard a familiar girl''s voice.


    "Sister Ruoyan, please help me!"


    After practicing an hour''s worth of archery with Lin Qingxue, Zhuo Yifeng headed to Lin Qingchen''s bamboo garden. Unusually, Lin Qingxue asked to follow him there. When they got to the bamboo garden, however, Zhuo Lin''er was nowhere in sight, and she didn''t respond to their repeated calls. An uneasy premonition sprang up in Zhuo Yifeng''s mind.


    The Farsighted King''s men wouldn''t have been daring enough to sneak into the Lin estate to kidnap his sister, would they?


    The two of them hurriedly rushed out of the bamboo garden and continued their search. They met a farmer responsible for delivering produce to the Lin manor along the way, who told them that a petite girl had rushed past him in the direction of the back exit of the Lin manor.


    When Lin Qingxue and Zhuo Yifeng arrived at the back of the estate to find the back door ajar, they hurriedly rushed out. In the alley, a martial artist was currently pinching Zhuo Lin''er''s neck as he faced two people opposite him: Yun Ruoyan and a man in ck.


    "Lin''er!" Zhuo Yifeng cried out, about to rush to his sister''s aid.


    "Don''te over or I''ll strangle her to death!" the martial artist threatened.


    Zhuo Yifeng recognized the man as one of the Farsighted King''s guests, Ji Er, with whom he''d even shared a sk of wine.


    "Ji Er, let my sister go!"


    "Zhuo Yifeng, your sudden departure left His Highness distraught. Why don''t you follow me back to the Farsighted King''s manor?"


    "We siblings are too lowly in status to be worth His Highness'' time," Zhuo Yifeng replied. "Ji Er, aren''t we friends? Let my sister go, and I''ll owe you a big favor."


    Ji Er sneered. "If you''re unwilling to leave with me, then I''ll just take your sister away first."


    Everyone in the Farsighted King''s estate knew how dearly Zhuo Yifeng loved his sister and how he would do anything for her.


    Ji Er whistled shrilly.


    "He''s calling his aplices!" Lin Qingxue shouted.


    "You''re really unwilling to let her go? I''ll give you onest chance," Yun Ruoyan warned Ji Er. She could see that he was only a fifth-rank demaster, and she could kill him near-instantaneously with the Fei de.


    Ji Er chuckled once again. "I''ll surely take Zhuo Lin''er away today¡ª"


    A sudden beam of white light shed from Li Mo''s fingers and shot into Ji Er''s forehead.


    Ji Er''s eyes widened as he stared disbelievingly at Li Mo, then slowly slumped to the ground.


    "Lin''er!" Zhuo Yifeng ran to her sister''s side, removing the coarse sack from her head. "Are you alright? Have you been injured?"


    Zhuo Yifeng inspected his sister all over.


    "I''m fine, Brother." Except for a slightly reddened neck, Zhuo Lin''er hadn''t been hurt otherwise.


    Everyone released a long breath, especially Lin Qingxue. If Zhuo Lin''er had truly been captured or otherwise injured, she would certainly have med herself.


    "Lin''er, why did you run out?" Lin Qingxue sped Zhuo Lin''er''s hand.


    Zhuo Yifeng''s concerned expression had been reced by a serious mien. He was trembling with anger, but he simply couldn''t bring himself to scold his sister. Instead, he stared at her with his unusually bright, lustrous eyes.


    "I... I was chasing one of Lin Qingchen''s piglets, which had escaped the estate..." Zhuo Lin''er lowered her head. "Oh! Where could that piglet have gone? I need to find it!"


    "Lin''er, stop! Aren''t you more important than a piglet? Don''t do something so dangerous again!"


    "Alright, alright, since everyone''s safe, let''s all head back in," Yun Ruoyan suggested.


    As Lin Qingxue pulled Zhuo Lin''er back to the Lin estate, she passed by Li Mo''s side. Suddenly, she stopped and turned toward the mysterious man, then eximed in disbelief, "You can''t be the ughtering King himself, can you?"


    Dressed in a ck robe and able to emit spiritual power as a beam to kill someone from a distance... Lin Qingxue couldn''t think of anyone else in the capital who would be able to aplish such a feat.


    But Li Mo didn''t answer her question. Instead, he looked toward Yun Ruoyan. "I''m going to go back to my manor now."


    Yun Ruoyan nodded.


    "You''re the ughtering King, aren''t you? You must be!" Lin Qingxue was almost jumping in excitement. "My goodness, I''ve seen my hero today!"


    Li Mo ignored Lin Qingxue''s outburst. When Zhuo Yifeng heard themotion, however, he also turned to look at the man. "You''re the ughtering King Li Mo, the man who ughtered tens of thousands of beastkin warriors!"


    Li Mo continued walking without missing a step, not even acknowledging Zhuo Yifeng''s words. However, his silence was a tacit agreement to Zhuo Yifeng''s ims. Zhuo Yifeng clenched his fists tightly. The enemy of his tribe, of the entire beastkin race, had just appeared in front of him out of nowhere!


    His heart was in turmoil. Memories shed by his mind: his kinsmen dead in bloody pools, their mournful howls moments before their defeat, and his mother crying tears of blood on her deathbed


    Zhuo Yifeng''s father, Zhuo Bufan, one of the generals of the beastkin army, had died in that indiscriminate ughter. Upon receiving the news, his frail, sickly mother became so distraught that she died of sorrow, her grievances still lingering. His mother''sstmand was for him to take care of his sister and to take revenge for his father.


    "Li Mo, I''ll have your life!" Zhuo Yifeng shouted grimly as he punched at Li Mo''s back.


    "Li Mo, be careful!" Even though Yun Ruoyan knew that Zhuo Yifeng was far too weak to hurt Li Mo, she couldn''t help call out.


    And even though Li Mo still didn''t turn around, ayer of spiritual energy rippled around his body like a barrier. The punch that Zhuo Yifeng threw out with all his spiritual energy struck that barrier, and the resulting bacsh flung Zhuo Yifeng back until he crashed against the far wall of the Lin estate with a resounding thump.


    "Brother!"


    "Brother Zhuo!"


    Zhuo Lin''er and Lin Qingxue shouted and ran over.


    Zhuo Yifeng leaned against the wall, a trail of blood dripping from his lips, his beast-like eyes ring at Li Mo. "Li Mo, I''ll kill you in revenge for my race and my father!"

 Chapter 151: Injured

    <h4>Chapter 151: Injured</h4>


    This time, Li Mo finally stopped. He turned back around to nce coldly at Zhuo Yifeng. "Based on your current level of cultivation, you won''t even be able to touch the hem of my robe, let alone kill me."


    What Li Mo said was the truth: although Zhuo Yifeng''s punch had consumed all his spiritual energy, Li Mo had easily blocked it and sent him flying without even turning around.


    That bacsh shocked Zhuo Yifeng, who could feel viscerally that that had only been the tiniest fraction of Li Mo''s strength. He could easily have killed him in a split second, just as he had done to Ji Er. Zhuo Yifeng had to admit that, even if he had his trusty bow at hand, he would still be unable to hurt Li Mo.


    Against such overwhelming strength, it was hard for him not to feel despair. Would he ever be able to surpass Li Mo and avenge his father''s murder?


    Zhuo Lin''er extended a hand to him, wiping off the blood still dripping down one corner of his lips. Zhuo Yifeng lowered his head, not daring to meet his sister''s gaze nor willing to let her see his fragility and desperation.


    Zhuo Lin''er turned and thundered at Li Mo, "My brother might not be your match now, but he''ll surely surpass and defeat you in the future!"


    Her fists were tightly clenched, her petite body wound up tight and shielding her brother.


    "Oh?" Li Mo''s gazended on Zhuo Lin''er, and he raised his brows. "You''re that confident in your brother?"


    "My brother''s the strongest man alive! He''ll definitely fulfill all his promises." Despite her tiny stature, she was emanating a frosty aura that neither the Lin sisters nor Yun siblings had ever seen. "Not only will my brother defeat you, he''ll kill you as revenge for all the beastkin you''ve ughtered, including my father!"


    "Kill me, for revenge?" Li Mo''s face finally went cold as a tremendous aura exploded from him.


    Zhuo Yifeng, Zhuo Lin''er, Lin Qingxue, and even Yun Ruoyan were all but forced to kneel from the sudden pressure.


    Yun Ruoyan struggled to stay on her feet. Lin Qingxue had already fallen, paralyzed, to the ground, while Zhuo Yifeng clutched Zhuo Lin''er as they painfully held themselves upright.


    "Li Mo," Yun Ruoyan gritted out. "Stop!"


    Li Mo''s gaze turned from the beastkin siblings to Yun Ruoyan, and his aura vanished as if it had never existed. Freed from a great burden, everyone clutched their chest and wheezed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to kill me.¡± Li Mo stepped toward his carriage once more. ¡°But I eagerly await your attempt.¡±


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Zhuo Yifeng shouted to his back. ¡°I, Zhuo Yifeng, vow to surpass and kill you in vengeance for the fallen beastkin!¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s lips curled up as his carriage vanished at the end of the alleyway.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan walked up to Zhuo Yifeng and Zhuo Lin¡¯er in order to check on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s injuries.


    Zhuo Yifeng looked back at Yun Ruoyan, wanting to ask her how she¡¯d ended up with the ughtering King and whether they were friends or something more, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask.


    After all, Yun Ruoyan was the young miss of a noble family, so it wasn¡¯t unusual for her to be close to members of the royalty. What would change even if he asked, and what right did he even have to ask? He was just a pitiful beastkin living on someone else¡¯s charity.


    In the end, he could only lower his head and reply in a subdued fashion, ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back into the manor,¡± Lin Qingxue suggested. ¡°If that man¡¯srades are to show up, there¡¯ll be more trouble ahead.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng imed to be alright, but Yun Ruoyan guessed that he had suffered an internal injury from how pale his face was.


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er and Lin Qingxue supported Zhuo Yifeng as they stepped back into the estate through the back door. Yun Ruoyan followed behind, noticing quite a few auras congregating around the area¡ªundoubtedly the rest of the Farsighted King¡¯s martial artists.


    As Yun Ruoyan walked in through the back door, she chanced upon the farmer who had been delivering produce to the estate. ¡°In the future, deliver produce through the front door. This back door will be sealed shut.¡±


    Just as she finished speaking, Zhuo Lin¡¯er and Lin Qingxue began making amotion from the front.


    ¡°Brother? Brother, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, don¡¯t frighten me, Brother Zhuo¡­!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hurriedly strode forward. Zhuo Yifeng, who had been able to walk a little with Zhuo Lin¡¯er and Lin Qingxue¡¯s support, was now lying on the floor, his eyes tightly shut, blood streaming out of his lips.


    Yun Ruoyan rushed over in shock.


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er and Lin Qingxue were standing in a daze, crying out for Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Qingxue, quick, call Qingchen over!¡±


    ¡°Sister Qingchen left for the apothecary,¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er said amidst her cries.


    ¡°Then go find Grandfather, quick! Bring him to Qingchen¡¯s bamboo garden.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go immediately!¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Lin Qingxue responded quickly and ran off.


    ¡°Let¡¯s bring your brother to Qingchen¡¯s bamboo garden for now, since it¡¯s closest.¡± Yun Ruoyan tried to lift up the unconscious Zhuo Yifeng, but it was difficult with her small body.


    ¡°Lin¡¯er, help me,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out toward Zhuo Lin¡¯er, who was not much less distressed than Lin Qingxue.


    And although Zhuo Lin¡¯er didn¡¯t have much strength of her own, the two of them sessfully managed to heap Zhuo Yifeng on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back as they headed to the bamboo garden.


    There, Lin Zainan took Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s pulse. As he did so, his white brows furrowed and he grimaced.


    ¡°Grandfather, how¡¯s Brother Zhuo?¡± Lin Qingxue asked anxiously.


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head at her, motioning for her not to disturb Lin Zainan while he was concentrating.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault,¡± Lin Qingxue began. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t revealed the ughtering King¡¯s identity¡­ I knew that Brother Zhuo had a grudge against him as a beastkin, so¡­¡±


    Lin Qingxue pped herself on the head, iparably vexed.


    Yun Ruoyan was equally frustrated with her own inaction. She should have stopped Zhuo Yifeng earlier, but the grudge between the beastkin and the ughtering King was hardly an easy one to resolve.


    Her intuition told her that Li Mo wouldn¡¯t have taken action against Zhuo Yifeng. She was hoping that Zhuo Yifeng would find his own attacks ineffective and to retreat, but she hadn¡¯t expected the severity of Li Mo¡¯s response.


    ¡°Ruoyan,¡± Lin Zainan called out, interrupting her thoughts.


    ¡°Grandfather, is Zhuo Yifeng alright? Is he heavily injured?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a light injury, but his life isn¡¯t in danger. Get two life quintessence pills from the pillmaking chambers.¡±


    Lin Qingxue wasn¡¯t familiar with the pillmaking chambers, so Yun Ruoyan ran to fetch the pills instead. After retrieving the pills and helping Zhuo Yifeng consume them, he quickly awakened.


    When Lin Zainan found out that Zhuo Yifeng had been injured after trying to fight the ughtering King, all he said was, ¡°The ughtering King was magnanimous and didn¡¯t intend on killing you.¡±


    He naturally knew that the Zhuo siblings were beastkin, and that the beastkin possessed a blood grudge against the ughtering King. Unable to persuade Zhuo Yifeng to give up his revenge, he could only advise Zhuo Yifeng against rushing headstrong against Li Mo.


    ¡°Elder Lin, I understand your intent.¡± Zhuo Yifeng sat up from the bed. ¡°I was simply unable to control my own impulses upon seeing my father¡¯s killer standing right before me. I won¡¯t react so rashly in the future.¡±


    Lin Zainan nodded, peering at Zhuo Yifeng with a pitiful nce. It seemed as though his revenge would never see the light of day.


    ¡°The life quintessence pill has dealt with his internal injuries. Once Qingchen returns tonight, let her prescribe some additional medication for the external injuries, and he¡¯ll be fine in no time,¡± Lin Zainan instructed Yun Ruoyan before leaving.


    With Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue¡¯s help, Zhuo Yifeng was brought back to his own quarters. He didn¡¯t speak with Yun Ruoyan during the way, and would even avoid her gaze when she looked curiously at him.


    Yun Ruoyan knew that Zhuo Yifeng had to be feeling miserable, so she didn¡¯t mind. After telling Lin Qingxue to take good care of him, she left the cottage in search of Lin Zainan.


    Yun Ruoyan told Lin Zainan that her spiritual me had advanced once again, and refined a mid-grade spiritual pill in front of him. Because she had yet to possess the blue me, however, the resulting pill was inferior in quality.


    Yun Ruoyan was now an early fourth-rank pillmaster.


    When Pei Ziao hadn¡¯t appeared even after sunset, Yun Ruoyan could only return to the Yun manor and wait for him to show up tomorrow.


    A ck-d guard knelt in front of Li Mo in his study.


    ¡°Have you checked everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Shall I deal with them tonight?¡± The ck-d guard raised his head, revealing a shrewd pair of bright eyes.


    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Su Nan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°I met Zhuo Yifeng and Zhuo Lin¡¯er today.¡±


    Su Nan trembled in shock. ¡°They, they¡ª¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not doing too badly, and they¡¯ve been admitted to Kongming Academy. Zhuo Yifeng attacked me and was injured, but he¡¯ll recover.¡±


    ¡°My gratitude for your leniency, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to visit them?¡±


    A pregnant silence descended on the room, and it was quite some time before Su Nan finally sighed, ¡°To them, I¡¯m a dead man.¡±


    After brushing up, Yun Ruoyan was meditating in bed when Li Mo entered through her window.


    Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes and asked directly, ¡°Why did you injure Zhuo Yifeng so severely?¡±


    Li Mo was displeased with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tone. ¡°He attacked me first.¡±


    ¡°I know, but he¡¯s certainly no match for you. You could well have restrained him, and there¡¯s no need to injure him so severely!¡±


    ¡°Do you pity him?¡± Li Mo¡¯s gaze turned cold.

 Chapter 152: Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 152: Rescue</h4>


    "I..." Not expecting this sort of response from Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan stalled. "No, I''m not!" she hurriedly eximed, thinking that the man in front of her could really be quite unreasonable at times.


    "Then why were you so bothered?" Li Mo was now questioning her, rather than the other way around.


    After all, Zhuo Yifeng was an ally with whom she''d struggled through life and death. Yun Ruoyan didn''t have many friends, so she was particrly concerned for those that she did have. This time, the only reason she hadn''t fought alongside him was because his opponent was Li Mo. Otherwise, Yun Ruoyan would certainly have helped him out.


    Of course, this was only part of the reason¡ªthe other part of the reason was that Zhuo Yifeng was so weak inparison to Li Mo that Yun Ruoyan, who had been simrly disadvantaged in her youth, sympathized greatly with him.


    Furthermore, Li Mo had killed his father and so many of his tribesmen. Even if it was under the guise of war, wasn''t some sympathy for Zhuo Yifeng rightfully deserved?


    Yun Ruoyan hadn''t experienced a real battle, so she didn''t understand how brutal and cruel war could be. Neither had Li Mo truly demonstrated his cruel side to her before. But Yun Ruoyan didn''t want to reveal these emotions of hers to Li Mo, so she remained silent once more.


    "Well, why aren''t you talking?" Li Mo turned to her. "Do you think me cruel, and Zhuo Yifeng pitiful? Should I feel guilt about having my hands drenched in beastkin blood?"


    Yun Ruoyan retreated under Li Mo''s intent gaze.


    "This is war. War, where one of two sides must perish. I''ve already been quitepassionate not to target the beastkin any further after that ughter, don''t you think?"


    Yun Ruoyan knew in principle that Li Mo was right, but she couldn''t ept this reality. She thought back to the description of that legendary ughter: the ughtering King hadmanded thirty thousand beastkin soldiers to be killed, dyeing the river bordering the Li kingdom red, releasing the iron tang of blood in such great quantities that the northern wind blew it all the way to the capital.


    How could Li Mo havemanded such cruel ughter? Wasn''t morality important even in war?


    Li Mo saw Yun Ruoyan''s face turn red, as if she were ready to explode in anger. "I didn''t hurt Zhuo Yifeng. He hurt himself with his attack."


    "What do you mean?"


    "As a ninth-rank demaster, you can master a skill that subconsciously protects your body against a sneak attack by forming a barrier of spiritual energy all around you," Li Mo exined patiently. "And when any external force hits this barrier, that force will be reflected against the attacker as long as the barrier holds. In other words, because Zhuo Yifeng''s cultivation is far lower than mine, the entirety of his attack was reflected. Indeed, the person who injured Zhuo Yifeng was none other than the person himself."


    This was the first time that Yun Ruoyan had heard of such a miraculous skill, and she took some time to react to the revtion.


    ¡°You¡¯ve maligned me, my little Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo concluded.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve maligned you?¡±


    Li Mo nodded.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t have to use that barrier skill, did you?¡± Yun Ruoyan continued.


    ¡°I came today for an urgent matter. Come daybreak, it won¡¯t be possible any longer.¡± Li Mo ignored Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question.


    ¡°What matter?¡± Yun Ruoyan replied hesitantly. Whenever Li Mo sought her out, she had always been embroiled in one conflict or another!


    ¡°To be a savior of the masses. Will you go?¡± Li Mo extended a hand to Li Mo.


    When Yun Ruoyan once again soared up into the skies with Li Mo, she found that they were heading in the direction of the Yuelu Vi.


    ¡°You¡¯re bringing me to Yuelu Vi?¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted against the wind¡¯s bluster.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°To save whom?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    As they were about to reach the Yuelu Vi, Li Mo brought out two masks from his pocket dimension: one with the face of a green demon, and another with the face of a red demon.


    Yun Ruoyan recognized these masks as representing a legendary pair of demons from folklore, the green-faced one the female of the pair, and the red-faced one the male. ording to folklore, these two demons would infiltrate the homes of the wicked and consume their hearts in the middle of the night.


    Li Mo handed Yun Ruoyan the green-faced demon mask.


    ¡°You¡¯re not intending on bringing me to kill people, are you?¡± Although Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t enjoy killing, she would make an exception for the wicked.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, if you want to kill people, I won¡¯t stop you,¡± Li Mo replied as he put on his mask.


    Yun Ruoyan also put hers on.


    Li Mo directed the sword toward a hidden part of the vi.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we entering directly?¡±


    ¡°During nighttime, there¡¯s a barrier surrounding the Yuelu Vi from above,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°Furthermore, after Li Luo and your brother saved someone from the duelling arena, the security around the area was increased. I certainly don¡¯t want to be discovered without achieving anything of merit beforehand.¡±


    Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan to the high walls surrounding the vi. By the moonlight, she could see that they were about seventy or eighty feet high.


    With her seventh-rank demaster cultivation, she could only leap about forty feet into the air, so this was an insurmountable distance for her. The wall was slippery and unable to be climbed, so without swordflight, Yun Ruoyan had no idea how they could get over it.


    ¡°Get on.¡± Suddenly, Li Mo leaned down and motioned toward Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°On my back, hurry!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment before obeying.


    ¡°Hold on tight!¡± Li Mo stretched out his palms, each emitting the silvery glow characteristic of spiritual energy, before cing them on the slippery surface of the wall. Somehow, his palms stuck to the wall as if suctioned.


    Yun Ruoyan knew of a martial art that allowed one¡¯s body to stick onto a surface, and it was likely what Li Mo was using to scale the wall. She was incredulous that someone like Li Mo, the ughtering King himself, would actually stoop to such a thief-like method.


    Actually, what Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know was that Li Mo had undergone harsh, severe training in the army. Part of his training involved being a scout that would sneak into the enemy¡¯s barracks to perform reconnaissance. As a result, scaling a wall was just a trivial matter to him.


    They climbed up the wall in a matter of moments. The wall was naturally guarded, but Li Mo easily and silently dealt with him.


    ¡°Come over.¡± Li Mo motioned to Yun Ruoyan, who grabbed his hand as they jumped down into the vi from above.


    Not only was the wall guarded, there were quite a few troops patrolling the vi. However, these troops were nothing to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, and it required only a small amount of effort to stay out of their grasp.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo dodged three such patrols and sessfully entered one of the courtyards in the vi. This particr courtyard seemed rather deste, and didn¡¯t have the iid moonstones that other courtyards possessed. As a result, it was dark all over.


    Luckily, both of them had enough spiritual energy to allow for night vision. Surprisingly, the yard contained not a single structure, but rather arge variety of trees, grasses, and fake mountains.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t resist asking.


    ¡°Shh!¡± Li Mo immediately shushed her before pulling her behind one of the mountains.


    He walked around the mountain carefully and with a distinct rhythm, almost as if he were dancing. Yun Ruoyan knew that he was trying to ovee an array, just as he¡¯d shown her the first time they¡¯d entered the underground market.


    When Li Mo stopped moving, Yun Ruoyan found to her surprise that the scenery all around them had shifted. They were situated in a barren space above which twenty or so iron cages hung. Some of the cages were empty, but others had men, women, and even children chained in them.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed in surprise. She¡¯d heard that there was a ve trafficking business on the Chenyuan continent, but this was the first time she¡¯d seen anything of the sort in person.


    ¡°They¡¯re all beastkin that have been sold to the vi. The empty cages either contained beastkin that were sold or that had died within the duelling arena,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°We¡¯re here to save them.¡±


    After a moment of shocked silence, Yun Ruoyan calmed down. This was an unexpected affair, certainly, but she had known that he was somehow intimately connected to the beastkin.


    ¡°This is a key. Unlock the cages.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took over the key and began unlocking the cages one by one, and the sleeping beastkin became alert almost immediately. They were all very excited to know that someone was here to rescue them. The twenty beastkin all huddled up in a circle as they watched Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Be silent,¡± Li Mo murmured. ¡°I¡¯ll bring everyone out of this array before opening the doors to the vi. At that point, rush out together to the south. I¡¯ve arranged for someone to pick you up.¡±


    The crowd nodded. Li Mo stood in the middle of the crowd, extending his arms, as spiritual energy shone out of him with such intensity that Yun Ruoyan was blinded.


    By the time the light vanished and Yun Ruoyan struggled her eyes open, she found that she was standing with the crowd in that surprisingly empty courtyard, with all the fake mountains around her smashed to pieces.


    Li Mo had caused such argemotion that the guards were aroused almost immediately.


    ¡°The beastkin are escaping!¡± someone yelled out.


    ¡°What¡¯re you waiting for? Run!¡± Li Mo shouted, before pulling Yun Ruoyan and soaring into the skies, a green sword aura underfoot.


    Li Mo waved a hand, and the guards blocking them from the front fell dead to the ground. The beastkin behind him roared as they charged, so ferocious that it seemed as if the entirety of the Yuelu Vi was trembling.

 Chapter 153: The Demonic Duo

    <h4>Chapter 153: The Demonic Duo</h4>


    The serene, tranquil Yuelu Vi was in a mess.


    "Let''s goooo!" Every beastkin¡ªman, woman, and child¡ªlet out a thundering roar as they charged forward. Their days of being sold as ves would finally be over! For their freedom, they were willing to give up their lives!


    As weapons, they clutched the chains and manacles that were used to lock them up, as well as stones that they''d picked up along the way. The men surrounded the women and children in a circle, and they rushed behind the green sword aura toward the front gates of the Yuelu Vi.


    "Stop them!" Every guard on duty was currently rushing toward the main entrance to the vi in an attempt to stop the masked demons and the rampaging beastmen following directly behind.


    Li Mo spread his arms wide, raising a barrier infused with spiritual energy directly in front of him. With a great shove, the barrier began advancing toward the guards blocking the entrance.


    "Argh!" Those guards who were hit by the barrier immediately flew out into the distance, screaming as they wereunched away.


    And when the barrier reached the tightly shut entrance, it smashed it into smithereens. Having dealt with the frontal obstacles, Li Mo steered his sword to the back, where some guards wereunching attacks against the beastkin.


    Because the beastkin''s spiritual energy had been sealed, they were relying solely on brute strength and the simple, unadorned weapons in their hands. As a result, three beastkin men had been killed during the short skirmish alone. With the protective circle broken, some women and children were quickly caught by the guards.


    "Try to run off, will you?" A guard dragged a woman off by her hair.


    "Mother!" A beastkin child yelled out and pounced on the guard, biting deeply into his hand.


    The guard let out a pained yowl as he kicked the child away.


    "My child!" The mother screamed as she too leaped toward the guard with newfound strength, just like a mother wolf.


    On guard after the child''s sneak attack, the guard raised the sword in his hand and skewered the mother in midair, blood spraying his body and face.


    "Damn these beasts..." The guard wiped the blood off his face and kicked the female beastkin''s prone body off his sword. She fell to the ground, her eyes still directed at her child lying a distance away.


    "Mother!" the child shouted breathlessly.


    "Little pup, I''ll send you to your mother right this moment." The guard lifted his sword as he walked up to the child, the de gleaming with a cold chill.


    Yun Ruoyan turned around just in time to catch this horrifying sight. Before she could think twice about her actions, she''d already summoned up the Fei de. With a single gaze, a beam of light shot into the guard''s neck, causing blood to spurt like a fountain from his neck.


    With his arm as a sword, Li Mo shot out bursts of spiritual energy and killed three or four guards in a single blow. Only with Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan''s assistance were the beastkin able to continue running, and they sessfully escaped through the front doors in the direction that Li Mo had pointed out earlier.


    Su Nan was waiting on a side path with about seven or eight carriages in tow. When he heard the frenzied rushing and shoutinging from afar, he raised a torch in the air and revolved it around in a circle. This was the signal that they had decided on earlier. When the beastkin saw that torch, they rushed even more madly toward their one chance at salvation.


    In order to give the beastkin more time to escape, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan stalled by the main entrance to the vi. Some of the guards had sufficiently advanced a cultivation to avoid the Fei de. Unfortunately for them, however, they had encountered Li Mo. After dealing with two eighth-rank guard captains, the remaining guards finally gave up on giving chase to the beastkin.


    "Who are you? Daring to break into the Yuelu Vi and making a big ruckus...!" one of the guards at the very front shouted.


    Yun Ruoyan didn''t respond. Instead, Li Mo turned to nce at Yun Ruoyan as he shouted in a deep, hoarse voice, "We''re the Demonic Duo!"


    "The Demonic Duo?!" the guard repeated this unfamiliar name, his heart pounding. Neither of the demons in front of him were easy to deal with, and the male demon had a frighteningly advanced level of cultivation.


    Although the Yuelu Vi represented one of thergest powers on the Chenyuan continent, there were still quite a number of cultivators hostile against it. However, very few of them possessed such inordinate strength.


    Who could they have been? What were their goals for invading the Yuelu Vi?


    "Tell Dong Tiehe to stop trafficking beastkin, or the Demonic Duo will continue their rampage!" Li Mo eximed.


    Four years ago, Li Mo had advised Li Xiu to ban any further persecution of beastkin, a suggestion that Li Xiu had adopted. This included prohibiting the sale and export of beastkin as ves.


    As a result, no matter what people privately thought of beastkin within the Li kingdom, they wouldn''t make any overt gestures against them. In the other three kingdoms, however, beastkin continued suffering from horrendous discrimination, and enving and trafficking beastkin was still permitted byw.


    In order to satisfy the demands and desires of their guests, the Yuelu Vi had begun exporting beastkin ves from the other three kingdoms for trade and underground dueling. They had ordered arge quantity of ves, almost a thousand beastkin men, women, and children in all.


    Because of the quantity, the ves were sent in various batches. When Li Mo found out about this, he''d dispatched his ck-n guards to investigate the matter, and had saved almost eight hundred ves by intercepting their transport on the road.


    These twenty beastkin ves still in the Yuelu Vi were those that Li Mo''s men had failed to locate in time, or which had escaped from their attack. Li Mo''s men could easily have arranged for their breakout, but their master had wanted to lead it himself¡ªand bring Yun Ruoyan along for the ride.


    When he heard Li Mo''s words, the guard asked in shock, "Were you the ones who spirited the beastkin ves away in the past, too? Don''t you know what happens to those who oppose the Yuelu Vi?!"


    Li Mo sneered. "Oh, I''ll let that old geezer Dong Tiehe know what happens to those who oppose mymand!" The two masked demons flew away.


    Meanwhile, Su Nan led the procession of carriages forward, eight of them rushing quickly down a pathposed of side roads. His role was to drive the carriages to the Fengchao Peak before daybreak, at which time the beastkin would be led away via special, hidden routes throughout the continent.


    "Uncle!" Suddenly, a little head poked out of the window of the carriage right behind Su Nan, who turned around to see the face of an eight-year-old boy. Because he was thin and emaciated, his unusuallyrge, bright eyes looked evenrger. His face was smeared with blood, and his gaze was flecked with fear and unease.


    "What''s the matter,d?" Su Nan tried to make his tone as warm as possible. "There''s food in the carriages, so feel free to eat something."


    He had had food prepared and left in each carriage, but the boy and his fellowpanions had refrained from eating out of prudence. In the Yue kingdom, he and his mother had been caught as ves because they had eaten a drugged pancake handed to them by a ve peddler.


    "Uncle, where are you bringing us?" the child asked cautiously. Although he was young, his experiences as a ve had filled him with fear of the unknown.


    Clearly discerning the fear in the boy''s voice, Su Nan spoke even more gently as he replied, "I''ll bring you to a ce where you can be free, without discrimination or maltreatment¡ªthe beastkin''s new homnd."


    "Homnd?" That was a term he''d only heard in his mother''s musings. His mother had told him that their homnd was at the foot of the Yueli Mountains, whererge fields of fiery-red wuye flowers grew.


    But now his mother was dead.


    "But Mother told me that our homnd had been destroyed! That we''ll never be able to return..." the boy''s voice wasced with hopelessness.


    "We can always rebuild!" Su Nan replied resolutely. "As long as we beastkin still live, our homnd can likewise be reborn!"


    "Uncle, your eyes!" the child looked at Su Nan in shock. "Your eyes look like mine! Are you a beastkin too?"


    Su Nan''s dull, human-like eyes were currently glowing brightly.


    "Yes, I''m as much a beastkin as you are!" Su Nan turned back to the front as he whipped his horse, driving the procession of carriages even more quickly.


    Li Mo flew in the air above the procession, safeguarding them until they entered the Fengchao Peak. There, the terrain was soplicated that it would stymie anyone from following their trail. Given their prior arrangements, the beastkin would certainly be safe upon arriving at the peak.


    By the time the beastkin were safely at the peak, it was daybreak. Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan flew back to the capital facing the rising sun, which slowly rose from the horizon ahead of them. This was their second sunrise together.


    Their first sunrise together was at the top of a tower in Kongming Academy. Compared to her overwhelming emotions that first time, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s feelings were now far more turbid.


    In her past life, Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying had schemed against her, breaking her family apart and ruining her life. She had always thought herself unfortunate, and much of her attention in this life had been in nning her vengeance against the duo that had orchestrated her downfall.


    But her experiencest night had acquainted her with true tragedy. What the beastkin suffered from was endemic to their race, a remnant of history that none of their struggles would be able to ovee. Their discrimination and very in the hands of humans was utterly unreasonable.


    Yun Ruoyan reflected on her own downfall in her past life. The reason she¡¯d ended up in that miserable, wretched state was due to her own inaction, and could be ascribed to punishment from the heavens for her foolish weakness.


    And yet, despite all her mistakes, the heavens had seen fit to grant her another chance at life. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s n had been to strengthen herself until she could take revenge on those who had hurt her in her past life.


    But what if the heavens had granted her this boon for motives beyond her own revenge?

 Chapter 154: A Sealed Secret

    <h4>Chapter 154: A Sealed Secret</h4>


    ¡°Li Mo.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more inscrutable to me.¡± Yun Ruoyan faced the morning sun and the wind. Her voice, somewhat indistinct, floated into Li Mo¡¯s ears.


    The ughtering King, who had allegedly killed tens of thousands of beastkin, had infiltrated the Yuelu Vi one night to rescue a mere two dozen beastkin ves. No one would have believed such a tall tale. Even Yun Ruoyan would have found it ridiculous, had she not experienced it all for herself.


    But Li Mo didn¡¯t intend to resolve Yun Ruoyan¡¯s confusion. With a careless smile, he replied, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m crazy? Just think of it as something that happened during one of my fits.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, don¡¯t.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s confusion became speechlessness. ¡°But can you at least act more seriously?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been serious,¡± Li Mo continued. ¡°But you¡¯re even more serious than I am, Yan¡¯er, and it¡¯s far too boring to hang out with such a serious person. As a result, I can¡¯t help but be more frivolous.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Your Frivolous Highness. May I ask that you send me home?¡±


    Li Mo indeed delivered Yun Ruoyan back to her quarters. This time, he retracted his aura, so that no one else was alerted to his arrival. The reason he hadn¡¯t done sost time was in order to demonstrate to everyone in the Yun manor that Yun Ruoyan belonged to the ughtering King. He had no need to attract so much attention now that his goal was aplished.


    Yun Ruoyan handed her green-demon mask to Li Mo, who refused it. ¡°It¡¯s a gift, Yan¡¯er. If you ever want to do anything bad in the future, just put it on and me it on the Demonic Duo.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked at the mask in her hand thoughtfully before keeping it in her storage ring. Just as Li Mo was turning to leave, she suddenly remembered something. ¡°How¡¯s Li Luo?¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, why are you asking about her? The two of you aren¡¯t familiar, are you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had only seen Li Luo twice. The first time was when she had been injured and was brought back to the ughtering King¡¯s manor; Li Luo had taken care of her there. The second time was when Yun Ruoyan went to the ughtering King¡¯s manor in order to find Li Mo, and had found her at the entrance instead.


    Although Li Luo had left quite a good impression on Yun Ruoyan, the two were indeed quite unfamiliar to each other. Li Mo was naturally suspicious that Yun Ruoyan was suddenly asking about her.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t have that many friends,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve only met Sister Li Luo twice, I found her temperament unusually agreeable to mine. If she¡¯s free, I¡¯d love to go to your manor and spend time with her.¡±


    Before Yun Moxiao and Li Luo got together, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t want to reveal the truth to Li Mo.


    ¡°She¡¯s a bit busy these few days, so I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t have time for you,¡± Li Mo replied, ¡°but you¡¯re always wee in my manor.¡±


    Always wee? If Li Mo hadn¡¯t been present then, who knew how long she would have had to wait?


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Yun Ruoyan pretended to be overwhelmed by his generosity. ¡°When will Sister Li Luo be free? I¡¯d like to speak with her then.¡±


    ¡°In about two days or so.¡±


    Having consumed Li Mo¡¯s high-grade spiritual pill, Duan Tianyun was more or less recovered, and no longer needed Li Luo¡¯s intensive care. In two days, she would naturally have free time once more.


    She had seen Yun Moxiao thumb her scented sachet a few times when he didn¡¯t think anyone was looking, and his gaze made it clear whom he was thinking of. As a result, Yun Ruoyan decided to manufacture an opportunity for the two of them.


    After taking a short nap, Peony came to wake her up, at which point Yun Ruoyan asked her to draw a bath for her. Givenst night¡¯s search-and-rescue operation, Yun Ruoyan kept thinking that there was a bloody scent lingering on her body. She had killed the guard from afar with the Fei de, so surely no blood had sttered on her. When she thought back to the scene, however, Yun Ruoyan kept smelling the faint iron tang of blood.


    As a result, she had lost her desire for breakfast.


    Peony was very used to her mistress¡¯ requests at odd times of the day. Starting a few months ago, Yun Ruoyan had be particrly clean. Unless she were secluded in cultivation, she would bathe at least once per day. When it was warm, or when she had gone on an excursion, she would even bathe multiple times.


    Although she had always liked cleanliness as a child, Yun Ruoyan had never been so particr. Peony was a little curious as to what had spurred the change, but she didn¡¯t much care: as long as her mistress was happy, so what if it was a little more troublesome for her?


    No one knew that the reason for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stubborn cleanliness was a remnant mental trauma from her past life, when she had been imprisoned in a little shack for firewood. She had been trapped in that shack for three whole months, eating, drinking, and even urinating and defecating in that cramped enclosure.


    After three months of not bathing or washing her head, her hair was filled with lice and fleas. That sort of feeling had prated deep into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s psyche, so after her rebirth, she felt ufortable with even a little bit of dirt and grime on her body. She knew this was only a psychological effect, but it was one that was almost impossible to get rid of.


    ¡°Qiuqiu.¡± As shey submerged in her bathtub, Yun Ruoyan called out to Qiuqiu. During this period of time, Qiuqiu had also been spending more and more time cultivating. As long as Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t summon it, it would almost never take the initiative to contact Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Qiu, Mistress, qiu.¡± Qiuqiu awoke from its meditation and replied, ¡°Mistress, is there anything I can do for you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan rested her head along the side of the bathtub, Li Mo¡¯s salve liberally applied to her face. Leisurely, she asked, ¡°Qiuqiu, as a mythical beast, you must be very knowledgeable. Are you familiar with the secrets and rumors of the Chenyuan continent?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, Mistress. Mythical beasts have an incredibly long lifespan and a hereditary memory of sorts, so even though I can¡¯t im to be an expert with all the continent¡¯s major secrets, I know a fair amount about them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll ask you a question.¡±


    ¡°What question?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sat up straight and began seriously. ¡°Do you know how the Beast King died, and whether or not he truly hid the beastkin¡¯s treasure somewhere on the continent? If so, where?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan asked a series of questions that Qiuqiu knew the answer to, but it didn¡¯t know how to answer her.


    After all, these were major secrets, ones that someone with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s level of power and cultivation wasn¡¯t suited to know. If this information was released to the public, it might cause a panic.


    Not wanting to lie to Yun Ruoyan, Qiuqiu answered, ¡°I know the answer to these questions, but I can¡¯t tell you, Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because some of these secrets contain restricted, sealed information. Anyone who reveals such secrets will pay a painful price,¡± Qiuqiu intoned. ¡°Sometimes, even those learning about the information have to pay such a price.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had heard of these seals: apparently, some ridiculously strong cultivators were able to seal information on a particrly sensitive topic.


    Those who knew about such affairs would have to face the bacsh of the seal upon revealing that information, and the bacsh could be very serious. Even those who had unintentionally learned about such information would be put in danger.


    Yun Ruoyan just hadn¡¯t realized that these rumored seals were, in fact, true. In this case, she surely couldn¡¯t risk Qiuqiu suffering such a bacsh just to satiate her curiosity. Their lives were far more important.


    ¡°In that case, forget it.¡± Yun Ruoyan lost her interest in asking and continued to enjoy her bath.


    Then, Qiuqiu continued, ¡°Mistress, as you continue cultivating, you can break some of the restrictions of these seals on the Chenyuan continent¡¯s greatest mysteries. As for this particr information, I can reveal it to you as soon as you be a sword saint.¡±


    ¡°A sword saint?!¡± Yun Ruoyan was a little shocked. After all, knowing about a sword saint was a minor secret in and of itself.


    There were three major bottlenecks to demaster cultivation: between the third and fourth rank, eighth and ninth rank, and ninth and the mythical tenth rank. Of course, this was just for the more talented cultivators; for less talented demasters, every rank was a major bottleneck.


    Yun Ruoyan had been stuck at the boundary between third and fourth rank for a whole three years. Although it turned out that this was a result of her poisoning, Yun Ruoyan had nevertheless been ingrained with the severity of such bottlenecks.


    Furthermore, as far as she knew, Yun Moxiao had been stuck as an eighth-rank demaster for almost two years. Even now, he was only a mid-eighth-rank demaster, and there were quite a few cultivators who had been stuck at eighth-rank their entire lives.


    Yun Ruoyan knew that her father, Yun Lan, was an early ninth-rank demaster. Based on Li Mo¡¯s cultivation, he was peak ninth-rank, far more advanced than even her father.


    Yun Ruoyan had heard a lot of apocryphal tales about legendary figures who were infinitesimally close to breaking through the barrier of a sword saint, but even those tales hadn¡¯t mentioned anyone who had sessfully done so.


    Yun Ruoyan was reminded of her conversation with Li Mo in that restaurant regarding cultivation beyond that of a ninth-rank demaster. He¡¯d stopped short of telling her the specifics, just like Qiuqiu. Presumably, it was something she would naturally find out as a ninth-rank demaster. Li Mo must also have been on the cusp of triggering a seal.


    After her bath, Yun Ruoyan headed once more to the Lin family. Today was the third day of the three-day deadline she had given Pei Ziao.


    She was initially quite confident about her soul-stealing pill, but now she was feeling a little hesitant. After all, it was a pill that had emerged from her first attempt at concocting poison. Could she have made a mistake somewhere, or were Pei Ziao¡¯s motions so wooden during the past few days that the poison was discovered?


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t be sure. If that were the case, then she would have to find another way of getting the tiger-canine arrows.


    After arriving at the Lin estate, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t go visit Zhuo Yifeng. However, Lin Qingchen told her that Zhuo Yifeng was recovering very quickly, and was now even able to continue practicing archery in his backyard. However, he had grown even more taciturn than before.


    Afterst night, Yun Ruoyan could finally sympathize with the beastkin and understand why they so hated Li Mo.


    The Li kingdom had only implemented its policies regarding the beastkin in thest four years. Before that, the Zhuo siblings had to have suffered from discrimination. Honestly, it was already impressive that they were able to get along so well with humans and heap their hatred all onto Li Mo.


    The morning passed without any sign of Pei Ziao. Not wanting to remain unupied as she waited, she headed to the pillmaking chambers to begin refining some pills.


    It was almost evening when Lin Bo informed her that Young Master Pei was here to see her.

 Chapter 155: The Most Malicious Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 155: The Most Malicious Revenge</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan hurriedly extinguished the furnace and followed Lin Bo to the guest hall, where she saw Pei Ziao sipping tea.


    "Pei Ziao," she called out.


    The moment Pei Ziao raised his head to look at Yun Ruoyan, his gaze became unfocused and his features went ck, clear evidence that the soul-stealing pill was functioning as expected.


    "I need to have a private conversation with Young Master Pei. Lin Bo, please return to your duties."


    Lin Bo had also noticed Pei Ziao''s sudden shift in expression. Having traipsed across the continent with Lin Zainan in his youth, he was more observant than most. "This Young Master Pei looks like he''s suddenly lost his soul. Miss Yun, please be careful."


    "I will, Lin Bo."


    Lin Bo retreated as Yun Ruoyan walked up to him. Robotically, Pei Ziao stood up, his gaze tracking Yun Ruoyan, as if he were a dog waiting for orders from his mistress. Right, nothing more than a dog. Yun Ruoyan was once again amazed by the power of the soul-stealing pill.


    "Have you procured everything?"


    "Yes, Mistress."


    "Good. Show me." Yun Ruoyan pointed at a table. She had noticed that Pei Ziao was wearing a storage ring, and the items she was looking for were likely inside.


    Pei Ziao slowly turned around, waved his hand above the wooden table, and revealed three cedar cases. One wasrge, and two small. Yun Ruoyan walked over and opened up thatrge box to find dozens of tiger-canine arrows, each sharp and pointed, and gleaming gold.


    There were forty of them in all, surprising Yun Ruoyan greatly. She''d originally expected that the canine would only be enough for just about twenty arrows, but here was double that quantity! The drawback was that these arrowheads were much smaller than those of standard arrows.


    "Are the size of those arrowheads going to be a problem?"


    "No," Pei Ziao replied. "Father told me that these canines are a particrly hard and dense material, so making regr-sized arrowheads out of them would have affected the arrows'' bnce and speed. Instead, making the arrowheads smaller would both produce a greater quantity of arrows and make them easier to use inbat."


    Due to the effect of the soul-stealing pill, Pei Ziao was particrly loquacious. "Of course, this also means that these arrowheads are unable to causerge wounds. To use such arrowheads to the best of their ability, the archer must have extreme precision."


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, supremely confident in Zhuo Yifeng''s archery. She closed the case of arrows and opened up the other two boxes, each containing a high-grade spiritual pill. One was superior, and the other regr.


    Pei Ziao introduced the superior pill as one that could swiftly rejuvenate spiritual energy that was consumed during a battle, and the regr pill as one for treating external injuries. Rather than swallowing it, the user would crush it over their wounds.


    "You''ve done very well," Yun Ruoyan praised, sweeping all three boxes into her own storage ring.


    "Thank you, Mistress." Pei Ziao''s wooden expression became happy as he received rare praise from his mistress. Under the effect of the soul-stealing pill, Pei Ziao was wholeheartedly treating Yun Ruoyan as his mistress, and his only goal was to aplish the tasks she had set out for him.


    Yun Ruoyan was almost unwilling to give Pei Ziao the antidote, but she was certain that the wily Pei Yingxiong would detect something amiss sooner orter if she didn''t. It wouldn''t do to be too greedy!


    "Leave the Lin estate and head east until you reach the brothel you normally go to. There, find the ugliest woman you see and entice her to sleep with you. After you awaken, consume this pill."


    Yun Ruoyan handed Pei Ziao the antidote to the soul-stealing pill.


    "Of course, Mistress." Pei Ziao bowed respectfully.


    "Alright, you can go." Yun Ruoyan waved her hand in dismissal and watched Pei Ziao depart. She looked at his back with a particrly malicious smile.


    After Pei Ziao left the Lin manor, he headed straight for the Yichun brothel. It was already near evening, and the women of the brothel were on the streets soliciting guests.


    "Young Master Pei, oh, isn''t this Young Master Pei?" One of the women saw Young Master Pei and began swooning around him. Because of his generosity and propensity to bring his other noble friends over, Pei Ziao was considered a VIP guest.


    "Young Master Pei, it''s been so long since you''ve frequented Yichun! We''ve missed you to death." The women crowded Pei Ziao as they ushered him in.


    As long as Pei Ziao wasn''t in close proximity to Yun Ruoyan, he would behave like a regr person. With a smile, he replied, "My money more than my personality, surely."


    "Young Master Pei, it''s been so long! You haven''t found a new locale to frequent, have you?" Madam Lin herself strode up to wee him.


    "Of course not," Pei Ziao denied. "Your girls are the best in the entire capital, Madam Lin. I couldn''t find a better ce even if I tried!"


    Pei Ziao''s words caused Madam Lin to beam, turning her old, wrinkled face into a chrysanthemum. She walked up to Pei Ziao and nudged him. "I''ve left you a few fresh goods to sample, Young Master Pei."


    Pei Ziao was very particr in his preferences: he would only have sex with beautiful virgins, the so-called "fresh goods". For these women, he was willing to spend a generous sum of money.


    "Please introduce me to them, Madam Lin." Pei Ziao''s gaze roamed the brothel.


    Madam Lin immediately headed to the back of the brothel. "They''ll be right with you, Young Master Pei."


    As he sat in the brothel''s reception chamber, a young miss walked up with her head lowered to serve some wine. Perhaps because she was anxious, she tripped and almost fell.


    "Miss, be careful!" Pei Ziao leaped forward and held her steady with a smile. His dashing countenance, enhanced by his spotless white robe and graceful smile, immediately dazzled a whole gaggle of women.


    The women, however, were quite surprised that Young Master Pei would actually smile at the ugly servant girl. His standards had always been remarkably high, and he had always frowned upon seeing her in the past.


    Young Master Pei really was acting quite strangely today!


    The ugly servant immediately stood up straight when she saw Pei Ziao smiling at her, grinning foolishly as she did so.


    Her face was like a t te, her eyes as beady as a chicken''s, her eyebrows bare, her lips permanently pursed, her skin rough and dark, textured and colored like grains of sand exposed to extreme heat. Her smile showed off her tombstone-like teeth. When she breathed out, the women all covered their nose and mouth as one, as if able to smell her foul breath even from afar.


    She was such a distasteful woman that she had been given to the brothel for free as menialbor. Her face was so ugly that no sane establishment would permit her to show her face in public, but Madam Lin was an astute businesswoman.


    She was so far beyond ugly that her appearance was a rarity of sorts, and there were always those unusual guests who derived enjoyment from looking at all sorts of bizarre, entric scenes that shocked one''s eyes.


    More importantly, her extreme ugliness would make all the other women look like beauties inparison. Even the next-ugliest woman would look like a peerless beautypared to this servant girl.


    As Pei Ziao looked at her, Yun Ruoyan''s voice kept ringing through his head. "Find the ugliest woman in the brothel, entice her, and sleep with her! It''s her, her, her..."


    Pei Ziao''s gaze was dull one moment and alert the next. He had no choice but to obey his mistress''mands, so he asked, "May I ask for your name and age, Miss?"


    His gentle voice and dreamy eyes once again shocked the women peering at him from a distance.


    "I, I..." Such a thing had never happened to the servant girl before, and she was overwhelmed by his appearance and question. She took a deep breath, mimicked the manner of speech employed by thedies who worked here, and spoke in a low, muffled voice, "My name is Huahua, Young Master."


    After her self-introduction, Huahua stuck out her impressive bosom, the only part of her body she could be proud of. Amidst the slender, willowy women of the Yichun brothel, Huahua''s bosom was indeed thergest of them all.


    "Huahua," Pei Ziao called out, his tone admiring. "What a beautiful name!"


    The jaws of the watching women dropped. Young Master Pei was actually praising that ugly servant girl!


    "Really, Young Master?" Huahua was almost in delirium from the attention of the handsome man in front of her.


    "When have I ever lied to a woman?" Pei Ziao stood up, cupped Huahua''s stupendously ugly face, and professed, "Miss, I''m enamored with you. Would you spend a night with me?"


    "What? What?!" Huahua opened her beady eyes wide and said incredulously. Had she be pretty, all of a sudden?


    "Miss, are you unwilling?" Pei Ziao frowned.


    "N-No, of course I''m willing!" Huahua shook her head. "But I''m only a servant girl, and I''m not allowed to sleep with the guests."


    "Don''t you worry, Huahua. I''ll deal with it."


    By this time, Madam Lin had returned with seven "fresh goods" in single file, each newly arrived and kept specifically for noble guests like Pei Ziao.


    "Apologies for the wait, Young Master Pei." Madam Lin bowed. "These women are all the cream of the crop, as fresh as can be."


    "There''s no need." Pei Ziao''s gaze swept coolly over the gathered beauties. "I''ve already found the woman I desire."


    "Ah? Who?" Madam Lin was shocked. Was there anyone else in the brothel who could catch this particrly fussy young master''s eyes?


    "Her." Pei Ziao pointed toward a girl, and Madam Lin looked in her direction.


    "It''s me, Madam!" Huahua beamed at Madam Lin, her features distending into a smile.

 Chapter 156: An Imminent Show

    <h4>Chapter 156: An Imminent Show</h4>


    ¡°Young Master Pei, whom did you say you were interested in?¡± Madam Lin was certain that she¡¯d misheard.


    ¡°Her!¡± In front of everyone, Pei Ziao once again pointed at Huahua. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Madam Lin? Surely you¡¯re not unwilling?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Madam Lin felt a little dazed. ¡°Ah! Oh, Young Master Pei, how could you joke with me like that? My goodness, to think I almost believed you!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t only Madam Lin who thought Pei Ziao had been joking: all the women, patrons, servants, and even bouncers, regardless of whether they knew Pei Ziao or not, were certain that he couldn¡¯t be telling the truth.


    Even those who could stand looking at Huahua¡¯s disfigured appearance for more than three breaths were considered strong of mind. For someone to be interested in her¡­ that person was either addled in the head or joking.


    And Pei Ziao didn¡¯t look one bit like he was addled in the head!


    ¡°Madam¡­¡± Huahua whispered to Madam Lin, ¡°Young Master Pei told me he wanted to spend a night together with me!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Madam Lin eximed. ¡°Repeat yourself!¡±


    No one present would believe Huahua¡¯s words.


    ¡°Is this ugly girl crazy? She really thinks she can snag someone like Young Master Pei?!¡±


    ¡°Not even toads would want to copte with her!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s taking Young Master Pei¡¯s joke seriously. Isn¡¯t she aware of her own appearance?¡±


    Criticism and nastyments from the women and patrons swept through the brothel as Huahua gazed innocently at Pei Ziao with her small, beady eyes.


    As if responding to Huahua¡¯s gaze, Pei Ziao immediately stood up and walked toward her. While the crowd watched on in stupefaction, Pei Ziao put a hand on Huahua¡¯s sturdy shoulder and announced, ¡°Miss Huahua¡¯s absolutely right! I do n on spending the night with her!¡±


    Pei Ziao¡¯s words were met with a deafening silence.


    Those women that were infatuated with Pei Ziao, but whom he¡¯d never chosen, could hear the mournful tinkling of their breaking hearts. Someone as handsome as he was, choosing to sleep with as monstrously ugly a servant as Huahua? How could that be?!


    ¡°Madam Lin,¡± Pei Ziao broke the silence, taking out a sheaf of banknotes and holding it in front of her. ¡°I expect Miss Huahua¡¯s still a virgin. Will this be enough to buy her first night?¡±


    When Madam Lin saw the sheaf of banknotes in front of her, she subconsciously reached out for it even without understanding the situation fully.


    ¡°Is it enough?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Madam Lin was still somewhat dazed. ¡°Ah! Yes, of course!¡± Far more than sufficient!


    Even without counting, Madam Lin could tell that this sheaf of banknotes was worth at least four hundred taels of silver, enough to buy the virginity of even the most dazzling woman of the Yichun brothel. Huahua had been a gift, and Madam Lin had only raised her in order to ward off evil spirits¡­ she¡¯d never thought that Huahua would ever end up making money for her!


    Madam Lin¡¯s brain cleared up as soon as she thought about money. That¡¯s right¡ªwasn¡¯t the Yichun brothel meant to be a ce for men to do what they wanted? With enough money, any man could spend a night with Madam Lin herself, let alone Huahua!


    ¡°Young Master Pei, your taste is truly extraordinary.¡± Madam Lin waved the kerchief in her hand, extolling Huahua¡¯s virtues as she would any other woman of the brothel. ¡°Huahua¡¯s indeed a virgin.¡± No one would want her! ¡°She has an incredibly¡­ resilient body, a broad, weing face¡­¡± This time, however, Madam Lin¡¯s gift of gab failed her. How was she supposed to praise someone like Huahua?!


    ¡°Madam¡­¡± Huahua bashfully twisted her body, sessfully disgusting most of the crowd looking on in interest.


    But Huahua didn¡¯t mind; after all, the dashing Young Master Pei still seemed enthralled with her. Although Huahua wasrgely uneducated, she had seen enough of the goings-on in the brothel that she could mimic the dialogue between the other women and their guests. In a coarse, grating voice, she called out for Pei Ziao, ¡°Young Master Pei¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡± Pei Ziao held an outstretched finger to her pursed lips. ¡°Miss Huahua, are you excited?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master Pei!¡±


    Pei Ziao had sessfully enticed the ugliest woman in the brothel, as Yun Ruoyan hadmanded. With the soul-stealing pill still in effect, Pei Ziao next had to carry out Yun Ruoyan¡¯s secondmand.


    ¡°Miss Huahua, I look forward to spending the night with you.¡± His dreamy eyes swept over Huahua¡¯s body.


    ¡°M-Me too, Young Master Pei.¡± Huahua had never felt her legs so jelly-like, and it was taking all her focus not to fall to the ground.


    Pei Ziao attempted to grab Huahua¡¯s thick waist to lift her up, but failed the first time. The second time, infusing spiritual energy into his body, he finally lifted Huahua up.


    ¡°Young Master Pei, follow me!¡± Madam Lin immediately guided him forward. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared you a room right here.¡±


    With Madam Lin leading the way, Pei Ziao carried Huahua urgently up to avishly decorated guest room on the second floor. After Pei Ziao¡¯s departure, the flock of women finally broke out of their reveries and mourned for each other.


    ¡°My goodness, what¡¯s going on? I don¡¯t want to live anymore! Put me out of my misery!¡±


    ¡°Was I dreaming? Sister, pinch me!¡±


    ¡°Ouch, it hurts! It¡¯s not a dream¡ªoh, I don¡¯t want to live anymore either!¡±


    The women had gone crazy, but the men were a little more clear-headed.


    ¡°Was that Young Master Pei just now? His silhouette seemed familiar, but I couldn¡¯t quite tell.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s him, alright! I see him around here frequently.¡±


    ¡°H-He really bought that Huahua¡¯s first night? What incredible fortitude!¡±


    ¡°The nobles all want to try something different, don¡¯t you know? But it¡¯s true that it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen someone with such¡­ unusual tastes.¡±


    From then on, Pei Ziao¡¯s name spread far and wide across the capital.


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan woke up early in the morning, washed up, and dressed up as a man. Because she was disguised, she left the Yun manor by leaping over the back wall, rather than through the front doors. She gracefully jumped over the wall, brushed away the dirt on her robe, and strode toward the alleyway. Past the alleyway, she headed directly for the Yichun brothel.


    A carriage brushed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side. Yun Ruoyan herself didn¡¯t notice a thing, but the person in the carriage had been taking a breather with her head out the window, and it just so happened that she had seen Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Miss, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Cui Ju asked her mistress when she saw her staring out the window.


    ¡°Tell the driver to stop the carriage. I want to get off,¡± Yi Qianying turned around and eximed.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Yi Qianying¡¯s suddenmand made Cui Ju hesitate.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand my words?¡± Yi Qianying snapped impatiently. ¡°Are you deaf? I want to get off the carriage. Get the driver to stop the carriage!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, yes, Miss.¡± Cui Ju immediately stuck her head out the other window tomunicate with the driver.


    Yi Qianying sniffed as she stared at Cui Ju¡¯s back, exasperation filling her mind. After He Xiang¡¯s punishment, she had recruited and dismissed three servants in a row, each more stupid than thest. None of them were to her taste.


    At the moment, Yi Qianying was heading back to the Yi manor. Her wedding to the crown prince was imminent, and the Yi family, from which she had long since fallen out of favor, was now trying to badger her to get in her good graces.


    They had sent a carriage for her early in the morning, telling her that they¡¯d prepared a dowry for the wedding for her to inspect. If she was dissatisfied, they were perfectly willing to change it.


    But just now, when Yi Qianying was looking out the window, she¡¯d seen her dear cousin Yun Ruoyan dressed as a man. Although Yun Ruoyan had veiled her face, Yi Qianying recognized her immediately.


    If Yun Ruoyan was putting on a disguise so early in the morning, there had to be something amiss! Yi Qianying jumped out of the carriage and followed behind Yun Ruoyan, telling Cui Ju and the carriage driver to wait by the roadside for her. What was Yun Ruoyan up to now?


    Because it was early in the morning, Yun Ruoyan walked leisurely to the Yichun brothel without interruption. The doors to the brothel were tightly shut. Because brothels didn¡¯t tend to operate during the day, there were no patrons around.


    Yun Ruoyan craned her head to look to the second floor¡ªas yet, there wasn¡¯t amotion. After a whole night of activity, the guests of the Yichun brothel were still asleep.


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t in a hurry. She entered a restaurant by the other side of the street and ordered a te of steamed dumplings and red bean congee. After removing the veil from her face and storing it in her sleeve, she slowly began to eat her breakfast.


    Yi Qianying, hidden by the other side of the restaurant, stared at her in suspicion. Was the breakfast at the Yun manor so bad that she had to sneak out all the way here? There were so many restaurants along the way that she¡¯d passed over. Why had she deliberately chosen a restaurant right opposite a brothel?


    When Yun Ruoyan finished her te of steamed dumplings and found that there was still nomotion, she ordered a few deep-fried breadsticks.


    ¡°Uncle, when does the brothel opposite usually open for business?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked the old man who served her.


    When he saw that she was disguised as a handsome youth, albeit one with a somewhat ugly birthmark on his right cheek, the old man frowned. ¡°Lad, why¡¯re you inquiring about such things at such a young age?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, you misunderstand me,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined. ¡°My brother hasn¡¯t been home the entire night, and my sister-inw¡¯s in a rage at home. My parents had mee over to see if he¡¯s here, but the brothel doesn¡¯t seem to be open yet.¡±


    Only then did the old man stop looking so critically at her. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Some of the guests leave before dawn while no one¡¯s awake, of course, but the others tend to head out at around this time. Most of them will head straight over for breakfast before returning to their own homes.¡±


    Just then, a shadow suddenly flew out of the second floor of the Yichun brothel, apanied by a piercing scream that grated at her ears.

 Chapter 157: Pei Ziao’s Gone Crazy

    <h4>Chapter 157: Pei Ziao¡¯s Gone Crazy</h4>


    The hugemotion from the brothel opposite caused the bowls in the old man¡¯s hands to drop to the floor and shatter to pieces.


    ¡°Murder, murder!¡±


    ¡°Quick, run! Someone¡¯s dead!¡±


    All sorts of shrill shrieks and screams came from the Yichun brothel.


    ¡°Noise like this, all day long¡­¡± The old man nced once more at the second-floor window through which the body had fallen, before ncing down glumly at his broken bowls as he stooped down to clean up the mess.


    He¡¯d likely seen such situations happen so many times that he was more or less inured to them by now. Yun Ruoyan stood up, a cold smile on her face, as she left some copper coins on the table. Veiling herself once more, Yun Ruoyan walked toward the Yichun brothel.


    ¡°Ah,d!¡± the old man called out to Yun Ruoyan from behind, not wanting her to be embroiled in the mess.


    As if she hadn¡¯t heard him, however, Yun Ruoyan walked away. She stood by the entrance of the Yichun brothel, right by the side of the woman that had fallen onto the ground.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but think back to her past life. There had been a period during which Pei Ziao had been away from home for quite a few days in a row. She thought that he had been busy with business affairs and didn¡¯t pay his absence much mind, but one of her servants told her that he was out consorting with the women of the Yichun brothel.


    Under her instigation, Yun Ruoyan somehow mustered up the courage to head to the Yichun brothel to find him. However, instead of meeting up with him, she ended up being publicly humiliated by Madam Lin.


    Madam Lin had called Huahua over. As she pointed at Huahua, she lectured Yun Ruoyan, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed trying to call your man home when you¡¯re as ugly as she is? If you don¡¯t give him a chance to breathe, he might even divorce you!¡±


    And from then on, the already self-effacing Yun Ruoyan became even more so. No longer did she dare to ask Pei Ziao about where he was going when he didn¡¯t return home at night, deathly afraid that he would divorce her.


    Only near her end did Yun Ruoyan find out that that servant was one of Yi Qianying¡¯s spies, and that humiliation had been entirely orchestrated by her.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed as she stooped down by Huahua¡¯s side. She nced at the blood spilling out of the woman¡¯s maw, her breathing erratic and her breathing erratic andbored, and felt a sense of pity for the poor woman.


    As stout and sturdy as she was, Huahua didn''t die outright from her sudden fall. However, her vision had gone blurry, and it seemed that she didn''t have much longer to live. With another sigh, Yun Ruoyan pointed a finger at Huahua''s forehead and transmitted some spiritual energy to her.


    Huahua coughed twice, her vision clearing up once more. When Yun Ruoyan saw that she could still be saved, she fed Huahua a spiritual pill. Huahua sucked in a deep breath as she came back to life.


    "Are you alright?"


    "Young... Young Master Pei..." The first words Huahua uttered, full of affection, were for Pei Ziao.


    Yun Ruoyan knew that she had hurt Huahua with hermand to Pei Ziao, and she felt a little guilty. After all, Huahua had never hurt her; she was only an incidental pawn in her revenge on Pei Ziao.


    Yun Ruoyan ced a bag of silver by Huahua''s side. "What you experiencedst night was no more than a dream that should be forgotten. If you want to keep your life, take this money and leave this ce."


    "No, I won''t go! I have to find Young Master Pei!"


    Huahua couldn''t understand why, after being gentle to her all night long, Young Master Pei would suddenly kick her out the window. Just then, the tightly shut doors of the Yichun brothel opened up. Dozens of men and women ran out from within, their clothes all a mess.


    "What happened inside?" Yun Ruoyan asked, pulling one of the startled women aside.


    "M-Murder!" the woman stammered.


    "Who murdered whom?"


    "Yo-Young Master Pei killed, killed the madam! And so many other people besides!"


    In the morning, as Pei Ziao blearily shook himself awake, he obeyed Yun Ruoyan''smand and consumed the antidote to the poison. The effects of the soul-stealing pill slowly vanished, and he regained his independence once more. Then he turned to his side in shock and horror: there, Pei Ziao found the nude body of a grotesque woman, the very sight of which almost made him vomit.


    ¡°Ah!¡± In his shock, Pei Ziao reared aside and fell off the bed.


    Themotion woke Huahua up. As she blinked her beady eyes, she nced coquettishly at Pei Ziao.


    ¡°Young Master Pei, you¡¯re awake?¡± As she thought back tost night¡¯s incredible affair, Huahua felt as though she were floating amidst the clouds.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ what are you doing here?!¡± Pei Ziao gathered his clothes as he pointed at Huahua, horror staining his expressions. The room¡¯s decor was familiar; it was in the style of the Yichun brothel that he often frequented.


    However, he didn¡¯t know how he had ended up there. More importantly, why was he in bed with such a disgusting woman? What exactly had happened?!


    ¡°I, I¡¯ve always been here¡­?¡± Huahua pursed her somewhat swollen lips as she continued bashfully, ¡°You were particrly gentle with me during my first night, Young Master Pei.¡±


    Pei Ziao¡¯s head lolled back as a few fragments of his memories came back to him. His eyes turned red as he stared at Huahua, still lying blissfully in bed.


    ¡°Young Master Pei? What¡¯s wrong?¡± She propped herself up with an arm upon seeing something amiss in his gaze.


    The nket slid off her body, revealing her mottled red-ck skin in the nude.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Almost blinded by the sight, Pei Ziao clutched his face as tears streamed down his eyes.


    ¡°Young Master Pei, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Huahua covered herself up with a robe as she walked to his side and tenderly caressed him.


    ¡°Scram!¡± With a shout, Pei Ziao kicked Huahua¡¯s chest with all his remaining spiritual energy. Huahua only had time to let out a piercing scream as her humongous body broke through the window on the second-floor guest room as she flew out the building.


    As his memories came back in force, Pei Ziao remembered how he had walked into the Yichun brothel, how he had paid for Huahua¡¯s first night, and how that first night had actually gone.


    Pei Ziao curled up on the floor moaning, his stomach roiling at the memories filtering through his mind. When Madam Lin heard themotion upstairs, she climbed up to the second floor and knocked on Pei Ziao¡¯s door.


    ¡°Young Master Pei, Young Master Pei, are you alright?¡± Madam Lin asked cheerily. There had been an¡­ incrediblemotionst night due to Huahua¡¯srge body and amazingly loud voice, and Madam Lin got goosebumps when she recalled what she¡¯d heard.


    Honestly, she didn¡¯t understand Young Master Pei¡¯s abrupt change in taste, but she would readily ept anything given enough money as persuasion.


    ¡°Young Master Pei, I¡¯ve prepared some morning refreshments for you. Did you and Huahua¡ª¡±


    Before Madam Lin could finish, the door suddenly opened up. Pei Ziao stood by the door, his face ashen.


    Madam Lin¡¯s smile froze on her face.


    ¡°Young Master Pei, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Madam Lin, Madam Lin¡­¡± Pei Ziao grit his teeth as he forced out her name. ¡°Who instigated you to have that ugly wench sleep with me?!¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Madam Lin was flummoxed. ¡°You bought her virginity yourself!¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Pei Ziao was clenching his teeth so hard it felt like he could draw blood at any moment. ording to his memories, he truly was the one who had bought a night with her, but it felt like he hadn¡¯t had a shred of autonomy while doing so.


    ¡°You sold her to me just because I wanted it?¡± Pei Ziao¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. To him, there was nothing more distressing than spending a night with such a disgusting woman.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Madam Lin replied naturally. ¡°Everyone knows that the Yichun brothel is a ce to spend your hard-earned money. If you offered me enough, I¡¯d be willing to sell my own body, let alone Huahua¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Pei Ziao sneered maliciously. ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy your life!¡±


    Pei Ziao caught Madam Lin by the neck and squeezed.


    ¡°Ah, hel¡ª¡± Madam Lin was only able to get out a word and a half before she could no longer speak.


    When one of the women in the neighboring guest rooms heard themotion, she opened the door to see Pei Ziao choking Madam Lin to death. Madam Lin¡¯s eyes were wide open, and her tongue lolled out of her mouth.


    When Pei Ziao released his grip, Madam Lin fell to the floor in a heap, dead as could be.


    ¡°Ah! Murder!¡± the woman was so scared that she released an ear-splitting shriek surpassing even Huahua¡¯s.


    The entire Yichun brothel was awakened by her shriek: the other women, guests, and bouncers all peered outside their doors to investigate themotion, causing an endless chain of shouts of ¡°Murder! Murder!¡± to rebound within the building.


    When the bouncers saw that their employer was dead and that her killer was standing right there, they rushed toward him at once.


    Pei Ziao had killed Madam Lin in a fit of anger. When he stared at her lifeless corpse, the whites of her eyes showing and her tongue still lolling out, he was a little dazed. During this moment of shock, Pei Ziao was thrown to the floor by the bouncers, then punched and kicked.


    Although none of these bouncers had an impressive cultivation, they were quite adept at beating people up. Pei Ziao¡¯s eyes, nose, and lower abdomen screamed in pain, but it was only when a bouncer was right about to hit his groin that Pei Ziao suddenly exploded in rage.


    With his heirloom spear in hand, he killed the bouncers unflinchingly. In a matter of moments, the Yichun brothel was dyed red with blood. Guests and women hurriedly ran out the front doors as they screamed in fright, calling out for people to summon the magistrate.


    Yi Qianying was made very curious by themotion. A ce like the Yichun brothel was off-limits to any woman of good upbringing, but the more it was frowned upon, the more her curiosity was stoked. Given such a bigmotion, she surely wouldn¡¯t be noticed if she were to sneak over now.


    Yun Ruoyan chose not to enter the brothel; she was only here to see the drama unfold. It had gone beyond what she had anticipated, and looked as if matters would only get more and more violent. As a result, it would be prudent to watch on from afar.


    Yun Ruoyan turned, about to head back to the restaurant where she had had breakfast, and noticed that Huahua was already gone. Luckily, it seemed as though she wasn¡¯t an idiot to the core.


    A crowd of curious onlookers surrounded the Yichun brothel. Seized by the crowd, Yi Qianying quickly lost sight of Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°What happened?¡± someone asked curiously.


    ¡°Someone killed Madam Lin!¡± one of the guests who had been in the brothel eximed.


    ¡°Oh, that old hag? Who did it?¡±


    ¡°The forgemaster¡¯s son, Pei Ziao.¡±


    Yi QIanying¡¯s ears pricked up as soon as she heard that name.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, there¡¯s something suspicious about the entire affair.¡± That guest began to recount the series of events that had led to Pei Ziao sleeping with Huahua.


    ¡°He really slept with that ugly wench?!¡±


    Everyone present had heard about her famed ugliness.


    ¡°Really!¡± Excited by the attention, the guest began to embellish his ount. ¡°And they made such a big ruckus during the night, too! Can you imagine hearing Huahua¡¯s yowls all night long? But for some reason, he went crazy this morning, strangling Madam Lin to death and killing all her bouncers besides.¡±


    ¡°He has to be crazy, if he¡¯s willing to sleep with Huahua!¡±


    Even saying Huahua¡¯s name had caused some members of the crowd to close their eyes and quake in fear.


    Yi Qianying clenched her handkerchief tightly, countlessplicated emotions flickering through her face.

 Chapter 158: Heading to the Slaughtering King’s Manor

    <h4>Chapter 158: Heading to the ughtering King¡¯s Manor</h4>


    Quickly afterwards, the guards who had received the reports of a murder rushed to the Yichun brothel, and the crowd immediately made way for him. As they walked into the brothel, they saw Pei Ziao with a bloodied spear in his hand, standing amidst a pool of dark blood. By his feet were the corpses of seven or eight bouncers, as well as the madam of the brothel, the whites of her eyes showing.


    The guards didn¡¯t dare to head to the second floor. Instead, they simply loitered by the stairs, dully looking at the scene above. The guard captain recognized the spear-wielding man as Pei Ziao; the Pei family had spent considerable effort making connections with the magistrate.


    They had connections to the emperor¡¯s rtives, high officials of court, men of the magistrate, jailers and executioners, all cultivated over a considerable period of time with a not-insignificant sum of money.


    Pei Ziao was very d for such a connection at this moment.


    ¡°Young Master Pei, what¡¯s going on?¡± the head of the guards shouted from afar.


    Pei Ziao slowly raised his head to look at the guards, and his icy demeanor slowly melted to reveal a pained expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know anything¡­ I was set up!¡±


    The head of the guards, having seen countless such crimes before, had an inkling of what was going on in his mind. ¡°Young Master Pei, no matter what, please put down the weapon in your hands and head to the magistrate¡¯s office with us.¡±


    Pei Ziao was only dressed in undergarments. Blood dripped down his body, both his own and others¡¯. After the fight, his nose was bruised, his hair matted and in disarray, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked nothing like the young master of a noble family.


    When the guards escorted him out of the Yichun brothel, he suddenly saw a familiar face amidst the crowd: Yi Qianying! He looked at her, and she at him, all sorts of emotions being conveyed over a single nce.


    ¡°Uncle, another bowl of porridge, please!¡± Yun Ruoyan was still sitting at her original spot right opposite the brothel. Because of the drama, her appetite was unusually good.


    ¡°Lad, did you manage to find your elder brother?¡± the old man asked curiously upon seeing Yun Ruoyan so happy.


    ¡°Ah! It turns out that my brother wasn¡¯t here at all.¡± Yun Ruoyan continued making up her story as she sipped her porridge and looked at the crowd, coincidentally spotting the silhouette of a familiar girl.


    The drama she¡¯d nned was over, but it seemed that another was about to take ce.


    Yun Moxiao was training in his quarters when he suddenly sneezed. Frowning, he touched his nose and ended his training. It had been a few days since he¡¯dst visited his sister, so he headed to her cottage to have a chat.


    However, when he arrived at her cottage, she was nowhere to be found. He knew that his sister tended to cultivate in the early morning and evening, and would usually be up by this time to dress and have breakfast.


    That she was nowhere to be found meant that something hade up. Under Yun Moxiao¡¯s relentless pressing, Peony finally told her in a hushed tone that she had gone out almost at dawn, wearing a man¡¯s outfit.


    Yun Moxiao decided to wait in his sister¡¯s cottage for her. When Yun Ruoyan jumped into her quarters through the back window and saw Yun Moxiao staring at her, she almost stiffened up in shock.


    ¡°Brother, my goodness!¡± Yun Ruoyan clutched her chest. ¡°Why¡¯re you hiding your aura? You frightened me!¡±


    ¡°Where did you go this morning, dressed like this?¡±


    ¡°I just went out for a breather.¡± Yun Ruoyan shut the window again. It was on the cusp of autumn, and a crisp, chilly wind was already blowing through the room.


    ¡°A breather?¡± Yun Moxiao was clearly doubtful.


    ¡°I got tired of having bird¡¯s nest soup for breakfast, so I thought I¡¯d try something different---and I also got to see a good show!¡± Yun Ruoyan walked to her brother¡¯s side and poured herself a cup of warm tea. She¡¯d eaten too many steamed dumplings, and had to wash down the remnant taste in her mouth.


    ¡°What show?¡± Yun Moxiao continued interrogating her.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t helpughing out loud as she recounted Pei Ziao¡¯s affair in the Yichun brothel.


    ¡°Brother, do you think Young Master Pei will be executed after murdering so many people?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Ruoyan, did Young Master Pei offend you in the past?¡± Yun Moxiao suddenly asked.


    ¡°No, why?¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately tried to restrain her expression. She too knew that she was being far too excited for a mere onlooker, but she simply couldn¡¯t calm down!


    ¡°Based on how happy you look, it¡¯s as if he owes you a blood debt¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan reflected for a moment. Although she had to hide her grievances from her past life, she could surely reveal those from the present. As a result, she then told her brother about what had happened within the imperial territory: how Pei Ziao had, along with Yi Qianying, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu, tried to trap and kill her and the Lin siblings.


    ¡°That damn bastard!¡± After hearing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s recounting, Yun Moxiao mmed a palm against the table and only barely restrained himself from going after him immediately.


    ¡°Brother, will Pei Ziao be sentenced harshly formitting such a crime in the capital?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°As you said, he likely fell into someone¡¯s trap.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at her brother, shocked. ¡°Why do you say that, Brother?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was shocked by Yun Moxiao¡¯s perception and the fact that he could glean such a conclusion from a second-hand retelling of the events.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite obvious, isn¡¯t it? If that Huahua¡¯s as grotesque as you im, so much so that any man who looks at her will be revolted, then isn¡¯t it suspicious that Pei Ziao would spend such a huge sum of money to have her first night?¡± Yun Moxiao continued, ¡°And the reason that he began killing people in the morning is surely because he lost his rationality after finding out that he had slept with such a hideous woman while being of unsound mind.¡±


    Yun Moxiao had gotten to the heart of the matter so quickly that Yun Ruoyan was worried that he would soon figure out that she was the culprit behind this incident. Just as she was about to change the topic, Yun Moxiao continued, ¡°Where¡¯s that Huahua? You haven¡¯t mentioned anything about her. If the brothel owner¡¯s dead, then where did she go?¡±


    ¡°Ah? I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan lowered her head and continued sipping her tea.


    ¡°If Huahua ran off, then it¡¯s even more clear that there¡¯s something amiss about this incident.¡±


    ¡°Even if there truly was a conspiracy, he¡¯s still killed almost a dozen people, hasn¡¯t he? Doesn¡¯t he have to take responsibility?!¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t ept the scenario that her brother had presented.


    ¡°Although I¡¯m not frequently in the capital, I often hear my master talk about how certain families in the capital have really grown tremendously in thest few years. One of these families is the Pei family. With their wealth and connections, taking care of this affair is an easy matter. Furthermore, the dead are all regr civilians in jobs of some degeneracy. What¡¯s more¡­¡±


    Yun Moxiao turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Just like you, he¡¯s been epted to Kongming Academy, so he wouldn¡¯t be given the death sentence even if he were convicted.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew that it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to get rid of Pei Ziao, but his name within the capital had truly soured after this series of events.


    ¡°It¡¯s not any of my business, anyway,¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m going to go find Sister Li Luo at the ughtering King¡¯s manor today. Why don¡¯t you go with me?¡±


    Li Mo was right: the ughtering King¡¯s manor was now wide open for her. As soon as she got off the carriage, the guards at the door immediately announced, ¡°Miss Yun, please enter!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan walked to the entrance as she scrutinized the two guards. ¡°Is His Highness drunk today, too?¡±


    ¡°Our Highness isn¡¯t here, Miss,¡± the shorter of the two guards replied. ¡°But he instructed us quite a while ago to wee you as though you were thedy of the household, no matter where he is or what he¡¯s doing.¡±


    Hearing these words, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cheeks slightly reddened, and Yun Moxiao frowned.


    ¡°Is Miss Li Luo present?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss!¡± the taller guard responded this time. ¡°Miss Li Luo has just returned from the market, so she¡¯s probably in the kitchen right now.¡±


    Because there were so few servants in the ughtering King¡¯s manor, everyone was very familiar with each other. Yun Ruoyan nodded, and she and her brother walked into the ughtering King¡¯s manor.


    Yun Moxiao was also quite taken aback by how quiet the manor was, and the fact that there were leaves in the hallways that no one had yet bothered to brush aside. And without a servant to guide their way, he had no clue where anything in the manor was.


    ¡°Ruoyan, do you know where the kitchen is?¡± Yun Moxiao asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Yun Ruoyan shook her head. She¡¯d only been to the ughtering King¡¯s manor twice, sleeping overnight in a guest room, enjoying snacks in the back garden, and waiting in a side reception chamber for Li Mo.


    But as a person with a poor sense of direction, she wouldn¡¯t be able to locate any of those ces at the moment.


    Just then, a middle-aged maid walked by one of the corridors to their right. Dressed in a blue cotton smock, she looked to be one of the servants responsible for menialbor in the manor.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you Miss Yun?¡± the heavyset woman asked Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao were both startled: in the Yun manor, the servants responsible for menialbor had no right to speak to honored guests.


    Even the personal attendants of the young misses and young masters had to bow their heads upon seeing such guests. Without being explicitly spoken to, or by themand of their masters and mistresses, even they were forbidden to interact with these guests.


    But this woman didn¡¯t seem to have been trained in such a fashion. Instead, she beamed at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Miss Yun, are you here to see Miss Li Luo? She¡¯s currently brewing some tonic in the kitchens. Let me bring you over.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, and the two siblings followed the woman to the kitchens.


    ¡°Sister Li Luo!¡± Yun Ruoyan was the first to enter the kitchen, and she called out to her upon seeing her before the stove.


    Li Luo smiled when she saw Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Miss Yun, I¡¯ll be ready in a moment. Please don¡¯t step inside: the smoke¡¯s quite strong at this moment.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine.¡± Yun Ruoyan stepped into the kitchens, and Yun Moxiao followed suit behind her.


    Li Luo was a little startled to see Yun Moxiao appear out of nowhere.


    ¡°Miss Li Luo, is your senior brother alright?¡± Yun Moxiao tried to ease the awkwardness upon seeing Li Luo¡¯s shocked expression.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s much better, thank you. How did you end up visiting the manor along with Miss Yun?¡± Li Luo stared at the two siblings, still uprehending.


    ¡°Let me introduce the two of you.¡± Yun Ruoyan walked up to his front and said, ¡°He¡¯s my brother, do you know his name?¡±


    Li Luo thought back to that brief moment outside the Yuelu Vi where the man had introduced himself, stating that his name was Yun Moxiao. Only then did Li Luo make the connection.


    ¡°Yun Moxiao!¡±

 Chapter 159: Jealousy

    <h4>Chapter 159: Jealousy</h4>


    ¡°Savior, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually Miss Yun¡¯s brother!¡±


    Li Luo turned and smiled at Yun Moxiao. ¡°My senior brother was the only thing on my mind at the moment, and I left in such a hurry that I actually forgot to ask you where you were staying. He¡¯s been asking about you all day long, wanting to repay you for helping save his life.¡±


    ¡°Please, Miss Li, it was no effort at all,¡± Yun Moxiao hurriedly eximed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Miss Li, you don¡¯t have to call me Savior either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t Savior too impersonal?¡± Yun Ruoyan interjected.


    ¡°Alright, Young Master Yun,¡± Li Luo smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure my senior brother will be very happy to see you.¡±


    As Yun Moxiao looked at Li Luo¡¯s beautiful face, gentle smile, and slight sheen of sweat on her forehead, he felt a sudden, inexplicable joy.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Yun Ruoyan nudged her brother as soon as she noticed him staring at Li Luo in stupefaction.


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s smile didn¡¯t disappear, but his gaze turned from Li Luo¡¯s face to the stove in front of her. ¡°How¡¯s Brother Duan doing? I have some excellent salves for injuries, which I can bring over some other day.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master Yun.¡± Li Luo didn¡¯t reject his goodwill. As she fanned the mes, she exined, ¡°My senior brother¡¯s external injuries are mostly healed by now, but he isn¡¯t feeling very good about the loss of his arm.¡±


    After she finished brewing the tonic, Li Luo motioned for Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao to follow her into her senior brother¡¯s chambers.


    Duan Tianyun was staying in the guest room on the eastern wing of the ughtering King¡¯s manor, not too far from the kitchen. Mere momentster, the three of them had arrived by the outside yard. Before they could enter, however, they heard the sound of porcin shattering and a man''s vigorous cursing.


    None of the three of them knew what was going on, so they hurried into the yard. A row of guest rooms bordered the yard. The room in the middle was the only one with a door ajar, and the noise hade from within. Li Luo rushed into the room, quickly followed by Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao.


    "Senior brother, what are you doing?!" Li Luo screamed.


    The room was a mess: cracked porcin lined the floor, and in the center of a room was a tall, sturdy, one-armed man. That man was trying to pull apart the bandages on his stump of an arm, and fresh blood dripped from the wound.


    ¡°Senior brother, stop it!¡± Li Luo hurriedly put down the tray as she tried to stop him from mutting himself. ¡°Your wound¡¯s just recovered, so what are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Scram! I don¡¯t want your help!¡± Duan Tianyun thundered as he tried to push Li Luo away and continue tugging at his bandages.


    ¡°You¡¯re my senior brother. Apart from me, who else would care for you?!¡± Li Luo was very upset, her tone equal parts furious and pleading.


    But when she next tried to approach him, Duan Tianyun pped Li Luo on the face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were working for the ughtering King as a servant?! Have you forgotten how our parents and master died? How could you bear to work for your enemy? Today, I swear I¡¯ll teach you a lesson on behalf of our master!¡±


    Duan Tianyun raised his hand again, but Yun Moxiao rushed up to stop him before he could p Li Luo once more.


    ¡°Who are you? Scram!¡± Duan Tianyun howled at Yun Moxiao, but he suddenly stopped short upon seeing his face clearly.


    Although Duan Tianyun had been severely wounded that day in the duelling arena, he was still able to recognize Yun Moxiao¡¯s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s me!¡± Yun Moxiao¡¯s gaze was sharp as he stared Duan Tianyun down. "Think about how much effort Miss Li had to spend to save you! No matter what, you shouldn''ty a hand on her!"


    Sumbing to Yun Moxiao''s re, Duan Tianyun could only sigh deeply and lower his raised hand. A pregnant silence engulfed the room. Li Luo''s face quickly swelled up, but she ignored the throbbing pain. Her head lowered, she walked to the table where she''d left the tray and poured Duan Tianyun a bowl of medicine.


    "Senior brother, have some medicine," she began.


    Duan Tianyun didn''t look at her. "I won''t have anything from this manor." He sighed again, and turned to Li Luo, his eyes lingering on the swollen half of her face. "Junior sister, I apologize. I shouldn''t have struck you when it was my own inadequacy to protect you that caused you to end up where you are today."


    He stood up with determination. "Luo''er, let''s leave the ughtering King''s manor immediately."


    But Li Luo shook her head. "Senior brother, I''m not leaving."


    "What?" Duan Tianyun looked disbelievingly at his junior.


    Her eyes pained, Li Luo turned to her senior brother. "I can''t leave the ughtering King''s manor, because I''ve been sold to the ughtering King as his servant."


    Duan Tianyun pointed at Li Luo with a trembling finger. Only after a long while did he finally grit out, "Alright, if you won''t leave, then I''ll go alone!"


    He was just about to step out of the room when Yun Moxiao blocked his path.


    Duan Tianyun raised his head. "Savior, I won''t ever forget your gratitude. However, please don''t try to block me from leaving. As a beastkin, there''s no way I''m staying in this wretched ce any longer!"


    "Brother Duan, you misunderstand me. Rather than trying to prevent you from leaving, I''m more worried about your wound. In this state, it''s quite likely that you''ll pass out on the streets if your wound keeps on dripping blood. Coincidentally, two of my beastkin friends are sheltering in my grandfather''s estate at the moment. If you don''t mind, Brother Duan, would you like to stay there temporarily as well?"


    Duan Tianyun looked at Yun Moxiao, then back at his wound. With another sigh, he nodded. "Thank you for your boundless generosity, savior."


    Yun Moxiao turned to Li Luo, who smiled gratefully. He nodded at her and brought Duan Tianyun straight to the Lin estate with him, while Yun Ruoyan stayed behind to apany Li Luo.


    In Li Luo¡¯s rooms, Yun Ruoyan helped wipe dab at Li Luo¡¯s swollen cheek with cold water in order to mitigate the swelling. ¡°Your senior brother¡¯s really quite fierce.¡±


    ¡°It is my fault, after all,¡± Li Luo responded dejectedly.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand stilled. ¡°Sister Li Luo, I can tell that your senior brother¡¯s a beastkin, but why can¡¯t I tell that you¡¯re one too? Are you a beastkin?¡±


    Beastkin could be identified by their astonishingly bright eyes, like the Zhuo siblings and Duan Tianyun¡¯s, but Li Luo¡¯s eyes looked no different from those of a regr human. That was why Yun Ruoyan and even Yun Moxiao had thought her to be a human, but Duan Tianyun¡¯s outrage at her made it very clear that she was, just like her senior brother, a beastkin.


    ¡°Because of my eyes? That¡¯s because His Highness taught me how to hide their shine.¡±


    Li Luo looked directly at Yun Ruoyan as her eyes began to take on a different form. Her lustrous eyes became even more luminous as her pupils darkened and her sclera whitened, turning a beautiful pair of human eyes into an even more dazzling pair of beastkin eyes.


    ¡°You really are a beastkin¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan was a little disappointed: her brother was interested in Li Luo, but how could the future head of the Yun family marry a beastkin? That would be a scandal!


    ¡°Miss Yun, do you think me a disappointment for serving a man who should be my sworn enemy?¡± Li Luo smiled bitterly, recognizing Yun Ruoyan''s disappointed tone.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly shook her hands. ¡°Sister Li Luo, I wouldn''t look down on you like that, really!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn''t know how to exin herself: after all, she could hardly tell Li Luo that her disappointment was because therge gulf between her status and her brother''s status would end their ill-advised rtionship before it even began.


    ¡°His Highness really isn¡¯t as bad as everyone thinks,¡± Li Luo continued. ¡°He bought me at a ve auction.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked on with interest, waiting for her to continue. Slowly, Li Luo revealed what had urred on that fateful day, recounting the memories that had been scorched into her mind, never to be forgotten.


    She told Yun Ruoyan how she had been force-fed a pill that would turn her limbs jelly-like, how she had been caged and shown off to a room of interested bidders, and how Li Mo had, unbelievably, saved her from her doom.


    When she found out that Li Mo was in fact the ughtering King, she was prepared to sacrifice her own life to kill him. However, rather than being humiliated or tortured at his hands, Li Mo had only given her an antidote for her limbs, treated her wounds, provided her with some silver, and granted her her freedom.


    Instead of thanking Li Mo for his generosity, however, Li Luo never left. She hid around the manor and began cooking up ns in order to assassinate him.


    ¡°I attempted eight assassinations, failing each time.¡± Li Luoughed at herself derisively. ¡°But His Highness never made things difficult for me, and he always freed me after I was caught. Every time he released me, I felt less and less of a grudge toward the man who had ruined my life, but my desire for his death never lessened. During my ninth assassination attempt, I finally found the perfect chance.¡±


    That was when she had apanied Li Mo to the Yue kingdom. One time, she had followed him into the Minghuang Mountain. There, within the imperial territory, was a mysterious mountain cave. Li Luo followed Li Mo to the entrance, and she was about to walk in with him when an aura of immense power forced her out. In fright, she hid outside the cave, waiting for Li Mo toe out.


    It was only in the morning of the second day that Li Mo finally walked out of the cave with grievous injuries. Li Luo recognized that this was an excellent chance to get her revenge, and she rushed up to him and attacked without any hesitation. Although her cultivation wasn¡¯t particrly high, Li Mo was so wounded that he seemed unable to use his spiritual energy, and became tangled up with her.


    In the end, their battle drew the attention of the guards, who surrounded both Li Luo and Li Mo. What left Li Luo shocked was the fact that Li Mo actually defended her, not only taking a blow meant for her but even risking death to flee with her.


    ¡°And from then on, I told myself that I would follow His Highness, even if I could only be one of his ves.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan listened to her story silently. She let out the asional sigh, but by the end of her tale, she was feeling a little ufortable for reasons she couldn¡¯t understand.


    Both of them went silent until Yun Ruoyan suddenly jumped up from her seat. ¡°Do you have any medication for swelling in your room? You have to apply some salve on your face, or the swelling will persist for quite some time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, in a white porcin bottle on the table inside,¡± Li Luo responded.


    Yun Ruoyan headed inside to search for the bottle immediately. Just as she was about to return outside with the bottle, she heard a familiar man¡¯s voice outside.


    ¡°He hit you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stepped out of Li Luo¡¯s rooms to see her and Li Mo standing by each other, Li Mo¡¯s hand on Li Luo¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Ruoyan, what¡¯re you doing here?¡± Li Mo appeared somewhat surprised to see her.


    ¡°Yes, I came out at a rather inconvenient time, didn¡¯t I?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled acidly as she dropped off the white porcin bottle and made to leave the manor.

 Chapter 160: A Secret That Must Remain Hidden

    <h4>Chapter 160: A Secret That Must Remain Hidden</h4>


    ¡°Your Highness, Miss Yun must be misunderstanding something!¡± Li Luo eximed urgently.


    Li Mo¡¯s hand was still on Li Luo¡¯s cheek. By the time he removed it, the swelling on her face had vanished.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness,¡± Li Luo bowed. ¡°But Miss Yun¡­¡±


    Li Mo raised a hand and interrupted Li Luo, taking out a prescription from his sleeve. ¡°Prepare the herbs based on the following prescription. Su Nan wille by in two days to im them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, at once, Your Highness!¡±


    As Li Luo walked off, so did Li Mo. In his mind¡¯s eye, he continuously reyed the scene that had urred moments ago, as well as Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression during that time. Was she angry just because he¡¯d put his hand on some other woman¡¯s face? That was jealousy, wasn¡¯t it! Li Mo smirked, finding her jealous face particrly cute.


    Yun Ruoyan strode quickly out of the yard, an unusual rage filling her heart and even giving her a slight headache. She had stormed out after seeing Li Mo and Li Luo, and, unfortunately, she had lost her way.


    Why am I so unlucky today?! Yun Ruoyan stood alone by a side path she had never seen before. Although it was already autumn, her surroundings were still lush and green. No one seemed to be taking care of the trees and grasses in the area, allowing them to grow rampantly and in disorder. The ce looked nothing like a royal''s abode! If not for the fact that the ce still had some signs of human activity, it would look no different from a garden that had been abandoned.


    ¡°How much more unlucky can I get today?!¡± Yun Ruoyan stomped on the stone pavement as she screamed.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, what¡¯s the matter? Are you angry with me?¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice suddenly appeared from behind her.


    Yun Ruoyan stopped stomping her feet, straightened her back, and continued to walk forward following the paved stone path, not caring where it led.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, where are you heading?¡± Li Mo followed with farrger a stride than she. The path was too narrow for both of them together, so Li Mo walked right behind Yun Ruoyan instead.


    ¡°This path leads toward the back mountains. Yan¡¯er, do you want to go out hunting or to see the sights?¡± Li Mo continued chattering incessantly. ¡°I¡¯d love to apany you, Yan¡¯er, but given the season, I¡¯m afraid all the nts have started to wilt by now.¡±


    Don¡¯t turn back, I won¡¯t turn back. Yun Ruoyan continued walking forward as she muttered silently to herself.


    ¡°Even the little creatures have gorged themselves full and are preparing to hibernate until spring,¡± Li Mo continued advising from behind.


    Yun Ruoyan continued walking forward.


    Li Mo sighed. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll be disappointed¡­¡±


    Unable to bear it any longer, Yun Ruoyan suddenly stopped, turned around, and shouted at Li Mo, ¡°Did I ever say I was going to the back mountains?!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Li Mo shook his head and smiled in such a smarmy fashion that Yun Ruoyan itched to punch him. ¡°Then where are you headed, Yan¡¯er?¡±


    With the etiquette ingrained in her after two lives¡¯ worth of practice, she finally controlled herself and gritted out, ¡°I want to leave this ce!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you should have told me earlier!¡± Li Mo stepped forward and grabbed Yun Ruoyan by the waist.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± In shock, Yun Ruoyan made to push him away, but her body suddenly lifted up into the air.


    Li Mo was soaring into the skies with her once more.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Yun Ruoyan repeated. She didn¡¯t want Li Mo to get too close to her, but she would unbnce if she didn¡¯t step closer to him. ¡°Put me down!¡±


    On the other hand, Li Mo was feeling better than ever. He had never seen her so irritated in all his encounters with her.


    ¡°My goodness, you¡¯re really quite feisty today!¡± Li Mo leaned forward until his face was right by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s. Frowning, he asked, ¡°Yan¡¯er, are you jealous?¡±


    Jealous? Am I jealous?


    ¡°Are you kidding? What would I be jealous about?!¡± Yun Ruoyan refused to admit that Li Mo had guessed the truth. But the more she denied the ims, the more guilty she seemed.


    Based on Li Mo¡¯s understanding of Yun Ruoyan, if he were to tease her any further, she really might get mad.


    ¡°I was just tending to Li Luo¡¯s wounds,¡± Li Mo exined seriously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you were doing! That¡¯s the first time I ever saw someone treat a wound like that, you sicko!¡±


    Li Mo chuckled before extending a palm to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Urk!¡± The sudden touch, apanied by an icy cold, made Yun Ruoyan shiver.


    Li Mo immediately took his hand back.


    ¡°Why¡¯s your hand so cold? It¡¯s even colder than ice!¡± Yun Ruoyan rubbed her cold, almost numb face as she wondered curiously.


    ¡°Water-attuned spiritual energy can be transmuted into ice,¡± Li Mo exined.


    ¡°Really?¡± Yun Ruoyan instantaneously forgot that she was still trying to be mad at Li Mo. Instead, she clutched Li Mo¡¯s hand and had him release his ice-attuned spiritual energy once more.


    Li Mo naturally eded to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s request, and she asked him if she too could refine ice-attuned spiritual energy. Li Mo told her that that would depend on her talent. Before she began trying to do so, even he wouldn¡¯t know whether or not she would seed. But because ice and fire were ipatible with each other, she couldn¡¯t try to refine both types of spiritual energy at the same time.


    ¡°As a powerful pillmaster, don¡¯t you have a powerful fire attunement as well?¡±


    ¡°I never imed to have attuned both types of spiritual energy simultaneously. If you want to do so, you¡¯ll have to start with one type and reach its pinnacle, then use it to suppress its counterpart while attuning it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan appeared to be having a great revtion. ¡°Do you mean that, if I want to possess ice-attuned spiritual energy, then I¡¯ll have to develop a violet me first?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right,¡± Li Mo praised. ¡°So, Yan¡¯er, are you still upset with me?¡±


    ¡°Who said I was upset?¡± Yun Ruoyan certainly wasn¡¯t about to admit it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that spiritual energy was precious even to you? Furthermore, I was just about to bring some salve over for her, so it looked as though you were trying to take advantage of Sister Li Luo!¡±


    ¡°...take advantage of her?¡± This was the first time that Li Mo had ever heard anyone use him of taking advantage of someone else, and his lips twitched. ¡°The reason I used my spiritual energy was because it would curb the swelling quickly,¡± Li Mo exined patiently. ¡°I needed her to help me with something, so I certainly couldn¡¯t have her walk around with such a swollen face.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s so urgent?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked carelessly. As soon as she spoke, she knew that she had stepped out of bounds. She didn¡¯t think that Li Mo would deign to answer her, but he actually did so readily.


    ¡°Preparing some pills for treating injuries. Many of the beastkin that we rescuedst time are injured, and they urgently need some medicine and salves.¡±


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan thought back to those beastkin, her earlier levitypletely vanished.


    ¡°You¡¯re not still angry, are you?¡±


    ¡°I really wasn¡¯t angry.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, Yan¡¯er was never angry,¡± Li Moughed.


    Rumble!


    Suddenly, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stomach grumbled. She was somewhat embarrassed: after all, she had had a full breakfast that morning, so how could she still be so hungry? It was lucky that she was born into a noble family, or she would soon have starved to death.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, not only do you have a big heart, but also a big stomach,¡± Li Mo teased, finding a ce to stop and have a meal with her.


    ¡°Let me ask you a question, but you can choose not to answer it,¡± Yun Ruoyan began.


    ¡°Ask away.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Duan Tianyun and Zhuo Yifeng about how you rescued so many beastkin? Couldn¡¯t it have alleviated some of their hatred and hostility toward you?¡±


    ¡°Because this is a secret that has to remain hidden,¡± Li Mo replied solemnly. ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t you have such a secret too? One that you can¡¯t share with anyone else?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled.


    ¡°Furthermore, even if I were to tell them that I saved arge number of beastkin, so what? They might even have doubted my intentions further.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s hypothetical scenario did seem quite usible. Why would someone who had ughtered beastkin in suchrge numbers suddenly have a change of heart? There surely had to be a ploy involved.


    Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan back to the restaurant they had once frequented, remembering that she enjoyed the roast pork from the restaurant.


    ¡°Add a serving of pork meatballs,¡± Yun Ruoyan told the waiter.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress!¡± the waiter headed downstairs and yelled loudly, ¡°Simmer-fried ribs, carp steeped in vinegar, roast pork loins, and a serving of pork meatballs!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face blushed when she heard the waiter rattle off a long list of dishes. The waiter and the other customers might have thought that this was a meal for two, but Yun Ruoyan had ordered it all for herself, knowing that Li Mo wouldn¡¯t have even a single bite.


    ¡°Ruoyan, I¡¯m very pleased that you have such a good appetite,¡± Li Mo joked.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be pleased about?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to look out the window. ¡°Won¡¯t you have even a little? I saw you eat half a bowl of lotus-seed soup that one time¡­¡±


    ¡°Vegetarian fare is more or less eptable, but I can¡¯t have even a little meat. After you start fasting, it bes somewhat difficult to digest meat.¡±


    ¡°How can you stand something like that? I couldn¡¯t ever lose the pleasure of good food!¡± Yun Ruoyan promised herself that, no matter how advanced her cultivation became, she would never begin to fast and only consume spiritual energy for nourishment.


    Suddenly, anky, monkey-like figure dashed past her, quickly followed by a yelling man, ¡°Catch that thief! Catch that thief in front of me!¡±

 Chapter 161: The Challenge Remains Valid

    <h4>Chapter 161: The Challenge Remains Valid</h4>


    As Yun Ruoyan looked outside the window, Li Mo followed her gaze. When he only saw someone chasing after a thief, he looked away. Yun Ruoyan thought that skinny monkey-like thief was familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember from where.


    On the other hand, she had quite a clear impression of the man chasing after him: it was none other than Wang Meng¡¯s servant and henchman, Wang Gang. And since Wang Gang was present, his master was undoubtedly nearby. When Yun Ruoyan looked at the crowd, however, she couldn¡¯t find any sign of Wang Meng.


    ¡°What¡¯re you looking at, Yan¡¯er?¡± Li Mo asked, seeing that her gaze was still fixed to the window even after the thief had long since vanished.


    ¡°Nothing much.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned and gave Li Mo a smile.


    As the dishes were served, Yun Ruoyan picked up her chopsticks and began eating immediately. Li Mo pulled a silver sk out of his robe and began sipping from it as he watched Yun Ruoyan eat.


    Just then, a man¡¯s outraged voice rang out by the stairway. ¡°That damned thief got away from me! Young Master, should we report the theft to the magistrate?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t even catch the thief, what¡¯s the point? This is the first time I¡¯ve been targeted by a thief before, and it¡¯s rather an interesting feeling,¡± the young master replied.


    ¡°Young Master, aren¡¯t we going to do anything about it?¡± the older man seemed particrly affronted.


    Right when they¡¯d entered the restaurant, a skinny, monkey-like figure had knocked into Wang Meng. Swiftly, he noticed that a jade pendant by his waist was gone. The man had run away quickly after the encounter and had scampered into the crowd. Although Wang Gang gave chase immediately, the man still managed to escape.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it after lunch,¡± the young master replied calmly, a cold smile hanging on his lips.


    Yun Ruoyan was sitting with her back facing the stairs. She was currently picking up a piece of braised pork, but she froze upon hearing that voice.


    ¡°An opponent of sorts,¡± she exined in response to Li Mo¡¯s curious gaze, before scowling and consuming that piece of meat.


    Wang Meng and Wang Gang sat down at a table right next to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s. Out of anger or weariness, Wang Gang was panting harshly. He mmed a fist on the table and shouted, ¡°That thief better not show up by my side again, or I¡¯ll wring his neck to death!¡±


    Wang Meng frowned, turned to Wang Gang, and unintentionally noticed Li Mo sitting at the table right behind me. His aura was unusual: a far cry above that of an ordinary guest. He had a rxed demeanor as he imbibed from a silver sk, his inky hair draped over his dark robes.


    Wang Meng tried to probe his cultivation, but couldn¡¯t seem to capture his aura. If he were deliberately hiding his cultivation, then Wang Meng wouldn¡¯t have been able to detect anything unusual about him. If his cultivation were weaker or slightly stronger than Wang Meng¡¯s, then Wang Meng would have been able to identify his approximate rank.


    But Li Mo¡¯s ephemeral aura was clear evidence that his cultivation was leaps and bounds ahead of Wang Meng¡¯s¡ªand this sort of person was exactly whom Wang Meng wanted to meet, learn from, and then surpass.


    Rather than recognizing Yun Ruoyan, Wang Meng had instead been attracted by herpanion, Li Mo. Actually, Li Mo and Wang Meng hade into conflict with each other at the auction hall within Yuelu Vi, but neither of them had officially met. As a result, they were still strangers to each other.


    ¡°Why the enmity between the two of you?¡± Li Mo asked Yun Ruoyan. He could sense, but pretended not to notice, Wang Meng¡¯s gaze.


    After having a bite of braised pork, Yun Ruoyan had a little fish. Without raising her head, she said, ¡°His name is Wang Meng, and he¡¯s a famed pillmaking genius from the Wang family of the Yue kingdom. I have a pillmaking match with him set for two years down the road.¡±


    Li Mo repeated this name in his heart: he had heard of him on several asions during his excursions.


    While travelling around the Yue kingdom, he¡¯d heard people speak of him as a rare pillmaking genius that would only appear once in a century. Because of Wang Meng¡¯s relentless challenges to pillmasters all over the continent, the pillmasters of the Li kingdom had been taken by storm.


    Li Mo probed at Wang Meng¡¯s cultivation and frowned: despite his young age, he was already a sixth-rank pillmaster. As far as Li Mo was aware, Yun Ruoyan was currently a fourth-rank pillmaster, two ranks apart from Wang Meng. Although two ranks didn¡¯t seem like a lot, it was arge barrier to ovee.


    Not only did cultivation get harder and harder, both parties would be advancing at the same time. If Yun Ruoyan wanted to surpass him, she would have to advance even more quickly than he did. And although Yun Ruoyan had considerable talent at pillmaking, it wasn¡¯t far superior to Wang Meng¡¯s.


    Li Mo thought that he would have to help her at least a little so that she could secure victory.


    Wang Meng wanted to get acquainted with Li Mo, but he didn¡¯t make a move right away. Having travelled the four kingdoms, he knew full well that experts like Li Mo didn¡¯t like to be interrupted, especially not while they were entertaining guests.


    As a result, when the waiter served Wang Meng¡¯s table, he took out a sk of treasured wine, which he had been nning on serving his own father as a gift, and had him take it to Li Mo.


    The waiter smiled as he went up to Li Mo and respectfully handed him the red-brown sk of wine. ¡°Master, the young master at that table over there would like to offer his regards.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned at the sudden interruption, ncing at the wine in the waiter¡¯s hands and then at Li Mo¡¯s face. Having taken Wang Meng¡¯s silver, the waiter was all too happy to help him out.


    ¡°Set it down,¡± Li Mo replied coolly.


    The waiter left the sk of wine on the table and turned to leave.


    Yun Ruoyan cocked her head at Li Mo. ¡°Did he recognize you?¡±


    Not many people on the Chenyuan continent knew Li Mo personally, but almost everyone knew of him. Anyone who had even the slightest dream of bing a cultivator knew that the ughtering King had inky hair draped over his shoulders, never tied back, and was always dressed in an unadorned dark robe. Despite his careless appearance, he had an imposing, exceptional presence.


    There really weren¡¯t many people on the continent who would fulfill such criteria. As soon as Wang Meng had a drink, he realized this fact, and his eyes shone even more brightly as he looked toward Li Mo once more.


    Li Mo, who had been inclining his head and sipping at his wine, suddenly raised his head to look back at Wang Meng, before slowly tipping his cup at him.


    Exulted, Wang Meng immediately raised his cup and downed it in one gulp. He left the empty cup of wine on the table, stood up without hesitation, and walked over to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s table.


    ¡°Wang Meng from the Yue kingdom greets you, Sir. May I have the honor of knowing your name?¡± Wang Meng cupped his fists at Li Mo.


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± he replied coolly.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Wang Meng couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. ¡°The ughtering King himself¡ªit¡¯s truly my honor, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°You should be quite honored,¡± Li Mo responded drily. ¡°Not only were you able to meet me, you¡¯ve even seen my little consort. Not everyone has such luck.¡±


    Wang Meng hesitated before he turned to the person sitting next to Li Mo and revealed an expression of even greater shock. ¡°You? Miss Yun, you¡¯re actually the ughtering King¡¯s consort?¡±


    Wang Meng had heard that the ughtering King wasn¡¯t fond of women. Although he had long since passed marriageable age, he was still single. How had a consort appeared out of nowhere? Even more coincidentally, that consort was the girl with whom he had scheduled a challenge, Yun Ruoyan.


    No, that doesn¡¯t make sense! Wang Meng suddenly recalled that, that day at the Lin mansion, Yun Ruoyan had asserted that she wasn¡¯t yet of marriageable age. How could she have be a consort in such a short period of time?


    Wang Meng bowed to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Miss Yun, I never expected you to be the ughtering King¡¯s consort at such a young age. I apologize for my impetuous actions back at the Lin manor.¡±


    He then turned to Li Mo and continued in vexation, ¡°Back when I was visiting the Lin manor, I challenged Elder Lin to a pillmaking contest, but your consort epted the challenge on behalf of Elder Lin as his disciple. Your Highness, please forgive my disrespect.¡±


    Although Wang Meng apologized humbly to Li Mo, he had no intention of calling the challenge off.


    Li Mo looked coolly at Wang Meng, but before he could respond, Yun Ruoyan spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m not yet the ughtering King¡¯s consort. We¡¯re currently betrothed, and my contest with you will proceed as usual.¡±


    Both confirmations of the betrothal¡ªboth at the empress¡¯ flower-viewing party and when Li Mo visited the Lin manor¡ªwere verbal promises only, and there had yet been no promations or gift-giving to finalize the affair.


    Given how quickly rumors spread throughout the capital, Yun Ruoyan really didn¡¯t dare to im herself as the ughtering King¡¯s consort. Furthermore, she had epted the challenge as one of Lin Zainan¡¯s disciples, and news of the challenge had already spread to the rtively small pillmaster society within the Li kingdom. If she were to use Li Mo¡¯s name to force Wang Meng to retract the challenge, it would surely damage Lin Zainan¡¯s reputation.


    As a result, Yun Ruoyan had to allow the challenge to ur!


    Wang Meng queried Li Mo in a somewhat embarrassed fashion, ¡°Would that be eptable, Your Highness?¡±


    Li Mo continued drinking wine, his face cool and unreadable. ¡°My consort¡¯s will is my will. When the timees, I shall observe the match personally.¡±


    Then, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan began chatting with each other, seemingly with no intention of talking to Wang Meng further. Standing idly by the table and feeling a little embarrassed, Wang Meng bowed and turned to leave.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Li Momanded just as Wang Meng turned around.


    He hurriedly turned back. ¡°Is anything else the matter, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°This wine is good, but not to my tastes. Please take it back.¡±


    Wang Meng flushed in embarrassment as he retrieved the sk of wine once more. As he turned around, a spark of viciousness crept into his gaze. He went back to his original seat and began eating once more. Although he appeared perfectly unfazed, he chewed and swallowed mechanically without tasting the food at all.

 Chapter 162: The Skinny Monkey Dou Yao

    <h4>Chapter 162: The Skinny Monkey Dou Yao</h4>


    After finishing her meal, Yun Ruoyan decided to leave immediately with Li Mo on ount of the distasteful man sitting at the table behind hers.


    ¡°Young Master,¡± Wang Gang asked, looking at Li Mo¡¯s retreating back, ¡°is that really the legendary ughtering King?¡±


    Although Wang Gang hadn¡¯t followed Wang Meng over to Li Mo¡¯s table, he had overheard their conversation.


    ¡°The ughtering King¡¯s said to be brutal and merciless, but he didn¡¯t seem bad at all.¡± Wang Gang privately imagined that the ughtering King would be as muscr and broad as a little mountain; that, when he spoke, his breath would cause the world to tremble; that he was the type of man to gorge himself on meat and wine while emanating a killer¡¯s aura.


    But the ughtering King he saw today had been nothing but elegant, so much so that he almost seemed to possess a schrly air.


    Wang Meng snorted. ¡°Even a demon who kills without blinking has to look decent in front of other humans, no?¡±


    Although Wang Gang wasn¡¯t great at reading emotions, he knew a little of his young master¡¯s temper after having followed him around for so long. From his tone alone, Wang Gang could tell that Wang Meng was somewhat displeased.


    ¡°Who would have thought that that hateful little brat would actually be the ughtering King¡¯s consort!¡± Wang Gang gritted out. He had never forgotten about the fact that Yun Ruoyan had scorched his face with her spiritual me back in the Lin manor, but it seemed that he wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to get his revenge.


    He looked back at his young master and asked curiously, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you retract the challenge against her? Neither winning nor losing will aid your reputation.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand anything!¡± Wang Gang scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know anything about the ughtering King? How many people on the Chenyuan continent are worth his paying attention to? If I retract the challenge because I¡¯m afraid of his identity, he¡¯ll quickly forget about me. But with the challenge in ce, at least he¡¯ll remember my name.¡±


    Not only was Wang Meng a pillmaking genius, he was also the scion of a merchant family. His father had spared no expense in passing down his knowledge to his son, and Wang Meng enjoyed studying psychology in his spare time. At any rate, he was a learned man.


    Wang Meng held out the sk of wine that Li Mo had unsealed but only taken a single sip of, poured himself a cup, wafted it under his nose, and downed it in one gulp. The hundred-year-old liquor was invigorating as it slid down his throat.


    ¡°Has there still been no news about my brother¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Wang Meng asked.


    Wang Gang was drooling upon smelling the heady scent of alcohol, but when he heard Wang Meng¡¯s question, he quickly replied, ¡°No, nothing. This is already the third batch of people we¡¯ve sent out, and I¡¯m afraid the second master has met his doom.¡±


    Wang Meng frowned. He had been journeying in the Chen kingdom when his father suddenly contacted him, informing him that his brother Wang Kuang had gone missing within the imperial territory.


    Wang Meng¡¯s father had directed him to the Li kingdom immediately to search for Wang Kuang¡¯s whereabouts. He wanted Wang Kuang¡¯s body brought back, dead or alive.


    ¡°The eldest daughter of the Jin family and a few other scions also went missing. Based on our information, they had gone into the imperial territory along with the second young master, and it¡¯s very likely that they perished upon encountering some strong magical beast.¡±


    Although Wang Gang had never entered the imperial territory, he had heard that the magical beasts within were far stronger than those that were naturally seen around the Chenyuan continent. Wang Meng had never entered the territory either; because he had shown a strong propensity for pillmaking in his childhood, he was invited to Kongming Academy the moment he turned ten.


    But because of his youth, his father had rejected the invitation. Instead, he had paid for famous pillmasters to tutor him at home, before allowing him to roam the continent to develop more experience as soon as he came of age. Wang Meng was quite pleased with this innovative style of learning, and he didn¡¯t feel particrly regretful that he hadn¡¯t attended Kongming Academy.


    On the other hand, his brother Wang Kuang was different. Wang Kuang wasn¡¯t particrly talented, but had always set entering Kongming Academy as his goal. For that goal, he had worked himself to the bone, even bing a sixth-rank demaster by the time he entered the imperial territory.


    ording to his father, he would undoubtedly pass through Kongming Academy¡¯s selection process¡ªbut Wang Kuang had vanished, not even leaving a corpse behind.


    Perhaps the situation would be explicable if he had been caught unawares by a group of magical beasts, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. The problem was that Wang Kuang wasn¡¯t the only scion that had gone missing; he didn¡¯t know about his brother¡¯s other peers, but the eldest daughter of the Jin family, Jin Fei¡¯er, also had a rtively advanced cultivation for her age. Even if this group of people were to encounter a beast horde, it was very improbable that they would all perish.


    ¡°Have the men continue searching,¡± Wang Meng instructed. ¡°Investigate anyone whom Wang Meng came into contact with directly before entering the imperial territory and within it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡±


    When the two of them finished their meal, Wang Meng began walking to the east.


    ¡°Young Master, where are you headed?¡± Wang Gang asked from behind. ¡°The inn¡¯s to the west.¡±


    Sometimes, Wang Gang¡¯s idiocy left Wang Meng speechless, but at least he was loyal. Wang Meng¡¯s father had told him that what an intelligent master needed wasn¡¯t a clever servant, but rather an honest and loyal one.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions; just follow my lead.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Clearly, Wang Gang was one such loyal servant.


    Wang Meng took out a piece of jade from his sleeve as he continued walking. The piece of jade was yellow and didn¡¯t look particrly special or valuable, but Wang Meng could easily track the location of another, identical jade pendant with it. Apparently, that jade pendant was to the east, not far forward from where he was.


    After Yun Moxiao brought Duan Tianyun to the Lin estate, he brought him to Lin Qingchen¡¯s bamboo gardens to have her help with his wounds. Although his arteries were sealed, the wound was so severe that Duan Tianyun¡¯s shoulder continued to leak blood, dyeing the rest of his bandages red.


    Lin Qingchen was rebandaging that wound. Duan Tianyun¡¯s arm had been torn off at the shoulder joint. Back at the ughtering King¡¯s manor, Li Luo had already cleaned and dressed the wound, cutting off the torn-off muscles and remaining dregs of flesh, revealing the ghastly sight of human bone.


    Lin Qingxue was standing by the side and ready to help, but when Lin Qingchen removed Duan Tianyun¡¯s bandages, she ran out in fright. Now, it was Zhuo Lin¡¯er by Lin Qingchen¡¯s side.


    ¡°Lin¡¯er, pass me that red porcin bottle.¡± Lin Qingchen tossed the used bandages aside and stretched out a hand toward Zhuo Lin¡¯er. She immediately passed Lin Qingchen the bottle.


    ¡°The wound was cleaned and disinfected very well, so I won¡¯t have to do that again,¡± Lin Qingchen told Duan Tianyun as she uncorked the bottle and dropped some of the powder within it on the wound. ¡°This time, don¡¯t try to pull off your bandages.¡±


    Before agreeing to treat Duan Tianyun, Lin Qingchen had asked Yun Moxiao about what had happened, and he had recounted the whole story to her. As a physician, Lin Qingchen was very upset that Duan Tianyun had hurt his own body as a form of retaliation against Li Mo and the ughtering King.


    ¡°I won¡¯t, Physician Lin.¡± Duan Tianyun forced out a smile. Because of the pain, sweat covered his entire face.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t take it any longer, I¡¯ll apply an anesthetic. There¡¯s no need to force yourself to bear the pain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, thank you.¡± Duan Tianyun looked at his own gaping wound. ¡°Being anesthetized is like being dead, and I hate that feeling.¡± In addition, he wanted to remember the pain; it would remind himself, day and night, of his need and desire for revenge!


    Lin Qingchen bandaged the wound in silence.


    After Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo left the restaurant, Li Mo sent Yun Ruoyan to the Lin manor. He wanted to take the opportunity to meet Lin Zainan, but it wasn¡¯t a good idea while there were three guests in the manor who loathed him.


    When Yun Ruyoan entered the bamboo gardens, she saw Lin Qingxue standing outside, her face pale. While Zhuo Yifeng was injured, Zhuo Lin¡¯er had to take care of her brother, and neither sibling could spare the time to take care of Qingchen¡¯s magical beasts.


    Because Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s injury was connected to Lin Qingxue, Lin Qingchen took the opportunity to force her sister to interact with her magical beasts. Lin Qingxue¡¯s own guilt had caused her to swallow her fear and agree; after this episode, even she had be less frightened of the bamboo garden.


    So why was she standing outside and trembling in fear now?


    ¡°Qingxue, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Ruoyan walked up to her and asked.


    With a pale face, Lin Qingxue pointed at the house and said, ¡°Sister Qingchen¡¯s taking care of an uncle, and his wound¡¯s frightening¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan walked into the garden to see Yun Moxiao and Zhuo Yifeng standing to a side as Lin Qingchen bandaged Duan Tianyun¡¯s wound, with Zhuo Lin¡¯er as her assistant.


    ¡°Miss Yun,¡± Duan Tianyun called out as soon as he saw her.


    Yun Ruoyan inclined her head in greeting as she asked Lin Qingchen about the wound, before turning to Yun Moxiao and Zhuo Yifeng.


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan had entered, Zhuo Yifeng began feeling a little uneasy. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have many friends, and she especially cherished those with whom she had struggled through life and death. If she could help it, she didn¡¯t want to lose a friend like Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, are you alright?¡± she broke the silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m a lot better.¡± Zhuo Yifeng knew that there was nothing to me Yun Ruoyan for; after all, she didn¡¯t owe him anything. However, as illogical though it might be, he felt as though there were skeins of emotions wrapped around his heart, constricting him more and more every time Yun Ruoyan showed up.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to enter Kongming Academy soon, and there¡¯ll be another expedition right when we do so. You have to recover before then,¡± Yun Ruoyan advised.


    ¡°I know. There won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Zhuo Yifeng forced himself to smile.


    To the east of the restaurant at which Yun Ruoyan had dined was a pawnbroker, and in front of that pawnbroker was a ragtag customer.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way it¡¯s only worth five silver!¡± the skinny monkey shouted.


    Pawnbrokers dealt with rare and valuable goods. For safety and protection, the counter and shopfront were separated from the rest of the shop with a sturdy wooden barrier, leaving only a few small windows in front of the counter formunication and bartering between the shopkeeper and iing customers.


    ¡°I grew up in the capital myself, so don¡¯t try to hoodwink me!¡± the monkey yelled again, sticking his head into the small window.


    ¡°It¡¯s only worth five taels of silver. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try to pawn it off elsewhere,¡± the shop assistant repeated, handing the yellow jade pendant back to thenky man.


    The skinny monkey scoffed, snatched the pendant back, and turned to leave. He was none other than Dou Yao, the man who had found the dying Jin Fei¡¯er, drugged and had sex with her, and somehow returned to the capital¡­

 Chapter 163: Save Me...

    <h4>Chapter 163: Save Me...</h4>


    Dou Yao walked out of the pawnshop indignantly, still swinging around the jade pendant that he¡¯d stolen from Wang Meng. He looked to be a wealthy young master, so how can a jade pendant he attached to his waist be worth so little?


    Dou Yao had rushed into the pawnshop without inspecting the pendant closely and had immediately asked for a thousand taels of silver for the pendant. Based on his experience, a jade pendant that a wealthy young master would affix to his waist was surely special, and he¡¯d been chased furiously down an entire street for it.


    But then Dou Yao looked carefully at the pendant and noticed that the dull yellow jade wasn¡¯t at all translucent, and was both uncarved and unpolished.


    ¡°Damn it! He¡¯s not some poor bastard trying to pass off as a wealthy young master, is he?!¡± Dou Yao was so furious that he was almost about to smash the jade to pieces, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t bear to do so.


    After all, five taels of silver was still five taels, and he would be able to live off five taels¡¯ worth of buns for quite a few days. Now that his days were an endless cycle of stealing and pawning, Dou Yao wouldn¡¯t even turn down a copper coin.


    Exasperated, Dou Yao could only keep the jade pendant once more. There were only a few people wandering the streets, none of whom looked wealthy, and he decided to stop his thieving for the day.


    With what money he had left on him, he bought a few pancakes and a sk of wine before continuing to head eastward. As he walked, he drank. Slowly, he walked in crooked, stumbling steps to a secluded alleyway. Within the alley was argepound, filled with the dregs of society.


    ¡°Ah, Young Master Dou¡¯s back!¡±


    ¡°Good evening, Young Master Dou.¡±


    ¡°Did you find a fortune today, Young Master Dou, to be able to afford such wine?¡±


    Those men who hadn¡¯t found any work for the day, old and young alike, teased Dou Yao as soon as they saw him. Dou Yao had begun staying in thispound more than two months ago, and would often refer to himself as Young Master Dou. He imed to be a young master from a noble family, and the name stuck as a matter of ridicule.


    ¡°Young Master Dou, your wife went crazy again,¡± a middle-aged man walked up to Dou Yao and muttered. ¡°She was screaming and yelling and throwing furniture all over. She made such a big ruckus that thendlord personally came over, wanting you to pay for the damage!¡±


    Dou Yao looked askance at the man with his shifty eyes. ¡°How much can the trashy furniture in this ce be worth? In the future, I¡¯ll have my family send over a full set of rosewood inpensation!¡±


    The people of thepound were so used to Dou Yao¡¯s bragging that they naturally ignored his words. ¡°Young Master Dou, you¡¯d best head home to have a look with your woman.¡±


    Only then did Dou Yao stagger to one of the small rooms deep within thepound. ¡°Open up, woman!¡± he shouted as he pped the door. ¡°Your master¡¯s back! Prepare me some shark fin and bird¡¯s nest soup!¡±


    Curled up on an old, dpidated bed within was a woman as thin as a piece of firewood, her ragged hair dangling limply from her head. As soon as she heard Dou Yao¡¯s voice, she was so afraid that she curled up even more tightly against the wall.


    ¡°Open up! Open up!¡± Dou Yao pped the door more and more irritably. ¡°If you don¡¯t open up, I¡¯m going to smash the door open!¡±


    He kicked at the door right as he finished speaking. Because the door was only barred by a wooden rod, it swung open easily with a strong kick.


    Dou Yao entered the room to find a mess: upturned furniture, clothes and misceny scattered all over, and even a broken mirror on the floor. That mirror was something that he¡¯d bought a few days ago in a flight of fancy, rich after another sessful theft. Now, it was nothing more than countless shards of ss.


    More frustrated than ever, he hurled the bottle of alcohol in his hand at the woman curled up in the corner of the room.


    ¡°You damn woman,¡± he cursed, ¡°do you think you¡¯re still the youngdy of a noble household? You¡¯re nothing but a slut!¡±


    Those provocative words caused Jin Fei¡¯er to fly into a rage. She rushed out of her dark, miserable little corner and began wing and kicking at Dou Yao.


    In pain, Dou Yao mmed Jin Fei¡¯er back down onto the bed, pointing and yelling at her. ¡°You dare hit me? You dare? After all that effort I went through to save you? I gave up my position as the young master of the Dou family for you, you ungrateful wench!¡±


    The more Dou Yaoined, the angrier he got, and he punched and kicked at Jin Fei¡¯er without holding back. This ¡°couple¡± had gotten together after Dou Yao had prepared a dishced with an aphrodisiac and consumed it together with Jin Fei¡¯er.


    The next day, before either of them had woken up, they were found and surrounded by men from the Dou family. Still nude and tangled together, they looked the very sight of a loving couple.


    His face scarlet, Dou Yao¡¯s eldest brother flung a pile of clothes on top of the sleeping duo before motioning for the others to leave. However, they ignored hismand, choosing to titter at the embarrassing sight of Dou Yao with his naked lover.


    Just then, the two of them awoke slowly, blinking their eyes open. As they did so, they saw a myriad gazes staring back at them. In fright, Jin Fei¡¯er sat up straight, the pile of clothes that had been haphazardly thrown on her sliding off once more, revealing her fair skin.


    When she felt the cold air on her breast, she lowered her head, saw her nude body, and screamed. She turned to see the equally nude Dou Yao by her side and screamed even more shrilly, her eyes bulging and her head shaking.


    The crowd could only knock her out, thinking her crazy.


    Under Dou Yao¡¯s eldest brother¡¯s interrogation, Dou Yao finally admitted to his crimes. His brother was shocked by the atrocity of his crime: even they had heard of the Jin family of the Yue kingdom, and the incident could easily spell disaster for the entire Dou family unless they dealt with it carefully. He immediately had his servants dress Jin Fei¡¯er as one of the wounded to be brought out of the imperial territory.


    When they returned to the Dou manor, Elder Dou was likewise seething with anger after hearing about what his youngest son had done. In order to hide the incident, hemanded that Jin Fei¡¯er be locked up.


    As soon as Jin Fei¡¯er awakened once more, she began screaming out for Dou Yao¡¯s death, that her family would bulldoze the Dou manor to the ground.


    Elder Dou had never been so disappointed in his youngest son. After a few long days of discussion, he decided to secretly deal with Jin Fei¡¯er and send Dou Yao to the countryside to look after the Dou holdings there, never to return to the capital.


    Dou Yao overheard Elder Dou and his eldest son discussing the matter in his quarters. Unable to bear the thought of being sent away from the capital, or of the death of a beauty like Jin Fei¡¯er, he hastily packed up, snuck into Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s room that night, and snatched her away.


    He fled to the countryside with Jin Fei¡¯er in tow, where they waited for half a month while the ruckus of his sudden escape died down. Once he judged it safe, he brought her back to the capital, unable to bear the quiet, bucolic air of the countryside.


    Because Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s heart injury had never received proper treatment, her cultivation slowly drained from her body. Despite once being a fifth-rank demaster, she could offer little resistance to the fourth-rank Dou Yao.


    Initially, Dou Yao treated Jin Fei¡¯er like a princess, but Jin Fei¡¯er refused to do anything but beat, p, and yell at him. Finally, while in a drunken haze, Dou Yao raped Jin Fei¡¯er once more.


    From then on, whenever Dou Yao drank, he would seize Jin Fei¡¯er and abuse her wretchedly. This endless cycle of abuse and torture caused irreparable damage to Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s psyche, leading to her current ghastly self.


    ¡°I gave up everything for you, but now you¡¯re just a worthless woman. Today, I¡¯ll beat you to death and end our rtionship cleanly!¡±


    After being chased down an entire street only to find that he had snatched a worthless piece of jade, Dou Yao¡¯s anger had simmered in his heart for the entire day. When he returned home to find his room a mess and the woman responsible a shivering wreck, he lost it entirely. Insensate, he beat Jin Fei¡¯er more and more harshly, not even realizing that he was drawing blood with every blow.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter today? Why hasn¡¯t that woman been screaming even after so long?¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s dead?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to see? You know how crazy that man gets when he¡¯s drunk!¡±


    As unemployed dregs, hearing Dou Yao beating his wife was free entertainment that even they could afford.


    Suddenly, two men walked into thepound, one a young master, and the other a middle-aged servant. Both were dressed in rich silk andpletely at odds with their surroundings.


    The men quickly stopped chatting as they looked toward the two men, though none had the courage to step forward and initiate a conversation.


    ¡°It¡¯s right here,¡± Wang Meng announced, sensing the pulses from his jade pendant. ¡°The thief who told the jade pendant is in that room!¡±


    He pointed at the innermost room of thepound, where Dou Yao was residing. Wang Gang rolled up his sleeves as he marched inside.


    Dou Yao had finally gotten tired of beating Jin Fei¡¯er and was catching his breath when he heard a loud voice from behind. ¡°You rascal, you¡¯ve been caught now!¡±


    Before Dou Yao could react, Wang Gang had punched him onto the bed, giving Dou Yao a nosebleed and waking him from his alcohol-induced stupor.


    Clutching his face, Dou Yao recognized his assant as the man who had chased him down an entire street for the jade pendant that he¡¯d stolen. ¡°Isn¡¯t it only a broken pendant worth five silver? Is it really worth all this trouble?!¡±


    Wang Gang dragged Dou Yao up by his cor as if he were lifting up a little chick. ¡°Where¡¯s the jade? You¡¯d better hand it over if you don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hand it over, I¡¯ll hand it over!¡± Dou Yao leaned to the side and spat out a tooth as he pulled out the jade pendant from his robes and held it up in front of Wang Gang. ¡°Here¡¯s the jade pendant. Please spare my life!¡±


    Wang Gang grabbed the jade and pushed Dou Yao back onto bed. ¡°I¡¯ll spare your life this once, but if I see you again, I¡¯m breaking both your legs.¡±


    Wang Gang was just about to leave when a hoarse voice whispered from behind, ¡°Wang Gang, save me¡­¡±

 Chapter 164: Intoxicating Fog

    <h4>Chapter 164: Intoxicating Fog</h4>


    Wang Gang found the voice somewhat familiar, but he couldn¡¯t quite ce it. He turned toward the voice to see a crazed woman lying in bed, her face grimy and blood-spattered, her hair fanning out in clumps from her head.


    Thinking that he had misheard, Wang Gang was about to turn and leave when she spoke once more. ¡°Find Brother Wang Meng for revenge¡­¡±


    This time, Wang Gang was certain that he¡¯d heard her words urately. Mystified, he turned back to the ghastly woman. ¡°Who are you, and how do you know my young master¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Brother Wang Kuang has¡­ been killed.¡± As if she were using all her energy, the woman wheezed out, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ the Yue kingdom¡¯s merchant coalition¡¯s¡­ eldest daughter of the Jin family, Jin Fei¡¯er!¡±


    Wang Meng hadn¡¯t followed Wang Gang in. Instead, he stood in the middle of the filthy yard, his silk robes in almostedic opposition to the rank, foul air and surroundings. The inhabitants of thepound stared back at him without hiding their curiosity.


    He nced at some of the men sitting by the side of the yard, finding each dirtier and more disgusting than thest. They truly were the lowliest of the low! Wang Meng was a pillmaster, and his nose was quite sensitive as a result. The sour odor of rot and decay was very difficult for him to bear.


    He pinched his nose with a hand and called out impatiently, ¡°Wang Gang, what¡¯re you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Young Master,¡± Wang Gang¡¯s loud voice came from the interior of the room. ¡°Come in, I¡¯ve found Miss Jin!¡±


    ¡°What Miss Jin?¡± Wang Meng naturally wouldn¡¯t associate Jin Fei¡¯er, who was born with a golden spoon, with such a sordid, filthy ce.


    ¡°The eldest daughter of the Jin family!¡± Wang Gang rushed out and beckoned to Wang Meng.


    The eldest daughter of the Jin family, Jin Fei¡¯er? Wang Meng frowned as he stepped inside the room.


    ¡°Young Master, she¡¯s Miss Jin.¡± Wang Gang pointed at the woman on the decrepit bed.


    Wang Meng walked toward Jin Fei¡¯er, his face cold. Because of Dou Yao¡¯s brutal beating, Jin Fei¡¯er could only open her eyes a slit. Tears leaked down her eyes as Wang Meng stretched out a finger and moved Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s hair aside to uncover her swollen face. Honestly, he couldn¡¯t make out any simrity between the woman in front of him and Jin Fei¡¯er.


    But she opened her mouth weakly once more, and her words were proof enough. ¡°Brother Wang Meng, Brother Wang Kuang was¡­ killed by a group of degenerates¡­ and I¡¯ve also ended up like this, so¡­ please, get us our revenge!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really Fei¡¯er!¡± Wang Meng¡¯s lips trembled.


    ¡°I am!¡± Jin Fei¡¯er forced those two words out of her lips before her breathing became ragged. Her eyes rolled up and her body spasmed, as if she were right about to die.


    ¡°Quick, help her up!¡± Wang Meng extended his hands but, in the end, decided not to touch Jin Fei¡¯er body. Instead, he urgentlymanded Wang Gang to do so.


    Wang Gang hurriedly supported Jin Fei¡¯er as Wang Meng retrieved a pill and passed it to Wang Gang. ¡°Feed her this.¡±


    After she swallowed the pill, Jin Fei¡¯er gasped for breath, saved once again from death¡¯s door.


    ¡°Brother Wang, please help me!¡±


    Wang Meng had Wang Gang hold out Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s hand as he extended two fingers to feel her pulse. Not before long, he turned to her with a malicious expression. ¡°Who hurt you like this?¡±


    Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s gaze turned murderous as she looked at Dou Yao, who was squatting by the side of the bed. ¡°It¡¯s him! And Pei Ziao! Pei Ziao was the one who thrust a de by my heart, and he¡¯s the one responsible for my current condition.¡±


    ¡°What sort of revenge do you want?¡± Wang Meng asked.


    ¡°I want to skin them one inch at a time, cut off their flesh, break their bones, and leave them to marinate in salt water,¡± Jin Fei¡¯er gritted out, as if she¡¯d practiced this litany countless times.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Wang Meng replied.


    Dou Yao was so scared by this conversation that he fell over, paralyzed. The acrid smell of his urine spread throughout the small room.


    ¡°And who killed my brother Wang Kuang?¡± Wang Meng continued.


    At this time, Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s breathing once again turned ragged. Her eyes rolled up, and she began to spasm.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, quick, tell me who killed Wang Kuang!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ it wa¡­ was Yun¡­ Yun Ruo¡­¡± In the end, Jin Fei¡¯er died before she could finish the sentence.


    ¡°Young Master, quick, revive her once more!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Wang Meng¡¯s hands were tightly clenched as he replied with an ashen face, ¡°Given her condition, it¡¯s a miracle she managed to live this long. Not even a high-grade spiritual pill will save her now.¡±


    Pei Ziao had impaled Jin Fei¡¯er right by the heart, but she had swallowed a high-grade spiritual pill in time to avoid death. However, she hadn¡¯t managed to receive treatment for her slowly worsening injury, and Dou Yao¡¯s spate of attacks on her body had only exacerbated her injuries and stopped her heart.


    Wang Meng closed Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s eyes as he murmured, ¡°Yun Ruo¡­ the Yun family!¡±


    After Lin Qingchen finished treating Duan Tianyun¡¯s wounds, he was assigned to live with the Zhuo siblings. Because all three of them were beastkin, they got along quite well.


    As evening descended, Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao headed back to the Yun manor.


    On the carriage, Yun Ruoyan asked Yun Moxiao, ¡°Brother, have you returned that sachet to Sister Li Luo?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Yun Moxiao shook his head. ¡°I forgot.¡±


    Naturally, Yun Moxiao¡¯s ¡®forgetfulness¡¯ was deliberate. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she informed him, ¡°Brother, Sister Li Luo¡¯s also a beastkin. Her eyes were hidden using a special technique.¡±


    By this point, Yun Moxiao had already guessed of her identity as a beastkin, though he hadn¡¯t been sure how to exin away her eyes. Hearing his sister¡¯s exnation had resolved thatst mystery.


    When her brother remained silent, Yun Ruoyan nudged him and asked, ¡°Brother, do you like Sister Li Luo?¡±


    Even Yun Moxiao wasn¡¯t certain. The first time he¡¯d seen her, she had been veiled, but her slender silhouette had left him with a deep, unforgettable impression.


    The second time he¡¯d encountered her was at the Yuelu Vi. Just likest time, she was veiled. Yun Moxiao followed her into the underground duelling arena and watched as she risked her own life to save her senior brother.


    Outside the Yuelu Vi, Yun Moxiao had requested to see Li Luo¡¯s appearance. Even now, as soon as he closed his eyes, he could summon the memory of seeing her face against a starlit night. And today, Yun Moxiao had added Li Luo¡¯s serious expression while cooking, as well as her pained but resolute countenance when Duan Tianyun had harshly rebuked her, to his collection of memories.


    Yun Moxiao, who had never felt attracted to a woman so strongly, judged that this was indeed affection.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed as she looked at her dazed brother, knowing how hard the route ahead of him would be.


    That night, Yun Ruoyan entered the bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension in excitement: Qiuqiu was about to teach her how to concoct a new poison.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, that soul-stealing pill was incredible!¡± Yun Ruoyan became excited as soon as she remembered Pei Ziao¡¯s wooden expression upon being subject to her control. ¡°I want to make a few more pills just in case.¡±


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu frowned at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s exuberance, and couldn¡¯t help wanting to pour cold water over her ns. ¡°The soul-stealing pill might be powerful, but there are also severe restrictions in y.¡±


    ¡°Restrictions? What sort of restrictions?¡±


    ¡°First,¡± Qiuqiu exined, raising one wed talon, ¡°the target can¡¯t have a higher cultivation than you. As a seventh-rank demaster, your soul-stealing pills won¡¯t have any effect on those who are above seventh-rank.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. Concocting a soul-stealing pill had drained a considerable amount of her spiritual energy, and the strength of the poison was highly dependent on her cultivation.


    If a soul-stealing pill could only be used on targets weaker than she was, then it would likely not be useful in situations that were dangerous to her.


    ¡°Secondly,¡± Qiuqiu continued, ¡°the soul-stealing pill isn¡¯t easy to use, because you have to add it to the target¡¯s food and drink. Such opportunities are few and far between, so the chance of sess isn¡¯t too high.¡±


    Indeed, if Pei Ziao hadn¡¯t invited Yun Ruoyan for dinner, she wouldn¡¯t have had an opportunity to poison him.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yun Ruoyan acquiesced. ¡°In that case, will you teach me how to concoct other poisons?¡±


    Qiuqiu nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s begin. Mistress, the poison I¡¯ll be teaching you about today is meant specifically for those with a higher cultivation than you. The poison is airborne, odorless, and tasteless. It¡¯s particrly difficult to detect, and those who are poisoned will suffer from temporary illusions that prevent them from harming you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the poison called?¡±


    ¡°Intoxicating fog, Mistress.¡±


    As Yun Ruoyan heated the potion further and further, she watched the brew go from red to green, then to yellow, then so faint that it looked like nothing more than clear water.


    She turned to Qiuqiu, who motioned for her to continue heating the solution. After about another fifteen minutes, the water-like brew began to give off wisps of white fog.


    Qiuqiu then instructed Yun Ruoyan to capture the fog in a clear ss bottle until the solution stopped producing any more fog. She held up the ss bottle and inspected the dense, white intoxicating fog inside.


    ¡°Mistress, if you encounter an opponent that you can¡¯t defeat, just wake me up. I¡¯ll release the fog within the pocket dimension, and all you need to do is pull the fog out and send it toward the target.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan went over the motions in her head, finding the strategy to be unusually clean and effective. Her sense of safety increased by one whole step.


    The rest of the month passed by in a haze. During the subsequent ten or so days, although Yun Ruoyan trained persistently, she was still unable to have a breakthrough to eighth-rank. Perhaps because she had gone from fourth- to seventh-rank so quickly, her body was still consolidating her growth. She felt as though she would break through at any moment, but it had yet to happen.


    Yun Ruoyan was somewhat vexed, because she very much wanted to learn the art of swordflight, so she could travel in the air as freely as did Yun Moxiao and Li Mo.


    Qiuqiu told Yun Ruoyan that what she needed was an opportunity.


    ¡°What sort of opportunity?¡±


    ¡°An opportunity to give your all in a fight.¡±

 Chapter 165: Pretending To Be a Fool

    <h4>Chapter 165: Pretending To Be a Fool</h4>


    As she mulled over the opportunity she needed for her breakthrough, Yun Ruoyan decided to call Yun Moxiao over to her cottage and spar with him.


    Because Yun Moxiao¡¯s cultivation was beyond Yun Ruoyan¡¯s, she wasn¡¯t worried that she would hurt him. She infused as much spiritual energy as she could into each and every attack, depleting almost a quarter of her stockpile in an instant.


    Yun Moxiao didn¡¯t understand why his sister had suddenly seemed to go crazy, and it made him wonder if he had somehow offended her.


    But that didn¡¯t seem to be the case¡ªafter all, ever since his return, he had doted on her and given her everything she wanted, bestowing upon her the care and affection that he¡¯d neglected for all these years. How could he bear to offend her?


    ¡°Brother, what¡¯re you thinking about? Be more serious!¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned grumpily as she noticed Yun Moxiao¡¯s distraction.


    Yun Moxiao had both a stronger cultivation and morebat experience than his sister, so he wasn¡¯t on the losing end despite his inattention. After Yun Ruoyan¡¯s remark, Yun Moxiao really did start focusing on the match. As he defended against his sister¡¯s blows, he pointed out the deficiencies in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attack, as well as methods to better utilize her spiritual energy in battle.


    After their match, although Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t feel as if she were about to break through, she did learn a lot more aboutbat in general.


    Xi Lan brought a tray of snacks and tea for the two Yun siblings, who were resting and chatting in a nearby pavilion.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, I gave my all during this battle, so why don¡¯t I feel any different?¡±


    If Yun Ruoyan were to enter her bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension, she would have seen Qiuqiu covering its face with a w.


    ¡°Mistress, you¡¯ve misunderstood me,¡± Qiuqiu exined patiently. ¡°What I meant by ¡®giving it your all¡¯ was a battle of life and death, just like the one you had with Wang Kuang within the imperial territory.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan instantly understood the distinction, but such an opportunity really wasn¡¯tmon.


    ¡°Mistress, don¡¯t worry. Right after entering Kongming Academy, there¡¯ll be another such expedition. Allegedly, it¡¯ll be even more strenuous than within the imperial territory, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get your opportunity then.¡±


    Strictly speaking, it was inurate to refer to the imperial expedition as the selection process for entering Kongming Academy; more urately, it was only the first of multiple such trials. Once new students entered Kongming Academy, the trials that followed would be the true test of their mettle. Only after passing through those trials would they be considered official students.


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    Yun Moxiao, who had been ncing at his sachet, turned to his sister when he heard his name.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you enter Kongming Academy when you had the chance?¡± Based on Yun Moxiao¡¯s talent, Yun Ruoyan was quite confident that he would have managed to pass through the trials without a problem.


    ¡°General Huang didn¡¯t let me.¡± Actually, Yun Moxiao had wanted to enter Kongming Academy, just like every scion on the Chenyuan continent. However, General Huang had advised against the idea, and even convinced Yun Lan to allow General Huang to train Yun Moxiao himself.


    ¡°However, my master¡¯s cultivation isn¡¯t any lower than that of any of the instructors in Kongming Academy, so it didn¡¯t much matter to me,¡± Yun Moxiao replied. ¡°I was just curious what the academy of everyone¡¯s dreams would be like. I¡¯m sure it must be an inspiring sight!¡±


    Kongming Academy was located on the Kongming Summit, a location inessible to most. As a result, one of Yun Moxiao¡¯s regrets was not being able to visit Kongming Academy for himself.


    ¡°It really is quite magnificent¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan thought back to the night when Li Mo had brought her up to the tallest tower in Kongming Academy to see the sunrise, one of the most beautiful sights of nature she had ever encountered.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re making it sound as if you¡¯ve already been there,¡± Yun Moxiao joked.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled as she corrected herself. ¡°I¡¯m sure it must be magnificent!¡±


    The siblings wereughing as a servant came up to them, informing them that they were being summoned to the great hall. Envoy Ding hade with further information regarding their admissions to Kongming Academy.


    When the siblings arrived at the great hall, Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and Yi Qianying were already present.


    Envoy Ding and Yun Lan both sat in seats of honor, and they were chatting amiably.


    When everyone was present, Envoy Ding read out the names of all the Yun scions who had been epted; as expected, nothing much had changed there. He then handed each of them the wooden tokens that the guards had reimed once they¡¯d left the imperial territory.


    However, the color of the tokens had changed, and they were now all a bright red.


    Envoy Ding didn¡¯t speak of the change, and no one asked him anything about it. It was onlyter that Yun Ruoyan found out that that wooden token now represented their identity within Kongming Academy. The color of the token signified their standing; red was the lowest, and violet the highest.


    As soon as Envoy Ding finished speaking, he headed off to the next noble family on his list, as Yun Lan and the rest of the crowd sent him off. Envoy Ding couldn¡¯t help ncing at Yun Ruoyan a moment or two longer than anyone else, doubting his eyes. How had she changed so much from before?


    He was so deep in thought that he almost tripped by the raised entrance to the Yun manor. Luckily, Yun Moxiao was walking right behind the envoy, and had quickly reached out and stabilized him. He then retracted his hand quickly and continued walking as if nothing had happened.


    Envoy Ding couldn¡¯t help turning to Yun Moxiao, thinking that neither of these two Yun siblings were ordinary.


    After sending off Envoy Ding, the Yun scions went back to the great hall to have an audience with their father. As usual, Yun Lan encouraged them to keep up their hard work, then brought up Yi Qianying¡¯s marriage. Over thest few days, the Yi family¡¯s servants had been hounding him about having Yi Qianying return to the Yi family in preparation for her marriage to the crown prince.


    Although Yi Qianying had been living in the Yun family from a young age, she wasn¡¯t strictly a member of the Yun family, and it would be inappropriate for her to be married off from the Yun manor.


    Yun Lan¡¯s intention was to send her off to the Yi family to avoid spurious rumors. Naturally, Yi Qianying acquiesced, stating that, no matter where she was married off, she would always think of the Yun family as her own home.


    Her words left Yun Lan quite gratified.


    Yi Qianying left that day. Freed from the burden of worrying about Yi Qianying¡¯s marriage, the Yun manor was as quiet as always.


    It was only the next day, when Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao headed to the Lin manor, that they found out that Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s admission to Kongming Academy had been rescinded.


    When Zhuo Yifeng confronted Envoy Ding indignantly, he informed him that Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s physique was too poor to handle the remaining trials to be held in Kongming Academy. If she were to attempt the trial as she was, she had a significant chance of dying.


    Given that Zhuo Lin¡¯er was still recovering from her cold, this rationale was quitepelling. Even Zhuo Lin¡¯er herself gave up on attending Kongming Academy. It was a rare chance that Zhuo Yifeng had seized for himself, and Zhuo Lin¡¯er didn¡¯t want to be his burden.


    As a result, when Yun Ruoyan came to visit, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s face was cold and troubled. This time, however, it wasn¡¯t on ount of her rtionship with the ughtering King, but rather with his imminent separation with his sister.


    He felt so poorly about the entire affair that he had even entertained the idea of not attending Kongming Academy at all, but it was the only ce that could train him to be strong enough to seek revenge.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, you don¡¯t have to worry about Lin¡¯er,¡± Lin Qingxue piped up. ¡°She¡¯ll be safe in the Lin manor. Without my sister and I around, Lin¡¯er can help us take care of our grandfather. He¡¯s a far better physician than even my sister, and by the time you¡¯re ready to leave Kongming Academy, I¡¯m sure Lin¡¯er¡¯s constitution will be much improved!¡±


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er added. ¡°Even with all of you gone, there¡¯ll still be the magical beasts in Sister Qingchen¡¯s bamboo gardens to keep mepany.¡±


    Finally, heeding everyone¡¯s advice, Zhuo Yifeng rxed.


    Yun Ruoyan pulled Zhuo Yifeng aside and handed him the box of tiger-canine arrows that she¡¯d finally obtained for him. She had wanted to hand him the arrows as soon as she received them, but she didn¡¯t have time to visit. When she finally found time, the situation with Li Mo had left their rtionship on tenterhooks.


    Knowing that Zhuo Yifeng wouldn¡¯t have epted the arrows at that time, she hadn¡¯t brought them up. Now, however, seemed like a good time to do so, and it would ease a burden that had long been on her mind.


    When Zhuo Yifeng looked at the tidy arrows in the box, his eyes lit up with excitement. He brushed over each and every arrowhead, liking the gift more and more. And as he held out the arrows, so fervently did he believe that the arrows were a perfect match for him that thanking Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t even cross his mind.


    Yun Ruoyan had expected to receive a rather awkward and effusive expression of thanks, but Zhuo Yifeng had only expressed his happiness about the arrows before walking off while embracing them.


    Yun Ruoyan looked back at Zhuo Yifeng, swallowing her prepared ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± back down her throat. This reaction was unexpected, but it wasn¡¯t bad. She smiled gently as she watched him walk off into the distance.


    Just as Yun Ruoyan was getting ready to leave the Lin manor, she coincidentally met Pei Ziao outside. He had seized her out of nowhere while she was preparing to get into her carriage. Sensing that Pei Ziao didn¡¯t have good intentions, Yun Moxiao shielded his sister.


    Yun Ruoyan peeked at Pei Ziao from behind her brother¡¯s sturdy frame. His body was thin, hisplexion sallow, and his face wan. Yun Ruoyan smiled internally as she observed his appearance.


    ¡°Get out of my way. I have a few questions for Yun Ruoyan,¡± Pei Ziao hissed at Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°Young Master Pei, you¡¯re wee to air whatever grievances you have right here.¡±


    Pei Ziao stood out from the crowd, but he was nothingpared to Yun Moxiao. After a moment¡¯s silence, he finally asked, ¡°Was it you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, was it me? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!¡± Yun Ruoyan naturally knew what Pei Ziao was referring to, but she had to pretend not to know. ¡°Young Master Pei, you don¡¯t look very good. I suggest you get some medication for your mental well-being.¡±

 Chapter 166: News From General Huang

    <h4>Chapter 166: News From General Huang</h4>


    By this time, everyone had heard about how Pei Ziao had murdered a number of people in the Yichun brothel in cold blood. However, what was most shocking was the fact that he had bought the virginity of an unimaginably ugly servant at that brothel, Huahua.


    Many people could kill the guards who would choose to work at as disreputable a location as a brothel, but far fewer would dare to spend a night with so ugly a woman.


    The Pei family hadn¡¯t spent much effort to retrieve Pei Ziao from prison, but he had been forced to remain in his rooms for quite some time afterward. Even now, he felt as if every gaze directed at him seemed to mock him as a fool.


    When Pei Yingxiong found that the tiger-canine arrows and two high-grade spiritual pills had gone missing, he investigated all the servants and found that the most likely culprit was none other than his own son, Pei Ziao.


    Pei Ziao dered that he had been the one to take these items, but although he remembered doing so, he hadn¡¯t done it out of his own volition. Just like in the Yichun brothel, it felt as though someone were instigating him to perform those actions, and he could only follow those orders like a mindless puppet.


    But when Pei Yingxiong asked Pei Ziao what he¡¯d done with those items and where he¡¯d gone before heading to the Yichun brothel, Pei Ziao froze up, as if his mind had gone nk.


    Pitying his son, Pei Yingxiong didn¡¯t ask him any further questions. Instead, he sent out his men to investigate the truth behind the matter and identify the true culprit behind the underhanded scheme.


    But Pei Ziao refused to back down, vowing that he would find the culprit himself. After Pei Yingxiong left, Pei Ziao tried to think back to when he had first lost his autonomy. From there, he would trace out all his actions from that terrible day.


    He had first entered the Pei family vault, before leaving with three boxes. Instead of getting a carriage, he distinctly remembered that he had walked to his final destination, the Lin manor. It was then that his memories splintered. The next thing he knew, he was at the Yichun brothel.


    So what exactly had he done between arriving at the Lin manor and going to the Yichun brothel? Even after a persistent attempt at recovering his lost memories, Pei Ziao¡¯s search was fruitless.


    He could trace his first loss of autonomy all the way back to the Shenxian restaurant at the Yuelu Vi. He had been treating Yun Ruoyan to dinner, but by the time he regained his memory, Yun Ruoyan had left him.


    The Lin manor was also intimately connected to Yun Ruoyan, so she was naturally the main target of his suspicion. Except for Yun Ruoyan, he didn¡¯t know of anyone else who would treat him in such a fashion. But why would Yun Ruoyan do so?


    Ever since leaving the imperial territory, he had tried his hardest to mend his rtionship with her! Even if Yun Ruoyan still didn¡¯t like him very much, there was no reason for her to hurt him in such a vicious manner!


    Lost in his thoughts, he had somehow retraced the steps from the Pei manor to the Lin manor. As he saw Yun Ruoyan walking out of the Lin manor, he rushed up to her, anxious to resolve the conundrums in his mind.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you suddenly vanished that day I treated you to a meal at the Shenxian restaurant. From then on, my memories have been muddled, and I¡¯ve done a series of ridiculous things. Except for you, I really can¡¯t think of anyone else who would target me!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had naturally predicted that Pei Ziao would be suspicious of her after this entire affair. After discussing the matter with Qiuqiu, Qiuqiu had pointed out a third drawback to the soul-stealing pill: the victim would lose his agency but not his memories, and it would be very easy to expose herself as the culprit if she weren¡¯t careful.


    This time, Yun Ruoyan shouldn¡¯t have had Pei Ziao send the items to the Lin manor. Instead, she should have chosen a hidden, secluded location. Unfortunately, while Yun Ruoyan had beenmanding Pei Ziao, Qiuqiu was deep in cultivation, so Yun Ruoyan had made a beginner¡¯s mistake and left herself with incriminating evidence.


    What Yun Ruoyan had to do now was to destroy it.


    ¡°Young Master Pei, thank you for your reminder.¡± Yun Ruoyan looked impressively angry, without a hint of guilt. ¡°What were you nning that day after you tricked me into drinking the shenxian liquor?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s counter-question left Pei Ziao stumbling. Guiltily, he replied, ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t nning on doing anything.¡±


    For his age, Pei Ziao was a rtively mature person and a better schemer than most. In front of Yun Ruoyan, however, he was nothing.


    ¡°Nothing, you say?¡± Yun Ruoyan repeated his words mockingly. ¡°In that case, why didn¡¯t you tell me about the potent aftereffects of shenxian, and why did you try so hard to get me to drink so much?!¡±


    By this time, Yun Moxiao had also noticed something amiss, and he was bearing down on Pei Ziao with a tiger¡¯s glint. Before Yun Ruoyan brought up this matter, Pei Ziao had actually forgotten that he was trying to get her drunk, spend a night with her, and then take her as his own possession.


    Now that Yun Ruoyan had brought it up, Pei Ziao couldn¡¯t help feeling more and more guilty. Because of his pallor and weariness, the guilt was evident on his face.


    ¡°But¡­ but nothing came out of it!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°And the only reason that nothing came out of it was because the ughtering King appeared and dragged me off in time,¡± Yun Ruoyan hissed, looking disdainfully at him. ¡°Otherwise, I really don¡¯t want to think about what might have happened.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan brought up Li Mo, Pei Ziao couldn¡¯t help rearing back in shock.


    ¡°The ughtering King¡­ the ughtering King took you away himself?!¡±


    In fury, Yun Moxiao walked up to Pei Ziao and grabbed him by his cor, barely refraining from lifting him off the ground entirely. He still remembered the morning after, when the ughtering King had sent Yun Ruoyan back to her cottage. At the time, he was very curious as to how Yun Ruoyan had ended up with the ughtering King despite having left with Pei Ziao, and now he knew.


    ¡°If not for the ughtering King¡¯s timely arrival, were you about to take my sister¡¯s virginity?!¡± Yun Moxiao threw Pei Ziao onto the ground and was about to stomp on him when his sister pulled him back.


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t hit him. It¡¯ll sully your feet.¡±


    Pei Ziaoy on the ground in a daze. Could it be the ughtering King who made me do all that as punishment? If the culprit really were the ughtering King, then there would be nothing he could do except gritting his teeth and bearing with the damage to his reputation.


    ¡°Young Master Pei.¡± Yun Ruoyan walked to Pei Ziao¡¯s side and looked down at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to you, but I can tell you what happened that day. You suddenly arrived at the Lin manor and handed me the tiger-canine arrows and two high-grade spiritual pills before turning to leave, and your expression and mannerisms were both rather unnatural.¡±


    After hearing those words, Pei Ziao was even more confident in his hypothesis that it was the ughtering King himself who had controlled him. After all, he too knew of the intimate rtionship between him and Yun Ruoyan.


    Initially, Pei Ziao had thought Yun Ruoyan a girl that he could freely seize, but now he was seriously regretting his actions. Some people jealously guarded their possessions, and anyone who dared brook that jealousy would be severely punished.


    Based on Pei Ziao¡¯s downcast expression, Yun Ruoyan was confident that he was following her train of thought.


    ¡°But since those three items were all ones that you had promised me, I won¡¯t be returning them to you,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued. ¡°I wish you well, Young Master Pei¡­ Brother, let¡¯s leave.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stepped into the carriage, Yun Moxiao following right behind. Before he entered, however, Yun Moxiao turned and pointed a finger at Pei Ziao. ¡°My sister isn¡¯t for the likes of you, understand?¡±


    As the carriage whizzed by Pei Ziao¡¯s side, he stared dumbly in the direction of the carriage until it vanished from sight, then pounded the ground harshly.


    ¡°If you ever see him again, stay away.¡± Yun Moxiao was infuriated by what could have happened if the ughtering King hadn¡¯t been present. ¡°You¡¯ve be such an intelligent girl, so how could you fall into Pei Ziao¡¯s trap like that?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed, knowing that her brother¡¯s exasperation was due to his concern for her. Her heart buzzed with warmth, tingling from an emotion that she had almost never felt in her past life.


    ¡°Without me around, you¡¯d better not agree to any such invitations, you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear brother.¡± Yun Ruoyan tugged at Yun Moxiao¡¯s arm and pouted, ¡°Brother, you really won¡¯t leave me, will you?¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡± Yun Moxiao patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head. ¡°Oh, you silly sister, I have to guard you until you¡¯re married off, at least.¡±


    Despite his outward facade, Yun Moxiao really was quite worried. His bald eagle had returned, but it hadn¡¯t brought back a reply from General Huang. Despite the long wait, he hadn¡¯t heard from the army at all. Was his master unwilling to ept his departure, or had he been dyed by something? Yun Moxiao didn¡¯t know.


    That night, Yun Moxiao wrote another letter to General Huang. When he whistled to and summoned his bald eagle, another snowy eagle apanied it. That eagle belonged to his master, General Huang.


    ¡°Snowy, long time no see! Is my master doing alright?¡± Yun Moxiao called out excitedly to the snowy eagle, who cawed out and circled him thrice, signifying that everything was well.


    Subsequently, it rushed down toward Yun Moxiao, who held out his vambrace for it to perch on.


    From its ws, Yun Moxiao took out the letter that General Huang had written to him in response. While General Huang found his decision regretful, he had decided to acknowledge and respect Yun Moxiao¡¯s decision.


    After reading through the letter, Yun Moxiao felt as though a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He wrote him another letter, thanking his master for his understanding as well as promising to continue working on his cultivation so as not to disappoint him.


    After doing so, Yun Moxiaoy in bed and thought about what he would say to his father. Even now, he could imagine how enraged Yun Lan would be as a result of his admission. What he hadn¡¯t expected was for his father to receive a letter from General Huang at the same time he did.


    In his study, Yun Lan took the letter from Housekeeper Wu¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Master, this was sent directly from the northern barracks.¡±


    Yun Lan nodded and opened the letter, his eyes widening as he read.


    When he finished the letter, he mmed a fist down on his desk as he called out, ¡°Summon Yun Moxiao to my study at once!¡±

 Chapter 167: Really Getting Better

    <h4>Chapter 167: Really Getting Better</h4>


    A servant came knocking on Yun Moxiao¡¯s door as he was contemting how to tell his father that he was temporarily leaving the army.


    ¡°Young Master, you¡¯ve been summoned to Master Yun¡¯s study.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right over.¡± Yun Moxiao immediately got out of bed: Yun Lan would never summon him frivolously, and he undoubtedly had something important to inform him.


    The moment Yun Moxiao stepped through the door to the study, Yun Lan called out, ¡°Daring to leave the army without discussing it with me beforehand? Do you still treat me like your father?!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, Father,¡± Yun Moxiao replied respectfully. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to broach the matter with you but haven''t found a suitable opportunity to do so.¡±


    Yun Moxiao was quite shocked that Yun Lan had found out¡ªhe¡¯d only divulged his ns to Yun Ruoyan and his master, no one else. Yun Ruoyan naturally wouldn¡¯t have told Yun Lan, so could it be his master?


    Yun Moxiao frowned, his face weary. Master, master, must you make life so difficult for me?


    ¡°Look at this letter.¡± Yun Lan handed his son a folded sheet of parchment, still slightly curled up. Yun Moxiao unfolded it and noticed his master¡¯s handwriting at once.


    Apparently, General Huang had thought that Yun Lan knew of his son¡¯s decision. After expressing his regret, he had submitted a rmendation to Yun Lan on Yun Moxiao¡¯s behalf.


    As a high-ranking court official, Yun Lan controlled the appointment, nomination, and transferral of officials within the capital. General Huang had rmended Yun Moxiao as the general of the troops garrisoned at the capital, and was writing to inform Yun Lan that he had submitted such a rmendation to court.


    Although Yun Lan was high-ranking, Yun Moxiao was his son. To appoint him to such a position out of nowhere would surely be seen as nepotism. The general of these troops had a rank roughly equivalent to that of a third-rank court official. Yun Moxiao would have been remarkably young for such a position; even if he had the talent, hecked the experience.


    And whereas the army focused on talent and achievement, the court was a far muddier ce. To obtain such a high appointment required experience, connections, and the favor of all sorts of high-ranking personages connected by a sprawling,plicated web of benefits and self-interest.


    Yun Lan had been in the limelight thesest few years. If he were to suddenly appoint his own son to such a high-ranking position, it would surely incite the ire of those factions that opposed him. In particr, the head of the Rong family would likely be the first to critique this decision.


    But with General Huang¡¯s rmendation, things would surely proceed more smoothly.


    Despite Yun Lan¡¯s obvious bad mood, he didn¡¯t harangue Yun Moxiao or force him to return to the army, slightly easing Yun Moxiao¡¯s concerns.


    ¡°Father, since Master has already agreed, you won¡¯t forbid me from staying, will you?¡± Yun Moxiao probed.


    Yun Lan snorted. ¡°Asking for permission only after you¡¯re alreadymitted? Is this the sort of disrespect you¡¯ve learned in the army? When I have a chance, I¡¯ll surely be discussing this matter with your master.¡±


    ¡°This is unrted to my master, Father. It was my own will,¡± Yun Moxiao hastily added.


    ¡°It¡¯s for Ruoyan, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yun Lan¡¯s tone was severe and pointed. ¡°The reason I forbade contact between you two siblings was exactly because I feared you would sacrifice your own future as a result.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that part of the reason is because of Ruoyan.¡± Worried that Yun Lan would get angry at his sister, however, he continued, ¡°But also for my own benefit. I¡¯ve been living in the barracks ever since I was a child, and I¡¯m unfamiliar with the capital and the court. It¡¯s quite clear to me that my own sess has been because of my master¡¯s protection and yours, Father. If not for your help, I would hardly have advanced at such a rapid pace. I want to be able to understand the court and the capital in order to establish the groundwork for my future career.¡±


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s analysis was spot-on. In fact, Yun Lan had been considering having Yun Moxiao be sent back to the capital in the near future. But before he could think about how he would arrange this transfer, as well as what he would have his son do afterwards, Yun Moxiao had done it for himself.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve thought it through, have you?¡±


    Unable to judge his father¡¯s thoughts from his cool expression, Yun Moxiao¡¯s heart began thumping faster.


    ¡°As the future sessor to the Yun family, with the weight of the family¡¯s future on my shoulders, I have to be thinking ahead, Father. I hoped to return to the capital in order to obtain more experience and in order to help bring the family to greater heights.¡± Yun Moxiao bowed.


    His words truly resonated with his father, and Yun Lan¡¯s icy demeanor cracked a little.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er,¡± Yun Lan looked stonily at his eldest son. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you¡¯ve said today, and always, always remember that the family¡¯s interests reign above all¡ªmore important than me, than you, than any other member of the family.¡±


    Yun Moxiao disagreed with these words; to him, the family was simply the collection of people itprised. If some of these people had to be sacrificed for ¡°the greater good¡±, then what was this greater good really worth?


    But he knew that it wasn¡¯t the time to express this dissenting viewpoint, so he mped his mouth shut, breathed out, and replied, ¡°Yes, Father.¡±


    He stood still as he awaited his father¡¯s final verdict.


    ¡°Since things have developed in this manner, and you have your own reasons for staying, we¡¯ll leave it at that.¡± Yun Lan sat back down behind his desk.


    ¡°Thank you, Father!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll mediate your court appointment,¡± Yun Lan continued as he noted something down. ¡°But don¡¯t get your hopes too high; the position of general of the garrisoned troops in the capital isn¡¯t an easy one to secure.¡±


    ¡°Everything in moderation, Father. I don¡¯t dare to be too greedy.¡±


    Yun Lan nodded, not saying anything further. Seeing that his father appeared to be concentrating on his writing, Yun Moxiao was about to excuse himself when his father spoke up once more.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been away for so long that you¡¯ve likely forgotten about the family¡¯smandments.¡± He paused and looked directly at his son. ¡°To disrespect your elders goes against the eighthmandment, and the appropriate punishment would be to have you kneel in the ancestral hall for three days and nights. But because Qianying¡¯s marriage is only two days away, I¡¯ll have you kneel there for the next two days and copy down themandments three hundred times over.¡±


    As Yun Lan doled out the punishment, he folded up the letter he had just written and handed it to Yun Moxiao. ¡°This is a response for your master. Hand it to Old Wu and have him send it out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Yun Moxiao took the letter, epted the punishment, and happily left his father¡¯s study.


    The next day, when Yun Ruoyan found out about the punishment, she was naturally worried for her brother. Because there were guards stationed outside the ancestral hall preventing entry, Yun Ruoyan headed to her grandmother¡¯s quarters to try to understand the situation.


    Unfortunately, Madam An, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu were all present.


    ¡°Allow me to pay my respects to you, Grandmother.¡± Yun Ruoyan walked over and bowed to the Yun matriarch, before turning to Madam An and doing the same. ¡°And to you, Madam An.¡±


    ¡°No need for the courtesy, Second Miss.¡±


    Ever since the Yun matriarch¡¯s banquet, Madam An and Yun Ruoyan had been on such poor terms that they had dispensed with calling each other ¡®Mother¡¯ and ¡®Daughter¡¯ entirely. But because they were outwardly polite and respectful to each other otherwise, Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch didn¡¯t intervene.


    ¡°Come sit with me, Ruoyan,¡± the Yun matriarch waved at her and said, and Yun Ruoyan went over to her side with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since youst came to visit. What have you been busy with?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to improve my cultivation in preparation for the uing trial upon entering Kongming Academy, Grandmother. Do you miss me?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s good appetite had caused her cheeks to fill out, and she looked particrly cute and endearing when she smiled.


    The Yun matriarch pinched her cheeks as she too smiled. ¡°Oh, you dear girl! How could I forget you when I¡¯m drinking the tea you send to my quarters daily?¡±


    The tea that Madam An and Yun Ruoyao were happily sipping suddenly seemed to turn bitter before their very eyes, and the mother and daughter immediately put down their teacups at once.


    ¡°Madam Qin was hoping to go out with Sister Ruoyu a few days ago, but the family¡¯s lightest and most convenient carriage was being upied by Sister Ruoyan and Brother Moxiao,¡± Yun Ruoyao suddenly interjected. ¡°And yesterday, when I was hoping to go out to get some supplies in preparation for the academy, the carriage still wasn¡¯t there. Might I ask where you¡¯ve been these few days, and whether Ruoyu and I could join you in the future?¡±


    Right after Yun Ruoyan imed to have been cultivating in her quarters, someone had to interject with ims to the contrary. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s nature wouldn¡¯t allow her to back down; if Yun Ruoyao was deliberately targeting her, then she would target Yun Ruoyao back.


    ¡°I went to my grandfather¡¯s manor.¡± Yun Ruoyan knew that the Yun and Lin families weren¡¯t on very good terms because of her mother¡¯s affairs, but she had had enough of trying to repress herself for the benefit of others. ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned that Grandfather made me some salve for treating the birthmark on my face, but it wasn¡¯t too effective.¡±


    She turned to nce at Madam An and Yun Ruoyao as she continued, ¡°Afterwards, Grandfather helped refine the form, and I¡¯ve been testing out the improved salve these few days. The effect really has been far better than before!¡±


    Both Madam An and Yun Ruoyao began to frown. Yun Ruoyan had mentioned that Lin Zainan was trying to help her treat her birthmark, but Madam An believed that to be nonsense. Now that Yun Ruoyan was bringing it up once more, and in front of the Yun matriarch no less, Madam An and Yun Ruoyao couldn¡¯t help but begin to doubt her. Was she trying to fool even the Yun matriarch?!


    ¡°Really?¡± Madam An forced out a smile as she asked, ¡°Does that mean that your birthmark really is getting fainter, Second Miss?¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, could you remove your gauze patch and show us?¡± Yun Ruoyu asked, opening her eyes wide. She had grown far less boisterous in the intervening period.


    ¡°Yes, Ruoyan, do show us the progress.¡± The Yun matriarch really was happy for her granddaughter. Having developed feelings for Yun Ruoyan, she was more pitiful than ever about the unfortunate birthmark on her face. The disappearance of that birthmark would be wonderful news for the entire Yun family.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded shyly and removed the gauze patch, revealing her hidden right cheek.


    As the Yun matriarch looked at her birthmark, the wrinkles on her face drew together. With a quavering voice, she murmured, ¡°It¡¯s gotten better, it¡¯s really getting better!¡±

 Chapter 168: A Crease by the Waist

    <h4>Chapter 168: A Crease by the Waist</h4>


    ¡°Ruoyan, your face really is salvageable!¡± the Yun matriarch sighed as she caressed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s right cheek with a withered hand.


    The birthmark¡¯s dark red color had turned pale, and the tendrils that had spread all the way to her eye and snaked behind her ear had both narrowed and shortened. Madam An, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu all craned their necks as they tried to inspect Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark.


    Yun Ruoyao gasped and quickly covered up her mouth: this news was particrly difficult for her to bear. Yun Ruoyu weakly extended her hand, as though she was trying to touch her sister¡¯s cheek to ascertain that what she was seeing wasn¡¯t just an illusion. Madam An¡¯s face turned pale, her palm covering her heart. It actually wasn¡¯t¡­ wasn¡¯t just nonsense¡­


    Yun Ruoyan took her grandmother¡¯s hand in hers and began slowly, ¡°Grandmother, my grandfather has never given up on treating my birthmark. All these years, despite failure after failure, he persisted and finally seeded in concocting a salve that can fix my appearance.¡±


    As she thought of Lin Zainan¡¯s sudden death in her past life, and how both the Yun and Lin families had fallen to Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying¡¯s schemes, tears seeped out of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes. ¡°I know that the Yun and Lin families aren¡¯t on good terms with each other because of what happened to my mother, but everyone from both families is dear to me, Grandmother. I couldn¡¯t bear to give up either half of my family.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my dear granddaughter!¡± The Yun matriarch patted the back of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand. ¡°If your grandfather can really restore your face to its former beauty, then he¡¯ll be my benefactor no matter what! I¡¯ll head over to the Lin family myself and thank your grandfather properly. As long as they¡¯re willing to let bygones be bygones, the Yun family will definitely drop the matter!¡±


    After hearing the Yun matriarch¡¯s words, Yun Ruoyan had the sudden temptation to wash off her fake birthmark entirely.


    Perhaps because she had led far too stifling a life in the past, Yun Ruoyan found herself saddled with all sorts of urges in this one. For example, she hadn¡¯t nned on having the birthmark slowly vanish¡ªshe simply wanted to disgust Madam An, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu after incidentally meeting them. Coincidentally, she had beenzy this morning and had painted her birthmark smaller and less vivid than it usually was.


    Despite her urges, Yun Ruoyan was anything but reckless. Revealing her true appearance would be significant, and it wasn¡¯t something she would do lightly.


    ¡°Congrattions, Sister Ruoyan!¡± Perhaps it was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s imagination, but her sister¡¯s remark actually seemed somewhat¡­ sincere?


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Ruoyu,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded with a faint smile.


    Despite their misgivings, Madam An and Yun Ruoyao could only ept the fact that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark would soon heal. Asplex emotions flitted across their eyes, the two of them forced out a few congrattory remarks, which Yun Ruoyan also epted with a smile.


    ¡°Your father doesn¡¯t know about this, does he?¡± the Yun matriarch asked.


    ¡°No, only my brother and I know at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ruoyan, you should have told me earlier!¡± The Yun matriarch clicked her tongue.


    Yun Ruoyan lowered her head in repentance, as though she were a little child who had done something wrong. ¡°It¡¯s because the previous treatments failed, Grandmother, so I didn¡¯t want to make a big fuss just in case. This only happened recently when I switched to a new salve, and Grandfather isn¡¯t sure to what extent my face can be restored either. I¡¯m afraid that something might go wrong halfway, so I didn¡¯t dare to bother Father and you, Grandmother.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words were soden with hope that the Yun matriarch couldn¡¯t help pitying her granddaughter some more. Impulsively, she felt as though she had to do something for her granddaughter in rpense. ¡°Has your grandfather asked for any rare ingredients or herbs? The Yun family will certainly supply any help we can.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Grandfather did mention that there were some precious ingredients that went into this salve, some of which are in short supply. He¡¯s trying to procure more of the rarest ingredients at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Which ones?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say¡­¡±


    The Yun matriarch continued, ¡°In that case, go ask him tomorrow. There¡¯s no ingredient in the capital that neither the Yun nor the Lin families can¡¯t track down together!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded fervently: she did need a number of rare herbs for the new spiritual pill that she was working on with Qiuqiu. She didn¡¯t dare to ask for all of them immediately, and was nning on having a discussion with Qiuqiu beforehand.


    What a genius she was, toe up with such a ploy!


    ¡°Oh, before I forget¡­¡± The Yun matriarch turned to Madam An, suddenly remembering something. ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention that everyone¡¯s dresses are ready? Let the girls put them on now, so I can have a look.¡±


    Clearly, this wasn¡¯t something that Madam An had anticipated, and she hastily summoned one of her servants to prepare the dresses. During the brief interlude, Yun Ruoyan asked her grandmother about her brother¡¯s affair.


    The Yun matriarch had heard about the news from Xiao Lan early in the morning. She doted on her eldest grandson and had specially summoned Yun Lan to ask about the matter, who recounted what had happened to her.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er¡¯s actions really were quite thoughtless, and your father was right to punish him,¡± she concluded, before turning to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Did your brother tell you about his ns beforehand?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan lowered her head once more in repentance. ¡°My brother mentioned that he didn¡¯t want to return to the army quite a few times, but I thought he was just joking. I hadn¡¯t expected that he would really follow through with his words¡­¡±


    She looked as though she was fervently trying to suppress her happiness, prompting the Yun matriarch to think about how lonely both the siblings had been all these years.


    Not long after, Hong Yu and a few other servants brought the girls¡¯ dresses over.


    ¡°Ruoyan, this is yours,¡± The Yun matriarch pointed at ake-green pleated skirt.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s formalwear came either from Peony or from her grandmother. This time, Madam An had volunteered to take over the design of everyone¡¯s dresses, and the Yun matriarch had acquiesced. However, the Yun matriarch would decide on the color and style of the dress herself: after all, the Yun family¡¯s sole wife-born daughter surely had to look presentable.


    Yun Ruoyan critically inspected the dress. The color, material, and style were all impable, save for one ring w: the narrow waistline. As expected, everyone else¡¯s dresses fit perfectly, but Yun Ruoyan¡¯s was stuck at her waist.


    ¡°My goodness, what should we do!¡± Madam An eximed dramatically. ¡°How could it not fit? I followed Mother¡¯s measurements to the letter! Second Miss, have you been consuming too much food in the meantime?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appetite had indeed been very goodtely. She was developing both horizontally and vertically, and no longer the skeletal, skin-and-bones girl that she had been just a few months earlier.


    However, thest time the Yun matriarch had summoned her over to have her measurements taken, she was certain that her waist hadn¡¯t been so narrow. If she had had to put on the dress three months ago, she would barely be able to do so by forgoing a meal.


    Now, however, she wouldn¡¯t be able to put it on even if she starved herself for an entire day. Yun Ruoyan sneered in her heart. Was Madam An up to her little tricks again?


    She pointed at the dress. ¡°Madam An, I¡¯m d Grandmother thought to have a look at the dresses beforehand. If this mistake were to be discovered two dayster, wouldn¡¯t that have been embarrassing?¡±


    The Yun matriarch also looked rather displeased: she had spent a great deal of effort on the design, only to find that Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t even wear the resulting dress! And any further changes to it would undoubtedly ruin its overall aesthetics.


    ¡°Daughter-inw, can¡¯t you do anything properly? That waistline looks as thin as the middle of a gourd¡ªsurely no one could wear it!¡±


    Madam An lowered her head, then suddenly turned to look at Hong Yu. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to keep a close eye on the dressmaking?¡±


    Hong Yu reacted quickly, with barely a moment of pause. Kneeling down on the floor, she hurriedly apologized for the mistake. ¡°Madam, I, I hadn¡¯t been feeling well thest few days, so I wasn¡¯t able to go over to the dressmaker¡¯s. Please forgive me, Madam, Matriarch!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed theatrically. ¡°Grandmother, no amount of punishment will fix the problem now. Let¡¯s forget about it.¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re truly a benevolent girl.¡± The Yun matriarch nced at Madam An with disappointment, as ifparing her to a child and finding her unworthy.


    Madam An clutched the handkerchief in her hand. Why isn¡¯t anything going well today? No, it¡¯s all that wretch¡¯s fault¡ªshe truly is my bane!


    ¡°Thank you, Second Miss,¡± Hong Yu stood up and bowed in apology, but her tone sounded as arrogant as it had been.


    ¡°Hong Yu, are you feeling unwell today?¡±


    ¡°Second Miss, thank you for your concern. I believe I¡¯ve recovered.¡±


    ¡°In that case, please supervise the modification to the dress. I want to see the finished product by this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll head over immediately, Miss.¡± After receiving permission, Hong Yu left with the dress.


    Madam An, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu followed quickly after, but Yun Ruoyan stayed behind to chat with the Yun matriarch all the way past lunch.


    In the evening, Hong Yu brought the modified dress to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cottage.


    ¡°Second Miss, the dress has been fixed.¡± Hong Yu handed the dress to Xi Lan, who brought it over to Yun Ruoyan to be inspected. She took only a cursory look before she eximed, ¡°No, this won¡¯t do!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss?¡± Hong Yu was familiar with stitching and embroidery. She had spent the entire afternoon watching the workers fix the fabric, and could guarantee that everything had been adjusted ordingly.


    ¡°There¡¯s a crease here by the waist,¡± Yun Ruoyan nitpicked. ¡°Send it back for further modification!¡±

 Chapter 169: A Reasonable Demand

    <h4>Chapter 169: A Reasonable Demand</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan had Hong Yu send back the dress for further modification.


    ¡°Second Miss,¡± Hong Yu replied, somewhat resentfully, ¡°because the dress¡¯s waistline had to be widened, a few creases here and there are inevitable.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. My dress ought to be perfect, and making it perfect is your responsibility.¡±


    ¡°But, Second Miss¡­¡±


    ¡°How dare you talk back to Miss Yun! As a servant, you just have to keep your mouth shut and do what you¡¯re told!¡± Hong Yu was about to continue arguing when Peony broke her off.


    Hong Yu spun around to Peony in fury, who held her head high and her chest out as she looked down at her. Only then did she realize how much Yun Ruoyan¡¯s quarters had changed. Before Yun Ruoyan had be the favored daughter of the family, Peony had to bow and scrape in front of her, Xi Lan didn¡¯t dare to shout, and even Yun Ruoyan had obediently followed her orders.


    What exactly had changed: was it Yun Ruoyan, or was it the rest of the Yun manor? As these thoughts sprang unbidden to Hong Yu¡¯s mind, Xi Lan walked up to her and stuffed the dress back into her hands.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Miss Yun wants to see the dress tonight!¡±


    Hong Yu looked disbelievingly at Xi Lan. ¡°Tonight?!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed and nced over again.


    ¡°Second Miss, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s an impossible deadline to meet.¡± Having realized her powerlessness, Hong Yu could only try an emotional appeal. ¡°In order to remove all the wrinkles, Miss, we¡¯ll have to modify both the top and bottom halves of the dress as well. In that case, it certainly won¡¯t be ready by tonight.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stood up and walked over to Hong Yu. In the past, she had been thin and frail, as if a slight gust of wind were enough to blow her away. She would lower her head no matter whom she were speaking to, and she didn¡¯t have the bearing of a young miss at all.


    But now, when Yun Ruoyan stood in front of Hong Yu, she was actually half a head taller than the servant, and her paper-thin figure had filled out considerably. When Hong Yu raised her head to meet Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cold gaze, she couldn¡¯t help but shiver and lower her head immediately.


    ¡°Hong Yu, do you always offer up so many excuses when working for Madam An?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t dare, Miss, I¡¯m just trying to clear things up¡­¡± Hong Yu regretted trying to mess with Yun Ruoyan, but she was still talking back to her out of habit.


    ¡°Clear things up?¡± Yun Ruoyan sneered. ¡°When she had you adjust the waistline of the dress, why didn¡¯t you clear things up then? Do you really think that the Yun matriarch and I are idiots?¡±


    Since Madam An had pushed the me to Hong Yu, it was clear that Hong Yu had taken part in the affair. Hong Yu was one of Madam An¡¯s loyalckeys and followed her everymand. However, she would often take things to extremes, as could be seen by the ridiculously small waistline of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dress. This was a novice¡¯s mistake, one that Madam An surely wouldn¡¯t have made.


    If Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t take the opportunity to suppress her, she didn¡¯t think that Peony and Xi Lan would be her match when she left for Kongming Academy.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze was stern.


    ¡°I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t dare, Miss.¡± Hong Yu¡¯s legs turned to jelly as she knelt down.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to Xi Lan. ¡°Xi Lan, I¡¯ll leave you to deal with this dress. When Hong Yu sends the dress over for inspection, look at it carefully with Peony. If there¡¯s anything at all that¡¯s unsatisfactory, send it back for further modification.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss!¡±


    The next day, while Peony was helping dress Yun Ruoyan, Yun Ruoyan noticed that Peony appeared to be somewhat tired. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Peony smiled. ¡°Last night, when Hong Yu sent the dress over once more, Xi Lan had her change the neckline because it was too wide, and to have it sent back within four hours. Hong Yu looked as though she was about to ignite in anger, but she forced herself to remain calm.


    When Hong Yu came by at midnight, Xi Lan refused to get up, so Peony had to be the one to deal with her.


    ¡°And was the dress satisfactory then?¡±


    ¡°The neckline was still toorge, so I had her modify it again. It should be ready soon.¡±


    Peony was clever and introspective. Unlike Xi Lan, who was making a fuss as revenge for all the times Hong Yu had been nasty to her, Peony knew what Yun Ruoyan was trying to achieve. Last night, when Peony looked into Hong Yu¡¯s reddened, irritated eyes and told her that the neckline still had to be adjusted, she could see the veins throbbing on her forehead.


    But just as Hong Yu was about to explode, Peony continued coolly, ¡°Shall I have the miss try it out for herself, then?¡±


    Hong Yu had deted immediately, and Peony couldn¡¯t help giggling to herself as she thought back to the sight.


    ¡°No, have it modified again!¡± Xi Lan¡¯s loud voice bellowed from outside the yard.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s the problem now?¡± Hong Yu¡¯s hoarse voice followed.


    ¡°Why? I told you to make the necklinerger, so why did you make it smaller instead? Don¡¯t you understand my words?¡± Xi Lan appeared to be furious.


    ¡°Butst night, Peony told me that the neckline was toorge!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. It looks too small to me,¡± Xi Lan objected. ¡°Shall we have the miss try it out and see?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Peony both suppressed a smile as they spied on the conversation.


    ¡°Miss, will the dress be wearable after all these modifications?¡±


    The wedding between the crown prince and Yi Qianying was to be held tomorrow, and everyone in the Yun family would have to send Yi Qianying off at the Yi manor. Given all the modifications that she and Xi Lan had requested, Peony was worried that the dress wouldn¡¯t be presentable.


    ¡°I had no intention of wearing it from the beginning, at any rate.¡± If she did, then she wouldn¡¯t have had Xi Lan be responsible for inspecting it. ¡°Tomorrow, pick out one of the formal dresses that I¡¯ve worn in the past and have it prepared.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s role in the wedding was minimal at best, and she only wanted to carry it out in a perfunctory manner. Dressing too mboyantly would attract unwanted attention for herself.


    ¡°Peony, prepare me some food. I¡¯m going to head to the ancestral hall.¡± After having received the Yun matriarch¡¯s permission, she was going to visit her brother today.


    When Yun Ruoyan brought the food that Peony had prepared to the ancestral hall, she found Yun Ruoyu by the entrance. She had just headed out of the hall, also with containers of food in her hands. When she saw Yun Ruoyan, she stood still, as if waiting for her.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know what her sister was nning, and she walked up to her with a frown.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan.¡± Before Yun Ruoyan could speak, Yun Ruoyu greeted her politely and smiled in a surprisingly genial fashion.


    ¡°Ruoyu.¡± Faced with such politeness, she could only behave in kind. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here so early?¡±


    Yun Ruoyu dangled the food containers she was holding in front of her. ¡°My mother knew that Eldest Brother was being punished, so she bade me bring some food over.¡±


    So it was Madam Qin¡¯s idea. Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°Is Madam Qin doing well?¡±


    ¡°As always, she¡¯s praying daily and enjoying her quiet and serene lifestyle. These past few weeks, I¡¯ve been spending more time with her and emting her behavior, and I feel like my mental state¡¯s far better than before.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was indeed somewhat taken aback to see her younger sister behaving so demurely.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I¡¯d like to apologize for my hurtful actions when I was with Madam An and Sister Ruoyao. Looking back at my actions, I can see how terrible I¡¯ve been to you in the past.¡± Her hands trembled imperceptibly. ¡°My mother has been encouraging me to apologize to you properly, and she said you¡¯d be generous enough to forgive me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyu raised her head slightly, looking at her older sister withrge, expressive eyes. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, will you forgive me?¡±


    Honestly, Yun Ruoyan was reluctant to do so. The person in front of her didn¡¯t look one bit like her younger sister; how could someone as willful, pampered, and mean-spirited as Yun Ruoyu have changed so much in so short a period?


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I know getting your forgiveness won¡¯t be so easy, but I¡¯ll prove that I¡¯m truly a changed person with my actions!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help nce at her neck, where she could faintly see some scarring. It seemed as though Yun Ruoyu wouldn¡¯t be able to wear any clothes without a high cor in the future.


    ¡°If you truly think that way, then I¡¯m very d for you, Ruoyu,¡± she replied calmly.


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t someone who would easily trust others, but so what if she didn¡¯t?


    To Yun Ruoyan, Yun Ruoyu had always been a mindless weapon that Madam An and Yun Ruoyao would direct at her. If Yun Ruoyu continued acting so mindlessly, Yun Ruoyan naturally wouldn¡¯t spare her; if she had truly changed, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t be bothered to get back at her for what she had done in the past. Regardless, Yun Ruoyan had no intention of developing a better rtionship with her younger sister.


    ¡°Please thank Madam Qin on my behalf. Do you know if she¡¯ll be free for a visit from me and my brother soon?¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need. My mother prefers peace and quiet, so please don¡¯t worry about it, Sister.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was only offering out of politeness, so she didn¡¯t insist upon hearing Yun Ruoyu¡¯s tactful refusal.


    As she looked at her sister¡¯s silhouette, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but frown once more. Had she really changed for the better? No, it couldn¡¯t be as simple as that!


    ¡°Ruoyan, why aren¡¯t youing in?¡± Yun Moxiao spoke from within the ancestral hall.


    Yun Ruoyan stepped forward, and one of the guards by the ancestral hall opened the door for her. ¡°Eldest Miss, the Yun matriarch has sent word to permit you entrance.¡±


    ¡°Who gave the third miss permission to enter?¡±


    ¡°The third miss didn¡¯t enter the ancestral hall, Eldest Miss. I was the one who delivered the food to the young master, and the third miss simply left with the empty containers.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded as she stepped into the hall. As soon as she did so, she saw Yun Moxiao kneeling on a mat in the center of the room. When he saw her, he waved. ¡°Ruoyan,e have a meal with me!¡±


    He was just about to start eating when Yun Ruoyan suddenly thought of something. ¡°Brother, stop!¡±

 Chapter 170: Be More Careful

    <h4>Chapter 170: Be More Careful</h4>


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Moxiao put down his chopsticks after hearing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sudden exmation, then looked at her curiously.


    Without saying a word, Yun Ruoyan removed a small, silver hairpin from her head and began testing the food that Yun Ruoyu had brought.


    Her actions made her intent clear.


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s expression turned severe as he watched his sister. In front of Yun Moxiao were three dishes, a tureen of soup, and arge bowl of rice. Yun Ruoyan tested each one with her silver hairpin and only rxed after confirming that everything was safe to consume.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat.¡± She stuck the hairpin back into her hair.


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s expression had turned somewhat downcast; Yun Ruoyan¡¯s skillful, meticulous testing made it clear what her life in the Yun manor had been like without him around.


    She smiled upon feeling her brother¡¯s gaze. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being a little careful, is there? Now eat, or the food¡¯ll go cold.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan set her own dishes down in front of her brother. Yun Ruoyu had only sent vegetarian dishes over, and all of hers were meat dishes, so theirbination formed quite a feast.


    ¡°Madam Qin is hardly going to poison us, is she?¡± Yun Moxiao had a morsel of meat.


    ¡°Madam Qin isn¡¯t the one I¡¯m suspecting.¡± The mouthful of Chinese cabbage that Yun Ruoyan consumed was sweet and refreshing, and it was a better dish than her own cook could make.


    She put down her chopsticks once more and told Yun Moxiao about Yun Ruoyu¡¯s unusual behavior. Although Yun Moxiao was forthright, he was as prudent as she was.


    ¡°Your suspicions aren¡¯t unfounded, so we really should be more careful, but Madam Qin really did care for us after our mother passed away. You might not have remembered it given your age, but I certainly have to pay back this favor.¡±


    ¡°I know, Brother. If Ruoyu is truly repentant, I won¡¯t begrudge her what she¡¯s done.¡±


    After finishing their meal, Yun Ruoyan packed up the containers and left. Yun Moxiao continued serving his punishment within the ancestral hall, and the two siblings quickly forgot about this brief interlude.


    The next day, it was time for Yi Qianying¡¯s wedding. Theke-green dress had been sent for modifications eight times in a row; when Xi Lan finally nodded in satisfaction, Hong Yu was almost ready to cry in relief.


    She had barely slept thest two nights, rushing between Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cottage and the dressmaker¡¯s shop. At the shop, she had to supervise the workers as they made the required modification; at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cottage, she had to deal with Xi Lan.


    The dressmaker had been enraged after seeing Hong Yu for the third time in a single day. What sort of dress required so much modification? She had to be nitpicking! With no other recourse, Hong Yu could only pay a hefty fee for the extrabor.


    Because Xi Lan wouldn¡¯t listen to her, and she didn¡¯t dare to appeal to Yun Ruoyan, she could onlyin to Madam An. Naturally, Madam An was aware that Yun Ruoyan was trying to get back at her. She was already quite angry because of the confrontation with the Yun matriarch, and Hong Yu¡¯sints only caused her tosh out at her once-favored servant.


    ¡°I instructed you to modify the dress a little. Isn¡¯t it your own fault that you made the waistline so small?¡± When she thought back to the Yun matriarch¡¯s scathing criticism, she itched to p Hong Yu.


    ¡°Madam, didn¡¯t you say it was fine as long as the dress wouldn¡¯t fit her?¡± Hong Yu sighed in grievance.


    ¡°You dare talk back to me?!¡± Madam An suddenly stood up from her chair, her eyes wide. Yun Ruoyan was one thing, but she wasn¡¯t about to have her own servants acting up!


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m sure Hong Yu simply misspoke.¡± Yun Ruoyao hurriedly patted her mother on the back, then turned to Hong Yu. ¡°Hong Yu, leave us. Deal with this yourself, and don¡¯te bother Madam An.¡±


    Hong Yu left Madam An¡¯s quarters dejected. Madam An didn¡¯t look as though she wouldpensate her for the additional fee for fixing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dress, so it would have toe out of her own pockets.


    Angered, Madam An was beset by a fit of coughing.


    ¡°Mother, are you alright?¡± Yun Ruoyu suddenly walked into Madam An¡¯s quarters and asked in concern.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyu, how did you have time to visit today?¡± As Yun Ruoyao patted her mother¡¯s back, she nced somewhat snobbishly at her younger sister.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyao, I¡¯ve been apanying Madam Qin and participating in her daily routine. Not being able to see Mother has left me somewhat ufortable. I told Madam Qin that Mother had been feeling unwell, and she insisted that I visit.¡± Yun Ruoyu ignored her sister¡¯s attitude.


    Yun Ruoyao was about to sneer at her sister for turning her back on Madam An as soon as Madam An seemed to be falling out of favor, but Madam An made eye contact with her and signalled her to stop talking.


    Turning to Yun Ruoyu, she smiled and said, ¡°Madam Qin is really quite considerate¡ª¡± before devolving into another coughing fit.


    ¡°Mother, are you alright?¡± As if she had suddenly thought of something, she continued, ¡°Shall I have Madam Qin make you some cough syrup, Mother? She¡¯s an amazing physician, and she¡¯s been an amazing help with my scars!¡±


    Madam An was coughing so harshly that she could barely breathe. ¡°Alright¡­ ahem, ahem!¡­ have Madam Qin do it quickly¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mother, I¡¯ll ask her immediately.¡±


    Madam An¡¯s coughing fit continued uncontrobly, as though she were about to cough her lungs out.


    Back in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cottage, Hong Yu followed Xi Lan into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s room.


    ¡°Miss, the dress is ready. Would you like to test it on?¡± Xi Lan held out the dress to Yun Ruoyan happily.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s test it.¡± Yun Ruoyan yawned as she stretchednguidly and stood up.


    Peony helped Yun Ruoyan dress, while Hong Yu stood anxiously by one side. Except for Madam An, she had never felt any sort of anxiety in front of anyone else.


    First, because she was Madam An¡¯s personal servant, everyone tried to curry favor with her. Second, she firmly believed that, as long as she didn¡¯t offend Master Yun or the Yun matriarch, Madam An would be able to shield her from any incidents she caused.


    These two reasons were the basis for Hong Yu¡¯s arrogant and domineering manner, but she had now found thetter reason to be wed. In Yun Ruoyan¡¯s quarters, Madam An was powerless to protect her against any punishment she received.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly eximed, and Hong Yu¡¯s heart jumped.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss? Are you feeling alright?¡± Before Hong Yu could say anything, Peony and Xi Lan asked in concern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel well anywhere.¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned.


    What? Xi Lan had approved the dress herself! Hong Yu didn¡¯t dare to speak up in protest, because it would be considered talking back to Yun Ruoyan as soon as she did so. Nervously, she looked toward Xi Lan, her eyes almost pleading. With no one to shield her, she could only count on Xi Lan.


    ¡°Miss, there really isn¡¯t much else that can be changed.¡± Honest to a fault, Xi Lan didn¡¯t realize that Yun Ruoyan was putting on a show for Hong Yu, and she simply spoke the truth.


    ¡°In that case, we won¡¯t have it modified further,¡± Peony quickly jumped in. ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t wear this dress if it¡¯s leaving you so ufortable.¡±


    Peony helped Yun Ruoyan undress before tossing the dress back to Xi Lan. ¡°You can take the dress back.¡±


    Trembling in fury and dismay, Hong Yu could only stand stock-still as the dress that she had spent thest two days ving over was sent right back to her.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going to leave? Did you intend on having breakfast with us?¡± Xi Lan asked icily.


    Hong Yu clutched the dress tightly as she walked out of the cottage. When she was finally outside, she took a deep breath. The air rushed down her throat, and she suddenly felt a sense of numb itchiness in her throat before she was beset by a coughing fit.


    ¡°Miss, we¡¯ll be heading over to the Yi manor in the afternoon. Without this dress, what are we going to do?¡± Xi Lan asked anxiously.


    ¡°Xi Lan, you¡¯ve forgotten about all the other formal dresses!¡± Peony flung the closet open, dug through the bundles of clothing, and brought out the formalwear that the Yun matriarch had bestowed upon Yun Ruoyan over the past few months.


    Xi Lan quickly helped Yun Ruoyan change.


    ¡°I¡¯ve really be fat¡ªthis red dress used to fit me perfectly!¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed. She remembered that she had worn that red dress when the crown prince had visited the Yun manor. It had been form-fitting, and now it wouldn¡¯t fit at all.


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve only grown up, not out!¡± Peony joked.


    ¡°Right, Miss, you look prettier the way you are now! In the past, your lower jaw was so sharp you could have used it as a weapon! Your cheeks are a lot rounder than before, but they look so soft and tender!¡± Xi Lan¡¯s ¡°praise¡± was so distressingly honest that it made Yun Ruoyanugh.


    After going through the remaining dresses, Yun Ruoyan finally chose a diaphanous silk dress, embroidered with a flower motif. Numerous butterflies were stitched in gold thread along the cor and sleeves,ing to life as Yun Ruoyan twirled around in a circle.


    ¡°Miss, why haven¡¯t I seen this dress before?¡± Xi Lan wondered out loud.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t this one of the dresses you purchased?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. She remembered that she¡¯d found the dress in a dpidated residence within the imperial pce. Back then, Yi Qianying had poisoned her with an aphrodisiac. She had fallen into a pond, emerged sopping wet, and needed a new change of clothes.


    ¡°When did the Yun matriarch make you such a beautiful dress, Miss? I really don¡¯t remember seeing it at all!¡± Xi Lan eximed.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled, not providing any exnation. Peony, on the other hand, was quite confident that the Yun matriarch hadn¡¯tmissioned this dress; instead, Yun Ruoyan had worn it back after an event. However, if Yun Ruoyan wanted to hide the origins of the dress, then she wasn¡¯t about to expose her.


    Yun Ruoyan had just gotten ready when Yun Moxiao came by her cottage to pick her up. He had on a set of purple robes. His hair was tied back with a jade-white crown, and his robes with a jade-white sash.


    Given his height, handsome features, and the dazzling smile he sported on his face, all the other female servants in the cottage were struck dumb when he arrived.


    ¡°Xi Lan, the tea¡¯s about to overflow!¡±


    Xi Lan had been pouring Yun Ruoyan some tea. She had frozen when Yun Moxiao entered, and it was only Peony¡¯s timely reminder that had prevented her from making a fool of herself.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go prepare some snacks for you, Miss!¡± Xi Lan ran out of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s rooms, blushing furiously.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at her, then at Peony. Both of her servants were of marriageable age, and it seemed time to marry them off.

 Chapter 171: At the Yi Manor

    <h4>Chapter 171: At the Yi Manor</h4>


    By noon, Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s carriage was ready. As the siblings headed to the front entrance of the manor, they coincidentally encountered the Yun matriarch, who was being carried on a pnquin. From afar, she could clearly see that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t wearing theke-green dress she hadmissioned.


    Once Yun Ruoyan approached, the Yun matriarch asked, ¡°Ruoyan, where did this dresse from? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you wearing it.¡±


    ¡°Grandmother, this was a dress that the ughtering King himself handed me. Because there were some issues with the dress even after being modified, I decided to wear this one instead.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had found that Li Mo was an excellent excuse for everything. Whenever she was asked a sensitive question, she would always im that it had something to do with Li Mo; after all, no one would dare to ask about Li Mo¡¯s affairs, given his status.


    For example, even after having suffered such disgrace, even Pei Ziao had given up trying to right his name. Yun Lan had long since told the Yun matriarch about the ughtering King¡¯s betrothal with Yun Ruoyan, and the Yun matriarch was naturally jubnt to hear that the dress hade from him.


    ¡°The ughtering King has very good taste,¡± she praised. ¡°This dressbines the qualities unique to formal- and casualwear, making you look both dignified and graceful. I used to have a friend in the pce who loved to embroider these colored butterflies by her sleeves, and I¡¯m sure the ughtering King must have used her work as reference.¡±


    The Yun matriarch then turned to Yun Moxiao, who was walking on her other side. He stood tall and straight, handsome andposed in a way that reminded her of his father. The Yun matriarch sighed: although Lin Yuemei had passed away, she had left behind two remarkable descendants carrying the me of the Yun family.


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao helped the Yun matriarch into the carriage, but Madam An didn¡¯t show up even after a considerable wait. Frowning, the Yun matriarch was about to send Xiao Lan in search of Madam An when she finally walked up to the carriage, Yun Ruoyan and Yun Ruoyao supporting her from either side.


    ¡°Mother, I apologize for myteness,¡± Madam An croaked weakly.


    As Xiao Lan drew back the curtains, Madam An¡¯s pallor was made visible to all. The Yun matriarch had intended on criticizing her behavior, but Madam An¡¯s appearance caused the words to stick to her mouth.


    ¡°Why are you so ill? Have you seen a physician?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother. It¡¯s simply amon cold, and I should be fine after some rest.¡±


    ¡°You have to take care of your body, but Qianying¡¯s always been close to you, and it¡¯s necessary for you to make an appearance at the wedding. After the ceremony, if you¡¯re still feeling unwell, you may return early.¡± The Yun matriarch motioned for Xiao Lan to draw the curtains closed once more. ¡°Let¡¯s depart.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao naturally sat together in the same carriage, the smallest one, whereas Madam An, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu took the slightlyrger one in the middle.


    Yun Lan had headed to court early in the morning, and he would head directly to the crown prince¡¯s mansion in celebration, rather than the Yi manor.


    The procession of carriages arrived at the Yi manor on the southern side of the capital within two hours. The Yi manor was bustling with activity: after all, even in the capital, the crown prince marrying a concubine was a not-insignificant event.


    On her pnquin, the Yun matriarch, Madam An, and the Yun siblings were led toward the reception hall by the Yi family¡¯s female head of house. Although the Yi name carried less prestige than it used to in the past, it was still considered a noble house. Based on external appearance alone, the Yi manor appeared simr to the Yun manor, but the differences were apparent upon walking in.


    The corridors in the Yun manor were made of high-quality redwood, and some servants were regrly assigned to maintain the wood against moisture and rot. As a result, despite being centuries old, the manor looked as good as new. On the other hand, the roof and railing of the corridors in the Yi manor had sufferedrge patches of damage, and part of the wood was even turning ck.


    The unusual flower species of the Yun gardens and greenhouse would never wilt; on the other hand, despite the fact that it was still summer, the Yi gardens werergely yellowed and lifeless. The Yun family pond was pellucid and filled with expensive fish; the Yi family pond was turbid and contained no sign of life.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but think back to the ughtering King¡¯s manor. Although it gave off the impression of being unkempt and disorganized, the manor¡¯s grounds were verdant and full of vitality. In particr, the pond of lotus flowers right outside the small guest chamber was so fragrant and eye-catching that she remembered it as clear as day.


    And although the Lin family was small, Lin Zainan still spent a considerable amount of wealth onndscaping. All the residences¡ªLin Zainan¡¯s own quarters, Lin Qingchen¡¯s bamboo gardens, Lin Qingxue¡¯s cottage, and even the Zhuo siblings¡¯ temporary refuge¡ªwere each elegant and tasteful, and constructed in a harmonious fashion.


    Even the greatest inheritance could be frittered away without the ability to maintain it, and the Yi family appeared on the brink of destitution.


    The Yun family was led to the reception chamber to find a rather significant crowd already present. The current head of the Yi family, Yi Qianying¡¯s second uncle, was a rather middling court official, and the guests that had shown up were also of approximately the same status. None of thergest, most prosperous noble families were in attendance, because all of those guests had gone to the crown prince¡¯s mansion instead.


    As soon as the Yun matriarch entered the hall, the present guests immediately stood up and paid their respects to her, their gazes lingering on Yun Ruoyan, Yun Ruoyao, Yun Ruoyu, and Yun Moxiao.


    After all, those scions of the Yun family had yet to be betrothed, and there was hardly a family present who wouldn¡¯t want to be linked to the Yuns by marriage. But on second thought, they decided to give up¡ªafter all, the Yun family so dwarfed the remaining guests that there might as well have been an insurmountable gap between them.


    However, to her surprise, Yun Ruoyan noticed a familiar silhouette: Pei Ziao.


    Pei Ziao had clearly seen her. He looked toward her with aplicated expression on his face, but when Yun Ruoyan nced back, Pei Ziao immediately turned away.


    Yun Ruoyan was inwardly gleeful. Although she hadn¡¯t been able to get rid of him entirely, at least he would stop trying to flit toward her whenever he saw her, as a moth toward a me. And while she hadn¡¯t been able to cause him physical harm, the emotional and psychological damage he¡¯d suffered would likely persist for the short term.


    As the Yun family sat down in seats that had been specially designated for them, the head of the Yi family, Yi Mingzheng, hurriedly rushed in from outside to greet the Yun matriarch and Madam An.


    ¡°And these must be my nephew and nieces!¡± Yi Mingzheng turned to Yun Ruoyan and the others, then honed in on Yun Moxiao. As if deeply moved, he began, ¡°Nephew, you¡¯ve really grown up! I remember meeting you many years ago, when I went to the Yun manor with my brother to visit my rtives. Your mother was holding you in her hands, and you were just a little baby then.¡±


    Because of his excitement, Yi Mingzheng¡¯s pale, chubby face was turning a rather bright red. When he spoke with the Yun matriarch, he bowed his waist and lowered his gaze, but as soon as he turned to others, he immediately straightened up his little stomach and raised his jaw.


    He spoke with Yun Moxiao as though he was Yun Moxiao¡¯s elder, and he had no other choice but to politely chat with him for a little. When Yun Ruoyan saw that Yi Mingzheng had turned from her brother to her, she immediately turned away.


    Despite having lived two lives, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s upbringing had been rather isted, and everyone she knew, benevolent or malicious, had had a noble¡¯s bearing. Although Yi Mingzheng looked amiable enough, his eyes and gestures made him appear somewhat small-minded, and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t like him.


    Her turning away made the situation somewhat awkward, but Yi Mingzheng didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°Qianying¡¯s finishing up her preparations in the back, so why don¡¯t you sisters go find her?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Yi, we¡¯d love to see Sister Qianying,¡± Yun Ruoyu replied obediently, ¡°but there¡¯s no one to bring us there. It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve been to the Yi manor, and I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t know where to go.¡±


    ¡°My, my, I¡¯m sorry. Let me have someone take you there immediately.¡±


    By right, Madam An should have gone along with the girls. However, her condition really was quite severe, and after dropping off a small dowry and chatting with Yi Mingzheng¡¯s wife, she had retired to a guest room to rest.


    While Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t want to meet Yi Qianying, she knew that she would have to at least be superficially polite. Under the guidance of a servant, Yun Ruoyan, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu arrived at Yi Qianying¡¯s chambers, where she awaited the main event.


    By this time, Yi Qianying had already put on her wedding dress. She sat alone on the bright red wedding bed, as though she were an exquisitely carved wooden puppet. Despite being surrounded by an air of festivity, she didn¡¯t look happy or excited at all.


    When she heard that the Yun siblings were here, she immediately began chatting away with Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu on the wedding bed, while Yun Ruoyan casually sat by a stool in the far corner.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyao, Sister Ruoyu, please leave me for a moment. There¡¯s something that I¡¯d like to talk with Sister Ruoyan about personally,¡± she suddenly eximed.


    The two girls looked dubiously at Yun Ruoyan before walking out. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan was quite amused. What was there for Yi Qianying to discuss with her, especially right before her wedding?


    Yi Qianying got up from the bed and sat down right beside Yun Ruoyan. Seriously, she continued, ¡°There¡¯s no one else present, and I have a question for you, Sister. Will you tell me the truth?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan raised an eyebrow as she looked at Yi Qianying. ¡°What would I lie to you about?¡±


    ¡°Were you the one who set Brother Ziao up at the Yichun brothel?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied without hesitation.


    ¡°Liar! That morning, I saw you appear outside the Yichun brothel!¡±


    Yi Qianying didn¡¯t know that Yun Ruoyan had seen her.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yun Ruoyan pretended to be shocked and even sped a hand over her mouth. ¡°You saw me? What proof do you have?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yi Qianying suppressed her anger and continued, ¡°I saw you myself! Not only did you head to the Yichun brothel, you were even dressed up like a young man. I even saw you rescue Huahua, who had fallen out of a window on the second floor!¡±

 Chapter 172: To Shift the Blame

    <h4>Chapter 172: To Shift the me</h4>


    ¡°In that case, where exactly did you see me rescue Huahua?¡± Yun Ruoyan continued asking.


    Heaving, Yi Qianying eximed, ¡°I saw you right outside the Yichun brothel!¡±


    ¡°Why were you at the Yichun brothel?!¡±


    ¡°I followed you there. I was nning on returning to the Yi manor that day, but I saw you sneakily walking through the streets on your own, so I followed you!¡± Yi Qianying crowed triumphantly at Yun Ruoyan, thinking that she wouldn¡¯t be able to deny the truth any longer.


    Yun Ruoyan sneered. ¡°Howughable. These few days, I¡¯ve only ever gone out with my brother, never alone. My carriage driver and servants can attest to that, so if you want to shift the me, make sure to do it in a smarter fashion!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ what do you mean, shift the me?¡± Yi Qianying stared at her cousin, frowning.


    ¡°What do I mean? You were clearly the one who set Pei Ziao up, not me¡ªand now you¡¯re trying to me everything on me?¡±


    ¡°Me? It was you who set him up, and you¡¯re the one who¡¯s trying to shift the me!¡± Yi Qianying jumped up from her seat, her expression aggrieved.


    ¡°Oh? Look at how you¡¯re behaving! I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡± Yun Ruoyan followed Yi Qianying¡¯s lead and also stood up. She was at least a head taller than her cousin, and her height allowed her to inflict both physical and mental stress on Yi Qianying. ¡°You were once on good terms with Pei Ziao. Initially, he protected you and treated you kindly, but he eventually became less and less interested in you. Resentful at being spurned, you devised a n to get together with him using an aphrodisiac at the empress¡¯ flower-viewing party, but your n went awry when you ended up with the crown prince instead.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan strode closer and closer to Yi Qianying, who stepped back every time she stepped forward. She opened her mouth to rebut Yun Ruoyan, but thetter didn¡¯t give her a chance to speak.


    ¡°Not only was Pei Ziao unwilling to be the scapegoat for the affair, he even produced evidence that you had been consorting with the crown prince. It was only under his strongpulsion that the crown prince was forced to marry you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words struck at the scarred wound in Yi Qianying¡¯s heart before her silken tongue rubbed more salt in it. ¡°You like Pei Ziao and desperately want to marry him, but he despised your sullied virginity. Unable to bear that shame, you decided to cook up a n to sully him as well!¡±


    ¡°You liar! I did nothing of the sort!¡± Yi Qianying shouted, her delicate facade crumbling. ¡°It was all you, you! You were the one who set Brother Ziao up, and you were the one who sullied him!¡±


    Yi Qianying had expected Yun Ruoyan to deny the usations, but she hadn¡¯t expected that she would try to pin the me on her. What she really hadn¡¯t expected was that her take on the events would seem so wlessly logical!


    ¡°Me?¡± Yun Ruoyan scoffed. ¡°Why would I do anything of the sort? What sort of grudge, what sort of enmity would I have with Pei Ziao to merit such a despicable act? Surely I have to have a motive?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question left Yi Qianying dumbstruck, because she truly hadn¡¯t considered this. Yun Ruoyan was clearly the culprit, but what was her reason for doing so?


    As she leaned against the wall, Yi Qianying began to think. Given how targeted Yun Ruoyan had been in going to the scene of the crime, she clearly knew that something was about to happen.


    And Yi Qianying had personally witnessed Yun Ruoyan saving that ugly girl who would otherwise have died without a doubt. If the affair weren¡¯t rted to Yun Ruoyan, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have helped that girl¡ªafter all, the spiritual pill that she had given her was worth far more than the life of amon civilian.


    As a result, Yi Qianying could confidently assert that Yun Ruoyan was the culprit.


    However, there was no need to resort to such an ornate psychological attack for a minor grievance, unless Yun Ruoyan truly had some deep grudge against Pei Ziao. But except for an altercation within the imperial territory, Yun Ruoyan and Pei Ziao really had no other conflict to speak of.


    Given this chain of logic, it truly did appear that Yi Qianying was a far more likely suspect than Yun Ruoyan. What on earth was going on?!


    Yi Qianying began to tremble all over, and sweat seeped out from her forehead. Did I make a mistake? No, there¡¯s no way¡ªI¡¯m sure I followed her to the Yichun brothel and saw her rescue that ugly woman with my own eyes! But what reason could she have¡­?


    As if possessed, Yi Qianying fixated on this problem.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t rush her. After all, no matter how intelligent she was, no one could have guessed that her grudge with Pei Ziao was due to a future that hadn¡¯t happened, a past life that no one else had any memory of!


    Suddenly, Yun Ruoyan felt a hidden aura from the room. It had suddenly appeared, and only for a fleeting moment, before vanishing once more. She frowned: there was only one situation she knew of which would exin such a phenomenon. Someone else must have been hidden in this room!


    That person had been masking his own aura, but a surge of emotions must have caused his control to falter for a moment.


    Who could be hiding in Yi Qianying¡¯s room? Pei Ziao! It had to be Pei Ziao!


    She really had to marvel at how devious Yi Qianying was. She had asked Yun Ruoyan to remain in the room with her right before her wedding. iming to have seen Yun Ruoyan approach the Yichun brothel, she then tried to make Yun Ruoyan confess right in front of Pei Ziao¡¯s eyes!


    Luckily, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t let down her guard.


    Her first instinct now was to make Pei Ziao¡¯s presence known to everyone. On the bride¡¯s wedding day, a man of ill repute, who had once had a rtionship with the bride, was found hidden in her room alone. What would the crowd think?


    Pei Ziao, so daring as to cuckold the crown prince himself! The crown prince hadn¡¯t wanted to marry Yi Qianying in the first ce, and his friendship with Pei Ziao had been irrevocably damaged during the flower-viewing party. He would surely make a big deal about the affair, hoping to call off the wedding entirely.


    That wouldnd both Yi Qianying and Pei Ziao in deep trouble, one that no amount of money or connections would be able to solve. However, the problem was that Yi Qianying had asked her to stay behind, something that both Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu could attest to. If Yi Qianying truly wanted tomit adultery with Pei Ziao, why would they leave her in the room with them?


    No, this isn¡¯t a feasible n. Changing her approach, Yun Ruoyan replied, ¡°Well? You don¡¯t have anything else to say, do you? Do your research before trying to pin the me on someone else.¡± Yun Ruoyan got up and was about to leave when she suddenly stopped at the door. ¡°Since we¡¯re cousins, I¡¯ll also give you some advice: you¡¯re marrying the crown prince, so you shouldn¡¯t behave so intimately with another man.¡±


    As Yun Ruoyan said these words, she was staring directly at a cab right opposite the door. Within the cab, Pei Ziao was looking back at Yun Ruoyan through a slit in the paneling. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s prating gaze quickly caused his back to be drenched in sweat.


    After she finally left, Pei Ziao let out a long breath. His reputation was well and truly ruined.


    As he stepped out of the cupboard, Yi Qianying was still in a daze. He nced at her coldly and turned to leave, not saying a single word.


    ¡°Brother Ziao!¡± Yi Qianying shook herself as she darted in front of him.


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    ¡°Brother Ziao, please believe me. I wasn¡¯t the one who set you up¡ªit was Yun Ruoyan, it was her!¡± Yi Qianying tugged on Pei Ziao¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Why would she set me up? What reason does she have for doing so?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­¡±


    Clearly, this was a question that had flummoxed even Yi Qianying.


    ¡°Well? You can¡¯t say, can you?¡± Pei Ziao pried her fingers off his arm, one at a time. ¡°I can¡¯t think of such a reason either, so why don¡¯t you just be content with your position as the concubine of the crown prince? Let¡¯s end this, Miss Yi.¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Yi Qianying screamed, pouncing into Pei Ziao¡¯sp. ¡°Brother Ziao, you¡¯re the only man for me. I know I¡¯ve been sullied, but you¡­ you¡¯re also¡­ so we can be together, can¡¯t we? Let¡¯s leave this ce and move to another kingdom, where no one will be able to find us!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Pei Ziao tossed Yi Qianying aside.


    ¡°I am crazy.¡± Rebuffed once and again, and with her emotions already stirred up from her confrontation with Yun Ruoyan, Yi Qianying had lost all sense of reason. ¡°Brother Ziao, why are you unwilling to have me? Am I any worse than that disgusting Huahua?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡± Pei Ziao cupped his ears in pain. Thesest few days, his sleep had been gued with nightmares of Huahua, of that unspeakable night.¡±


    ¡°Brother Ziao, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to irritate you¡­¡± Yi Qianying was as pained as he was when she saw Pei Ziao¡¯s tortured face. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about Huahua, that ugly woman. She doesn¡¯t exist anymore¡ªshe vanished off the face of this continent!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± When Pei Ziao heard Yi Qianying¡¯s words, he turned to her in shock. ¡°What do you mean, she¡¯s vanished?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed her!¡±


    Huahua had run away during themotion, but Yi Qianying had seen in which direction she had fled. After the matter had passed, she had found Huahua and had her killed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve killed her?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother Ziao! I¡¯ve cleansed the stain on your reputation!¡±


    Pei Ziao¡¯s eyes suddenly glinted with anger. ¡°You killed her in order to silence her?¡±


    ¡°Brother Ziao, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Do you really not understand, or are you pretending? Ruoyan was right: she has no motive for harming me¡ªonly you do. Are you trying to sully me just as you¡¯ve been sullied, so I wouldn¡¯t despise you? Just as Ruoyan said, that¡¯s what you were trying to do during the flower-viewing party, wasn¡¯t it? But you failed, so you tried again, with an even more despicable method¡­ I¡¯m warning you, Yi Qianying, you¡¯re nothing to me now. No matter how dirty I am, I¡¯m still far cleaner than a scorpion, a snake like you.¡±


    ¡°No, no! Brother Ziao, I¡¯m innocent!¡± Yi Qianying screamed as she tried to defend herself. ¡°I¡¯ve never once tried to harm you, it was all Yun Ruoyan! That¡¯s right, it was her!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Pei Ziao pushed Yi Qianying to the floor. ¡°I, Pei Ziao, never want to see you again in this life, Concubine Yi!¡±

 Chapter 173: Into the Crown Prince’s Manor

    <h4>Chapter 173: Into the Crown Prince''s Manor</h4>


    Pei Ziao had thought that his loss of autonomy was a punishment from Li Mo, but he now found that it was a lot more likely that Yi Qianying had done so. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words had sessfully convinced him that both these people had a motive for setting him up; the only person whom he wouldn¡¯t suspect was Yun Ruoyan.


    Unfortunately, the person who had set him up was exactly Yun Ruoyan!


    Yun Ruoyan had been wondering why Pei Ziao would have appeared at the Yi manor. Given the turn of events, it was likely that Yi Qianying had specially invited him over in order to expose her viiny in front of Pei Ziao himself.


    Yun Ruoyan felt a sense of twisted satisfaction from manipting the rtionship between Yi Qianying and Pei Ziao to this extent.


    After this incident, Yun Ruoyan was deeply aware that the effect of mental and psychological trauma far dwarfed that of physical trauma. Once, she had wanted to kill Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying directly, but she had never found an opportune chance. She had been frustrated at her inability, but now Yun Ruoyan was fully rxed.


    Killing them directly was far too painless for them, whereas torturing them to death and making them taste the fruits of their ownbors wouldpensate far more for all that she and the Yun and Lin families had suffered in her past life.


    Precisely at noon, the crown prince¡¯s procession arrived. The guests were all gathered at the entrance of the Yi manor, awaiting the start of the wedding in earnest. Although the crown prince was only marrying a concubine, this was the first time that he was formally taking a woman, and the procession was impressivelyrge and ornate.


    Dressed in a bright red robe, the crown prince walked up to the front of the Yi manor. By his sides were two young masters with an equally impressive presence. One of them was the second prince, Li Qianyuan, whom Yun Ruoyan had briefly met before. He too was wearing red, though a lighter red than Li Qianxiao. Itplemented his unusually delicate features, and when he smiled, the young misses and even some of the young masters present began to swoon.


    The other young master, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t recognized. Based on age, he seemed younger than Li Qianyuan, but was dressed entirely in ck. His expression was severe, and even his rare smiles appeared cold.


    ¡°Brother, who¡¯s that block of ice?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to her brother, only btedly realizing that Yun Moxiao was even less familiar than the goings-on in the capital than she.


    Unexpectedly, however, Yun Moxiao actually recognized the youth. ¡°He¡¯s the fourth prince, Li Qianyue.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the fourth prince?!¡±


    The fourth prince¡¯s identity was the most unique among the four princes of the Li kingdom. Supposedly, he had been conceived while Li Xiu was paying an incognito visit to the daughter of Dong Tiehe, the head of the governing body of cultivators. Miss Dong hadn¡¯t known of Li Xiu¡¯s true identity while cavorting with him; after she had given birth to his son, Li Xiu made his identity known, and motioned to take her as an imperial concubine.


    Unexpectedly, however, the strong-minded Miss Dong refused to enter the imperial pce, nor to let her son do so. Because of Miss Dong¡¯s stubbornness, and because of the Dong family¡¯s importance in cultivator-rted affairs, Li Xiu had to agree to her terms. When Li Qianyue turned ten, Miss Dong passed away from a grave illness, and only after Li Xiu obtained Dong Tiehe¡¯s permission did Li Qianyue finally approach the imperial pce for the first time.


    Perhaps because of his childhood, Li Qianyue preferentially resided in the Dong family, and only rarely returned to the pce. While everyone knew of the existence of the fourth prince, few had actually seen him in person. Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t expected to do so today, but what was more unusual was that Yun Moxiao was actually familiar with him.


    After realizing his identity, Yun Ruoyan noticed the especially striking narrow eyes characteristic of Li Xiu and his descendants.


    Yun Ruoyan clucked her tongue¡ªwasn¡¯t the Li family¡¯s bloodline too strong? Anyone who had the Li name had their distinct long brows and narrow eyes, even the mysterious Li Mo.


    ¡°Brother, how did youe to know the fourth prince?¡±


    Yun Moxiao was about to respond when the presiding official chanted, ¡°At this opportune time, the bride shall leave her family!¡±


    Draped in bright red garments and a phoenix crest, Yi Qianying was escorted out of the Yi manor by matrons of honor. Despite his unwillingness, Li Qianxiao had alreadye to terms with the prospect of taking Yi Qianying as a concubine, and the happiness on his face looked remarkably realistic to those who weren¡¯t in the know.


    The matrons of honor handed Yi Qianying off to Li Qianxiao. ording to the customs of the Li kingdom, the newlyweds would have to kneel down to their elders. Because Li Qianxiao was the crown prince, however, only Yi Qianying had to do so. Instead, Li Qianxiao only bowed slightly to the Yun matriarch and Yi Zhengming and his wife.


    While the Yun matriarch helped Yi Qianying up and said her farewells to her, Yi Zhengming and his wife were grinning from ear to ear. Given the Yi family¡¯s current situation, it was almost unimaginable that they would be able to form a rtionship with the imperial family.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan was feeling very ufortable. Two distinct gazes were focused on her: one from Li Qianyuan, and the other from the new groom, Li Qianxiao.


    When Yun Ruoyan felt Li Quanyuan¡¯s gaze, she looked back with some confusion. When their eyes met, Li Qianyuan suddenly smiled at her more beautifully than a flower, instantly causing goosebumps to break out all over Yun Ruoyan¡¯s skin.


    And when she felt Li Qianxiao¡¯s gaze, she was made even more difited. After all, Li Qianxiao was the star of this wedding¡ªas the groom, how could he be looking toward her rather than being focused on his new bride?


    When Yun Moxiao felt Li Qianxiao¡¯s nce, he stepped forward and blocked Yun Ruoyan with his body.


    ¡°Having concluded the ceremony, the bride shall get on the sedan,¡± the presiding official continued.


    Li Qianxiao took Yi Qianying¡¯s hand as he helped her into the sedan. Before he entered, Li Qianxiao turned back to nce at Yun Ruoyan once more, but she was looking at the skies.


    When the procession finally departed, Yun Ruoyan let out a deep breath. She remembered once more what Yun Moyuan had stated: at the Yun matriarch¡¯s birthday celebration, the crown prince had apparently been discussing with the second prince how well the birthmark on her face was healing, and his intention of having her as his princess consort.


    Yun Ruoyan was, once again, very relieved by the presence of the dependable Li Mo.


    ¡°Qianying¡¯s future has finally been settled now,¡± the Yun matriarch sighed.


    ¡°Marrying into the imperial family is certainly an honor, one that I¡¯m certain her deceased mother will be proud of,¡± Madam An agreed.


    Yun Ruoyan had intended on following the Yun matriarch back to the Yun manor after the banquet, but Yun Lan¡¯s servant came to inform the Yun siblings that they were to head to the crown prince¡¯s manor immediately. After all, that would be the real wedding venue, and the Yun siblings had been sent to the Yi manor only to represent the Yun family. How could Yun Lan give up such an excellent opportunity to show off his children in front of the entire Li nobility?


    Yun Ruoyan wanted to feign illness, but when she thought about the fact that it would be her brother¡¯s first public appearance, she changed her mind. Yun Moxiao knew of his sister¡¯s distaste for such public events, but Yun Ruoyan insisted on apanying him at least this once.


    As a result, while the Yun matriarch and Madam An stayed at the Yi manor, the four Yun siblings headed to the crown prince¡¯s manor. They arrived at almost the same time as the wedding procession, which had paraded slowly through the capital. Mixing into the crowd, they waited for the newlyweds to enter the manor so that they could follow suit.


    The crown prince¡¯s manor was splendorous and majestic, as iparable to the Yun manor as thetter was to the Yi manor. Under the guidance of a servant, they were led to the grand reception hall, where Yun Lan was chatting with an acquaintance.


    After the Yun siblings bowed in greeting, Yun Lan dismissed Yun Ruoyao and Yun Ruoyu while having Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan stay behind.


    ¡°This is General Lin, the second-inmand of the entire Li military,¡± Yun Lan introduced a white-haired general. ¡°And these are my children, Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°Official Yun, your children are impable,¡± General Lin praised, noting their appearance, bearing, and cultivation. He stroked his beard and sighed jokingly, ¡°Despite their age, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you show them off, Official Yun!¡±


    Yun Lanughed. ¡°Xiao¡¯er has been under General Huang¡¯s tutge, and has only recently returned from the northern barracks. Ruoyan has been sickly from birth, and she¡¯s only gotten better this year.¡±


    General Lin nced appreciatively at Yun Moxiao once more. ¡°I¡¯ve heard General Huang mention you before, Young Master Yun, you¡¯re truly an impressive youngling!¡±


    ¡°In truth, General Lin, Xiao¡¯er returned intending to take on a position in the capital. If you could show him some consideration¡­?¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡± General Lin smiled.


    Yun Lan then introduced Yun Moxiao to four or five other such high-ranking officials, both courtly and martial, all of whom were at least indirectly responsible for the appointment of positions within the capital.


    Suddenly, however, Rong Tianling walked by cidly. ¡°Official Yun, I heard your eldest son has returned. Why don¡¯t you introduce him to me?¡±


    After the incident with Rong Yuehong, the Rong and Yun families had grown distant with each other, and Rong Tianling and Yun Lan had presented many a conflicting opinion in court. Rong Tianling naturally wasn¡¯t up to any good by approaching Yun Lan now, but he had no choice but to follow suit under the guise of politeness.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯er, this is the head of the Rong family and the brother to the empress, Rong Tianling,¡± Yun Lan introduced, a smile stered on his face. ¡°And this is my son who¡¯s been in the army, Yun Moxiao.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan followed behind Yun Lan and Yun Moxiao, and Yun Lan would introduce her and her brother together. Not wanting to stand out, however, Yun Ruoyan kept her head lowered and didn¡¯t speak unless spoken to.


    The others only peered at her curiously because of the rumors that had circted about her in the capital before their attention shifted wholly to Yun Moxiao. On the other hand, while Rong Tianling was talking to Yun Lan, he would gaze at her coldly from time to time. In his mind, Yun Ruoyan had been the one who killed his precious daughter, and he couldn¡¯t wait to kill her in revenge!


    <hr>


    1. Very loosely speaking, women in ssical Chinese society spend the first half of their lives preparing to be married off, and the second half serving their husbands. Their family¡¯s most important role is to find them a good match in terms of social status, so Yi Qianying¡¯s deceased mother can indeed be proud that her daughter managed to nab the crown prince.


    2. Networking, the one constant in life.

 Chapter 174: In One Ear, Out the Other

    <h4>Chapter 174: In One Ear, Out the Other</h4>


    However, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t fear Rong Tianling. Despite knowing that his gaze was on her, she continued staring nkly at the floor, as if she didn¡¯t notice anything.


    ¡°I¡¯ll naturally take good care of your son, Official Yun,¡± Rong Tianling replied. As if suddenly recalling something, he continued, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve almost forgotten. These are my son and daughter, Rong Jinghao and Rong Yueshan.¡±


    The two youths behind Rong Tianling stepped forward and bowed; they were about the same age as Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan. Although Rong Yuehong was Rong Tianling¡¯s only wife-born heir, he had a full suite of concubine-born children. Rong Jinghao and Rong Yueshan were two of his more favored.


    After the introductions, Yun Lan was ready to leave when Rong Tianling pulled him back. ¡°Official Yun, I have a request for you.¡±


    Yun Lan frowned. ¡°I¡¯m afraid my humble self can¡¯t help as esteemed a personage as you, Official Rong.¡±


    ¡°No, no, you¡¯re too modest!¡± Rong Tianling hurriedly broke Yun Lan off. ¡°My son has been part of the capital¡¯s militia for quite some time. Now that the position of the general of the garrisoned troops is vacant, he¡¯s very interested in filling it. May I count on your help, Official Yun?¡±


    Rong Tianling was intentionally at odds with Yun Lan. The rmendation letter from General Huang had arrived at court not a few days prior, and he was already getting ready to make a stand about it.


    ¡°As for my daughter, Rong Yueshan¡­¡± Rong Tianling turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°She¡¯ll also be an iing student at Kongming Academy in the fall, so please go easy on her during the next trial, Miss Yun!¡±


    Rong Yueshan looked a little like Rong Yuehong, especially in the way that she tipped her lower jaw up to look down on people.


    ¡°Official Rong, my policy is not to meddle in others¡¯ business. If they meddle in mine, however, I will retaliate. Miss Rong, please stay away from me,¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly spoke up.


    She clearly understood the hidden meaning of Rong Tianling¡¯s words, and her blunt, impolite rebuke caused Rong Tianling and Rong Yueshan to frown in response.


    ¡°Ruoyan, where are your manners? Behave more appropriately to Official Rong.¡±


    Although Yun Lan criticized his daughter, he inwardly agreed with her approach. All the other iing students at Kongming Academy would be her opponent, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s imposing mannerpletely overshadowed Rong Yueshan¡¯s.


    The guests had a simple lunch in preparation for the evening¡¯s rich,vish banquet, where the newlyweds would carry out the next step in the wedding ceremony. Only then would the emperor and empress show up themselves.


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t seen Li Mo or Li Qianhan, and expected that they would also only show up then.


    After lunch, Yun Lan continued showing his son off to all manner of court officials. His cheerful, modest, and decorous personality made him favored by one and all. On the other hand, having gotten bored with the proceedings, Yun Ruoyan went to sit by a garden alone, wanting some peace and quiet. She leaned against some rocks, feeling the breeze in the air, listening to birdsong, and smelling the fragrant flowers.


    Just then, a man¡¯s voice emerged from the distance. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of your name, Fourth Prince, and it¡¯s my honor to meet you today.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too courteous, Young Master Bai,¡± a deep, youthful voice replied, likely the fourth prince Li Qianyue. ¡°I¡¯ve been away from the capital for quite some time, and am unfamiliar with the surroundings. Please take care of me, young masters and misses.¡±


    ¡°That would be our honor, Fourth Prince!¡± Yun Ruoyao replied, followed by murmurs of assent from the gathered crowd.


    Yun Ruoyan turned around and peered at the group through a crevice in the rocks. A group of seven or eight people were slowly strolling around the garden and were just about to rest at a nearby pavilion, separated from Yun Ruoyan only by the rock behind her.


    To avoid suspicion, Yun Ruoyan was just about to walk away when a pair of hands suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder, and she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± Li Qianhan whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s hear what they have to say.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned when she saw the third prince, not at all surprised that he was the type who liked to eavesdrop. After all, even in their first encounter, he had disyed the characteristics of a gentleman thief.


    Naturally, any conversation between the scions of nobility and the royal princes were punctuated with all sorts of ttery. Yun Ruoyan was just about to ignore Li Qianhan and head off when someone finally asked a somewhat interesting question.


    ¡°Fourth Prince, are you back at the pce for some other reason than for the crown prince¡¯s wedding?¡±


    If it were solely for the wedding, then the fourth prince would likely leave immediately after; otherwise, he would stay.


    ¡°To be quite honest, I¡¯m here for another important task besides,¡± Li Qianyue replied.


    ¡°Oh? Please tell us more, Fourth Prince!¡±


    ¡°Have any of you heard the Demonic Duo?¡± Li Qianyue asked.


    ¡°Fourth Prince, are you talking about the pair of cultivators that terrorized Yuelu Vi not a while ago?¡± the white-robed youth asked.


    Although Yun Ruoyan was bad with directions, she could remember faces remarkably well. The young master who had posed this question was one who had seemed rather smitten with Yun Ruoyao during the flower-viewing party, and he had even interjected on Pei Ziao¡¯s behalf when he was used of adultery.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Li Qianyue replied. ¡°Under my grandfather¡¯s orders, I¡¯ve been tasked with capturing that duo.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes narrowed: that duo they were talking about was none other than she and Li Mo! Li Qianyue¡¯s return to the pce was partly because he was targeting them.


    As the crowd grew more and more curious, Li Qianyue revealed that he already had a few suspects in mind. That night, the demonic duo had flown off on green sword aura. There were only five known cultivators in the Li kingdom who could aplish such a feat, and he would carefully investigate all five. As for whom they were, Li Qianyue was unwilling to say.


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Qianhan and noticed that he was paying careful attention to the conversation. Because both of them had retracted their aura, none of the guests in the pavilion had noticed them.


    Knowing that Li Qianhan was in cahoots with Li Mo, he would surely reveal the contents of the discussion to him, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about the problem at all. In fact, she didn¡¯t have to concern herself with anything involving Li Mo at all, a particrly soothing thought for her overtaxed mind.


    Li Qianyue and the group of scions sat in the pavilion for about a quarter-hour before leaving once more.


    ¡°Third Prince, what do you know about your younger brother?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, but she didn¡¯t receive a reply. She turned around to find that the third prince had vanished silently during the lull in their conversation.


    Night fell quickly, and when it came time for the ceremony, the emperor, empress, and Li Mo all arrived.


    Li Qianhan wasn¡¯t by Li Mo¡¯s side; in fact, Yun Ruoyan never saw him again that night. The next day, Yun Ruoyan heard that the Yuelu Vi had once again been piged by the Demonic Duo¡ªthough this time, in gold rather than in ves. She guessed that this was a ploy by Li Qianhan to muddy the waters and confuse the ongoing investigation.


    The gathered guests stood in silence as the newlyweds finally concluded the wedding ceremony. Although the reception hall was crowded, the guests were orderly; and because of the presence of the emperor, empress, and Li Mo, everyone was quiet and subdued.


    When the ceremony was finally over and the crown prince and Yi Qianying had been sent to their wedding suite, the emperor and empress left after giving a brief speech. Finally, the banquet began in full swing.


    As the crowd turned rambunctious under the influence of alcohol, Yun Ruoyan left the hall to get some fresh air. She was watching the moon¡¯s reflection in a pond when unfamiliar footsteps came from behind her.


    Yun Ruoyan turned to see a beautiful face with a slight smile¡ªthe second prince, Li Qianyuan. The smile he¡¯d shown her in front of the Yi manor had left an indelible impression on Yun Ruoyan, but it wasn¡¯t anything good.


    Yun Ruoyan was interested in the opposite sex, and she was somewhat unable to ept a man being even more womanly than she was. While she looked at him in consternation, Li Qianyuan had sidled up to her.


    ¡°Miss Yun, your dress is lovely. May I ask who designed it?¡± Yun Ruoyan was about to bow, exchange some superfluous greetings, and leave when Li Qianyuan interrupted her with a question about her dress.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure where it came from either, Your Highness. The ughtering King gave it to me as a present.¡± Yun Ruoyan wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible.


    Li Qianyuan frowned almost imperceptibly before he joked, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Uncle would have such good taste, considering he never changes his clothes.


    Li Mo was always dressed in a ck robe, and he wouldn¡¯t look any different even if he changed his robes from day to day. Yun Ruoyan smiled at the little joke, until Li Qianyun continued, ¡°It¡¯s just that this gauze patch isn¡¯t a good match for this dress.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was wearing a phoenix-orchid gauze patch, and she thought that it fit the dress both in color and style.


    ¡°This dress highlights the numerous flowers embroidered on the sleeves and skirt, so a more elegantly designed gauze patch would be in the shape of a butterfly,¡± Li Qianyuan exined.


    ¡°Thank you for your criticism, Second Prince.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had to admit that Li Qianyuan was correct.


    Back in the reception hall, all sorts of officials were crowding around Li Mo, judging that he wouldn¡¯t dare refuse them given the happy asion. Li Mo epted a few drinks perfunctorily, but then raised his head to see Yun Ruoyan silently creeping outside.


    When someone else tried to toast him, Li Mo¡¯s face darkened, and the officials immediately stopped engaging him. Rid of the crowd, Li Mo followed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s trail to find her conversing happily with Li Qianyuan.


    His face darkened once again. Had this woman already forgotten his warning fromst time?

 Chapter 175: Either You Or Me

    <h4>Chapter 175: Either You Or Me</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan had to admit that Li Qianyuan was unusually adept at conversation. Even when faced with such a tough opponent as Yun Ruoyan, he had been able to meander from dresses to flowers and grasses, then from flowers and grasses to all sorts of snacks in the capital.


    As Li Qianyuan talked on and on, Yun Ruoyan found it harder and harder to find an excuse to sneak away from the conversation.


    ¡°What¡¯s making you so animated, Ruoyan? Come, tell me more.¡± Suddenly, Li Mo appeared from behind a corner.


    His hands were sped behind his back, and his face was unreadable in the dark. However, from his voice alone, Yun Ruoyan could tell that the man was displeased.


    ¡°Uncle.¡± Li Qianyuan bowed toward Li Mo, and he waved his hand.


    Yun Ruoyan leaned against the railing as she smiled at Li Mo, having no intention of bowing at all. However, Li Qianyuan wasn¡¯t shocked by Yun Ruoyan¡¯sck of respect at all; he clearly noticed that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo shared a rather¡­ intimate rtionship.


    ¡°I have something to discuss with Miss Yun, so leave us,¡± Li Momanded.


    Li Qianyuan nced at Yun Ruoyan once more before bowing and turning away. Only when Li Qianyuan¡¯s shadow had vanished into the night did Li Mo step up to Yun Ruoyan and look toward her. ¡°Have you already forgotten what I told you?¡±


    ¡°ughtering King, I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to the moon¡¯s reflection.


    As Li Mo looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s silhouette against the moonlight, she sighed and walked to her side. ¡°This second prince¡¯s particrly tricky to deal with, so don¡¯t get close to him.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get close to him.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo. ¡°After all, it¡¯s not as if I can just leave if hees up to talk, can I? Be more reasonable!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, right as hees up to talk? I¡¯ve been watching the two of you here for quite some time now!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you were spying on us?!¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at Li Mo in shock. It seemed as if Li Qianhan wasn¡¯t the only one interested in eavesdropping!


    ¡°What do you mean, spying? I was just standing in a corner, and happened to see the two of you!¡± Li Mo immediately refuted.


    The two of them were so close together that Yun Ruoyan could see the face hidden under Li Mo¡¯s inky hair, his pale skin appearing even whiter due to his angriness.


    Yun Ruoyan suddenly realized that the seemingly mysterious, all-powerful man in front of her was only in his twenties¡ªbut the legend surrounding him, the icy aura that seemed to elevate him above a mortal self, and his dark, drab outfit made it easy to forget his actual age.


    But when Yun Ruoyan got close to him, ignoring his status, achievements, and position, Li Mo was nothing but a young man in his twenties who had yet to be betrothed. Inparison, Yun Ruoyan was an old hag with over thirty years¡¯ worth of memories.


    ¡°Li Mo, in a few more days, I¡¯ll be entering Kongming Academy. I n on cultivating hard these next two days, and I might not be able to see you again for a while. Can¡¯t we avoid fighting today?¡± As the older of the pair, Yun Ruoyan tried to strike apromise.


    ¡°Alright, we won¡¯t,¡± Li Mo agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll write down a list of people for you that you have to avoid.¡±


    ¡°My goodness!¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed exasperatedly, right before Li Mo grabbed her waist.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, there are people in the capital far more frightening than the beasts roaming in the imperial territory,¡± he whispered, ¡°and they¡¯re wholly iparable to those women from the Yun family. You have to be careful.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s concern seeped through his words, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s somewhat rigid body began to rx a little. She patted Li Mo¡¯s back and replied, ¡°I know, I know.¡±


    ¡°Kongming Academy¡¯s trials are only ever revealed on the day of admissions, and although I¡¯ve cooked up a few ns, I haven¡¯t managed to get anything useful out of those old codgers. When the timees, you¡¯ll have to count on yourself.¡±


    The old codgers that Li Mo was referring to were undoubtedly esteemed personages of Kongming Academy.


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Yun Ruoyany against Li Mo¡¯s chest, listening to his heart beat.


    Li Mo took Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand and plucked the storage ring off her hands. ¡°Hand this to me for now, and I¡¯ll send it back to you tomorrow night.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan guessed that Li Mo had prepared some items for her. ¡°I can refine my own spiritual pills, and I¡¯ve prepared quite a number of items for myself¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan instinctively refused; after all, she already owed Li Mo far too much. Any more, and she really would have no chance of ever paying off her debt.


    ¡°Can your preparationspare to mine?¡± Li Mo responded severely. ¡°The most important thing is for you to survive your following trials unscathed.


    Li Mo¡¯s words and unusually serious tone left Yun Ruoyan, who had been rather rxed about the entire affair, somewhat anxious.


    ¡°Is this trial really as frightening as you¡¯ve imed?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°Haven¡¯t you passed through it before?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s frightening isn¡¯t the trial, but rather your fellowpetitors.¡±


    There was no restriction to the number of students who could pass the trial in the imperial territory, but the enrollment for Kongming Academy was limited. As a result, some of the more viciouspetitors even resorted to killing each other to secure their spot.


    In the past, Li Mo had hidden his identity and entered the trial with the objective of tempering himself. As a result, he had seen with his own eyes how the scions of all manners of families and from all four kingdoms schemed, fought, and wed at each other for the precious spots at Kongming Academy.


    ¡°As soon as you enter the trial, try to form a group, but always remember that you¡¯re the only one you can fully trust.¡±


    Unlike Li Mo, however, Yun Ruoyan believed in her group. She believed in Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue, and Zhuo Yifeng. Their friendship had been sculpted by the precipice of peril, and Yun Ruoyan firmly trusted that they would once again be able to survive this encounter by working together.


    Naturally, she didn¡¯t reveal this to Li Mo. Instead, all she repeated to him was, ¡°I know, I know.¡±


    Within the crown prince¡¯s nuptial chambers, Yi Qianying sat on a bed draped extravagantly in red, waiting with an ashen heart for Li Qianxiao¡¯s inevitable arrival. He had almost been drowned in wine by the other princes and court officials, and was just barely awake.


    He blinked drowsily at Yi Qianying, who sat modestly and properly in front of him, but images of Yun Ruoyan kept shing through his mind instead.


    When Li Qianxiao saw her at the wedding banquet today, he found that she had changedpared to when he hadst seen her at the Yun matriarch¡¯s birthday celebration. She had grown older and taller. Her body was beginning to fill out, revealing the first traces of a womanly charm.


    And although Yun Ruoyan still wore a gauze patch on her face, the fair skin that she revealed appeared whiter and more translucent than ever. Despite hiding amidst a crowd of people, she had immediately caught Li Qianxiao¡¯s eye.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think back to when he had first noticed her in front of the Yun manor. She was kneeling in a modest pink dress, the phoenix-orchid gauze patch on her face making her already-petite features appear even more eye-catching.


    Afterwards, as he was sending Yun Ruoyan back to her quarters, he had acquainted himself with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark, not only scaring him half to death but also making him feel cheated by her outwardly appearance. From then on, he had begun to despise Yun Ruoyan, memories of her birthmark shing through his mind whenever he saw her.


    But at the Yun matriarch¡¯s birthday celebration, when Li Qianxiao once again saw Yun Ruoyan with her birthmark revealed, what shocked him to his core was how much smaller the birthmark had seemed. In fact, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t lied to him; he was simply too timid, too scared, to believe her!


    Li Qianxiao instantly began to regret his actions. If he hadn¡¯t been scared out of his wits, but had instead chosen to believe in Yun Ruoyan, she would undoubtedly be the woman sitting right in front of him today. Lost in his thoughts and ovee by a drunken haze, Li Qianxiao became less and less sure of the identity of the woman in front of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have believed you. In this lifetime, only a peerless woman like yourself would be fit to be my princess consort.¡±


    Li Qianxiao sat lopsidedly by Yi Qianying¡¯s side, muttering almost incoherently, ¡°And when I be the emperor in the future, you¡¯ll be the only woman suited to be my empress. Our children will be the princes and princesses of the Li kingdom, the future emperors, for generations and generations¡­¡±


    He parted Yi Qianying¡¯s veil as he spoke. To him, Yi Qianying¡¯s petite face had been reced by Yun Ruoyan¡ªthe unveiled Yun Ruoyan, her birthmark gone and her face unblemished. His gaze turned ardent as he pushed Yi Qianying down, still muttering sweet nothings all the while.


    Faced with this abnormal behavior, Yi Qianying slowly began to blush. In the morning, she had been humiliated by Yun Ruoyan and Pei Ziao in turn, and she had dreaded the idea of facing the crown prince at night. What she hadn¡¯t expected was how much the crown prince seemed to adore her, and how gentle he was being.


    And given how matters had progressed, even if she was unwilling to do so, Yi Qianying had no choice but to give up Pei Ziao. Was it so unbelievable that she could have a good life even in the crown prince¡¯s manor?


    But just as Yi Qianying felt as if she could ept this new reality, Li Qianxiao began to murmur a name repeatedly. His words were slurred from his drunken haze, and were almost indiscernible even to Yi Qianying.


    ¡°Crown Prince, who are you calling for?¡±


    ¡°Yun¡­ Yun¡­¡±


    ¡°Yun¡­ What?¡±


    ¡°Yun¡­ Yun Ruoyan!¡± Li Qianxiao finally called out. ¡°Ruoyan, I love you, with all my heart and soul! Once I marry you, you¡¯ll be the princess consort. Who cares about that Yi Qianying, or whoever she is?¡±


    As if struck by lightning, Yi Qianying¡¯s body trembled with shock. The tender emotions that she was developing for the crown prince vanished in an instant, reced with ice and darkness.


    Why?! Why?!!! Yun Ruoyan, why must you take everything from me?! You¡¯ve already taken Pei Ziao, and now you¡¯re going to take the crown prince too?!


    Yi Qianying wed at her bedsheets, as if she were trying to wring them dry.


    When Li Qianxiao continued calling out brokenly for Yun Ruoyan, Yi Qianying had had enough. She grabbed a handkerchief that she¡¯d hidden underneath the pillows, then held it over Li Qianxiao¡¯s nose and mouth.


    In order to prevent Li Qianxiao from raping her, Yi Qianying had prepared this handkerchief in advance. A strange, intoxicating sweetness rushed into Li Qianxiao¡¯s mouth. His gaze turned ck, his hands lost their strength, and he fell into Yi Qianying¡¯sp.


    She pushed him away in disgust, sheltering herself by the foot of the bed. In fury, exasperation, and anger, her heart throbbed as if it were about to explode. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, I, Yi Qianying, swear that only one of us shall survive to the end!¡±

 Chapter 176: The Boy of the Story

    <h4>Chapter 176: The Boy of the Story</h4>


    As the banquet came to an end, Yun Moxiao realized that he couldn¡¯t spot Yun Ruoyan anywhere. He was somewhat worried and about to begin searching for her, only to have his father pull him back.


    Yun Lan had seen Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo leave with his own eyes, and he easily intuited that the two of them were currently together. If Yun Moxiao were to search for his sister now, wouldn¡¯t that incite the ughtering King¡¯s displeasure?


    As expected, not a momentter, a servant came to inform Yun Moxiao that Miss Yun had been brought away by the ughtering King for the moment, so neither Yun Lan nor Yun Moxiao had to worry about her disappearance.


    Li Mo had brought Yun Ruoyan soaring through the clouds. Thete-August night wind was bitterly cold, and Yun Ruoyan ducked into Li Mo¡¯s robes.


    As Li Mo steered his sword with one hand, he held her shoulder with the other. Although Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t as thin as before, she was still petite in front of Li Mo himself.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stomach began to rumble.


    Li Mo chuckled. ¡°Your appetite¡¯s unusually good.¡±


    Dissatisfied, Yun Ruoyan protested, ¡°I didn¡¯t have a full lunch, and I didn¡¯t have a full dinner either. Wouldn¡¯t it be abnormal for me not to be hungry?¡±


    Both lunch and dinner were hosted at the crown prince¡¯s manor. Yun Ruoyan had been surrounded by the young misses of all the other noble families, each one eating more and more delicately than thest.


    The banquets from her past life had also been much the same way. Under the environmental pressure, she subconsciously followed suit, but the price she had to pay for that was a half-filled stomach.


    ¡°How can I bear to let you starve?¡± Li Mo steered them toward the west, and the two of them stopped by a crystal-clearke.


    Yun Ruoyan found her surroundings unusually familiar. ¡°Isn¡¯t this theke we fell into that time we were trying to escape from the forest of dead souls?¡±


    ¡°You have a good memory, Yan¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be bringing me to a restaurant? Why bring me here in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°For revenge, of course. And then a big meal.¡±


    Li Mo jumped into theke, sshing cold water on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Li Mo, wait!¡± Yun Ruoyan stood by the shore, staring at the once-again cid surface of theke. ¡°Be careful, there are fish-type beasts in there that bite!¡±


    After about ten minutes, the surface of theke remained as calm as ever. In her panic, Yun Ruoyan began throwing stones into theke.


    The surroundings were quiet, and all Yun Ruoyan could hear was the steady plop-plop of her stones falling into theke. The scene would have been terrifying to an ordinary young miss, but Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t care less about attracting the attention of a magical beast at the moment.


    ¡°Li Mo, what¡¯re you doing in there?!¡± Yun Ruoyan yelled into theke. ¡°If you don¡¯te out now, I¡¯m going to ditch you and run away!¡±


    But just as Yun Ruoyan spoke, a huge silver shape emerged from theke, revealing Li Mo¡¯s silvery-white form, riding on a gigantic silver serpent easily twice as long as Li Mo was tall.


    The man and serpent sshed back into theke, the serpent struggling all the while to get out of Li Mo¡¯s grasp. After an indiscernible period of time, the serpent finally stopped resisting, and theke became still once more.


    Yun Ruoyan walked toward the surface of theke and craned her head out. With a big ssh, Li Mo emerged from theke, dragging the silver serpent¡¯s body behind him. This time, the resulting ssh struck Yun Ruoyan head-on, chilling her to the bone.


    Li Mo lit a fire and began drying her sodden jacket by the mes, then borrowed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dagger to dissect the serpent and start roasting its most tender flesh.


    Yun Ruoyan huddled into a little ball by the fire as she stared at Li Mo. His robe had turned silver, the same shade of silver as his hair and brows, but his eyes were an icy blue. He gave off an ethereal, immortal beauty.


    Ignoring her gaze, Li Mo thered ayer of fat over the roasting flesh, preventing the tender flesh from being scorched. The fragrance characteristic of seafood began spreading through the air. Yun Ruoyan swallowed her saliva, finally shifting her attention from Li Mo to the serpent he was roasting.


    Once the serpent had turned a pleasant golden-brown, Li Mo wrapped it up in a silk handkerchief and handed it to Yun Ruoyan.


    She took it happily and impatiently bit down. The outeryer was crunchy and a little charred; the inneryer tender and with a hint of sweetness, almost melting on her tongue.


    ¡°Who knew the ughtering King would be so good at cooking?¡± Yun Ruoyan praised as she ate.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve roasted anything, so I¡¯m a little rusty. The mes could have been controlled better.¡± Li Mo only ate a few bites of the serpent flesh before taking out his sk of wine, sipping from it slowly as he watched Yun Ruoyan eat.


    Although Li Mo wasn¡¯t too satisfied with his own performance, Yun Ruoyan enjoyed the meal very much. She thought that Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s technique was already quite amazing, but Li Mo¡¯s seemed to be even better.


    When she had devoured half the serpent, Yun Ruoyan rubbed her swollen stomach as she looked up at the night sky, the full moon, and then at Li Mo, who shone even more brightly than the moon itself.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about my identity?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to tell me, I¡¯m happy to hear about it. If you¡¯re not, however, I won¡¯t be curious.¡±


    She didn¡¯t care whether Li Mo was man, demon, beast, or something else entirely. Given Yun Ruoyan¡¯s past life, she valued nothing more than a sincere heart. Even if he were a magical beast in disguise, that he had bared his heart to her was enough for her to be willing to protect and cherish him with her life.


    ¡°What I¡¯m curious about is¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan sat up straight. ¡°Why are you treating me so nicely? Let¡¯s see.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan bent a knee as she sat on a stone and rubbed her lower jaw. ¡°The first time we met, I did help you out¡ªbut surely not to such an extent that you would devote your life to me. Furthermore, everyone knows that you¡¯re not fond of women, but you¡¯ve repeatedly pretended to be fond of me. I know quite well what my face is like, thank you, so why? Honestly, at first, I even thought you were attracted to deformed people, but after having known you for some time, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a normal person. I still don¡¯t understand your sudden devotion to me, however.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan squinted, then pointed at Li Mo. ¡°You¡¯re not trying to get something from me, are you?¡±


    Li Mo choked on his wine and began to sputter. Luckily, Yun Ruoyan dodged away from Li Mo in time.


    No one else but Li Mo knew that Yun Ruoyan was a human furnace, not even Qiuqiu. After Li Mo had added his own beastkin blood to the qilin beads on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, her aura had been masked further. Li Mo was certain that he was the only one who knew her secret. If he didn¡¯t mention anything, even Yun Ruoyan would never find anything amiss about her own body.


    ¡°What do you think I can get from your body?¡± Li Mo smiled as he looked at her.


    His icy-blue eyes were mirthful, and his face was so gorgeous it was beyond description. Yun Ruoyan could barely tear her own eyes away.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Well, I don¡¯t think I have anything that you would want¡­¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s one thing that I do want.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Li Mo suddenly pushed Yun Ruoyan down. ¡°You.¡± He kissed her, gently and probing at first, then deepening it with every second until her face waspletely red.


    He caressed her, circting spiritual energy about his body in order to warm her up. Under the night sky, Li Mo¡¯s heady kisses had rendered Yun Ruoyan somewhat dazed, but she wasn¡¯t tired and didn¡¯t want to sleep.


    ¡°Li Mo, why don¡¯t you tell me a story? My mother passed away when I was very young, and no one¡¯s ever told me a bedtime story before. Ever since I was little, I¡¯ve wanted to be lulled to sleep.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Mo hugged Yun Ruoyan even more tightly as he began, his voice low and maic.


    In the past, a long, long time ago, there was a little boy. He had a strong father and beautiful mother, and a cute little pet. He lived in a pce located within a mountain valley, where it seemed to be spring all year round, leading an idyllic life.


    But one day, his kin betrayed his father, gathering a number of strong men to kill the boy¡¯s father and capture his mother.


    ¡°That boy must be very upset,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured.


    ¡°Right, he was. But he was too weak to do anything about it; instead, he could only bring his little pet to safety under the protection of some pce maids,¡± Li Mo continued.


    It was a harsh, bitter winter day. Under usual circumstances, he would be having fun within the heated pce with his mother. However, that winter, the boy had to keep trudging forward in the snow, the wind, the cold. In order to hide from the pursuing troops, the pce maids brought the little boy into the overgrown mountains.


    Because the boy¡¯s feet were frostbitten, the pce maids had to take turns carrying the boy as they continued forward.


    A few dayster, even when their food was on the verge of running out, they still hadn¡¯t walked out of the mountains, and they didn¡¯t dare to retrace their path on ount of the pursuing troops.


    The cold and hunger caused their morale to fall, and some of the pce maids stole some valuables and left. In the end, of the dozen or so pce maids, only three were left. The valuables that they had taken with them had almost all been stolen.


    A few dayster, they finally finished thest of the food. The boy¡¯s frostbite became worse and worse, and he began to feel feverish. Without food or medicine, the boy¡¯s days began to blend together in an endless haze.


    One day, the boy was jostled awake. The remaining three pce maidens had told him that they were going to take a trip down the mountain. They removed a precious pendant that had been looped over the boy¡¯s neck, iming that they would pawn it for money to buy medicine and food for the boy.


    That pendant was the only remaining memento of his mother. Although the boy didn¡¯t want to part with it, he was so weak that he could only watch on as the three pce maids left with it. The boy remained in the cave in the mountains for a day and a night, but the pce maids never returned. In time, he realized that he had been discarded.


    Li Mo took a deep breath and stopped his tale.


    Yun Ruoyan clutched Li Mo¡¯s hand. ¡°What happened to that little boy?¡±


    ¡°Just as the boy was about to die, his wildcat, that had gone missing several days earlier, suddenly appeared. It licked him awake with its warm tongue. The little boy recalled that his mother had once told him that a wildcat¡¯s blood possessed spiritual energy and was able to treat all sorts of frost-rted energies. As a result, the little boy held the wildcat in itsp as always, slowly smoothing its fur. And once the wildcat hadpletely let down its guard, the boy bit down on its neck¡­¡±

 Chapter 177: Setting Off

    <h4>Chapter 177: Setting Off</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s breathing slowly evened out, and the hand that she¡¯d looped around Li Mo¡¯s waist gradually rxed. Li Mo stopped his narration and looked down at Yun Ruoyan, curled up in hisp, her long ck hair spreading out and tangling with his own silver strands.


    Li Mo couldn¡¯t help caressing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hair. In her dreams, Yun Ruoyan tossed around, before revealing her back to Li Mo. Li Mo leaned down and held her tightly, murmuring intimately, ¡°Never abandon me.¡±


    Back in the pce, a rather exquisitentern powered by a pearl-of-night shone day and night on a deserted residence. Li Qianyuan, draped in red, was sittingnguidly in one of the bedrooms, an eunuch kneeling in front of him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my breath, so just admit your crime,¡± Li Qianyuan said, critically inspecting his fingernails.


    ¡°Se¡ªSecond Prince, upon your request, I, I guard this residence nightly, and take regr care of the possessions located here.¡± The eunuch bowed down until his head touched the floor, his whole body shaking and his voice quavering.


    ¡°Open the cab and take out the sandalwood box inside,¡± Li Qianyuanmanded one of his other servants.


    Li Qianyuan took the sandalwood box and lightly caressed the delicate engraving on the box. ¡°This box used to contain one of my mother¡¯s favorite dresses, but now it¡¯s empty.¡± Li Qianyuan opened the box slowly to reveal nothing within. ¡°You im to have guarded this residence day and night, taking good care of her belongings¡­ so where has this dress gone?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, Your Highness!¡± The eunuch¡¯s forehead dripped with sweat, which beaded and slowly fell to the ground. Despite the irritation, the eunuch didn¡¯t dare raise his hand to wipe the sweat away.


    ¡°Do you servants think that I won¡¯t care about what you¡¯ve been doing just because I was sent to the Chen kingdom?¡±


    Li Qianyuan closed the box once more, his slender, white fingers again caressing the box. ¡°As my employees, not only have you neglected your duty, you even dared lie to me! Do you think I¡¯m blind or deaf?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare, Your Highness!¡±


    Li Qianyuan¡¯s acerbic tone caused his other two servants to kneel as well.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need servants who won¡¯t do my bidding.¡± Li Qianyuan nced coldly at the eunuch trembling by his feet. ¡°Dig out his eyes and cut off his hands and tongue, then send him into exile.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Second Prince!¡± The eunuch had fainted as soon as he heard the promation, and the other two servants immediately got up and dragged him away.


    The only person left in the residence was Li Qianyuan. He stood up from the bed and slotted the sandalwood box back into the cab.


    ¡°Mother, your dress somehow found its way to Miss Yun,¡± Li Qianyuan said slowly. ¡°I met her once when I was little and you took me to the Yun family to y. She¡¯s quite a different person now, but the dress doesn¡¯t look ugly on her.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was woken up by Li Mo. By the time she opened her eyes, the sun was already up in the sky.


    Li Mo had returned to his usual ck-haired, ck-robed appearance, and Yun Ruoyan was a little dazed by the transformation. Indeed,st night seemed almost like a dream.


    ¡°Well? Why are you in such a daze? Didn¡¯t you have a good sleepst night?¡± Li Mo stood on his sword, smiling at the dazed Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°I had a very good sleep.¡± Yun Ruoyan extended her hand; Li Mo grabbed it and pulled her onto the sword.


    He left quietly after sending her back to the Yun manor, not disturbing anyone else.


    After resting in her room for a little while longer, she heard Yun Moxiao¡¯s voiceing from her yard. As she yawned and got dressed, she stepped outside and called out to Yun Moxiao, who was then speaking with Peony, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m back!¡±


    ¡°When did you return?¡± Yun Moxiao frowned.


    ¡°I¡­ I came back quite a while ago,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, clutching her head.


    Yun Ruoyan knew what Yun Moxiao was worried about. Despite her young age, she was talented at cultivation. Yun Moxiao was worried that she would regret her youthful dalliance with Li Mo¡ªor, even worse, get discarded by him.


    While Yun Ruoyan was ugly and weak, Yun Moxiao had hoped for her to clinch a good marriage and to settle down. Ideally, her husband would be someone that he would be able to control, so if Yun Ruoyan were to be bullied, he could step up and defend her.


    But now, the situation had changedpletely. Not only had Yun Ruoyan be beautiful, she was so talented that her future would be limitless. Yun Moxiao didn¡¯t want his sister to be mired in her feelings too early, causing her cultivation to slow down.


    Furthermore, the other man was the ughtering King Li Mo, someone that Yun Moxiao had no chance of dealing with at the moment. When he thought about the fact that he was powerless to defend his sister against anything Li Mo might do, he almost felt as though he were suffocating.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re heading to the Kongming Academy in two days!¡±


    ¡°I know, Brother.¡± Both Li Mo and Yun Moxiao seemed to be far more concerned about it than she was, and their anxiety was rather contagious.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be cultivating in my room for the next two days, alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan hastily added when she saw that her brother seemed to be preparing himself for a tirade.


    Yun Moxiao sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to court with Father, so I can¡¯t watch over you before you leave. Two dayster, I¡¯ll send you to Kongming Academy.¡±


    After Yun Moxiao left, Yun Ruyoan began to cultivate. She had to make sure that she had sufficient spiritual energy, as well as to transmute enough fire-attuned spiritual energy to deal with her uing trial.


    Cultivation made time pass unusually quickly, and the sky had darkened in the blink of an eye.


    At night, Li Qianhan dropped by to give Yun Ruoyan the storage ring that Li Mo had taken from her. He told her that Li Mo had an urgent matter to attend to, and wouldn¡¯t be able to see her off in two days. Although Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t appear fazed by the news, she was inwardly a little dejected.


    Li Qianhan removed the items from the storage ring one at a time, put them on her table, and then exined the use of each one. Most of them were kept in small containers or jars; Li Qianhan introduced quite a number of spiritual pills, as well as a set of antidotes. Although Li Mo didn¡¯t know where exactly the trial would be held, he knew that the area would be filled with poisonous flora and fauna, so antidotes would definitely be necessary.


    In addition to the spiritual pills and antidotes, there was even a gleaming gold dagger. Li Qianhan exined that, even though the dagger wasn¡¯t a spiritual weapon, it had a particrly keen edge.


    ¡°And Uncle told me to hand this directly to you.¡± Li Qianhan retrieved a snowy-white pearl from his robes. It was mostly spherical, with a little protrusion that had been bored through and threaded with string, forming a pendant.


    Yun Ruoyan felt a hint of dampness from the pearl.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°This is the inner core of a water serpent,¡± Li Qianhan exined. ¡°Uncle made it overnight, and keeping it in your mouth will help you breathe underwater. You¡¯ll be able to stay underwater for at least two hours with its help.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes brightened. What an amazing ability!


    Last night, she was entirely focused on Li Mo¡¯s face, so she hadn¡¯t noticed when he extracted the beast core from the serpent. He had expended a great deal of effort trying to kill that serpent; now she knew that it wasn¡¯t simply because she was hungry.


    Having been granted all sorts of treasures, and with her peak seventh-rank cultivation, the anxiety that Li Mo and Yun Moxiao had transferred to her was quickly alleviated.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice rang out from her mind.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Qiuqiu?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re too rxed, Mistress. I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll underestimate your opponents.¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I¡¯m simply confident enough that I have all the tools I need to deal with them, Qiuqiu¡ªunderestimating my opponents is a different thing entirely, and isn¡¯t a mistake I would make,¡± Yun Ruoyan rified.


    Two dayster, it was finally time to head to Kongming Academy. The school term officially began in five days, but the trip itself would take two or three days.


    Yun Moxiao was responsible for bringing the Yun siblings to Kongming Academy. Just as they were about to set off, however, something unexpected happened.


    Yun Ruoyu had suddenly fallen deathly ill, subject both to bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. In a single night, she had gone as thin as a stick. If not for Madam Qin¡¯s timely assistance, she might even have died.


    Without any other choice, Yun Ruoyu had to give up on entering Kongming Academy this year, leaving Yun Ruoyao on her own. Thetter girl was particrly frustrated: Yun Ruoyu had fallen sick at this particr moment, not any earlier orter, as if it were intentional.


    As dawn broke, Yun Ruoyan and Yun Ruoyao said their farewells to Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch. Each saddled on a firesteed, they rode with Yun Moxiao all the way to the Kongming Mountains.


    The Kongming Summit was deep in the Kongming mountain range. Even after arriving at its foot, they would have to gallop another whole day before reaching its summit, so the three siblings chose to proceed by horse rather than by carriage.


    Right before leaving the capital, Yun Ruoyan met up with the Lin siblings and Zhuo Yifeng, all three of whom were also on firesteeds.


    Firesteeds were very precious, and the Lin family only had two in its stables. Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue rode together on one, and Zhuo Yifeng on the other.


    Yun Ruoyao was clearly the odd one out in this party, and she was well aware of her own unpoprity within the crowd. As a result, she tended to ride on her own, not really interacting with the others.


    As they prepared to set off from the capital, Yi Qianying¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Sister Ruoyao, would you like to join us?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party turned around to see Yi Qianying riding up in front of a group of about a dozen people. The gathered groupprised arge number of noble scions from the capital. One such was Rong Yueshan, whom Yun Ruoyan had briefly met at the crown prince¡¯s wedding, who maintained her arrogant visage even while riding on a horse.


    Behind Rong Yueshan were four or five warriors, likely warriors from the Rong family sent to escort her. Rong Tianling was the uncle of the crown prince, and Yi Qianying was the crown prince¡¯s concubine. Yi Qianying was Rong Yueshan¡¯s cousin-inw, so it was only to be expected that they were headed to Kongming Academy together.


    Most of the other scions were those that had close connections with the Rong family and the crown prince¡¯s manor, and Yun Ruoyao joined their ranks without any hesitation.


    Suddenly, Rong Yueshan trotted over, looking not at Yun Ruoyan but instead at Yun Moxiao.

 Chapter 178: Horse Thief

    <h4>Chapter 178: Horse Thief</h4>


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re trying to snatch my brother¡¯s court position away,¡± Rong Yueshan began, sticking her head and chest out as she nced at Yun Moxiao, more than a full head taller than she was.


    ¡°A court position isn¡¯t a possession to be snatched, Miss Rong. May the more talented between us seed.¡±


    Rong Yueshan forced out a cold smile. ¡°You¡¯d best be careful.¡±


    She trotted away, and the party behind her immediately followed suit. Yi Qianying nced coldly at Yun Ruoyan all the while, but Yun Ruoyan ignored her.


    There were many paths that led to the Kongming mountain range. Yi Qianying and Rong Yueshan chose one of therger paths, so Yun Ruoyan and the others headed down a smaller side path instead.


    The five-man party left at a gallop, arriving at the foot of the Kongming Mountains by midday. Even though they had specially chosen a side path, the party still encountered two other groups of students from all over the Chenyuan continent.


    Because all the students were destined to bepetitors, the groups didn¡¯t interact with each other. Rather, each went their own way.


    As night fell, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party found themselves in the inner reaches of the mountain range. Based on their speed, they would likely reach the summit at around the same time tomorrow evening.


    When Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan to the summit on his sword, it had taken no more than two hours. Yun Ruoyan sighed, thinking of how good it must feel to have a spiritual sword of her own andmenting once more that she wasn¡¯t yet eighth-rank.


    After having some gruel and a pheasant that Zhuo Yifeng had hunted, they began to rest in preparation for the next day of travelling. Because they had spent the whole day on the road, everyone was exhausted and quickly fell asleep.


    An indiscernible amount of timeter, Yun Ruoyan was suddenly and rudely awakened by Qiuqiu¡¯s warning. ¡°Mistress, Mistress, get up!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan instantly sat upright. ¡°Qiuqiu, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a particrly strong aura nearby, appearing only from time to time. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s about to happen, but you should be prepared, Mistress.¡±


    Rather than alert the others, Yun Ruoyan sat quietly as she extended her senses around her. If they were truly facing a particrly strong opponent, then it wouldn¡¯t do for her to be reckless.


    Strangely, however, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t feel the strong aura that Qiuqiu had mentioned. All she could feel were a few weak auras, likely no more than the equivalent of a fourth-rank demaster¡¯s.


    ¡°Mistress, that aura vanished again. I don¡¯t know why, but it left a few weaker auras behind this time.¡±


    ¡°Has it left?¡±


    ¡°Its aura might be temporarily suppressed or hidden,¡± Qiuqiu guessed.


    At that moment, the four firesteeds suddenly neighed in unease, and Yun Moxiao and Zhuo Yifeng instantly woke up from their slumber.


    ¡°Horse thieves!¡± Yun Moxiao hissed, jumping toward the horses, and Zhuo Yifeng followed suit. The horses¡¯ neighing woke even Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen, followed quickly by the sounds of fighting.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sister Ruoyan?¡± The Lin sisters rubbed their eyes and nced at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°There might be a few horse thieves lurking around. I¡¯ll go check out the situation.¡±


    If there were only a few horse thieves, then Yun Moxiao and Zhuo Yifeng would be more than sufficient to handle them. Otherwise, she would have to be more careful¡ªas a result, instead of rushing over, Yun Ruoyan walked over slowly, scrutinizing her surroundings all the while. ¡°Brother, what¡¯s the situation over there?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve captured a few horse thieves,¡± Yun Moxia replied. Both he and Zhuo Yifeng were holding illuminatingnterns made from beast cores, and Yun Ruoyan could see three squatting figures on the ground, subdued by Yun Moxiao and Zhuo Yifeng.


    Firesteeds could sell for thousands of gold taels, and they were very valuable. Given that Kongming Academy was opening its doors in a few days, firesteeds were travelling all over the continent toward the Kongming mountain range. As a result, it wasn¡¯t particrly unusual to encounter horse thieves in the night.


    ¡°Please, young masters, spare us! All we wanted to do was to steal a few horses and exchange them for money, not to hurt anyone¡­¡± one of the men begged.


    Judging by their rough attire, they looked like nothing more than ordinary civilians, only at the level of fourth-rank demasters. Generally, those who were only fourth-rank by the age of thirty were considered to have only average talent among cultivators.


    On the Chenyuan continent, most guards or constables had to be fifth-rank or above; fourth-rank demasters were just a little stronger than ordinary folk, and they would have to work hard at menialbor if they didn¡¯t have any additional talent.


    Many of those cultivators who refused to work hard would turn to thievery or robbery, just like these folk. These were the people whom Yun Ruoyan most hated; regr civilians without any cultivation would have suffered a sorry fate at their hands, but they, in turn, would generally be killed off without any mercy when captured by a group of higher-ranking cultivators.


    After the first person began begging for his life, the other two thieves followed suit, bringing in their wives, children, parents, and all manner of extended family.


    ¡°Scram!¡± Yun Moxiao yelled out. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see any of you again!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng released the grip that he¡¯d had on one of the men, and they scampered away in fright.


    None of the firesteeds seemed to be hurt in the tussle, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party went back to rest. However, Yun Ruoyan still felt a sense of foreboding as she returned to sleep.


    The next day, her foreboding turned out not to be unfounded: all their firesteeds had died. As the party knelt down to check on the steeds, they found that all four steeds had been bleeding from their gums, their eyes bulging and turning green. It seemed as though they had all been stricken by some unusual, esoteric poison.


    ¡°Damn those bastards!¡± Zhuo Yifeng couldn¡¯t help cursing. ¡°It must have been those three horse thieves from before.¡±


    None of them had expected that the three men would be trying to poison their horses, rather than steal them.


    ¡°Are those horse thieves crazy? Stealing the horses alive would be worth something, but what¡¯s the point of poisoning them to death?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan thought for a moment. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s their intention.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°This poison doesn¡¯t seem like something an ordinary horse thief would possess. If I¡¯m not wrong, someone likely paid them to poison our steeds, so we won¡¯t be able to reach Kongming Academy in time.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan folded her arms across her chest, thinking back to what had happenedst night. ¡°Kongming Academy¡¯s next trial is ted for noon, two days from now. If we miss that deadline, our admission tokens will be forfeit. Someone doesn¡¯t want us getting into Kongming Academy.¡±


    They had nned for encountering all sorts of tribtions during the trial itself, but not before it.


    ¡°This is all my fault¡ªI shouldn¡¯t have been tricked by those scoundrels!¡± Yun Moxiao groaned.


    ¡°Brother, this isn¡¯t your fault. By the time we found those three men, the steeds would already have been poisoned. Even if we had killed them, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid the current situation.¡±


    Everyone present¡ªsave perhaps Lin Qingxue¡ªtended to be more prudent and cautious than most, but this was a scenario that no one had considered.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Lin Qingxue frowned. Without steeds, even if they rushed to the Kongming Summit on foot without resting, they were unlikely to make it there by noon the second day.


    Yun Moxiao was able to bring one person to the summit on his sword. In the end, if they had no other choice, he could guarantee Yun Ruoyan¡¯s timely arrival, but Yun Ruoyan refused to do so until it was apparent that they had no other choice.


    In the end, they decided to proceed on foot and see if their situation would improve. As they walked, they encountered a party that had been further behind. As soon as they saw the dispirited youths, the other party began to crow in schadenfreude: allegedly, they were the third party they¡¯d seen who had had their horses poisoned to death.


    Yun Ruoyan had initially thought that her party was being targeted, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Based on the situation, it was more likely that some devious student had concocted this n to reduce the number ofpetitors ahead.


    Such arge undertaking wasn¡¯t something a regr student coulde up with; likely, therger powers on the continent were already trying to wrest control.


    Yun Ruoyan nced toward the party in front of hers, at the eight people wearing clothing characteristic of the Chen kingdom. The Chen kingdom was located in the ins right by the sea, and these students had likely never seen such mountainous, forested scenery. As they trotted, they were admiring the sights.


    Because they had plenty of time to reach their destination, and because they had encountered so many forlorn parties on their way, they were quite rxed. Each of the party of eight was on their own steed; if they would share four of them with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party, then their problems would be resolved. However, they clearly didn¡¯t intend on doing anything of the sort. Who didn¡¯t mind having fewer opponents?


    As an idea popped into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind, she peered at her brother and noticed that he too was looking at her. The two siblings nodded to each other in tacit agreement, following not too far behind that other party and quickly arousing their suspicions.


    ¡°Brother, do you think that group of people behind us will steal our steeds?¡± a rather wild-looking youth trotted forward to ask his leader.


    That party¡¯s leader was a rtively handsome youth, seemingly between Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao in age.


    ¡°If they¡¯re desperate, they really might do it,¡± that leader murmured. ¡°And their cultivation looks to be above ours, so we¡¯d better rush ahead and get some distance away from them.¡±


    The group of eight whipped their horses, spurring them forward. By the time an hour had passed, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party had been left far, far behind among the twisted, mountainous roads.


    The eight-man team then gradually slowed down again, setting up camp at nightfall and retreating to rest. After eating their fill, they discussed the wonderful life ahead of them as students of Kongming Academy, before humming the Chen kingdom¡¯s national anthem to sleep.


    As time passed, their fire dimmed, and all sorts of loud snores came from the haphazardly organized campsite. Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, and Zhuo Yifeng had hidden their aura and were silently hiding by one of the bushes nearby.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°Honestly, sleeping so soundly without leaving even a single person on guard? They know they¡¯re disadvantaged in terms of cultivation, so aren¡¯t they just courting death?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan naturally wouldn¡¯t stoop to an act as dishonorable as killing them and stealing their horses. Their n was to lie in wait for the three horse thieves to approach, then catch the thieves before they could poison this group¡¯s horses.

 Chapter 179: An Opportunity Emerges

    <h4>Chapter 179: An Opportunity Emerges</h4>


    Not only would catching those three thieves identify the culprit behind the incident, it would also be reason enough to get the other party to share their horses with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party. And if they still refused, well, they would have an excuse for stealing the horses from them.


    Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, and Zhuo Yifeng waited all the way till midnight without seeing any sign of the horse thieves. This eight-man party had caught up to the pack afterst night¡¯s incident, and the three horse thieves were unlikely to let the party go. However, it wasn¡¯t certain that they would act that night.


    As the night grew darker with still no sign of the horse thieves in sight, they appeared.


    Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, and Zhuo Yifeng almost simultaneously detected the existence of those three horse thieves, who emerged sneakily from the other side of the campsite as they snuck toward the eight firesteeds.


    Zhuo Yifeng cocked his bow and aimed at one of the thieves. At the same time, Qiuqiu chirped, ¡°Mistress, the strong aura has appeared again.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could also feel the aura, but strangely, neither Yun Moxiao nor Zhuo Yifeng seemed to be able to detect it. Just as she was about to ask them if they¡¯d felt anything, Zhuo Yifeng shot out an arrow.


    With a clean snick, the arrownded in one of the men¡¯s thigh, but no painful groan sounded. Instead, that man only nced back once before pulling the arrow out and throwing it aside, then continuing to head toward the horses as if he didn¡¯t feel any pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°Look at that man¡¯s thigh,¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed.


    The wound was leaking an unusual dark fog. None of them had ever encountered such a situation before, and they were all shocked by the side.


    ¡°Mistress, the strong aura vanished again.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng released another arrow; this time, one of the special tiger-canine ones. Pulling his bow all the way back, he shot the tiger-canine arrow straight into one of the men¡¯s brains, and he fell limply to the floor. However, nothing dripped out, neither brains nor blood. Instead, what emerged was another bout of ck fog.


    Slowly, that ck fog filled the entire campsite and the eight sleeping youths inside.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem! My goodness, where did this ck foge from? Wake up! Ahem, ahem!¡± Of the eight youths sleeping like pigs, one finally awoke. As he coughed, he tried to stir the others awake.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t breathe! Ahem, ahem!¡±


    Not good¡ªthe fog is poisonous! As soon as Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, and Zhuo Yifeng encountered the fog, they shared the same thought and retreated immediately. As she stepped back, Yun Ruoyan pulled out three antidotes and handed one each to Yun Moxiao and Zhuo Yifeng. The three of them swiftly retreated to where they had set up camp, then hurriedly ran away from the fog with Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen in tow.


    Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen had no clue what was going on. When they finally stopped, she asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you guys encounter a beast attack? But aren¡¯t there no beasts in the Kongming Mountains?¡±


    ¡°Not beasts, but poison.¡± Yun Ruoyan recounted all that she had witnessed within thest hour to Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue.


    She had never encountered such a situation¡ªhow could regr men be spouting out poisonous fog?! She asked Qiuqiu if it had a possible exnation, but Lin Qingchen jumped in before it could reply. ¡°I¡¯ve read about these so-called ¡®medicinal puppets¡¯ in a book, which seem to share some characteristics with the men you¡¯ve described.¡±


    Allegedly, these men looked no different in external appearance from regr people, but their will was controlled by their master and creator. They were often used to poison others; even if they were found out and killed beforehand, they would immediately emit a poisonous fog as a kamikaze attack.


    After Lin Qingchen finished her description, Qiuqiu added that the men could also be puppets from the demon race, used for the same purpose. However, given that the demon race had been sealed for millennia, Lin Qingchen¡¯s proposal was far more likely.


    Someone who could manufacture such medicinal puppets had to be a renowned poisoner. That he was only poisoning their steeds rather than the students themselves indicated that he didn¡¯t want to make a big deal of things, and was likely employed by one of the more prestigious noble families on the continent.


    The aura that she and Qiuqiu had sensed likely came from that poisoner.


    ¡°Brother, Zhuo Yifeng, did either of you detect a strong aura that appeared intermittently during the attack?¡±


    Yun Moxiao and Zhuo Yifeng nced at each other before shaking their heads simultaneously.


    Yun Ruoyan felt even more confused: why had she and Qiuqiu been the only two to feel that aura? Yun Moxiao¡¯s cultivation was higher than hers, and he should have felt it even more strongly.


    ¡°Shall we head back and have a look?¡± Lin Qingchen suddenly suggested. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever heard of these medicinal puppets, and I¡¯d like to have a closer look.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also somewhat curious,¡± Lin Qingxue added. Forced to help out in her sister¡¯s bamboo garden, she had slowly but steadily grown less scared of unusual phenomena.


    When the sun rose up once more, and the fog had more or less dissipated, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party went back to take a look at the scene. All eight youths and all eight horses had been poisoned to death; just likest time, their gums were bleeding, their eyes bulging and slightly turning green.


    Neither Lin Qingchen nor Qiuqiu could identify the poison. ording to Qiuqiu, all sorts of new poisons were being developed daily, and this was likely one such novel poison.


    Lin Qingchen extracted a little blood from one of the victims, preparing to study it afterwards. Rather than bury the eight corpses, they decided to leave the campsite untouched to report the crime to the personnel at Kongming Academy once they arrived.


    Being unable to get any horses, the party could only continue on foot. Now that it was already the third day, and the deadline for the trial just one day away, the party had all but given up. Instead, they nned on having Yun Moxiao send Yun Ruoyan to the Kongming Summit at daybreak the next day.


    Although Yun Moxiao was able to soar on his sword, swordflight was particrly taxing on his spiritual energy reserves, and he had to rest frequently along the way. As a result, the two of them had to set off early in the morning.


    At dawn, the Yun siblings prepared to leave. Just as Yun Moxiao prepared his yellow sword aura, they heard arge troop of horses gathering from afar, and the party all looked at each other with bright gazes. If there were no other choice, then they would steal from whatever unlucky group crossed their path.


    Yun Moxiao stowed his sword. The party stood in the middle of the wide path, waiting for the horses to approach. Momentster, the horses arrived by a bend in the road.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned, because she had seen two people that she didn¡¯t want to meet: Pei Ziao and Wang Meng. How had those two ended up together?


    What was more surprising to Yun Ruoyan was that Wang Meng clearly hadn¡¯t taken part in the imperial expedition. Why would he appear here? Was he sending someone off, just like Yun Moxiao?


    Wang Meng¡¯s horse raced at the forefront, the leader of this party. Pei Ziao followed quickly behind.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze swept over the other members of the party. Except for Pei Ziao, she didn¡¯t recognize anyone else present. Because the Li and Yue kingdom¡¯s attire were rather simr, she couldn¡¯t discern their nationality from their outfits.


    The sight of a dozen steeds racing was rather spectacr.


    Yun Moxiao stood at the forefront of their party, and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bow was cocked. Yun Ruoyan prepared to summon her Fei de at an instant.


    Although the other group had a ratherrge number of people, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party was likely stronger. If they didn¡¯t stop, then Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party would immediately attack, their goal being to seize four horses and run off.


    Luckily, Wang Meng saw the party from afar and motioned for the horses to stop before they reached them.


    Wang Meng trotted up to the party. ¡°ughtering King¡¯s consort, why aren¡¯t you guys on your way to the summit?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me the ughtering King¡¯s consort,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, inclining her head to look at Wang Meng. ¡°I¡¯m not, not yet.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Wang, our steeds have been poisoned to death, and we¡¯ve been on foot thest two days,¡± Yun Moxiao replied.


    Yun Ruoyan had told her brother about her uing challenge with Wang Meng, so Yun Moxiao knew of him. Furthermore, he had also seen him at the auction house in Yuelu Vi.


    On the other hand, Wang Meng had never seen Yun Moxiao before.


    ¡°May I ask who you are, Young Master?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Yun Moxiao, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brother.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s the ughtering King¡ªMiss Yun¡¯s brother. A pleasure to meet you.¡± Wang Meng immediately cupped his fists. If he hadn¡¯t heard his sister¡¯s thoughts about the man beforehand, Yun Moxiao would have found Wang Meng a rather pleasant young master.


    Yun Moxiao cupped his fists as well. He continued, ¡°If we¡¯re to continue travelling on foot, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to make the trial. May I ask to borrow three steeds from your party, Young Master Wang?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Wang Meng¡¯s straightforward agreement left Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party taken aback. By the time they had recovered from their shock, Wang Meng had already assigned four steeds to their party.


    ¡°My gratitude, Young Master Wang.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party thanked the young master before climbing onto the steeds and joining their party.


    Because of the impending deadline, no one spoke overmuch as they galloped. Instead of stopping for lunch, they simply ate as they rode; after another afternoon¡¯s long trek, they finally stopped to pitch a camp and rest.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group of five set up a separate campfire by the side.


    Pei Ziao was no longer as clingy to Yun Ruoyan as before, but his gaze couldn¡¯t help drifting to her from time to time. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan simply pretended that he didn¡¯t exist. What she really was concerned about was Wang Meng¡ªwhy would the man appear here?

 Chapter 180: Entering Kongming Academy

    <h4>Chapter 180: Entering Kongming Academy</h4>


    After Yun Ruoyan revealed her doubts regarding Wang Meng¡¯s presence to her brother, the two of them traipsed to Wang Meng¡¯s campsite, he with a sk of wine and she with a roasted chicken courtesy of Zhuo Yifeng.


    When those sitting beside Wang Meng saw Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan walking over, they voluntarily made space for them. Yun Moxiao sat by Wang Meng¡¯s side, and Yun Ruoyan by her brother¡¯s side.


    ¡°Here, try some of the alcohol I brought out of the army.¡± Yun Moxiao handed his sk to Wang Meng, who had a sip.


    ¡°Strong and hearty,¡± Wang Meng praised.


    ¡°Young Master Wang, there¡¯s something I¡¯m quite curious about.¡± Yun Ruoyan handed the roasted chicken in her hand to Wang Meng.


    Wang Meng epted the gift and replied straightforwardly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Yun?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been travelling across the Chenyuan continent, Young Master Wang. Did you specially make this trip to Kongming Academy to see someone off, or¡­?¡±


    ¡°To be quite honest, I was specially invited to participate in the iing students¡¯ trial,¡± Wang Meng replied.


    ¡°A special invitation?¡± The Yun siblings looked at each other in surprise; this was the first time either of them had heard of such an urrence.


    ¡°Yes, a special invitation.¡± Wang Meng took another gulp of wine before returning the sk to Yun Moxiao. ¡°Years ago, when I was still a kid, Kongming Academy tried to recruit me due to my talent in pillmaking. However, my father rejected the invitation, and I¡¯ve been training ording to my father¡¯s will at home. However, Kongming Academy promised me that I would be able to enter Kongming Academy at any time as a student before I turned twenty.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was shocked: such were the benefits of overwhelming talent. If those instructors at Kongming Academy knew that she was a fourth-rank pillmaster at thirteen, would they have given her a special invitation too?


    ¡°Why have you decided to enter Kongming Academy so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°Because of my brother, Wang Kuang.¡± Wang Meng suddenly lifted his head and looked straight at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°My brother participated in the imperial expedition not a few months ago, but then he vanished entirely, his whereabouts unknown.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan faced Wang Meng¡¯s gaze cidly, as if she knew nothing about his circumstances.


    ¡°There were quite a number of ferocious creatures in the imperial territory,¡± she replied. ¡°While on the expedition, I encountered a saber-toothed tiger and a high-rank magical serpent, and barely escaped with my life. I fear that your brother is unlikely to be alive.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve also suspected that that was the case. Miss Jin, who travelled with my brother, is likewise missing, and she¡¯s probably also suffered the same fate.¡± Wang Meng turned to the mes. ¡°He¡¯s my only brother, and he¡¯s dreamt of entering Kongming Academy ever since he was little. The reason I¡¯m entering Kongming Academy now is to realize his dreams.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to the mes as well, no longer speaking.


    Suddenly, Yun Moxiao stood up and patted Yun Ruoyan on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We still have a while to travel tomorrow, so we should go rest.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stood up. Wang Meng followed suit, standing in front of her. Somewhat drunkenly, he asked, ¡°Miss Yun, did you meet my brother Wang Kuang and the eldest miss of the Jin family, Jin Fei¡¯er, during the imperial expedition?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan faced Wang Meng and replied coolly. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but there were so many people participating in the expedition that I likely wouldn¡¯t remember them even if I had. I¡¯m sorry for your loss, Young Master Wang.¡±


    Wang Meng stared at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back with a frown. Before Jin Fei¡¯er died, she had only managed to gasp out ¡®Yun Ruo¡ª¡¯, from which Wang Meng deduced that the killer was one of the daughters of the Yun family: Yun Ruoyan, Yun Ruoyao, or Yun Ruoyu. The reason that Wang Meng was participating in this trial was to identify who amongst the three suspects was the true culprit for the murder of Wang Kuang.


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t panicked at all during his questioning just then, and Wang Meng¡¯s suspicions of her were temporarily ayed. However, there was still a chance that she was the culprit.


    The next day, the group of almost twenty youths set off early in the morning, finally reaching the Kongming Summit right as the sun set.


    Thest time that Li Mo had brought Yun Ruoyan to look at the Kongming Summit at night from afar, Yun Ruoyan remembered it as a sword that seemed to split the heavens. However, from her current perspective at the foot of the mountain, all she could see was a series of bewildering rock formations and strange, warped trees blocking the way to the summit.


    The further she travelled up the summit, the narrower and more dangerous the mountainous path became. In the end, the party had to dismount and continue on foot, bringing the steeds with them up the perilous path. And when the path finally terminated at a dead end, the group was just starting to get worried when a voice came from above them.


    ¡°Are you students here to participate in the Kongming Academy¡¯s trials?¡±


    The voice was distant yet clear, as if it were both far away and right by their ears.


    ¡°Look there,¡± Yun Moxiao motioned, pointing to a spot in the sky some distance away. There was a green sword hovering in midair, and a white-robed man standing on that sword.


    Because he was too far away, Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t able to make out his appearance or age, but his voice didn¡¯t sound like that of an old man.


    ¡°Elder, we are indeed students here to participate in the trials!¡± Wang Meng replied loudly.


    ¡°Howrge is your group?¡±


    Yun Moxiao was only here to ensure Yun Ruoyan¡¯s safety, and he wasn¡¯t permitted to climb up the mountain. A few members of Wang Meng¡¯s party were also here for a simr reason, and there were only twelve students in all.


    ¡°Hold on for a moment. I¡¯ll arrange transportation between here and the summit.¡± The man put what seemed like a whistle to his mouth, and a clear, ring sound rang through the mountain.


    Apanying that sound were a dozen colorful sword auras emerging from the heavens, each transporting a white-robed adult. Under the crowd¡¯s stupefied gaze, theynded in front of the group of students, forming a straight line.


    The man who had been hovering in mid-air likewisended in front of the crowd, and it was only then that Yun Ruoyan managed to see his face for the first time. He looked to be in his twenties, his hair ck like ink, his face like polished jade, his mien serene and handsome.


    ¡°Reveal your tokens of identification,¡± the man announced.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know what tokens he was referring to, so she looked back at the crowd. When everyone else took out a token simr to the one that Envoy Ding had handed her, she finally realized that that token represented her identity.


    After the man checked everyone¡¯s tokens, he assigned each student to a white-robed adult.


    Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingchen, and Lin Qingxue were assigned to three white-robed women. The woman in charge of Yun Ruoyan had a pretty face, and her sword shone with an orange aura. Yun Ruoyan stepped onto the sword and turned to wave goodbye to Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll send you good news soon!¡± As she waved, the woman slowly rose to the skies.


    ¡°I will. Take care, Ruoyan!¡± Yun Moxiao waved his hand and shouted, not leaving until she was nothing more than a speck in the horizon.


    Yun Ruoyan turned to nce at the woman ferrying her up the summit. Unlike Li Mo, she didn¡¯t rise straight up into the air, but rather followed a spiralling path up the mountain.


    ¡°Miss Immortal,¡± she began.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m no immortal,¡± the womanughed. ¡°I¡¯m your senior, and you can call me Senior Shui Yun.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then, Senior Shui Yun,¡± Yun Ruoyanughed. ¡°Coincidentally, my name also has a ¡®Yun¡¯ in it. I¡¯m Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was a rather charming girl, and Shuiyun became fond of her little junior. As she steered her sword, they had a pleasant conversation. ¡°In that case, your coincidence extends to my entire cohort. All of us have taken on a name with an ¡®Yun¡¯ in it: the eldest senior brother is Ling Yun, the second senior brother is Qing Yun, the third senior sister is Han Yun, and so on.¡±


    The man who had inspected their tokens was none other than the eldest senior brother, Ling Yun. There were thirty members of their cohort, and Shui Yun was fifteenth in rank.


    ¡°Shut your eyes, now. We¡¯re right about to break through the cloud cover,¡± Shui Yun reminded Yun Ruoyan.


    Although Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know why she had to shut her eyes, she followed her senior sister¡¯s advice. Last time, Li Mo hadn¡¯t asked her to do so, so what was the difference this time?


    After shutting her eyes, Yun Ruoyan felt a little dampness all over her body, and the external world seemed to go dark.


    Suddenly, however, Yun Ruoyan felt the warmth of sunlight against her eyelids, as well as a patch of brightness ahead.


    ¡°Senior Shui Yun, may I open my eyes now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan slowly opened her eyes. Although she had already seen Kongming Academy once before, Yun Ruoyan was still astounded by the sight in front of her. There were more than a hundred buildings of all sorts of shapes and sizes, situated around the mountain¡¯s summit in picturesque disorder. The buildings¡¯ rooftop appeared to be made of a ssy material, which glittered and shone in the sunlight.


    Because of how high up they were, Yun Ruoyan felt as though the air were purer, the weather brighter, and even the sun appeared a littlerger. The sun shone above the cloud cover, its golden-red beams diffusing into the clouds and covering everything in a golden sheen.


    ¡°This ce is beautiful! It¡¯s almost as if I¡¯m in paradise¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s even prettier when it starts snowing in winter,¡± Shui Yunughed. ¡°Stand steady now, I¡¯m about tond in the za.¡±


    Shui Yun flew them over a number of buildings beforending in arge za at the center of Kongming Academy.


    When Yun Ruoyan¡¯s feet were on the za ground once more, she suddenly heard the deep tolling of a bell from afar, ringing like a missive from the heavens.


    Yun Ruoyan looked all around her before noticing the origin of the tolling¡ªthe tall tower to which Li Mo had once brought her.

 Chapter 181: Quota

    <h4>Chapter 181: Quota</h4>


    The twelve seniors sessivelynded in the za, and Shui Yun and another white-robed senior led them to rest. The other senior was also a handsome-looking man, but he looked rather severe. Yun Ruoyan heard Shui Yun refer to him as Junior Brother Mo Yun. Perhaps because of his expression, it seemed as though Mo Yun were older than Shui Yun.


    The residences for the male and female students were separated. Shui Yun led Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingchen, and Lin Qingxue to the female residences, whereas Zhuo Yifeng followed Wang Meng and the others toward the male residences.


    The za was built on rather high ground. As Yun Ruoyan and the others left the za, they wound through various gardens growing all sorts of rare and interesting herbs and nts, before finally entering a courtyard designated for the female students.


    As soon as they entered the yard, they saw Yi Qianying and Rong Yueshan surrounded by a gaggle of girls, talking animatedly about something. As soon as they entered, the girls looked toward them. Yun Ruoyan met Yi Qianying and Rong Yueshan''s gaze before turning away and surveying the entire courtyard. It was veryrge, and their cottages were situated in neat, tidy rows. There were about half a dozen cottages avable, most of which were closed.


    ¡°For some reason, there are a lot fewer students present at this time than there werest year. Fewer than half the students admitted have made it so far¡­¡± Shui Yun brought Yun Ruoyan and the others to one of the rooms closer to the south.


    ¡°Senior Shui Yun, we have something to report,¡± Yun Ruoyan began.


    As Shui Yun opened the door to a cottage, she turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°What''s the matter?¡±


    The girls entered the cottage, and Yun Ruoyan revealed what had happened with the horse thieves. Shui Yun''s forehead scrunched up, and she looked severely at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Lin Qingxue replied. ¡°We saw it with our own eyes. If our steeds hadn''t been poisoned, we would have arrived two days earlier.¡±


    ¡°Senior, we wouldn''t lie to you,¡± Lin Qingchen added.


    ¡°I expect most of those students who haven''t yet made it must have had their steeds poisoned to death,¡± Yun Ruoyan added. ¡°This is a serious matter, so please report it as quickly as possible, Senior.¡±


    ¡°Alright. All of you should rest. I''ll report the incident immediately.¡±


    There were exactly three beds in the room. The three girls tidied up andy down to rest. After a few days of travelling and walking, they were all exhausted. Yun Ruoyan very much wanted to take a bath, but that didn''t seem like a wish that would be fulfilled anytime soon. As a result, she could only forget about it.


    As the sun set, a servant appeared bringing food on a pushcart: a simple fare of buns, porridge, and side dishes. The students gathered in front of the courtyard, queueing up for the food. As they did so, Yun Ruoyan noticed that Yi Qianying and Rong Yueshan weren''t present; likely, they had brought their own food.


    After dinner, Yun Ruoyan would normally cultivate. However, given that they were entering the trial tomorrow at noon, Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen were surely a little nervous. Lin Qingxue wore it on her face, and even though Lin Qingchen looked as calm as always, Yun Ruoyan was certain that she had to be feeling a certain trepidation.


    To alleviate their anxiety, Yun Ruoyan initiated a conversation with them. After talking for some time, all three of them began feeling a little sleepy. Right as they were about to doze off, however, Shui Yun nodded on the door to their cottage, stating that someone wanted to talk to Yun Ruoyan. She brought her to a residence some distance away, where she saw a white-haired, hale and hearty elder sitting down waiting for her. Beside the elder stood a white-robed man¡ªthe eldest senior brother, Ling Yun.


    Six more white-robed men and women were gathered by the elder, three male and three female. They were all in their thirties or so, and Yun Ruoyan guessed that they were to be her instructors. Shui Yun introduced the elderly man as their master, Cang Shan, the elder responsible for this year''s student recruitment. As Yun Ruoyan had expected, the men and women sitting beside him were to be the students'' instructors.


    The reason Yun Ruoyan had been called over was to investigate the horse thieves. After Shui Yun made her report in the evening, Ling Yun had personally inspected the route down the summit and indeed found quite a number of parties whose steeds had been poisoned to death. As a result, Kongming Academy had sent out a group of disciples to fetch the remaining parties.


    Yun Ruoyan carefully described what she had seen, including how they had discovered the horse thieves and the sinister result of killing them. However, she didn''t reveal Lin Qingchen''s hypothesis regarding the exact identity of those horse thieves.


    As Cang Shan and the others listened to Yun Ruoyan''s description, their severe expressions became more and more so. Yun Ruoyan overheard whispers of ''medicinal puppets'' and ''pillmasters'', but she kept her head down in silence. After finishing her story, Cang Shan instructed Shui Yun to send Yun Ruoyan back to her cottage, where she heard nothing more for the rest of the night.


    The next morning, after breakfast, the three girls sat in their room making final preparations for the impending trial.


    ¡°It''s the busybodies from that cottage who made the report, giving us all these extrapetitors!¡° A shout in an unfamiliar voice came from outside.


    ¡°Miss Li, my cousin lives in that cottage. What happened?¡± Yi Qianying''s voice rang out.


    ¡°Do you remember encountering some parties who lost their steeds on the way here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what of them?¡±


    ¡°Your cousin wanted to look good, so she reported this to the instructors! As a result, the academy sent disciples all over the Kongming Mountains in search of these other parties, and we ended up with dozens morepetitors!¡± Miss Li appeared to be quite enraged.


    Many of the students who had arrived at Kongming Academy had seen these other parties on foot, but they chose not to report the matter in order to avoid having morepetitors. The personnel from Kongming Academy hadn''t known about the event at all until Yun Ruoyan''s report.


    ¡°My cousin''s always like this, trying to show off and look good in front of her elders. I can''t believe she still hasn''t changed!¡± Yi Qianying stoked her anger.


    ¡°We can''t just let them get away with this. She''ll have to be dealt with sooner orter.¡± Miss Li didn''t seem like a very kind person.


    Lin Qingxue got out of bed.


    ¡°Qingxue,¡± Yun Ruoyanmanded. ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, they''re intentionally saying this outside our cottage! If we don''t go out, they''ll think we''re easy to bully¡­¡± Clearly, their tactic worked very well on Lin Qingxue.


    ¡°Treat them as two rabid dogs,¡° Yun Ruoyan replied calmly. There is something unusual about that Miss Li, though... Last night, when she had made her report to Shui Yun, no one else was present, so how did this Miss Li find out that it was she who made the report? One of the instructors or seniors that had been present had to know the Li family.


    ¡°Do you know of this Miss Li?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to Lin Qingxue.


    Neither she nor Lin Qingchen enjoyed mingling with others, so they were unfamiliar with the other scions of the capital. On the other hand, Lin Qingxue had quite a few other noble friends.


    ¡°No, I don''t.¡± Lin Qingxue was apparently still quite angry. ¡°I encountered herst night in the washroom. Her nose is humongous, and she looks like someone from the Mo kingdom.¡±


    She''s from the Mo kingdom? How unexpected.


    Right before noon, the bell tower began to toll once more, and someone came to the cottages to inform the students to gather at the za. An hourter, more than a hundred students had assembled. Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingchen, and Lin Qingxue stood together. Yun Ruoyan waved at Zhuo Yifeng, whom she had spotted from afar, and pulled him into their group. Once everyone had gathered, Cang Shan stood on stage as he announced the rules for the uing trial.


    ¡°Only twenty participants will be able to pass this trial.¡± When Cang Shan said this, hushed whispers erupted from the gathered crowd.


    ¡°Why are there so few students being admitted this time?¡±


    ¡°In past years, they''ve always admitted at least thirty!¡±


    ¡°Could it be because of the poisoning?¡±


    The fact that there was a quota was intimidating enough, but the unexpectedly low number of students who would pass caused quite amotion. This meant that thepetition would only get stiffer, and the students murmured in dissent.


    ¡°Furthermore, all students must hand over their storage rings and all spiritual weapons of fifth-tier and above.¡±


    The murmurs grew even louder.


    ¡°Why do we have to hand over our storage rings too?!¡±


    ¡°And our spiritual weapons?!¡±


    ¡°Everything I prepared was in my storage ring. If I hand it over, doesn''t that mean that I won''t have anything left?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking, quick¡ªhide some of your valuables on your body!¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡° Ling Yun shouted from beside Cang Shan. Because he''d imbued spiritual energy into his voice, it reverberated through the crowded za, easily putting an end to the hubbub.


    Cang Shan continued, ¡°Because of some peculiar reasons, of the two hundred students that were invited, only one hundred and thirteen have made it to this trial. As a result, after some prolonged discussion with the elders of the academy, we''ve chosen to limit the number of passing students ordingly to ensure the quality of students who ultimately enter Kongming Academy.¡±


    ¡°What? How could this be?!¡± Most present were shocked by this conclusion.


    ¡°I thought that we''d have fewerpetitors... otherwise, I''d have lent a horse or two to those stranded parties¡­¡± someone muttered in vexation.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, this time, some petty people won''t dare to talk badly about us, will they?¡± Lin Qingxue announced loudly. In front of them, Miss Li and Yi Qianying''s backs stiffened as they made a pointed effort to keep looking forward and not turn around.


    To choose only twenty students from one hundred and thirteen meant that ny-three students would ultimately be forced to leave the academy. Thepetition was stiff indeed.


    Cang Shan continued, ¡°Collect as many beast cores and spiritual herbs as you can within the next three days. Based on the quantity and quality of the collected materials, you''ll all be ranked from top to bottom. The top twenty students will pass the trial.¡±

 Chapter 182: Eight-Legged Evil Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 182: Eight-Legged Evil Spirit</h4>


    Cang Shan continued by stating that those who failed the trial had two possible options: first, to leave directly, and second, to remain at Kongming Academy as an external student. So-called ''external students'' simply cultivated on their own while doing odd jobs around the academy, in preparation for taking the trial again in three years'' time.


    Of course, this required the student surviving the current trial; neither the imperial expedition nor the current trial was guaranteed to be safe.


    ¡°¡°Now, the secret realm shall open!¡± Upon hearing Cang Shan''smand, the six instructors behind him began to emit spiritual energy from their hands, forming two door-shaped portals. This was a teleportation gate that would bring the students to the location of the trial.


    The students gathered up in neat rows as they stepped forward, preparing to enter the gate. Shui Yun and Mo Yun were each responsible for one door, and supervised the collection of the students'' storage rings and spiritual weapons. Despite their displeased grumbling, the students had no choice but to hand over all their possessions before receiving a normal steel sword and a storage pouch.


    Miss Li, who was right ahead of Yun Ruoyan, was apparently nning on sneaking some contraband into the secret realm. However, a mirror that Shui Yun held up foiled her ploy. That mirror could detect items imbued with spiritual energy. Miss Li had hidden a high-grade spiritual pill on her body, and the mirror''s surface began to sh as soon as it reflected her image.


    Zhuo Yifeng''s tiger-canine arrows were only fifth-tier, and narrowly passed the examination. Lin Qingchen''s soft sword and Lin Qingxue''s twin daggers weren''t spiritual weapons, and didn''t need to be handed over.


    However, the storage ring that Li Mo had given Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen''s storage pouch were both confiscated.


    Yun Ruoyan retrieved the dagger from her storage ring and strapped it to her leg. While no one was paying her any attention, she removed a few antidotes and spiritual pills from that ring and transferred it to her silver bracelet, judging that the mirror wouldn''t be able to identify it.


    ¡°Remove that spiritual weapon from your possession!¡± Mo Yun suddenly snapped, attracting the crowd''s attention.


    ¡°This is the Pei family''s heirloom spear¡­¡± Pei Ziao held a miniaturized spear in his hands, unwilling to hand it over.


    ¡°You have two choices: hand the spiritual weapon over and enter the secret realm, or leave the academy with your spiritual weapon.¡± Mo Yun''s attitude brooked no dissent.


    ¡°Brother Pei, why don''t you hand your spear over? I''m sure Kongming Academy will take good care of your family heirloom,¡± Wang Meng advised from behind, handing over two yellow jade tablets and a storage ring to Mo Yun, before walking through the gate.


    With no other recourse, Pei Ziao could only hand over his spear and follow in Wang Meng''s footsteps.


    On Yun Ruoyan''s side, Zhuo Yifeng walked through the portal with his bow and arrow, right in front of Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan walked up to Shui Yun and handed her her storage ring. After taking it, Shui Yun held the mirror up in front of Yun Ruoyan. Yun Ruoyan had quite a number of treasures in her possession, and she couldn''t help but be a little anxious that the mirror would be able to detect them. Luckily, the mirror remained inert even after passing over her silver bracelet, causing her to rx. However, as the mirror scanned her neck, it let out a weak, white glow. Only then did Yun Ruoyan remember the serpent-core ne on her neck.


    Yun Ruoyan was about to take it off when Shui Yun interjected, ¡°This isn''t a weapon or a spiritual pill, so you can keep it.¡°


    Shui Yun nodded gratefully at Yun Ruoyan, collected a sword and storage pouch, and then walked through the portal. A startlingly white sh blinded her for a few moments, and she shut her eyes subconsciously. By the time the sh of light dissipated and she opened her eyes once more, a whole new world wasid out in front of her.


    Yun Ruoyan had anticipated that the location of the trial would be in a forested valley like the imperial territory, but she actually found herself in a vast, seemingly endless desert instead.


    She stood on yellow sand, a harsh red sun pulsing in the sky. Rough, warm wind blew against her cheeks, and she felt as though she had suddenly gone from heaven to hell.


    ¡°What on earth? Why did they send us to a desert of all ces?!¡± Clearly, just about everyone else was as flummoxed as she was.


    Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue appeared behind her. Dumbfounded, the two of them looked at a desertndscape that they had never before seen in their lives.


    A sandy dune rose up some distance away, and there were quite a few students trying to climb up for a better vantage point. Those who had already done so cheered and hurriedly rushed over to the other side of the sand dune, as if they had found some miraculous treasure.


    Yun Ruoyan could see Zhuo Yifeng looking at the sand dune in front of her, as though waiting for them to appear. The three girls walked over to Zhuo Yifeng''s side, and the party of four then continued toward the sand dune.


    As they marched onward, Yun Ruoyan saw Yi Qianying, Yun Ruoyao, Rong Yueshan, and the other eight or so members of their party. Wang Meng, Pei Ziao, and their eight-man team was also climbing up the sand dune. Only when Yun Ruoyan''s team climbed up as well did they realize why the other students had been so excited. Not far away from the sand dune were some green, verdant oases, like jade that had fallen from the heavens into the mortal world.


    ¡°They''re beautiful...¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn''t help but murmur, before heading in the direction of one oasis. Most of the students were running toward therger oasis in the west, including Yi Qianying and Pei Ziao. A smaller subset ran toward an oasis to the east, and Yun Ruoyan followed this group of people.


    Minutester, when the four-man party arrived at the oasis, they were shocked by the flora that they had never before encountered. They gazed at the unusual trees and fruits all around them, before hearing more cheers and the sound of sshing water from up ahead.


    Yun Ruoyan and her group headed in the direction of the sound, passing through the forested region and finding argeke of water. By the side of theke, a dozen students were sshing each other with water.


    The scorching heat of the desert made theke particrly tempting to the students, and even Yun Ruoyan could barely resist the temptation to jump in. Just as the four of them headed toward theke, Qiuqiu warned, ¡°Mistress, be careful! There''s a magical beast in the water.¡°


    Yun Ruoyan immediately stopped moving and pulled the other three members of her team back.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, what''s the matter?¡± Lin Qingxue asked. She was feeling hot and sweaty all over, and her throat was almost steaming from the heat. She couldn''t wait to get into the water!


    ¡°Don''t you think it''s too peaceful around here?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked all around her, then at the surface of theke. Except for the students by theke, they couldn''t hear a single sound.


    This really was quite unusual. Given that this was the location of the trial, there surely were plenty of magical beasts lying in wait. In that case, why didn''t the crowd encounter any even within the forests?


    Unless... unless the beasts were hidden in theke!


    The four of them looked at each other, realizing this point simultaneously.


    ¡°Argh!¡°


    Just then, a student at the edge of theke suddenly let out a shrill scream, followed by frenzied yelling. Those students who had been ying around theke, farther from shore, all seemed to be pulled into the center of theke by some unknown force. In the blink of an eye, half of the dozen students who had been by theke had vanished.


    ¡°Run, run! There''s a beast in theke!¡± the remaining half-dozen students yelled out as they tried to escape.


    Quickly following behind them were countless thick, ck tentacles, reaching out for the running students. Four fell prey, and there remained only two lucky survivors. They pulled out their swords and began chopping at the tentacles reaching out for them; faced with resistance, the tentacles retreated, leaving the two lucky students behind. The surviving male and female youth ran toward Yun Ruoyan''s party, their faces pale.


    Yun Ruoyan had seen neither of the two students before. In particr, the female student had a hooked nose reminiscent of an eagle, and appeared to be a foreigner.


    Lin Qingxue told Yun Ruoyan that that was precisely the Miss Li who had been provoking them outside their cottage that morning. Based on her appearance, Yun Ruoyan confirmed that she was indeed from the Mo kingdom.


    The two students only began to rx when they made it to Yun Ruoyan''s party, panting heavily.


    ¡°Who would have expected the Chen kingdom''s water demons to make it all the way to this desert?¡± the male student that Yun Ruoyan didn''t recognize eximed.


    ¡°You''re from the Chen kingdom?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°Do you know the identity of that beast?¡°


    The Chen kingdom was situated right next to the eastern seas, which were infested with all sorts of water demons. Members of the Chen kingdom were thus intimately familiar with such aquatic beasts.


    ¡°Right, I''m from the Chen kingdom. That''s a beast that only appears in deep water, the eight-legged evil spirit. I was really shocked to see it appear in such a smallke, and especially in a desert, no less!¡°


    The youth was trembling as he spoke.


    ¡°This demon''s really frightening. I think we should head to one of the other oases,¡± the Mo kingdom''s Miss Li said. The Mo kingdom was andlocked territory, and even regrnd-based magical beasts were rare around the region. Clearly, the eight-legged evil spirit had scared her half to death.


    Before Yun Ruoyan''s party could say anything, the two of them left.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, what should we do? Should we stay, or should we leave?¡± Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen both looked at Yun Ruoyan. On the other hand, Zhuo Yifeng nced at theke.


    ¡°If we can lure it out, what are your chances of killing it outright?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, turning to Zhuo Yifeng.

 Chapter 183: Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 183: Invitation</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to see what this beast looks like in full before I can be certain,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied. ¡°Based on its tentacles, it has to be rather gargantuan in stature, but even thergest beast has weak points. If we can find these weak points, it¡¯s not impossible to kill such beasts in one shot.¡±


    Back in the imperial territory, Yun Ruoyan had only managed to kill the saber-toothed tiger because she had targeted its weak point.


    ¡°Really, Brother Zhuo? Can you really kill it in one shot?¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s eyes gleamed as she looked fervently at Zhuo Yifeng, her fear of the beast having greatly diminished from before.


    Actually, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t think this supposed eight-legged evil spirit was very frightening, because she could sense that its cultivation wasn¡¯t particrly advanced. The only reason it had managed to kill so many people in one go was because of its sneak attack and because everyone had been momentarily stunned by its frightening appearance.


    After being caught by the feelers, the victims had screamed and run away, without trying to counter the beast at all. The reason these scions from the four kingdoms had passed the earlier trial wasrgely because of their families¡¯ powerful spiritual weapons, not because of their own talent.


    This was why Kongming Academy was so restrictive in terms of enrollment, as well as why their spiritual weapons had been confiscated before entering the secret realm.


    ¡°Since this oasis has a magical beast, the other oases surely will have some too,¡± Yun Ruoyan began. ¡°We only have three days, so it¡¯s not going to be effective to run around all these oases. I think that, if we cooperate, we can probably kill this eight-legged evil spirit.¡±


    Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue, and Zhuo Yifeng all agreed with her words. However, because it had already turned dark and their visibility was dramatically reduced, they decided to take action tomorrow instead.


    With some newfound free time, the party sat down and checked the contents of the storage pouch that they¡¯d picked up before entering the realm. The contents of each pouch was more or less identical: each had two bottles of medicinal pills, one each for external and internal injuries. They were regr spiritual pills, with nothing particrly special about them.


    In each pouch was a map, depicting the various oases and the type and rank of the magical beasts lurking within them. The oasis that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group was in was clearly marked as their of an eight-legged evil spirit, a mid-rank beast.


    Yun Ruoyan began to reflect on her own actions while looking at the map. She should have investigated the contents of the pouch immediately after obtaining it; if not for Qiuqiu¡¯s warning, would they also have rushed into theke?


    They likely wouldn¡¯t have died, but her carelessness had put her entire party into danger. Even those students who had fallen into the beast¡¯s grasp would have survived had they only checked their map beforehand.


    In a ce like this, carelessness could easily kill.


    The pouch contained, in addition to the map and spiritual pills, an illumination device consisting of a tablet iid with some luminescent material. The party huddled together in a circle, illuminating their maps with their tablets as they discussed their n.


    The map indicated eight oases in all, as well as the highest-ranking beast in each one. The oases were each about a kilometer apart, and the one that they were currently at was the smallest and had the weakest beasts.


    One of therger oases apparently contained ¡®snowfield apes¡¯, which rather confused Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party.


    ¡°Don¡¯t snowfield apes live in the icy tundra? Why would they appear in this desert habitat?¡± Lin Qingxue asked curiously.


    None of the others coulde up with a reasonable exnation, and they decided to stay away from that oasis. After all, they would only be here for three days. Even if they killed one such powerful beast daily, they would only have three kills in three days¡ªit wasn¡¯t expedient to focus on beasts that were too powerful or for which they had too little information.


    Their n was to lure out the eight-legged evil spirit with Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingchen, and Lin Qingxue as bait. Zhuo Yifeng would be responsible for killing the spirit from afar.


    After their discussion, they decided to rest. Zhuo Yifeng took the first night shift, and Yun Ruoyan would take the second.


    At the same time, in therge oasis neighboring Yun Ruoyan¡¯s little one, Yi Qianying and Wang Meng were being attacked by a group of magical beasts: about two dozen red, hairy spiders, each about half a man tall. However, despite their scary appearance, they were only low rank.


    Anyone who was a fourth- or higher-rank demaster would be able to take them on with ease. Because Yi Qianying and Wang Meng¡¯s group was ratherrge in number, they managed to dispatch the group of spiders without much effort, though they weren¡¯t worth very much.


    As the sun set, the crowd separated into two groups by ake to rest. Yi Qianying and her team had also discovered the map in their pouches, and also gathered to discuss it. The map showed that their oasis was particrlyrge in size and contained low-, mid-, and high-rank magical beasts. Given theirbined cultivation and the helpers they had with them, it wasn¡¯t a problem for them to deal with mid-rank magical beasts, but they weren¡¯t confident in handling high-rank ones.


    ¡°How about we kill some mid-rank beasts and collect their cores first?¡± a young master proposed.


    ¡°We only have three days, and I doubt we¡¯ll be high up in the ranking if we only kill mid-rank beasts,¡± Yun Ruoyao replied. ¡°Given how many people we have, we should be able to challenge some high-rank ones.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous,¡± the young master replied. From his looks and tone, it was clear that he had rtively little experience fighting. In fact, most of the youths in their team were simrly disadvantaged: most were fifth-rank demasters whose cultivation was a result of insipid training regimes in thefort of their own homes, fortified by a healthy dose of spiritual pills. Few had actualbat experience.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡ªwe just got here, and we¡¯re unfamiliar with the surroundings. Why don¡¯t we start small?¡± The other young masters and misses were clearly in agreement with the safer suggestion.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyao¡¯s goal was victory. She frowned as she looked toward Yi Qianying and Rong Yueshan, only to find that Yi Qianying was looking somewhat absent-mindedly at the group opposite theirs instead. Following her gaze, Yun Ruoyao saw none other than Pei Ziao.


    Really, cousin, it¡¯s unbing to pine after a man who¡¯s clearly uninterested in you!


    ¡°Miss Rong, what do you think?¡± Yun Ruoyao then turned to Rong Yueshan. After all, she had only entered the group halfway; the heart of the team was actually Rong Yueshan.


    Rong Yueshan was inwardly in agreement with Yun Ruoyao, but when she nced at the young masters and misses all around her, she thought for a moment and replied, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so why don¡¯t we rest? We can discuss this more tomorrow.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao wanted to continue voicing an opinion, but she stopped short when she saw Rong Yueshan¡¯s impatient expression. She was starting to have second thoughts about joining Rong Yueshan¡¯s group.


    ¡°Brother Pei, have you noticed that crown prince¡¯s concubine staring at you?¡± In the other group by theke, Wang Meng nudged Pei Ziao.


    Pei Ziao nced at Rong Yueshan¡¯s group and coincidentally made eye contact with Yi Qianying. As he did so, he looked back in disdain¡ªhow disgraceful it was for a married woman to look at him with that sort of gaze!


    Faced with Pei Ziao¡¯s gaze, anotheryer of ice formed over Yi Qianying¡¯s already frozen heart. She didn¡¯t know what she was doing, either; the entire way here, she had repeatedly emphasized to herself to treat him just as she would any other man, but she had still subconsciously turned toward him just now.


    Yi Qianying¡¯s stay at the crown prince¡¯s manor was decidedly unpleasant. Although the crown prince hadn¡¯t married anyone else before her, his manor was filled with all sorts of beautiful women with whom he whiled away the time. She had only seen the crown prince the night of her wedding, when he had been so drunk that he thought she was Yun Ruoyan. After that, she hadn¡¯t seen him once¡ªhe hadn¡¯t even bothered to talk to her about entering Kongming Academy!


    In the crown prince¡¯s manor, she felt as though she were a transparent figure, despite only having married him less than a week ago. If the crown prince were to continue ignoring her, then her life would only get worse and worse.


    As a result, whatever the cost, Yi Qianying had to make it into Kongming Academy.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyao,¡± Yi Qianying pulled Yun Ruoyao aside. ¡°The members of this group are all too weak, and there are so many of them that we won¡¯t be able to get too many beast cores. Why don¡¯t we leave the group and work alone?¡±


    Yun Ruoyao had arrived at the same conclusion.


    ¡°Miss Yun, Concubine Yi,¡± Wang Meng¡¯s voice came from afar, interrupting Yi Qianying and Yun Ruoyao¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°Young Master Wang, is something the matter?¡± Although Yun Ruoyao recognized Wang Meng, she wasn¡¯t familiar with him.


    ¡°I have a proposal for the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Please speak, Young Master Wang.¡±


    ¡°My current group isn¡¯t as prepared as I would have liked. After discussing matters with Young Master Pei, I¡¯d like to form a group with the two of you to hunt some high-rank beasts. Is this something you might be interested in?¡±


    Yun Ruoyao was naturally all too happy to ept, but she still made a reserved expression as she countered, ¡°Young Master Wang, please allow me and my sister some time to think matters through. We¡¯ll give you a response by tomorrow.¡±


    Wang Meng nodded, then returned to his own group¡¯s campsite.


    The reason that Wang Meng was participating in the trial was to get revenge for his dead brother, Wang Kuang, not to enter Kongming Academy. After deciding that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t very suspicious, his next point of action was to test Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying.


    When Jin Fei¡¯er died, she had only mentioned the three Yun siblings. However, Yi Qianying was a fourth Yun sister in all but name, and she might have yed a role as well. He wouldn¡¯t spare anyone who had conspired against his brother.

 Chapter 184: Preparing for the Hunt

    <h4>Chapter 184: Preparing for the Hunt</h4>


    ¡°Brother Wang, what did you talk to them about just now?¡± Pei Ziao hadn¡¯t followed Wang Meng over to talk with Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying, so he was curious as to what they had discussed.


    ¡°I invited Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying to form a group with us.¡± While Wang Meng didn¡¯t hide anything from Pei Ziao, the fact that he¡¯d advanced such an invitation without discussing it with Pei Ziao beforehand made him very ufortable.


    Furthermore, Pei Ziao didn¡¯t want to interact with Yi Qianying more than was necessary. ¡°Why can¡¯t it just be the two of us? What¡¯s the point of inviting them, too?¡±


    This seemingly innocuous question stumped Wang Meng. The advantage of forming a team was to benefit from everyone¡¯s diverse skills, cooperatively take down higher-rank foes, and adventure together in more dangerous locales.


    On the other hand, forming a group was a serious investment of trust: everyone had to be confident that their team members would be there for them in time of need, and that there would be an equitable partition of the spoils.


    Yun Ruoyao¡¯s own cultivation wasn¡¯t too bad¡ªshe was a peak fifth-rank demaster¡ªbut Yi Qianying¡¯s cultivation was considerably lower inparison. Bringing her into the team wouldn¡¯t increase the team¡¯s fighting capabilities, and Pei Ziao couldn¡¯t bring himself to trust Yi Qianying at all.


    Wang Meng¡¯s hesitation left Pei Ziao more and more concerned that there was something his newfound ally was keeping from him. Eventually, Wang Mengughed somewhat embarrassedly. ¡°To tell you the truth, Brother Pei, I¡¯ve been interested in Miss Yun ever since I first met her. I¡¯m trying to take this opportunity to get closer to her.¡±


    Wang Meng¡¯s words were rather surprising to Pei Ziao, but it did serve as a reasonable exnation for his actions. Although Wang Meng and Yun Ruoyao hadn¡¯t interacted with each other in the past, they were a good fit in terms of both appearance and status.


    ¡°Originally, I only wanted to bring Miss Yun along, but Concubine Yi was already paired up with her. I had no other choice but to invite her as well,¡± Wang Meng volunteered, clearly having noticed Pei Ziao¡¯s distaste for Yi Qianying.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected you to be interested in women, Brother Wang.¡± Pei Ziao had messed around with Wang Kuang in the past, but had had rtively few interactions with Wang Meng.


    This time, when Pei Yingxiong found out that Wang Meng would be participating in the trial with Pei Ziao, he had prepared a hefty gift and asked for Wang Meng to take good care of his son. To Pei Ziao, Wang Meng seemed like a studious cultivator who was wholeheartedly focused on pillmaking, so it came as a surprise that he had developed feelings for Yun Ruoyao.


    ¡°Quite honestly, I¡¯m not fond of women in general, but I feel particrly attracted to this Miss Yun,¡± Wang Meng replied, quite politely.


    It was indeed a high honor for someoneuded as a genius like Wang Meng, whom even Pei Ziao¡¯s father himself addressed as ¡®Brother¡¯, to call Pei Ziao ¡®Brother Pei¡¯. Faced with this treatment, Pei Ziao naturally found it difficult to refuse Wang Meng.


    Although Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying hadn¡¯t yet epted his invitation, Wang Meng was quite certain that they would do so. After all, Yun Ruoyao was determined and ambitious, and the group she was currently with was full of useless nobodies. Wang Meng was certain that, by the next day, he would find Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying outside his camp.


    Zhuo Yifeng woke Yun Ruoyan up seemingly not long after she fell asleep.


    ¡°Wake up, wake up,¡± he hissed, his voice low but anxious. ¡°The water demons are trying tounch a sneak attack on us.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sat up immediately. Following Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s gaze, Yun Ruoyan could see a few tentacles extending out of the surface of the water. Those tentacles were slowly extending toward their bedrolls, as though they were trying to sneak up on them.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately jostled Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue awake. By the time they woke up, those feelers were almost by their face. When Lin Qingxue opened her eyes blearily and saw those thick, ck, and sticky tentacles waving right in front of her face, she almost screamed out loud. Yun Ruoyan clutched her mouth and motioned for her to be silent.


    The four of them took out their weapons and stooped where they were, trying to hold their breath and making as littlemotion as possible.


    The surface of theke was smooth and clear, and there was no sign of the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s body. However, as if those tentacles had eyes, they honed in on the location of the four youths without hesitation.


    ¡°Chop!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted loudly as the tentacles finally reached them. Following her orders, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group immediately waved the weapons in their hands, chopping off the tentacles in front of them.


    The thick tentacles spasmed as they fell to the sandy ground. At the same time, a frenzy of bubbles emerged from the bottom of theke, as if theke were boiling. With her steel sword, Yun Ruoyan chopped at the tentacles once more. Clearly enraged, the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s other tentacles rushed toward Yun Ruoyan like whips.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately stepped back, and Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue stepped forward to help defend her from the onught.


    On the other hand, Zhuo Yifeng retreated to the back and cocked his bow, prepared to shoot at the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s head as soon as it was revealed. However, it never did so. Instead, it kept waving around the same few tentacles around Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingchen, and Lin Qingxue.


    Its tentacles were so numerous and long that the paltry amount that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group had chopped off was insignificant, and only hurt the beast a little.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group hadn¡¯t expected how wily the eight-legged evil spirit was: clearly, it had overheard them underwater as they made ns to defeat it.


    That was why it had tried to sneak up on them in the night, but Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group was evidently far more prepared than those youths in the afternoon. Not only did the eight-legged evil spirit fail, it had even been counter-attacked in turn.


    Because of how cautious it was, it never revealed its head. In the end, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group managed to drive it all the way back into theke.


    ¡°Qingxue, don¡¯t keep chasing it!¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately shouted, noticing that Lin Qingxue had been chasing a tentacle almost all the way into theke.


    The evil spirit, being an underwater creature, surely didn¡¯t have night vision. Yun Ruoyan suspected that its tentacles possessed some sort of olfactory organ that could track its prey based on breath and smell.


    As a result, it didn¡¯t have to reveal its body to pinpoint their location.


    If they were to dive into theke at night, the difference in their limited sensespared to the beast¡¯s would prove far too disadvantageous. As a result, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group decided to wait for sunrise.


    As the group stowed their weapons once more, Zhuo Yifeng nced at the still-spasming tentacles on the ground. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have food for tomorrow, at least.¡±


    ¡°What, this?!¡± Lin Qingxue red at the tentacles on the ground. ¡°No, no way! I¡¯m not eating this even if I starve!¡±


    That night, none of them had dared to hunt in the forest because they were unfamiliar with the region, so all of them were still somewhat hungry.


    After the recent fight, Yun Ruoyan became even hungrier, so hungry she couldn¡¯t sleep. As a result, she decided to simply take over Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s shift then, preparing to stand guard for the rest of the night.


    At sunrise, Zhuo Yifeng woke up. He sliced the thick appendages up and skewered them with sharp wooden sticks, thered them with seasoning and spices, and began roasting them over a me. Not longter, the fragrant smell of food began to spread.


    ¡°It¡¯s so fragrant!¡± Lin Qingxue woke up and sat up straight in her bedroll. Even before she opened her eyes, she began sniffing the air with gusto.


    By the time Lin Qingchen woke up, she saw Lin Qingxue with a skewer in each hand, grinning broadly as she scarfed down the tentacles. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t eat the tentacles even if you were starving?¡±


    ¡°Luckily, I didn¡¯t see Brother Zhuo preparing the tentacles for consumption, or I wouldn¡¯t have been able to eat them. Now that they¡¯re just food, however, I can force myself to eat a little.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After breakfast, the group nned out how to kill the eight-legged evil spirit once more. The beast was clearly sly and wily. Afterst night¡¯s failed sneak attack, and after Zhuo Yifeng made a show of preparing the tentacles by theke, it was likely very scared of them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head underwater to lure it out,¡± Yun Ruoyan suggested, ¡°and then Zhuo Yifeng will try to kill it.¡±


    Back in the imperial territory, Yun Ruoyan had even dared to face the high-rank saber-toothed tiger as a fourth-rank demaster. Now that she was seventh-rank, she naturally didn¡¯t fear the eight-legged evil spirit.


    Even if she weren¡¯t able to kill it on her own, it couldn¡¯t threaten her safety.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± the Lin siblings immediately called out in consternation.


    ¡°Although the eight-legged evil spirit isn¡¯t a high-rank magical beast, its main body is underwater. No matter howfortable you are in the water, you still need to breathe. It¡¯ll be really dangerous if you just go down without any preparation¡­¡± Lin Qingxue brought up everyone¡¯s concerns.


    Lin Qingchen and Zhuo Yifeng frowned as they nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a n.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. Her smile was unexpectedly persuasive to the other members of the group¡ªafter all, even in the imperial territory and afterwards, no matter what they encountered, Yun Ruoyan had been able to deal with it with seeming ease.


    Even when they were at their wit¡¯s end, Yun Ruoyan still seemed to make the impossible possible.


    Faced with her air of self-confidence, the remaining three members felt increasingly convinced by her n.


    ¡°Just wait for me to lure it up!¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled once more before diving into the water. As she did so, she immediately put the serpent-core ne into her mouth, allowing her to breathe normally even underwater.


    She pulled out the dagger that Li Mo had sent her and also held it in her mouth, then dove down into the depths of theke. After descending about ten meters, Yun Ruoyan began to see the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s real body, a ck mass almost asrge as a small mountain. Its eight tentacles waved and floated around its body like massive fronds.

 Chapter 185: Shot Dead

    <h4>Chapter 185: Shot Dead</h4>


    Clearly, the eight-legged evil spirit wasn¡¯t expecting a human brave and audacious enough to try to take it on underwater. Yun Ruoyan managed to swim all around the beast¡¯s massive body without being detected, finding that its eight tentacles were evenly distributed around the sides of its main body.


    Furthermore, its skin was shiny and glossy all over, providing a barrier against pration by sharp objects like swords and arrows. However, even the strongest magical beast had its weakness, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s goal now was to find it. Ideally, she would be able to kill it instantly before it even realized the danger.


    After Yun Ruoyan swam to the top of the beast¡¯s body, she finally discovered a glowing red patch on its head. Her eyes brightening, she thought to herself, No wonder it doesn¡¯t dare reveal its head. Its weakness would be obvious onnd!


    If she weren¡¯t wrong, that glowing red patch was likely where its spiritual vortex was located. Unlike humans, magical beasts had such unusual physiology that the location of their spiritual vortices was likewise highly mutable. However, all magical beasts above a certain rank would form a beast core within their spiritual vortex, and the location of that spiritual vortex was a critically weak point for all beasts. If Yun Ruoyan were able to damage the beast¡¯s spiritual vortex, it would be a fatal blow.


    Unlikend creatures, the eight-legged evil spirit didn¡¯t possess any tough bones or hard carapace. Instead, its body was supple and flexible, and only its eight thick, long tentacles proved a rather severe threat.


    Almost without hesitation, Yun Ruoyan swiftly swam toward the beast¡¯s brain. Her sudden movement finally startled the beast, which struggled to open its tworge, vacant eyes as it turned to Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s actions slowed momentarily, but the eight-legged evil spirit only seemed to be more frantic. Its eight tentacles began to wave madly in the air. Although it could sense Yun Ruoyan¡¯s presence, it couldn¡¯t ascertain her exact location. As a defense mechanism, it could only madly wave its eight tentacles around its body, trying to entrap Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body.


    Yun Ruoyan dodged the tentacles lithely, very d for the serpent-core ne that Li Mo had given her. At the same time, she took out and unsheathed her dagger. The current from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s motion left the eight-legged evil spirit in even greater panic, and its eight tentacles began to thresh around so madly that the rest of her group could see the cidke surface begin to fluctuate.


    Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue, and Zhuo Yifeng were all staring fixedly at the surface of theke, worried and anxious.


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Sister Ruoyan emerged yet?¡± Lin Qingxue asked, almost fric. ¡°Isn¡¯t she going to die if she doesn¡¯t breathe for this long?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?!¡± Channeling her anxiety, Lin Qingchen chided at her sister. ¡°Don¡¯t you see how theke surface is moving? Sister Ruoyan must be fighting with the beast underwater by now!¡±


    ¡°Right, she should be back up shortly. Let¡¯s be careful and get ready,¡± Zhuo Yifeng advised.


    Underwater, as Yun Ruoyan got closer and closer to its body, it began to retreat while continuing to wave its tentacles around. One such tentacle suddenly struck at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back, but she used its momentum to propel herself forward all the way to its brain. With both hands on her dagger, she thrust it into the glowing red patch on the beast¡¯s brain.


    Because its head was naturally weakerpared to the rest of its body, and because the dagger in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands was unusually sharp, the dagger sunk almost all the way into the beast¡¯s flesh. However, the de was too short for Yun Ruoyan to kill the beast in one go.


    The severe blow so enraged and pained the beast that it finally began to surface out of the water. It rose up so quickly that Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have time to remove the dagger and run away. Instead, still holding onto the dagger, Yun Ruoyan was carried up all the way to the surface of theke by the eight-legged evil spirit.


    With a great ssh, the beast¡¯s round, massive body finally emerged in front of the shocked party. The humongous wave that resulted caused Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue to take two steps back, but Zhuo Yifeng forged forward instead. His bow was cocked with a tiger-canine arrow, and he was prepared to fire it at any moment.


    As a water-based beast, although the eight-legged evil spirit was a lower rank than the saber-toothed tiger, it was at least twice its size¡ªand the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s body was already quite massive for a magical beast.


    Zhuo Yifeng could barely make out the small figure of Yun Ruoyan by its head, her hands clutching the dagger stuck in the beast¡¯s head and holding on for dear life. She looked like a fluttering leaf, one that was beset by a strong wind and that could fall off at any moment.


    When Zhuo Yifeng noticed the glowing red patch on the beast¡¯s head, he too suspected that it was the location of the beast¡¯s core immediately. Because Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body was in the way, however, he didn¡¯t dare loose his arrow.


    Given Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s transcendent skill at archery, it was very likely he would be able to shoot the arrow into the beast¡¯s head while avoiding Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body, but he didn¡¯t want to take the risk to do so. Yun Ruoyan was also waiting for Zhuo Yifeng to strike, but noticed that no attack was on the way. When she looked down and saw Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bow pointing at her and hesitating, she immediately understood his concern. Clenching her teeth, she released her grip on the dagger, and her small body fell back into theke.


    At the same time, Zhuo Yifeng scrunched up his forehead in concentration and closed one eye, then released his grip on the taut bow.


    The tiger-canine arrow whistled and birthed sparks as it flew toward the glowing red patch on the beast¡¯s head, perfectly striking the center of the patch.


    A deeply unpleasant wail emerged from the beast¡¯s lips, and its body began to thresh around even more wildly. Despite the glowing patch being the weakest spot on the beast¡¯s body, its flesh was so thick that Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s arrow still fell slightly short of its mark.


    Gritting his teeth, Zhuo Yifeng pulled out another tiger-canine arrow. Imbuing it with the rest of his spiritual energy, he pulled the bow taut and released it once more. The arrow flew unerringly into the hole created by the previous arrow, finally breaking through to the beast¡¯s spiritual vortex.


    With a final wail, the towering beast sank into theke¡¯s depths. This wail was so loud that it could easily be heard even from the neighboring oases. To their south, a team from the Chen kingdom had just killed a batch of low-rank magical beasts. They were dismantling their corpses when they suddenly heard the beast¡¯s wail and stopped what they were doing at once.


    ¡°They actually killed the eight-legged evil spirit?!¡± The person who made this exmation was none other than the Mo kingdom¡¯s Miss Li, who had escaped from the oasis that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group was currently situated at.


    ¡°They¡­ they really killed that beast?¡± The young miss from the Chen kingdom, who escaped with Miss Li, sounded equally incredulous.


    ¡°Zhao Xu, who did you say killed that beast?¡± an imposing youth asked that young miss from the Chen kingdom.


    Zhao Xu recounted what she had witnessed yesterday. The youth¡¯s name was Zhao Ming. He too came from the Chen kingdom, and was very familiar with the aquatic beast. It tended to settle in the deep ocean, and would asionally wander to shore and attack humans.


    Such beasts were particrly sly and crafty. Even when theyunched an attack, they would only rely on their eight tentacles, never revealing their true body. As a result, even advanced cultivators had a very hard time killing such beasts underwater. Who was actually able to aplish such a feat?


    In the north, where Yun Ruoyao and Wang Meng were located, Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying had decided to leave Rong Yueshan¡¯s party.


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to leave?¡± Rong Yueshan looked coldly at the duo.


    Yi Qianying remained silent. She was the crown prince¡¯s concubine, and Rong Yueshan was the crown prince¡¯s cousin. Formally speaking, Rong Yueshan¡¯s status was below Yi Qianying¡¯s. However, because Yi Qianying wasn¡¯t the princess consort, and because her original status wasn¡¯t Rong Yueshan¡¯s equal, Rong Yueshan hadn¡¯t much cared for the petite girl.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyao had a superior cultivationpared to the other members of her party, so Rong Yueshan quite valued her.


    ¡°Miss Yun.¡± Before Yun Ruoyao could speak, Rong Yueshan added, ¡°I know that the Yun family and the Rong family aren¡¯t on good terms because of my sister¡¯s past actions, but that feud was caused by your sister, Yun Ruoyan. I, Rong Yueshan, will not begrudge you for your sister¡¯s actions.¡±


    Rong Yueshan¡¯s words really were quite honest: in truth, Rong Yuehong¡¯s belligerent, domineering personality had won her few friends even amongst the other members of her own family, and Rong Yueshan hadn¡¯t had a very good rtionship with her.


    Instead, Rong Yuehong¡¯s death had allowed Rong Yueshan to receive more of Rong Tianling¡¯s attention, so Rong Yueshan held no enmity toward the Yun family, not even Yun Ruoyan.


    However, under Rong Tianling¡¯s orders, she had to find an opportunity to kill Yun Ruoyan and seek revenge for her dead sister. This was a mission that she had to undertake to stabilize her own position in the family, but she had no such quarrel with Yun Ruoyao. Instead, she sincerely wanted her to remain in her group.


    ¡°Miss Rong, teamwork is paramount in a team, but I share a dissenting opinion with most of the other young masters and misses.¡±


    However, Yun Ruoyao had already made up her mind. She continued politely, ¡°Forcing us to remain in the team will undoubtedly sow conflict. Fortunately, Young Master Wang offered us an invitation to join him, and we¡¯ve epted.¡±


    Rong Yueshan frowned. She was rather proud and arrogant in her own right. Since her attempt to retain Yun Ruoyao had failed, she snorted and turned away. ¡°Since the two of you have found yourself a better party, I naturally won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying looked at each other before turning away toward Wang Meng¡¯s party. Just then, a beast¡¯s wail could be heard from afar, causing everyone present to falter.


    ¡°From the sound of that wail, it seems to be a high-rank magical beast. Who could have killed one so quickly?¡± Wang Meng narrowed his eyes as he turned in the direction of the wail.

 Chapter 186: Wanting to Share in the Spoils

    <h4>Chapter 186: Wanting to Share in the Spoils</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s dead, it¡¯s dead!¡± Lin Qingxue yelled excitedly from shore as she tugged at Lin Qingchen¡¯s hand, ¡°Brother Zhuo¡¯s amazing¡ªhe actually shot it dead!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sister Ruoyan?¡± After a momentary burst of excitement, Lin Qingchen then turned to look anxiously at the surface of theke. After she had fallen back into the water, she hadn¡¯t surfaced.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sister Ruoyan? Where is she?¡± After her sister¡¯s reminder, Lin Qingxue also began to survey the surface of theke anxiously.


    ¡°Qingxue, take care of these for me!¡± Meanwhile, Zhuo Yifeng tossed the bow in his hands and quiver on his back to shore. As Lin Qingxue caught the items, she saw Zhuo Yifeng suck in a deep breath as he dove into theke.


    After quite a while, Zhuo Yifeng was still unable to find any trace of Yun Ruoyan. The air in his chest had all but been used up, and he had no other choice but to resurface.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, were you able to find Sister Ruoyan?¡± the Lin sisters asked as one.


    Zhuo Yifeng shook his head, diving back into the water once more. After a few fruitless attempts, he ended up consuming quite arge amount of stamina for nothing.


    Neither Lin Qingchen nor Lin Qingxue were particrly good swimmers, or they would have dived into theke in search of her themselves. However, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s repeated failures implied that she was deep within theke, in a region which Zhuo Yifeng was unable to reach.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, I think you should stop,¡± Lin Qingchen advised, after mulling things over for a long moment. ¡°I suspect Sister Ruoyan¡¯s retrieving the beast core from the eight-legged evil spirit right now.¡±


    After the beast had been shot dead by Zhuo Yifeng, they hadn¡¯t had time to retrieve the beast core before its carcass sank back into theke. The only reason that Yun Ruoyan could have for vanishing was undoubtedly to retrieve the core.


    ¡°Have you guys obtained a high-rank beast core?¡± Suddenly, a female voice emerged from behind the Lin sisters, giving them a big fright. They had been focusing fully on the surface of theke, and hadn¡¯t even noticed when people appeared from behind!


    When Zhuo Yifeng saw strangers approach, he immediately stepped ashore and walked to the Lin sisters¡¯ side. A team of seven or eight were gathered around them, led by a girl d in red. She was the one who had just spoken.


    When Lin Qingchen saw that girl, she recalled Yun Ruoyan vaguely referring to her as Rong Yueshan, the daughter of Rong Tianling. Rong Yuehong¡¯s involvement with Yun Ruoyan and her eventual death had been a rather juicy piece of gossip in the capital. Although neither Lin sister had witnessed the event personally, they had heard about what had happened.


    ¡°Who would have thought that you guys would manage to kill a high-rank beast so quickly?¡± Rong Yueshan¡¯s group encircled the three youths as she walked up to them.


    ¡°Miss Rong,¡± Lin Qingchen began, ¡°what makes you so certain that we¡¯ve killed a high-rank beast?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t hide it!¡± one of the young masters in Rong Yuehong¡¯s group shouted impolitely. ¡°We all heard that beast¡¯s death wail, or we wouldn¡¯t have run over immediately. Quick, show us the core!¡±


    The youth sounded as though he couldn¡¯t wait to take it from them, causing Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue, and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hearts to thump.


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you trying to steal the fruits of ourbor?¡± Lin Qingxue questioned.


    The youth sneered, his intention obvious. Rong Yueshan nced at the three of them and asked curiously, ¡°Where¡¯s Yun Ruoyan? Why don¡¯t I see her?¡±


    None of the three spoke. Rong Yueshan turned back to Zhuo Yifeng. He was wet all over, and had just emerged from theke. As a result, Rong Yueshan turned to theke suspiciously. Could Yun Ruoyan still be underwater?


    That wail had clearly marked the death of a high-rank beast, but neither the beast¡¯s carcass nor Yun Ruoyan were anywhere to be seen. The only unusual feature was theke in front of them, so there could only be one possibility: Yun Ruoyan and the magical beast were both in theke.


    When Zhuo Yifeng and the Lin sisters saw Rong Yueshan turn to theke, they couldn¡¯t help reaching for the weapons on their body. Yun Ruoyan had to be weakened after fighting with the eight-legged evil spirit. After being underwater for so long, she would certainly be easy to take down as soon as she emerged.


    If she were to encounter enemies underwater, it was very likely that she would sumb to them. If Rong Yueshan tried to send some of her group underwater in search of her, they would surely stop them at all costs.


    When Rong Yueshan nced back at their expressions, she became more confident of her conjecture. She stepped forward, and the pale-faced youth followed closely behind her.


    ¡°Yueshan,¡± he called out, his tone intimate.


    As Rong Yueshan turned to look at the youth, he continued, ¡°Are you suspecting that the treasure¡¯s underwater? We have a few members who know a water-rted cultivation technique, so why don¡¯t we have them dive down and investigate?¡±


    Rong Yueshan grinned as her gaze swept over Zhuo Yifeng and the Lin sisters once more. Although their cultivations were all rtively advanced, her side had the numerical superiority. She wasn¡¯t scared of having a direct confrontation.


    ¡°Do you want me to have them dive into theke?¡± the youth asked, clearly waiting for Rong Yueshan¡¯s order.


    Rong Yueshan was just about to reply in the affirmative when she suddenly noticed another group of people heading over.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the eight-legged evil spirit?¡± Zhao Ming¡¯s loud voice came from afar. He was followed behind by Zhao Xu, the Mo kingdom¡¯s Miss Li, and a group of about seven or eight people, just as many as were in Rong Yueshan¡¯s group.


    Zhao Ming¡¯s group consisted mostly of youths from the Chen kingdom, and they had all learned about the terrors of an eight-legged evil spirit from childhood. However, none of them had seen the body of such a beast for themselves. As soon as they heard its death wail, they all ran over curiously.


    ¡°What, are you all trying to share in the spoils too?¡± the pale-faced youth asked directly.


    Zhao Ming hesitated momentarily as he nced at the scene in front of him. There were two teams, one with three people, and the other with eight.


    ¡°That three-man party is likely the one that killed the beast,¡± Zhao Xu murmured softly from behind. Last night, she had seen Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party before departing with Miss Li, so she was quite confident that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group had killed it. ¡°However, they¡¯re missing a member, and the beast¡¯s carcass is nowhere to be seen.¡±


    ¡°That missing person and the beast¡¯s carcass is likely still underwater,¡± Zhao Ming surmised.


    The eight-legged evil spirit would never leave the water; even if it had been killed, no one would be able to bring its massive, waterlogged body onnd. There was only one possibility: someone had dived into theke to strip its carcass.


    And since that person was nowhere to be found, didn¡¯t that mean that everyone still had a chance to obtain the treasure? Zhao Ming had originally only wanted to have a look at the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s body, but now he had be more ambitious. Why would he leave a treasure uncontested right in front of him?


    Without hesitation, he turned toward Zhao Xu. ¡°May I borrow your water-breathing pearl?¡±


    Zhao Xu hesitated for a moment before reacting. ¡°You¡¯re going underwater?¡±


    Zhao Ming nodded. Pursing her lips, Zhao Xu handed over the translucent, pale yellow pearl ne on her neck. Even in the Chen kingdom, such a pearl was a particrly precious object, one which could only be crafted with the beast core of an aquatic beast more than three centuries old by a ninth-rank demaster.


    The former requirement was hard enough to achieve, and thetter was even rarer. There were quite a few forgemasters on the Chenyuan continent, but only a rare few were sixth-rank or higher. Most such forgemasters were fifth-rank and below.


    Zhao Ming thanked Zhao Xu sincerely, and her cheeks took on a faint red tinge. Although they had the same surname and were both from the Chen kingdom, they came from two different families entirely. Zhao Ming had seen the pearl on Zhao Xu¡¯s neck by chance; she blushed because such a pearl could only be used if it was held in the mouth, and to have a perfect stranger suck on an object that had been in her mouth¡­


    ¡°This pearl will only allow you to breathe underwater for an hour,¡± Zhao Xu added.


    Zhao Ming nodded and headed to theke, where two members of Rong Yueshan¡¯s party who were familiar with water-based cultivation techniques were also preparing to head underwater.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, what do we do?¡± Lin Qingxue anxiously turned toward Zhuo Yifeng.


    Zhuo Yifeng was already holding his bow in his hand, and his other hand silently crept toward the quiver in Lin Qingxue¡¯s grasp. The quiver was partitioned in two, half for regr arrows, and half for tiger-canine arrows. In order to make a proper showing of force and dissuade the other two parties from proceeding, Zhuo Yifeng had to use a tiger-canine arrow.


    Just as he was cocking his bow, the pale-faced youth suddenly eximed, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

 Chapter 187: Underwater Mural

    <h4>Chapter 187: Underwater Mural</h4>


    ¡°What¡¯re you trying to do?¡± the pale-faced youth shouted. The question was directed not to Zhuo Yifeng, but rather Zhao Ming.


    The arrow in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hand stilled.


    ¡°What does it matter to you?¡± Zhao Ming¡¯s stature was far superior to the pale-faced youth¡¯s, and he looked back at him with disdain.


    By then, the two members of Rong Yueshan¡¯s team equipped with a water-based technique were already entering theke.


    ¡°Step aside!¡± Zhao Ming became anxious as he saw them dive in. The current situation underwater was unclear, and those who entered theke first would naturally have an advantage.


    The pale-faced youth smiled evilly as he continued standing in front of Zhao Ming. In fury, Zhao Ming raised a fist and hurled it at his body. Because the youth was fast and agile, however, he dodged the telegraphed attack with ease. Rather than continue fighting, Zhao Ming took the opportunity to rush to theke.


    Despite this quick resolution, he was still slower than the two members of Rong Yueshan¡¯s group. Just as Zhao Ming was about to follow them into theke, however, sparks red past his front. Two pained cries rang out as Rong Yueshan¡¯s two divers found themselves skewered by a sparking arrow and fell into theke together. Blood dyed the surface of theke red.


    What had just urred in front of him left Zhao Ming so shocked that he turned back and saw Zhuo Yifeng cocking his bow at him. He immediately used a technique to create two clones in mid-air. All three bodies looked identical, and no one could tell which was his true self.


    Zhuo Yifeng narrowed his eyes. Although he wasn¡¯t able to identify which body was real, he still managed to shoot an arrow at the middle body before itnded in the water. As it faded away, Zhao Ming¡¯s true self sshed into the pool.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Zhuo Yifeng and Rong Yueshan called out together.


    Two members of Rong Yueshan¡¯s team had died, and Zhao Ming had even taken the lead over her team. The prideful Rong Yueshan couldn¡¯t bear such humiliation; she removed three silver darts from her waist and tossed them at Zhuo Yifeng.


    Those silver darts were fourth-rank weapons, barely worse than Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s arrows. Even though they weren¡¯t confiscated, they still possessed significant power.


    Zhuo Yifeng had shot out two arrows in session. Just as he took out the third, Rong Yueshan¡¯s silver darts reached them. He guarded Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen as they retreated, but that gave Rong Yueshan enough time to dive into theke herself.


    Damn, damn! Zhuo Yifeng and the Lin sisters¡¯ faces fell. Yun Ruoyan might have been able to handle Zhao Ming alone, but if Rong Yueshan were also trying to steal the treasure, then she might really be in trouble. Furthermore, given the bad blood between Yun Ruoyan and the Rong family, it wasn¡¯t unlikely that Rong Yueshan would try to do more than just steal the treasure.


    Zhuo Yifeng resolutely handed his bow and arrows to Lin Qingxue once more as he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to head into theke as well.¡±


    When the other two teams by the shore saw their leaders head into theke, they surged forward. The pale-faced youth stared murderously at Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue, as though he were thinking of killing them as revenge for his own teammates.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, or I¡¯ll shoot you!¡± Lin Qingxue held Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bow in her hands as she faced that youth. The tiger-canine arrowheads gleamed in the sunlight, and the death of two of his teammates from a single arrow made the pale-faced youth so fearful that he didn¡¯t dare step forward.


    While the situation ashore reached an impasse, Yun Ruoyan was still underwater. After falling off the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s body in order to give Zhuo Yifeng a clear shot at the beast¡¯s head, she had deftly dodged to the side and watched on as Zhuo Yifeng killed the beast. She was about to head ashore as soon as he had done so, but when she saw the beast¡¯s massive body sinking into theke, she pursued it without having the time to inform the rest of the party.


    The serpent-core ne in her mouth would allow her to breathe for up to four hours underwater, so she wasn¡¯t scared of running out of air. She swam downwards rapidly and eventually reached the beast¡¯s body. As it sank, she dug at the wound on its head with her gleaming dagger. The glowing red light from its head was slowly dimming, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s goal was to retrieve the inner core located there.


    However, it was buried so deeply within the beast¡¯s body that, even with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s entire arm in the beast¡¯s head, she couldn¡¯t feel the presence of a core at all. Instead, her arm felt as though it were encased in a warm, sticky fluid, deeply unpleasant to her senses.


    If they were ashore, it would have been simple to cut the beast¡¯s body up in search of the core. However, she was underwater, and the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s body was still continuing to sink to the depths of theke.


    In the end, she decided to stay on its head and wait for the body to hit thekebed before trying to retrieve the core. She watched as the sunlight striking the surface of theke gradually grew dimmer and dimmer. After an interminable amount of time, when her surroundings had turned almostpletely dark, Yun Ruoyan began to have an uneasy premonition.


    How could they have sunk so deep? She was certain that she had first wounded the spirit at a far higher elevation!


    Regr cultivators would have been unable to bear the tremendous water pressure, but the high-grade serpent core in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mouth alleviated this burden. Even in the deep ocean, she would be able to breathe with ease, so she didn¡¯t feel difited at all.


    However, her gradually dimming surroundings left the careful Yun Ruoyan quite concerned. Would there be other such creatures in theke, and would they be attracted to the beast¡¯s carcass?


    Under these circumstances, the most logical choice of action was to give up on the beast core and swim back ashore. But do we really have to give up on the spoils for killing this beast? Even the decisive Yun Ruoyan was beginning to waver.


    Before she coulde to a conclusion, the beast¡¯s body finally sank to the bottom of theke with a thump. The massive carcass caused a plume of mud, silt, and sand to erupt. Yun Ruoyan buried her head against the beast¡¯s thick skin, preventing herself from breathing in any impurities.


    After the mud and sand finally settled, Yun Ruoyan raised her head once more. It was dark all around her; although it wasn¡¯t to the point where she couldn¡¯t see her fingers in front of her, she was barely able to look three paces into the distance.


    Yun Ruoyan took out a beast core from her silver bracelet. The small core only provided the weakest of light, and wasn¡¯t effective at illuminating whatever was in the distance.


    ¡°Qiuqiu,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    ¡°Mistress, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu, find me the brightest beast core I have in my pocket dimension!¡±


    There were now so many things stored in her silver bracelet that Qiuqiu was much more familiar with the space than she was.


    At the same time, Yun Ruoyan began taking out the weakest beast cores she had and tossing them into the distance. Despite their weak illumination, the sheer quantity of such cores meant that she was barely able to see her surroundings after some effort.


    Yun Ruoyan nced all around her. Along with the eight-legged evil spirit, she had sunk to a location bordered by stone walls. The walls were covered by a thickyer of seaweed and algae, and their original appearance couldn¡¯t be made out.


    ¡°Mistress, I found the beast core of a medicinal rabbit,¡± Qiuqiu suddenly remarked.


    ¡°Alright, hand it over!¡± Yun Ruoyan had obtained that beast core within the imperial territory, and she had kept it in her bracelet ever since. It was a far superior light sourcepared to the other beast cores she had, and was able to illuminate a whole patch of area by itself.


    Although Yun Ruoyan had a serpent-core ne and didn¡¯t need to worry about air, her long disappearance would surely cause Lin Qingchen and the others to be concerned. As a result, she didn¡¯t want to waste any more time than was necessary. With the medicinal rabbit¡¯s beast core guiding her, she immediately began hacking at the beast¡¯s thick flesh with her dagger.


    After some effort, Yun Ruoyan managed to part the thick flesh and to finally pull out the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s beast core. It was about the size of a baby¡¯s fist, and it shone with a gleaming red light. The moment that it emerged from the beast¡¯s body, the red light illuminated the space in which Yun Ruoyan was located.


    ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s something wrong with this ce!¡± Qiuqiu eximed, its tone severe.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Ruoyan kept the medicinal rabbit¡¯s beast core and began using the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s core for illumination instead.


    ¡°Mistress, check out your surroundings!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had been excited about finally retrieving the beast core, but given Qiuqiu¡¯s adverse reaction, she couldn¡¯t help being more concerned about her current plight.


    When Yun Ruoyan looked at her surroundings once again with the near-dazzling light of the core, she found that the stone walls formed a perfect square about seventy or eighty feet wide around her and the beast¡¯s carcass.


    Under Qiuqiu¡¯s advice, she held out the core in her hand as she swam up to a stone wall. With one hand, she began clearing away the seaweed and algae on the wall, revealing its original appearance. As Yun Ruoyan looked at the unveiled sight in front of her, her eyes opened wider and wider...

 Chapter 188: Underwater Battle

    <h4>Chapter 188: Underwater Battle</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan originally thought that those stone walls were just ordinary stone walls. However, as she wiped away the silt, algae, and seaweed that had gathered on the walls over long periods of submersion, she discovered carved protrusions on their surface.


    These protrusions gradually took the shape of a dragon¡ªno, not just a single dragon! On this one segment of wall alone, Yun Ruoyan found a dozen dragons in different shapes and sizes. The carvings looked so realistic that it almost felt as though they woulde to life at any moment. When Yun Ruoyan stared into the eyes of one such dragon, it almost seemed to twitch.


    ¡°Mistress, leave this ce now! Now!¡± Qiuqiu yelled out in shock.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Qiuqiu?!¡±


    ¡°Mistress, this is a dragon¡¯s grotto. It¡¯s a particrly dangerous location, and we have to leave at once.¡±


    ¡°What dragon grotto? Why haven¡¯t I ever heard of anything of the sort?¡± Despite Yun Ruoyan¡¯s confusion, Qiuqiu¡¯s fearful expression was more serious than anything she had ever seen from it, and she began swimming upward.


    As she did so, Yun Ruoyan found that the four stone walls were each about a dozen feet tall, forming arge recess on thekebed. Coincidentally, the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s carcass had sunk into the recess.


    As Yun Ruoyan left the area, her surroundings once again became permeated with sunlight. Caught by her curiosity, however, she couldn¡¯t help turning back to the deep, dark grotto she had just left behind. She suddenly felt as though there were countless blood-red gazes fixed on her, as well as an existence calling out for her.


    A deep, distantment seemed to emerge from the grotto, and red eyes seemed to appear and disappear in the darkness. Yun Ruyoan rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn¡¯t seeing an illusion.


    ¡°What a frightening aura!¡± Qiuqiu gasped. ¡°Mistress, you have to leave at once!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s momentary trance was broken by Qiuqiu¡¯s agitated shout. She hurriedly shifted her gaze and began swimming for her life toward the surface of theke, no longer daring to turn back. In the darkness, the countless red eyes continued to sh, and that balefulment turned even colder and more vengeful.


    Back on shore, Lin Qingchen¡¯s ancient snake ring suddenly turned hot, and she couldn¡¯t help shifting her attention from the surface of theke to her ring. To her shock, the two beady eyes on the snake carving on her ring were shing red.


    By the time Lin Qingchen held her ring to her eyes to have a closer look, the red sh had vanished. Under usual circumstances, she would certainly have considered what had happened more carefully, but her attention was now fully focused on Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng.


    Bubbles emerged from theke as Zhuo Yifeng and Rong Yueshan breathed out. As for Zhao Ming, he had already dived deep into theke with his pearl, and Zhuo Yifeng knew that he couldn¡¯t stop him. All he could do was try his best to stop Rong Yueshan from following suit.


    Rong Yueshan¡¯s lung capacity and cultivation were an even match for Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s, and the two of them had already exchanged tens of blows in the meantime. Although neither of them could defeat the other, they could at least hold each other back.


    As Yun Ruoyan rushed up to the surface, she met Zhao Ming midway. Zhao Ming had stopped because of the unusual soundsing from deep within theke, only to find a girl rushing up from the depths.


    Because she was still affected by the unusual encounter at the bottom of theke, Yun Ruoyan was so distracted that she had forgotten that she was still holding onto the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s beast core. By the time she saw Zhao Ming and reacted, it was toote.


    Zhao Ming¡¯s eyes shone as he saw the beast core in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands. Even if he hadn¡¯te to the scene with the intention of stealing the treasure, the earlier fight and the fact that it was right in front of him had changed his mind.


    The role of this trial was to separate the wheat from the chaff, and fighting and stealing were both considered means to this end. Even killing other students outright wasn¡¯t prohibited. As a result, the students who entered the trial preferred to fight and steal from other students than from the beasts themselves, because it would both benefit them and hurt their opponents.


    For example, if one team were able to defeat a high-rank beast, then other teams only had two means to catch up: first, to kill two such beasts while preventing that first team from making any further progress, or second, to steal that team¡¯s beast core and handily surpass their standing.


    The first method was clearly far harder than the second, though the second method did requiremensurate skill.


    As Zhao Ming saw the beast core in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands, he immediately began to swim toward her.


    Yun Ruoyan sneered as she saw the strange youth rushing in her direction. While she could summon the Fei de to kill him immediately without anyone¡¯s knowledge, she was reminded of Qiuqiu¡¯sment that she needed a life-and-death battle to advance to eighth-rank.


    After storing the beast core in her storage pouch, she unsheathed a dagger from her leg, held it in front of herself, and looked straight at her opponent ahead. Zhao Ming clenched his fists tightly as he prepared to give her a blow. Deep underwater, neither party could talk, but their battle intent was clearly expressed with their gaze alone.


    Zhao Ming was the first to strike. Despite the encumbrance of the water, the energy-imbued punch still had significant power. The force of the punch manifested as bubbles rushing in her direction, and Yun Ruoyan immediately dodged aside.


    Although the bubbles didn¡¯t look as though they could contain significant power, one set of bubbles hit a shoal of fish that had gathered nearby. With a dampened explosion, those fishes immediately burst into a bloody mist.


    ¡°Mistress, this youth¡¯s not holding back at all. You have to be careful.¡±


    Zhao Ming was a seemingly peaceful sort who even appeared friendly and righteous at first nce. However, this was only to people he considered his allies. To others, he was ruthless; if he chose to strike, he would do it with the intention to kill.


    After all, if he were to steal Yun Ruoyan¡¯s beast core, the other party surely wouldn¡¯t let him be. Instead of a prolonged affair, it would be better to deal with her once and for all.


    Zhao Ming immediately sent out another punch, then another, and another. The bubbles rushed in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s direction, burying her figure in a surge of bubbles. Only then did Zhao Ming stop attacking. The moment he did so, those bubbles began to burst in her vicinity.


    Zhao Ming smiled: he had lived by the seaside ever since his childhood, and this special attack was a unique skill that he¡¯d honed for half his life. In the water, such an attack could even kill an adult shark, let alone a mere human!


    He naturally thought that Yun Ruoyan would suffer the same fate. Shockingly, however, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body emerged unscathed. Her arms were crossed in front of her face, shielding her from the blow; her hair hade loose in the attack, and was haloed all around her face.


    A formidable fighting aura emerged from Yun Ruoyan.


    How could it be?! Zhao Ming nced at the girl in front of him and the barely visible spiritual barrier surrounding her. Forming such a barrier required peak eighth-rank cultivation, but Zhao Ming could tell that Yun Ruoyan was only peak seventh-rank!


    Zhao Ming had only just be a peak seventh-rank cultivator himself. It was because their cultivation levels were near-identical that Zhao Ming had attacked so relentlessly without giving Yun Ruoyan a chance to breathe, hoping to ughter Yun Ruoyan before she had a chance to turn the tables on him. What he hadn¡¯t expected was for her to condense a spiritual barrier to shield herself from his lethal attack.


    In truth, Yun Ruoyan had experienced quite a crisis. She had been intending on surviving the attack with her own cultivation, but when the first bubble exploded, it had knocked her hair and gauze patch loose. Not daring to risk her safety, she immediately used the bracelet¡¯s power to temporarily bring herself to eighth rank, then used her whole body¡¯s spiritual energy to condense a barrier against the exploding bubbles.


    ¡°This is impossible!¡± How could she have broken through while subject to such a bombardment of attacks?!

 Chapter 189: Instigation

    <h4>Chapter 189: Instigation</h4>


    Zhao Ming¡¯s blows caused quite arge stir even on the surface of theke. Even though the other bystanders had no idea what was going on, those youths from the Chen kingdom could tell that they were the aftermath of Zhao Ming¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Look, these are signs of our leader¡¯s famed iron-fist bullets!¡± one rather chubby youth shouted excitedly. ¡°They¡¯re strong enough to kill even a shark. No matter who else is in the water with him, that unfortunate victim must be dead!¡±


    As the chubby youth chuckled, the other members of Zhao Ming¡¯s team began tough along with him.


    ¡°Nonsense! Sister Ruoyan will be perfectly fine!¡± Lin Qingxue was both angry and anxious.


    The chubby youth continued mocking Lin Qingxue. ¡°Your Sister Ruoyan¡¯s dead, I¡¯m telling you! Hahaha!¡±


    Lin Qingxue was still holding Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bow taut as she nced vigntly at the other two teams waiting ashore. However, her stamina was giving out, and she didn¡¯t think she would be able to maintain her stance for much longer. The chubby youth had so angered her that her fingers couldn¡¯t help trembling, and she identally shot a tiger-canine arrow at him.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Not expecting the sudden attack, the youth was unprepared for the projectile shooting at him. He let out a sudden yell as he fell backwards, only to be caught by another member of his team.


    This arrow was aplete ident. Lin Qingxue hadn¡¯t aimed it at all, so the arrow only shot into the chubby youth¡¯s shoulder. Even though the injury wasn¡¯t particrly serious, it was quite painful. The youth continued to yell out incessantly, ncing at Lin Qingxue with extraordinary resentment as he did so.


    ¡°That was for talking nonsense.¡± Lin Qingxue took advantage of the ident and pretended that her attack was intentional. ¡°The first arrow¡¯s just a warning shot. If you continue bbering away, I¡¯ll shoot your head next.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not speaking nonsense! You want to bet? I bet your Sister Ruoyan¡¯s just a corpse in theke now!¡± As one of his teammates helped him clean his wound, the chubby youth continued bickering with Lin Qingxue.


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯re we betting?¡± Lin Qingxue could never keep her calm.


    ¡°Heh heh. If your sister¡¯s dead, then you lose! You have to swear that you won¡¯t try to avenge her, and you have to kneel down, kowtow to me thrice, and call me Granddaddy!¡±


    ¡°And if I win?¡±


    ¡°If our leader can¡¯t kill your sister, then it¡¯s my loss! In that case, I¡¯ll kneel down and kowtow to you thrice, and call you Great-Aunt!¡±


    Lin Qingxue thought for a moment. ¡°And what if Sister Ruoyan kills your leader?¡±


    The chubby youth began to cackle again. ¡°That would never happen!¡±


    In theke, Zhuo Yifeng and Rong Yueshan overheard the chubby youth¡¯s conversation with Lin Qingxue. They both stopped attacking each other, took a deep breath, and dove deep into theke. Zhuo Yifeng was solely worried for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s safety, but Rong Yuehong was both interested in the high-rank beast core and in somehow iming credit for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s death to report back to Rong Tianling.


    About twenty meters down, both of them saw Zhao Ming and Yun Ruoyan, about ten meters apart from each other. Zhuo Yifeng rushed toward Yun Ruoyan immediately. Rong Yueshan narrowed her eyes when she saw the glimmering spiritual barrier surrounding Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body, her heart thumping in shock. How could Yun Ruoyan be a peak eighth-rank demaster?! If that were indeed the case, then as an early seventh-rank demaster, there was no way she would be able to kill her!


    However, before she entered Kongming Academy, Rong Tianling hadmanded her to kill Yun Ruoyan no matter what.


    If she weren¡¯t able to kill her herself, could she get some external help? Rong Yueshan¡¯s gaze turned to Zhao Ming, and an idea sprang up in her mind. After all, Zhao Ming had had a conflict with the pale-faced youth in her party, and this would be her revenge. She slowly swam toward Zhao Ming¡¯s body.


    Zhao Ming was still in shock at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sudden ¡°breakthrough¡±, and didn¡¯t notice anyone sneaking up to him at all.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw Zhuo Yifeng swimming toward her, she motioned at him from afar and waved her dagger at Zhao Ming, motioning for them to attack him together. Zhao Ming¡¯s rapid-fire attacks had likely consumed the majority of his spiritual energy, and it was her time to take the offensive.


    However, just as Yun Ruoyan was about to strike, she noticed Rong Yueshan approaching Zhao Ming from behind. In her hands was a gleaming dagger, about the same size and shape as the one in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s instincts told her that Rong Yueshan was about to attack. Although she wasn¡¯t quite sure what exactly her n was, she still subconsciously motioned to Zhao Ming¡¯s back.


    When Zhao Ming saw Yun Ruoyan making a gesture at him, he didn¡¯t react immediately. By the time he turned around suspiciously, Rong Yueshan¡¯s dagger had struck at and sliced through his throat, causing dark-red blood to gush out of the wide gash.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s eyes widened. Rong Yueshan and Zhao Ming didn¡¯t seem to have anyrge enmity, and such casual, indiscriminate violence and ughter was rare even amongst the beastkin.


    Zhao Ming opened his eyes and mouth wide in disbelief. A small pearl fell out of his mouth and sank to the bottom of theke.


    Rong Yueshan smiled maliciously at Yun Ruoyan, discarded the dagger in her hand, and kicked Zhao Ming¡¯s body down to propel herself up as she rushed back to the surface. Zhao Ming¡¯s throat and windpipe had both been cut, so he couldn¡¯t consume a life-saving spiritual pill even if he had one.


    Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng hurriedly returned to the surface behind Rong Yueshan. Neither gave Zhao Ming a second nce, even as they passed by his side. Just like a wooden puppet, Zhao Ming¡¯s corpse sank to the bottom of theke, coincidentallynding in the dragon¡¯s grotto that Yun Ruoyan had uncovered.


    Just as Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng were about to broach the surface of theke, the balefulment of a dragon came from the underwater grotto again, and Yun Ruoyan looked down once more. That nce filled her with fear: the darkened grotto had somehow filled with mes, and countless ck dragons were dashing out of the mes and wailing.


    The wails grew louder and louder, stabbing into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eardrum like needles. They possessed an unusual resonance that beckoned to Yun Ruoyan, so that even as she painfully clutched her head, her body began to swim back down toward the grotto.


    ¡°Not good¡ªthe grotto¡¯s been stained with human blood, and its baleful aura is spreading!¡± Qiuqiu could feel Yun Ruoyan¡¯s confused state of mind and was extremely anxious. ¡°Mistress, wake up! Don¡¯t be controlled by this aura!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng was swimming right in front of Yun Ruoyan. When he noticed that she wasn¡¯t following behind him, he turned back around and saw to his shock that she was swimming back down. Even though he was almost out of air, he turned around and swam in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s direction.


    On the other hand, Rong Yueshan had emerged to the surface once more. As she swam quickly to shore, she called out toward Zhao Ming¡¯s team, ¡°Run, run! Yun Ruoyan killed your leader, and she¡¯sing to kill you all now!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± The chubby youth stared at Rong Yueshan in disbelief. ¡°What did you say happened to our leader?¡±


    The pale-faced youth helped pull Rong Yueshan ashore. She pretended to be frightened as she continued yelling, ¡°Your leader was trying to steal Yun Ruoyan¡¯s high-grade beast core and ended up killed. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s a vicious girl, and she¡¯ll likely target all of you as well as soon as she gets out of theke! Run!¡±


    ¡°Well, fatso?!¡± It was Lin Qingxue¡¯s turn to be conceited. ¡°I told you your leader would die at my sister¡¯s hands, didn¡¯t I? Well? Kneel down, kowtow, and call me Great-Aunt!¡±


    ¡°Call you Great-Aunt?!¡± The chubby youth¡¯s face turned dark before he bellowed, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you in revenge right now!!!¡±


    The chubby youth had a speed unbefitting his girth. He pounced on Lin Qingxue like a leopard. Although she shot an arrow at him, he dodged it agilely in mid-air. By the time Lin Qingxue reached for another arrow, his chubby body had reached Lin Qingxue.


    Lin Qingchen, standing right beside her sister, immediately unsheathed her sword and thrust it at the youth, who defended with a sharp sword that one of his teammates tossed at him.


    The other youths from the Chen kingdom all rushed up to attack the Lin sisters together. Unlike Rong Yueshan¡¯s team, which consisted almost entirely of scions from the capital who had been coddled from birth and had almost no fighting strength at all, the team from the Chen kingdom was rtively skilled.


    Their leader, Zhao Ming, was a peak seventh-rank demaster, just like Yun Ruoyan. The chubby youth was a sixth-rank demaster, possessing a cultivation slightly more advanced than Lin Qingchen. The remaining youths weren¡¯t too weak themselves, each having about the same cultivation as Lin Qingxue.


    Lin Qingchen clearly wouldn¡¯t be able to defend against the chubby youth¡¯s attack for long. As he mmed his sword down on her and she tried valiantly to defend, her sword was knocked away from the impact.


    As for Lin Qingxue, after she managed to shoot two other members of the Chen kingdom team, her bow was grabbed by a number of youths at the same time.


    ¡°Let go!¡± they shouted together.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡± Lin Qingxue shouted back.


    <hr>


    1. Even among animals, humans have a surprising propensity to kill their own kind. And even among humans, wuxia cultivators clearly take the cake.


    2. Dead bodies initially sink as their lungs fill with water. Then, as the bodies dpose, bacteria in their gut create gas, causing them to float once again.

 Chapter 190: Taken Away

    <h4>Chapter 190: Taken Away</h4>


    ¡°If you don¡¯t let go, we¡¯ll kill you!¡± The youths from the Chen kingdom continued duking it out with Lin Qingxue for Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bow, having experienced its lethality firsthand.


    ¡°Over my dead body!¡± Lin Qingxue continued clutching the bow tightly. Zhuo Yifeng had given it to her, and she knew how important it was to him.


    ¡°Alright, you asked for it!¡± One youth pulled out a sharp sword and thrust it at Lin Qingxue¡¯s wrist. Despite her pained yelp, she refused to let go. The blood dripped down her wrist and onto the bow.


    ¡°You fool, let go!¡± Lin Qingchen shouted, seeing what her sister was up to. Her sword had been knocked away, so she could only tussle with the chubby youth with her bare hands.


    ¡°Keep hitting her until she lets go!¡± The youths from the Chen kingdom were all vexed by Lin Qingxue¡¯s stubbornness. The sword-wielding youth who had already cut one of her wrists now sliced at the other, but Lin Qingxue gritted her teeth and refused to yell out in pain.


    Having lost her weapon and her concentration, Lin Qingchen was finally subdued by the chubby youth. He held a sword up against her neck and yelled out fiercely, ¡°I¡¯ll kill both of you in revenge for our leader!¡±


    ¡°How can you be certain that Rong Yueshan¡¯s telling the truth? You haven¡¯t seen anything with your own eyes! What if your leader¡¯s just fine and dandy underwater¡ªand what if someone¡¯s just trying to turn us against each other?¡±


    The chubby youth couldn¡¯t help turning suspiciously to Rong Yueshan.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you! I saw Yun Ruoyan kill your leader with my own eyes. She¡¯s an eighth-rank demaster, and she used a spiritual barrier to block his attack. Then, she swam up to him while he was weakened and sliced his throat open with a dagger! His body fell into the depths of theke.¡±


    Rong Yueshan¡¯s words so angered the Chen kingdom team that their faces were all flushed and tinged with red.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head down and retrieve the leader¡¯s body,¡± a skinny youth volunteered.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± Rong Yueshan eximed. ¡°Yun Ruoyan can also breathe freely underwater, and she¡¯s still in theke. What if she¡¯s waiting for you to go in so she can deal with you more easily?!¡±


    ¡°Well, then what?¡± the chubby youth yelled out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have hostages? Just kidnap them, wait for Yun Ruoyan to emerge from theke, and negotiate with her,¡± Rong Yueshan opined. ¡°They¡¯re all clearly good friends with each other, so you¡¯ll definitely be able to get her to retrieve your leader¡¯s corpse from theke. No, you can even ask for the high-grade beast core too!¡±


    The Chen kingdom team murmured assent at Rong Yueshan¡¯s suggestion. They decided to bring Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue away for the moment, leaving just a single person behind to inform Yun Ruoyan about their offer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay,¡± Zhao Xu said. While she and Zhao Ming were both from the Chen kingdom, they had no rtion with each other and hadn¡¯t known each other for a long time. Despite this, however, she felt a faint sense of goodwill toward him, or she wouldn¡¯t have lent him her precious pearl.


    She was rather upset and confused by his sudden death. Zhao Ming¡¯s cultivation was very highpared to his peers, and he was skilled at underwater battles. How did he die so easily, especially with her pearl in hand?


    As a result, Zhao Xu was rather suspicious of what had really happened underwater. As an outsider, however, her words wouldn¡¯t mean much, and she didn¡¯t want to draw undue attention. Instead, she would stay behind in an attempt to figure out what had actually happened.


    ¡°Zhao Xu, you can¡¯t stay¡ªafter all, we¡¯re not with this team.¡± Miss Li tugged on Zhao Xu¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you should leave with them first.¡± Zhao Xu looked at Miss Li before turning back to the Chen kingdom team. ¡°Since I¡¯m not from your group, it¡¯s best for me to stay behind as the messenger. Yun Ruoyan likely won¡¯t be as furious at me than at you guys.¡±


    ¡°In that case, sorry to trouble you, Miss Zhao,¡± the chubby youth said, before bringing the Lin sisters away with his group.


    ¡°She still won¡¯t let go of the bow!¡± the sword-wielding youth yelled out in frustration. Even after he had sliced and cut at both her wrists, she stubbornly held onto the bow. Although the injuries weren¡¯t critical, a considerable amount of blood had dripped down her hands and bow. It seemed as though she really wouldn¡¯t let go even if she were to die.


    ¡°Qingxue, are you alright?¡± Lin Qingchen looked at her sister¡¯s stubborn expression with care and fury. Turning to the chubby youth, she eximed, ¡°If my sister¡¯s hurt in any way, none of you guys will get a thing!¡±


    ¡°Leave it,¡± the chubby youth finally announced. ¡°Let her take the bow with her.¡±


    Clearly, the chubby youth was now the leader of their team.


    ¡°This Yun Ruoyan is devious and has an advanced cultivation, so we should work together to take her down,¡± Rong Yueshan suggested.


    The chubby youth wasn¡¯t familiar with Yun Ruoyan, and the rest of Rong Yueshan¡¯s team was too weak to pose a threat to them. As a result, he agreed to form a temporary alliance with Rong Yueshan in order to deal with Yun Ruoyan.


    The Chen kingdom team brought Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen back to the oasis that they were originally in, and Rong Yueshan¡¯s team followed them there. Miss Li was somewhat flustered when Zhao Xu stubbornly insisted on staying put. Zhao Xu had had her own team, but because she got along well with Miss Li, she would frequently join Miss Li¡¯s team instead. In the end, she had ended up separated from her own team and had stayed with Miss Li¡¯s team.


    However, caught unaware by the eight-legged evil spirit, Miss Li¡¯s team had all perished save for Miss Li herself. She had initially nned on finding Zhao Xu¡¯s original team with her, but now that Zhao Xu had insisted on staying behind, she didn¡¯t feel good about leaving her by theke alone.


    ¡°You should leave with them,¡± Zhao Xu advised. ¡°I¡¯ll head over to find you immediately after I tell Yun Ruoyan about what happened. Then, we can go find my brother¡¯s team together.¡±


    Miss Li nodded and walked off with the Chen kingdom team.


    Zhao Xu stood alone by theke as she stared at its peaceful, tranquil surface.


    Within theke, Yun Ruoyan found herself uncontrobly swimming downward into the dragon¡¯s grotto. Zhuo Yifeng rapidly caught up to her and noticed that her eyes were vacant, as if she had been possessed. By that time, Zhuo Yifeng was almost entirely out of air, and he tried to drag Yun Ruoyan back to the surface with him.


    However, Yun Ruoyan refused to stop swimming downward. She did so with such strength that Zhuo Yifeng had no other choice but to knock her unconscious before finally heading up once more. By the time Zhuo Yifeng broached the surface, he was panting heavily, as if his lungs were about to burst. When his head finally stopped spinning, he noticed how quiet his surroundings were. Where had everyone else gone?


    Zhuo Yifeng looked all around him. There was only one girl left on the once-crowded shore, looking steadily at him.


    Zhuo Yifeng recognized her face, but he didn¡¯t know who she was. Regardless, his top priority at the moment was to bring Yun Ruoyan ashore, then figure out what had happened to her.


    When Zhao Xu noticed the duo emerging from the water, she walked closer to theke. As the two stepped ashore, she walked about two feet away from them and said, ¡°I¡¯m here with a message from the others.¡±


    Zhuo Yifengy Yun Ruoyan down on rather t ground, inspected her body for injuries, and checked if she was still breathing.


    ¡°She¡¯s alright,¡± Zhao Xumented. ¡°She has a pearl ne too, so she won¡¯t have trouble breathing underwater.¡±


    It was only then that Zhuo Yifeng seemed to register Zhao Xu¡¯s presence. He turned back to look at her calmly. ¡°Whose message are you transmitting, and what¡¯s the message?¡±


    ¡°ording to Rong Yueshan, the Chen kingdom team was killed by Yun Ruoyan. As a result, they took away your twopanions and are intending to ransom them for their leader¡¯s corpse and the high-grade beast core you just obtained.¡± Zhao Xu paused, then continued, ¡°Did you really kill Zhao Ming?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng replied calmly, ¡°He¡¯s dead, but not by our hand. Does she look like she just killed someone?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng pointed at the unconscious Yun Ruoyan. Her hairy haphazardly around her head, covering half her face. Because of how long she¡¯d been underwater, her face was pale and stark-white under the sunlight.


    The gauze patch that covered her face had gone missing, and the revealed dark-red flesh looked almost as though it were rotten meat. At any rate, it made Zhao Xu very ufortable.


    ¡°If not her, then who?¡± Zhao Xu¡¯s heart sank when she found out that Zhao Ming¡¯s death hadn¡¯t been a lie.


    ¡°It was Rong Yueshan. We saw her with our own eyes,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied. ¡°While Zhao Ming wasn¡¯t paying attention, she snuck up behind him and slit his throat with a dagger.¡±


    ¡°Rong Yueshan?!¡± Zhao Xu eximed in shock. ¡°Why would she kill Zhao Ming?¡±


    Although they were allpetitors, surely Rong Yueshan wouldn¡¯t have murdered Zhao Ming senselessly. Either she had a grudge against him, or they had had a conflict of interest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know myself, but perhaps¡­¡± His eyes turned dark. ¡°Perhaps the reason she killed Zhao Ming was to pin the me on Yun Ruoyan, so that her group could ally with the Chen kingdom team to defeat us.¡±


    Zhao Xu frowned. ¡°You might be telling the truth, but you might also be lying.¡±


    ¡°My words are truthful. Whether you believe me is up to you.¡± Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t bother exining himself further. With an icy tone, he continued, ¡°Tell them that we¡¯ll meet up with them tomorrow. If the Lin sisters are injured in any way, we definitely won¡¯t go easy on them!¡±

 Chapter 191: Charred Fish

    <h4>Chapter 191: Charred Fish</h4>


    Zhao Xu left after rying the message, leaving Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng alone in the oasis.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pallor slowly faded, but she remained unconscious. In his anxiety, despite not finding any external injuries on her body, he retrieved a spiritual pill from his storage pouch and tried to feed it to her.


    However, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brows were furrowed and her lips tightly pursed, and it was very difficult for Zhuo Yifeng to feed her the pill. He could only pry her jaws open and force the pill into her mouth. Then, however, he began to worry that the pill was sorge it might block her airway.


    After thinking momentarily, he lifted Yun Ruoyan up, settled her against hisp, then pried open her jaw and finally fed Yun Ruoyan the pill. The entire process had left Zhuo Yifeng sweating all over, and it felt even more exhausting than fighting a battle.


    Zhuo Yifeng let out a deep breath and turned to Yun Ruoyan, still lying in hisp. Her current appearance was bedraggled and far from her usual beauty: her long, ck hair was matted with mud and seaweed, and arge clump of it covered half her face up.


    Beneath her hair was what looked like rotten flesh, which needed to be treated immediately. Zhuo Yifeng carefully set Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body on the ground before fetching some water from theke, tearing some cloth off his shirt, and then wiping down Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face.


    When Zhuo Yifeng moved the clump of hair from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face to reveal the dark red flesh underneath, he frowned. He recalled that this was the location of the wound on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark. Back in the imperial expedition, he had seen how pus leaked out of the wound, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appearance back then had been particrly¡­ striking.


    After the imperial expedition, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appearance had changed dramatically. She became as beautiful as an immortal, especially after she hid her birthmark behind a gauze patch. After getting used to her current appearance, he had all but forgotten her birthmark.


    Why hasn¡¯t it healed even after so long? Don¡¯t the Lin and Yun families have any medicine for treating this wound? Beset by these thoughts, Zhuo Yifeng cleaned up the wound on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face. However, what he then observed was even more shocking.


    What looked to be rotten flesh actually appeared to be a disguise. As Zhuo Yifeng wiped at the wound, the ¡°rotten flesh¡± on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was wiped off entirely, revealing pale white flesh. Zhuo Yifeng opened his eyes wide as he stared at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s true appearance.


    Her cheeks were pure white and spotless, her long brows dark, her forehead still slightly furrowed, and her eyes tightly shut, as if she were having a rather unpleasant nightmare. On her red, tightly pursed lips were marks that he left when trying to force-feed her a spiritual pill.


    When he looked at the marks on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s heart suddenly thumped wildly, and he hurriedly averted his gaze.


    Just then, Yun Ruoyan let out a groan of distress as she slowly opened her eyes, finally waking up.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan tried to sit up, but the back of her neck was aching severely. ¡°What happened to me?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng pulled her up before telling her how she had lost control underwater.


    ¡°Sorry, your neck must hurt¡­¡± Zhuo Yifeng continued apologetically. ¡°I probably used too much strength.¡±


    ¡°Where are Qingchen and Qingxue?¡± Only then did Yun Ruoyan notice that the Lin sisters were missing.


    ¡°They were caught.¡± Zhuo Yifeng frowned. ¡°Rong Yueshan killed Zhao Ming and med his death on you, so the team from the Chen kingdom took them away as hostages.¡±


    ¡°Was Zhao Ming the guy who was killed by Rong Yueshan underwater?¡±


    Because Yun Ruoyan had been underwater for the entire time, she didn¡¯t know what had happened ashore, nor the two teams that hade searching for the spoils.


    Zhuo Yifeng then briefly recounted what had happened on shore after Yun Ruoyan fell into theke with the eight-legged evil spirit.


    ¡°No wonder Rong Yueshan killed that Zhao Ming so readily. She was nning to me his death on me all along, then use the Chen kingdom team to strike against me!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng wasn¡¯t too familiar with the enmity between Yun Ruoyan and the Rong family, and he had found it quite strange that Rong Yueshan would try so hard to deal with Yun Ruoyan.


    After a short discussion, they decided to ede to the other team¡¯s request: recovering the Lin sisters safely was of paramount importance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll dredge Zhao Ming¡¯s corpse up from thekebed,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, standing up and preparing to dive into theke once more.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t go!¡± Zhuo Yifeng hurriedly stopped her. ¡°There¡¯s something strange going on underwater. I could hear some sort of noise emanating from the bottom of theke, where you were headed.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that balefulment too?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked suddenly. ¡°Then, did you also see the dragons at the bottom of theke?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Hmm¡­? No.¡± Zhuo Yifeng nodded to the first question but shook his head to the second. ¡°I only heard the noise, but didn¡¯t see any illusions. However, the noise affected you considerably, but it had no impact on me. Let me head back into theke instead of you.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan recalled how the voice had enticed her into theke, she began to feel somewhat fearful, as though a mysterious force was slowly approaching her.


    Zhuo Yifeng stood up. When Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t raise any objections, he began walking toward the pool.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Yun Ruoyan called him back from behind. ¡°Theke¡¯s surprisingly deep, and you can¡¯t get to the bottom just by holding your breath.¡± Yun Ruoyan also stood up, walked to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s side, and handed him the serpent-core ne on her neck. ¡°This is a serpent¡¯s core. If you hold it in your mouth, it can let you breathe naturally underwater for two to four hours. After heading into theke,e back up immediately after finding Zhao Ming¡¯s corpse.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng nced at the translucent, snowy-white core in his hand and blushed as soon as he thought of Yun Ruoyan putting the core into her mouth.


    ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± He lowered his head, not daring to look at Yun Ruoyan, and dove into the pool.


    Yun Ruoyan stood on shore as she looked at the surface of theke, her brain continuously reminding her of the ck dragons that had appeared by the fiery ze underwater. Because of her concerns, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t notice Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s rather unusual behavior. She stood in front of theke quietly for a long time, until her stomach¡¯s grumbling finally broke her out of her stupor.


    Not wanting to go hunting, Yun Ruoyan decided to catch a few fish to eat. She walked to the side of theke, bent down, and stared into the water.


    An unblemished face stared back at her, and Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help touching her right cheek. The smooth, satiny skin told her that the birthmark on her cheek had indeed been removed. No wonder Zhuo Yifeng was looking at me strangely, Yun Ruoyan thought, vexed.


    Her fake birthmark had some protection against water, but she had stayed underwater for almost six hours altogether. Even iron would rust after prolonged exposure to water, let alone some regr ointment.


    Oh well, at least Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hardly going to spread the word to others. Yun Ruoyan easily epted the fact that her secret was out.


    Back underwater, Zhuo Yifeng dove rapidly toward the direction where he remembered seeing Zhao Ming¡¯s corpse sink. In the faint light deep in the depths, he quickly discovered the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s carcass. Coincidentally, Zhao Ming¡¯s bodyy directly on top of it.


    Without any hesitation, Zhuo Yifeng swam back up to the surface with Zhao Ming¡¯s corpse, panted and caught his breath, then headed ashore. He left Zhao Ming¡¯s corpse in a dry ce before taking out the serpent-core ne that Yun Ruoyan had given him and holding it in his hands.


    ¡°Wow, that was fast!¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice came from afar, and Zhuo Yifeng walked toward her. She took the ne that Zhuo Yifeng gingerly handed to her and hung it carelessly on her neck. ¡°I already caught and gutted two fish, and was just waiting for you to roast them.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng must have been tired out after repeatedly diving into theke, and Yun Ruoyan was embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t help any further. However, she knew nothing about cooking, and she couldn¡¯t even distinguish when the fish was cooked. As a result, she had no choice but to trouble Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Here.¡± Zhuo Yifeng handed therger of the two fish back to Yun Ruoyan after he had finished roasting it, and Yun Ruoyan began eating immediately.


    Once some of her hunger had abated, she slowed down and looked toward Zhuo Yifeng, who was roasting the other fish seriously. ¡°I didn¡¯t hide it from you guys intentionally.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng stilled, not looking at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan saw Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s expression, she was certain that the revtion had hurt the rtionship between them. Back in the imperial territory, Zhuo Yifeng had told Yun Ruoyan that he was a beastkin almost as soon as he met her, and was clearly very trusting of her.


    After that, he had risked his own life a few times to save hers, and they began to treat each other like trustworthypanions. As a result, it was only to be expected that Zhuo Yifeng would get mad at her for hiding her appearance.


    ¡°You might not know about my family¡¯s situation,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined. ¡°If I show off my true appearance, it¡¯s very likely that my father will take advantage of my looks and try to marry me off to royalty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really alright,¡± Zhuo Yifeng emphasized seriously, turning to Yun Ruoyan this time. ¡°I understand why you did it. Your appearance is really¡­ really¡­ very beautiful.¡±


    Even after racking his brains, Zhuo Yifeng could think of no better adjective to describe Yun Ruoyan¡¯s beauty.


    ¡°Haha, is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, somewhat bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ve been so used to my birthmark since my childhood that it feels like a regr part of me now.¡±


    Suddenly, Yun Ruoyan smelled something amiss.


    ¡°Ah, your fish is charred!¡± she yelled out, pointing at the fish that Zhuo Yifeng was currently roasting.

 Chapter 192: Impossible

    <h4>Chapter 192: Impossible</h4>


    After Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng finished their meal, they discussed how they would save Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen tomorrow before resting.


    At dawn the second day, the two of them rose up even before the sun, but they didn¡¯t hurry to the Chen kingdom team¡¯s oasis. During the night, Rong Yueshan and the Chen kingdom team had to havee up with countless ns for them, so they weren¡¯t in a rush.


    As long as Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t appear, Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue wouldn¡¯t be in danger. On the other hand, if they rushed over blindly and Yun Ruoyan were to be caught, then it was highly likely that Rong Yueshan would kill everyone present in order to stop word of the affair from spreading. In that case, Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue would be put in even greater danger.


    What the two of them needed to do at the moment was to n for every eventuality.


    Zhuo Yifeng found a soft, supple stick in the forest and made himself a haphazard bow. Then, he whittled a few small sticks to serve as arrows.


    ¡°Here.¡± Yun Ruoyan brought out two arrowheads from her storage pouch and handed them to Zhuo Yifeng, whose eyes lit up as soon as he saw them. ¡°Tiger-canine arrowheads! Where did you get them?¡±


    ¡°I retrieved them from the eight-legged evil spirit¡¯s body,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    Only with two such arrows did Zhuo Yifeng finally kill the gigantic beast. Because of its thick flesh, the two arrows remained lodged in its body instead of prating it. As Yun Ruoyan was digging out the beast¡¯s core, she coincidentally happened upon the two arrowheads.


    Zhuo Yifeng attached them to his wooden arrows andpleted his secret weapon.


    Thinking the preparations insufficient, Yun Ruoyan then continued searching the forest until she finally found, with Qiuqiu¡¯s help, another secret weapon of equal lethality.


    By the time Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng departed their oasis, it was evening. While they were walking to the location that Zhao Xu had pointed out for them, they suddenly heard a beast¡¯s thunderous roar from afar, and the two of them looked in the direction of the sound together.


    ¡°Someone else is hunting a high-rank beast. Judging from the sound, it¡¯s likely close to the peak of high-rank,¡± Zhuo Yifeng announced.


    Yun Ruoyan looked in the direction of the sound, her face severe. She only had one high-grade beast core on hand at the moment.


    The trial was three days long. If she discounted the day they arrived at the trial location, there would only be a day and a night remaining before the end of the trial.


    There were eighty or ny other youths here besides her team and the two other teams with whom she¡¯d conflicted. Those students surely hadn¡¯t been cking, and were likely diligently ughtering beasts and collecting rare herbs.


    Yun Ruoyan was somewhat worried that she might not make the cut if things were to continue progressing at this pace. In truth, neither the Chen kingdom team nor Rong Yueshan¡¯s team werezing around. After leaving a few members behind to guard Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue, the other members all went beast hunting.


    The oasis at which they were situated was quiterge, and consisted of a fair number of low- and mid-rank beasts. After their day of hunting, they had managed to kill quite a number of such beasts. However, their spoils paled inparison to the high-rank beast core that Yun Ruoyan possessed.


    The howl of the high-rank magical beast hade from the northernmost oasis in the region. Although it wasn¡¯t thergest in size, it was the farthest from the trial¡¯s entrance and consisted of the highest-ranking beasts.


    Deep within that oasis, a giant rock monkey, easily the height of two adults, was inclining its head to the skies and howling. It had a tree trunk in its hands and was waving it wildly at the three members attacking it.


    Wang Meng, Yun Ruoyao, and Pei Ziao approached the giant rock monkey from three different directions, dodging its wild attacks as they approached.


    Yi Qianying¡¯s cultivation was lower, so she was situated in the distance and observing the fight from afar. However, she too had a hidden weapon. Within her robes was a powder that she had recently concocted. However, because the ingredients for making such a powder were extremely difficult to obtain, she only had a little powder in stock.


    Despite the small quantity, it was potent enough to induce sleep on two dozen people. If she were to use it on magical beasts, it would be sufficient to cause the same effect on a dozen low-rank, half a dozen mid-rank, or one high-rank beast. However, for the high-rank beast, she would have to apply the powder in close quarters. As a result, she wouldn¡¯t bring it out unless she was forced to.


    Wang Meng was by far the most advanced cultivator in the party, and he reached the giant rock monkey first, climbing up a nearby tree and jumping onto the rock monkey¡¯s shoulder.


    Although the giant rock money was supposedly a monkey, its actions weren¡¯t agile or limber. Instead, its massive size made it a little clumsy. Neither was it clever: the only reason it was called a monkey was because of its external appearance.


    Under usual circumstances, because of these limitations, giant rock monkeys were unlikely to be high-rank magical beasts. However, its howls and strength made it clear that this particr beast had not only be a high-rank beast, but had even reached the peak of high rank.


    There was likely only one exnation for this sort of situation: the giant rock monkey must have eaten some precious heavenly treasure, causing a monumental increase in its cultivation.


    Wang Meng continued standing on the giant rock monkey¡¯s shoulders as Pei Ziao and Yun Ruoyao distracted it from the ground with their attacks. While the monkey was distracted, Wang Meng raised the steel sword in his hands and thrust it at its head. The team had judged that the giant rock monkey¡¯s weak point was at the back of its head, and Wang Meng¡¯s attack would undoubtedly be able to kill the beast in one strike.


    Just as expected, Wang Meng¡¯s sword thrust deeply into the monkey¡¯s head, ending its life. Blood spurted out of the deep wound, and Wang Meng somersaulted up into the air. He avoided the blood as hended stably on the ground, his posture natural and graceful.


    ¡°Brother Wang, excellent job!¡± Pei Ziao yelled out excitedly from the ground.


    After a full day of hunting, the four of them had managed to secure three mid-rank beast cores, and now their collection would be supplemented by a core from a peak high-rank beast.


    Based on their performance, the four of them would pass the trial without a doubt.


    ¡°Miss Yun,¡± Pei Ziao turned to Yun Ruoyao. ¡°Brother Wang is truly a dragon among men!¡±


    Yun Ruoyao was naturally pleased by their performance. She nodded and praised, ¡°Young Master Wang is truly skilled.¡±


    ¡°He would be a perfect husband, wouldn¡¯t he?¡± Pei Ziao added slyly.


    Yun Ruoyao detected something unusual in his voice. For some unknown reason, Pei Ziao had been looking at her and Wang Meng with an unusually suggestive expression thest few days. Yun Ruoyao wasn¡¯t a little girl anymore, and while she might have missed such innuendo once or twice, she clearly understood what Pei Ziao was hinting at.


    However, Pei Ziao seemed to be a master at hinting at their rtionship without stating it outright, and Yun Ruoyao couldn¡¯t point at any one thing he said in particr that was clearly offensive.


    She was a little vexed at Pei Ziao¡¯s train of thought. After all, she and Wang Meng were all but strangers, so how had Pei Ziaoe to such a ridiculous conclusion?


    They extracted the giant rock monkey¡¯s core to find a spherical, golden-yellow core slightlyrger than a baby¡¯s fist. It was so full of spiritual energy that it practically shone, and the movement of light on its dazzling surface was a wonder to behold.


    The four of them stared at the beast core, unable to tear their eyes away. A regr cultivator wouldn¡¯t be able to see such a marvelous treasure even once in their lifetime.


    ¡°Here, you keep it.¡± What shocked everyone was that Wang Meng actually handed the iparably precious treasure to Yun Ruoyao.


    Yun Ruoyao herself was first shocked, then filled with glee. Even if she couldn¡¯t own a treasure like this for good, having it temporarily wouldn¡¯t be bad, either. Although Yun Ruoyao was somewhat suspicious of Wang Meng¡¯s motivations, she couldn¡¯t help epting the gift.


    ¡°Young Ma¡­ Brother Wang, where are we headed to next?¡±


    This peak high-rank beast core had caused Yun Ruoyao to change her mode of address from ¡®Young Master Wang¡¯ to ¡®Brother Wang¡¯.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t all of you curious how such a stupid, clumsy beast managed to be a peak high-rank magical beast?¡± Wang Meng asked.


    ¡°Brother Wang, you mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°This giant rock monkey must have eaten some sort of spiritual herb or fruit that aided in its cultivation,¡± Wang Meng hypothesized. ¡°And this spiritual herb must be in this oasis, likely close to where we are right now.¡±


    Wang Meng¡¯s words immediately hooked the other three members of his team. A spiritual treasure that could enhance their cultivation was something they could only dream of finding.


    ¡°Then we¡¯d better search for it quickly!¡± they immediately eximed together.


    ¡°It¡¯s already near evening. To conserve our time, let¡¯s split up and meet back here at sunset,¡± Wang Meng suggested.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll team up with Concubine Yi. Brother Wang, you can work together with Miss Yun,¡± Pei Ziao continued.


    Pei Ziao¡¯s words shocked Yi Qianying. He clearly hated her, so why would he volunteer to be in the same team as she was? Could he have believed what she had said regarding Yun Ruoyan? Yi Qianying epted Pei Ziao¡¯s suggestion with this hope in mind.


    Yun Ruoyao naturally didn¡¯t oppose this suggestion; Wang Meng was strong enough to protect her from any danger, and she was very happy to be in a team with him.


    The four of them split up as they began searching the oasis. Pei Ziao walked in front of Yi Qianying, still ignoring her and trying to get her out of his sight.


    ¡°Brother Ziao, I¡­¡± Yi Qianying couldn¡¯t help speaking up.


    ¡°Concubine Yi, please address me as Young Master Pei, or as Pei Ziao,¡± he replied icily.


    The rest of Yi Qianying¡¯s words choked up in her throat, and her face flushed red. ¡°Alright, Pei Ziao! If you so detest me, why did you still volunteer to team up with me?¡±


    Without turning around, Pei Ziao replied, ¡°If you¡¯re so good at detecting people¡¯s emotions, why haven¡¯t you noticed that Wang Meng likes Yun Ruoyao? I¡¯m just trying to help them develop their rtionship further.¡±


    ¡°What? There¡¯s no way Young Master Wang would like Sister Ruoyao!¡±

 Chapter 193: Identifying the Culprit

    <h4>Chapter 193: Identifying the Culprit</h4>


    ¡°Why not?¡± Pei Ziao retorted, giving Yi Qianying a strange look.


    ¡°Because Young Master Wang doesn¡¯t act as if he likes Sister Ruoyao at all!¡± Yi Qianying said with certainty. ¡°If he really likes her, it would be obvious from his expression, tone, and even customary habits. However, Young Master Wang hasn¡¯t expressed any of these tells, and it¡¯s clear that he doesn¡¯t have any interest in Sister Ruoyao.¡±


    As Pei Ziao had surmised, Yi Qianying was very good at observing people. During the past day since they had teamed up, she had paid extremely careful attention to Wang Meng¡¯s actions. He didn¡¯t give off any impression of liking Yun Ruoyao at all; instead, he looked at her in a rather funny manner¡ªas though he were suspicious of her and were trying to probe her, but not in an obvious manner.


    As for what sort of feelings he felt toward her, Yi Qianying couldn¡¯t be entirely sure. However, she was certain that it wasn¡¯t love or infatuation.


    However, Pei Ziao only responded impatiently, ¡°Brother Wang handed the high-grade beast core to Yun Ruoyao to keep. If that¡¯s not an expression of love, then what is?¡±


    Yi Qianying shook her head. ¡°The reason Young Master Wang gave the giant rock monkey¡¯s beast core to Sister Ruoyao is to cause her to let down her guard.¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyao had agreed to team up with Wang Meng and Pei Ziao, she still felt some sort of wariness against them. After all, it wasn¡¯t unheard of for teams to turn against their own members so that they could take the fruits of theirbor all for themselves. Furthermore, she wasn¡¯t familiar with Wang Meng, and his cultivation exceeded hers.


    From Yi Qianying¡¯s perspective, Wang Meng¡¯s actions were undoubtedly to cause Yun Ruoyao to let down her guard¡ªand he seeded. Yun Ruoyao had clearly be less wary of Wang Meng, or she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to inspect the oasis alone with him.


    ¡°You¡¯re really something,¡± Pei Ziao sneered. ¡°If you insist on distorting and misunderstanding someone else¡¯s heartfelt emotions, then there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Pei Ziao nced at Yi Qianying and continued. ¡°Brother Wang told me himself that he liked Yun Ruoyao. Otherwise, why would he leave his original team and team up with the two of you instead?¡±


    Pei Ziao¡¯s tone was somewhat demeaning toward Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying. However, Yi Qianying¡¯s focus was on something else entirely: Wang Meng had said that he liked Yun Ruoyao himself?! Could she really have been mistaken?


    No! Her woman¡¯s intuition told Yi Qianying that she hadn¡¯t misunderstood anything! If he truly liked her, he definitely wouldn¡¯t look at her with a gaze filled with suspicion and probing. In that case, what could have caused Wang Meng to leave his own team¡­?


    The thought that popped up in Yi Qianying¡¯s mind left her back drenched in cold sweat. Could¡­ Could Wang Meng have found out about the truth behind his brother¡¯s death?


    When Pei Ziao saw Yi Qianying suddenly freeze, he frowned, turned around, and asked impatiently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter now?¡±


    Yi Qianying raised her head and looked at Pei Ziao. ¡°Has Wang Meng ever asked you anything regarding Wang Kuang?¡±


    Yi Qianying¡¯s sudden question caused Pei Ziao to hesitate.


    ¡°No,¡± he answered truthfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s rather suspicious?¡± Yi Qianying continued. ¡°Wang Meng is Wang Kuang¡¯s brother. Wang Kuang died during the imperial expedition, and we were all involved in that expedition. Why wouldn¡¯t Wang Meng have asked any of us about what happened to Wang Kuang?¡±


    Initially, Pei Ziao was a little guilty to Wang Meng about Wang Kuang¡¯s death, but this guilt had vanished after seeing how Yun Ruoyan behaved by Wang Meng¡¯s side. Yun Ruoyan had killed Wang Kuang herself, and yet she was able to behave calmly even in front of his brother. What had he to be scared of?


    Furthermore, Pei Yingxiong¡¯s favors and bribes to leave Wang Meng with a good impression of him had forged a rather close rtionship between Wang Meng and the Pei household, so Pei Ziao didn¡¯t find it unusual that Wang Meng hadn¡¯t asked him about his brother¡¯s death.


    Furthermore, Pei Ziao had heard Wang Kuang mention that Wang Meng was single-mindedly focused on pillmaking, and wasn¡¯t close at all to his brothers and sisters. It wasn¡¯t certain that Wang Meng would care greatly about his brother¡¯s death.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t found it particrly strange.¡± Pei Ziao reviewed his interactions with Wang Meng and surmised that there wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary. ¡°Furthermore, neither of us killed Wang Kuang, so we don¡¯t have to feel any guilt.¡±


    Yi Qianying had no other choice than to continue trudging behind Pei Ziao, her emotions heavy. Pei Ziao might not think anything was amiss, but she still felt strongly that they needed to be more careful.


    ording to Wang Meng, spiritual treasures of particr potency could be felt with spiritual energy. From time to time, both of them would emit spiritual energy to boost their senses, trying to carefully identify whether that treasure was located near their surroundings.


    On the other path winding deep into the oasis, Wang Meng and Yun Ruoyao walked side by side. Yun Ruoyao was fully engrossed in treasure-hunting, and she was trying hard to pay attention to her senses.


    ¡°Miss Yun.¡± Wang Meng suddenly turned to Yun Ruoyao.


    Yun Ruoyao hesitated for a moment before looking back at Wang Meng, who was smiling at her suspiciously with narrowed eyes. Faced with this unusually charged gaze, Yun Ruoyao¡¯s heart palpitated. For some reason, meeting his gaze head-on always seemed to cause her some amount of unease.


    ¡°You¡ªYoung Master Wang, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Ruoyao asked, before looking away.


    Inparison to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s artless tranquility, Yun Ruoyao¡¯s seeming guilt and unease was magnified in Wang Meng¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Miss Yun, is there a reason you seem to be afraid of me?¡± Wang Meng¡¯s smile became somewhat wolfish, but Yun Ruoyao had turned away and couldn¡¯t see his face.


    ¡°Why would I be?¡± Wang Meng¡¯s direct attitude caused Yun Ruoyao no small amount of panic. She truly was a little fearful of him, but as for why, she couldn¡¯t be entirely sure. She smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Young Master Wang, what reason would I have to be afraid?¡±


    Yun Ruoyao naturally knew that Wang Kuang was Wang Meng¡¯s brother. At the beginning, she was a little afraid that Wang Meng would ask him about Wang Kuang, and she had already rehearsed what to say to him in this scenario.


    She had even thought of revealing Yun Ruoyan as the culprit behind the entire affair in order to get rid of her, but this wasn¡¯t something she could do in practice. Once Wang Meng found out that Yun Ruoyan was Wang Kuang¡¯s killer, Yun Ruoyan would naturally be the target of his revenge. At the same time, however, the Yun family and the Wang family¡ªand likely even the merchant coalition of the Chenyuan continent, led by the Wang family¡ªwould end up as enemies.


    And if the truth behind Jin Fei¡¯er¡¯s death were to be revealed in the process, that would be even more disadvantageous. After all, back in the imperial territory, it was she and Pei Ziao who ughtered Jin Fei¡¯er and herpanion together.


    As a result, this was a secret that had to remain hidden till her death.


    Luckily, Wang Meng had never asked any of them about Wang Kuang. In fact, he hadn¡¯t even brought Wang Kuang up in their presence. Sometimes, he behaved so ordinarily that Yun Ruoyao would even forget that Wang Meng was Wang Kuang¡¯s brother.


    Her fear of Wang Meng was therefore unlikely to be due to Wang Kuang. Instead, it seemed like Yun Ruoyao was, for some reason, particrly sensitive to Wang Meng¡¯s aura.


    ¡°In that case, why won¡¯t you look me in the eye?¡± Wang Meng asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yun Ruoyao was even more flustered.


    ¡°Is it because of your guilt?¡± Wang Meng pressed.


    Perhaps because of his condemning tone, Yun Ruoyao suddenly flew into a rage. She finally turned around and looked Wang Meng in the eye. ¡°Young Master Wang, what could you mean? Why would I be guilty?¡±


    Wang Meng didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he looked at Yun Ruoyao without blinking or flinching. After a pregnant silence, he finally continued, ¡°Miss Yun, please don¡¯t be angry. I was just ying a joke on you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao¡¯s anger dissipated almost as quickly as it had appeared under his scrutiny, and she became flustered once more.


    ¡°Young Master Wang, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t see the humor.¡± Yun Ruoyao turned away. ¡°It¡¯s almost evening, so let¡¯s hurry up and search for this spiritual treasure. We¡¯ll have to head back and meet up with Young Master Pei and Qianying soon.¡±


    She hurriedly rushed to the front of the path, and Wang Meng¡¯s smile once again turned sinister from her back.


    As Jin Fei¡¯er died, she had told Wang Meng that her brother¡¯s killer was ¡°Yun Ruo¡ª¡±, so it had to be one of Yun Ruoyan, Yun Ruoyao, and Yun Ruoyu.


    Before entering Kongming Academy, Wang Meng had investigated all three girls. The first girl he eliminated as a suspect was Yun Ruoyu. She was neither particrly talented nor particrly good at concealing her emotions, and she had a vanishingly small probability of being the killer.


    Furthermore, based on Wang Meng¡¯s investigation, Yun Ruoyan had been considered trash for much of her childhood. Only right before entering the imperial expedition did her cultivation suddenly improve, but even then, it was only at the level of a fourth-rank demaster. She was still a far cry from Wang Kuang¡¯s sixth-rank cultivation. That left the most likely culprit as the fifth-rank Yun Ruoyao.


    On the way to Kongming Academy, Wang Meng had spoken to Yun Ruoyan in an attempt to test her. Her behavior was so natural and so guileless that Wang Meng was all but convinced that she was innocent.


    Although the careful Wang Meng wouldn¡¯t strike her off his list of suspectspletely, he was more and more convinced that the culprit was none other than Yun Ruoyao. After these two days of interaction, Wang Meng discovered that Yun Ruoyao¡¯s cultivation was already at the peak of sixth-rank, and she seemed about to break through to seventh-rank.


    Wang Meng was shocked by Yun Ruoyao¡¯s meteoric rise in cultivation, and he had even been concerned that his own investigations beforehand were wed.


    ording to those investigations, Yun Ruoyao was only a fifth-rank demaster when she entered the imperial territory. But after only a short month, how had she already reached the peak of sixth-rank? Perhaps she had already been sixth-rank upon entering the imperial territory.


    If that were the case, then it wasn¡¯t impossible for her to defeat Wang Kuang, who had had a peak sixth-rank demaster¡¯s cultivation. Furthermore, Wang Meng had discovered that Yun Ruoyao was both ambitious and exceedingly cautious. Although they had spent the majority of the day killing beasts together, Wang Meng could still feel that Yun Ruoyao was somewhat on guard against him.


    There had to be a reason that she was this defensive, and Wang Meng couldn¡¯t think of any other reason save that she was indeed Wang Kuang¡¯s killer. Her guilt was all but evident in his eyes!

 Chapter 194: Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 194: Rescue</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng brought Zhao Ming¡¯s corpse out of the oasis. Following the route that Zhao Xu had traced out on the map, they headed west in the direction of a ratherrge oasis.


    After about an hour of walking, the skies began to darken. As they walked, Yun Ruoyan noticed the auras of two humans ahead of her, and she stopped short. Zhuo Yifeng also stopped, clearly having noticed their presence as well.


    ¡°They might be scouts,¡± he suggested.


    Yun Ruoyan turned around, her gaze lingering on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back. Behind him was towed a makeshift litter carrying Zhao Ming¡¯s corpse.


    The days of the desert were scorching, but the nights were freezing. Theck of moisture in the air meant that Zhao Ming¡¯s body hadn¡¯t undergone any significant dposition; instead, it even seemed to be drying out.


    Yun Ruoyan was certain that, if they left Zhao Ming¡¯s originally muscr body in the desert sands, that he would be human jerky in a matter of days.


    ¡°They must have waited for us for quite a while,¡± she began, turning back to the front.


    Neither she nor Zhuo Yifeng were weak in terms of cultivation, but they were at a numerical disadvantage. Furthermore, with Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue as hostages, the two of them didn¡¯t intend on a direct confrontation. They hid their auras and silently moved in the direction of the two humans.


    ¡°We¡¯ve waited the whole day! Where are they?!¡± A brown-d youth stood in the distance, watching his surroundings with an impatient look on his face. Because of the heat, he had rolled up his sleeves and pants.


    ¡°Given how many people we have, it¡¯s likely that Yun Ruoyan ran off and left her own cousins behind,¡± his bbypanion said. He had removed his shirt entirely, exposing a vest and two fatty shoulders.


    Yun Ruoyan recognized that both youths were good-for-nothings from Rong Yueshan¡¯s party.


    ¡°In that case, well, we¡¯ll have fun tonight, won¡¯t we? Heh heh.¡± The brown-d youth cackled.


    ¡°What fun?¡± The bby youth clearly didn¡¯t understand what hispanion was insinuating.


    ¡°Heh heh. Brother Li told us that, once everything¡¯s dealt with, we¡¯ll get to do whatever we want with the two Lin sisters. They¡¯ve always been so prideful, so reluctant to interact with us, that we have to show them how impressive the young masters of the capital are, no? Heh heh, we¡¯ll each have one girl to y with, and we¡¯ll just cycle them around our band of brothers, heh heh heh¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan, who was hiding in the bushes nearby, wanted to strike him dead on the spot. The ¡®Brother Li¡¯ that he referred to so affectionately was none other than the pale-faced youth who always followed behind Rong Yueshan, and Yun Ruoyan had also assigned him the death sentence.


    As a spark of hostility shed from her eyes, she pointed at the brown-d youth before making a shing gesture in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s direction. Before he could react, Yun Ruoyan had already darted out from her bush.


    She was lithe and agile, and when she imbued her legs with spiritual energy, she could almost slide twenty whole feet in a single movement. In two steps, she had darted all the way to the two youths. They were still chatting away with each other, unsuspecting that their prey had already snuck up behind them, when they suddenly felt a hostile killing intent from their backs.


    With smiles still stered on their faces, the two youths turned around to see Yun Ruoyan¡¯s figure and their eyes widened in shock. Yun Ruoyan sneered: before the two youths could scream out, her dagger had sliced the air in front of her like lightning, decapitating the brown-d youth¡¯s neck.


    Fresh red blood sprayed out of his throat and onto his bbypanion¡¯s head and bare shoulders. The youth¡¯s head rolled onto the ground, its expression of shock as though the youth was still trying to process what had happened when his life was taken away from him.


    Because Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark had been washed away, she had made a rather haphazard fake birthmark with medicinal herbs which she found in their original oasis. Presently, her face was half-beautiful and half-covered by some sort of strange, ckened substance.


    The bare-shouldered youth looked at Yun Ruoyan as though he had seen a ghost. Yun Ruoyan stared back icily. She stepped forward, and the youth was so scared that he fell onto the ground.


    ¡°Lead us to the Lin sisters, or we¡¯ll kill you on the spot,¡± she dered.


    The bby youth was so scared that he couldn¡¯t even speak. He nodded fervently, then began to lead Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng into the oasis.


    Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue were tied up by two trees next to a smallke. Their mouths had been bound with cloth, and their hands and feet were tied up tightly. Their hair was tousled, and they had small cuts and minor bruises all over their body. Although they didn¡¯t look like they had any severe injuries, their overall appearance made their suffering apparent. Most likely, they had tried to escape, been caught, and were punished.


    Yun Ruoyan felt very sorry for her two cousins, and their abject appearance sent another pang of pain through her heart. She wanted to rush forward and free them on the spot.


    ¡°Damn it, these bastards even dare to beat young girls up¡­¡± Zhuo Yifeng was likewise enraged and began walking furiously toward them.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenlymanded, before stopping. The bare-shouldered youth was walking in front of her with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s knife to his throat, and he too was forced to stop. ¡°Why are you two the only ones on guard? Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°They¡­ They¡¯re all ughtering beasts nearby, and the four of us were the only ones left behind. The two of us were supposed to be guarding the oasis up in front, and the other two to look after the two Lin sisters,¡± the youth responded with a quavering voice.


    Why would they leave only four youths behind, knowing that Zhuo Yifeng and I were rtively strong and would be showing up today? ¡°What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t try to lie to me, or else!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly whispered into the bby youth¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m really not lying! You guys didn¡¯t appear even after half a day, and tomorrow¡¯s thest day of the trial, so everyone decided to kill some more magical beasts first. Now¡­ now that it¡¯s almost dark, they should be back soon.¡±


    The bare-shouldered youth was so scared of Yun Ruyoan¡¯s antics that he was about to cry, and it seemed as though he truly were telling the truth.


    ¡°I still think there¡¯s something amiss,¡± Zhuo Yifeng leaned in and whispered. ¡°There¡¯s likely an ambush around here.¡±


    If there really were other youths intentionally hiding in the vicinity, Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s cultivations weren¡¯t so advanced that they could detect them.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°Even if there¡¯s an ambush, though, we still have to save them. I¡¯ll run out and get them now. Stay behind and cover me.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng nodded, taking out his makeshift bow, nocked a tiger-canine arrow, and prepared to fire. Yun Ruoyan knocked the bare-shouldered youth unconscious with a blow to the back of his head, restrained her aura, and darted toward theke.


    ¡°Oh, you two beauties, don¡¯t worry. If your cousin doesn¡¯t show up even after tonight, we brothers will definitely take good care of you tonight, hehe.¡± A rather muscr youth stood in front of Lin Qingchen, ascivious look on his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, don¡¯t be anxious. Feisty girls like you two are the best.¡± The other youth also began to cackle.


    Two clear, whistling sounds rang out in the dark, and the youths¡¯ughter was stopped abruptly short. Their necks turned cold as they looked behind them to see Yun Ruoyan¡¯s smiling face, half-white and half-ck. They opened their mouths wide, but were unable to make any noise beyond breathless groans.


    Yun Ruoyan ignored the two youths as she continued walking forward in the Lin sisters¡¯ direction. Behind her, the two youths copsed to the ground.


    ¡°Mmmmmph! Mmmmmph!¡± As Yun Ruoyan walked closer, Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen¡¯s eyes widened as they tried to speak. However, their mouths were gagged shut so tightly that they could only make an incoherent hum.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately strode forward and untied them. They had been tied to a tree for so long that their limbs were aching and powerless, and they fell limply to the ground.


    ¡°Qingchen, Qingxue, are you alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked affectionately as she untied their gags.


    She removed Lin Qingxue¡¯s gag first. Her lips were cracked, and it was evident that she hadn¡¯t had water for quite a long time. However, she forced out with her parched throat, ¡°Ruo¡­ Sister Ruoyan, leave! There¡¯s an ambush!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to save you. We¡¯ll leave together!¡± Yun Ruoyan began dragging Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue¡¯s prone body with one hand each.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, leave on your own! If you don¡¯t, there won¡¯t be any time left!¡± Lin Qingchen was equally anxious as her sister, but it was so difficult for them to croak out any words that they could only watch on as their cousin struggled to carry them futilely.


    ¡°Ha, leaving now? It won¡¯t be so easy.¡± A male voice came from a nearby bush. Yun Ruoyan looked over to see a tall, fat youth. ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll be that easy to leave after killing my brother?¡±


    ¡°Is your brother Zhao Ming?¡± Yun Ruoyan guessed that this was a member from the Chen kingdom team.


    ¡°Who else?¡± he replied viciously.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who killed Zhao Ming,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°The killer was Rong Yueshan.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Rong Yueshan¡¯s voice then came from another nearby bush. ¡°Oh, Yun Ruoyan, it¡¯s useless to deny your crime now.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stood in front of Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue, her half-white, half-ck face making her look both sinister and cold. She nced at the Chen kingdom youth and gritted out, ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who killed your brother. If you don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do. Do you want a one-on-one fight, or are you all going to gang up on me?¡±

 Chapter 195: Demonic Arts

    <h4>Chapter 195: Demonic Arts</h4>


    The Chen kingdom youth looked at Yun Ruoyan and suddenly smirked as he walked forward slowly. ¡°Haven¡¯t your two dear cousins had the chance to tell you that their bodies were thered with a paralyzing venom? Now you¡¯ve been poisoned, too.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart thumped. She tried to mobilize her spiritual energy, but a numbing sensation quickly spread all over her body, and she stumbled.


    ¡°Sister¡­ Ruoyan¡­!¡± Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue tried to help her up, but all three of them barely avoided falling down together.


    The chubby youth and Rong Yueshan beganughing uproariously.


    ¡°Miss Rong, your paralyzing venom is truly quite useful, haha,¡± the chubby youth eximed.


    Rong Yueshan didn¡¯t hide her ownughter. ¡°Naturally! This paralyzing venom was something that my father specifically had concocted for targets with a higher cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Truly shameless and despicable!¡± Yun Ruoyan red at Rong Yueshan and the chubby youth before turning to thetter. ¡°Especially for those from the Chen kingdom, who are well-known for their righteousness!¡±


    The chubby youth blushed under Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fiery gaze. The Chen kingdom was close to the sea. Even their hooligans and thieves fought and robbed head-on, rarely using as crude a method as poison.


    Rong Yueshan snorted. ¡°You killed my sister, and then Zhao Ming. What¡¯s wrong with seeking revenge on their behalf? Who cares what methods we use?¡±


    ¡°Right! As long as I can avenge my dead brother, I don¡¯t mind using an underhanded trick or two,¡± the chubby youth replied in ordance with Rong Yueshan¡¯s tone.


    Clearly, she had brainwashed him quitepletely.


    Rong Yueshan turned to the youth. ¡°Now that she¡¯s powerless, do you want to do the honors, or shall I?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± The chubby youth stepped forward. ¡°I have to avenge my dead brother myself.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rong Yueshan sped her hands behind her back. ¡°You can kill her for revenge, but her head¡¯s mine. I promised my father that I would bring her head back as a sacrifice for my sister, who died by her hands.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    The two of them quickly came to an agreement: the chubby youth would kill Yun Ruoyan himself, and Rong Yueshan would take her head.


    With a grim smile on his face, the chubby youth stepped forward toward the three girls like a small mountain.


    ¡°Sister¡­ Ruoyan¡­ run away!¡± Lin Qingxue tugged on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sleeve and called out. ¡°We¡¯ll block him for you!¡±


    Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen both stepped forward unsteadily.


    ¡°Stand back!¡± Yun Ruoyan, however, also took a step forward, continuing to shield both of them.


    The chubby youth was almost right in front of them. As he walked, he said, ¡°Oh, showing off your sisterly love now? Yun Ruoyan, when you killed my brother, why didn¡¯t you think about whether he had any siblings, or how sad they would be? Today, right in front of you, I¡¯ll kill both your sisters and let you experience this pain for yourself!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan continued shielding her two cousins as she stepped back. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill your brother, and I don¡¯t want to kill you. If you let us go, I won¡¯t hold anything against you.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t hold anything against me?¡± the chubby youth scoffed, as though he had just heard a marvellous joke. ¡°I¡¯m the one about to kill you!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and the Lin sisters had already retreated to the edge of the forest, and they had nowhere else to go. As they stopped moving, the chubby youth looked as though he were a wild beast about to strike at them at any moment.


    At the same time, Zhuo Yifeng had nocked a tiger-canine arrow and was prepared to shoot it at him. As the youth slowly walked toward the three girls, he entered Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s range. Just as the youth was about to pounce on Yun Ruoyan, exposing his neck to Zhuo Yifeng, he pulled his bow taut.


    But just as he was about to shoot, Yun Ruoyan shook her head at him. Zhuo Yifeng frowned. Although he didn¡¯t know why Yun Ruoyan had done so, the tacit understanding between them caused Zhuo Yifeng to drop his bow. No matter when and where, Zhuo Yifeng would always choose to believe in her.


    ¡°Qiuqiu,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    ¡°Mistress, I¡¯m here!¡±


    ¡°Prepare the intoxicating fog.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress!¡± Within the pocket dimension, Qiuqiu unsealed a bottle of intoxicating fog, which slowly seeped into the air.


    The chubby youth stopped in front of the three girls and faced Lin Qingxue, who stood to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s right. ¡°I¡¯ll start with you!¡±


    Without giving the girls any opportunity to react, he extended a coarse arm and wed at Lin Qingxue. However, Yun Ruoyan had already been prepared. With the flip of a hand, she brought some of the pocket dimension¡¯s air into the real world and waved it at the youth.


    The youth, so focused on attacking Lin Qingxue, couldn¡¯t dodge Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands in time. The colorless, scentless intoxicating fog wafted into the youth¡¯s nose and mouth.


    Fearful that he had just been poisoned, the youth quickly reared back and tried to dispel the air that he had just breathed in. Very quickly, however, it became apparent to him that he didn¡¯t seem to be poisoned, and he felt no trace of difort on his body.


    The chubby youth then turned to look suspiciously at Yun Ruoyan, but his eyes widened as he did so: the Yun Ruoyan in front of him had transformed into Zhao Ming!


    ¡°Brother, Brother Zhao!¡± the chubby youth looked at Yun Ruoyan with aplicated mixture of shock, excitement, and confusion.


    Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue were both still looking at the chubby youth with strange expressions on their faces. What had just happened? Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t exin. Instead, she looked severely at the chubby youth and called out, ¡°Do you still consider me your brother?¡±


    ¡°Of course! You¡¯ll always be my big brother, Brother Zhao!¡± the chubby youth eximed.


    ¡°Then are you going to listen to me?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± the chubby youth replied, his eyes reddened. ¡°I might not have parents anymore, but I still have you, big brother! As long as you¡¯re alive, as long as you¡¯re back, I¡¯ll do whatever you tell me to!¡±


    ¡°Good! We¡¯re not brothers for nothing. Now, hand over the antidote to the Lin sisters¡¯ paralyzing poison.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not with me.¡± The chubby youth frowned. ¡°The antidote is with Miss Rong. I¡¯ll ask her for it¡ª¡±


    The chubby youth was right about to turn back to Rong Yueshan when Yun Ruoyan called out, ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, brother?¡±


    ¡°Come over here.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan waved at the youth, and he obediently walked up to her. After inhaling the intoxicating fog, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appearance seemed to have turned into that of his brother, Zhao Ming.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that Rong Yueshan¡¯s a malicious character. She tried to kill me and me my death on Yun Ruoyan. Luckily, I discovered her intentions in time and barely avoided dying at her hands,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. ¡°She¡¯s trying to make use of you to kill the Lin sisters and Yun Ruoyan, so if you ask her for the antidote so directly, she surely won¡¯t hand it over!¡±


    ¡°What a vicious woman!¡± The chubby youth believed in his brother¡¯s words without any hint of doubt. ¡°To set all this up, she sacrificed four of her own team members. She even wanted me to assign two of our teammates to guard the Lin sisters, but I refused. Her team members are the only ones who are dead right now.¡±


    ¡°Good! You¡¯re truly my little brother. Now, turn back, get close to Rong Yueshan, kill her directly, then bring us back the antidote.¡±


    ¡°Got it, brother!¡± The chubby youth turned back to Rong Yueshan, who frowned at him.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill her? What did Yun Ruoyan tell you?¡±


    The chubby youth had had his back to Rong Yueshan the entire time, and their conversation was carried out in a hushed tone. Although Rong Yueshan wasn¡¯t standing too far away, she was still unable to overhear their conversation. However, she did notice that their posture seemed rather unusual.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± As though he couldn¡¯t understand Rong Yueshan¡¯s words, the chubby youth continued walking closer and closer to her.


    Her brows furrowed, Rong Yueshan walked forward and asked more loudly, ¡°What were you and Yun Ruoyan talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we were¡­ I told her that¡­¡± As the youth spoke, he suddenly wed at Rong Yueshan¡¯s neck. He had imbued a significant amount of spiritual energy into his palm, and it was strong enough to smash even a wolf¡¯s throat in one strike. Rong Yueshan felt as though a gust of wind was rushing at her neck, so quickly that she didn¡¯t even have time to step back.


    A pained groan rang out. Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue, Yun Ruoyan, and even Zhuo Yifeng, lying in ambush, widened their eyes¡ªbecause the pained groan came not from Rong Yueshan, but instead from the chubby youth.


    Just as his w hadnded on Rong Yueshan¡¯s neck, a dagger had been thrust into his chest. Although the youth¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t weak, he hadn¡¯t been prepared for Rong Yueshan¡¯s attack at all, and she had managed to score a direct hit.


    ¡°If you want to survive in this world, you need both brawns and brains,¡± Rong Yuehong whispered sweetly to the chubby youth before slowly removing the dagger from his chest.


    The youth turned back to Yun Ruoyan. The illusion of Zhao Ming dissipated, revealing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s original appearance once more.


    ¡°Brother, are you dead or alive?¡± This was the only question the chubby youth had time to mutter out before he slumped to the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out in theherworld!¡± Rong Yuehong scoffed, kicked his prone body aside, and gazed at Yun Ruoyan once more. ¡°Yi Qianying told me you were familiar with demonic arts. I hadn¡¯t believed her at first, but now it seems that I have no choice but to do so.¡±

 Chapter 196: You Overestimated Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 196: You Overestimated Yourself</h4>


    As the skies grew darker, Yun Ruoyao and Wang Meng continued trudging down their path. No matter how quickly Yun Ruoyao walked, Wang Meng was always one step behind her, and this filled her with a considerable amount of unease.


    In the beginning, the two of them had chatted¡ªperhaps not all too amiably, but it at least provided a sense of normalcy. Now, however, they exchanged not a single word.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, so let¡¯s head back and meet up with Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying,¡± Yun Ruoyao halted and said.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head back!¡± Wang Meng didn¡¯t oppose her decision. Now, he was all but certain that Yun Ruoyao was Wang Kuang¡¯s killer. However, he didn¡¯t want to kill Yun Ruoyao just like that: it would be too small a price to pay for his brother¡¯s death.


    When he thought back to how his brother had died in the imperial territory, without even a corpse to be brought back to his family, he felt that even the harshest torture this world had to offer wouldn¡¯t be enough to satiate his need for vengeance.


    ¡°You¡­ why aren¡¯t you turning back?¡± Yun Ruoyao had looped back around, but Wang Meng was standing still behind her and staring at her in an exceedingly strange manner.


    ¡°You first,¡± Wang Meng said. ¡°Your cultivation isn¡¯t high enough yet, and I¡¯m better equipped to deal with sneak attacks from the back.¡±


    Wang Meng¡¯s words were faultless, and Yun Ruoyao did feel somewhat more rxed. His cultivation was far higher than hers, and if he wanted to attack her, he didn¡¯t need to do it from the back. Even if they were to fight head-on, Yun Ruoyao didn¡¯t think she would be able to exchange more than three blows with him.


    Somehowforted by therge disparity in power between them, Yun Ruoyao walked happily forward. Wang Meng continued following from behind, mulling over how to best punish Yun Ruoyao. Naturally, he would have to extend the punishment to Yi Qianying and Yun Ruoyu; the results of his investigation showed that Yi Qianying, Yun Ruoyu, and Yun Ruoyao were all on very good terms with each other, and they had been together during the imperial expedition.


    Even if Yun Ruoyao¡¯s two sisters weren¡¯t themselves culprits, they still had to be aplices or bystanders. Since Yun Ruoyu wasn¡¯t present during this trial, he would punish Yi Qianying first and deal with Yun Ruoyu after returning to the capital.


    Pei Ziao was ted for death, and Jin Fei¡¯er had already detailed how he wanted him to die. Just like that skinny monkey Dou Yao, his tongue would be cut out, his body skinned, and then his mutted body would be marinated in brine.


    Wang Meng suddenly realized how interesting it was to control the lives and deaths of the people around him. This was the first time that he¡¯d discovered something even more interesting than pillmaking, and his spirits even began to rise.


    ¡°I feel some spiritual energy emanating from that location!¡± Not long after walking into a clearing, Yun Ruoyao suddenly stopped and pointed at a particrly dense patch of foliage in the distance.


    Wang Meng hesitated for a moment, broke off his train of thought, and looked where Yun Ruoyao was pointing. The area was secluded and devoid of any light. Wang Meng sent his spiritual energy out in that direction and indeed discovered a strong resonance.


    He stood still for a moment before being overwhelmed by a sense of rapture. He had been leading the other three on a wild goose chase for a made-up spiritual treasure in order to get himself alone with Yun Ruoyao, but it seemed like a marvellous spiritual treasure really did exist! Based on his many years of pillmaking experience, such concentrated spiritual energy implied a treasure of remarkable origin.


    As a man devoted to pillmaking, nothing was more exciting to Wang Meng than the prospect of finding a new spiritual herb. In that moment, Wang Meng had forgotten all about his thoughts of revenge for his brother and focused all his attention on that spiritual treasure.


    ¡°Young Master Wang!¡± When Yun Ruoyao saw the changes in Wang Meng¡¯s expression, she was certain that they¡¯d discovered something good. ¡°Young Master Wang, is that the spiritual treasure we¡¯re looking for?¡±


    Wang Meng finally turned to Yun Ruoyao, ncing at her with shining eyes. Despite his obvious excitement, he didn¡¯t speak for quite a while¡ªas though he were both so excited that he was speechless and simultaneously trying to perform arge number of calctions in his mind.


    Wang Meng¡¯s unusual behavior once again made Yun Ruoyao somewhat apprehensive. ¡°Young Master Wang, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just too excited,¡± Wang Meng replied. ¡°There indeed is a treasure over there, and it¡¯s something quite incredible, too.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Yun Ruoyao¡¯s expression brightened further. ¡°A treasure that can excite even you, Young Master Wang, must be extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°The spiritual energy emanating from that source is so potent that I¡¯ve never seen its like before. It¡¯s an order of magnitude stronger than even a high-grade spiritual herb, and I suspect it might be a sage-grade spiritual herb!¡±


    Wang Meng didn¡¯t hide his thoughts; in his eyes, Yun Ruoyao was akin to a dead person, and there was no need to keep a secret from the dead.


    ¡°Sa¡ªSage?!¡± While there was rumored to be a sage-grade that transcended even high-grade, it was the matter of legends. Allegedly, all sage-grade existences had perished millennia prior along with the downfall of the demonkin, so how could a sage-grade herb suddenly show up within the testing grounds of Kongming Academy?!


    ¡°But an herb of such potency will undoubtedly be protected by a ferocious beast, and it won¡¯t be so easy to acquire it,¡± Wang Meng added.


    ¡°In that case, what should we do?¡± Yun Ruoyao knew little of spiritual treasures, and she had no ideas of her own as to how to deal with the guardian that Wang Meng had brought up. ¡°Should we find Qianying and Young Master Pei first?¡±


    Wang Meng shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be selfish, but such sage-grade treasures surely wouldn¡¯t exist in great quantities¡ªperhaps a sprig of a spiritual herb, or one, two spiritual fruits at most. Do you really want to share this treasure with two others? After all, this is a once-in-several-lifetimes opportunity.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao shook her head without hesitation.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Wang Meng nodded, satisfied. ¡°Let¡¯s have a look at the situation first. If the beast is really too strong and we can¡¯t handle it on our own, then we¡¯ll go find others to help.¡±


    Wang Meng took Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand in his and pulled her deep into the forest. Yun Ruoyao stilled: in all her life, she¡¯d never held hands with a man before. Even Young Master Li, whom she¡¯d been on good terms with, had never made skin-to-skin contact with her.


    Yun Ruoyao felt a curious sensation flowing from Wang Meng¡¯s hand to hers, and her cheeks blushed a faint red as she allowed Wang Meng to drag her into the forest. Wang Meng noticed the changes in her expression, and his eyes narrowed. Hidden from Yun Ruoyao¡¯s sight, his lips formed a cold, cruel smile.


    Back in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s oasis, Rong Yueshan was facing off against Yun Ruoyan and the Lin siblings.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, are you a human or a demon?¡± Rong Yueshan asked.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Yun Ruoyan replied expressionlessly. ¡°Do I look like a human or a demon?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s half-white, half-ck face was brought to sharp contrast by the darkening skies. The pale side of her face became even paler, and the dark side of her face looked almost as though it had been consumed by the night. She looked unusually strange and ugly, but it was too far a stretch to call her a demon.


    ¡°You look neither like a demon nor a human,¡± Rong Yueshan judged. ¡°How could my sister have lost to the likes of you? How could she have died to you?!¡±


    Although Rong Yueshan and Rong Yuehong didn¡¯t share any semnce of sisterly love, Rong Yueshan had always treated Rong Yuehong as her role model. She had been present at the flower-viewing party that fateful night when Yun Ruoyan defeated Rong Yuehong. From Yun Ruoyan¡¯s aura, however, she was not much stronger than Rong Yuehong, and her sister¡¯s sudden defeat came as a great surprise to her.


    From then on, Rong Yueshan had suspected that Yun Ruoyan was hiding her true strength and deliberately spreading rumors that she was a useless, ugly waif.


    Later, when she became familiar with Yi Qianying, she asked Yi Qianying about her notorious cousin. ording to Yi Qianying, Yun Ruoyan was a demonlike existence. She had suddenly gone from an ugly little shrimp to an arrogant swan, and her cultivation had advanced in leaps and bounds. Even more frightening was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze. She used to avoid meeting anyone¡¯s eyes, but now her gaze was prating and deprecating, even supercilious.


    Yi Qianying confided to Rong Yueshan that Pei Ziao¡¯s murders at the Yichun brothel, a drama that had swept the capital by storm, was orchestrated by Yun Ruoyan single-handedly. Pei Ziao had sumbed to her demonic arts.


    Rong Yueshan hadn¡¯t believed this at first: after all, she had seen demons personally, and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t feel like a demon to her.


    However, just then, the chubby youth who had been allied with Rong Yueshan had been bewitched before her very eyes. If Rong Yueshan hadn¡¯t seen it for herself, and if she hadn¡¯t been prepared for such an eventuality, she would undoubtedly have died.


    The day prior, Rong Yueshan had even seen Yun Ruoyan release a barrier of spiritual energy to protect her body underwater. That was something that was only possible at the peak of eighth-rank.


    During the flower-viewing party, Yun Ruoyan had only given off the aura of a fourth-rank demaster. However, at the time, Rong Yuehong had been a sixth-rank demaster, and yet she had somehow fallen to Yun Ruoyan. Now, a few monthster, Yun Ruoyan now appeared to be an eighth-rank demaster.


    These countless mysteries left Rong Yueshan shocked and confused. Before she could unravel the truth behind Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation, she wouldn¡¯t have dared toy a hand on Yun Ruoyan. However, the events that had transpired at thatke were a great opportunity for her, and she decided to make use of the Chen kingdom team she had met without any hesitation.


    She would use this chance to seize Yun Ruoyan, then discover the secrets behind her existence.


    ¡°Your sister died of her arrogance and conceit. As for you¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s once-expressionless face morphed into a half-smile. ¡°You¡¯ll die because you overestimated yourself!¡±

 Chapter 197: Appearance of the Blade Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 197: Appearance of the de Spirit</h4>


    At the highest point of the highest tower of Kongming Academy, two men¡ªone in ck, the other in white¡ªsat quietly as they gazed into a copper mirror. Both men were hooded, their faces blocked from sight.


    Shown in the copper mirror was Yun Ruoyan and Rong Yueshan¡¯s standoff.


    ¡°Who do you think will win this conflict?¡± the white-robed man asked in a bleak, hoarse voice.


    The ck-robed man didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he pointed at Yun Ruoyan.


    The elder in white seemed rather shocked. ¡°This student doesn¡¯t seem to have the upper hand at the moment. Why favor her?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had been paralyzed, as had her two cousins. Even ounting for the fact that Zhuo Yifeng was prepared for an ambush from the forest, Rong Yueshan¡¯s victory certainly seemed more likely.


    Under his broad hood, the ck-robed man smiled. ¡°Just watch.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost dark, and you know this scrying orb automatically stops functioning at night. I doubt we¡¯ll be able to watch the battle y out in its entirety¡­¡± The elder stroked his beard, sighing.


    The ck-robed man didn¡¯t respond; both were looking attentively into the mirror.


    ¡°Your sister died of her arrogance and conceit. As for you¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s once-expressionless face morphed into a half-smile. ¡°You¡¯ll die because you overestimated yourself!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Rong Yueshan asked.


    Despite her favorable position, Rong Yueshan was still made rather anxious by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words. She feared the unknown, and Yun Ruoyan seemed like a wholly inscrutable presence to her.


    Yun Ruoyan continued smiling. ¡°You¡¯ve tried to discover too many of my secrets, so much so that I don¡¯t have a reason not to kill you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s past life had taught her to be decisive. Once she decided to kill Rong Yueshan, she wouldn¡¯t relent until Rong Yueshan was dead. However, this didn¡¯t mean that she was cruel or particrly interested in ughter: to her, killing was a method ofst resort.


    Yun Ruoyan was unwilling to reveal her true appearance. Simrly, unless she had to, she was equally unwilling to reveal her true strength. She had been very, very careful not to arouse others¡¯ suspicions, but someone just had to focus all her attention on Yun Ruoyan.


    Furthermore, that person had demonstrated a clear intent to kill her. This sort of person was undoubtedly the most dangerous for Yun Ruoyan¡ªjust like a ticking time bomb, one that could explode at any moment.


    As a result, Rong Yueshan had to die.


    Despite Rong Yueshan¡¯s advantageous position, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s killing intent and confidence that she would be able to follow through left Rong Yueshan somewhat anxious. As far as she could tell, Yun Ruoyan always seemed able to turn the tides, winning what seemed at first nce to be an unwinnable fight.


    However, although she was anxious, Rong Yueshan looked as calm as ever. Smiling contemptuously, she announced, ¡°As if you have a chance of killing me.¡± She turned in the general direction of Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I know that your archer¡¯s waiting to shoot me? You underestimate me, Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    Rong Yueshan could easily have stepped forward with the chubby youth to deal with Yun Ruoyan, but she chose to stand a far distance away from the forest. The reason she did so was because she was aware of Zhuo Yifeng, lying in ambush.


    Because the chubby youth had taken Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bow and arrows, he wasn¡¯t worried of him. However, Rong Yueshan had seen his archery with her own eyes. She was quite aware that, for an archer of his caliber, even rough, handmade equipment could be highly effective weapons.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s arrow was indeed pointed at Rong Yueshan. However, she was standing too far out of range of his wooden bow, so Zhuo Yifeng had been patiently waiting for an opportunity to strike.


    However, Rong Yueshan had no intent of stepping forward, and even the patient, coolheaded Zhuo Yifeng began to turn anxious.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for my teammates to return,¡± Rong Yueshan announced. ¡°No matter how strong your demonic arts, you can¡¯t handle that many people in one go, can you?¡±


    The reason Rong Yueshan had monologued for so long was to dy the confrontation until her teammates returned from hunting beasts. The only people left at the clearing had been the chubby youth, Rong Yueshan, and Rong Yueshan¡¯s four teammates.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll simply kill you before they return.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan made her move immediately, mobilizing the Fei de and directing it toward Rong Yueshan. She readied it with her mental energy, then gave Rong Yueshan a piercing nce. The Fei de shot toward Rong Yueshan as a beam of light.


    This all happened in the blink of an eye, but Rong Yueshan had been staring at Yun Ruoyan unwaveringly. As a result, she caught the near-instantaneous motion.


    ¡°Demonic arts!¡± Rong Yueshan screamed.


    Reflected in the mirror, this sight also appeared in front of the white-robed elder and ck-robed man.


    ¡°A sage-grade spiritual weapon!¡± The white-robed elder let out a sharp cry as he raised his right palm and wed at the mirror, and a shockingly powerful surge of spiritual energy rushed from his palm into the mirror.


    The Fei de was right about to decapitate Rong Yueshan when a sudden gust of spiritual energy emerged from mid-air, morphed into a rope, and bound the Fei de, stopping it right in front of Rong Yueshan¡¯s eyes.


    Because of the sudden bondage, the Fei de¡¯s original appearance became clear. The de was sickle-shaped and forged of a dark, lustrous metal. The edge of the de was enveloped in a sheen of white light and emitted a bitter cold.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Rong Yueshan, saved from the brink of death, was so shocked that her face had turned white. She screamed out as she fell onto the ground. ¡°Demon¡­ demonic¡­ spiritual weapon?!¡± Rong Yueshan opened her eyes wide as she realized that the weapon that had shocked her half to death wasn¡¯t an ult construction, but was just a spiritual weapon.


    ¡°So it was a spiritual weapon all along! Ha!¡± Rong Yueshan shifted her gaze from the Fei de to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body. Because of the shock, her voice was still quavering a little as she crowed victoriously, ¡°It was just a powerful spiritual weapon¡ªand here I thought you were some three-headed, six-armed demon!¡±


    Although spiritual weapons which could morph into a beam of light were rtively umon, they weren¡¯t unheard of. The high-grade concealed weapon which the Rong family had once possessed, a small silver needle, would even follow its target until it struck. Because Rong Yueshan had seen such weapons before, she wasn¡¯t particrly amazed by the Fei de.


    Unfortunately, that concealed weapon had been confiscated by Li Mo during the flower-viewing party. Otherwise, if it were in Rong Yueshan¡¯s hands, she would have shot it at Yun Ruoyan without a doubt.


    Yun Ruoyan was very surprised to see the Fei de stop short right before killing Rong Yueshan. When she looked more closely at the body of the de, she noticed that it was surrounded by a sheen of spiritual energy. It was that spiritual energy that was preventing the Fei de from striking.


    ¡°Mistress, someone¡¯s restraining the Fei de with spiritual energy. They¡¯re trying to take control of it!¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice was almost incredulous.


    ¡°Can you sense who¡¯s doing it?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t. The person isn¡¯t in this realm, and likely transmitted his spiritual energy into the realm using an artifact of some sort. However, his cultivation is immensely high.¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s tone was filled with shock. ¡°Being able to restrain the Fei de like that¡­ this cultivator must have reached the realm of a sword saint! He might be heading towards the realm of a sage!¡±


    ¡°Sword saint¡­ Sage¡­!¡± These unfathomable realms of cultivation left Yun Ruoyan equally shocked. At least on the Chenyuan continent, it was widely acknowledged that ninth-rank demasters had already reached the peak of demaster cultivation. As for the realm of a sword saint, Yun Ruoyan had only heard Li Mo mention it once. Li Mo hadn¡¯t described it to her in detail, only mentioning that she would naturally learn about the next few realms once she became a ninth-rank demaster.


    Yun Ruoyan had asked Qiuqiu about those realms, but because the information was sealed, even Qiuqiu couldn¡¯t divulge too much to her.


    However, she had now found out that even sword saints weren¡¯t at the peak of cultivation; above them were the so-called sages. Yun Ruoyan had only ever heard of sage-grade beasts and spiritual treasures, but never a sage-rank cultivation.


    As Yun Ruoyan was processing her newfound information, a shadow appeared above the Fei de: it was the de spirit, which hadn¡¯t made an appearance since its subjugation. It looked like a long-bearded elder who gazed piercingly at the direction of the spiritual energy binding the de.


    In front of the copper mirror, the white-robed elder was still making a w with his right hand, skeins of pure-white spiritual energy leaving his fingers and manifesting as thick ropes within the secret realm. His original intention was to snatch the Fei de away in one go, but even after using up half his spiritual energy reserves, he still couldn¡¯t seem to retrieve the Fei de and pull it out of the secret realm.


    When the elder tried to strengthen his grip, the de spirit appeared. ¡°What ignorant fool dares disturb me from my slumber?!¡±


    This enraged shout caused Rong Yueshan, who had barely gotten over her shock and stood back up, to fall back down to the ground again.

 Chapter 198: Spiritual Sense

    <h4>Chapter 198: Spiritual Sense</h4>


    ¡°What a powerful de spirit, to have reached the level of a sword saint!¡± the white-robed elder murmured in surprise, ncing at the de spirit which had revealed itself atop the Fei de. ¡°No wonder the mirrors of observation couldn¡¯t detect its presence at all.


    Before entering the portal to the hidden realm, Yun Ruoyan and the others had all had their possessions checked by the mirrors in Shui Yun and Mo Yun¡¯s hands, which could detect all spiritual weapons of ninth-rank and below.


    But the de spirit had clearly reached the realm of a sword saint, a tenth-rank existence!


    How did a little girle to possess such a powerful spiritual weapon? The white-robed elder couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    By his side, the ck-robed man revealed a hint of his own curiosity. His long brows were slightly furrowed, and his eyes were focused fully on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face. Yan¡¯er, what other surprises will you be able to bring me?


    Naturally, that ck-robed man was none other than the ughtering King, Li Mo. The white-robed elder next to him was first amongst the elders of Kongming Academy, possessing absolutemand over the academy¡¯s workings.


    ¡°Well? Aren¡¯t you going to identify yourself?!¡± the Fei de¡¯s de spirit yelled arrogantly at the white-robed elder. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t go easy on you!¡± The de spirit raised his elbows and directed his palms at the heavens, forming two diffuse glows of spiritual energy.


    As the spiritual energy concentrated in his palms, the glow became stronger and stronger. Once it reached about the size of a human head, the de spirit joined his two palms andbined both balls of light. The remarkable umtion of spiritual power began distorting his surroundings as he thrust his palms forward, directing the spiritual energy through the air.


    ¡°How impressive!¡± Qiuqiu couldn¡¯t help eximing. ¡°I can¡¯t believe a de spirit would dare to challenge a sword saint!¡±


    Qiuqiu felt as though it had really underestimated the de spirit.


    Yun Ruoyan was likewise astounded by the de spirit¡¯s sudden appearance and attack, and she thought back to what had happened the day she had somehow managed to subdue him. Her impression of the de spirit was that he was a cantankerous, entric old man. Such entric personalities tended to be powerful in the extreme, but Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t realized exactly how strong he was.


    The white ball of spiritual energy flew all the way into the air, orders of magnitude brighter than the ropes of spiritual energy with which the white-robed elder had restrained the de.


    In front of the all-seeing mirror, the white-robed elder turned pale. Therge ball of spiritual energy appeared as though it would break the constraints on the realm, pass through the mirror, and strike at him.


    Naturally, the white-robed elder could cease operating the mirror and break off the link between the realm and the outside world, but his pride as an elder would not allow him to do so. He extended both his hands, prepared to receive the blow.


    The frighteningly condensed spiritual energy struck the barrier between the all-seeing mirror and the secret realm. Rong Yueshan, closest to the spot of impact, was all but blinded by the surge of light. Like an ostrich, she buried her head in the sandy ground.


    As everyone waited for the impending fallout¡­


    ...nothing happened? The spiritual energy seemed to disperse immediately upon hitting the barrier, as though it were nothing but a wisp of wind against a brick wall. Everyone, including the white-haired elder and Li Mo, was stupefied.


    ¡°Hmm! What¡¯s the matter?¡± The de spirit was equally confused as everyone else. He nced at the barrier and announced, ¡°It¡¯s just a regr barrier, so why couldn¡¯t I break it open? I¡¯ll try once more.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± The de spirit let out a cry as he again gathered an immense condensation of spiritual energy, even more brilliant and blinding than before.


    Because of his imposing aura, the onlookers got anxious once more. However, as the umted energy again struck the barrier and the white-robed elder again prepared to receive the blow¡­


    ...nothing happened.


    ¡°Damn, what¡¯s the problem?!¡± The de spirit became furious.


    The white-robed elder nced at the de spirit, his lined features revealing a smile. ¡°So this de spirit was just a spiritual remnant¡­¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It seems like this de spirit¡­ is only a spiritual remnant?¡± Qiuqiu guessed as he scrutinized the crestfallen de spirit carefully. ¡°And from the looks of it, this muddleheaded old man doesn¡¯t know about it either.¡±


    ¡°A spiritual remnant?¡± This was the first that Yun Ruoyan had heard of such a term. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Qiuqiu informed her that, once a cultivator reached the realm of a sword saint, that cultivator would form an inner core in their spiritual vortex. Yun Ruoyan had known that beasts possessed inner cores, but never that cultivators would also form them eventually.


    Possessing an inner core would dramatically upgrade a cultivator¡¯s mental energy, and this upgraded energy was known as ¡®spiritual sense¡¯. After a sword saint¡¯s death, that spiritual sense could continue living on for millennia if it found a suitable vessel¡ªa spiritual weapon, or a spiritual treasure of some sort¡ªin the form of a spiritual remnant.


    Yun Ruoyan and Qiuqiu had always assumed that the de spirit had formed naturally with the Fei de itself, but they hadn¡¯t expected him to be the spiritual sense left over from a sword saint.


    Such remnants could indeed perform physical attacks of their own, but their offensive power would be weakened at least thousandfold. Although this particr de spirit could maintain his original appearance and scare others with a seemingly advanced cultivation, his offensive power would be far stronger paired with the de than without.


    ¡°You insolent de spirit! I¡¯ll capture your vessel on the spot!¡± the white-haired elder announced through the barrier.


    The voice seemed toe from mid-air. Although it wasn¡¯t particrly loud, it left everyone present quite shocked.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, this voice is¡­¡±


    ¡°This voice is from the sword saint who was trying to restrain the de, Mistress.¡±


    ¡°You dare!¡± The de spirit pointed at the air in an imposing manner. ¡°Do you know who I am? How dare a trivial cultivator like you make such a grandiose im!¡±


    ¡°Oh? And who are you?¡± the white-robed elder asked. The spiritual remnant indeed seemed to possess some power, but it was only a remnant. The white-robed elder wasn¡¯t afraid of his original identity, and was simply curious about who he had been.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± The de spirit raised his chest proudly, but then he stalled. ¡°Who am I?¡± He hit his own head and mumbled to himself, somewhat anxiously, ¡°Who am I? Why don¡¯t I remember?¡±


    When the white-robed elder saw the de spirit scratching his head absent-mindedly, he urged, ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to tell me, then don¡¯t me me for being heartless! An existence like you surely shouldn¡¯t exist in this trial. I¡¯ll restrain you temporarily and punish your master once the trial is over!¡±


    ¡°How could this be? I¡¯ve slept for so long that I forgot my own identity!¡± the de spirit mumbled. However, when he heard that the white-robed elder was trying to catch him, he immediately jumped back into the Fei de.


    ¡°How embarrassing!¡± Qiuqiu remarked. ¡°Make sure no one knows that we know him.¡±


    The white-robed elder was just about to capture the Fei de when Li Mo stopped him.


    ¡°Elder, please wait!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°This spiritual weapon has already recognized that student as his master, so even if you retrieve it, Elder, you won¡¯t be able to make use of it. In that case, why not leave it in the student¡¯s hands? After all, this spiritual weapon possesses an incredible capacity for growth. With its master¡¯s development, it¡¯ll surely be far more powerful. In contrast, if we seal it away, it¡¯ll be nothing but a lump of scrap metal.¡±


    The white-robed elder thought momentarily before replying, ¡°But it surely isn¡¯t a good idea to let such a powerful spiritual weapon rest in the hands of a young child.¡±


    It would dramatically increase any youth¡¯s offensive power, but this unearned power would simrly cause such youths to be ck andzy, neglecting their own cultivation. This was a problem endemic to the scions of the capital, as well as the reason why Kongming Academy had confiscated the youths¡¯ spiritual weapons for this trial.


    What the white-robed elder didn¡¯t know was that Yun Ruoyan had a particrly impressive self-control. As long as she wasn¡¯t endangered or in a critical situation, she would almost never bring out the Fei de.


    Li Mo was very clear about this, because even he hadn¡¯t known about the existence of such a weapon despite knowing her intimately. Clearly, Yun Ruoyan had intended for this to remain aplete secret even to him.


    ¡°Elder, you could easily seal the weapon and prevent its owner from using it before bing a ninth-rank demaster,¡± Li Mo suggested.


    The white-robed elder scrutinized Yun Ruoyan carefully through the bronze mirror. She was young, but her face appeared to be scarred. ¡°You¡¯re more familiar with the noble scions of the Chenyuan continent than I am. Do you know of this girl?¡±


    Li Mo hadn¡¯t intended on revealing her identity, but he couldn¡¯t easily evade such a direct question. ¡°This girl is Yun Ruoyan, the second daughter of the Yun family of the Li kingdom. Truthfully, Elder, she¡¯s of particr interest to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The white-robed elder nced appraisingly at Li Mo. ¡°I know you hate interacting with people, so to hear that you¡¯ve taken an interest in her¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re betrothed.¡±


    The white-robed elder was almost more shocked at this revtion than the presence of the de spirit. Through the mirror, Yun Ruoyan looked absolutely ordinary. Inparison to Li Mo, who was like the glowing moon, Yun Ruoyan might as well have been a disfigured rock.


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s saved my life multiple times. Most importantly, however, I believe that she won¡¯t discard me no matter what.¡±

 Chapter 199: Kill Them All

    <h4>Chapter 199: Kill Them All</h4>


    Li Mo did not reveal to the elder that Yun Ruoyan was a human furnace. This was too important a secret to reveal to anyone else, even the elder to whom he owed arge debt of gratitude.


    The elder sighed, thinking back to the day that he¡¯d found Li Mo in a dark, damp, and cold cave in the middle of a blizzard. Li Mo had been no more than five or six years of age. Alone in the cave, he had survived on a small spiritual beast¡¯s blood for ten whole days. By the time the white-robed elder found him, he was at death¡¯s door.


    When the white-robed elder held him in his hands, he kept on crying out, ¡°Father¡­ Mother¡­ Sisters... Don¡¯t leave me! I¡¯ll be obedient, so please don¡¯t leave me alone!¡±


    The white-robed elder didn¡¯t know how the young Li Mo had managed to survive so long under such harsh conditions, but ever since then, the once-lively youth had be as cold and hard as ice.


    What the white-robed elder hadn¡¯t expected was there to be a girl who could somehow thaw his heart, and his lined face wrinkled into a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ...although the girl¡¯s face seems a little strange. ¡°Your parents would surely be happy for you,¡± he continued.


    Li Mo¡¯s lips curled up into a smile.


    ¡°Since she¡¯s betrothed to you, I won¡¯t begrudge this matter further. However, I¡¯m not the only one with power in Kongming Academy, so she¡¯d best be careful after leaving the trial,¡± the elder instructed.


    ¡°My gratitude, Elder.¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu, what¡¯s the matter now?¡± Yun Ruoyan saw that the Fei de was still hovering in mid-air, even after the terrified de spirit had long since ducked back into the shelter of the de.


    The rope of spiritual energy that restrained the de was still present, but it hadn¡¯t tightened further or made any additional effort to drag the de away. Instead, it felt as though everything was held in stasis.


    ¡°Mistress, they might be discussing how to deal with that muddleheaded de spirit,¡± Qiuqiu responded.


    ¡°Is it possible that they¡¯ll seize the Fii de?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, concerned. After all, Kongming Academy had expressly forbidden bringing sixth- or higher-rank spiritual weapons into the secret realm, and she had knowingly broken that rule. Yun Ruoyan felt as though the Fei de would surely be confiscated, and that she would likely be stripped of her qualifications as a student.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mistress¡­¡± Qiuqiu seemed as concerned as she was.


    Suddenly, a voice rang out in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head.


    ¡°Little girl, I was going to confiscate your spiritual weapon and then punish you, but someone interceded on your behalf. As such, I¡¯ll spare you this once. The spiritual weapon won¡¯t be confiscated, but will instead be sealed in your body until you be a sword saint.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan very much wanted to ask who had stepped in for her, but before she could do so, the voice had disappeared. At the same time, the spiritual energy binding the de vanished, and the Fei de returned to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. Following the de was a surge of spiritual energy, efficiently and effectively wrapping the de up.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s this energy surrounding me?¡± the de spirit began to yell out. ¡°How dare you try to entrap me, you foolish mortals! Once I emerge from this binding, I¡¯ll be sure to give you a good beating!¡±


    ¡°Old man, can you stop embarrassing yourself?¡± Qiuqiu couldn¡¯t help rebuking.


    ¡°Little mythical creature, even you dare look down on me? Just you wait until I get out of these restraints!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, elder de spirit. If you¡¯re so powerful, then tell me who you are.¡±


    The de spirit choked on his words, then finally sputtered out, ¡°Once I go to sleep and wake up again, I¡¯ll surely remember who I am.¡±


    The de spirit once again fell asleep for an interminable duration, returning blessed silence to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Wh¡ªWhat happened just now?¡± Rong Yueshan, who had buried her head in the sand, finally emerged once more after noticing that the disturbances seemed to have stopped.


    Just as dazed as Rong Yueshan were Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue, who asked as one,¡± Sister Ruoyan, what just happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell the two of youter. Now, what¡¯s more important is escaping from this mess,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered back.


    The sudden turn of events had caused all three girls to forget their perilous situation. When they tried to move their bodies, they only felt a sense of numb paralysis, seemingly stronger than before. Rong Yueshan¡¯s paralytic poison was truly quite extraordinary!


    Rong Yueshan was also slowly recovering from her befuddlement. Yun Ruoyan had clearly taken out a very strong spiritual weapon intending to kill her, but just when she had thought herself dead, a beam of spiritual energy emerged from the heavens and prevented her murder.


    Then, the spiritual weapon¡¯s de spirit emerged and fought against the bindings from the sky. As for what happenedter, Rong Yueshan had no clue¡ªbecause after that fight, she hadn¡¯t dared to raise her head. However, when she inspected her surroundings now, everything seemed to have returned to normal. The powerful spiritual weapon that Yun Ruoyan had released was likewise nowhere to be seen.


    Rong Yueshan guessed that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual weapon had been defeated by the sudden burst of spiritual energy, and that spiritual energy very likely came from some powerful existence in Kongming Academy.


    Rong Yueshan hadn¡¯t expected to be saved out of nowhere¡ªafter all, quite a number of people had died of various causes during the trial. Why would someone intervene just for her? Was there some elder who wanted to take her as a disciple? Rong Yueshan¡¯s expression turned ecstatic.


    Having lived two lives, Yun Ruoyan had an inkling as to what was going on inside her head. As she¡¯d imed, Rong Yueshan easily overestimated herself.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, killing me isn¡¯t as easy as you thought, eh?¡± Rong Yueshan grinned wolfishly. ¡°Even the heavens are helping me¡ªyou¡¯ll die today! But,¡± she continued, ¡°if you¡¯re willing to tell me your secrets, I¡¯ll consider giving you a more painless death, haha.¡±


    Rong Yueshan stepped toward Yun Ruoyan.


    Within the forest, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s eyes brightened, and he loosed a tiger-canine arrow at Rong Yueshan. The bow was made of a simple, unadorned wood, and the bowstring was simply a sturdy vine. Thebination of the two run-of-the-mill materials led to a rather clumsy product with limited range, and Zhuo Yifeng had to take advantage of every opportunity he could find.


    When Rong Yueshan stepped forward and into his range, he immediately released an arrow at her. The tiger-canine arrowhead provided the necessary prating power to make the shot relevant.


    Because of her excitement that a noble figure was looking out for her, Rong Yueshan had actually forgotten about Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s existence. As soon as she stepped forward, she heard a whooshing noise. Before she could step back, the tiger-canine arrowhead prated her thigh.


    Rong Yueshan yelped and fell to the ground. When Zhuo Yifeng confirmed that his arrow had left her immobilized, he rushed out of the forest like a leopard, darting toward the three girls. Gritting her teeth in pain, Rong Yueshan removed a few small silver darts from her waist and began throwing them at Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, be careful!¡± Lin Qingxue shouted.


    Zhuo Yifeng agilely dodged the darts. While Rong Yueshan was preparing for her next volley, he quickly aimed and shot another arrow at her. However, because he didn¡¯t have the time to attach a tiger-canine arrowhead, the arrow was far weaker than his original.


    Rong Yueshan¡¯s fourth-rank silver darts easily sliced the wooden arrow in two. The momentary distraction gave Zhuo Yifeng the time to install a tiger-canine arrowhead on his next arrow, before aiming it at Rong Yueshan. At the same time, Rong Yueshan prepared to throw the darts at Yun Ruoyan and the Lin sisters.


    The two factions came once again to a stalemate.


    ¡°If you dare move, I¡¯ll kill all three of those girls!¡±


    Rong Yueshan¡¯s row of small darts weren¡¯t aimed at Zhuo Yifeng, but rather the three girls. She knew that her injury would likely render her unable to hit the agile Zhuo Yifeng, so she decided to aim at the paralyzed girls instead.


    ¡°And if you dare move, I won¡¯t be shooting at your thigh this time!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in trouble,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. ¡°Herpanions are back.¡±


    ¡°Haha, none of you will be able to escape today. All of you will perish here!¡± Rong Yueshan could also detect herpanions¡¯ aura.


    Three youths stepped into the clearing, led by Rong Yueshan¡¯s pale-faced sidekick. Six people from Rong Yueshan¡¯s team had died, and there were only Rong Yueshan and three others left.


    ¡°Miss Rong, you¡¯ve been injured!¡± The pale-faced youth rushed toward Rong Yueshan in distress.


    ¡°Ignore me for the moment,¡± Rong Yueshanmanded. However, even as she did so, she continued training her eyes on Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng¡ªthere was no way she was going to let down her guard again!


    ¡°Where are those members from the Chen kingdom team?¡± Rong Yueshan asked.


    ¡°As you¡¯ve instructed, we lured them into a horde of beasts. None of them survived,¡± the pale-faced youth replied.


    ¡°Good, good. If they want to take advantage of me, they¡¯ll pay with their lives,¡± Rong Yueshan responded evilly.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know what enmity Rong Yueshan had with the Chen kingdom team that had allied with her, but this was sufficient to show how vicious and merciless Rong Yueshan was. Yun Ruoyan reaffirmed her desire to kill her.


    ¡°Miss Rong, what¡¯s going on now?¡± the pale-faced youth asked. Without Rong Yueshan¡¯s direct order, the youth didn¡¯t dare to make a move on his own.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Rong Yueshan cackled. ¡°Good timing. Now, kill Yun Ruoyan and her three sisters!¡±


    <hr>


    1. The exact terms he uses are ¡®¸¸»Ê¡¯ (father-emperor), ¡®Ä¸ºó¡¯ (mother-empress), and ¡®¹¬Å®½ã½ã¡¯ (pce-maid-sisters), so the elder knows of Li Mo¡¯s noble birth. It is difficult to express this concisely in the trantion because the appositive-vocative construction used here does not have a natural English analogue.

 Chapter 200: A Last Glance

    <h4>Chapter 200: A Last nce</h4>


    ¡°Kill them all!¡± Rong Yueshanmanded the pale-faced youth.


    The pale-faced youth and his twockeys all turned to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party of four, but none of them seemed to dare to make the first move.


    ¡°The three girls have all been paralyzed, so they can hardly even move their fingers. Don¡¯t be frightened of them.¡± Rong Yueshan could see their hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m holding the archer back, so you don¡¯t have to be worried about him, either. Once they¡¯re all dealt with, we can split their treasure equally amongst all of us. Given what we¡¯ve already collected, we¡¯ll definitely be able to get into Kongming Academy. We¡¯re not going to have such a precious opportunity to collect treasure and vanquish a powerful opponent again, so what are all of you waiting for?!¡±


    The three youths had been quite afraid of the arrow in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hands. Although they could tell that his current bow was really quite slipshod, the tiger-canine arrow nocked on his bow gleamed with an ice-cold light.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s previous demonstration of archery at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s original oasis had left an indelible impression on all three members¡¯ minds. However, at Rong Yueshan¡¯s urging, they slowly began walking toward Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group.


    When Zhuo Yifeng saw the movement, he continued pointing his arrow at Rong Yueshan as he slowly crept toward Yun Ruoyan and the Lin sisters. The pale-faced youth made a hand signal, and the two youths following behind him split up into a pincer formation.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, run away with Brother Zhuo! Leave us!¡± Lin Qingxue shouted. If Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng were to ignore them, they could escape.


    Lin Qingchen didn¡¯t say a single word, because she understood Yun Ruoyan more thoroughly. In her estimation, Yun Ruoyan wouldn¡¯t bear to leave them behind.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was expressionless. Externally, her half-white, half-ck visage was as frightening as it had been; internally, she was desperately trying to cook up a n. The only one among them who could fight was Zhuo Yifeng, and his actions were being restrained by Rong Yueshan. Rong Yueshan¡¯s three aplices were slowly heading toward them, and although they were weaker than she was, they were at least fifth-rank demasters.


    Three fifth-rank demasters against three paralyzed victims¡­


    ...was there a way out? Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brows furrowed, and her forehead scrunched up even more deeply than before.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, see if there are any antidotes for paralysis in my pocket dimension.¡±


    Qiuqiu had already done a cursory search, but now it inspected the pile of antidotes that Li Mo brought her even more closely. Momentster, Qiuqiu replied in the negative.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed.


    ¡°Mistress, you can¡¯t¡­!¡± Just then, Qiuqiu felt Yun Ruoyan forcefully trying to manipte spiritual energy in her spiritual vortex. Because the paralytic poison seeped deep into her body, her spiritual energy had essentially been blocked off. Trying to break those restrictions without the palliative effect of the antidote would cause severe damage to her spiritual vortex and body.


    Despite the severe consequences, Yun Ruoyan was forcing the spiritual energy to circte through her body and filter into the silver bracelet so that she could use the bracelet¡¯s augmentation to recover some amount of fighting strength once more.


    ¡°Mistress, this will drastically damage your cultivation. At best, your cultivation will fall. At worst, you might disturb the very foundations of your spiritual vortex and cause your cultivation to crumble entirely!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no other choice. I have to protect everyone¡¯s life!¡± Her mind set, Yun Ruoyan continued oveing the poison¡¯s restraints. She slowly sent a trickle of spiritual energy into her bracelet, then more and more, until she had managed to free a small puddle from the poison¡¯s paralytic grasp.


    At the same time, the three youths continued edging ever closer. The pale-faced youth in the middle walked much faster than his twockeys at the sides. Once he was about eighty feet away from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group, he suddenly stopped and pulled out a pure-ck bow¡ªZhuo Yifeng¡¯s bow, which he had taken from Lin Qingxue.


    The pale-faced youth nocked a tiger-canine arrow and aimed it at Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°My archery skills aren¡¯t anything to be proud of, but I can at least shoot you dead from this distance,¡± the pale-faced youth began, smiling maliciously.


    Before Zhuo Yifeng could react, he immediately loosed his arrow. The tiger-canine arrow whistled as it rushed at Zhuo Yifeng. Zhuo Yifeng could only loose his own arrow in defense. Both arrows had a tiger-canine arrowhead, but the youth¡¯s arrow was made by a craftsman, and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s arrow was simply an unadorned piece of wood that he¡¯d picked up in the nearby forest.


    Furthermore, the pale-faced youth had shot first. Although he imed to be unskilled at archery, it was a standard skill in which he had been trained since birth. Although his talent might not beparable to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s transcendent expertise, he was sure he could win in such an advantageous confrontation!


    However, the pale-faced youth had underestimated Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s skill and overestimated his own. Standard arrows had a greater prating power, but were heavier and had a lower initial velocity when shot out. Zhuo Yifeng, whose unusually strong arms allowed him to draw the bowstring further back topensate, could ignore this deficiency, but this was to be the pale-faced youth¡¯s downfall.


    The arrow that Zhuo Yifeng had shot out at full power almost glowed as it passed by the pale-faced youth¡¯s arrow. The two arrows whizzed so closely by each other that they produced a shower of sparks, temporarily blinding everyone¡¯s sight. While Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s wooden arrow remainedrgely unaffected by the near-collision, the pale-faced youth¡¯s arrow had shifted in direction.


    The pale-faced youth opened his eyes wide and stared disbelievingly at the arrow that had prated his heart. He gasped, as though he was about to speak, before falling down onto the sandy ground.


    Opposite him, Zhuo Yifeng had also been hit by the pale-faced youth¡¯s arrow. However, it had lodged itself not in a critical area, but in the meaty part of his shoulder. As everyone was distracted by the youth¡¯s sudden death, Zhuo Yifeng pulled out the arrow in his shoulder, nocked it, and aimed it at Rong Yueshan once more.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯sposure shocked the pale-faced youth¡¯s twockeys. Fresh red blood flowed down Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s shoulder, dripping down the bow in his hands and onto the sandy ground beneath. Despite the bloody wound, he looked as calm as ever, as though he were an emotionless, mechanical weapon unaffected by pain.


    When Rong Yueshan saw the pale-faced youth fall to the ground, she cried out so mournfully that everyone present recognized their intimacy. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± she screamed, her eyes red, before throwing out the silver darts in her hand.


    Zhuo Yifeng shot out the bloodied arrow dyed red with his own blood. As soon as he did so, he noticed something amiss: his powerful arms had suddenly gone ck, and the arrow had lost much of the force propelling it forward. His wooden bow couldn¡¯t impart much propulsion even under the best of conditions, not to mention his injury and sudden loss of strength.


    As a result, that bow was actually knocked aside by one of Rong Yueshan¡¯s silver darts, and Zhuo Yifeng fell to one knee.


    ¡°Wh¡ªWhy am I so weak?!¡± Zhuo Yifeng, who had remainedposed all throughout the fight, was now starting to panic. He wasn¡¯t afraid of getting injured, but he had to protect the three girls behind him even if it cost him his life. He struggled to stand once more, but the poison coursing through his veins brought him toppling to the ground.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Rong Yueshan cackled, her face an eerie mask of tears and unbridled joy. ¡°You¡¯ve also been poisoned! The heavens are truly looking down on your group!¡±


    The sun had almost been fully swallowed by the horizon.


    Through the all-seeing mirror, the white-robed elder stroked his beard as he nced at the fight. ¡°Not only are this year¡¯s students advanced in their cultivation, they¡¯re all quite ruthless. This batch will be a force to behold on the battlefields, indeed¡­¡±


    Li Mo stared at the scene with worry in his eyes¡ªall four members of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s team had fallen prey to the poison. Judging by Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s reaction right after he had been poisoned, this was a particrly strong strain of the usual paralytic poison that had to have been concocted by a master poisoner. Such a situation would be grossly unfavorable to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group.


    Although Li Mo¡¯s features were hidden underneath his hood, the white-robed elder seemed to be able to sense his emotions. ¡°Your fiancee¡¯s future looks rather bleak at the moment.¡±


    Beneath his hood, Li Mo narrowed his gaze. ¡°If she can¡¯t even deal with trouble of this magnitude, then she doesn¡¯t deserve to be my¡ªXun Mo¡¯s¡ªwife.¡±


    The white-robed elder nodded. ¡°Remember your life¡¯s mission.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, Elder,¡± Li Mo replied respectfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for the scrying to stop. Shall we inspect the results of the battle tomorrow?¡± The elder stood up. As he did so, the final rays of sunlight shone through the all-seeing mirror, and the mirror¡¯s surface seemed to snap shut as though it were a human eye.


    At that veryst moment, as though Yun Ruoyan could feel Li Mo¡¯s gaze from afar, she looked toward the sky in the direction from which the voice had emerged earlier.


    Will this be thest time I see you? Li Mo¡¯s heart thumped as he released his clenched fist and walked down the tower with the elder.

 Chapter 201: Unabandonable Warmth

    <h4>Chapter 201: Unabandonable Warmth</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan knew that a pair of eyes was still focused on them from afar. Whether it was monitoring or observing them, she couldn¡¯t tell; at any rate, she had more important things to be worried about.


    The spiritual energy that she¡¯d stored up in the silver bracelet was at about the level of a fourth-rank demaster. With the bracelet¡¯s passive augmentation, she would be able to release a blow rivalling that of a sixth-rank demaster.


    Of her opponents, Rong Yueshan was undoubtedly the strongest. However, because she was injured and didn¡¯t expect that Yun Ruoyan could retaliate, she certainly wouldn¡¯t use her full power.


    ¡°If you two are still too cowardly to kill them now, don¡¯t you dare im to know me when we get back to the capital!¡± Rong Yueshan jabbed at her two scared teammates.


    Both the youths were fifth-rank demasters and had done well enough while hunting beasts in the day, but they greatly cherished their lives. As a result, even after Yun Ruoyan¡¯s four-man team had all been beset by paralysis, they still didn¡¯t dare rush forward to kill them. However, it was exactly this reluctance to strike that saved their lives.


    ¡°Two useless, ipetent fools!¡± Rong Yueshan red at the two youths who were slowly edging in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Miss Rong, you¡¯re not the one who has to attack them! We all know that those four are as sly and as ferocious as wolves, so what if they¡¯re just trying to trick us to attack them?!¡± one youth rebuked.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± the other youth eximed. ¡°The eight of us followed you blindly, and now we¡¯re the only two left! I¡¯m the sole male heir of my family, and my family¡¯s bloodline can¡¯t die with me! I¡¯m entering Kongming Academy in order to learn real skills, not to give up my life for nothing.¡±


    Neither youth seemed to dare get too close to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s team. They¡¯d tricked the Chen kingdom team into the beast horde that morning under the pale-faced youth¡¯s lead. By the time the battle was over, the Chen kingdom team hadpletely perished, but arge number of the beasts had also been defeated.


    The three of them had returned with a considerable number of beast cores, so even if they didn¡¯t snatch the high-rank beast core that Yun Ruoyan possessed, they would still be able to enter the academy. There was no reason to take an unnecessary risk.


    ¡°Rong Yueshan,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to kill me? Are you so cowardly that you won¡¯t do it yourself?!¡±


    ¡°Right, do it yourself!¡± both youths shouted.


    An arrow had pierced Rong Yueshan¡¯s thigh, but her injury wasn¡¯t critical. In addition, Zhuo Yifeng generally chose not to apply poison on his arrows. Although she was injured, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s four-man team was paralyzed and unable to counterattack. The reason she hadn¡¯t faced them on her own was because she was used tomanding her underlings, and she preferred not to sully her own hands.


    ¡°As you wish, I¡¯ll im your worthless lives myself!¡± The two youths and Yun Ruoyan had so enraged Rong Yueshan that she began limping toward Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group with murderous intent in her eyes and a sharp steel sword in her hand.


    Zhuo Yifeng forced himself upright, blocking all three girls behind him and looking definitely at the limping girl.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, get behind me!¡± Yun Ruoyan hissed from behind.


    Although Zhuo Yifeng had been paralyzed, he still held his back straight and ignored Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words.


    Rong Yueshan was approaching rtively quickly, and Yun Ruoyan became more and more anxious. Her voice still lowered, she continued, ¡°Quickly, get behind me! I have a method to deal with her!¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you die earlier orter. Just listen to Sister Ruoyan!¡± Lin Qingchen added.


    Zhuo Yifeng turned back, his expression clearly torn. After a moment¡¯s deliberation, he slowly fell back.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the matter? What happened to your heroic spirit, hmm?¡± Rong Yueshan taunted.


    Yun Ruoyan spoke up. ¡°This is a conflict solely between you and me, and they¡¯ve simply been caught up in our affairs¡­¡±


    ¡°All of you will die,¡± Rong Yueshan emphasized. ¡°Almost all my teammates died at your hands, and yours will die by mine.¡±


    ¡°In that case, kill me first,¡± Yun Ruoyan suggested. ¡°But remember that I¡¯m a wife-born daughter, and you¡¯re just a lowly concubine-born. If you kill me, the Yun family will surely focus its attention on you. Will your father spend the resources he needs to keep you alive, I wonder? After all, there are countless other concubine-born daughters of the Rong family waiting to take your ce!¡±


    There was a wide, insurmountable berth in status between wife-born and concubine-born heirs. For example, Rong Tianling had stopped at nothing to avenge Rong Yuehong¡¯s death, even going as far as tomand Rong Yueshan to kill Yun Ruoyan at any cost.


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t trying to scare Rong Yueshan and prevent her from attacking, but rather to incite her rage and anger.


    I¡¯m no worse than Rong Yuehong! Rong Yuehong had always been above Rong Yueshan. She had had first pick of any resources the Rong family acquired, be they weapons, pills, or herbs. Rong Yueshan had fought day and night to get to where she was today, but Rong Yuehong had had everything handed to her on a silver spoon!


    ¡°Once I kill you, my status will surely be elevated in my father¡¯s eyes!¡± Rong Yueshan was so infuriated by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words that she couldn¡¯t even feel the pain from her thigh any longer. She walked up to Yun Ruoyan withrge strides, raised her steel sword above her head, and prepared to strike.


    Rong Yueshan had heard Yi Qianying bring up Yun Ruoyan¡¯s affairs. She knew that Yun Ruoyan had only be more favored by the Yun family over thest few months. In the past, despite being the sole wife-born daughter, she had been all but neglected by the Yun family.


    ¡°Even if I kill you, I doubt your father Yun Lan will be all too upset!¡± She made a chopping motion, and her sword descended on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s exposed neck¡­


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen both began to scream as they shut their eyes tightly.


    On the penultimate floor of the tall tower overlooking Kongming Academy were two couches. Li Moy on one of them, a full cup of alcohol in his hand. He stared at the cup, not having taken a single sip of its contents; his gaze continued darting to the empty couch in the room.


    Once, on that very couch, Yun Ruoyan had curled herself up into a tiny ball. Li Mo knew that that posture wasmon to those who greatlycked self-confidence and a sense of safety and security.


    And yet that same girl who felt alone and isted from her family had snuggled in hisp, reaching out to him and him alone. Her unconscious dependence on him caused the lonely and icy Li Mo to feel a familial warmth that had been lost to him ever since his childhood¡ªand that warmth was so precious that Yun Ruoyan might have been the only one alive who could grant him such a boon.


    The white-robed elder had brushed her plight away, iming that there were all sorts of women in this world. But how many women could provide such indescribable warmth? How much would he lose if he were to cast her aside, his heart forever encased in ice?


    Li Mo¡¯s hand lost his grip, and the cup of wine broke against the ground. He staggered out of bed, rushed up the tower, and headed to the front of the all-seeing mirror. He would force it to operate even at night in order to observe her plight!


    He ced both palms on the all-seeing mirror, driving a surge of spiritual energy into the artifact so strong that his inky robes began to billow. The surface of the mirror shone with a dazzling gleam as Li Mo forcefully pried its eyelid open. His finger against his temples, he extracted a glimmer of spiritual energy and directed it into the mirror.


    In his own chambers, the white-robed elder stirred. His eyes suddenly shot open as he muttered to himself, ¡°He¡¯s forcing the all-seeing mirror to activate? Is that girl so important to him that he doesn¡¯t care about the consequences at all?!¡±


    Five other elders at Kongming Academy sensed the disturbance at the same time. The recruitment process was overseen by each of the six in turn; this time, it was the white-robed elder¡¯s turn. The other elders were situated on the various peaks of the Kongming mountain range, each working on their own cultivation. In general, they didn¡¯t tend to meddle in the academy¡¯s affairs any longer.


    However, the fact that someone was forcefully activating the all-seeing mirror was so unusual and serious an urrence that it couldn¡¯t be neglected. Along with the white-robed elder, all six flew to the peak of the tower where the all-seeing mirror was located.


    As Li Mo¡¯s spiritual energy entered the location of the trial, Rong Yueshan¡¯s sword began moving toward Yun Ruoyan¡¯s neck. At the same time, Yun Ruoyan activated her silver bracelet and prepared to counterattack. After being enraged multiple times by Yun Ruoyan, Rong Yueshan had struck with full power, but the bracelet¡¯s counterattack was equally strong.


    How could this be?! Rong Yueshan gasped in shock. How could she still be attacking me?!


    Rong Yueshan grit her teeth as she summoned everyst drop of spiritual energy she had for the onught.


    Paralyzed as she was, Yun Ruoyan would truly be defenseless if she couldn¡¯t fend off Rong Yueshan with herst-ditch attack. Just as the output from her bracelet began to choke and sputter, however, Yun Ruoyan suddenly felt a huge burst of spiritual energy entering her body.


    It was an unfamiliar energy, one distinct from the silver bracelet¡¯s and her own body¡¯s. Although she was uncertain as to its provenance, she released the energy without hesitation. The beam of spiritual energy emanated from her palms and pierced Rong Yueshan¡¯s chest, instantly catapulting her dozens of feet into the air.

 Chapter 202: Birth of a Spiritual Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 202: Birth of a Spiritual Treasure</h4>


    ¡°First Elder, are you simply going to watch your disciple corrupt this trial?¡±


    Before the all-seeing mirror stood six white-robed elders. A tall, thin member of the six called the first elder out. The other four members also looked at the first elder, waiting for his response.


    ¡°This girl can¡¯t die,¡± the first elder replied calmly.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°The will of the heavens above is not mine to divulge.¡± The first elder shrugged.


    ¡°You¡­¡± The tall, thin elder pointed a shaking finger at the first elder, his head turning so red that it looked as though he were about to explode.


    ¡°Second Elder, calm down, Second Elder!¡± The somewhat corpulent fourth elder stepped forward and restrained him. ¡°Since we¡¯re all here, why don¡¯t we see what¡¯s so special about this girl that the first elder¡¯s honored disciple would be willing to go to such lengths to save her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s have a look at the situation first,¡± the other three elders agreed.


    The second elder snorted. ¡°Forcefully operating the all-seeing mirror is a crime that requiresmensurate punishment. If even the first elder isn¡¯t worried about his disciple, why should I be?¡±


    The first elder imperceptibly wiped the sweat from his hands as he stared at Li Mo¡¯s spiritual body not two feet from Yun Ruoyan. Xun Mo, do you know what you¡¯re doing?


    Yun Ruoyan surprised even herself with the power of her attack. What should have been a peak sixth-rank blow had, because of the sudden umtion of spiritual energy in her body, be an eighth-rank strike.


    Rong Yueshany lifeless about fifty feet in the distance, almost certainly dead from the close-range attack. The two youths who were ncing at the scene were so scared that they immediately ran into the forest, thankful that they hadn¡¯t believed Rong Yueshan¡¯s words.


    Yun Ruoyan turned and looked all over, but saw no unusual phenomena. Although Li Mo¡¯s spiritual body was so close to her that their noses were almost touching, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t sufficient for her to detect his presence at the moment.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s half-white, half-ck face left Li Mo both speechless and wanting tough. The girl seemed almost addicted to making her face look ugly, and she had really broken new ground with her current appearance.


    ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned from her surroundings to her three teammates.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine!¡± Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue, and Zhuo Yifeng chorused.


    ¡°Just weak and tired all over,¡± Lin Qingxue added.


    ¡°Rong Yueshan must have the antidote. Let me go bring it over.¡± She found the antidote hidden on Rong Yueshan¡¯s body and passed a little to everyone. After a momentary period of rest, they recovered their spiritual energy.


    Li Mo stood guarding them from any unforeseen danger, and only when they hadpletely recovered did he finally leave. Forcefully operating the all-seeing mirror had dire consequences he was aware of, and he would immediately be punished upon his exit. However, Li Mo¡¯s heart was calm and unperturbed: if protecting someone could make him happy, then that someone was surely a treasure to him. Somehow, Yun Ruoyan had be one of his treasures.


    Immediately after Li Mo left, something happened.


    ¡°Look, look! What¡¯s that?!¡± Lin Qingxue suddenly pointed to the west, where a bright red beam of light pierced through the heavens, followed by the sudden howling of beasts.


    ¡°The birth of a spiritual treasure!¡± Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingchen, and Zhuo Yifeng eximed together.


    When Li Mo¡¯s spiritual body returned to the peak of the tower, he found himself surrounded by all six elders. However, this was within his expectations, so he didn¡¯t feel at all encumbered.


    ¡°I will head directly to the hall of penitence to receive my punishment,¡± Li Mo stated, before any of the elders could get a word in.


    ¡°To think this is how your favored disciple behaves, First Elder¡ª¡± the second elder was about to continue arguing with the other elders when a sudden phenomenon seen through the all-seeing mirror caught his attention.


    The other five elders, and even Li Mo, all turned to that piercing red light at once.


    ¡°A sage-grade spiritual treasure!¡±


    ¡°How long has it been since our secret realmst birthed one?¡± The first elder nced at the red beam of light, his eyes gleaming.


    ¡°At least three hundred years!¡± the short fifth elder imed.


    It was well-known throughout the continent that sage-grade treasures had all but disappeared from the world. In truth, however, there were many hidden or parallel spaces on the Chenyuan continent in which such sage-grade existences¡ªtreasures, beasts, and cultivators¡ªstill existed.


    However, they were far removed from the mortal world, and even Kongming Academy, revered by cultivators all across the continent, could only look up at those frighteningly strong existences.


    Who would be the lucky youth that would get ahold of this sage-grade treasure? The gathered elders all craned their necks as they looked into the all-seeing mirror.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze lit up when she saw the scarlet beam of light. In order for a spiritual treasure to produce such a great disturbance, it had to be of equally great rarity. The eye-catching phenomenon would surely lure arge number of cultivators in search of the treasure, and she and her three teammates hurriedly gathered their weapons.


    Lin Qingchen¡¯s sword was on the pale-faced youth¡¯s body, but Lin Qingxue¡¯s twin daggers had gone missing. Instead, Yun Ruoyan handed her the small silver darts that Rong Yueshan had kept on her body. Although Lin Qingxue hadn¡¯t learned how to throw darts, she had received some instruction in archery from Zhuo Yifeng. As a result, her uracy would be better than most.


    After they had each equipped themselves with a weapon, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group rushed toward that beam of light.


    No one but the eagle-eyed second elder noticed that, a few moments after Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group left, one of Rong Yueshan¡¯s fingers twitched.


    ¡°Young Master Wang, save me!¡±


    In a secluded valley, Yun Ruoyao was being chased by quite a few mystic-eyed lions. She barely avoided their ws as she rushed in Wang Meng¡¯s direction, but Wang Meng¡¯s attention was solely fixated on the scarlet herb growing about twenty feet up a cliff. The so-called amaranthine sun was a fire-attuned spiritual herb crucial for the production of the eponymous pill of amaranthine sun, which had the startling effect of quickly helping a pillmaster condense fire-attuned spiritual energy. For those pillmasters without particrly strong affinity in pillmaking, this pill would be vital for their cultivation.


    The amaranthine sun was a rare herb, but one that was still avable on the Chenyuan continent atrge. However, this particr herb shone so brightly that it looked as though a beam of red light had descended from the heavens.


    The resonance in spiritual energy that Wang Meng and Yun Ruoyao had previously felt hade from the impending birth of this sage-grade spiritual herb. A pill of amaranthine sun, made of a regr-grade herb, was precious enough; how much more impressive would a sage-grade pill of amaranthine sun be? Would the lucky pillmaster who consumed it have an inexhaustible amount of fire-attuned spiritual energy?


    Wang Meng¡¯s heart throbbed at the thought.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Yun Ruoyao let out a painful yell as a mystic-eyed lion managed to w her shoulder. The pain caused her to stumble, and another lion quickly took advantage of the opportunity to gnaw at one of her feet. It picked her up with its jaw and tossed her from side to side, the pain that burst from her leg causing Yun Ruoyao to be dazed.


    ¡°Help! Save me!¡± Yun Ruoyao pleaded, looking at Wang Meng with a piteous nce. Wang Meng looked back coldly, as though she were nothing but a stranger.


    ¡°You courted your own downfall!¡± He turned back to the herb, imbued spiritual energy into his legs, and began jumping up the cliff.


    As Wang Meng neared the amranthine sun, the surviving youths swarmed the oasis from all over the secret realm. Among them were Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying, who were the first to arrive due to their original proximity.


    ¡°Miss Yun¡¯s being attacked by a pride of mystic-eyed lions!¡± The first thing that both of them saw when they entered the valley was a lion tossing Yun Ruoyao from side to side like a cloth puppet.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t head over!¡± Yi Qianying stopped Pei Ziao before he could run in her direction. ¡°There¡¯s a beast-attracting powder scattered on Sister Ruoyao¡¯s body, so unless you can deal with all these mystic-eyed lions, you won¡¯t be able to save her!¡±


    ¡°Beast-attracting powder?¡± Pei Ziao nced suspiciously at Yi Qianying. ¡°From whom?!¡±


    ¡°Who else?¡± Yi Qianyingughed coldly. ¡°Who was with Sister Ruoyao for thest two hours?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Pei Ziao eximed. ¡°Young Master Wang likes Miss Yun!¡± Pei Ziao¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t leave Yi Qianying.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re suspecting me?!¡± Yi Qianying¡¯s eyes shed with hurt.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you done something like this before?¡± Pei Ziao retorted. After all, back in the imperial territory, Yi Qianying had used her beast-attracting powder to great effect on Yun Ruoyan and the two Lin sisters. However, Yi Qianying hadn¡¯t expected that Pei Ziao would suspect her because of this.


    Yi Qianying¡¯s heart turned cold. Despite her efforts, it seemed as though her appearance in Pei Ziao¡¯s eyes had been irrevocably ruined. No matter how much effort she put in, it would all be a waste!


    In that case, she might as well just give up.


    ¡°Ha, ha.¡± Yi Qianying¡¯sugh was mocking and humorless. ¡°If you think so, then so be it.¡±


    Yi Qianying¡¯s ¡®admission¡¯ left Pei Ziao more confident of his suspicions.


    ¡°Look, a spiritual herb!¡± Another group of youths had made their way into the valley, and one of them pointed at the scarlet amaranthine sun up on the cliff.


    ¡°That¡¯s an amaranthine sun! An amaranthine sun of such potency would surely be enough to make even a regr civilian a peak pillmaster!¡±


    The crowd was agape with shock.


    ¡°Quick, hurry! Someone¡¯s about to get to it!¡± a nameless youth shouted, and everyone rushed toward the cliff as though their lives depended on it. Youths were still heading to the valley from all over the oases, and the once-secluded valley was now bustling with excitement.


    ¡°Your good brother¡¯s about to im the spiritual treasure for himself. Are you going to watch, or are you going to help?¡± Yi Qianying reminded Pei Ziao.


    He ran toward the cliffside without another word. Yi Qianying bit her lips before scattering a colorless, scentless powder on Pei Ziao¡¯s back, then swiftly retreated.


    Roar!


    The mystic-eyed lions, detecting a more alluring target, immediately shifted their attention from Yun Ruoyan to Pei Ziao, who had already rushed into the crowd. Leaving her battered body behind, they howled as they barrelled into the swarm of youths.

 Chapter 203: Seizing the Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 203: Seizing the Treasure</h4>


    Six mystic-eyed lions rushed into the swarm of youths chasing Pei Ziao. Some of the faster youths, including Pei Ziao, had already begun scaling the cliffs, but those who were slower to react ended up battling the mystic-eyed lions underfoot.


    By the time Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group of four arrived, they saw two dozen youths fighting against six mystic-eyed lions that had turned somewhat feral under the effect of the powder.


    ¡°No matter how fast we rushed here, others still got here before us,¡± Lin Qingxue sighed, panting.


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want a spiritual treasure? Just about everyone alive is gathered here, I¡¯m sure.¡± Zhuo Yifeng nced at those youths scaling the cliff. Everyone¡¯s attention was on a slender scarlet herb growing on the cliffside. The herb itself wasn¡¯t particrly eye-catching, but the scarlet aura it was giving off was.


    An amaranthine sun, a pillmaster¡¯s treasure! Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Lin Qingxue pointed at the cliff. ¡°That Wang Meng¡¯s in the lead!¡±


    After relentlessly scaling the cliff, Wang Meng was just about to reach the scarlet herb. Somewhat anxious, Yun Ruoyan rushed toward the cliff, and Zhuo Yifeng and the Lin sisters followed quickly behind.


    Except for Yi Qianying, no one paid any mind to Yun Ruoyao¡¯s seemingly lifeless body. Yi Qianying knew that her cultivation was rtively modest, and she had little chance of securing the treasure for herself. Instead, she walked to Yun Ruoyao¡¯s side and leaned down.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyao, are you alright?¡± Yun Ruoyao¡¯s body was bruised and battered, and she was bleeding all over. Yi Qianying cautiously prodded her.


    ¡°Save me, save me!¡± a weak voice emerged from Yun Ruoyao¡¯s lips. Shockingly, despite Yun Ruoyao¡¯s severe injuries, she hadn¡¯t yet died!


    Yi Qianying helped Yun Ruoyao sit up. When she nced at her face, Yi Qianying sucked in a deep breath. Yun Ruoyao¡¯s right cheek had been torn to pieces by the lions, and her right eyelid had been ripped off, revealing a naked eyeball that was abhorrent to the sight.


    Yi Qianying shivered. How severe was the animosity thaty between Wang Meng and Yun Ruoyao that he wouldce the beast-attracting powder with a bewitching poison, causing the mystic-eyed lions to treat Yun Ruoyao like a ything rather than prey?


    ¡°Qianying, my face¡­ it hurts¡­¡± Yun Ruoyao muttered, her voice so weak it was barely discernible. ¡°Save me¡­ take me away...¡±


    Yun Ruoyao was near death¡¯s door, but if she were treated in time, she would still have a chance to live.


    However¡­


    Yi Qianying¡¯s lips twisted into a grim smile. She sighed, ¡°Sister Ruoyao, given your current appearance¡­ death might be preferable.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?¡± Yun Ruoyao¡¯s naked eyeball stared at Yi Qianying with such intensity that she shuddered and turned away.


    ¡°See for yourself.¡± Yi Qianying pulled out her steel sword and held it vertically in front of Yun Ruoyao, allowing her to see her own reflection from the sword.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Yun Ruoyao¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at her own form, but the more frightened she appeared, the more frightening she looked.


    In her reflection, her right eyeball stared pratingly at her, as though her reflection would jump out of the sword at any moment and possess her. Unable to calm herself down, Yun Ruoyao¡¯s strained heart grew so burdened that it seized up. Her head drooped, and she died.


    Yi Qianying sucked in a deep breath after ncing at the husk of her erstwhile sister, her eyes cold and emotionless. She swiftly retrieved Yun Ruoyao¡¯s storage pouch before retreating from the cliffside and continuing to hide.


    The six elders and Li Mo observed all this from their tall tower. Some frowned, still somewhat affected by the mindless ughter taking ce, but others looked on calmly as though all they were looking at was a mildly interesting performance.


    The tall, thin second elder¡¯s mien always looked as though he had just bit into something disgusting, but it was now adorned with a serene smile. ¡°Although we won¡¯t have as many students as we did in past years, each of them seems quite strong in their own right. I¡¯m sure all that survive to the end will be an asset we can cultivate.¡±


    The corpulent fourth elder nodded with a smile. ¡°Indeed! I¡¯ve already marked out a few promising disciples, haha.¡±


    The short fifth elder sighed. ¡°How many more lives need we sacrifice for this end?¡±


    Li Mo looked into the mirror silently. Swift and agile, Yun Ruoyan scaled the cliff rapidly. Zhuo Yifeng followed quickly behind her, dealing with all those who attempted to attack her. They worked with such coordination that most of their fellowpetitors had been left behind. However, there were still quite a few people above them.


    Yun Ruoyan turned to her left to see Pei Ziao surrounded by a group of cultivators. Although he was disadvantaged in number, his superior cultivation allowed him to knock two cultivators down the cliffside.


    Frowning, Yun Ruoyan tossed a little pebble at Pei Ziao with her full strength, striking him on the shoulder and momentarily paralyzing him. At the same time, one of the cultivators struck at him with a kick. Unable to dodge, he fell down the cliff.


    As he fell, Pei Ziao¡¯s gazended on Yun Ruoyan. He knew that she had been the one to strike at him, but what continued to bother him was her motive for doing so. Yun Ruoyan, why do you hate me so?!


    Yun Ruoyan returned Pei Ziao¡¯s gaze calmly, thinking that he would surely die from falling at this height. After so long, she had finally found an opportunity to get back at him, but Yun Ruoyan was surprised to realize that his impending death didn¡¯t make her feel particrly happy. She shook her head, focusing once more on the prized amaranthine sun above her.


    Contrary to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expectations, however, Pei Ziao was rather lucky. His body fell directly on top of a lion¡¯s carcass, and the certain death that Yun Ruoyan had been expecting instead manifested as grievous injuries. Yi Qianying, who was hiding near the cliff, dragged him to safety.


    Given his lead, Wang Meng was surprised to see someone catching up to him. Right below him was a youth about the same age as he was. He attempted to pull on Wang Meng¡¯s leg to drag him down, but Wang Meng managed to avoid his attack.


    The youth continued to tussle with Wang Meng on the cliffside, giving those cultivators behind them a chance to catch up. Two dozen youths fought and dodged each other as they attempted to scale the cliff. From time to time, those who were unfortunate enough to lose their grip would fall from the cliff, letting out a panicked shriek that ended in a muffled thump.


    By the cliffside, three of the six mystic-eyed lions had died to the group of cultivators. One escaped, and another was half-dead. Those cultivators that didn¡¯t want to brave the fight for the amaranthine sun began to fight for the mystic-eyed lions¡¯ carcasses instead. Among them were the Lin sisters, whosebined forces and smarts had won them quite a bit of the spoils.


    ¡°Look, someone¡¯s reached the spiritual treasure!¡± the sixth elder remarked.


    The all-seeing mirror showed that Wang Meng had broken free of the other student¡¯s grasp, had leapt forward, and had seized the amaranthine sun.


    Just as he was about to pull the herb away, however, a ck, shiny w suddenly struck at Wang Meng. The sudden blow caught Wang Meng, and the w had gored a hole in his right palm.


    By the time the w struck again, Wang Meng had gritted his teeth, retracted his palm and leapt a distance away. He deeply regretted his impetuous actions: how could a sage-grade spiritual treasure be guarded by only a few mystic-eyed lions? He had been too addled by the promise of treasure to think properly!


    ¡°Haha, do you think the treasure¡¯s that easy to im?¡± the youth behind Wang Meng crowed. He removed a grappling hook from his waist and tossed it at the amaranthine sun, wanting to retrieve it from a distance.


    The beast hidden in the cliffs naturally wouldn¡¯t allow the youth to seed, and its sharp ws knocked the hook aside. Shortly after, it emerged from its crevice and exposed its shiny, ck carapace¡ªit was arge centipede-type beast!


    ¡°A steel-ted centipede beast,¡± Qiuqiu murmured. Although such beasts weren¡¯t venomous, their bodies were as hard and tough as standard spiritual weapons, and they possessed significant offensive power.


    After hearing Qiuqiu¡¯s words, Yun Ruoyan decided to hide and see how the two cultivators above her would approach the problem.


    Clearly, both youths recognized the identity of the beast, and they didn¡¯t seem to panic.


    ¡°Well? Shall we kill it together? We¡¯ll split the amaranthine sun between us!¡±


    Wang Meng looked to the horizon. The sun had risen. If they didn¡¯t manage to seize the amaranthine sun before the noon deadline, then both of them would regret the missed opportunity till their death. No matter what, I have to get rid of the centipede first!


    ¡°I ept!¡± Wang Meng eximed. The two youths rushed toward the steel-ted centipede together, a steel hook in one youth¡¯s grasp, and an icy dagger in Wang Meng¡¯s hand. Although the centipede¡¯s carapace was hard and tough, there were chinks in its armor that both youths took advantage of.


    As their respective weapons struck the beast¡¯s soft flesh, it curled up in pain and locked the youths¡¯ weapons tightly between its segmented armor. If the youths were to lose their weapons, then they wouldn¡¯t be able to do any damage to the beast any longer. As a result, they could only keep a tight grip on their weapons as the steel-ted centipede rapidly scaled the cliff, bringing them up into the distance.


    That¡¯s my chance! Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips curved up as she dashed out from her hiding spot, climbed up to the amaranthine sun, and uprooted it without hesitation!

 Chapter 204: Results of the Trial

    <h4>Chapter 204: Results of the Trial</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan swiftly stored the amaranthine sun in her storage pouch.


    ¡°Using those ahead of her as bait¡­ Haha, this little girl is really quite interesting,¡± the short fifth elderughed.


    The first elder smiled and nodded, turning to nce at Li Mo. Beneath his hood, he could see his favored disciple¡¯s lips curl up¡ªLi Mo was happy for Yun Ruoyan, but, at the same time, somewhat worried for her.


    The second elder snorted. ¡°Just because it¡¯s in her possession now doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯ll be able to keep it! There¡¯s still quite some time before noon. It won¡¯t be an easy task for her to hold out until then!¡±


    Although the second elder wasn¡¯t on her side, his words weren¡¯t wrong. This was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s most pressing problem at the moment. She nced up at the sky, judging that there would be about an hour until the end of the trial. She had snatched the amaranthine sun in in sight of all the otherpetitors, including Wang Meng and the youth fighting with him.


    Naturally, the other cultivators¡¯ gaze gravitated greedily to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s storage pouch. She climbed up the cliff, looking alertly at her surroundings. She had no intention of handing over anything that was in her grasp!


    ¡°The treasure¡¯s in her hands! Snatch it!¡± someone shouted, and the cultivators who were climbing up the cliff made a beeline in her direction.


    Zhuo Yifeng guarded Yun Ruoyan, his two legs hooked against the cliff as he pulled his bow taut and provided a stream of friendly cover that prevented the other cultivators from getting close to her.


    Wang Meng looked toward the youth who had subjugated the steel-ted centipede with him, and that youth looked back. The two of them had a nonverbal exchange as they each attacked the centipede beast with their maximum output of spiritual energy.


    As soon as demasters reached seventh-rank, they would be able to extrude spiritual energy from their bodies as an attack, but this was generally quite cost-inefficient and reserved for finishing blows. However, the two youths both used this costly technique to transmit spiritual energy through their weapons into the soft flesh of the steel-ted centipede.


    After an intense period of quivering and shaking, the steel-ted centipede¡¯s body, almost twenty feet in length, fell from the cliff.


    ¡°These two youths aren¡¯t bad either!¡± The corpulent fourth elder narrowed his gaze, clearly intrigued by Wang Meng and the other youth. He was just about to announce that his next disciple would be between the two youths when the silent third elder spoke up.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve reserved the thinner youth as my disciple.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®reserve¡¯?¡± The fourth elder¡¯s face scrunched up in dissatisfaction as he faced the icy third elder.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Wang family¡¯s famed pillmaking genius, Wang Meng,¡± the third elder exined. ¡°Many years ago, I sent someone to the Wang family specifically to recruit him, but the head of the Wang family refused the offer on his behalf. Wang Meng suddenly asked to participate in the trial this year, and I granted him an exception. As the head of the pillmaking facilities, I¡¯ll naturally be Wang Meng¡¯s mentor.¡±


    ¡°Not all students talented at pillmaking have to choose that as their focus, do they?!¡± The fourth elder crossed his arms and frowned.


    ¡°Fourth Elder, don¡¯t worry. Isn¡¯t that other youth equally talented?¡± the sixth elder jumped in. ¡°That¡¯s the heir of the Zhao family from the Chen kingdom, Zhao Qiang. His cultivation isn¡¯t any worse than the Wangd.¡±


    Although Zhao Qiang¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t worse than Wang Meng¡¯s, he wasn¡¯t a pillmaking genius like Wang Meng. Over the years, any student that disyed overwhelming talent in pillmaking had all ended up in the third elder¡¯s pillmaking facilities. As a result, the third elder had what essentially amounted to a monopoly on pills. This left the fourth elder extremely frustrated, and he refused to give in to the third elder as always.


    Back in the secret realm, Wang Meng and Zhao Qiang turned to Yun Ruoyan after dealing with the steel-ted centipede.


    ¡°Miss Yun, I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you. Hand over the amaranthine sun.¡± Because of the rtionship between Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, Wang Meng first decided to ask for the treasure politely.


    ¡°Young Master Wang, since I was the one who obtained the amaranthine sun, I won¡¯t hand it over. If you want it, you¡¯ll have to snatch it from me,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°Why waste your time arguing with her? The treasure belongs to whoever can snatch it!¡± Clearly, Zhao Qiang agreed with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s logic, and he leaped in her direction.


    He found a foothold not too far from Yun Ruoyan, whirling the iron hook in his hands in a circr orbit while imbuing it with spiritual energy. Not only were those from the Chen kingdom outspoken and straightforward, they were also particrly vicious with their attacks. Zhao Qiang¡¯s motions telegraphed his intention to get rid of Yun Ruoyan in one fell swoop. The iron hook swung in her direction with a sonic boom. Even if your cultivation¡¯sparable to mine, I bet you can¡¯t defend against such a direct attack!


    Of course, Yun Ruoyan was well prepared. Using the bracelet¡¯s power, she raised her peak seventh-rank cultivation to peak eighth-rank, infused the spiritual energy into her dagger, and caught the iron hook as the onlookers watched on in shock.


    Zhao Qiang felt as though an unusually strong pulse of spiritual energy were flowing from Yun Ruoyan to him through their entangled weapons. Blindsided by the nature of her attack, Zhao Qiang took the blow head-on and spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.


    Wang Meng had been waiting for Zhao Qiang to handle Yun Ruoyan before handling him in turn. In this manner, he would be able to obtain the amaranthine sun without offending Li Mo in the process, but Yun Ruoyan¡¯s strength exceeded his expectations.


    Knowing that he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, Wang Meng dashed at Yun Ruoyan with his dagger.


    ¡°Ruoyan, be careful!¡± Zhuo Yifeng shouted from behind.


    Through the all-seeing mirror, Li Mo clenched his fists tightly, more nervous than he could remember ever being. If the Fei de weren¡¯t sealed away, Wang Meng¡¯s reckless attack would be easily dealt with, but now¡­


    Even with the bracelet¡¯s augmentation, it would be very difficult for Yun Ruoyan to dodge his blow. Instead, she made a panicked expression as she shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯ll hand over the spiritual treasure!¡±


    Wang Meng stopped his attack mid-way as he mbered back onto the cliff.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hand over the treasure,¡± Yun Ruoyan promised again, looking at the sun in the sky. The end of the trial loomed.


    Zhao Qiang also retracted his iron hook as he called out toward Yun Ruoyan, ¡°What¡¯re you waiting for? Hand it over to me now!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan removed the pouch from her waist and threw it at Wang Meng without hesitation. Zhao Qiang rushed over following its trajectory, and the two youths began tussling over it once more. In the middle of their heated fight, the end of the trial finally descended.


    The midday light bathed the entire realm in a blinding light as the youths all around her vanished one by one. Finally, Yun Ruoyan felt herself being warped away as well. When she next opened her eyes, she found herself standing in the middle of a great hall, surrounded by twenty or thirty fellow youths from the trial.


    ¡°The trial¡¯s over! We¡¯re safe, we¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m still alive!¡±


    The youths who had been running for their lives for one reason or another began to cheer, tears staining their smiling faces. Many had entirely forgotten their goal of entering Kongming Academy.


    Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue, and Zhuo Yifeng stood not far from each other. When they saw Yun Ruoyan, they immediately rushed toward her. However, Yun Ruoyan was looking at the two youths standing in the front: Wang Meng and Zhao Qiang. Each of them had seized one half of her storage pouch, the hook in Zhao Qiang¡¯s hands being blocked by the dagger in Wang Meng¡¯s.


    ¡°Silence, everyone!¡± an elder¡¯s voice rang out loud and clear, quashing the youths¡¯ conversations.


    As one, the survivors of the trial turned toward the stage, where six elders sat in six ornate chairs. In front of the six elders was the man who had just spoken¡ªthe host for the trial, Cang Song.


    Below Cang Song sat two rows of adults of about the same age as he was, all of whom Yun Ruoyan had seen that night she was brought for questioning¡ªlikely instructors of the same standing as Cang Song.


    Behind them stood Shui Yun, Mo Yun, and the other disciples from their cohort.


    ¡°Students, you¡¯ve all worked hard,¡± Cang Song began. ¡°I¡¯ll now announce the results of this trial. Of the hundred and thirteen students participating in the trial, seventy-five are still alive. Thirty-eight have died, and thirty were grievously injured or disabled. Only twenty will be selected as full students of the academy.¡±


    Cang Song¡¯s words left all the youths present shocked. Many of them were scions from the nobility of the four kingdoms, and they hadn¡¯t been aware of the difficulty and high casualty rate of the trials. Even Yun Ruoyan was surprised at how many of the scions had died. Did Kongming Academy really not care about repercussions from the nobility of the four kingdoms at all?


    Yun Ruoyan nced at the six elders sitting behind Cang Song, likely the ¡®old geezers¡¯ that Li Mo had referred to. Before she had arrived at Kongming Academy, Li Mo had mentioned a few pieces of information about the ce, but he hadn¡¯t been able to divulge much of the more sensitive details.


    However, he¡¯d brought up these old geezers quite a few times, and they were likely the most superior existences of the academy.


    ¡°Cang Song, you may begin,¡± the elder sitting at the center of the six stated.


    ¡°Yes, First Elder,¡± Cang Song replied with a bow before turning to the students. ¡°Retrieve your spoils from the secret realm. You¡¯ll be ranked ording to the quantity and quality of your spoils, and the top twenty will pass this trial. Shui Yun, Mo Yun!¡±


    Cang Song turned to his two helpers and made a hand motion. Shui Yun and Mo Yun bowed, stepped out from the row of disciples, and walked toward the youths in the hall. The youths eagerly began taking out their spoils, hoping that they¡¯d collected enough to qualify.


    ¡°What about us?!¡± Zhao Qiang eximed from the middle of the hall. ¡°Is this amaranthine sun to be considered his or mine?¡±


    ¡°I was the first to im it, so of course it¡¯s mine!¡± Wang Meng eximed. Both youths were still holding on to the storage pouch, refusing to let go.


    Cang Song nced at the two of them before turning to the six elders, who had a short discussion. In the end, Cang Song announced, ¡°The two of you will have a battle right now to determine the owner of the treasure.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± Yun Ruoyan announced. ¡°I have the amaranthine sun.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan presented the scarlet herb in her hand.

 Chapter 205: Sleight of Hand

    <h4>Chapter 205: Sleight of Hand</h4>


    ¡°How could it be?!¡± Wang Meng nced at the herb in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, stupefied. ¡°I clearly saw you putting the amaranthine sun into your storage pouch!¡±


    As a pillmaster, Wang Meng was very confident with his vision: Yun Ruoyan had clearly put the amaranthine sun into her storage pouch, and her hand had been empty afterward.


    After I went to all that trouble to obtain the herb, do you think I¡¯d give it up so easily?! Yun Ruoyan had ced the amaranthine sun into the storage pouch, and then directly into her pocket dimension. As long as no one else discovered the secret behind her silver bracelet, they wouldn¡¯t be able to identify the trick that she¡¯d used.


    Qiuqiu confirmed to her that no one present would be able to discern the pocket dimension hidden in her silver bracelet. Even Li Mo had only found out about the bracelet because he could sense Qiuqiu¡¯s aura, not because he could sense the bracelet¡¯s secret. And even until now, all he knew was that the bracelet was a seal for Qiuqiu; he knew nothing of its other functions.


    ¡°That was only a sleight of hand,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined, removing a very simr scarlet herb from her robes. ¡°Coincidentally, I had a few scarlet herbs that looked exactly like the amaranthine sun, and the herb that I ced inside my storage pouch was one such. The real amaranthine sun was always on my body.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Zhao Qiang looked at her dubiously, having seen her put the herb into her storage pouch with his own eyes. ¡°This is only a regr herb, but the herb that you put into your storage pouch clearly had a red aura!¡±


    ¡°Like so?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to Zhao Qiang as she raised the herb in her hands high up. As she circted spiritual energy through her body and infused the herb with it. The white spiritual energy shone from the herb, turning red due to its coloration.


    ¡°I simply used a little trick to distract you.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled and looked toward Wang Meng and Zhao Qiang. ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t hand over a spiritual treasure so easily.¡±


    Even Wang Meng, who was usually adept at keeping his thoughts and emotions hidden, began to flush. How could he have been tricked by such an unremarkable girl?! And yet he could do nothing about his rage and shame in the public eye.


    Zhao Qiang was equally enraged by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s trick. She was an ugly girl who looked no more than fourteen¡ªand yet she was both a practiced cultivator and a sly trickster!


    ¡°Haha, wonderful, wonderful!¡± The sixth elder, youngest of the six, began tough uproariously, pping at the drama. ¡°This girl¡¯s quite an interesting character!¡±


    His age was easily identified rtive to the other elders: of the remaining five, two had white hair, and three had grizzled. Only the sixth elder had a full head of ck hair.


    The first elder smiled, nodding at Cang Song, who quickly announced, ¡°In that case, neither of you need proceed with the battle. Shui Yun, Mo Yun, continue with the appraisal.¡±


    The remaining youths had since removed their spoils from their respective storage pouches and handed them over. Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen had obtained a considerable amount of loot at the foot of the cliff, but it wasn¡¯t much inparison to the other youths. After all, during the three days of the trial, they had only hunted an eight-legged evil spirit on the first day. Their early lead had drawn the ire of their fellowpetitors, and the affair with Rong Yueshan had tied up a considerable part of their resources. Rtive to the other youths who had been diligently hunting and gathering herbs, their spoils were below average.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need my portion. This herb is enough,¡± Yun Ruoyan stated. Quantity was important, but the sage-grade amaranthine sun easily trumped any other student¡¯s spoils in terms of its quality alone. Yun Ruoyan was confident of her cement even if that was the only thing she submitted for appraisal.


    Of the remaining students, Zhao Qiang and his team performed significantly better than average. Although his team only consisted of four people, their spoils easily exceeded those of other eight-man groups. The four of them would surely be able to enter Kongming Academy, but Zhao Qiang didn¡¯t seem particrly happy despite the envious nces being shot his way. Xu¡¯er, are you alright¡­?


    ¡°Miss Zhao¡¯s surely alright,¡± a youth beside Zhao Qiangforted him. ¡°She¡¯s likely just hurt.¡±


    Shui Yun and Mo Yun continued making the rounds, appraising every student¡¯s spoils. After an hour, they were finished with their evaluation. They handed their results to Cang Song, who passed it to the first elder for the final pronouncement.


    Of the twenty avable spots, Yun Ruoyan took the lead solely with her amaranthine sun. She was quickly followed by Zhao Qiang, then Wang Meng, then¡­


    Pei Ziao!


    In shock, Yun Ruoyan looked all around her surroundings and found Pei Ziao in a corner of the hall. His face was pale and bloodless, and Yi Qianying was supporting him from the side.


    How lucky he was! Yun Ruoyan frowned¡ªshe hadn¡¯t felt much emotion upon causing him to fall from the cliff, but knowing that he was still alive made her feel as though she had just swallowed a mouthful of sand.


    When Pei Ziao saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s disgusted expression, bile climbed up his throat. He narrowed his eyes, as though he would faint at any moment. Beside him, Yi Qianying whispered gently, ¡°Brother Ziao, bear with it for a moment longer. If you pass out now, you¡¯ll be considered a grievously wounded student and might be disqualified from the trial.¡±


    Pei Ziao nodded, clenching his fists as he bore with the difort. Behind him in the rankings was Yi Qianying, followed by some other students that she didn¡¯t know. Just as Yun Ruoyan was getting worried, the first elder called out Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue, and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s names in session.


    Thank goodness, everyone had been epted! Yun Ruoyan let out a deep breath, and the Lin sisters excitedly grabbed onto her hands.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t admitted¡­ damn it!¡±


    ¡°Even though some of our teammates died¡­ to think that none of us were epted? What are we going to tell the families of the dead?!¡±


    Of the students that weren¡¯t epted to Kongming Academy after the harrowing trial, there were those that beat their chests and stamped their feet, as well as those that retreated to a corner and sobbed silently.


    ¡°Students whose names were called out should stay behind, but those whose names weren¡¯t must now leave the hall,¡± Cang Song¡¯s voice enveloped the great hall once more. ¡°If you weren¡¯t epted, don¡¯t be discouraged. You may remain at Kongming Academy as an outer disciple, then take the trial again in three years.¡±


    A few disciples from Kongming Academy led the failed students out of the great hall as Cang Song made a few congrattory remarks to the remainder. Shui Yun and Mo Yun directed those injured students to receive treatment at the apothecary and the rest to their cottages in preparation for the formal induction ceremony tomorrow.


    Yun Ruoyan chatted with Shui Yun as she led them back to their cottages. Kongming Academy allegedly had three specialized institutions and five colleges. The three specialized institutions were targeted at demasters, pillmasters, and forgemasters; the five colleges were divided based on the cardinal directions¡ªnorth, south, east, west, and central. Each college was led by one of five elders. However, the elders were busy with their own cultivation, and wouldmonly leave their top disciples, themselves instructors of the academy, in charge.


    New students would begin their instruction in the five colleges under the academy instructors. Once they reached seventh-rank, they would then enter one of the three specialized institutions based on their talents. Particrly talented students would be chosen as disciples of the six elders, conferring upon them such status that even the emperors of the four kingdoms would have to be polite to them.


    This revtion shook Yun Ruoyan. She had never forgotten how the Yun and Lin families had been executed in her past life. The judgment for their crimes had been set by the emperor himself; if she were to obtain this exalted status, would she be able to protect the two families no matter who tried to target them?!


    Shui Yun brought Yun Ruoyan and eight other females to an unfamiliar courtyard, far superior to the rooms that they had been staying at earlier. It was more spacious and more elegant, and the courtyard even had a pond and all sorts of flowers and grasses. Furthermore, each student would get their own room.


    When Yun Ruoyan walked into her room, she found that it came with its own washroom. Her living conditions were far superior to the amodations that had been offered to her beforehand.


    ¡°These are the living quarters for official students of Kongming Academy, and the rooms you were in before were for outer disciples,¡± Shui Yun exined. ¡°Each room is supplied with medicine and a clean change of clothes. As usual, food will be delivered to you at night. Please feel free to rest until noon tomorrow, at which point I¡¯ll lead all of you to the formal induction ceremony for new students.¡±


    Shui Yun left after the announcement. Once she did so, the weary girls began to holler excitedly, running through the rooms and picking out the one that most appealed to them. There were no more than ten girls, but far more than ten rooms. The excited students ran from room to room, trying to find the one that appealed most to them. After all, they would be stuck in those rooms for quite a while.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan walked around absent-mindedly, not entering any of the rooms. Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue followed obediently behind her.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, aren¡¯t you going to select a room?¡± Lin Qingxue asked excitedly.


    Lin Qingchen was patient, but Lin Qingxue wasn¡¯t: she was sure that, if they were to dally, all the best rooms would be taken!


    ¡°There are so many rooms that it doesn¡¯t really matter which one I take,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. ¡°Why don¡¯t the two of you go pick one that you like?¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Lin Qingxue whooped as she joined the gaggle of girls touring each room, but Lin Qingchen remained behind Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Qingchen, aren¡¯t you going to pick out a room too?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll stay right next to you, Sister Ruoyan.¡±

 Chapter 206: Warmth Within the Cold

    <h4>Chapter 206: Warmth Within the Cold</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan smiled upon hearing Lin Qingchen¡¯s deration. Unlike Lin Qingxue, Lin Qingchen wasn¡¯t particrly fond ofmotion or excitement; even her bamboo garden in the Lin manor had been situated in a rather quiet, isted part of thend.


    Being neighbors with Lin Qingchen would allow for some much-needed peace and quiet.


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen toured the entire courtyard. Seemingly dissatisfied with the rooms around the courtyard, however, Yun Ruoyan smiled and turned to the south. To the south of the courtyard was a cliff, and some fifty feet away from that cliff was a small cottage, seemingly waiting for its owner.


    ¡°There, I want that one!¡± Yun Ruoyan pointed at the isted cottage.


    Lin Qingchen frowned, because she didn¡¯t see any other amodations nearby¡ªhow could she be neighbors with Yun Ruoyan in that case?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go have a look.¡± Yun Ruoyan appeared to be particrly fond of the little cottage despite its ordinary appearance, and she excitedly pulled Lin Qingchen into the cottage with her. It wasn¡¯t particrlyrge and didn¡¯t have its own living room; it was furnished simply, with a wooden bed, a wooden table, a few books, and a wardrobe. However, it did contain a bathroom with a bathtub of considerable size.


    Yun Ruoyan had been worried that the cottage would be derelict and uninhabitable, but it seemed that her worries were unfounded. The cottage had two windows, one facing the south and the other facing the west. Yun Ruoyan opened the southward and was immediately dazzled by the sight of the sea of clouds burnished gold by the setting sun, so beautiful that she felt as though she were removed from the mortal world.


    When Lin Qingchen saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression, she knew that her cousin would choose to stay in this little cottage without a doubt. Although she was somewhat deted, she couldn¡¯t help advising, ¡°It¡¯s really a nice cottage, and the scenery is truly quite beautiful, but there¡¯s no shade around here at all. It¡¯ll be hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Sister Ruoyan, won¡¯t you reconsider?¡±


    ¡°This is the ce for me.¡± Yun Ruoyan shook her head adamantly. Li Mo, when you told me to choose an amodation close to the south, this is what you meant, right?


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, look over here!¡± Suddenly, Lin Qingchen yelled out in excitement. Yun Ruoyan turned around to see that she had opened the window to the west and was pointing outside with a delighted expression on her face.


    Yun Ruoyan walked over to see her pointing at a verdant bamboo forest hidden behind two oddly shaped stones. If the window hadn¡¯t been ced exactly where it was, the forest would be very difficult to notice otherwise.


    ¡°There¡¯s bamboo here? Let¡¯s have a look!¡± The two girls held hands as they walked out of the house toward the rock outcropping. A small crevice between the two rocks was justrge enough for the two girls to squeeze through.


    ¡°There¡¯s a cottage in there too! It¡¯s perfect!¡± Even the usually quiet Lin Qingchen let out a happy yell when she realized that she would be able to be neighbors with Yun Ruoyan after all. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here, and this will be my new bamboo garden!¡±


    After helping Lin Qingchen settle in, both girls went in search of Lin Qingxue. She chose a cottage by a garden with several neighbors, although it wasn¡¯t particrly crowded.


    Lin Qingxue was more outgoing than Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan, but after spending so much time with her elder sister and cousin, she had unknowingly adopted some of their preferences regarding people. She didn¡¯t like ces that were too crowded and morous, but she also couldn¡¯t stand being alone in silence. Given her personality, she thought she had found a very suitable cottage.


    After Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen went on a tour of Lin Qingxue¡¯s cottage, they walked her to their respective cottages. However, they didn¡¯t get very far before a girl popped up in front of them.


    ¡°Yi Qianying, what are you doing here?¡± Lin Qingxue asked.


    Yi Qianying¡¯s appearance was quite unexpected: after all, she was the concubine of the crown prince. The sole privilege afforded to the crown prince in the Kongming Academy was to have his ownrge vi, and Yi Qianying had been brought to that vi after passing the trial.


    What is she doing here?


    ¡°I can¡¯t best any of you with my cultivation,¡± Yi Qianying assured them self-mockingly. ¡°I just have a question.¡±


    ¡°What question?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    Yi Qianying twirled the hair at her temples with a finger innocently. ¡°Were you the ones who killed Rong Yueshan?¡±


    ¡°What, that concubine-born daughter of the Rong family?¡± Lin Qingxue eximed. ¡°That¡¯s right! So what?¡±


    ¡°No matter.¡± Yi Qianying smirked. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯ve killed yet another daughter of the Rong family. Do you think they¡¯ll let you go?¡± She turned and left, chuckling to herself.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Lin Qingxue wanted to follow and heckle her, but Yun Ruoyan pulled her back.


    The three girls continued heading to the south, their spirits unaffected by their sudden encounter with Yi Qianying. Yi Qianying headed behind a rock formation as she bowed respectfully to a middle-aged man. ¡°Master Rong, were you able to hear my conversation with Yun Ruoyan clearly?¡±


    Rong Tianhai had a thin and slender physique. Wrapped in a white robe, his dark skin appeared all the darker. ¡°So what if I have?¡± He narrowed his eyes, his face expressionless. Rong Tianhai was the third son of the Rong family, the brother of the empress and Rong Tianling himself. In his youth, he had entered Kongming Academy to train in cultivation, and had remained there since. Now, he was the instructor of one of the five colleges of Kongming Academy.


    The moment Rong Yueshan had ascended to the Kongming Summit, she had gone in search of him with a letter of introduction from Rong Tianling himself. Yi Qianying had found out about their rtionship because she had been in Rong Yueshan¡¯s team, and had apanied her during the visit.


    Rong Tianling had requested his brother to help Rong Yueshan break the rules of the trial and kill Yun Ruoyan. Although he had refused, he didn¡¯t prevent Rong Yueshan from attempting the feat. As a result, Yi Qianying thought it usible that she could make use of Rong Yueshan¡¯s death to incite a conflict between Rong Tianhai and Yun Ruoyan.


    Based on Rong Tianhai¡¯s current dissatisfied appearance, however, Yi Qianying didn¡¯t think she had seeded. As a result, she continued to probe at Rong Tianhai¡¯s feelings regarding the matter.


    ¡°I¡­ I simply pitied Yueshan¡¯s death, as well as that of Miss Yuehong. They were both outstanding cultivators in their own right, talents that the Rong family had spent no small amount of effort developing, but now that they¡¯ve died at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands, I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Under Rong Tianhai¡¯s careful scrutiny, Yi Qianying started to stammer.


    ¡°I am aware. You may retire,¡± Rong Tianhai replied icily.


    ¡°Disciple Qianying bids her farewells.¡± Yi Qianying bowed once more as she turned to leave.


    From her back, Rong Tianhai announced, ¡°During the induction ceremony tomorrow, you¡¯ll be forced into my college, Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    He spat out her name icily, as though she were a vile beast. Her back toward Rong Tianhai, Yi Qianying¡¯s eyes shone with unbridled glee.


    ¡°Oh, my two sisters, what kind of cottages have you two chosen?!¡± Lin Qingxue was dismayed when Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan finally found her. Unsheltered, their cottages would be cold in the winter and warm in the summer. Furthermore, dinner would be provided at the main courtyard, and bathwater had to be brought from the kitchen. They were so far from the main housingplex that their food and water would undoubtedly get cold by the time they returned to their cottages.


    Lin Qingxue was still prattering on when a grey-robed youth came by their cottages with some food. ¡°This is your dinner, Young Misses.¡±


    Lin Qingxue took the trays of food from the youth happily. ¡°This is for me?¡±


    The youth replied, ¡°The food is for the disciples staying in this cottage and the one within the bamboo forest. Is one of those cottages yours?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lin Qingxue replied truthfully.


    ¡°In that case, the food isn¡¯t for you,¡± the youth replied. ¡°There are twenty trays in all, and the remainder are all in the main courtyard. These are the only two trays that are to be delivered to particr residences.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Lin Qingxue widened her eyes. ¡°If I¡¯d known, I¡¯d have chosen to stay here too!¡±


    The youth continued, ¡°It¡¯s quite an unusual arrangement, isn¡¯t it? Both these cottages were built just this year, and I hadn¡¯t expected that anyone would actually pick them.¡±


    Lin Qingxue and the grey-d youth began chatting animatedly. He introduced himself as Mo Yuan from the Mo kingdom, and was an outer disciple at Kongming Academy.


    Only when the youth had left did Lin Qingxue turn to Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen once more, but the two of them had already begun eating their dinner.


    ¡°Ah! You didn¡¯t wait for me!¡±


    Lin Qingchen sipped from a bowl of soup without turning to her sister, whereas Yun Ruoyan looked up from a drumstick she was currently devouring. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to im your food? It¡¯s going to get cold by the time you get to the main courtyard!¡±


    Lin Qingxue grumbled as she left, her antics causing Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan to smile at each other as they continued to eat. After being half-starved in the secret realm, they truly were quite hungry at the moment.


    After dinner, someone came by with a small carriage to deliver bathwater to them. Lin Qingchen immediately rushed back to her small bamboo forest in preparation for her bath.


    ¡°My goodness, this is toofortable!¡± Yun Ruoyanynguidly in her bathtub, feeling the weariness from the secret realm dissipate instantaneously. Her washroom was also located to the south. High on the wall was a window from which she could see the radiant moon above the cloud cover, as though it were a pearl-of-night floating on the sea.


    ¡°If I could have such arge pearl-of-night as illumination for my room, how much oil I could save over the course of a year!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an easy wish to fulfill,¡± a deep, familiar voice suddenly replied from outside the window.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan began to stand up to peer outside the window before a chill pervaded her body, reminding her that she was still in the nude and causing her to quickly sit back down again.


    A pleasantughter rang out from outside the window, and a dark shadow seemed tond on the windowsill. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I¡¯ve longed to see you for thest few days.¡± Li Mo¡¯s jade-white visage seemed cold under the moonlit skies, but the gentle smile by his lips was encouraging and warm.

 Chapter 207: Shock Treatment

    <h4>Chapter 207: Shock Treatment</h4>


    Li Mo looked at Yun Ruoyan¡ªat her long neck, de-like shoulders, and exquisite corbone, all exposed above the surface of the water. Draped in steam and moonlight, she appeared like a goddess descending from the heavens, and Li Mo¡¯s lips curled up in satisfaction.


    Suddenly, Yun Ruoyan turned and exposed her right cheek, revealing the twisted scar that snaked up her ear and extended down her neck and turning Li Mo¡¯s smile stiff. He was finding it harder and harder to ept that fake birthmark. He wouldn¡¯t object to Yun Ruoyan hiding her appearance from others, of course, but to do so even in front of him?


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you knew I wasing?¡± The birthmark on her face was freshly made. In the dark of the night, there was only one person she could be expecting.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I did.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled as she leaned against the side of the bathtub.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Li Mo raised his eyebrows. Her indolent, rxed posture made it seem as though she wasn¡¯t on guard against him after all, and his smile deepened once more.


    ¡°I guessed.¡±


    ¡°You guessed?¡±


    ¡°Right, I guessed.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned back to Li Mo. ¡°Thank you for preparing these amodations for me.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, how will you thank me?¡± This was the first time Li Mo had heard Yun Ruoyan thank him, and he couldn¡¯t help wanting to tease her a little.


    ¡°How would you like me to thank you?¡±


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan spoke, Li Mo darted to her side and held his face right by hers, so close their noses were almost touching and they breathed the same heated air.


    ¡°Li Mo, you!¡± Although it wasn¡¯t the first time that they¡¯d been in such close contact, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help blushing.


    A cool, crisp kissnded on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips, a familiar scent. Just as before, Yun Ruoyan responded woodenly, neither avoiding or dodging the kiss nor epting of it. However, this time, she didn¡¯t close her eyes. As their gazes met, Yun Ruoyan saw the glimmer in Li Mo¡¯s eyes as though it were a star that had fallen into a deep sea.


    They exchanged only a light kiss before Li Mo let go of Yun Ruoyan once more.


    ¡°You¡¯re still young, and I promised to wait until you became an adult.¡± Li Mo chuckled, looking at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ming face.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yun Ruoyan nodded.


    Li Mo¡¯s hand brushed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s right cheek before he vanished out the window in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stay for a little longer?¡± Yun Ruoyan called out urgently. Their current location and the moonlit night reminded Yun Ruoyan of the night she had shared with Li Mo at the tall tower overlooking Kongming Academy, and she had a sudden desire to spend time with him once more.


    ¡°I¡¯m unfamiliar with Kongming Academy, and I have a lot of questions for you. What¡¯s the situation with the induction ceremony tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°You possess a sage-grade treasure, and you¡¯ll certainly be a contested student. Just as before, head south,¡± Li Mo responded. ¡°As for the general scheme of things, I¡¯ll tell you more about it in the future. I still have some tasks that I have to handle today, so you just have a good night¡¯s rest. If any problems arise, you can talk to Shui Yue.


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t surprised to hear Li Mo bring up Shui Yue. Before she had entered the secret realm, Shui Yue had permitted her to bring the serpent-core ne that Li Mo had made for her. At that point, Yun Ruoyan had guessed that Shui Yue was in Li Mo¡¯s faction.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yun Ruoyan agreed.


    Li Mo found that he immensely enjoyed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s obedience¡ªeven a wild kitten would eventually be tamed! How rxing it would be to curl up by her side and talk the entire night long¡­ but Li Mo nced up at the skies, where dark clouds were gathering. There was still another task he had to aplish that night.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a stormy night, so shut your windows tight.¡± Li Mo turned and left, disappearing within the night skies. He left two porcin bottles for her on the windowsill.


    Yun Ruoyan stared at the window for quite some time in a daze. When she finally stirred and cleaned herself up, she suddenly felt something amiss. Rushing to the mirror, she noticed that her right cheek was shiny and clean: her fake birthmark had vanished!


    She rewound her conversation with Li Mo and remembered that he had pinched her right cheek.


    He found out, after all¡­ Yun Ruoyan sat in front of the mirror. Or has he always known? Was he watching me act the entire time?!


    In order to hide her secret from Li Mo, she had worn the birthmark even during the stifling summer nights, almost developing sweat rashes as a result! If he had known this entire time¡­


    Yun Ruoyan jumped out of her seat and yelled, ¡°Li Mo, you bastard!¡±


    A sudden gale of wind blew into her room, and Yun Ruoyan quickly secured the window even as she seethed with anger. Not long after came the sound of thunder and shes of lightning.


    Kacha! A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens and struck Li Mo, who was bound in iron chains at the peak of the tall tower. The powerful st singed his body and targeted his vital organs, but Li Mo only trembled a little.


    ¡°As expected of the first elder¡¯s disciple, he¡¯s a rather tough fellow.¡± The tall, thin second elder and equally tall and thin Rong Tianhai stood on a raised dais as they observed the punishment from afar.


    ¡°Master, this lightning is the harshest among the avable punishments, and ten strikes are sufficient to heavily wound a regr cultivator.¡±


    ¡°Ten strikes of lightning to save a woman by selfishly operating the all-seeing mirror after dark? I¡¯m already going easy on him,¡± the second elder continued, his face sunken. ¡°If I had my way, he¡¯d be expelled from the academy, but the first elder¡¯s unbelievably protective of his dear disciple. I might not be able to expel him, but as the elder in charge of order and punishment, I can certainly make him feel pain for his transgressions! Continue administering the punishment!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Rong Tianhai held a crackling sword in his hand. He pointed at the skies as he chanted an incantation. The darkened skies were crackling with lightning, and two bolts descended on Li Mo at the same time.


    Kacha, kacha!


    Li Mo sat cross-legged within the lightning array. ording to the rules of the punishment, he was forbidden from using spiritual energy to counteract the strikes, and could only defend against them with his corporal body.


    Even after five strikes, Li Mo continued bearing the punishment in stoic silence, the only hint of any difort being the sweat seeping from his forehead.


    After seven strikes, blood trickled down the corner of his lips.


    ¡°Master, if he¡¯s severely injured, I¡¯m afraid the first elder might¡­¡± Rong Tianhai began.


    ¡°What, are you afraid?¡± The second elder nced at Rong Tianhai. This disciple of his was of noble birth and possessed quite an impressive cultivation, but he really was quitecking in guts. Otherwise, he would beparable to the first elder¡¯s disciple in all regards.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯m just worried that you might have a hard time dealing with the first elder after this altercation,¡± Rong Tianhai replied respectfully.


    ¡°Inflicting punishment on errant students is within my jurisdiction,¡± the second elder emphasized. ¡°He shall bear twelve strikes of lightning!¡±


    Rong Tianhai nodded and turned back to Li Mo, his deferential and respectful expression reced by something colder and more sinister. The second elder had only intended on ten strikes of lightning as punishment, but Rong Tianhai had sessfully extended it to twelve. Each strike was harsher than thest, and the twelfth was approximately equal in power to the first tenbined.


    Senior Brother, looks like you¡¯ll be in for some pain, hmm? Rong Tianhai smiled icily.


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan woke up at the crack of dawn. She pushed a window open to look at the scenic surroundings: after a night fraught with wind and storm and thunder, the skies were a clear cerulean blue. She stretched and took a deep breath of the enervating air, happy and free from worry.


    Even her negative emotions toward Li Most night had dissipated. After all, she was the one trying to trick him with her false appearance¡ªwas she supposed to be annoyed that Li Mo pretended to go along with it? She was to me for not making her disguise more immacte. Regardless, it didn¡¯t seem to matter all that much that Li Mo had seen through the fake birthmark when she had already decided to trust him.


    ¡°A new scene, a new beginning!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out toward the sea of clouds before starting her dawn meditation.


    On the second floor of the tower, the first elder was helping Li Mo treat his injuries.


    ¡°Twelve strikes¡­ the second elder really didn¡¯t hold back on you this time!¡± The first elder crushed a spiritual pill and smeared its remnants on Li Mo¡¯s back. His jade-white skin had been charred and ckened by long, jagged stripes extending from neck to waist.


    ¡°I¡¯ll exact my revenge sooner orter,¡± Li Mo gritted out, another trickle of blooding from his mouth. If not for the fact that he still had some unfinished business here, Li Mo could easily have dodged the punishment.


    The first elder sighed and asked, ¡°Have you made any progress with your investigation?¡±


    Li Mo shook his head as he put on his customary ck robe.


    ¡°He¡¯s still unwilling to divulge anything?¡±


    ¡°The old geezer¡¯s too stubborn and skilled. It was onlyst month that I managed to fight him on an equal footing.¡± Li Mo inspected his hands. ¡°But I¡¯ve more or less learned his signature scattered palm attack. I¡¯d been nning on heading to the Minghuang Mountain in the next few days, but it seems like I¡¯ll have to postpone my visit.¡±


    ¡°A few more days won¡¯t make a difference when you¡¯ve already waited for so long,¡± the first elder advised, seeing Li Mo¡¯s anxious expression.


    ¡°My father died in battle, and my mother¡¯s whereabouts have been unknown ever since. Every day I go without finding my mother is another day of unease for me.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s ink-ck eyes turned an icy blue, and he looked toward the first elder with a faint sense of sorrow. ¡°I¡¯ve searched every nook and cranny of the Chenyuan continent, and I¡¯ve never found a trace of my mother. Even if that old geezer¡¯s unwilling to divulge anything, I suspect that my mother¡¯s no longer on this continent. Most likely, she¡¯s been transported to a parallel world.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re no more than mayflies in the countless worlds of the universe,¡± the first elder sighed. ¡°Even this Chenyuan continent¡¯s only a leaf in the wide expanse of time. Trying to search for a single person amidst these worlds is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.¡±


    ¡°Even so, I have to continue looking. I believe I¡¯ll be able to pry his mouth open, sooner orter!¡± Li Mo¡¯s tone was resolute. ¡°The person who took Mother away had to be the same person who killed my father. I will avenge this blood debt!¡±


    At noon, it was still the same outer disciple, Mo Yuan, who came to bring food to Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen. After they had their meal, the belltower in the za began to toll. Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen headed to the front yard, where they found the other female students gathered, all waiting for Shui Yun to bring them to the great hall from yesterday.


    Yun Ruoyan found that two new girls had appeared: Zhao Xu, from the Chen kingdom, and Miss Li, from the Mo kingdom. She¡¯d seen the two girls only once, but they weren¡¯t at the great hall yesterday. Where had they suddenly popped out from?

 Chapter 208: Making Things Difficult

    <h4>Chapter 208: Making Things Difficult</h4>


    Both Zhao Xu and Miss Li seemed to be somewhat familiar with the other female students, and there were a group of girls gathered around them, including Lin Qingxue.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, Sister Qingchen, you¡¯re both here!¡± Lin Qingxue ran over as soon as she saw them.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with Miss Zhao and Miss Li?¡± Lin Qingchen asked before Yun Ruoyan could speak.


    When she and Lin Qingxue had been caught by the Chen kingdom team, Zhao Xu was the one who fed them and gave them water. As a result, the Lin siblings didn¡¯t have a bad impression of her. However, the Chen kingdom team had all perished within a beast horde, so how had they emerged unscathed? And how had they managed to gather enough spoils to pass the trial?


    ording to Lin Qingxue, Zhao Xu and Miss Li had gotten separated from the Chen kingdom team while hunting beasts, and had managed to avoid their fate as a result. The two girls had gotten lost in the forest and wandered deep into it. Even when all the students were sent back to Kongming Academy at the end of the trial, the two girls had somehow been missed.


    No one noticed a problem untilst afternoon, when Zhao Xu¡¯s brother, Zhao Qiang, was unable to find the two girls among the wounded or the dead. Only when he exined the situation to Cang Song and ended upunching an investigation was it finally determined that the two girls were still within the trial grounds.


    Because this was a problem on the academy¡¯s part, both students had been allowed to join the academy as official students.


    ¡°Since everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s head to the great hall now. Follow me.¡± Shui Yun led the girls toward the great hall¡ªthe same location as yesterday, where the induction ceremony would be held.


    Having been told that Shui Yun worked with Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan began to get closer to her. ¡°I¡¯d like to see Li Mo. Senior Shui Yun, could you help pass a message for me?¡± Yun Ruoyan stepped up to her side.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Shui Yun replied. ¡°During the induction ceremonyter, Junior Sister, don¡¯t forget about what he told you!¡±


    Miss Li and Zhao Xu were walking behind Yun Ruoyan. As Miss Li¡¯s gazended on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back, she turned to Zhao Xu andmented, ¡°Look at that Yun Ruoyan¡ªshe looks like a reserved girl, but she¡¯s just a bootlicker! It¡¯s really quite impressive how close she¡¯s gotten to that senior after such a short period of time.¡±


    ¡°You must be overthinking it,¡± Zhao Xu replied.


    ¡°Miss Zhao, you really are too kind,¡± Miss Li rebutted. ¡°Whether or not I¡¯m overthinking matters, you¡¯ll find out soon.¡±


    Lin Qingxue had been conversing with some girls next to her and didn¡¯t overhear the conversation, but Lin Qingchen did. She frowned, and her opinion of this Miss Li dropped even further. She didn¡¯t hurt her or Lin Qingxue while they were hostages, but she was indifferent to their plight. Now, it was clear that she was both cold-blooded and narrow-minded!


    The six elders remained seated on stage, but the host of the induction ceremony was now Rong Tianhai instead of Cang Song. Seated beside Rong Tianhai were the head disciples of all six elders, along with the instructors of the five colleges. Today, however, an unfamiliar man had joined their ranks. To her surprise, Yun Ruoyan found that this new stranger was none other than Li Mo.


    ¡°That instructor wasn¡¯t there yesterday, was he?¡± a girl eximed.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, we didn¡¯t see him yesterday. He looks so young!¡± The female students gradually began to discuss the mysterious stranger. Amidst a crowd of instructors in their thirties, Li Mo¡¯s appearance was particrly eye-catching.


    He finally changed his outfit. Yun Ruoyan smirked.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, isn¡¯t that the ughtering King, Li Mo?¡± Lin Qingxue leaned in close to her and asked.


    ¡°You have good eyes, Qingxue,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°It really is him?!¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°The ughtering King¡¯s really impressive! Not only is he a master at fighting, he¡¯s even an instructor at Kongming Academy¡ªand he¡¯s so young, too!¡±


    Few of the male students had seen the ughtering King, but Pei Ziao and Wang Meng had both had a close encounter with him. When they entered the hall and saw Li Mo, they were easily as shocked as Lin Qingxue.


    Luckily, I didn¡¯t target Yun Ruoyan during the trial. Wang Meng was very grateful that he¡¯d exercised appropriate caution. Otherwise, even if I were lucky enough to end up with the amaranthine sun, I might not be alive to use it¡­


    He¡¯d witnessed for himself how indulgent and protective Li Mo was of Yun Ruoyan, and nned on establishing good rtions with her so as to approach Li Mo. Li Mo was a god of ughter renowned across the entire continent, nobility of the Li kingdom, as well as the head disciple of an elder of Kongming Academy. Was there anyone on the continent who didn¡¯t want to be on good terms with him?


    Wang Meng nced at Pei Ziao, whose face was particrly ugly¡ªpartly because he was still recovering from his injuries, but partly from the shock of seeing Li Mo present. Pei Ziao was looking at Yi Qianying from afar, and she turned back to nce at him. The two of themmunicated silently with their eyes.


    Wang Meng was starting to pity the two of them. After all, he¡¯d investigated their dealings with Yun Ruoyan. Neither Rong Yuehong nor Rong Yueshan had been able to best Yun Ruoyan, and even Wang Meng had lost the amaranthine sun to her. He was certain that, even without Li Mo¡¯s presence, Yun Ruoyan would easily be able to deal with the two of them.


    Li Mo sat impassively, not seeming to register the curious nces that almost the entire iing cohort was shooting at him. From start to finish, he never looked directly at a single person, including Yun Ruoyan.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw his behavior, she too did the same. Everyone could pretend to be aloof and uncaring!


    ¡°The induction ceremony will now begin.¡± Rong Tianhai was far more severe than Cang Song, and he got straight to business. Each student would walk to the front of the great hall and deposit their identification token in one of the four crystal jars present: north, south, east, and west, one for each of the cardinal directions.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the central college?¡± a student asked.


    ¡°You may choose which college you would like to join, but whether you ultimately end up in the college is at the discretion of that college¡¯s instructor. All those who fail their instructor¡¯s examination will be assigned to the central college,¡± Rong Tianhai continued.


    ¡°Ah? Doesn¡¯t that mean the central college is for failures?¡± someone squawked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in that college!¡±


    None of the iing students knew of this rule, and Yun Ruoyan had never heard Li Mo bring it up. However, given that he had advised her to pick the southern college, she would follow his advice. Likely, Li Mo would be the instructor of the southern college.


    Confident of her hypothesis, Yun Ruoyan told the Lin cousins to pick the southern college as well. Zhuo Yifeng was quite some distance away, but Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have to worry about him; she knew he would pick the same college she did.


    Yi Qianying raised her head and nced at Rong Tianhai, who stood at the podium, before turning to Pei Ziao. She stepped forward and ced her token in the jar for the northern college, and Pei Ziao followed suit.


    Yun Ruoyan was just about to ce her own token in the southern college¡¯s jar when a white-robed elder called out, ¡°Hold on!¡±


    The tall, thin second elder walked to Rong Tianhai¡¯s side, ncing at Yun Ruoyan with eyes like a hawk¡¯s. Perhaps because he didn¡¯t tend to smile, his facial features were stiff and menacing. That severe face then burst into a sudden smile.


    ¡°Little miss, you might be unfamiliar with the rules of Kongming Academy,¡± the second elder began. ¡°Since you received the amaranthine sun, then you have to join my pillmaster institution. The northern college is led by my head disciple, Rong Tianhai. You¡¯ll have to study under him before joining my tutge, so choose the northern college.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was a little stupefied by the sudden announcement, and her hand stilled above the southern college¡¯s jar.


    ¡°Second Elder, you can¡¯t be serious.¡± The fourth elder also stood up. Somewhat corpulent, he looked like a wintermelon when he stood, but his voice rang loud and powerful.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rule that ims that all pillmasters must join the northern college, nor that all students talented at pillmaking must join your pillmaster institution.¡±


    ¡°No formal rule, perhaps, but all students should focus on their specialties. Those possessing talent in pillmaking naturally should choose to join the pillmaster institution,¡± the third elder interrupted. He and the second elder were jointly responsible for the pillmaster institution.


    The fourth elder strode forward. ¡°All six of us are talented in at least three different areas, and I believe my aplishments in pillmaking aren¡¯t far inferior to yours, Second Elder. Particrly talented students should focus on multiple disciplines, not just one. In that case¡­¡±


    The fourth elder turned to Yun Ruoyan with a grand flourish. ¡°In that case, youngdy, you should join the western college. I can teach you in any cultivation-rted discipline you might be interested in.¡±


    ¡°Youngdy, you might also consider my eastern college,¡± the kindly fifth elder added.


    Yun Ruoyan was keenly aware that these elders were all interested in her sage-grade amaranthine sun, not in her own potential as a student. In Kongming Academy, all students¡¯ spoils in trials of any sort were to be considered their own, so no matter how precious the amaranthine sun was, it was hers and hers alone. However, Yun Ruoyan could circumvent the rule by handing over the herb of her own ord. She was certain that, no matter which college she ultimately entered, the elder in charge would find some reason to ask for the herb.


    Naturally, it would be most advantageous for her to join the southern college, as Li Mo had advised. However, doing so would offend all the other elders, potentially making her life very difficult in the future.

 Chapter 209: Becoming the Master

    <h4>Chapter 209: Bing the Master</h4>


    ¡°Youngdy, think carefully about your decision! If none of the other choices appeal to you, feel free to join my central college, haha,¡± the sixth elder added, used to trying to smooth things over with hisbative colleagues.


    The induction ceremony was put on hold as all eyes focused on Yun Ruoyan. The few elders who had spoken looked at her as though they were eyeing a marbled cut of meat, but the students behind her did so with a potpourri of admiration, envy, jealousy, and hatred.


    One nce brimming with hatred came from Yi Qianying. She had no idea how Yun Ruoyan had managed to be so well-received wherever she went, despite her horrifying and distasteful appearance. Had she managed to practice her demonic arts even within Kongming Academy, entrancing and bewitching the elders?


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo in desperation, but he was serenely looking down at the floor and seeming to take no part in the conflict. Vexed, Yun Ruoyan retracted the token that she had just been about to ce in the southern college¡¯s jar. If you don¡¯t care about my choice, then I won¡¯t choose the southern college!


    As if she had suddenlye to a decision, she extended her hand toward the northern college¡¯s jar, but then she immediately moved it to the western college¡¯s jar instead. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s indecision caused the elders and her fellow students to crane their necks as they followed the path of her palm.


    ¡°Would you like to study under me?¡± The first elder, who sat at the center of the other elders, suddenly spoke up. His voice wasn¡¯t particrly loud, but everyone present heard his invitation clearly and was shocked.


    ¡°First Elder, you¡¯re taking a disciple?!¡± the fourth elder asked.


    ¡°First Elder, you¡¯ve promised to only take in one disciple your entire life.¡± The second elder frowned, and the wrinkles by his mouth grew even more pronounced. ¡°Is the word of the first elder of Kongming Academy forfeit?!¡±


    The second elder¡¯s harsh judgment caused the other elders to look at the first elder with some doubt.


    ¡°I stand by my word,¡± the first elder replied calmly. ¡°As the first elder of Kongming Academy, I am naturally held to a high standard.¡±


    ¡°In that case, First Elder, what did you mean by iming that you would take this young girl as a disciple?¡± the second elder pressed.


    The first elder stroked his white beard. ¡°You must have misheard me, for I have made no such offer. I merely asked if she would wish to study under me.¡±


    ¡°Study under you, meaning¡ª¡± The second elder suddenly stilled. He turned to Li Mo, as if he had just thought of something.


    Li Mo slowly raised his head and met the second elder¡¯s nce, smiling gently in the same manner as the first elder.


    ¡°Elders, it is my intention to take on a disciple.¡± Li Mo stood up. ¡°Owing to my status, however, I entreated my master to speak up on my behalf.¡±


    The elders had been fighting with each other for Yun Ruoyan, only to be foiled by the sudden appearance of another rival.


    The second eldermented angrily, ¡°It looks like twelve strikes of lightning were still too little for you! If you ever end up in my hands again, you¡¯ll receive no fewer than twenty strikes!¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother, since you¡¯re aware that your status is below that of the elders, why are you stillpeting with them for disciples?¡± Rong Tianhai interrupted. ¡°Although I joined Kongming Academy after you, I¡¯m a few years older in age. I¡¯d also like to take on a disciple, but shouldn¡¯t those of our generation wait until our elders have done so?¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother, your words are reasonable¡ªbut if I have the qualifications to take on a disciple, why should I not take advantage of that opportunity?¡± Li Mo retorted. ¡°As you know, Kongming Academy requires consent between both master and student. I am simply providing this Miss Yun with another choice beyond the five she has already received.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Rong Tianhai was about to continue arguing when Li Mo raised a hand, his domineering aura suppressing Rong Tianhai and preventing him from speaking further.


    Li Mo turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Miss Yun, will you take me as your master?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan met Li Mo¡¯s eyes with consternation, and the two exchanged a wordlessmunication. You¡¯re not serious, are you? You really want to take me as a disciple?


    Do you have any better choice? Li Mo¡¯s eyes nced askance at the elders present.


    Of course not. Yun Ruoyan shook her head slightly. But you won¡¯t be able to marry me afterwards!


    For a master to marry one of his disciples was a serious breach of decorum, one that couldn¡¯t be tolerated in the Li kingdom¡ªunless Li Mo had no intention of marrying her from the beginning!


    When Li Mo realized the reason behind Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hesitation, he smirked. It looked as though she really were getting interested in him, if she were seriously considering marriage. At the same time, however, he was a little anxious, worried that she would choose one of the other elders in a fit of pettiness.


    The second elder spoke up once more. ¡°Youngdy, think carefully about your options. There are 3,600 students in Kongming Academy, only fifty of which are disciples of the six elders. I¡¯m the second elder, and you¡¯ll be of the same standing as he is if you take me as your master. If you take Li Mo, you¡¯ll simply remain one among three thousand.¡±


    Believe in me! Li Mo looked resolutely at Yun Ruoyan.


    Was she to take Li Mo as a master, or should she aim to be of the same standing as he was? Yun Ruoyan really did hesitate for a moment. Thetter would imply that she would be afforded a high status almost immediately upon joining Kongming Academy, and the rest of the students would all have to address her respectfully. However, it was evident that these elders were interested not in her, but rather in her possessions. If she were to be their disciples, the amaranthine sun would likely no longer be hers.


    But if she were to be Li Mo¡¯s disciple, neither the Yun family nor the emperor himself would condone their marriage. Li Mo, what¡¯s your n?


    Yun Ruoyan clenched her teeth as she mulled it over. Finally, she announced, ¡°I, Yun Ruoyan, hereby choose to take Li Mo as my master.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words shocked most present. The prestige and status she was forfeiting was something that others might work their entire lives to gain! Wouldn¡¯t she regret that decision in the future?!


    But those whose sights weren¡¯t focused on the short term thought differently. The first disciple of the first disciple of the first elder¡­ if she lived long enough, she might be the first elder in her own time. Even if she wasn¡¯t anyone important at present, it would be best to avoid offending her.


    ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t be impetuous! Think carefully,¡± the third elder advised.


    ¡°Elders, my mind is set.¡± Once she had made a decision, she had no intention of changing her mind. She knelt down in front of Li Mo. ¡°Your disciple Yun Ruoyan greets her master.¡±


    Li Mo slowly sat down and epted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s kowtow. She did it thrice, and Li Mo motioned for her to rise. Then, she turned toward the first elder and repeated the process.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan greets her master¡¯s master.¡±


    The first elder waved a hand, again motioning for her to rise.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,e over here.¡± Li Mo motioned to Yun Ruoyan kindly.


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t feeling particrly good. She red at Li Mo, her heart aching at his lighthearted behavior. Suppressing her flustered feelings, she strode toward Li Mo.


    Without looking at her face, Li Mo took the identification token in her hands and began inscribing it with his finger: Yun Ruoyan, first disciple of Li Mo, first disciple of the first elder of Kongming Academy, 523 years since the inception of the Chenyuan continent.


    Yun Ruoyan took the proffered token back numbly, her eyes cold when she next looked at Li Mo. Li Mo, was this what you wanted from the start?


    After the ceremony, she stood behind Li Mo as she waited for the other students to pick their colleges. With Yun Ruoyan as example, the third and fourth elders then bickered over Wang Meng. The famed pillmaking genius eventually entered the fourth elder¡¯s college.


    Lin Qingxue, Lin Qingchen, and Zhuo Yifeng all entered the southern college.


    Yi Qianying and Pei Ziao entered the northern college.


    In the end, only three unassuming youths were ced in the central college. Their faces were bitter and ashen, as if they had just received news of their mother¡¯s passing.


    ¡°What kind of expression is this?¡± the sixth elder grumbled, dissatisfied. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on the central college, now. After all, I came from the central college, and I was a disciple of the old first elder himself! If you work hard and apply yourself, I¡¯m sure you can be the next me.¡±


    The sixth elder¡¯s somewhat dubious encouragement left the youths a little more energized.


    After the induction ceremony, the students were all told to report to their respective colleges starting tomorrow. Yun Ruoyan waved a hand at Li Mo, then headed back to her own cottage with Lin Qingchen.


    Li Mo whispered from behind, ¡°I¡¯ll go find you at night.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan, hurt and angry, ignored him as she left. When night came, she didn¡¯t have to wait very long before Li Mo emerged from the window. Yun Ruoyan immediately stood up straight as she bowed toward Li Mo, her eyes glinting. ¡°Your disciple pays her respects, Master!¡±


    Li Mo rolled his eyes, grabbing her waist and embracing her tightly.


    ¡°Yo-You, what are you doing?!¡± Yun Ruoyan iled to no avail, her face indignant. ¡°As my master, how can you be so intimate with me?!¡±


    <hr>


    1. The master-student rtionship is treated in much the same way as a parent-child rtionship in terms of tutge, importance, and care.

 Chapter 210: Honesty

    <h4>Chapter 210: Honesty</h4>


    ¡°Since you¡¯re my master now, you should conduct yourself with dignity!¡± Yun Ruoyan once again began to rebuff Li Mo¡¯s advances.


    But Li Mo was as stubborn as ever. Tightly embracing Yun Ruoyan, his mouth by her ear, he whispered, ¡°Yan¡¯er, you misunderstand me. My role is more mentor than master.¡±


    Li Mo exined further, ¡°A master is both a mentor and a paternal figure, but a mentor is just responsible for teaching you skills. I¡¯m a ninth-rank demaster at the cusp of being a sword saint, a peak eighth-rank pillmaster, and both an eighth-rank forgemaster and beastmaster. In all of Kongming Academy and even the whole of the Chenyuan continent, Yan¡¯er, I doubt you¡¯ll be able to find a better mentor than I am.¡±


    This was the first time Li Mo had ever revealed the extent of his knowledge to Yun Ruoyan. The whole world knew that the ughtering King Li Mo was a man of many talents who was blessed by the heavens, but even Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t expected his talent to be so extreme.


    Such a polymath was indeed the best mentor Yun Ruoyan could hope for!


    ¡°You¡¯re really that strong?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°But you¡¯re only in your twenties¡ªhow on earth did you manage it?!¡±


    Cultivation was something that had to be umted over months and years, no matter how strong one¡¯s innate talent. Yun Ruoyan felt that, even if Li Mo had begun cultivating when he was three, without eating or drinking or sleeping, he would still be unable to achieve what he imed.


    When Yun Ruoyan stopped struggling, Li Mo let go of her and spun her around to face him. ¡°This is a secret of mine.¡±


    Li Mo had his secrets, and Yun Ruoyan had hers. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t intend on telling Li Mo her own secrets; simrly, she wouldn¡¯t try to pry at Li Mo¡¯s.


    Yun Ruoyan thought that Li Mo wasn¡¯t going to continue, but he did. ¡°Yan¡¯er, you must have guessed that my father isn¡¯t the emperor of the Li kingdom. It was simply a false identity imnted by the previous emperor in order to hide my true identity.¡±


    ¡°In that case, your father must be¡­ the legendary Beast King!¡± Yun Ruoyan revealed her most probable guess.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, and that¡¯s thergest secret of my identity.¡± Li Mo caressed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cheek. ¡°Arge part of my cultivation was inherited from my father at his passing, then enhanced with my own talent and diligence.¡±


    ¡°Is that so!¡± Yun Ruoyan looked as though she were having a revtion.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you must have suspected my identity for quite a while.¡± Li Mo looked at Yun Ruoyan, his ink-ck eyes slowly turning a pale, icy blue. ¡°Anyone who even suspected my identity has been killed, but you¡¯re my only exception, Yan¡¯er. I want to marry you, to make you mine¡ªso you can¡¯t ever betray me. Do you understand?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan faced this mysterious man who was both her fiance and mentor. Li Mo could be gentle and passionate, enclosing her in his heated embrace, or wild and ferocious like a wolf, wing someone apart with his bare hands.


    He was a dangerous, intoxicating man.


    ¡°And if one day I do betray you, or if I want to leave you?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°Will you kill me?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± he replied immediately.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°Remember your words. If one day you betray me, or if you want to leave me, I too shall kill you.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er¡ª¡± Li Mo looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s serious expression and couldn¡¯t help chuckling. So what if he were her mentor? Even if he were her master, even if the world itself went against them, their love for each other would prevail. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t as if either of them were particrly interested in worldly reputation.


    Perhaps the two of them would have preferred to wander the world together, but each had unfulfilled obligations of their own.


    The two of them embraced each other inpanionable silence until Li Mo spoke up. From start to finish, he described the truth behind his childhood and upbringing, how he had transformed from the Beast Prince to the ughtering King of the Li kingdom.


    ¡°After the first elder saved me, he entrusted me to the previous emperor of the Li kingdom, waiting for a suitable time to formally ept me as a disciple.¡±


    ¡°So the boy from that story really was you¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan sat in Li Mo¡¯sp, twirling his hair.


    Li Mo reached out and rapped her on the head. ¡°Ouch! Why¡¯d you do that?¡±


    ¡°How upset I was that day¡ªand instead of consoling me, you pretended to sleep!¡± Li Mo eximed in mock rage.


    ¡°I could hardly make wild guesses about your identity, Your Highness,¡± Yun Ruoyan retorted. ¡°In that case, what are you up to now? What are the tasks you¡¯re trying to aplish?¡±


    ¡°To identify the culprits behind my father¡¯s murder and to repay this blood debt.¡± Li Mo¡¯s tone was calm and cid. ¡°After badly hurting Father, they dragged my mother away by force. I believe she¡¯s still alive, and I need to find her and reunite with her. Yan¡¯er, I¡¯m sure my mother will like you, and we¡¯ll be able to live together¡ªthe three of us!¡ªin peace¡­¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, I have a secret of my own,¡± Yun Ruoyan began.


    ¡°I know.¡± Li Mo mussed her hair. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I know all your secrets.¡±


    ¡°You do?!¡± Yun Ruoyan jumped out of Li Mo¡¯sp and looked at him in shock.


    Her unusually strong reaction left Li Mo somewhat perturbed. Of course he¡¯d fully investigate the woman of his eye, and Yun Ruoyan should have been quite aware of this.


    ¡°I had my men investigate you. Your mother¡¯s death is truly quite unusual, and the poison in your body came from the Yue kingdom.¡±


    Upon hearing Li Mo¡¯s words, Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath. After all, how could Li Mo have known that she had rebirthed? How could he have known about her silver bracelet and about Qiuqiu?


    Yun Ruoyan had too many secrets, and such people were always quite easy to scare. But just as she was about to rx, Li Mo then pointed at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s silver bracelet. ¡°As for this bracelet, there¡¯s a little creature hidden within¡ªoh, no, an old creature!¡±


    ¡°What! You know about this bracelet too?¡± Yun Ruoyan stood still once more. Perversely, Li Mo was quite satisfied by her unsettled expression.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, are you going to pretend that you¡¯re still asleep?¡± Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s silver bracelet. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to tell the truth to your mistress.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mistress.¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s apologetic voice suddenly sounded in her mind. ¡°I was a beast who had contracted with the Beast King. After he fought to the death, I was badly injured and sealed within this bracelet. Somehow, it ended up in your mother¡¯s possession, and then in yours. In order to borrow your power to break this seal, I voluntarily entered a blood pact with you.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re my contracted beast, why would you help Li Mo keep me in the dark?!¡± Yun Ruoyan was understandably upset: she had always treated Qiuqiu as herrgest secret, valuing its presence even more than the fact that she had rebirthed. All this time, she¡¯d thought her secret safe and sound, but she seemed to have been yed for a fool.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t me Qiuqiu. I threatened to kill you if Qiuqiu divulged the secret,¡± Li Mo pacified her.


    ¡°When did you discover Qiuqiu?¡± Yun Ruoyan suppressed her anger and asked Li Mo.


    ¡°Back in the Minghuang Mountain. I grew up with Qiuqiu, and I¡¯m very familiar with its aura. I once approached Qiuqiu and asked it to leave you, but it refused. At that time, however, I wasn¡¯t close to you, so I was both curious and on guard about your identity. To prevent your suspicions, I threatened Qiuqiu so it wouldn¡¯t reveal that I knew of your secret.¡±


    ¡°Mistress, you won¡¯t me me, will you?¡± Qiuqiu begged intively.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed. How could she me Qiuqiu? After all, Qiuqiu had saved her so many times when she had been in trouble, and it had taught her so much as well. When faced with danger, Qiuqiu was always there to provide support.


    ¡°No, Qiuqiu, I don¡¯t me you. However, you have to promise me never to lie to me again. You know how much I abhor being lied to.¡± Rather than respond mentally to Qiuqiu¡¯s plea, Yun Ruoyan said this out loud.


    Li Mo felt a little guilty when he heard this, but he had no ns of revealing that Yun Ruoyan was a human furnace. Based on Li Mo¡¯s understanding of her, Yun Ruoyan would be willing to forgive Qiuqiu¡¯s lies, but not the fact that he had initially helped and gotten close to her only because she was a human furnace.


    In fact, Yun Ruoyan would likely suspect that the reason Li Mo was currently so close to her was still simply because of her unique constitution, that she was simply a useful tool to him. This wasn¡¯t a risk that Li Mo was willing to take.


    ¡°Well, Xun Mo? I told you you¡¯d end up liking my mistress!¡± Qiuqiumunicated with Li Mo mentally, its tone proud.


    Li Mo smiled. Yun Ruoyan was truly an idental fortune in his life.


    ¡°Rest well now. I still have something to discuss with the first elder, and I¡¯lle fetch you tomorrow morning.¡±


    Because of therge number of deaths during this trial, Kongming Academy had to handle the proceedings for the students who had perished or be disabled as a result of the trial. After the induction ceremony, there would be two weeks¡¯ leave for those students who had friends or family who had passed away to return home in mourning.


    As Li Mo perched on the window, he turned back and smiled at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Yan¡¯er, now that you¡¯re no longer applying your fake birthmark when I visit, I finally don¡¯t have to bear with your ugly face any longer!¡±


    If Li Mo hadn¡¯t brought it up, Yun Ruoyan would have forgotten about the matter, but once he did, she began to fume. She was just about to yell at him when he flew off on his sword, leaving nothing but a draught of cold air behind.


    As she watched Li Mo¡¯s silhouette be smaller and smaller, until he was norger than a speck of dust, she found that her heart was far more rxed than ever. Before tonight, their rtionship was one filled with secrets, and even their intimacy seemed to take on an artificial sheen. Now that they¡¯d revealed their secrets to each other, however, she felt as though she were connected to Li Mo even without any intimate gestures.


    Li Mo, you¡¯d better not lie to me, ever!


    Back atop the tall tower, the first elder nced up at the night sky. Li Mo stopped by his side, descending from his sword.


    ¡°Have you told her everything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided on her, so she¡¯ll have to learn about me sooner orter,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like being lied to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very simr to your father in this regard: cold and distant at first nce, but once his heart was set on someone, he would treat her sincerely at all costs.¡±


    The first elder nced into the distance, as though he were thinking back to a cherished memory. ¡°I met your father in a ve camp. If not for his protection, I would long have died. He was a natural king in talent and personality, and his skills were sufficient to take over the entirety of the Chenyuan continent. After meeting your mother, however, he was content to curtail his ambitions andy im only to a small part of thend, all to live out his life with her in peace deep in the Yueli Mountain.¡±


    The first elder¡¯s voice suddenly filled with grief and indignation. ¡°But even so, he was targeted! I arrived toote to save his life!¡±


    ¡°Master, this isn¡¯t your fault.¡± Li Mo shook his head. ¡°He bequeathed to me a third of his cultivation and had the pce maids bring me away. I¡¯m sure that Father faced his attackers with the knowledge that he would die fighting.¡±


    1. The two words are homophones in Chinese. ¡®Master¡¯ is themon title for both of these roles.

 Chapter 211: Within the Minghuang Cave

    <h4>Chapter 211: Within the Minghuang Cave</h4>


    The day the first elder received news of the Beast King¡¯s assault and rushed to the Yueli Mountain, the Beast King had already passed away. He had managed to wound one of his attackers grievously, and that attacker had been sealed in the Minghuang Mountain ever since.


    The Minghuang Mountain was a source of much of the spiritual energy in the Li kingdom, and had always been strictly guarded by the imperial family. The spiritual energy density was so dense that most cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to get close. Deep in the mountains was a spiritual treasure that had condensed naturally: chains of spiritsteel, fortified by the ambient spiritual energy and nigh unbreakable. After the first elder captured the wounded assant, he had secretly trapped him in the Minghuang Mountain with this set of chains.


    Aftering of age, Li Mo would visit the cave from time to time, trying to force the assant to reveal the whereabouts of his mother. However, despite being grievously wounded and having his cultivation decimated, he was still able to inflict a severe injury on Li Mo.


    ¡°Last time, I managed to fight on equal footing with that old geezer. This time, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll beat him!¡± Li Mo¡¯s words were resolute. After all these years of failing once and again, he finally saw hope for sess.


    ¡°Xun Mo, even if you do defeat him, it¡¯s unlikely that you¡¯ll be able to exact your revenge with your current cultivation,¡± the first elder reminded. ¡°Even if he reveals your mother¡¯s whereabouts, do not blindly forge forward in pursuit of revenge. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. I know my limits.¡± Li Mo¡¯s gaze turned to the east, where the sun was peeking out of the horizon.


    Right at the crack of dawn, Yun Ruoyan awoke. She was heading to the bamboo forest to bid farewell to Lin Qingchen when Li Mo arrived on his sword. Instead of entering the room, as was his wont, he simply extended a hand to Yun Ruoyan through her bedroom window.


    ¡°I promised to descend the mountain with Qingchen yesterday, and I haven¡¯t talked to her about the change in ns yet,¡± Yun Ruoyan stated.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already had Shui Yun notify them.¡± Li Mo reached in, caught Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, and pulled her out.


    ¡°Ah, you¡ª¡± By the time Yun Ruoyan reacted, she was already ensconced in his embrace.


    The trip to Kongming Academy took a few days by horse, but only a few hours by swordflight.


    ¡°Send me back home first. I want to see my brother!¡± Yun Ruoyan was very excited to share the good news of her admissions with Yun Moxiao.


    Li Mo flew over the Yun manor and noted that everyone was draped in white. ¡°Your sister¡¯s corpse has likely been sent back to the mansion, and everyone¡¯s currently in mourning,¡± he guessed.


    Yun Ruoyan had almost forgotten that Yun Ruoyao had died within the trial.


    ¡°Although she¡¯s my half-sister, she¡¯s bullied me since childhood. I don¡¯t like her, and she doesn¡¯t like me. I doubt she¡¯ll appreciate my presence at her funeral,¡± Yun Ruoyanmented. ¡°I won¡¯t return home today.¡±


    ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯m thinking of heading somewhere. If you¡¯re not going to go home, would you like to apany me?¡±


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know once we get there.¡± Li Mo steered them in the direction of the Minghuang Mountain. His previous trips with her had always been for pleasure and enjoyment, and Yun Ruoyan initially thought that this trip would be likewise.


    ¡°The phoenix orchids have more or less wilted by now, so what are we doing here?¡±


    ¡°To meet someone, one of my enemies!¡±


    Li Mo revealed the existence of the man in the Minghuang Mountain to Yun Ruoyan, and she deduced that it was that man who had inflicted so many injuries on Li Mo in the past.


    The mysterious cave that Li Luo had mentioned when she told Yun Ruoyan about her failed assassination attempt was likely the cave in which this mysterious man was situated.


    The two of themnded near the mountaintop by a plot ofnd marked off, secured, and heavily guarded by the imperial family. It was nearing the start of winter; without the phoenix orchids and dense foliage to shield them from sight, Li Mo had to be a little more careful with his flying.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t understand why Li Mo couldn¡¯t simply have entered directly given his status as a member of the royal family, but Li Mo informed her that the cave was a dear secret that couldn¡¯t easily be revealed to others. As a result, he had refrained from proceeding to the cave directly by swordflight.


    The two of them agilely darted through the forest, avoiding quite a few troops on patrol. Given the season, there weren¡¯t any noble scions who would ascend the mountain to sightsee, but the number of troops assigned to the region hadn¡¯t decreased.


    It was widely imed that the emperor of the Li kingdom came to the Minghuang Mountain annually to hunt; in truth, he did so to pray at the font of the spiritual energy that suffused the kingdom in hopes that no disaster would befall his rule.


    The first elder had been impressively audacious in hiding one of the Beast King¡¯s assants here.


    Not too longter, the two of them passed through the hunting grounds. From a distance, Yun Ruoyan could see arge altar.


    ¡°Is the cave over there?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s still a distance away. The spiritual veins are particrly potent near their source, and cultivators without a sufficiently advanced cultivation will be unable to withstand the spiritual energy density. As a result, the altar had to be built some distance away from the source itself,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°It was only when I came of age, after I became a peak sixth-rank demaster, that I was able to enter the region.¡±


    They bypassed the altar and walked for another ten minutes or so before a cave in the mountainside came into view. From the entrance of the dark, deep cave came a chilling wind, a magnitude colder than even the crisp autumn air. It felt as though she could hear a dragon¡¯s indistinct keening from the distance, causing her head to throb and her vision to blur.


    ¡°Is it manageable?¡± Li Mo patted Yun Ruoyan on the back, waking her from her momentary stupor. The dragon¡¯s keening had disappeared, and she found herself already within the cave with Li Mo.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied. ¡°I think I was caught in an illusion just now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s caused by the density of the spiritual energy. With your cultivation, you should be able to bear its effects without much of a problem.¡± Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan further into the cave.


    The cave was perfectly natural, without any trace of manmade artifice. Stctites hung from the roof of the cave, calcified over millennia.


    Yun Ruoyan had anticipated that the cave would be full of pure, refined spiritual energy, but it was instead surprisingly dark and gloomy. She couldn¡¯t help but think back to the underwater grotto within the secret realm, which gave off a simr impression.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu began. ¡°The aura around here is almost identical to that in the underwater grotto.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t sense this supposed aura, but her intuition told her that the two locations were intimately connected. Could there be an unknown rtionship between them?


    Just then, Li Mo suddenly stopped walking.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Shh. There¡¯s an unfamiliar scent up ahead.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan noticed how severe Li Mo¡¯s face was, she whispered back softly, ¡°Did someone else find out about this ce?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s eyes were downcast. Both of them retracted their auras as they hastily walked deeper into the cave. Before long, they could hear snatches of conversation from within. They hugged the walls as they stopped to listen.


    ¡°Master, how can I save you?¡± Past a corner came the voice of an old man.


    ¡°You can¡¯t. These chains are nigh unbreakable, unless you can gather my three senior and junior brothers together,¡± an even hoarser and more elderly voice replied.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯m afraid their noble selves wouldn¡¯t listen to a petition from the likes of me!¡± the old man replied.


    ¡°Try to find a way to get to the top of the tower of Kongming Academy. On its roof is an all-seeing mirror, and I¡¯ll teach you an incantation to connect it to the dragon race and speak directly to Elder Longzhu,¡± the older voice rasped. ¡°Leave immediately. I¡¯ve been trapped here for decades, and I don¡¯t want to stay a moment longer!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± the old man immediately retreated.


    Li Mo grabbed Yun Ruoyan and jumped up to the ceiling as the old man turned the corner. From her vantage point, Yun Ruoyan could only see that the man was dressed in an amethyst-gold silk robe. His hair was spotty, and his back seemed surprisingly imposing. Because his aura was likewise retracted, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t discern his cultivation.


    After the old man left, Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan out of the cave. The old man was already nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Even after decades of concealment, someone ended up finding him,¡± Li Mo remarked coldly. ¡°But it¡¯s also given me new leads to investigate. I wonder what the draconic realm is like?¡±


    ¡°Do dragons really exist in this world?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°Li Mo, you¡¯re not from the dragon race, are you?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the ce to talk.¡± Li Mo didn¡¯t answer Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question but instead peered back at the entrance to the cave. ¡°We¡¯ll leave for today and return to meet this old geezer tomorrow.¡±


    The two of them walked out of the imperial territory and returned directly to the ughtering King¡¯s manor. Back in his study, Yun Ruoyan asked, ¡°Li Mo, do you remember when I was seized by a centipede spirit during my grandmother¡¯s birthday celebration and you came to save me?¡±


    Li Mo poured her a cup of tea. ¡°That happened just a few months ago. Of course I remember.¡±


    ¡°In the middle of your fight with the centipede spirit, your hand suddenly morphed into a dragon w. I was awake, but I pretended to be asleep because I was frightened.¡± Yun Ruoyan took a few sips of her tea. ¡°I began suspecting your identity then.¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t seem perturbed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s confession at all. Instead, his lips even curled up a little, something which Yun Ruoyan noticed almost immediately.


    ¡°Did you know that I was pretending to have fainted?¡± Yun Ruoyan red at him usingly.


    Li Mo nodded.


    ¡°Then¡­ didn¡¯t you say that everyone who knew of your identity would be killed? You weren¡¯t interested in me at that time, were you? And when did you realize that I was just pretending to be ugly? Did you be interested in me before, or after?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan peppered Li Mo with questions and waited for his response with bright, eager eyes.


    When had Li Mo begun to like Yun Ruoyan? He didn¡¯t know himself. Perhaps it was at first sight, when she dragged his injured self into her room without asking any unnecessary questions. It was then that Li Mo had kissed her, unable to bear the unusual fragrance emanating from her body.


    Or perhaps it was when her true appearance was revealed that night at the empress¡¯ flower-viewing party, a moment of such rity that Li Mo could never erase it from his memories.


    Or was it within the icy-coldke, when Yun Ruoyan had first pushed him aside but then dived right back in, in order to save his life? From then on, Li Mo was assured of the vital role that she would y in his life.

 Chapter 212: Victory

    <h4>Chapter 212: Victory</h4>


    ¡°Well? I asked you a question,¡± Yun Ruoyan prodded Li Mo, dissatisfied.


    However, Li Mo wanted to keep his answer to her question secret. He frowned and changed the topic. ¡°Now that the old geezer¡¯s been found, Dong Tiehe will surely try to head to Kongming Academy, activate the all-seeing mirror, and speak with the dragons. I need to think of a n to stop him.¡±


    When she heard Li Mo¡¯s words, Yun Ruoyan felt as though it was immature of her to be worrying about such trivialities. As predicted, she stopped her questioning. ¡°That old man¡¯s called Dong Tiehe? The same one that owns the Yuelu Vi, the head of the governing body of cultivators?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had never met Dong Tiehe before, but Li Mo had had a few interactions with him in the past. When he heard his voice, he had immediately recognized the man.


    ¡°Exactly. I hadn¡¯t expected that he would know the old geezer, and he might have been implicated in the attack on my parents as well.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew nothing of the conversation that she had overheard in the cave regarding the draconic realm, and it seemed that Li Mo was about to engage an incredibly powerful existence. She couldn¡¯t help but worry a little.


    ¡°Li Mo, do you have a n?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°I¡¯ll beat him at his own game!¡±


    He wrote a letter to the first elder describing the specifics of the conversation that they had overheard, and requested that he create an opportunity for Dong Tiehe to follow through with his own n. Doing so would undoubtedly drag out the culprits who had orchestrated the entire affair.


    Next, Li Mo announced his intentions to visit the old man in the cave once more. He had done so at almost the same time every month, and he had to keep up the routine in order to avoid arousing unnecessary suspicions. Yun Ruoyan decided to follow him again, and the two of them entered the cave at sunset.


    This time, they intentionally made some noise as they approached.


    ¡°Ha, you little brat, you¡¯re here again?¡± the aged, elderly voice called out before they could turn the corner.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan appeared in front of the wizened man together.


    ¡°Hmm? Another person¡­ This is the first time you¡¯ve ever brought someone with you.¡±


    The wizened old man was skinny and emaciated. He sat cross-legged on a huge boulder, his shoulder des pierced through by two thick, ck chains.


    Despite Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mental fortitude, this scene greatly disturbed her for some reason.


    ¡°Well, old man? Are you still unwilling to talk?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to tell you anything, you brat!¡± the old man snorted.


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll stick to what we¡¯ve been doing. Yan¡¯er, get back!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded and retreated.


    ¡°Old man, I fought you on an even footingst month. This month, I¡¯ll surpass you,¡± Li Mo growled out.


    ¡°In my prime, I could have taken you down with just two fingers!¡± The old man didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Now stop talking nonsense ande at me!¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s body blurred, appearing in front of the wizened man. The spiritual energy that exuded from his palms let out a blinding glow as it shot toward the old man¡¯s head. Despite the speed of his attacks, however, the old man was able to block each blow with ease. The shing of their respective spiritual energies gave off sparks in the air, dazzling Yun Ruoyan.


    Even from afar, she could feel a huge aftershock of spiritual energy in the air. She stumbled back a few steps and finally stabilized herself only after hitting the side of the cave. How strong these attacks are! This was the first time she had seen cultivators fight on this level.


    Li Mo and the old man had exchanged countless blows within a few seconds. At the beginning, the attacks were slow enough that Yun Ruoyan could see each move clearly. By the end, however, Yun Ruoyan could only see blurred figures wrapped in a hurricane of spiritual energy, and even standing too close to the two men would be difficult.


    ¡°Old geezer, take this!¡± Li Mo shouted amidst the storm, thrusting out both his palms and directing a torrent of spiritual energy at the old man¡¯s chest.


    The spirit-locking fists?! The old man was shocked. Over thest decade or so, he had managed to critically injure Li Mo multiple times. Every time, however, he would return stronger and more capable.


    The spirit-locking fists was the technique that the old man most frequently employed against Li Mo, because it would both cause a severe internal injury and prevent him from using spiritual energy for a considerable period of time.


    His features became more serious as he prepared to summon thest of his spiritual reserves to defend against the attack.


    The two pulses of spiritual energy shed soundlessly. This time, there was no explosion nor blinding shes of light. Li Mo¡¯s feet began to lift up above the ground as he forced out another pulse of spiritual energy from his body, finally breaking the old man¡¯s defense.


    The old man spat out a mouthful of blood and looked at Li Mo with hopelessness in his eyes. After being trapped for decades, right after being found by a subordinate¡­ am I to die here and now, days from salvation?


    If Li Mo were to keep his attack up, the old man would die without a doubt¡ªbut Li Mo relented.


    ¡°This is my victory,¡± Li Mo uttered softly as hended on the ground. After a decade of failure, getting injured time and again, he had finally beaten the old man once. A triumph that had taken years was distilled into four simple words.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you killing me?¡± The old man clutched his chest as blood seeped out of his mouth.


    ¡°Killing you would be too painless.¡± Li Mo¡¯s tone turned ice-cold. ¡°You killed my father, abducted my mother, and destroyed my home. Your life isn¡¯t enough to defray these wrongs, but if you tell me my mother¡¯s whereabouts¡­¡±


    ¡°Dream on!¡± The old man wouldn¡¯t relent. ¡°For their crimes, even death wouldn¡¯t be sufficient!¡±


    ¡°What crimes?¡± Li Mo asked hurriedly. No matter what he tried, he¡¯d never heard anything more about his parents from the old man. Indeed, this was the first time he had volunteered such information.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not my opponent anymore. I can easily wait until the day you give in. You¡¯ve been hit by the spirit-locking fists, so you won¡¯t be able to use any spiritual energy for three months. I won¡¯te back until then, so think carefully about your next steps until then. Yan¡¯er, we¡¯re leaving!¡±


    Li Mo extended a hand to her.


    Yun Ruoyan took Li Mo¡¯s hand and walked off with him. After turning a corner, she couldn¡¯t help looking back at the old man. For a moment, it looked as though the old man¡¯s eyes had turned an icy blue.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± After leaving the cave, Li Mo staggered to the ground, coughing and clutching his chest. During his confrontation with the old man earlier, his spiritual vortex had received some amount of damage.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately fished out a spiritual pill from her ring and passed it to him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Actually, this is the best I¡¯ve felt right after exiting the cave.¡± Li Mo smiled faintly. ¡°Master should have received my letter by now. I¡¯ve given them three months to act, so I wonder what kind of n Dong Tiehe will cook up. I¡¯ll need to head to the Yuelu Vi tomorrow to check up on him.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan had Li Luo inform Yun Moxiao of her return. Yun Moxiao had sent a message back via Li Luo, asking Yun Ruoyan not to return to the Yun manor for the next few days.


    Yun Ruoyao¡¯s corpse had been so mutted that Madam An had gone half-crazy from the shock, and the entire family had been thrown into disarray.


    In the evening, Yun Ruoyan dressed up as a young man and entered the Yuelu Vi with Li Mo. Because of their break-ins a few months ago, Yuelu Vi was now far more popted with guards than before.


    However, they might as well have not existed to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan. As he brought her to courtyard after courtyard, each filled with its own kind of excitement¡ªgambling, sideshow acts, fighting¡ªYun Ruoyan found her horizons quite broadened.


    ¡°Is there a brothel around here?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°A brothel? Yan¡¯er, what would you do at a brothel?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan really was quite curious. Has Li Mo been to one of the brothels in Yuelu Vi? Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan. Dressed as a noble young master, she was idly fanning herself with a folding fan. Her face was in and unadorned, with two loose strands of hair by her temples and deliberately thickened eyebrows to turn her feminine beauty into a masculine gentleness. Walking with Li Mo had stripped away any imposing aura she might have had, but her face was still as radiant as ever.


    ¡°As you wish, let¡¯s go!¡± Li Mo strode forward in haste.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re serious?¡± Yun Ruoyan scrambled to keep up.


    ¡°Young masters, you¡¯re so handsome! I¡¯ll have a drink with you on the house.¡± As soon as they arrived at a brothel, a rather scantily-d beauty twisted her waist as she stered herself against Li Mo¡¯s body.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?!¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly blocked her way, preventing her from touching Li Mo.


    ¡°Oh, your skin is so fair!¡± The beauty couldn¡¯t help extending a hand to caress Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, but before she could get close, she let out a scream. ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Li Mo had seized her wrist.


    ¡°Young master, is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s mine. Don¡¯t touch him, or I¡¯ll have your hands cut off.¡± Li Mo scowled.

 Chapter 213: Entrapment

    <h4>Chapter 213: Entrapment</h4>


    ¡°If you¡¯re homosexuals, why frequent a brothel?!¡± the beauty cried out, instantly attracting a few curious nces.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately pulled Li Mo out of the brothel, choking down herughter.


    As the night grew deeper and the crowds left Yuelu Vi in droves, Li Mo hid with Yun Ruoyan in a rather dpidated location. As soon as thest guests left, Yuelu Vi became perfectly silent. They didn¡¯t have to wait too long to see a carriage enter the vi.


    Carriages were forbidden in Yuelu Vi, so the guests in this carriage must have been quite extraordinary. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo followed the carriage into a secluded but exquisite courtyard, where the carriage stopped and two people walked out.


    Under the moonlight, Yun Ruoyan could see that one of them was a white-haired elder, and the other was a youth. The elder was none other than the owner of the Yuelu Vi, Dong Tiehe, and the youth was his grandson and the fourth prince of the kingdom, Li Qianyue.


    The two of them got off the carriage and into the mansion. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo followed suit, climbing onto the rooftop silently. The Yuelu Vi had always been under the secret surveince of the ughtering King¡¯s manor¡¯s guards, and Li Mo had received news that Dong Tiehe had been trying to figure out how to enter Kongming Academy.


    Li Mo pried a ss pane up as the two of them descended into the mansion.


    ¡°I¡¯ve nned it out with Rong Tianling. He¡¯ll bring you up the Kongming Summit under the pretense of visiting his brother. At that point, sneak into the tall tower as one of his servants. The all-seeing mirror is on the roof of the tower. After you find it, follow my instructions to the letter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Yue¡¯er, this is a very important affair. Once you¡¯ve achieved what I told you to, you¡¯ll be able to establish rtions with another realm. I¡¯ve told you ever since you were little that the Chenyuan continent¡¯s nothingpared to the higher realms, haven¡¯t I? While I¡¯m alive, I¡¯d like to see you journey into these other worlds and emerge truly strong.¡± Dong Tiehe¡¯s voice was passionate in the extreme.


    ¡°Yes, Grandfather. I¡¯ll prepare for the journey now and leave tomorrow with Master Rong.¡±


    Not long after Li Qianyue left, Dong Tiehe went to sleep, and Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan crept away.


    ¡°Li Mo, are there truly other dimensions beyond this one?¡±


    ¡°Of course. But this is a secret that only those from Kongming Academy can be aware of. Now that you¡¯re officially a student of Kongming Academy, I can reveal it to you.¡±


    From Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan found out that many other parallel dimensions and spaces existed in this universe, and the Chenyuan continent was one of the most mundane¡ªindeed, it was only safe precisely because of how mundane it was.


    Those cultivators who were strong enough to travel between dimensions would often wage bitter war in order to seizend and rare treasures from any dimension to which they had ess. The Chenyuan continent was too weak to birth such potent treasures, but, conversely, those from the Chenyuan continent would have a chance to seize immense power given the opportunity to travel to other dimensions.


    Every three years, the space between dimensions would weaken. In Kongming Academy, ninth-rank and above demasters would be given the opportunity to traverse other dimensions in search of opportunities for growth and to obtain rare pills and treasures.


    Sage-grade treasures were abundant in the universe, but requiredparative strength to acquire. None of the students who had managed to survive the ordeal of parallel dimensions had ended up weak, but few were the ones who survived.


    What shocked Yun Ruoyan was that her father Yun Lan had been one such student. The head of the Wang family, leader of the coalition of merchants that spanned the Chenyuan continent, was another such, as were the elders of Kongming Academy.


    ¡°Have you been to this space?¡±


    Li Mo shook his head. ¡°Master told me that a ninth-rank demaster would be an ordinary existence without much of an advantage, so he had me wait until I became a sword saint, at which point it would be harder for me to die. However, without the assistance of sage-grade spiritual pills, it¡¯s too hard to reach that realm. I¡¯ve been stuck as a peak ninth-rank demaster for three years now.¡±


    He turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I promise I¡¯ll help you be a ninth-rank demaster as soon as possible. Once that happens, we¡¯ll head to a parallel dimension together.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Now that they were waiting for Li Qianyue to head to Kongming Academy, they didn¡¯t have to spend much time surveilling Dong Tiehe any longer. Except when she went to visit Lin Zainan and Zhuo Lin¡¯er, Yun Ruoyan remained in the ughtering King¡¯s manor to cultivate. In the end, she hadn¡¯t managed to break through to eighth-rank, and remained a peak seventh-rank demaster. However, her pillmaster cultivation grew by leaps and bounds under Li Mo¡¯s tutge, shocking Lin Zainan.


    Li Mo found Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bottleneck quite surprising: after all, as a human furnace, Yun Ruoyan shouldn¡¯t have experienced anything of the sort. Likely, it was a remnant influence of the poison that had invaded her body from before her birth.


    After three days, Yun Moxiao had Li Luo send Yun Ruoyan a message: Yun Ruoyao¡¯s remains had finally been buried, and the Yun manor was temporarily at peace once more. The same day, the Lin siblings and Zhuo Yifeng finally arrived back in the capital.


    Li Mo personally sent Yun Ruoyan to the Yun manor, where Yun Lan was shocked to discover that Yun Ruoyan had be Li Mo¡¯s discipline. Luckily, Li Mo was known to be rather entric and to do as he pleased, and his supposed betrothal with Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t been widely announced. After a momentary shock, Yun Lan became quite receptive to the idea.


    After Li Mo left, Yun Lan asked his daughter about what had happened to Yun Ruoyao during the trial, and she responded honestly. During the trial, she hadn¡¯t interacted with her sister much, and her death had nothing to do with her. As a result, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s conscience was at ease.


    Nevertheless, Yun Ruoyao¡¯s death had affected her father quite severely. His eyes were bloodshot, and he hadn¡¯t seemed to get a good night¡¯s rest recently.


    Yun Lan stared broodingly at his daughter with bloodshot eyes for quite a while. Just as Yun Ruoyan thought he would say something, he asked for her to leave. Not long after she began walking back to her own cottage, she saw Yi Qianying walk over, supporting Madam An.


    Yun Ruoyan intended to head down a side path to avoid a confrontation, but Yi Qianying piped up from behind, ¡°Are you feeling guilty, Sister? After all, you¡¯re walking away so quickly.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stopped moving and turned around to face the two women walking over. Madam An was withered and skeletal in her grief, but her eyes stared at Yun Ruoyan with untempered resentment. Beside her, Yi Qianying smiled coldly.


    ¡°What do you mean? Why should I be guilty?¡± Yun Ruoyan retorted.


    ¡°You killed Sister Ruoyao. Why else wouldn¡¯t you be willing to face Mother?¡±


    ¡°Yi Qianying, you truly are getting more skilled at talking nonsense. Alright, I¡¯ll give you a chance to exin how exactly I killed Yun Ruoyao.¡± Yun Ruoyan folded her arms across her chest.


    ¡°You lured me and Sister Ruoyao into a horde of beasts, and then watched from afar. Luckily, Young Master Pei arrived in time to save me, but Sister Ruoyao wasn¡¯t so lucky! She was surrounded by beasts and died so miserably¡­¡±


    Yi Qianying had always been good at making up stories, and her acting was certainly skillful enough to convince Madam An of her words. As she spoke, she nced askance at Madam An, whose face was trembling with rage and indignation.


    As long as someone was willing to believe her lies, they might as well be the truth!


    ¡°Mother, you have to avenge Sister Ruoyao!¡± Yi Qianying poured oil on fire.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you killed my daughter! I¡¯ll have you pay with your life!¡± Madam An finally exploded, pouncing on Yun Ruoyan with a shrill shriek.


    Her cultivation was far too low to be a match for Yun Ruoyan, but Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t use excessive force against her. She could only dodge and weave around her telegraphed attacks, but the crazed Madam An was so doggedly chasing her that she eventually managed to grab her shoulder and began wing at her without any sense of propriety or decorum.


    Yun Ruoyan grabbed Madam An by the hand and twisted it as Madam An shrieked.


    ¡°Help, help! The second miss is beating Madam An!¡± Yi Qianying¡¯s maid suddenly began to cry out, causing such argemotion that others came to investigate.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to report the incident to the master? Don¡¯t just gawk!¡± Yi Qianying called out to the gathered servants, then began running at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, how dare you hurt Mother! Let her go immediately!¡± Yi Qianying¡¯s hand wed toward her. It looked as though she was just trying to pull her apart, but Yi Qianying¡¯s palm wasyered with a sheen of spiritual energy almost invisible to the naked eye. The palm that reached for her shoulder suddenly changed direction midway and headed toward her neck instead.


    Yun Ruoyan reacted rapidly, condensing spiritual energy onto a point directly beyond her index finger, then used that finger to meet Yi Qianying¡¯s iing palm.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Yi Qianying felt as though lightning had struck her heart, the sensation so painful and shocking that shended on the ground with a thud.


    ¡°Why did the second miss start fighting with Madam An and Miss Yi right after she returned?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the eldest miss¡¯s death was caused by the second miss!¡±


    The gathered servants murmured hushed whispers to each other as they watched on in surprise.


    ¡°Stop this foolishness!¡± Yun Lan¡¯s voice came from afar.


    The servants quickly made way for the master of the household.


    ¡°Master.¡± Madam An immediately loosened her grip on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand when she saw Yun Lan approach, then tugged harshly. Yun Ruoyan let go in surprise, and Madam An slid onto the ground, hit her head against a rock, and began bleeding profusely.


    ¡°Aunt!¡± Yi Qianying screamed, rushing to help her up.


    Madam An sobbed. ¡°Master, you have to back me and Ruoyao up!¡±


    ¡°Uncle,¡± Yi Qianying added. ¡°Yun Ruoyan behaved atrociously against Madam An as soon as she returned. Won¡¯t you do something about the matter?¡±


    Yun Lan nced at Yi Qianying and replied coldly, ¡°This is a matter for the Yun family. There¡¯s no need for you to get involved, Concubine Yi. I¡¯ll handle the matter personally.¡±


    Yi Qianying immediately curbed her emotions as she continued, ¡°I apologize for stepping overboard, Uncle, but please, I can¡¯t see Madam An get maltreated like this!¡±


    ¡°Father,¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly began. ¡°Sister Ruoyao¡¯s death had nothing to do with me, and Madam An fell of her own ord.¡± She looked toward her father as steadfastly as ever.


    On the other hand, Madam An pounced at Yun Lan. ¡°Master, she was clearly the one who killed Yao¡¯er! Master, you have to support our dead daughter!¡±

 Chapter 214: The Mysterious Snake Ring

    <h4>Chapter 214: The Mysterious Snake Ring</h4>


    Madam An¡¯s tear-stained face made her look the very picture of misery. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve been with you for decades, and Yao¡¯er grew up receiving your care and affection! Can you bear to leave her death uninvestigated? Can you bear to see me bullied?!¡±


    However, Madam An¡¯s emotional appeal failed to move Yun Lan. He instructed the gathered servants to bring her away and for a physician to be summoned on her behalf.


    ¡°The passing of the eldest miss has left Madam An greatly distraught. Her words, spoken in grief and bereavement, are not to be considered fact,¡± Yun Lan announced, after Madam An had been sent away. ¡°If I hear rumors about the eldest miss¡¯s death, all those responsible will be harshly punished.¡±


    The gathered crowd immediately looked down and murmured their assent as they left the scene of themotion. Yi Qianying was shocked at Yun Lan¡¯s attitude toward Yun Ruoyan: everyone in the Yun family knew that Yun Lan didn¡¯t favor Yun Ruoyan. Even after Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dramatic change over thest few months, Yun Lan¡¯s attitude toward Yun Ruoyan had barely improved.


    Yi Qianying intended to make use of Madam An to deal with Yun Ruoyan, but she didn¡¯t expect how firmly Yun Lan would defend her. Unable to interfere further, Yi Qianying could only leave with the crowd.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡±


    Yun Lan looked at Yun Ruoyan, who had remained calm and unperturbed throughout the entire affair.


    ¡°Father, Master will be bringing me on a few trips for cultivation in these two days. May I be dismissed?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked again. This time, she brought out Li Mo.


    Only then did Yun Lan seem to react. ¡°Visit your grandmother after you¡¯ve had some time to rest. She¡¯s been worried sick because of your sister¡¯s death.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded and turned to leave, Yun Lan¡¯s eyes on her back all the while.


    When Xi Lan and Peony found out that their mistress had returned, they were naturally quite excited. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan was rather surprised that her brother was still nowhere to be seen.


    When she asked about him, Xi Lan quickly jumped in. ¡°The young master¡¯s the general of the garrisoned troops at the capital now, and he has to get to his post at dawn every morning. However, he should being back pretty shortly.¡±


    As soon as Xi Lan finished speaking, Yun Moxiao entered Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cottage. He was dressed in bright silver armor, entuating his stature and handsome appearance.


    ¡°Brother, you look dashing!¡± Yun Ruoyan praised, causing Yun Moxiao to chuckle. He patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulders andmented that she had grown thin again.


    ¡°I told you to wait for my good news¡ªand I didn¡¯t disappoint you, did I?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked proudly.


    Yun Moxiao had always thought the best of his sister, but he rarely praised her to her face. This time, however, heplimented her effusively.


    ¡°There¡¯s something that Grandfather didn¡¯t tell you, so let me keep you updated,¡± Yun Ruoyan said as soon as they entered her rooms.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Brother?¡± When Yun Moxiao became serious, so too did Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Is there more news regarding Mother?¡±


    Yun Moxiao told Yun Ruoyan that, not long after he had sent her to the Kongming Mountains, he visited the temple that Lin Bo had been investigating. To his surprise, the temple had been deserted when he arrived.


    ¡°How could this be? Could someone have informed them of our investigations?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely, but who could it be?¡±


    Yun Moxiao had been eliminating each of the potential suspects, and he hade to a chilling conclusion.


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be Lin Bo!¡± Yun Ruoyan could guess her brother¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Lin Bo watched me, Qingchen, and Qingxue grow up. He¡¯s a loyal servant of the Lin family, through and through! He would never betray the Lins!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Grandfather said, too.¡± Yun Moxiao sighed. ¡°We¡¯re the only ones aware of the investigation. If it wasn¡¯t you, me, or Grandfather, the only possible suspect must be Lin Bo.¡±


    ¡°No! Someone else must have found out about the investigation without our knowledge!¡±


    Just then, Peony knocked on the door and announced that the third madam, Qin Jianmei, hade to visit with the third miss, Yun Ruoyu. Yun Ruoyan was surprised by the sudden visit; after all, the third madam rarely left her abode. Thest time she had sought out Yun Ruoyan was to beg for clemency for her daughter.


    Why would Madam Qine to visit?


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao received them together.


    ¡°Second Miss, you¡¯ve grown so thin!¡± Qin Jianmei tugged at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand as soon as she entered. Before leaving for Kongming Academy, Yun Ruoyan had indeed filled out a little, but the recent trial had thinned her once more.


    ¡°In the evening, I¡¯ll have Ruoyu bring you some tonics.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam Qin.¡± Although Yun Ruoyan was unused to how intimate Madam Qin was, she didn¡¯t much mind. At least within the Yun family, Qin Jianmei was a rare font of reason and logic.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan,¡± Yun Ruoyu began. ¡°Could you tell me what Kongming Academy¡¯s like?


    Because she had fallen gravely ill, Yun Ruoyu had missed the opportunity to travel to Kongming Academy and take part in the trial. She had only recently recovered, and her face still carried traces of her pallor. However, her personality seemed to be far more demure and gentle than before.


    ¡°You¡¯re still young, so there¡¯ll be plenty of opportunities for you in the future,¡± Yun Ruoyan advised, her tone more gentle to her than it had been for a long while.


    However, Yun Ruoyu shook her head. With her cultivation, it would be difficult for her to survive¡ªif even her older sister had ended up dead, what reason did she think she could live? It would be preferable to remain safely by her mother¡¯s side.


    Perhaps because Yun Ruoyu had been traumatized by Yun Ruoyao¡¯s death, she even began to tremble when Yun Ruoyan brought up the trial.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed, thinking about how dramatically her sister had changed after leaving Yun Ruoyao and Yi Qianying¡¯s unhealthy influence. They exchanged a few pleasantries before heading to their grandmother¡¯s cottage to be with her after Yun Ruoyao¡¯s death.


    The next day, Yun Moxiao had to take a morning shift, so Yun Ruoyan headed to the Lin manor on her own. When she arrived, Lin Zainan was performing his daily dawn cultivation. Instead of disturbing him, she headed to the small bamboo garden in search of Lin Qingchen.


    As soon as she walked into the small garden, she saw Lin Qingchen stooping beside the pond.


    ¡°Qingchen!¡±


    Lin Qingchen turned around and waved. ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan noted her weary expression. ¡°Qingchen, what¡¯s the matter? Was the trip tiring?¡±


    The Lin siblings and Zhuo Yifeng had returned riding mesteeds from Kongming Academy, and the journey had taken them three days.


    Lin Qingchen shook her head. ¡°For some reason, Whitey¡¯s been jumping up and down all day ever since I returned. He made a big fussst night, scaring my catfish in the other pond half to death.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to the other pond and found it empty. ¡°Where¡¯s the catfish now?¡±


    ¡°It was crying so loudly after Whitey scared it that Qingxue had to bring it away.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Whitey now?¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at Whitey, who was recumbent at the bottom of the pond. By now, it had grown to the size of arge python. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it moving?¡±


    ¡°After making a fuss allst night, I bet it¡¯s tired now.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly, Zhuo Lin¡¯er cried out in the distance, within the bamboo forest where many of Lin Qingchen¡¯s creatures resided.


    Before Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan could run up to her, she ran out of the bamboo forest in fright, chased by a fiery-red chicken-type beast. That beast squawked and pped its wings as it chased after Zhuo Lin¡¯er, somehow jumping up into the air, raking her with its ws, and messing up her hair.


    Yun Ruoyan picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it at the plump chicken. With a cluck, the chicken dropped to the ground, paralyzed.


    ¡°Where did this chickene from?¡±


    ¡°I saved it from a restaurant, since it looked as though it could understand human speech.¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er bent down, panting. Sweat trickled down her forehead, and her face was white from shock.


    Yun Ruoyan inspected the chicken carefully, but she couldn¡¯t identify anything particrly unusual about the chicken. ¡°Given how fierce it was, do you really think it understands human speech? It is quite plump, though, so why don¡¯t you have your brother roast it for dinner instead?¡±


    The fat chicken squawked, jumping up and pouncing toward Yun Ruoyan. The action was so sudden that even Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t dodge in time, and the chicken¡¯s ws raked her palm.


    Yun Ruoyan caught the chicken by its wings and stared into its beady eyes. ¡°So it can understand me! But it¡¯s still too fierce.¡±


    Such beasts who could understand human speech but didn¡¯t have sufficient cultivation to cause much trouble or injury were very desirable as pets, but this plump chicken was so fierce that Yun Ruoyan doubted anyone would want it.


    Lin Qingchen took over the chicken from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands and thwacked its head to knock it unconscious. Then, she handed it over to Zhuo Lin¡¯er.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, your hand¡¯s bleeding,¡± Lin Qingchen remarked.


    There were three small scratches on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand. Although they weren¡¯t particrly deep, a fair amount of blood still seeped out.


    ¡°Come inside my cottage, and I¡¯ll help you bandage your palm.¡± Lin Qingchen tugged on her cousin¡¯s hand, pulling her inside. The blood on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand slid down her fingers and coincidentallynded on Lin Qingchen¡¯s snake ring.


    Neither of them would have noticed it, but Lin Qingchen found the ring on her hand suddenly getting hotter and hotter. Soon, it felt as though the ring were scorching hot.


    Lin Qingchen had to stop, release Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, and inspect the ring on her finger.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, look!¡± Lin Qingchen passed the ring to Yun Ruoyan, looking at the snake carving¡¯s glowing red eyes in shock.

 Chapter 215: Demonic Sight

    <h4>Chapter 215: Demonic Sight</h4>


    ¡°Has this happened before?!¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, stupefied.


    ¡°It happened during the trial as well.¡± Lin Qingchen had all but forgotten about that strange urrence.


    Suddenly, Whitey dashed out of the pond, bringing a torrential amount of water out with it. The only reason that the two of them weren¡¯t soaking wet was because Yun Ruoyan had reacted in time, pulling Lin Qingchen back as far as they could get.


    ¡°Whitey!¡± Lin Qingchen called out. Whitey was floating on the surface of the water, and the two eyes on hisrge, bulbous head had turned a bright red as they stared at Lin Qingchen.


    More precisely, they were staring at the snake ring on Lin Qingchen¡¯s hand! The stare was so terrifying that even Whitey, who had always appeared docile and cute, now seemed like a malicious beast who would rush at them at any moment.


    ¡°Qingchen, does Whitey still obey yourmands?¡± In general, magical beasts would obey and be unable to harm their masters at all times. However, Whitey seemed to be on the verge of going out of control. It opened its maw wide, revealing its sharp teeth and forked, blood-red tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. Whitey has been behaving strangely since yesterday, and now it seems like it can¡¯t hear mymands!¡±


    ¡°Try using the snake ring!¡± Before Lin Qingchen had formed a blood pact with Whitey, she had always controlled it with her ring.


    Lin Qingchen nodded, pointed the ring at Whitey, and imbued the ring with a little of her mental energy. As soon as she did so, however, she felt ovee by a wave of dizziness. Her legs turned to jelly, and she stumbled onto the ground with a pained yelp.


    Yun Ruoyan grabbed her. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°That pair of eyes! They appeared in my mind!¡± Lin Qingchen clutched her head in pain. ¡°The pupils became blood-red, as if they¡¯re about to start dripping blood at any moment. Sister Ruoyan, I feel so dizzy¡­!¡±


    Lin Qingchen lost her consciousness and slumped to the ground. In order to stop Whitey from rampaging, Yun Ruoyan immediately pulled the snake ring off Lin Qingchen¡¯s finger and onto her own. The moment she did so, Whitey rushed at Yun Ruoyan, its maw opened wide.


    Lin Qingchen was lying on the ground, helpless and paralyzed. To avoid harming her, Yun Ruoyan had to lure Whitey away.


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er heard themotion and quickly rushed out of the bamboo forest to investigate. When she saw Whitey chasing Yun Ruoyan, she couldn¡¯t process what was going on. Whitey had always been obedient, so why had it suddenly seemed to go crazy?


    ¡°Lin¡¯er, take Qingchen away!¡±


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er blinked, hurriedly ran to Lin Qingchen, and dragged her into her cottage. Then, she went to summon help.


    Unexpectedly, Whitey was far more troublesome of an opponent than Yun Ruoyan had anticipated. It was able to shoot out beams of water from its mouth with such prating power that it could even break rock. Whitey might really injure someone if it keeps rampaging, so I have to restrain it somehow!


    After dodging a few blows, Yun Ruoyan finally found an opportunity to point the snake ring at Whitey and inject her own mental energy into the ring. The pair of blood-red eyes appeared in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. A sudden surge of dizziness almost overwhelmed her, but Yun Ruoyan closed her eyes and focused her mental energy to defend against it.


    The blood-red pair of eyes actually dimmed when faced with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze, and the dizziness quickly subsided. When she opened her eyes again, however, they had turned an unusual blood-red.


    When Whitey saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s blood-red gaze, its body jolted in shock. Yun Ruoyan stared at the serpent unblinkingly as she stepped forward. Her aura felt dark and dreary, as if Yun Ruoyan had be a different person entirely.


    Whitey had slithered out of its pond in pursuit of her, but now it was backing into it once more.


    ¡°Kill it! Quick, kill it!¡± A strange voice began to reverberate within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the silver dragons and demonic dragons have always been natural enemies of each other, so you have to kill it!¡±


    ¡°What silver dragons? What demonic dragons? What in the world are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand eventually¡ªjust kill it now! Kill it now! Kill it now!¡± The deep, resonant voice repeated those three words again and again as though it were an incantation. The dizziness that Yun Ruoyan had shrugged off earlier now came back stronger than before as the chorus of ¡°Kill it now!¡± reached a crescendo.


    ¡°N¡ªNo, no! No, I won¡¯t! Who are you? Why should I listen to you?¡± Yun Ruoyan valiantly tried to struggle against the mental domination, but her resolve was quickly wavering.


    Back in the ughtering King¡¯s manor, Su Bei handed the first elder¡¯s missive, which had just arrived, to Li Mo. It mentioned that Rong Tianling and Li Qianyue had arrived at Kongming Academy, but Rong Tianling had left almost immediately. Li Qianyue remained, and he would likely carry out his n in the near future.


    Li Mo penned a letter to have the first elder proceed with the n, and Su Bei left with the letter. Suddenly, pain pricked his finger¡ªa signal from the qilin beads that Yun Ruoyan was in danger. Li Mo immediately flew to the Lin manor, where she was presently located.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes were so red that it seemed blood would drip out at any moment. Her mental fortifications had been reduced to rubble, and her body flew toward Whitey, still lying on the surface of its pond. It was unmoving, paralyzed by the same mysterious power that had taken control of Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan pulled out her dagger and raised it toward Whitey¡¯s head. Just as the dagger was about tond, an ear-splitting shriek rang out from her side. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, no, stop! Don¡¯t kill Whitey!¡± Lin Qingchen clutched the doorframe of her cottage weakly as she begged, ¡°Whitey¡¯s my contracted beast¡­ Sister Ruoyan, please don¡¯t kill it!¡±


    Lin Qingchen¡¯s voice broke the mental conditioning on Yun Ruoyan for a moment, and she struggled to stop.


    ¡°What are you hesitating for? Kill it! It¡¯s a silver dragon, a natural enemy of our kind! Kill it, kill it!¡± the deep, crafty voice echoed in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind once more.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t! Whitey¡¯s contracted with Qingchen. I can¡¯t kill it, I can¡¯t!¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s resistance prompted an agonizing headache and overwhelming dizziness. In front of her eyes, she seemed to see countless pairs of red eyes, somehow familiar to her as though she had seen them before.


    But where? She couldn¡¯t remember.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Yun Ruoyan pounded on her head. ¡°Get out of my head! Qiuqiu? Qiuqiu, where are you?¡± She loudly called out for Qiuqiu, but its presence seemed to have vanished entirely.


    Lin Qingchen was stunned by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s antics. She had never seen her cousin so crazed, but she was currently too weak to help her. However, she was almost certain that this madness had been caused by the snake ring that Yun Ruoyan was currently wearing.


    Zhuo Lin¡¯er rushed back to the bamboo garden with Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Zainan behind her.


    ¡°Grandfather, Brother Zhuo, there¡¯s something wrong with the ring on Ruoyan¡¯s finger! You have to remove it!¡±


    Lin Zainan and Zhuo Yifeng moved toward Yun Ruoyan, prepared to restrain her in order to remove the ring. However, the crazed Yun Ruoyan was so skilled that neither man could get close to her. If not for the sliver of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s consciousness that still remained in control of her body, both her grandfather and Zhuo Yifeng would likely have been hurt badly.


    Just as everyone was at a loss, Li Mo descended from the skies. When he saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s crazed expression, he frowned and rushed forward. Yun Ruoyan noticed him as well, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself from attacking him.


    As her sharp dagger thrust toward Li Mo, he leaned to the side and grabbed her by the wrist. With his other hand, he touched her forehead with a finger. A skein of mental energy entered Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind through the contact, and Li Mo was able to see the blood-red eyes that had taken control of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°What manner of demon are you? How dare you hurt my disciple!¡±


    Those eyes locked in on Li Mo¡¯s body with fury, then puzzlement. ¡°You have the diluted bloodline of a silver dragon¡­ What kind of mongrel are you?¡±


    ¡°Who I am, you have no right to even ask!¡± Li Mo could sense an unusual power behind this pair of eyes, a power whose origin he couldn¡¯t identify. Rather than risk revealing more information about himself, he retracted his mental energy and struck an acupuncture point in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s abdomen, temporarily sealing her spiritual energy.


    Yun Ruoyan fell limply into his arms, losing consciousness once more. Beneath her, Li Mo activated his sword aura.


    ¡°Where are you bringing her?!¡± Zhuo Yifeng frowned, yelling out at Li Mo.


    ¡°What does it matter to you?¡±


    ¡°Put her down!¡± Zhuo Yifeng wanted to walk up to him, but Zhuo Lin¡¯er caught him and pulled him back.


    Li Mo turned to Lin Zainan. ¡°Elder Lin, Yan¡¯er¡¯s body¡¯s not well at the moment. I¡¯m going to bring her back to my manor to give her a thorough examination.¡± Li Mo¡¯s words were a statement, not a question: Lin Zainan knew of the close rtionship between him and his granddaughter, and he naturally wouldn¡¯t object.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. There¡¯s something wrong with the snake ring on Ruoyan¡¯s finger, so please be mindful of it.¡±


    Li Mo nodded, soaring off with Yun Ruoyan in his hands.

 Chapter 216: Dispelling the Demon

    <h4>Chapter 216: Dispelling the Demon</h4>


    Zhuo Yifeng looked toward the sword aura vanishing into the distance, his face ugly. When he saw Li Mo appear in Kongming Academy and take Yun Ruoyan as his disciple, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s heart felt as though it had been squashed underneath arge boulder. He was deeply aware of the unbridgeable gap between him and Li Mo, just like the distance between a small pebble and the night sky.


    Yun Ruoyan, like Li Mo, was one of the brightest existences in that sky. As a little pebble, how would he be able to challenge Li Mo and get close to Yun Ruoyan? These thoughts caused the boulder on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s heart to increase in weight, burdening him so heavily that he could barely breathe.


    ¡°Brother?¡± Zhuo Lin¡¯er sensed her brother¡¯s difort and tugged on his sleeve. Zhuo Yifeng turned to his sister and forced out a smile. Then, he turned back to the skies, his gaze resolute.


    ¡°Li Mo, killer of my family and tribe¡­ one day, I¡¯ll make you regret not having gotten rid of me sooner!¡±


    On his sword, Li Mo attempted to pull the snake ring off Yun Ruoyan¡¯s finger. As though it were firmly stuck to her, however, Yun Ruoyan would make a pained expression every time he tried to do so. To avoid hurting her, Li Mo had to give up. He steered the sword directly toward Kongming Academy, where he nned to ask the first elder for help.


    At Kongming Academy¡¯s tall tower, Li Mo gingerly ced Yun Ruoyan¡¯s prone body on a couch as the first elder stepped forward to inspect her condition. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes were tightly shut, her forehead scrunched, and her cheeks seemed to be enveloped in a faint, malignant air.


    ¡°There¡¯s demonic energy in her body. Where in the world did she encounter demonic energy?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s this ring!¡± Li Mo raised Yun Ruoyan¡¯s right hand. ¡°The previous owner of the ring left a trace of his spiritual sense within. His aura is dark and mysterious, and unknown even to me¡ªcould he be a demon?¡±


    The first elder drew a sharp breath, and his face turned severe. When he touched two fingers to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead, he saw the pair of demonic eyes through Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°A mortal dares peep at me? Die!¡± That gaze shot a sharp beam toward the first elder.


    Even the first elder couldn¡¯t help letting out a low groan as his mental energy was forced out of her mind. ¡°What intense demonic power!¡±


    The first elder¡¯s face had gone pale. He looked at the ring on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s finger again, and his brows knitted together tighter than ever.


    At the same time, Li Mo noticed that one of the three scratches on the back of her palm was still bleeding. Initially, Li Mo hadn¡¯t paid much mind to those minor injuries, which would normally have healed on their own. Even after a few hours, however, one of the scratches stubbornly continued to bleed.


    When Li Mo looked more closely at the wound, he found that the scratch extended all the way to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s finger, and all the blood that was seeping out was slowly being absorbed by the ring.


    ¡°Master, we need to find a way to remove this ring!¡±


    The first elder took a few deep breaths, restoring some color to his face. ¡°The demons were chased out of the Chenyuan continent a few millennia ago, and this snake ring is likely an artifact from that period. For some reason, the original owner of the ring seems to have set its mind on this youngdy, and I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be an easy task to aplish.¡±


    ¡°The ring¡¯s continuously absorbing Yan¡¯er¡¯s blood, and I¡¯m worried she won¡¯t be able to hold out! As long as there¡¯s a way, no matter how difficult it may be, I have to give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Kongming Academy has a specialized array for dispelling demons that has been passed down from that period, but I¡¯ve never used it or seen it used. If you were to activate it recklessly, it might be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to hesitate. I¡¯ll do it, Master!¡±


    The first elder looked at Li Mo for quite some time. When he showed no sign of hesitation, the first elder finally sighed. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Li Mo followed the first elder to the bottom floor of the tall tower, Yun Ruoyan still unconscious in his hands. The all-seeing mirror was ced on the roof of the tower, and wasn¡¯t specially protected. Any member of Kongming Academy who was a peak ninth-rank demaster and was willing to ept the corresponding punishment would be able to use the all-seeing mirror.


    However, the bottom floor of the tower was only essible to the first elder himself. It was there that the most valuable artifacts and herbs of Kongming Academy were kept, and could essentially be considered a treasure vault.


    The first elder used a special key to open the doors to the vault, and Li Mo followed him in, walking down a long corridor with doors upon doors on either side. The first elder opened one of them and motioned for Li Mo to enter.


    The room they walked into was a rather small chamber made of limestone. A pearl-of-night was iid in the walls, providing a source of bright illumination. Li Mo could see that the walls and floor of the small room were engraved with aplicated array, so abstruse and profound in its construction that even Li Mo couldn¡¯t discern its purpose with a single nce.


    ¡°This is the demonic expulsion array,¡± the first elder began. ¡°An immense amount of spiritual energy must be infused into these engravings in order to activate the array. Once the array is fully charged, you can simply ce the possessed object or person into its center. The more spiritual energy you put in, the stronger the effect¡ªbut if you don¡¯t have sufficient energy, it¡¯s very easy for the demonic energy to break free and damage your cultivation.¡±


    The first elder paused for a moment, then continued with a word of caution. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone use this array, so I can¡¯t judge how much energy is sufficient. Xun Mo, don¡¯t try to push yourself so hard that you end up injuring yourself in the process.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, Master.¡± Li Mo ced Yun Ruoyan gently in the middle of the chamber. He nced once more at the wound on her right hand. ¡°Master, I¡¯m starting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll supervise the chamber from the outside.¡±


    Li Mo walked to the eye of the array and ced both palms on it as he began infusing spiritual energy into the engraving. As he did so, the lined walls and floor began to fill with light, turning brighter and brighter, overpowering the illumination from the pearl-of-night. It gathered around Yun Ruoyan, enveloping it in its warmth.


    In the darkness, Yun Ruoyan thought she could hear Li Mo summoning her from a distance. When she opened her eyes, however, all she saw was the pair of red, demonic eyes looking back at her.


    ¡°Remember that we¡¯re the same type of person, and we¡¯ll surely meet again.¡± Finally, the pair of red eyes closed, and Yun Ruoyan felt as though a fog had been lifted from her mind.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, wake up! Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo¡¯s calls became more and more insistent, and Yun Ruoyan finally opened her eyes.


    What she first saw was Li Mo¡¯s rather pale face.


    ¡°Li Mo, where are we?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked all around her.


    ¡°A demonic expulsion array. Yan¡¯er, you¡¯re alright now.¡± Li Mo rxed when he saw that the wound on her palm had healed entirely.


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts!¡± Yun Ruoyan tugged on the ring on her finger, but it still wouldn¡¯te off. Li Mo frowned¡ªthe ring seemed to have welded itself to her skin. His relieved expression turned intense and serious once more.


    ¡°Master, what¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t the ring be removed despite the sessful execution of the array?¡±


    The first elder didn¡¯t have a ready answer. ¡°It¡¯s been millennia since thest recorded incident with the demonkin, and our knowledge of demons have only regressed in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu!¡± Yun Ruoyan sat on the couch, calling out to Qiuqiu once more. What she urgently wanted to figure out was why her connection with Qiuqiu would be broken off entirely during demonic possession.


    ¡°Master!¡± Qiuqiu finally responded.


    After a short conversation, Yun Ruoyan realized that, while she had been possessed, the silver bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension had also filled with an unusual, mysterious fog which had somehow blocked Qiuqiu¡¯s ability tomunicate with her.


    Qiuqiu also informed Yun Ruoyan that the reason the ring could no longer be removed was likely because it had imbibed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s blood. However, it also didn¡¯t know of a way to remove the ring.


    ¡°There¡¯s one person who might know,¡± Li Mo suggested. ¡°That old codger.¡±


    Li Mo wanted to bring Yun Ruoyan back to the Minghuang Mountain immediately, but operating the array had taken so much energy out of him that he couldn¡¯t travel far. In addition, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body was still quite weakened from the ordeal, and both of them ended up having to stay and rest.


    There was another tower in the north of Kongming Academy, but it wasn¡¯t taller than the first elder¡¯s. The second elder brought Rong Tianling and Rong Tianhai into one of the rooms in the tower, revealing a pale-faced girl resting on a bed: Rong Yueshan.


    ¡°Shan¡¯er, child, wake up!¡± Rong Tianling called out softly.


    Rong Yueshan slowly opened her eyes. The moment she saw Rong Tianling, her eyes filled with shock and horror. ¡°Fa-Father¡­ I¡­ failed you, I couldn¡¯t g-get, get rid of Yun¡­ Ruoyan¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, child. You¡¯re still alive, and that¡¯s what matters.¡±


    Rong Yueshan visibly rxed when she heard Rong Tianling¡¯sforting tone. ¡°Shan¡¯er, have a good rest. I¡¯lle visit you when you¡¯re better.¡±


    Rong Tianling covered Rong Yueshan with a nket before walking out of the room with the second elder.


    ¡°My gratitude for saving my daughter, Second Elder.¡±


    The second elder nodded, his hands sped behind his back and his face as stern as ever.


    ¡°This is a superior high-grade pill.¡± Rong Tianling pulled out a porcin bottle and handed it to the second elder. ¡°I was so worried that I didn¡¯t have time to bring any other gifts. Please ept this little token of appreciation for the moment, Second Elder. I¡¯ll be sure to repay my debt to you in time!¡±


    The second elder didn¡¯t reach out for the bottle, but his eyes did be significantly more gentle. He stroked his beard for a few moments, then slowly asked, ¡°Your daughter seems rather talented, and I¡¯m interested in taking her as a disciple. What do you think, Master Rong?¡±

 Chapter 217: The Draconic Race

    <h4>Chapter 217: The Draconic Race</h4>


    Rong Tianling had heard Rong Tianhai mention the second elder¡¯s inclination to take Rong Yueshan as a disciple, but hearing the offer from the man himself still left him quite excited.


    ¡°Second Elder, if you¡¯re willing to take my daughter as a disciple, it will surely be her blessing. However, since she was eliminated during the trial¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry about this. If Master¡¯s extending you the offer, that must mean that he has a n for dealing with the situation,¡± Rong Tianhai interrupted.


    Indeed, he was a little surprised that his master would be interested in Rong Yueshan¡ªhis niece, and soon, also his junior sister-in-training. It was truly a boon that Rong Yueshan would be chosen as the second elder¡¯s disciple even after being eliminated from the trial, so how could the Rong family refuse such an advantageous offer?


    Rong Tianhai and Rong Tianling walked out of the northern tower together, where Rong Tianhai bade him farewell. On the other hand, Li Qianyue headed toward the crown prince¡¯s mansion in the academy.


    ¡°Fourth Brother, you¡¯re a rare guest indeed! What brought you and Uncle to Kongming Academy today?¡± Li Qianxiao and Li Qianyue sat together in an exquisite pavilion overlooking a lotus pond, sipping on tea as they talked.


    Li Qianyue rarely stayed in the capital, and he was unfamiliar to most of his older brothers. It was for this reason that Li Qianxiao was so shocked by Li Qianyue¡¯s sudden arrival.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been interested in martial affairs, and I wanted to take a look at Kongming Academy for myself. Coincidentally, Uncle was heading to the academy for his own business, and I apanied him. His business is finished, but I haven¡¯t had enough fun, so I thought I¡¯d drop by your ce, Brother. Would it be alright if I were to stay a few days here with you?¡±


    Li Qianyue nced all around the pavilion as he talked. ¡°Brother, I heard your new concubine¡¯s also made it to Kongming Academy. Now that you have someone with you, surely you won¡¯t be lonely any longer?¡±


    ¡°She returned to the capital,¡± Li Qianxiao informed his brother coolly. ¡°Stay here as long as you want¡ªI don¡¯t want to end up alone with her in this ce.¡±


    Li Qianxiao had intended on returning to the capital for the two-week break, but he changed his mind as soon as he realized that he would have to stay with Yi Qianying for the duration.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Surely you haven¡¯t gotten into a conflict with each other? She might only be a concubine, but¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as she doesn¡¯t pester me, I won¡¯t bully her. She¡¯s an ornament, nothing more.¡±


    In the evening, eding to Li Qianyue¡¯s request, Li Qianxiao brought him around Kongming Academy. Because of the break, there were only a few students left on the campus grounds. A bell tolled in the distance, and Li Qianyue turned toward the tall tower from which the sound emerged.


    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s that tower?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the southern tower where the first elder resides,¡± Li Qianxiao responded. ¡°I¡¯m a member of the southern college myself, so I¡¯ll bring you around to have a look once I have a chance.¡±


    ¡°A chance? Why can¡¯t we go now?¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s on break, so the college is locked up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±


    At night, up in the tall tower, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were deep in cultivation when the first elder walked in with Shui Yun. As soon as they heard his footsteps, the two opened their eyes at once.


    ¡°Senior Shui Yun!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed.


    Shui Yun smiled at Yun Ruoyan, then bowed to Li Mo. ¡°Shui Yun greets the ughtering King.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew that Shui Yun worked with Li Mo, but was shocked to find that she was also a member of the ughtering King¡¯s manor. She reported that Li Qianyue had begun staying in Li Qianxiao¡¯s mansion, and would likely try to get into the southern tower soon.


    Then, she smiled at Yun Ruoyan again. ¡°Miss Yun, I¡¯m actually a guard from the ughtering King¡¯s manor. I met you in the past, but never had a chance to talk with you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? No wonder you seemed so amiable at first nce!¡±


    ¡°Su Xi,¡± Li Mo instructed Shui Yun. ¡°Keep a close eye on Li Qianyue, and let the first elder know immediately when something happens.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Xun Mo, what¡¯s your next step?¡±


    Li Mo sat cross-legged on the couch as he nced at Yun Ruoyan, whose face was still a little pale. ¡°I initially wanted them to contact this so-called draconic realm as quickly as possible, but I¡¯m quite worried by Yan¡¯er¡¯s ring. Master, will you keep a close guard on the all-seeing mirror so Li Qianyue can¡¯t get to it for the near future?¡±


    ¡°That seems for the best,¡± the first elder responded. ¡°Keep in mind that activating the demonic expulsion array took a toll on your body, and you have to be careful about your own reserves as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    After the first elder left, Yun Ruoyan sat down by Li Mo¡¯s side and leaned on his shoulder. Li Mo had always been receptive to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intimacy, especially if she were the one initiating it.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yan¡¯er?¡± Li Mo touched her forehead with his lips, but Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind was roiling from what the demonic spirit had said to her.


    ¡®We have the same bloodline¡ªyou¡¯re the only descendant of the demonic dragon n on the Chenyuan continent, so you¡¯re responsible for reviving it to its former glory!¡± The demonic eyes¡¯ message was impossible to believe.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mental state had been very weak, and she was in no condition to question the eyes. What was the demonic dragon n? She had never heard of it! Why would the demonic eyes tell her that she possessed their bloodline? She was clearly a scion of the Yun family, Yun Lan¡¯s own birth daughter!


    Were the eyes just talking nonsense, or was there some secret hidden in the Yun family that no one knew about?


    ¡°Yan¡¯er?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sluggish gaze left Li Mo quite concerned.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, look at me. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Li Mo removed the gauze patch from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face. Underneath, her skin was perfect and unblemished: she hadn¡¯t applied a fake birthmark today.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan came to her senses, but her eyes looked bleak. After a pregnant silence, she finally spoke. ¡°Li Mo, do you know of the draconic race?¡±


    ¡°Dragons?¡± Li Mo frowned. ¡°Yan¡¯er, why are you asking about dragons?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was just about to reveal what the demonic eyes had told her when Qiuqiu interrupted. ¡°Mistress, this is a very serious matter. Before you figure out the circumstances, I rmend you remain silent about what you heard.¡±


    Because the silver bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension had been filled with an unusual demonic fog, Qiuqiu hadn¡¯t heard what the eyes had told Yun Ruoyan. However, the fact that Yun Ruoyan had begun asking it about dragons implied that she was broaching rather sensitive information. Because of the seal on such information, Qiuqiu was forbidden from revealing it; when the time came, Yun Ruoyan would naturally find out.


    But Yun Ruoyan knew that, by the time the information was provided to her naturally, the situation might already be so dire as to be unsalvageable. That was what had happened to her in her past life: foolishly, she waited and waited, then waited some more. In the end, when she knew everything, all her family members had died.


    As a result, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t intend on following Qiuqiu¡¯s advice. She was about to reach out to Li Mo for help with the investigation, but Qiuqiu knew things she didn¡¯t, and the fact that Qiuqiu interrupted her was likely for a good reason. As a result, she modified what she was about to say. ¡°During the trial, I swam to the bottom of ake. There, I found a demonic dragon grotto.¡±


    ¡°A demonic dragon grotto? Are you certain?¡± Li Mo was stunned. ¡°How do you know what it was?¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu told me, but when I asked it what a demonic dragon grotto was, as well as what demonic dragons were, it refused to tell me. Li Mo, do you know?¡±


    Li Mo frowned. ¡°I do know a few things.¡±


    Although Li Mo had never managed to get the old codger in the Minghuang Cave to reveal his mother¡¯s whereabouts, he had heard the old man call him a mongrel quite a few times. Initially, Li Mo thought that it was just an insult. In time, however, he realized that ¡®mongrel¡¯ signified something more.


    ¡°The bloodline of the dragons must remain pure and unblemished. A mongrel like you is a stain on our entire n of silver dragons, so you have to die no matter what,¡± the old man had once said.


    Because of this clue, Li Mo began investigating his own heritage, as well as all the stories about dragons that had been passed down over the millennia. Dragons, phoenixes, qilin¡ªall these mythical creatures had once existed on the Chenyuan continent, but they had vanished in a mysterious purge a few millennia prior. Because of this, the only information he could gather were apocryphal tales and rumors.


    Long ago, the dragon race had allegedly been one unified n. Due to some unknown schism, the n had separated into two factions: the demonic dragons, and the silver dragons. Both factions had been lost to time. As far as Li Mo could tell, the silver dragons had transcended into another dimension, whereas the demonic dragons had likely gone extinct.


    ¡°Extinct!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed. The demonic eyes¡¯ words echoed in her mind. ¡®As thest descendant of the demonic dragons on the Chenyuan continent, you¡¯re responsible for reviving our past glory.¡¯


    ¡°Right,¡± Li Mo confirmed. ¡°The demonic dragon grotto you mentioned is likely a mass burial site for such dragons.¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, I want to investigate the grotto.¡±


    Li Mo thought for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s possible, but we have to wait till daytime. The first elder will open the all-seeing mirror for us, and we can head into the realm and have a look.¡±


    Li Mo himself wouldn¡¯t give up any opportunity to investigate the draconic race. However, he felt rather certain that the grotto would be a dangerous ce. The all-seeing mirror would allow them to traverse into the realm only with their spirits, and would provide a modicum of safety.


    The next day, when Li Mo exined the affair to the first elder, he too appeared equally shocked. The trial grounds was only a miniaturized, insignificant dimension, and he hadn¡¯t expected that it would be the location of a site as important as a demonic dragon grotto.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan held hands and stood in front of the all-seeing mirror as the first elder operated it from the side.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, shut your eyes. Release your spirit from the confines of your body, and follow my lead.¡± Li Mo murmured right by her ear. As he spoke, her body rxed and became light, freeing her now-unfettered mind...

 Chapter 218: Fog from the Front

    <h4>Chapter 218: Fog from the Front</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spirit slowly detached from her body, following Li Mo. The all-seeing mirror in front of them had already been activated, and Li Mo entered the trial with Yun Ruoyan.


    She retraced her previous path, leading Li Mo to her oasis. ¡°It¡¯s right at the bottom of thiske.¡± Yun Ruoyan pointed at theke, and both of them dove in.


    As their spirits got close to the bottom of theke, the eyes on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s snake ring began to sh. The first elder¡¯s gazended on the ring, and his expression turned severe. For some reason, he had a premonition that the Chenyuan continent would soon fall once more into the throes of war.


    As Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo approached the bottom of the grotto, Yun Ruoyan was propelled forward by an unseen force. On the other hand, Li Mo was pushed backward, as though he were being treated as an unwee guest.


    ¡°Little fellow, you¡¯ve finally returned?¡± A low voice rang out from the bottom of the pond, one that both Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan could hear. Compared to the voice of the demonic eyes, this voice felt even more aged and ancient. ¡°But you¡¯ve also brought an unwee guest with you¡­¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m the first elder of the demonic dragon n. Little fellow, we¡¯ve waited for you for an entire millennium, and you¡¯ve finally shown up.¡±


    Along with that voice, an illusion sprang up above the grotto¡ªa sea of mes, one that filled her whole vision. Countless ck dragons swam through the mes, calling out in sorrow and despair. The voices sounded so solemn and stirring that Yun Ruoyan began to grieve in sympathetic resonance.


    Conversely, Li Mo saw countless fierce ck dragons rushing at him. They bared their fangs and released their overpowering aura, roaring for him to leave.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, the concentration of spiritual energy here is too strong, and it might hurt even our spirits!¡± Li Mo twisted his head and shouted to Yun Ruoyan, but she didn¡¯t seem to hear him. Instead, her eyes were glued to the illusion before her.


    Li Mo tried to bring Yun Ruoyan away, but a ck dragon suddenly surged forward and pounced at him.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo shouted, his spirit shredded and dissolving due to the sudden attack.


    Li Mo woke up in shock, sweating profusely and spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    ¡°Xun Mo, what¡¯s going on?¡± the first elder hurriedly asked. Based on Li Mo¡¯s cultivation, he wouldn¡¯t spit out such arge amount of blood even if he had received heavenly punishment.


    ¡°What strong demonic energy! There¡¯s a demonic dragon grave at the bottom of ake in the trial grounds.¡± He turned to Yun Ruoyan, whoy motionlessly by his side. Her eyes were still tightly shut, and her face emotionless. ¡°That spiritual energy seemed to reject my presence, but it pulled Yan¡¯er forward.¡±


    Li Mo extended a hand, trying to wake Yun Ruoyan, but the first elder quickly stopped him.


    ¡°Wait! Her spirit¡¯s trapped in the secret realm, and if you forcefully wake her up, it could severely damage her spirit. Based on what you¡¯ve mentioned, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unlikely to be in danger, so let¡¯s wait and see what their n is for her.¡±


    Within the demonic dragon grave, the elder dragon continued speaking. ¡°A millennium ago, the demonic dragon n fell amidst great turmoil. None were spared, none but one. We¡¯ve waited here for a whole thousand years for the sole remaining descendant of the demonic dragons, who will revive the n¡¯s glory!¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that I carry the demonic dragon bloodline?¡± Yun Ruoyan was incredulous. ¡°You must surely be mistaken! I¡¯m a scion of the Yun family, and I¡¯m sure I wasn¡¯t descended from dragons!¡±


    ¡°Child, you must believe me,¡± the voice continued. ¡°None but a descendant of the bloodline would cause the dragon ring to respond to your call. You must have demonic dragon blood in you! You must be responsible for our rise!¡±


    ¡°Without any proof, I can¡¯t believe your words.¡± Yun Ruoyan really couldn¡¯t ept this new identity that had been foisted on her. ¡°If this ring belongs to you, please take it back.¡±


    She waited for a response, but none was forting. Just as she was about to lose her patience, the demonic dragon finally spoke again. ¡°I can temporarily take back the ring, and I won¡¯t force you to ept your identity immediately. However, if you don¡¯t believe my words, you can investigate your parentage for yourself. When you affirm your identity, return and find me. Make sure to keep this a secret, lest you attract the attention of our sworn enemies. And as for thatd you brought with you¡ªstay away from him, he¡¯s from a different n!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan slowly opened her eyes, and Li Mo¡¯s concerned expression appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yun Ruoyan shook her head, then nced at her right hand. Somehow, the dragon ring on her hand had vanished.


    ¡°When you awoke just now, your ring vanished. Yan¡¯er, what did you see in that demonic dragon grotto?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan wanted to reveal everything, but the dragon elder¡¯s voice sounded in her ear once more: ¡°Don¡¯t reveal your identity, or you¡¯ll invite danger! Exercise caution, caution!¡±


    In the end, she only said, ¡°They removed the ring from my grasp, asking where I had obtained it. I replied truthfully, telling them that I found it within the imperial realm, and then they let me leave.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡± the first elder seemed somewhat disbelieving.


    ¡°Yes, nothing else.¡± Yun Ruoyan leaned weakly against Li Mo¡¯s shoulder.


    Li Mo caressed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cheek tenderly. ¡°Everything¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s better for the ring to have vanished. If that¡¯s all, Master, I¡¯ll bring Yan¡¯er to get some rest.¡±


    Before the first elder could respond, Li Mo carried Yun Ruoyan away. The first elder nced at Li Mo¡¯s back, a sudden glinting in his eyes. He brought her to a dark bedroom and tucked her in bed.


    ¡°Li Mo, don¡¯t leave!¡± Yun Ruoyan pulled on his hand.


    ¡°Sleep. I won¡¯t leave.¡± Li Mo patted her shoulder and stayed by her side, his head resting on the bed. Only then did Yun Ruoyan close her eyes in relief. Owing to her exhaustion, she quickly fell asleep.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Yan¡¯er!¡± In her dreams, a voice called out to her¡ªher mother¡¯s familiar voice.


    ¡°Mother, where are you, Mother?¡± Yun Ruoyan followed that voice into the Lin manor¡¯s peach blossom grove.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,e over here.¡± Lin Yuemei¡¯s voice grew closer and closer, and Yun Ruoyan ran in its direction. She fell down midway and climbed back up again, and she eventually found Lin Yuemei underneath arge peach blossom tree.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve found you! I¡¯ve found you!¡± She ran toward Lin Yuemei¡¯sp. After taking two steps forward, however, she suddenly discovered that there was a man sitting beside her. His back was to Yun Ruoyan, and he was dressed in a silvery-white robe. Dark, inky hair draped his shoulders.


    Although she couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face, Yun Ruoyan could sense that the man didn¡¯t seem to belong in the mortal world.


    ¡°Mother, who is he?¡±


    ¡°Come.¡± Lin Yuemei extended a hand to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Meet your father.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yun Ruoyan stilled, hesitating. ¡°He¡¯s my father?¡±


    Although she could only see the man¡¯s back, Yun Ruoyan was certain that the man wasn¡¯t Yun Lan.


    ¡°Mother, are you mistaken? My father¡¯s the head of the Yun family, Yun Lan!¡±


    ¡°You silly child, I was the one who gave birth to you! How could I be mistaken? Come, let your father have a good look at you.¡± Lin Yuemei continued to smile as she motioned at Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan slowly walked over, mystified. Right then, the man slowly turned his body around, revealing a blurry, indistinct face that Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t make out. She walked closer in an attempt to see that face clearly, but it suddenly began to shift. ck scales slowly covered up the man¡¯s face, and two ck horns sprouted from the man¡¯s head like bamboo shoots after rainfall.


    Yun Ruoyan froze up in shock as she watched the manplete his transformation. Finally, he opened his blood-red eyes, and words poured out of his mouth: ¡°Yan¡¯er, I¡¯m your father!¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted loudly as she awoke from her nightmare, her head beading with sweat. Li Mo had left the side of her bed, but she could still hear some voices in the adjoining room outside.


    Yun Ruoyan tried to calm down as she crept out of bed.


    ¡°Your Highness, the madam wanted me to ask when you¡¯ll be taking action.¡± That was a stranger¡¯s voice, polite and deferential.


    ¡°Please tell the madam that an unexpected event has dyed my ns,¡± Li Mo replied.


    Madam? Who was this supposed madam? Was Li Mo married? Yun Ruoyan stopped in her tracks, listening quietly.


    ¡°Your Highness, the madam had me ry a message.¡±


    ¡°What did my mother say?¡±


    ¡°She reminded you not to forget the Beast King¡¯s death, nor the sacrifices of his hundred thousand soldiers that day on the battlefield. Your personal affairs are iparable to the needs and desires of the country atrge.¡±


    After a momentary silence, Li Mo replied coolly, ¡°Tell my mother that I haven¡¯t forgotten anything that shouldn¡¯t be. My present actions are all for the purpose of my final goal.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Your Highness.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body slumped against one wall, cold sweat once again trickling down her forehead. A cold breeze blew, and Yun Ruoyan shivered. She faintly heard footsteps from outside and rushed back into bed, pretending that she was still asleep.

 Chapter 219: Empress Xue Tong

    <h4>Chapter 219: Empress Xue Tong</h4>


    When Li Mo saw that Yun Ruoyan still wasn¡¯t awake, he sat by her side and covered her exposed elbow with her nket. Yun Ruoyan slowly stirred, looking somewhat indistinctly at Li Mo.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake? Are you hungry?¡± Li Mo asked. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan rubbed her eyes with her hand. ¡°I had a dream that, after I woke up, I saw you talking with someone you called your mother. Was it all just a dream? Is it daytime now?¡±


    ¡°You must have been dreaming,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Do you know how long you slept?¡±


    ¡°How long did I sleep?¡±


    ¡°Five whole days. The first elder said that your spirit was too tired from our excursion that your body essentially hibernated in order to recuperate. How do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°I slept for five whole days?¡± Yun Ruoyan felt as though she had merely been dreaming for a short duration. ¡°I have to get back home and let Grandfather know. They must be so worried about me¡­¡±


    Li Mo stopped her from getting out of bed. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent word to the Lin and Yun families, telling them that I¡¯ve brought you back to Kongming Academy. Stay here and rest a little for the next few days. The official start of the term is in two days, and although you¡¯ve be my student, you still have to report to the college.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sat back on the bed as Li Mo brought her a bowl of porridge. ¡°A student just brought this over, so have a little.¡±


    Li Mo blew on the steaming hot porridge and fed it to Yun Ruoyan, who obediently took a few sips.


    ¡°What dream?¡± Li Mo held another spoonful of porridge by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips, but she shook her head.


    ¡°I dreamt of my mother, who brought me to see a very strange man.¡±


    ¡°Strange?¡±


    ¡°Right. His facial features were indistinct.¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned, and her expression turned painful.


    ¡°It was just a dream, so don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± Li Mo patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at Li Mo. ¡°Li Mo, you told me that, when you were very small, your mother was taken away by your parents¡¯ enemies. Do you still remember what she looks like?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She was very beautiful.¡± Li Mo¡¯s eyes turned ck. ¡°More beautiful than the rivers and mountains, than even the sun and moon.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan lowered her head, and her voice turned soft. ¡°You must take after your mother. Do you miss her?¡±


    ¡°Of course. No matter what price I have to pay, I¡¯ll save her from her enemies.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan propped her lower jaw on her knee and wrapped her hands around her legs. Li Mo was familiar with this position of hers¡ªwhen she didn¡¯t feel safe, she would often hunch up like a scared child.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo reached out for her, scooping her into hisp. ¡°That was just a dream. Don¡¯t think about it any further.¡± Li Mo thought that Yun Ruoyan was feeling difited because of the dream, but he wasn¡¯t aware of her actual thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, and I¡¯d like to sleep for a little while longer.¡± Shey down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be cultivating outside, so let me know if you need anything.¡± Li Mo patted Yun Ruoyan on the shoulder before leaving the room.


    Yun Ruoyan stayed in the tall tower for another day, during which the first elder came to have a look at her and pronounced her hale. Yun Ruoyan then requested to return to her own cottage¡ªstudents would begin returning in droves starting tomorrow, and it wouldn¡¯t be convenient for her to be found in the tower.


    Li Mo sent her back to her cottage by the cliff.


    ¡°Before the term begins, remember to rest well. You don¡¯t have to worry too much about your cultivation in the short term. You¡¯re already a peak seventh-rank demaster, and your cultivation is higher than that of most of the iing students. Once you¡¯re fully rested, I¡¯ll teach you a few new techniques.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded.


    ¡°I have a few matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t be here for much of the next week.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded again.


    Li Mo was concerned by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s apathetic responses. ¡°Yan¡¯er, do you want me to stay with you for a few more days?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied immediately, afraid that Li Mo would see through her. ¡°Leave early and return early.¡±


    After Li Mo left, Yun Ruoyan leaned against the windowsill as she looked at the ever-shifting sea of clouds, lost in her thoughts. Li Mo had indeed lied to her, and she was naturally a little upset. However, she too had lied to Li Mo. Did she have the right to me him?


    During her conversation with Li Mo on the roof of the tower, they had agreed that some secrets were best kept secret. However, they had also promised to be honest with each other, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help turn bitter at the thought.


    I suppose it¡¯s fine if two lovers keep a few secrets from each other. After all, lying is sometimes a mechanism of protection¡­


    Li Mo soared past the Kongming Summit and headed for the Yueli mountain range. There, he stopped at a hidden valley, within which stood a tall building. If the building were perfectly restored, it would have been majestic and exquisite, but what remained was little more than scrap.


    Li Mo walked into the building, into its damaged great hall. Despite much of the ornate furnishings having been looted or destroyed, one could easily guess at how glorious it had been in the past.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± From the other side of the great hall walked a man in ck, whose face was hidden by arge hood.


    ¡°Su Nan,¡± Li Mo greeted.


    ¡°The empress knew you wereing, and she bade me wait for you here.¡± Su Nan removed his hood to reveal the resolute face of a middle-aged man. He brought Li Mo into a dark corner.


    ¡°How are the arrangements going with those beastkin?¡±


    ¡°Very well, Your Highness. The herbs and pills that Li Luo brought us were a great help. ording to the empress¡¯ orders, Su Bei and I, as well as Su Dong, settled all the new refugees in a nearby valley.¡±


    The two of them quickly arrived at the end of the secret passageway, which was blocked by arge stone door. Su Nan rapped thrice on the door and announced, ¡°Empress, His Highness is here!¡±


    The heavy stone doors gradually opened. Su Nan waited respectfully by one side as Li Mo walked into therge, spacious chamber. It was filled to the brim with all sorts of beast cores and spiritual herbs. Were any cultivators to chance upon the chamber, their eyes would have been blinded by greed: any of the beast cores within would be a high-grade treasure, and each of the spiritual herbs and pills was a pricelessmodity nowhere to be found on the market.


    Li Mo appeared utterly unaffected by the lull of the treasures. He walked forward, in the direction of a woman whose features were as white as snow.


    ¡°My greetings, Mother.¡± Li Mo bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Rise, Mo¡¯er.¡± The woman¡¯s voice sounded like the tinkling of ice: rather pleasant to the ear, but carrying a pervasive image of cold.


    Li Mo stood and looked at his mother, the empress of the beastkin kingdom. Her face was so beautiful it took one¡¯s breath away, but it was lifeless. More urately, the empress¡¯ whole body was lifeless, because the only thing that stood there was a statue of white jade.


    ¡°Did youe visit me because you had a new n in mind?¡± The empress¡¯ voice came from the statue.


    ¡°I had intended on using this opportunity to lure out those old codgers,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°But although I learned the third elder¡¯s spirit-sealing fists, I wasn¡¯t confident in beating those old geezers, and I didn¡¯t want to inadvertently alert them.¡±


    Li Mo extended a hand in the form of a w, with white spiritual energy forming in his palm. This was the key to the spirit-sealing fists technique: the vortex of spiritual energy would flow into an opponent¡¯s spiritual vortex and disrupt it. A serious blow would cause that opponent¡¯s cultivation to crumble, whereas a minor blow would cause their spiritual energy to be blocked for a period of time.


    ¡°The spirit-sealing fists is truly a strong technique, but you¡¯re not yet a sword saint, and you can¡¯t use it to its full power,¡± the empressmented. ¡°The elders of the silver dragons are all sword saints, and you¡¯re not a match for them.¡± The empress¡¯ voice turned severe near the end, clearly displeased by Li Mo¡¯s impetuous actions.


    ¡°I apologize for being rash, Mother, but your spirit is weakening so rapidly that your body needs to be acquired as soon as possible¡­¡±


    The jade statue sighed. The empress thought back to her memories from a decade ago. One moment, they seemed to have happened just yesterday; another, they felt as old as an entire lifetime.


    The empress was called Xue Tong, a holy maiden of the silver dragon n. Many years ago, she ended up on the Chenyuan continent and found herself in a chance encounter with the Beast King, Xun Tianli. The two of them fell in love, but the silver dragon n ced such emphasis on a pure bloodline that it forbade interspecies marriage. As a result, the couple was forced on the run by assassins that the silver dragon n sent after them.


    Even when the two of them ended up deep in the mountains, they weren¡¯t able to escape the silver dragons¡¯ grasp. Xun Tianli bitterly fought the four elders that had found them, and managed to vanquish the third elder at the cost of his life. Xue Tong was badly injured, and her spirit hid in the statue that Xun Tianli had carved of her. However, her body was taken away by the remaining elders.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been trapped for a decade. With these spiritual pills and herbs around, it won¡¯t be a problem to survive for another decade more,¡± the empress continued. ¡°You have to work meticulously: do not put yourself in danger because of your haste.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Mother.¡± Li Mo hesitated for a moment. ¡°I found a demonic dragon grave in Kongming Academy¡¯s trial grounds.¡±


    ¡°A demonic dragon grave?¡± Empress Xue Tong was shocked by this news. ¡°The demonic dragon n went extinct a millennium ago under thebined might of humans and the silver dragon n. To have a grave on this Chenyuan continent¡­¡±


    ¡°Not only a grave, but also their dragon souls,¡± Li Mo emphasized.


    ¡°Their souls!¡± Empress Xue Tong¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Does anyone else know about this?¡±

 Chapter 220: Changing Colleges

    <h4>Chapter 220: Changing Colleges</h4>


    ¡°Master and Miss Yun also know about this affair,¡± Li Mo responded.


    ¡°Miss Yun? Why would she know about this?¡±


    ¡°She was the one who found the demonic dragon grave while chasing down a beast, and then Qiuqiu revealed it to her.¡±


    Li Mo had once told his mother that Qiuqiu had formed a pact with Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°They must keep this a secret!¡± Empress Xue Tong emphasized. She was once the holy maiden of the silver dragon n, but her consort¡¯s death had left her rtionship with the silver dragon n embittered and utterly ruined. She wanted to seek revenge on the n, but that didn¡¯t seem possible at the moment.


    Originally, she had nned on biding her time until she amassed enough strength to be able to challenge them, but Li Mo¡¯s news was a ray of hope. Even when dead, dragons could revive as long as their draconic souls were still present. The demonic dragon n had always been hostile to the silver dragon n. If they were indeed to revive, they would surely end up at war with the silver dragons. If they were to form an alliance with the beastkin, then surely her revenge would be possible!


    Li Mo immediately understood his mother¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Yan¡¯er won¡¯t reveal the matter, but Master has always thought the demonic dragon n an evil existence. After the term begins, he¡¯s nning on calling a meeting of the elders to deal with the problem.¡±


    ¡°No, that can¡¯t happen! If the silver dragon n were to find out about the matter, the grave would be wiped off the continent. You have to find some way to make your master keep this secret!¡±


    The discovery of a demonic dragon grave was a severe affair indeed, and to make the first elder keep this momentous discovery a secret would require an unrejectable reason. The first elder didn¡¯t know about the existence of Empress Xue Tong¡¯s spirit, and it would be very difficult to convince him to keep the grave a secret without also divulging her presence.


    Li Mo¡¯s face turned troubled, but he still nodded.


    ¡°No, this won¡¯t do. For as important a matter as this, we can¡¯t have even the smallest possibility of failure. I think it¡¯s time to make my existence known to your master.¡±


    Li Mo looked at his mother in shock. Her white-jadejade-white face was utterly expressionless, as was her voice. Li Mo couldn¡¯t help thinking back to a memory from when he was ten. He had gone hunting, but was badly injured by a rampaging beast midway. Just as he thought he would die, a ck-robed man suddenly saved him. That man was none other than the general of the beastkin kingdom, Su Nan.


    After Li Mo woke up, he found himself in this underground cavern, and his mother had stood in front of him with the exact same expression.


    ¡°Mother, do you really want to meet my master?¡±


    All these years, Empress Xue Tong had insisted that her existence remain hidden from the first elder, but she had suddenly changed her mind. Li Mo couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised.


    ¡°The reason I hid it from your master was because I suspected he was the one who betrayed your father to the silver dragon elders!¡± But in thisst decade, I haven¡¯t discovered anything amiss about him. Given how much effort he¡¯s put in to help you, I now believe his innocence.¡±


    Empress Xue Tong¡¯s icy voice let out what seemed faintly like a sigh. ¡°After all these years, I think I should meet him in person.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll inform Master.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll have a guard inform him. The discovery of a demonic dragon grave, the resurgence of the demonic dragon bloodline¡­ only those with such a bloodline would be able to revive the demonic dragons. You have to find the person who possesses such a bloodline, then help her revive the demonic dragon n.¡±


    Li Mo nodded and was just about to leave when Empress Xue Tong called him back.


    ¡°Is that Miss Yun the human furnace you brought up once?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother.¡±


    ¡°Do you like her very much?¡±


    ¡°Mother, why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°A mother knows her children best. Except for when you brought her up as a human furnace, you¡¯ve never discussed her in front of me. However, as far as I¡¯m aware, she always appears by your side, and you¡¯re always trying to protect her.¡±


    The empress stared pointedly at her son.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re overthinking things,¡± Li Mo replied coolly. ¡°Her constitution is very important for my cultivation, and whether or not I¡¯ll be able to be a sword saint might rely on her.¡±


    ¡°Nothing more?¡±


    ¡°Nothing more!¡±


    ¡°Xun Mo!¡± Empress Xue Tong suddenly called out, her tone severe and more icy than before.


    ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Li Mo bowed, his face solemn and respectful.


    ¡°Do you remember what I always tell you?¡±


    ¡°Not to get emotional, and not to find a partner before I can avenge my father.¡± Li Mo stilled and hesitated for a moment. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve always kept your words in mind. Before I avenge my father, I won¡¯t prioritize anything else.¡±


    Only then did Empress Xue Tong seem to relent, sighing. ¡°Matters of love and romance are always the most taxing, and I don¡¯t wish you to be distracted at this crucial juncture. Alright, you may leave.¡±


    Li Mo bowed and turned away. As he reached the stone doors, he couldn¡¯t help turning back to look at her statue again¡ªthe warm, gentle woman of his memories was now only a spirit in an icy statue.


    ¡°The empress¡¯s personality has changed dramatically over thest decade, but her affection for you has never been in doubt, Your Highness,¡± Su Nan said, walking next to him. ¡°Please, don¡¯t take her chiding to heart.¡±


    Empress Xue Tong was as strict and severe with everyone else as she was with her son. Trapped though she was in her icy prison, shemanded with an iron fist.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng has entered the southern college, and Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s studying medicine under Lin Zainan. Both siblings are doing well.¡± Li Mo changed the topic coolly. Although Su Nan hadn¡¯t brought up his children at all, Li Mo knew how much he cared for them.


    A smile lightened up Su Nan¡¯s stern face. ¡°My thanks, Your Highness.¡±


    Li Mo nodded almost imperceptibly before leaving on his sword.


    The next day, as Yun Ruoyan cultivated in her cottage, she could hear a number of footsteps approaching her room. Judging from the frequency of the footfalls, there were likely multiple people.


    She opened her eyes and got off her bed. As soon as she opened the door, Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue appeared in front of her.


    ¡°When did the two of you arrive?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at her two cousins in excitement.


    ¡°We just did. Sister Ruoyan, are you alright?¡± Lin Qingxue tugged on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand as she inspected it for injuries. ¡°I heard you were hurt by Whitey. Have you recovered fully?¡±


    Lin Qingxue hadn¡¯t been present when Yun Ruoyan had been possessed by demonic energy, and she had only heard about the matter afterwards from Zhuo Lin¡¯er. Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s cultivation was too low to fully understand what was going on, and she had thought that Whitey had injured Yun Ruoyan.


    Lin Qingchen also walked up and began tugging on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s other sleeve. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, that day¡­ what happened that day?¡±


    Lin Qingchen had seen Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes turn red, resembling the eyes that had appeared in her mind whenever she used the ring. When she thought back to the scene, her back turned cold.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t intend on revealing the secret behind the demonic dragon grave to her two cousins, and all she did was sigh. ¡°I overestimated my own capabilities in trying to use the snake ring to control Whitey, and ended up being possessed by demonic energy. However, I¡¯m alright now¡ªLi Mo has already helped me cleanse the energy from my body.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan pulled her two cousins into her cottage, but Zhuo Yifeng stood outside.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, aren¡¯t you going toe in?¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    Because of his previous roles as servant and guard, he had gotten into the habit of not entering others¡¯ bedrooms. When he heard Yun Ruoyan call out to him, he hesitated.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo,e on in!¡± Lin Qingxue let go of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wrist and turned back to pull Zhuo Yifeng inside. ¡°Brother Zhuo, look at the scenery over here! It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it? Especially the sea of clouds¡­¡± Lin Qingxue showed Zhuo Yifeng around the small cottage, not missing even the small window in the washroom.


    ¡°What happened to Whitey?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked Lin Qingchen.


    ¡°It was really weird¡ªonce the ughtering King took you away, Whitey returned to normal.¡±


    This made Yun Ruoyan much more confident that Whitey¡¯s strange behavior was a result of demonic possession.


    Lin Qingchen¡¯s gazended on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, where¡¯s the snake ring?¡±


    ¡°It was destroyed as Li Mo tried to dispel the demonic energy from my body¡­¡±


    ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to say to you.¡± Zhuo Yifeng suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Lin Qingxue asked curiously.


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen also looked toward Zhuo Yifeng.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s gaze shifted from Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to leave the southern college and enter the central college instead.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the Lin siblings eximed as one.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, the central college is well-known to be full of useless students. What would you do there?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother Zhuo! We entered Kongming Academy in order to train and improve as cultivators, so don¡¯t make a rash decision!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t as surprised as her cousins: after all, Zhuo Yifeng had pledged revenge on Li Mo, and he surely wouldn¡¯t stay after knowing that Li Mo was the head instructor of the southern college.


    Yun Ruoyan thought for a moment, then spoke up. ¡°Li Mo¡¯s not the only instructor in this college, and even if you still want to get revenge on him, you need to learn how to best do so, don¡¯t you? Given Li Mo¡¯s personality, he won¡¯t make life hard on you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried that he¡¯ll make life hard on me. Given his power and status, what reason does he have to care about as weak a new student as I am? But I harbor such a deep grudge against Li Mo that it¡¯s very likely only one of us will survive in the future, and I don¡¯t want to be known as someone who would dare to raise arms against my teacher. I¡¯ve already made up my mind, so please don¡¯t try to persuade me.¡±


    ¡°In that case¡­ in that case, I¡¯ll switch colleges with you!¡± Lin Qingxue blurted out.


    ¡°What?!¡± Lin Qingchen pulled her back in shock.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Lin Qingxue looked at Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan, realizing that she wouldn¡¯t be able to see them much anymore if she followed through with her n. ¡°I¡­¡±

 Chapter 221: Strike

    <h4>Chapter 221: Strike</h4>


    ¡°Qingxue, stay with your sisters. My decision is firm, and I¡¯m going to go find the first and sixth elders now.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng walked out of the cottage.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo!¡± Lin Qingxue followed him out.


    ¡°Qingxue¡­¡± Lin Qingchen was worried that Lin Qingxue would really switch colleges with Zhuo Yifeng in a fit of passion, then regret her decisionter. She reached out to pull her back, but Yun Ruoyan stopped her.


    ¡°Let her go, or she won¡¯t stop trying.¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at Lin Qingchen¡¯s anxious expression andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Zhuo Yifeng surely won¡¯t let Qingxue transfer colleges with him.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan watched on as their silhouettes vanished into the distance, sighing. Once Zhuo Yifeng had set his mind on something, he wouldn¡¯t ever change his mind. The day they were choosing their colleges, everyone¡¯s gaze was on her. She was so upied that she hadn¡¯t thought about the grudge between Zhuo Yifeng and Li Mo.


    After thinking back about the event, she had even thought that Zhuo Yifeng was relieved to have chosen the southern college in the end. Had something happened over the holidays?


    Lin Qingxue ran forward to catch up with Zhuo Yifeng, who was walking away at a rapid pace. ¡°Brother Zhuo, won¡¯t you stay? Isn¡¯t it good to have all of us together?¡±


    ¡°I can never forgive Li Mo for ughtering my tribe,¡± Zhuo Yifeng said resolutely, not slowing down. ¡°Initially, I thought I would be able to ept having Li Mo as my instructor, but I overestimated my own tolerance.¡±


    ¡°But Brother Zhuo, Sister Ruoyan said that the ughtering King wouldn¡¯t be the only instructor! Couldn¡¯t you learn from the other instructors? You don¡¯t have to change your college!¡± Lin Qingxue tugged on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s sleeve, not wanting to give up.


    Zhuo Yifeng had no choice but to stop.


    ¡°The central college is so far away from the southern college! It¡¯ll be hard for me to go see you in the future, and I still want to learn more about archery from you, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Qingxue, let go.¡± Zhuo Yifeng steadied his resolve and replied firmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t have to tell any of you about my decision, but since we¡¯re all friends, I felt obligated to do so. Qingxue, if you still treat me as a friend, please respect my decision.¡±


    ¡°Who wants to be your friend?!¡± In her anger, Lin Qingxue found the courage to bare her heart to Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°Brother Zhuo, after so long, haven¡¯t you noticed that I like you?! I want to be with you, now and always!¡±


    Lin Qingxue¡¯s loud promation left Zhuo Yifeng shell-shocked. Hisrge eyes, bright and clear, grew evenrger and brighter as he stood in stunned silence. Although Lin Qingxue was carefree and outgoing, she was still a girl. Revealing such a personal secret had caused her to blush immediately.


    Although Zhuo Yifeng was shocked by her confession, he wasn¡¯t surprised. After all, he wasn¡¯t a fool: anyone could tell that Lin Qingxue liked him, and even Lin Zainan had spoken with him about the matter.


    Lin Zainan told Zhuo Yifeng that, if he would be willing to treat Lin Qingxue well, the Lin family wouldn¡¯t care for his status or ancestry. Zhuo Yifeng had refused him politely; Lin Zainan then advised that he not keep stringing her along.


    However, Zhuo Yifeng wasn¡¯t adept at interacting with others, and he didn¡¯t know how best to reject Lin Qingxue¡¯s advances. From then on, he had tried to distance himself from Lin Qingxue, but she continuedtching onto him as though she hadn¡¯t noticed his actions. This had frustrated Zhuo Yifeng for quite some time.


    It seemed time to end things once and for all.


    ¡°Qingxue, I¡¯m only an orphaned beastkin. Being friends with all of you has been a great fortune to me,¡± Zhuo Yifeng began. ¡°But I can¡¯t ept your liking me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re you, no matter what! I like you just for being yourself, and I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a beastkin or a human!¡± Lin Qingxue hurriedly interjected.


    ¡°Qingxue, don¡¯t be foolish.¡± Zhuo Yifeng chuckled bitterly. ¡°Not only am I a beastkin, I¡¯m willing to give up my life for revenge. Someone like me doesn¡¯t deserve to be liked. My heart¡¯s dead, my emotions locked away¡ªhow can someone driven by revenge reciprocate your love? Please, let go.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but¡­ B-Brother Zhuo, I still like you no matter what!¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s eyes were filling with tears.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lovely girl.¡± Zhuo Yifeng pried away Lin Qingxue¡¯s fingers, one at a time. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a perfect man for you, but that man won¡¯t be me.¡±


    He began walking away at an even more rapid pace.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo!¡± Lin Qingxue called out to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s fleeing form. ¡°Brother Zhuo, you¡¯re the only one I like! You¡¯re the only one I care about!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Qingxue?¡± Zhao Xu, who had been taking a morning walk, came over upon hearing Lin Qingxue¡¯s sobbing. She was sitting on the ground, paralyzed.


    Beside Zhao Xu were two other students: Zhao Xu¡¯s brother, Zhao Qiang, and Zhao Xu¡¯s good friend, the young Miss Li, Li Furong.


    ¡°Sister, where did this little spotted cate from? Crying out here so early in the morning!¡± Zhao Qiang nced at Lin Qingxue, chuckling.


    ¡°Go away!¡± Lin Qingxue choked out, wiping away her tears as Zhao Xu helped her up.


    ¡°Oh? The cat¡¯s quite fierce, isn¡¯t she?¡± Zhao Qiang continued making fun of Lin Qingxue.


    ¡°Brother Zhao, didn¡¯t you say that you were going to show us around your residence? Let¡¯s go!¡± Li Furong smiled as she tugged on Zhao Xu¡¯s hand, but her attention was focused on Lin Qingxue. ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about this little crybaby?¡±


    Lin Qingxue was in a terrible mood, and Li Furong¡¯s jab had caused her to thoroughly lose her patience.


    ¡°Do you want to fight?!¡± Lin Qingxue rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of the likes of you!¡± Li Furong naturally wouldn¡¯t back down, and she too stepped forward.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t fight!¡± Zhao Xu wanted to stop them, but Zhao Qiang pulled her back. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, Sister. Let¡¯s just watch on.¡±


    Zhao Qiang wasn¡¯t the only one interested in the fight. As soon as Li Furong and Lin Qingxue looked as though they were about to start fighting, another seven or eight students quickly gathered around them.


    Although it was still early in the morning, many male youths had arrived at the females¡¯ cottages. They were often very curious about each other¡¯s residences, and the female cottages were only forbidden to the male students in the night. In the morning, the students were free to roam around. As a result, there were quite a few male youths who had gathered around to watch the two girls fight.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t these two had enough during the trial? Why are they fighting so early in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think is stronger?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re both rather average students. What¡¯s so interesting about watching them, anyway?¡±


    Just then, Miss Li unsheathed her sword and thrust it at Lin Qingxue, who revolved and dodged the blow. Then, she pulled out her twin daggers and attacked Miss Li, who barely defended against the blow.


    Both girls were fifth-rank demasters, and they weren¡¯t yet able to exude spiritual energy from their bodies. As a result, they shed only with their des, producing quite a tter as they struck each other. There were quite a few higher-ranked demasters watching on, treating the battle as nothing more than a diverting show.


    Although their cultivations were simr, Lin Qingxue was slightly superior in terms ofbat. After some time, Miss Li began to falter.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that that spotted cat would actually have some skill with the de¡­¡± Zhao Qiang murmured at Zhao Xu.


    ¡°Brother, shouldn¡¯t we stop them? What if they get injured? The school term starts tomorrow!¡± Zhao Xu was far more anxious than her brother.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no big deal. It¡¯d be boring to justze around anyway, so we might as well have them provide some entertainment.¡±


    Suddenly, Li Furong made a small gesture right before receiving Lin Qingxue¡¯s blow, catching Zhao Qiang¡¯s attention. He narrowed his eyes and was contemting whether to step in when a shadow emerged from the crowd.


    At the same time, a beam of light shed past Li Furong¡¯s finger and stuck into a rock behind her.


    ¡°Ouch, my hand!¡± Li Furong yelled out, looking at her finger. There was a rather deep gash on her middle finger which bled profusely.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, how dare you attack me from the back!¡± Li Furong clutched her finger as she red at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Are you trying to bully me with numbers?!¡±


    The crowd¡¯s gaze shifted from Lin Qingxue and Li Furong to Yun Ruoyan, who had suddenly appeared. Beside her was Lin Qingchen, and it really did look as though they were ganging up on Li Furong.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Yun Ruoyan, the student that was taken as disciple by the first elder¡¯s head disciple?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her! She possesses the sage-grade treasure from the secret realm, and she¡¯s at least a seventh-rank demaster!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Lin Qingxue¡¯s cousin, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t as if Li Furong could beat Lin Qingxue, so why did she step in?¡±


    The crowd was confused by her sudden attack.


    ¡°All of you are ganging up on me! Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be scared of you¡ªat worst, I¡¯ll lodge aint with the first elder!¡±


    Bullying between students with too great a disparity in their cultivation was strictly prohibited in theory, but there were many cases of weak students having somehow offended stronger ones, being dragged away to ndestine locations, and returning grievously injured.


    However, few would dare to step in amidst a crowd, like Yun Ruoyan.

 Chapter 222: Not Dead

    <h4>Chapter 222: Not Dead</h4>


    Even Lin Qingxue was looking curiously at Yun Ruoyan. After all, she was just about to beat Li Furong, even without Yun Ruoyan¡¯s help! But Yun Ruoyan ignored the crowd¡¯s murmurs and nces. Instead, she retrieved her dagger from the rock in which it was stuck.


    Yun Ruoyan had used such precise force that only the tip of the dagger had stuck into the rock. Once she removed the dagger, the crowd could clearly see a small, ck spider impaled on its tip.


    ¡°That¡¯s a ck-mist spider, and it¡¯s terrifyingly venomous!¡± someone shouted.


    ¡°Ah, you tried to poison me with a spider?! How despicable!¡± Lin Qingxue took a few steps back in shock. Although she didn¡¯t know about this particr species of spider, she knew how venomous they could be.


    Li Furong had released the spider because she was about to lose¡ªbut instead of hurting Lin Qingxue, she was even caught in the act by Yun Ruoyan!


    ¡°Miss Li, this was just a small misunderstanding between the two of you. To use such a despicable method against my cousin...¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured coldly.


    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t know where the spider came from!¡± Li Furong refused to take responsibility for the spider. ¡°Perhaps it defended me on instinct upon sensing that I was in danger.¡±


    Li Furong¡¯s words caused the crowd to break out inughter.


    Lin Qingchen snorted, pulling her sister to her side. ¡°In that case, what if I keep some venomous beasts on my body, let them bite you, and call them protective of their master?!¡±


    Lin Qingchen¡¯s retort led to another chorus ofughter.


    ¡°Girls are truly quite frightening and unreasonable when they fight,¡± a male studentmented.


    ¡°Miss Li, in the future, please take better care of your possessions. Otherwise, you might not get off with just a finger injury next time.¡± Yun Ruoyan flicked the spider on her dagger onto the ground, then crushed it with her heel.


    Li Furong red hatefully at Yun Ruoyan, then looked toward Zhao Xu and Zhao Qiang. Both the Zhao siblings were looking at Yun Ruoyan, but they didn¡¯t seem as though they were going to get involved.


    Embarrassed in the extreme, she could only slink away amidst the crowd¡¯s mockingughter. As Li Furong left, the gathered crowd also dispersed. Yun Ruoyan was about to leave with her two cousins when Zhao Xu spoke up from behind, ¡°Miss Yun, please wait!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stopped and turned back. Zhao Qiang had lost the amaranthine sun to Yun Ruoyan, so he wasn¡¯t particrly enthused with her. His arms were folded across his chest, and he looked down on her with an air of superiority.


    Yun Ruoyan nced mildly at him, then ignored him and focused on Zhao Xu. Those who ignored her, she would ignore in turn.


    ¡°Miss Zhao, what¡¯s the matter?¡± As far as she could tell, Zhao Xu wasn¡¯t a malicious character, but it was always better to be cautious.


    ¡°May I ask if you were thest person to see Zhao Ming?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. She hadn¡¯t expected that the me for Zhao Ming¡¯s death, which Rong Yueshan had pinned on her, would still be circting so widely.


    ¡°Again, let me emphasize: I did not kill Zhao Ming. Regardless of whether you believe me, this will be my final statement on this front.¡±


    ¡°Miss Yun, you misunderstand me.¡± Zhao Xu hurriedly shook her hands. ¡°Although Zhao Ming and I are both from the Chen kingdom, we¡¯re not from the same family. Regardless of the circumstances of his death, we aren¡¯t interested in avenging him.¡±


    Although Zhao Ming had seemed like a good person to Zhao Xu, their budding rtionship had been killed with his death. Naturally, Zhao Xu wouldn¡¯t try to seek revenge just for that inkling of a rtionship.


    ¡°Miss Zhao, why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Sister, why beat around the bush? Here, let me exin,¡± Zhao Qiang interjected. ¡°That Zhao Ming borrowed my sister¡¯s pearl ne, and my sister wanted to know if you saw it on his corpse.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan recalled seeing Zhao Ming holding a pearl in his mouth while underwater, but his corpse had sunk deep into theke after he had been killed by Rong Yueshan. When Zhuo Yifeng retrieved his corpse, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t remember seeing that pearl on his body.


    At the time, the kidnapping of the two Lin siblings had so filled her mind that she hadn¡¯t been paying attention to such a small detail.


    ¡°Rong Yueshan snuck up to Zhao Ming and killed him at close range, so I expect she has the pearl you¡¯re looking for.¡± Yun Ruoyan expressed her own hypothesis: since Rong Yueshan had died, her corpse had likely been sent back to the capital along with Yun Ruoyao¡¯s body, and to recover that pearl wouldn¡¯t be an easy feat.


    However, Zhao Qiang didn¡¯t believe Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hypothesis. Somewhat moodily, he replied, ¡°You im that my sister¡¯s pearl was taken by Miss Rong, but Miss Rong said that you took the pearl. Clearly, one of you must be lying¡ªwho do you think I should trust?¡±


    Zhao Qiang¡¯s words left Yun Ruoyan rather shocked. Frowning, she asked, ¡°Which Miss Rong are you referring to?¡±


    ¡°How many Miss Rongs could there be in the capital? Rong Tianling¡¯s daughter is the only one I know!¡±


    Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue widened their eyes when they heard Zhao Qiang¡¯s words. Hadn¡¯t Rong Yueshan died? They had seen her corpse right in front of them! How could she still be alive?


    The Lin siblings turned to Yun Ruoyan. Although she was as surprised about the whole affair as they were, she didn¡¯t reveal much of her shock. Walking up to Zhao Qiang, she said, ¡°During the induction ceremony, I didn¡¯t see her present, so I thought¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled for a moment. ¡°When and where did you see Rong Yueshan? Call her over, and we can discuss what truly happened that day.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Zhao Qiangmented. ¡°I saw her a few days ago while walking in the northern college. She had been grievously injured during the trial, but she seems to be much better. Indeed, she was even chosen as a disciple of the second elder himself.¡±


    Although the academy was officially on break, a few students who lived further away chose to remain in the academy. The Zhao siblings lived in the faraway Mo kingdom, and it would take them two weeks just to make the round-trip journey. Since their holidays were only two weeks long, the siblings had been forced to remain in the academy.


    How lucky she must have been to have survived¡­ Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart sank.


    ¡°Do you daree find her with us now?¡± Zhao Qiang continued.


    ¡°Miss Yun,¡± Zhao Xu suddenly spoke up. ¡°This pearl is particrly precious to me and my family, so if you¡¯ve really taken it, please hand it back. I don¡¯t want to make matters more serious than it already is.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my breath arguing about this matter. Let¡¯s go find Rong Yueshan.¡±


    The party of five left the courtyard. During these two weeks, Zhao Qiang had explored Kongming Academy in its entirety, and he confidently brought them toward the northern college.


    The doors to the northern college, which had been closed for two weeks, were finally open once more. There were quite a few outer disciples around the premises, cleaning and sweeping the floor.


    ¡°Who are you? Ah, you all look so unfamiliar¡ªyou must be the new students!¡± A slightly older male student blocked their path with a broomstick. ¡°The term hasn¡¯t started yet, so you can¡¯t be walking around the premises for the moment.¡±


    The student was dressed in gray. He looked to be an outer disciple, but his mannerisms and expressions made it quite clear that he was likely someone who had been at the academy for quite a while. Given their ¡®seniority¡¯, they would even frequently pick on the more weak-willed of the new inner disciples.


    Zhao Qiang responded disdainfully, ¡°We¡¯re new students, but not from the northern college.¡±


    ¡°In that case, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here to find someone: a Miss Rong, Rong Yueshan. There are a few questions that we have for her.¡± Zhao Qiang had been a scion of a noble family back home, and he was quite used to putting on airs.


    When that outer disciple decided that Zhao Qiang¡¯s party of five wouldn¡¯t be easily bullied, he finally relented and said, ¡°Give me a moment, I¡¯ll let her know.¡±


    They waited quietly as that disciple ran off, but he returned shortly after. Apparently, Miss Rong wasn¡¯t feeling very well, and she was currently resting. Zhao Qiang¡¯s party would have toe back another day.


    ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m so certain the pearl ne is in your hands?¡± Zhao Qiang asked Yun Ruoyan on the way back.


    ¡°No. Why?¡±


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to tell you. You¡¯ll find out, sooner orter.¡±


    Deep within the northern college, Rong Yueshan was sitting cross-legged in the middle of an austere room. After two weeks of rest and recuperation, along with valuable spiritual pills provided by her new master, her body had recovered to a significant extent.


    With the second elder and Rong Tianhai¡¯s guidance, her cultivation had also improved by leaps and bounds. She was now a peak seventh-rank demaster, and it seemed as though she would break through to eighth-rank soon.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe your talent¡¯s actually greater than that of your sister, Rong Yuehong,¡± Rong Tianhai idlymented.


    ¡°I have to thank Master for unblocking my meridians for me,¡± Rong Yueshan replied deferentially.


    She had been badly injured after taking Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritually enhanced blow within the trial grounds, courtesy of Li Mo. The second elder had picked her out amidst a crowd of mortally wounded and dead students, and had infused his own domineering spiritual energy into her body to restore her spiritual vortex.


    In the process of doing so, Rong Yueshan¡¯s somewhat clogged meridians had been unblocked by the second elder¡¯s spiritual energy. As a result, Rong Yueshan¡¯s rate of cultivation had increased immensely.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you meet those people who were looking for you?¡± Rong Tianhai asked. He had noticed how Rong Yueshan demurred from meeting Yun Ruoyan and Zhao Qiang¡¯s group. ¡°Are you scared of them?¡±


    After all, Rong Yueshan had been sent to death¡¯s door by Yun Ruoyan. It wouldn¡¯t have been a surprise for her to have be fearful of her as a result.


    However, Rong Yueshan onlyughed derisively. Compared to her father, no one else on this world was worth fearing.


    ¡°I have to defeat them in public in order to pay back the humiliation that was dealt to me,¡± Rong Yueshan eximed bitterly. ¡°There are still too few students around at the moment. I¡¯ll wait until tomorrow, when the term starts in earnest, and challenge her to a fight in front of the entire student body!¡±


    <hr>


    1. ¡­

 Chapter 223: The Black-Robed Man

    <h4>Chapter 223: The ck-Robed Man</h4>


    After she showered, Yun Ruoyan leaned against the windowsill and observed the serene sea of clouds in front of her eyes. It was an unusually calm and windless night. One moment, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart seemed stuffed to the brim with thoughts; another, it felt as though she were thinking about nothing at all.


    There was a little warmth by her chest: the snowy-white serpent core ne that she kept by her bosom, which gave off a gentle glow. Not only could such a serpent core allow one to breathe freely underwater, it could even adapt one¡¯s body to the surrounding temperature.


    Yun Ruoyan knew that this core was undoubtedly a treasure. Given how concerned the Zhao siblings had seemed about the loss of Zhao Xu¡¯s pearl, however, this seemed to be a far more valuable treasure than she had given it credit for.


    Fall hade and gone, and it was the eve of winter. Even without any wind, the air was brisk and cold. Despite the spiritual energy protecting her body, Yun Ruoyan could still feel a pervasive chill in the atmosphere.


    She looked at the sea of clouds for another long moment before finally turning to bed. Just as she was shutting the window, however, a red beam of sword aura cut through the clouds and zoomed toward Yun Ruoyan.


    Li Mo¡¯s sword aura was green, and Yun Moxiao¡¯s was yellow. Shui Yun, Mo Yun, and the other seniors all had green and yellow auras, and she had never seen anyone with a red sword aura before.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at the scene through her window. The red sword aura drew closer and closer, and she infused spiritual energy into her eyes to augment her vision. Riding on the sword was a mysterious ck-robed man.


    As the sword flew above Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cottage, she felt a strange, but nevertheless somewhat familiar, aura. She quickly ran into the washroom and opened her northward-facing window, where she saw the sword aurand in a courtyard.


    Yun Ruoyan was unfamiliar with the courtyard, and she didn¡¯t know who lived there. However, she was certain she had encountered the aura before¡ªbut it had to be an incidental encounter, or she would be more familiar with it.


    After carefully recollecting her memories, she suddenly recognized the impression. About a month ago, while heading to the Kongming Mountains with Yun Moxiao as an escort, she had encountered a suspicious group of horse thieves.


    Twice upon finding the thieves, she had sensed a rather powerful aura, but it quickly vanished after appearing for only a moment. Yun Ruoyan had always suspected that this aura was from the poisoner who had created the poison, but she had never had a chance to verify her hypothesis.


    I¡¯m sure it was this aura! I¡¯ll figure out your identity, just you wait!


    She went out from her cottage in such a hurry that she didn¡¯t have time to put on an outer garment. Infusing her feet with spiritual energy, she ran in the direction of the fading sword aura. Very quickly, she arrived at her destination: two neat rows of cottages, with a few other cottages scattered throughout. Only one of those cottages was lit up; the others were all dark.


    It was veryte at night, and the students were all deep asleep¡ªall but one.


    Yun Ruoyan retracted her aura and walked toward the illuminated cottage slowly. She put her ear against the window and listened to what was going on within. As expected, she could hear a conversation between a male and female¡ªand the female student was none other than the girl who had caused amotion with Lin Qingxue during the day, Li Furong!


    On the other hand, the male voice was unfamiliar, and Yun Ruoyan was quite certain she had never heard it before. The male hadn¡¯t retracted his aura, and Yun Ruoyan could confidently im that he was the one who had had the red sword aura. In addition, she was certain that he was the hidden culprit behind the horse-poisoning incident.


    Based on his aura, the mysterious man¡¯s cultivation was surely far higher than her own. If she were to be discovered, she didn¡¯t doubt that he could kill her on the spot. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t dare to make a sudden move; instead, she retracted her aura, slowed her breathing, and tried to discern what they were saying through the window.


    ¡°Why did you contact me?¡± the man asked, somewhat dissatisfied.


    ¡°Look at my hand.¡± Li Furong didn¡¯t answer the man¡¯s question directly.


    ¡°What happened?¡± The man¡¯s dissatisfaction turned into concern.


    ¡°Master,¡± Li Furong called out intively, ¡°I was bullied by another girl, and you have to get revenge for me!¡±


    Li Furong called the man her master, but her tone sounded as though she were talking to a lover instead. Yun Ruoyan tried to ignore the raised goosebumps on her skin as she continued listening on.


    ¡°This is all a minor matter,¡± the man coaxed. ¡°Once you finish the major task I¡¯ve given you, you¡¯ll be able to punish anyone in Kongming Academy with impunity save the six elders themselves!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Li Furong was clearly satisfied by the man¡¯s reply. ¡°I knew you doted on me, Master.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°After all, in order to send you into Kongming Academy, I sacrificed two medicinal puppets. I made those puppets at great personal expense, so you have to steal the all-seeing mirror out of Kongming Academy topensate me for my loss.¡±


    The man¡¯s words validated Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hypothesis: he was indeed the master of the two medicinal puppets!


    However, what was more shocking to Yun Ruoyan was the fact that he was trying to steal the all-seeing mirror from Kongming Academy! The mirror was one of the grandest treasures that the academy possessed. Who would even dare attempt to steal it?


    Her curiosity sufficiently aroused, Yun Ruoyan poked a hole through the window and tried to observe the conversation, heedless of the potential consequences.


    ¡°Who?¡± The moment she poked a hole through the window, the man seemed to notice something amiss.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Master?¡±


    ¡°I seem to sense someone outside.¡± The man walked to the door and poked his head out, but he didn¡¯t find anyone present.


    ¡°Who would be skulking around these cottages sote at night? After all, Kongming Academy¡¯s notoriously difficult for outsiders to get to. Given the arrays surrounding the academy, there¡¯s not even a night patrol around, so no one will be able to discover your presence!¡±


    The man seemed to disagree with Li Furong. ¡°There¡¯s no reason not to be careful. After all, I wouldn¡¯t want all my ns to be disrupted because of carelessness. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Master, wait!¡± Li Furong suddenly grabbed his sleeve. ¡°The ck-mist spider you handed me for protection was killed by Yun Ruoyan, the girl that bullied me!¡±


    ¡°What?! The ck-mist spider was killed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, by that hateful, horrible Yun Ruoyan!¡± Li Furong recounted her sh with Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan earlier in the day.


    ¡°I raised that ck-mist spider over a prolonged period of time with countless poisonous herbs. Even a magical beast would have died with just one bite¡­¡± The man¡¯s voice was pained. ¡°Someone crushed it, just like that?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had killed that ck-mist spider in one shot, so no one realized just how strong it was. However, what they didn¡¯t know was that Li Furong had managed to survive the trial grounds a few times only because she had that spider with her.


    The man was shocked that the spider was killed so easily, and potentially by the fact that Yun Ruoyan was far stronger than he had anticipated. Li Furong¡¯s exasperated voice rang out once more.


    ¡°That Yun Ruoyan caught me by surprise! Once I¡¯m done with this task, Master, you have to kill her as revenge for the ck-mist spider!¡±


    Suddenly, her voice turned pitiful once more. ¡°My cultivation¡¯s too low, Master, and without something to defend myself, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to keep myself safe from danger. Master, could you give me something else for protection?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The man extended a hand, revealing a jade-green snake in his palm.


    ¡°This little snake is also rather venomous. It¡¯s not as potent as the ck-mist spider, of course, but a regr cultivator will die with one bite from the snake. Even those with more advanced cultivations will find this snake¡¯s venom troublesome to deal with.¡±


    Li Furong cupped the snake in her palm, and it crawled into her sleeve.


    ¡°In the future, unless it¡¯s something of utmost importance, don¡¯t send me a signal so casually.¡± Then, the man flew off on his sword.


    Yun Ruoyan was hiding in a small spot by the eaves of the cottage. The man¡¯s sudden discovery of her presence left Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back cold with sweat, but she was luckily still small enough to squeeze into a tight corner.


    Worried that the ck-robed man would suddenlye back to look for her, she curled up in her spot for quite a while before finally descending to the ground and running back to her cottage once more. The matter was of such importance that Yun Ruoyan decided to find Li Mo early in the morning and inform him of the man¡¯s n at once.


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan arrived at the southern college early. It was the first day of term, and the doors to the southern college were wide open. Within the college were a few outer disciples performing the daily cleaning routines.


    Yun Ruoyan circled around the main instructional area and headed straight for the southern tower. Along the way, she ran into Cang Song.


    Kongming Academy didn¡¯t have a single director or principal, but was instead jointly directed by all six elders together. At the same time, the elders were separately responsible for the five colleges and three specialized institutions. However, they were often so busy with their responsibilities that they handed most of the instructional responsibilities to provosts. Except for a few specialized cases in which the elders¡¯ judgment was necessary, ordinary affairs were handled by these provosts.


    Cang Song was in charge of the southern college. He was in his forties, much younger than the six elders, but was of the same generation of disciples as they were. Unfortunately, because of his rtively poor cultivation, he became a provost rather than an elder.


    ¡°My greetings to you, Master Cang.¡± Yun Ruoyan bowed. Cang Song had been responsible for quite a number of affairs pertaining to the selection of new students, and Yun Ruoyan was more familiar with him than with most of the other instructors and provosts. Furthermore, he seemed to be genial and impartial.


    ¡°Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?¡±


    <hr>


    1. Imagine windows made with rice paper rather than ss.

 Chapter 224: Roll Call

    <h4>Chapter 224: Roll Call</h4>


    ¡°Master Cang, I¡¯m heading toward the southern tower in order to find my master,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Cang Song replied kindly. ¡°I just came back from the tower, and he isn¡¯t present.¡±


    ¡°In that case, is the first elder around?¡±


    ¡°The first elder left with your master, and neither of them are back at the moment. If there¡¯s anything urgent or pressing, I may be able to help.¡± Cang Song nced at Yun Ruoyan appreciatively.


    Yun Ruoyan had reported the horse thieves she had seen as soon as she had entered Kongming Academy, and Cang Song and the other provosts had specially questioned Yun Ruoyan about what she had seen. Since both Li Mo and the first elder weren¡¯t present, it seemed appropriate to report the matter to Cang Song.


    As a result, she described what she had witnessed yesterday and recounted the conversation between the ck-robed man and Li Furong.


    ¡°Were you able to see what the man looked like?¡± Cang Song was easily as shocked as Yun Ruoyan herself about the whole affair.


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head. ¡°Initially, I was listening in from the outside, and I couldn¡¯t see their actual appearance. When I tried to peek inside, I was discovered almost immediately, so I ran away and hid instead. I never had the chance to see the ck-robed man¡¯s true appearance.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s not alert anyone just yet,¡± Cang Song replied. ¡°I¡¯ll dispatch some men to observe Li Furong from afar. Those who even dare contemte stealing Kongming Academy¡¯s all-seeing mirror surely aren¡¯t ordinary, and we have to wait for the first elder to return before we cane up with a proper n.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, then followed Cang Song out of the southern college and toward the main za. Today was the first day of term, and ording to Kongming Academy¡¯s traditions, all students old and new had to head to the za for a massive schoolwide roll call.


    By the time Yun Ruoyan followed Cang Song there, the za was already filled with people. Even the old students who had been out on trials and expeditions of their own had returned, and almost a thousand students roamed the za.


    On stage, only one of the six elders was present: the sixth elder. For a mere formality like a schoolwide roll call, the elders would usually choose not to show up. Indeed, the sixth elder was only present for a specific reason.


    Yesterday, Zhuo Yifeng had gone in search of the first elder to discuss his changing colleges. However, the first elder hadn¡¯t been present, so he went directly to the sixth elder instead. Naturally, the sixth elder was very excited to have such a talented student join his college.


    The reason the sixth elder had appeared at the roll call today was in order to personally admit Zhuo Yifeng to the central college.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, we¡¯re over here!¡± Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue both waved at Yun Ruoyan as soon as they saw her. Yun Ruoyan bade farewell to Cang Song, then went to rejoin her cousins.


    The five colleges were split into five separate factions, each lined up in orderly rows on the za. Yun Ruoyan and the other iing students had all dressed in the white robes of the academy, and the blinding sea of white in the za was quite an astounding sight indeed.


    Cang Song walked up to the stage, where the sixth elder and other provosts seemed to have been waiting for him.


    ¡°Senior Cang Song, why are you only here now?¡± one of the provosts of the central college asked. ¡°The sixth elder and the other seniors all arrived quite a while ago.¡±


    The other provosts had been in the same generation of disciples as the elders, but also didn¡¯t have sufficient cultivation to join the six elders. Being a sword saint was a prerequisite to being an elder, and Cang Song had the highest cultivation among the provosts. However, he had been stuck as a ninth-rank demaster for almost ten years, and it would be highly unusual if he were to make it to a sword saint in his lifetime.


    Cang Song smiled and answered the question vaguely before bowing to the sixth elder.


    ¡°No need for courtesy.¡± The sixth elder smoothed his mustache. ¡°When you get to the central college¡¯s students, I¡¯ll take over for you.¡±


    There were over a thousand students, and reading each one¡¯s name was a rather taxing task. ording to custom, the central college¡¯s students were thest to be read out, after the other four colleges; by then, about four hours would have passed.


    The busy elders cherished every bit of their time, and even four hours was a preciousmodity to them. The other provosts didn¡¯t quite know why the sixth elder would be willing to spend so much time on a simple ceremony, and they could only agree.


    Shortly after, Cang Song began leading the roll call. It started with the eastern college, with the eastern provost reading out the students¡¯ names. He stood with a register of students in his hands; as he read their names, they would raise their own identification token.


    Yun Ruoyan discovered that, after each name was read out, the provost would touch a finger to the name in his register, and the student¡¯s identification token would glow. The tokens all seemed to glow different colors: some were red, some blue, and some other colors entirely.


    ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll advance in rank this year¡­¡±


    Just as Yun Ruoyan was wondering what these colors represented, two senior students next to her began chatting away.


    ¡°You were yellowst year, weren¡¯t you? You should certainly be green now¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not certain! When I first entered the academy, I was red for two whole years!¡±


    After overhearing their conversation, Yun Ruoyan thought that she had a good idea of what the different colors represented. Based on the students¡¯ performance, they would be divided into five levels: red, yellow, blue, green, and violet. All iing students were red, and they would be re-evaluated at the roll call at the start of a new term.


    There were about two hundred students in the eastern college, but their names were read out surprisingly rapidly. After only a quarter-hour, it was the southern college¡¯s turn. The older students¡¯ names were read out first. Yun Ruoyan and the other new students stood at the back of the line, and their names were correspondingly read outst.


    Qiu Xiaocun, Wang Feng, Qin Qiang, Zhou Hui¡¯er¡­


    As Cang Song read out their names, the older students ahead of them raised the identification tokens in their hands one by one. As they did so, their tokens began to glow---mostly in blue, green, and purple.


    After their names were read out, some looked excited and others crestfallen.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan.¡± Finally, it was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s turn.


    Just like the other students, Yun Ruoyan raised her identification token up high, and it glowed a bright red. Following her were Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue, but not Zhuo Yifeng. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help ncing back to Zhuo Yifeng, who was standing right behind them. She guessed that his application to transfer colleges had been sessful, and was more than a little disappointed.


    Lin Qingxue also looked back, with hurt in her eyes.


    Zhuo Yifeng avoided their nces.


    Surprisingly, it only took two hours before the four colleges were all finished with their respective registers. Finally, when it came time for the central college¡¯s roll call, the sixth elder himself stood up and began calling out names.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng!¡± The first name the sixth elder called out was Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s.


    Amidst the crowd¡¯s scrutiny, Zhuo Yifeng raised his identification token.


    ¡°Why are you still standing there in the southern college? Come,e here!¡± The sixth elder waved at Zhuo Yifeng, and he walked toward the sixth elder as all eyes turned to him.


    ¡°Elder, doesn¡¯t this student belong to the southern college?¡± Cang Song¡¯s voice was questioning. ¡°How did his name end up in the central college¡¯s roster?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this kid came and found me yesterday, saying that he wanted to join the central college instead. I was going to talk to the first elder about it, but he¡¯s out at the moment.¡±


    The sixth elder raised his chin. ¡°So I decided to ept him unterally! As for the roster, well, I just changed it a little.¡±


    ¡°But this¡­¡±


    ¡°The matter¡¯s set!¡± The sixth elder broke Cang Song off, then announced to his own students, ¡°I won¡¯t bother reading everyone¡¯s names out, alright? Everyone will move up an additional level, even the new students!¡±


    The sixth elder moved his hand over the roster, which glowed with white light. At the same time, the tokens of all students in the central college simrly glowed.


    The students erupted in outrage.


    ¡°What? How could this be?!¡±


    ¡°The trash from the central college have always been the worst among us, so how could their rank be raised just like that?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not the first time the sixth elder¡¯s done something like this! No matter how they cheat, their skills won¡¯t improve a single bit!¡±


    Conversely, despite the grumbling of the other students, the students of the central college were each overjoyed. Being able to rise in ranking without even putting in any effort was one of the best benefits of being in the central college. As for whether their skills would develop, well, most of the students in the central college didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Alright, you guys handle the rest. I need to rush back to cultivate!¡±


    The sixth elder left whistling, leaving the shocked provosts to stare at each other on stage. In the end, they could onlyugh bitterly and continue with the ceremony.


    The sixth elder was an¡­ interesting character within Kongming Academy. In general, he was friendly and didn¡¯t participate in the many squabbles amongst the elders, and even when he provided unfair advantages to students of his college, he did so in in sight.


    Furthermore, the students of the central college likely wouldn¡¯t be able to rank up without this additional help. Even with the sixth elder¡¯s cheating, they would only be able to skive by with a mediocre performance at best, so even the first elder turned a blind eye.


    After the roll call, Cang Song had everyone return to their respective colleges.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you leave, Yun Ruoyan!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was just about to head back to the southern college with the Lin siblings when a familiar voice called out to her. She stopped, turned toward the voice, and frowned.


    Rong Yueshan, Yi Qianying, Pei Ziao, and Li Furong were all walking over together.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Lin Qingxue stepped forward.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you try to find me yesterday for a direct confrontation?¡± Rong Yueshan¡¯s gaze swept over the gathered crowd. ¡°Zhao Qiang, Zhao Xu!¡±


    The two Zhao siblings also walked over upon hearing their names, along with a few members of the eastern college. As soon as they all gathered around her, Rong Yueshan called out to the crowd, ¡°I can confirm that Yun Ruoyan was the one who stole Zhao Xu¡¯s pearl ne!¡±

 Chapter 225: Called Out

    <h4>Chapter 225: Called Out</h4>


    Rong Yuehong deliberately raised her voice and emphasized Yun Ruoyan¡¯s name to arouse attention from the gathered crowd. Even many of the returning students were attracted by themotion.


    It was clear to Yun Ruoyan and the Lin siblings that Rong Yuehong was going to pester them once more. Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen were calm and cool-headed enough that they didn¡¯t respond to her provocation, but Lin Qingxue yelled out furiously, ¡°What pearl? Who took the pearl? Don¡¯t malign us!¡±


    Rong Yueshan ignored Lin Qingxue¡¯s anger. ¡°You don¡¯t have to get mad at me. After all, the pearl isn¡¯t mine. I¡¯m just revealing what I know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re clearly trying to nder us,¡± Lin Qingchen added, defending her sister, before looking toward Zhao Xu. ¡°Miss Zhao, my cousin would never take your possession. Please don¡¯t believe Rong Yueshan¡¯s one-sided usation.¡±


    Lin Qingchen thought quite favorably of Zhao Xu, who seemed rather amenable to logic. However, Zhao Xu seemed to wholeheartedly believe Rong Yueshan¡¯s usation.


    ¡°Miss Yun, I¡¯ve mentioned that I don¡¯t want to make this a big deal. That pearl is truly important to me, and I can¡¯t bear its loss to my family. Please, return it to me.¡±


    Zhao Xu¡¯s tone was so sincere that the gathered crowd began to believe that Yun Ruoyan was indeed responsible for snatching the pearl away.


    ¡°What¡¯s this pearl ne that they¡¯re talking about? It must be something more valuable than an ordinary pearl, if they¡¯re making such a big deal about it¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s likely a fish-core pearl, made from the core of fish-type beasts that have lived for over three centuries. Only high-rank forgemasters are able to craft it at all, and it¡¯s an unbelievably precious possession.¡±


    Someone else added, ¡°Holding a fish-core pearl in your mouth allows you to breathe naturally underwater. It¡¯s very rare in thendlocked Li kingdom, but slightly moremon in the Chen kingdom that borders the ocean. However, even there, this pearl is only avable in very limited quantities.¡±


    ¡°No wonder someone would steal such a treasure! If I were the one who saw it, I would probably have taken it for myself as well¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s truly a treasure, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The crowd began to make a fuss.


    ¡°And this fish-core pearl isn¡¯t an ordinary treasure, either,¡± the person continued exining. ¡°In the Chen kingdom, such pearls are traditionally passed down the female line, and it serves as a recognition of a female heir¡¯s position in the family. In addition, it¡¯s also a significant part of their dowry upon marriage. If she really were to lose the pearl, it would drastically affect her future status and marriage prospects.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? No wonder this pair of siblings looks so anxious!¡±


    ¡°To ruin someone else¡¯s future because of a moment of greed¡­ how hical!¡±


    Murmurs circted amidst the crowd, which became increasingly convinced that Yun Ruoyan was the culprit behind this theft. Given Zhao Xu¡¯s anxiety, it was almost certain that her fish-core pearl was missing. However, that she wouldy the me on Yun Ruoyan so definitively without showing any evidence made the Lin sisters think quite poorly of her.


    ¡°Miss Zhao,¡± Lin Qingchen began. ¡°I can understand why you might be upset about losing such a prized possession, but how can you im that my cousin was the thief without any proof? I think it more likely that Rong Yueshan was the thief!¡±


    Lin Qingchen pointed a finger at Rong Yueshan usingly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be just like the thief to try to pin the me on someone else, Miss Zhao?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to mislead us!¡± Zhao Qiang interjected. ¡°No one else could have taken the fish-core pearl but Yun Ruoyan¡ªmy sister was kind enough to give you a chance to return it without the threat of force, but otherwise¡­¡±


    He brandished his fists menacingly.


    Zhao Qiang sounded so certain that the crowd had almost been entirely convinced of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s culpability.


    ¡°Oh? Yesterday, you were already quite certain that the thief was me.¡± Yun Ruoyan finally opened her mouth to defend herself. Unhurriedly, she continued, ¡°What makes you so certain?¡±


    She stared at Zhao Qiang with her wide, clear eyes, a hint of a smile by her face.


    Zhao Qiang hesitated for a moment. Given what he knew of her, he thought it likely for Yun Ruoyan to keep trying to pin the me on Rong Yueshan instead, or for her to plead and beg for forgiveness after finally admitting to the crime. However, Yun Ruoyan avoided both strategies. From the very beginning, she had only been watching on, as though she were only a bystander. If he didn¡¯t have incontrovertible proof, he might even have fallen for her act.


    He chuckled coldly. ¡°If you¡¯re so reluctant to admit your crime, I¡¯ll reveal the evidence to everyone.¡±


    Zhao Qiang reached for an ornament, a white bone-shaped object to which a red string was tied. ¡°This is an ornament made from the head of a thousand-year-old fish-type beast,¡± Zhao Qiang proimed to the crowd. ¡°It can sense fish-core pearls. Observe!¡±


    Zhao Qiang moved the bone ornament closer and closer to Yun Ruoyan, and it began glowing more and more brightly the closer he moved. Because most of the gathered crowd believed that Yun Ruoyan was the one who stole the pearl, this wasn¡¯t a surprise.


    ¡°Well? What have you to say for yourself?!¡± Zhao Qiang folded his arms. ¡°Are you going to take out the pearl ne, or will I have to fight you for it?¡±


    ¡°How embarrassing!¡± Yi Qianying, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯re a scion of the Yun family¡ªhow could you take part in such thievery? You¡¯ve disgraced us all!¡±


    There were surely those in the crowd who knew of the Yun family, and they began discussing the matter amongst themselves.


    ¡°Is she that daughter of the Yun family? I heard that the Yun family was well-known in the Li kingdom for its moral character. Who would have thought that their daughter would be such an unrepentant thief?¡±


    ¡°So what if she¡¯s from the Yun family? After all, we¡¯re all tempted by others¡¯ treasures. Didn¡¯t we snatch from each other within the secret realm? It¡¯s just that no one will admit it openly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but if she¡¯s still denying the affair even with such proof¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± This time, it was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s turn tough. ¡°Your proof is just this glowing ornament? Howughable!¡±


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Lin Qingxue added.


    ¡°I was an eyewitness to the crime, remember? We have ample proof, so stop trying to hide it and hand over the fish-core pearl!¡± Rong Yueshan¡¯s face was adorned with a malicious smile. ¡°Otherwise, if you¡¯re sent off to the hall of repentance for punishment, you might not get away so easily. Your two dear cousins might be implicated as well!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan eyed Rong Yueshan coldly, ignoring her provocative words. Instead, she turned to Zhao Qiang and Zhao Xu.


    ¡°Are you so certain that I took the fish-core pearl?¡±


    ¡°Naturally. My bone ornament wouldn¡¯t be mistaken!¡± Zhao Qiang, for one, fully believed this im.


    ¡°Miss Yun, please hand the pearl back. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be the one in trouble,¡± Zhao Xu added, a little impatience staining her tone. She really didn¡¯t understand how Yun Ruoyan could still continue denying the crime even though everything had been made so clear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any reason to be enemies with either of you,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued coolly, ¡°so I¡¯d like to advise you to be careful with what you see and what you hear. Otherwise, you¡¯ll easily be manipted without your knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous! Would I, Zhao Qiang, be so easily manipted by others? If you didn¡¯t take my sister¡¯s fish core, I¡¯ll kowtow to you and acknowledge my mistake in front of everyone present!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yun Ruoyan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you mean it?¡±


    Zhao Qiang was very confident in himself. He had had a bad first impression of Yun Ruoyan because she had managed to steal the amaranthine sun from his and Wang Meng¡¯s grasp as they fought with each other, then foiled both of them with a petty trick at the end.


    From then on, he had felt animosity toward Yun Ruoyan. When Rong Yueshan told him that the fish-core pearl was in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands, he couldn¡¯t wait to expose and humiliate her!


    If not for Zhao Xu¡¯s disapproval, he would have confronted her long ago. However, it seemed as though Yun Ruoyan would be unrepentant to the very end.


    ¡°A gentleman is honorbound by his words!¡± Zhao Qiang eximed. ¡°But if you truly are the thief, not only do you have to kowtow to me, you have to proim your guilt at the za for everyone to hear. I want you to shout ten times, ¡®I, Yun Ruoyan, am a shameless thief!¡¯¡±


    ¡°You¡ªYou¡¯re the shameless thief!¡± Lin Qingxue rebutted, furious.


    ¡°I ept!¡± Yun Ruoyan responded, equally loudly. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan removed her own serpent-core ne from her bosom, then disyed it in front of Zhao Qiang.


    ¡°Do you see this? I do have a simr beast core, but it¡¯s mine!¡±


    The serpent-core ne in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands let out a warm glow, attracting the gaze of the crowd.


    ¡°My goodness, can you feel its aura? This is truly a treasure!¡±


    The serpent-core ne in her hands wasrger and more polished than Zhao Xu¡¯s, and was far superior in quality. Her face blushed a furious red: it seemed as if she and her brother really had mistaken Yun Ruoyan¡ªno, someone had manipted them into doing so!

 Chapter 226: By Hook or by Crook

    <h4>Chapter 226: By Hook or by Crook</h4>


    Zhao Qiang felt as embarrassed about the affair as his sister, and the two siblings looked at Rong Yueshan in outrage.


    However, she only said, ¡°That¡¯s the fish-core pearl! I saw Yun Ruoyan take this pearl from Zhao Ming¡¯s corpse with my own eyes! Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯re trying to prove your innocence with your stolen goods?!¡±


    The Zhao siblings hesitated, not understanding Rong Yueshan¡¯s words. Rong Yueshan looked at Zhao Qiang and continued, ¡°What are you waiting for? Aren¡¯t you going to retrieve your sister¡¯s fish-core pearl?¡±


    The Zhao siblings finally understood: Rong Yueshan was going to im that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pearl was theirs all along!


    Yun Ruoyan understood Rong Yueshan¡¯s ploy the moment she said those words. After all, no one present had seen Zhao Xu¡¯s fish-core pearl for themselves. If the Zhao siblings were to im that the pearl in her hands belonged to Zhao Xu, that would be a difficult im for Yun Ruoyan to refute.


    ¡°Look carefully. Are you sure this pearl is yours?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes glinted.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­¡± As soon as Zhao Xu began to speak, Zhao Qiang tugged at her hand and shook his head almost imperceptibly. If they couldn¡¯t retrieve the fish-core pearl, Zhao Xu would receive severe punishment from the family, and Zhao Qiang would have to kowtow to Yun Ruoyan and amidst his mistake in front of the crowd.


    To have him kneel to her¡­ he would rather die! He could never admit that he had been mistaken to me Yun Ruoyan!


    ¡°This is indeed my sister¡¯s fish-core pearl.¡± Zhao Qiang looked straight at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°You¡¯ve lost!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying! This is clearly my cousin¡¯s possession, so why are you iming it as yours?!¡± Lin Qingxue shouted.


    ¡°You¡¯re the thieves, trying to snatch my cousin¡¯s pearl away!¡± Lin Qingchen added, furiously. ¡°Miss Zhao, surely you don¡¯t intend on maligning my sister?¡±


    Zhao Xu¡¯s thoughts were in turmoil. If she were the only one to be punished, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but she couldn¡¯t let her brother embarrass himself in front of everyone!


    In the end, she grit her teeth and said, ¡°This is my fish-core pearl. Miss Yun, please hand it over.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed. Although she had had quite a few shes with people from the Chen kingdom, she didn¡¯t have a very bad impression of them. Although their tactics were rather vicious, they weren¡¯t underhanded. Now, however¡­


    ¡°Why should I?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attitude suddenly hardened, and she stored the pearl once more.


    Rong Yueshan stepped forward and imed, ¡°Because you¡¯re a thief! If you don¡¯t return the fish-core pearl to the Zhao siblings, I won¡¯t let you go!¡±


    ¡°Rong Yueshan, I¡¯ve seen my fair share of shameless people, but never one as shameless as you.¡± Yun Ruoyan snorted in derision. ¡°If you want to rob me, you¡¯d better make sure you have the skills to do so.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhao, as an honorable man, you surely wouldn¡¯t bully the fairer sex. In that case, let me punish this thief on your behalf!¡± Rong Yueshan wed at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s chest.


    Rong Yueshan¡¯s cultivation had improved tremendously over thest two weeks. With the second elder to back her up, she had been wanting to seek revenge on Yun Ruoyan for quite some time. Now, she had finally found an opportunity to do so!


    Yun Ruoyan took two steps back and dodged the sneak attack, but Rong Yueshan wouldn¡¯t give Yun Ruoyan the time to retaliate. She continued striking at her with vicious blows, keeping her on the back foot.


    Yun Ruoyan was equally surprised by the sudden offensive capabilities that Rong Yueshan had demonstrated, far beyond what she had been capable of during the trial. It seemed as though she had truly advanced after her near-death experience.


    With the Fei de sealed, Yun Ruoyan had lost one of her biggest advantages. In front of this crowd, with the provosts and some students having a higher cultivation than her, she also didn¡¯t dare use the silver bracelet¡¯s augmentation power carelessly.


    For the time being, she could only defend without retaliating.


    The crowd began to spread out as the two girls began to fight.


    ¡°They¡¯re taking it seriously, aren¡¯t they?¡± one of the provosts on stage murmured to his colleagues. They¡¯d wanted to leave, but the altercation between Yun Ruoyan and Rong Yueshan had made them stop.


    After all, neither of the students involved were ordinary students. Yun Ruoyan was the disciple of the head disciple of the first elder, and the student who had seized the sage-grade treasure from the trial. Rong Yueshan had been epted into Kongming Academy as a special exception and taken in as the second elder¡¯s own disciple.


    Even the provosts were interested to know which of the two students, representing the northern and southern colleges, was stronger!


    ¡°That Yun Ruoyan¡¯s supposedly a jewel to the first elder and his disciple, but she doesn¡¯t look particrly special or talented.¡± The one who spoke was a provost from the western college. The western college was led by the fourth elder, who had initially tried to recruit Yun Ruoyan. He had been unsessful, of course, and the provost¡¯s voice sounded a little sour.


    On the other hand, Cang Song watched on withoutmenting.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, I¡¯ll have you taste what it¡¯s like to be grievously injured today!¡± Rong Yueshan suddenly stopped pressing forward. She held both hands in front of her, and spiritual energy began emanating from her palms. She made a hand motion, and that spiritual energy morphed into the shape of a white dagger, heading directly for Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan ducked her head and narrowly avoided the blow. The dagger fell on the ground, vanishing into nothingness as it did so. It didn¡¯t look like a particrly strong attack, but Yun Ruoyan could feel a suspicious icy aura from when it brushed past her.


    ¡°A low-level ice-attuned ranged spiritual technique!¡± an older student eximed. ¡°To think that she¡¯s learned such a technique within days of entering the northern college---it took me two years before I was able to manifest it!¡±


    During the early stages of cultivation, most cultivators studied techniques that would help them refine their spiritual energy to improve their cultivation, rather than focusing on ranged spiritual attacks. The reason was twofold: first, such ranged, spirit-based attacks consumed a great deal of spiritual energy, and would be a burden to low-rank cultivators; second, ranged attacks were divided into four major attunements---ice, fire, wood, and wind. To discern which attunement and which technique was most suitable to a particr cultivator required a master with great experience.


    Finding the right technique would rapidly speed up that cultivator¡¯s progress, but the wrong technique would cause the cultivator to stall. In particrly severe cases, such cultivators might even go mad if they forcefully tried to study an antithetical technique.


    As a result, despite the immense power granted by such ranged spiritual attacks, many cultivators chose to focus on internal techniques for refining spiritual energy before they knew the direction their cultivation would take.


    Even in battle, they would make use of weapon-based techniques and simple, direct attacks with pure spiritual energy rather than rashly focusing on a ranged spiritual technique.


    Even if they had studied a ranged technique, they wouldn¡¯t use it unless the foe was truly difficult to deal with, because such techniques consumed an extreme amount of spiritual energy.


    As a result, Yun Ruoyan had almost never experienced ranged spiritual attacks within the capital. She was thus wholly underprepared to deal with Rong Yueshan, who was using precisely such a technique to deal with her.


    What Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know was that, as the second elder was unblocking Rong Yueshan¡¯s meridians and expanding her spiritual vortex, he discovered that she had a particrly strong affinity with ice. As a result, he gave her an extremely valuable spiritual pill to strengthen this affinity even further.


    Rong Yuehong¡¯s cultivation had improved by leaps and bounds after the strengthening of her innate affinity. Although she could only release one small ice dagger at a time for the moment, it was troublesome enough for Yun Ruoyan to deal with.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ it seems like the second elder ended up finding a treasure for himself,¡± the central college¡¯s provost responded dully. ¡°Well, this Yun Ruoyan¡¯s certainly going to lose, so I¡¯ll be heading off first. Make sure Yun Ruoyan doesn¡¯t die, though, or Li Mo¡¯s going to be enraged when he returns.¡±


    The central college¡¯s provost hopped off the stage. Except for Zhuo Yifeng, who had been taken away by the sixth elder, the remaining students from the central college were all gathered around the fight, and the provost left on his own.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen called out to Yun Ruoyan. She had manifested her technique twice in session; Yun Ruoyan dodged the first dagger agilely, but the second brushed past her face.


    Because these daggers didn¡¯t have any weight to them, they moved at a startlingly rapid pace. In addition, Rong Yueshan was able to change their direction once in mid-air, causing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dodges to be quite forced.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s petal-shaped gauze patch had fallen to the ground, sliced evenly into two, and a gash had appeared over her fake birthmark. Fresh blood seeped out of the gash, and a chilling, icy energy invaded her body along with the wound.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve dodged quite a number of my daggers,¡± Rong Yueshanmented with a malicious smile. ¡°But with my spiritual energy reserves, I can still summon three more. I wonder how many you¡¯ll be able to dodge?¡±


    Rong Yueshan again summoned more daggers and shot them at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°This Yun Ruoyan clearly isn¡¯t Rong Yueshan¡¯s opponent, Senior Cang Song. Why don¡¯t you stop their bout now? Otherwise, someone might really die,¡± a white-faced provost remarked.


    Cang Song agreed with his judgment, but he continued looking at the bout passively. It might have seemed like just a simple match between Yun Ruoyan and Rong Yueshan, but it was also a matter of face for the northern and southern colleges as a whole.


    The southern college represented the first elder¡¯s power, and the northern college the second elder¡¯s. The second elder was famous for his pettiness and his desire to maintain his reputation, and he was quite protective of his students.


    Except for the southern college¡¯s provost, Cang Song, none of the provosts were willing to get involved in the affair.


    ¡°Ah, I have to head back to prepare for instruction,¡± the white-faced provost remarked, then ran off the stage.


    ¡°I have to leave too.¡±


    ¡°Senior Cang Song, I¡¯ll be heading off now.¡±


    The other provosts quickly left as well, leaving Cang Song alone on stage, He shook his head, then quietly crept into the crowd. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the bout between Yun Ruoyan and Rong Yueshan, and no one noticed Cang Song¡¯s presence.


    One of Rong Yueshan¡¯s daggers had cut off Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hairband, and her hair hung disheveled around her shoulders. Another dagger came flying over---one that Yun Ruoyan dodged, but not before it cut off a corner of her robes.


    One dagger left. Yun Ruoyan steadied herself as she nced at Rong Yueshan. Once I¡¯ve evaded all of them, it¡¯ll be my turn to counter-attack!


    ¡°Take this!¡± Rong Yueshan threw out herst icy dagger.


    Just then, Cang Song shot out a beam of spiritual energy from the crowd, invisible to the naked eye. It caught up to Rong Yueshan¡¯s icy dagger, then enveloped it and doubled its speed. In the blink of an eye, it was at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s front.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t seem to have reacted.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, don¡¯t me me for being vicious. You only have yourself to me for not sleeping in the middle of the night and meddling in my affairs instead!¡± Cang Song¡¯s eyes gleamed with a manic light.


    <hr>


    1. Then¡­ don¡¯t im you¡¯ll kneel to her?

 Chapter 227: Shock and Awe

    <h4>Chapter 227: Shock and Awe</h4>


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯re the one who asked for this! Don¡¯t me me.¡± Cang Song narrowed his eyes.


    The spiritual dagger that Rong Yueshan had shot out was aimed at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulder in order to give her a serious external injury, but Cang Song had manipted it to target her spiritual vortex instead. If she were hit by the dagger, Yun Ruoyan would surely die.


    The change was so sudden that none of the bystanders caught what had happened. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dangersense quickly went off, but she didn¡¯t have the time to use the bracelet¡¯s augmentation to protect herself.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face nched. She had no time to step back, and she could only watch as danger drew near to her. Opening her eyes wide, she looked at Rong Yueshan¡¯s excited, cocky expression.


    A split second before the daggernded, a thin, silver beam of light suddenly struck the dagger, dispersing it in its entirety. Yun Ruoyan stumbled backwards, unable to regain her bnce. Surprised cries rang out from around her.


    Following these cries, the white-robed Li Mo emerged from the air. Yun Ruoyan felt something suddenly tighten around her waist before she was brought into afortable, solid embrace.


    ¡°It¡¯s Master Mo!¡±


    ¡°Master Mo has appeared!¡±


    The older students were the most shocked of them all. From their exmations alone, the newer students could sense their surprise and excitement at Li Mo¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, the heart that had almost been jumping out of her chest settling back down once more.


    Li Mo caressed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s right cheek, focusing on the wound on her fake birthmark. His face turned cold, and his eyes to ice and flint.


    The crowd¡¯s hubbub died down instantly.


    ¡°Master Mo actually saved this new student!¡± One of the older female students murmured, clearly taken aback.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been at Kongming Academy for five years, and I¡¯ve never once spoken a word to Master Mo, but this new student can mobilize him¡­?¡± another male student added.


    ¡°Seniors, you might not know, but this Miss Yun is Master Mo¡¯s new disciple,¡± someone exined.


    ¡°Oh, is that so¡­¡± The newer students seemed satisfied by this exnation, but the old students appeared even more stupefied. ¡°What?! Master Mo took in a disciple? How could this be?!¡±


    Li Mo was quite a special existence in Kongming Academy: although he was an instructor in name, he wasn¡¯t in charge of sses like the other instructors. In truth, Li Mo didn¡¯t appear at Kongming Academy very often, and the students only really had a chance to see him within the trials and expeditions organized by the academy.


    However, the almost unbelievable prowess that Li Mo demonstrated during these trials left the students admiring and awed, and even the provosts, who were a generation above him, thought highly of the man.


    It had been many a student¡¯s dream to be Li Mo¡¯s disciple, but this dream had been crushed by the appearance of a new student, Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Why would Master Mo take her as a disciple? She doesn¡¯t look extraordinary at all!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? And her face is marred with a disgusting birthmark¡ªshe¡¯s not worthy of being Master Mo¡¯s disciple!¡±


    A chorus of grumbles came from the crowd. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t pay the crowd much mind, but Li Mo¡¯s gaze coldly surveilled the jeering students. Instantly, they went silent.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, are you hurt?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head. Li Mo put Yun Ruoyan down, then turned to look at Rong Yueshan, who turned away immediately. Despite her feigned nonchnce, her legs were visibly quivering.


    ¡°Ro-Rong Yueshan greets the ughtering King.¡± Rong Yueshan had no choice but to submit in front of a superior power.


    ¡°There¡¯s no ughtering King here, only a Master Mo,¡± Li Mo replied icily. ¡°A concubine-born daughter from the Rong family daresy a hand on my disciple?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s voice contained no anger, only a chilling cold that bit at one¡¯s soul. The crowd couldn¡¯t sense the harrowing effect of his voice, but Rong Yueshan could feel an oppressive aura emanating from him that grew stronger and stronger every second.


    As though she were being weighed down by a massive rock that grew in size, Rong Yueshan felt her legs quiver, then wobble, then tremble so much she couldn¡¯t stand steadily. In the end, her legs began to bend.


    ¡°Ma-Master Mo,¡± Rong Yueshan gasped. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and she felt as though she would crumple to the ground at any moment. ¡°My master told me that challenging other cultivators would spur improvement in my cultivation, and all I wanted was to improve and challenge myself against a strong opponent.¡±


    By the time Rong Yueshan finished speaking, she was gasping for breath. However, she was still confident that the second elder¡¯s name would be sufficient to shield her from harm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll exact a price from those who even dare contemte hurting my student.¡± Li Mo frowned, and the oppressive aura burdening Rong Yueshan grew acutely stronger.


    With a yelp, Rong Yueshan was no longer able to withstand the pressure, and she fell to the ground panting.


    ¡°Senior, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Just then, a voice came from the crowd, which parted way to reveal Rong Tianhai.


    Rong Tianhai walked to Rong Yueshan¡¯s side. With the wave of a hand, he infused spiritual energy into her body, relieving much of the effects of Li Mo¡¯s oppressive aura. However, when she tried to stand up, Li Mo increased the strength of his aura until she was forced to kneel again.


    ¡°Senior, Yueshan¡¯s done nothing more than challenge your disciple to a standard bout. If you punish her too harshly, surely it won¡¯t reflect well on you when the second elder investigates?¡± Rong Tianhai continued infusing spiritual energy into Rong Yueshan¡¯s body to ease her burden as he spoke.


    ¡°Let the second elder investigate me all he wants,¡± Li Mo replied coolly.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle, I can¡¯t stand this any longer!¡± Both of Rong Yueshan¡¯s palms were on the ground, and she had a pained expression on her face.


    Rong Tianhai retracted his aura and sent a row of icicles in Li Mo¡¯s direction. With a simple wave of his hand, however, Li Mo dispelled the icicles with a gust of wind.


    Both techniques were external mid-rank techniques, but their difference in cultivation was evident.


    ¡°Master Mo is truly impressive, isn¡¯t he? He dispelled Master Rong¡¯s attack using only a third of the spiritual energy he did!¡±


    ¡°Right? How advanced do you think Master Mo¡¯s cultivation is?¡±


    ¡°At least ninth-rank, surely?¡±


    The students began discussing Li Mo animatedly. Meanwhile, Rong Tianhai only got angrier and angrier. If he didn¡¯t win even a single confrontation against Li Mo, how was he to establish his authority over the students?¡±


    Rong Tianhai syed out his palms. He was still using the same spiritual technique, but at the level of a peak eighth-rank demaster. In front of his body quickly appeared countless icicles, so much that they formed a bulwark around him. With a shove, those icicles rapidly shot toward Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    The bombardment of over a hundred icicles caused everyone to falter; the attack, directed at a less advanced cultivator, would have turned that cultivator into a hedgehog.


    Li Mo finally modted his aura, retracted his spiritual energy, and made the motions for a superficially simple technique that generated countless small vortices of air before him, invisible to the naked eye. As the icicles struck these eddies, they splintered into oblivion.


    ¡°Master Mo is truly powerful!¡± the southern college students shouted. The northern college students had lost face, but didn¡¯t dare to shout back with Li Mo around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end the matter here,¡± Rong Tianhai said, putting both hands behind his back.


    Li Mo narrowed his eyes at him. ¡°Were you always around, or did you just arrive?¡±


    Rong Tianhai hesitated before replying, somewhat ufortably, ¡°I just came from the college. If I were present, I wouldn¡¯t have let them fight.¡±


    No, something¡¯s wrong, Li Mo thought. The blow that was about to hit Yun Ruoyan looked simple, but was buoyed by a surprising amount of spiritual energy. Someone with an advanced cultivation had to be doing something from the shadows.


    Cang Song had snuck away as soon as Li Mo arrived, so Li Mo hadn¡¯t discovered his presence. However, Rong Tianhai¡¯s uneasy expression evidently made him a suspect.


    A gust of anger welled up in Li Mo¡¯s heart. If he hadn¡¯t arrived in time, then Yan¡¯er might have¡­


    Li Mo raised both his hands, and a blinding amount of spiritual energy appeared in front of him. That energy coalesced in the shape of a gigantic cyclone. Yun Ruoyan had seen Li Mo use this technique before while fighting the old elder within the Minghuang Cave, and it had been startlingly strong.


    ¡°A high-rank wind-attuned spiritual technique!¡± Rong Tianhai cried out. ¡°Senior, what are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°As I said, anyone who dares harm me and mine will pay the price!¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s expression left even Rong Tianhai quaking, because he had no chance of countering such a technique. Just as the crowd thought Li Mo was about to release the cyclone at Rong Tianhai and Rong Yueshan, he lowered his hands.


    The cyclone dispersed, and the spiritual energy dissipated.


    ¡°Junior Brother, I hope what happened today won¡¯t happen a second time.¡±


    When Rong Tianhai realized that Li Mo was only trying to scare him, he immediately rxed. Even though he was furious inside, Li Mo really was beyond him in terms of cultivation.


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Rong Tianhai replied. In order to salvage some of his lost reputation, he proimed loudly to the gathered students, ¡°In the future, if you¡¯re duelling with another student, make sure to maintain appropriate behavior. If you grievously wound another student, you¡¯ll be sent to the hall of penitence and punished harshly!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Li Mo turned to Yun Ruoyan and whispered to her in a voice only the two of them could hear. ¡°I still have matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll find you tonight.¡±


    He extended a hand toward Yun Ruoyan, who immediately ducked back. She bowed respectfully. ¡°Your disciple bids you farewell, Master.¡±


    Li Mo knew that Yun Ruoyan was just trying to avoid condemnation and scrutiny in front of the gathered crowd, and he retracted his hand somewhat ufortably. ¡°You¡¯re my only disciple in Kongming Academy, so make sure you uphold my reputation!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan barely restrained herself fromughing at Li Mo¡¯s appearance as he said those words. ¡°Yes, Master!¡±

 Chapter 228: Sent to Death

    <h4>Chapter 228: Sent to Death</h4>


    ¡°Master, please wait. Would you help settle my current dispute?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took out the serpent-core ne and extended it to him. ¡°The Zhao siblings lost their fish-core pearl, and they¡¯re certain that this ne is theirs. Furthermore, Rong Yueshan even imed to be a witness to my supposed theft. But Master, this is clearly the ne you¡¯ve given me tomemorate my apprenticeship!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so.¡± Li Mo turned to the Zhao siblings.


    Zhao Qiang had heard a considerable number of rumors about Li Mo during thest two weeks, and he was far more wary of Li Mo than the other new students. That Li Mo had so easily dispelled Rong Tianhai¡¯s attacks just now spoke unequivocally to his strength.


    In Kongming Academy, where strength trumped all, even the prideful Zhao Qiang had to bow down to him.


    ¡°Master Mo, I must have been mistaken,¡± he began.


    ¡°Mistaken? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sure, Master Mo. The pearls look quite simr, and I didn¡¯t inspect it carefully enough. Now, I¡¯m certain that this isn¡¯t my sister¡¯s pearl.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ no, I mean, Master Mo.¡± Lin Qingxue stepped forward. ¡°This Zhao Qiang was behaving despicably! Not only did he try to snatch away my cousin¡¯s belongings, he even wanted her to announce to the whole academy that she was a shameless thief at the center of the za!¡±


    ¡°Right! He even said that he would kowtow and kneel to her if he were mistaken,¡± Lin Qingchen added. Despite her good temper, even she was furious by the Zhao siblings and Rong Yueshan.


    ¡°Is that so!¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice turned dark.


    ¡°Master Mo,¡± Zhao Xu hurriedly exined, ¡°my brother made those remarks impulsively, so please don¡¯t me him.¡±


    ¡°One ought to pay the price for his rash impulses,¡± Li Mo replied icily. ¡°You don¡¯t need me to teach you what to do, do you?¡±


    Zhao Qiang clenched his fists tightly. His face a frozen mask, he knelt down toward Yun Ruoyan and hurriedly kowtowed thrice. Then, he stood back up and rushed out of the crowd, lowering his head and not meeting anyone¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Zhao Xu chased him from behind.


    The matter settled, Li Mo flew toward the southern tower. Rong Tianhai instructed the gathered students to return to their respective colleges, and Yun Ruoyan walked with the Lin siblings to her first ss in Kongming Academy under the crowd¡¯s scrutiny.


    On the top of the southern tower, Li Mo and the first elder stood with their backs against the railing.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t stopped you, would you have attacked Rong Tianhai?¡± The first elder looked toward the za, where the crowd was currently dispersing.


    He had been standing at the rooftop of the tower when he saw Li Mo use his wind-attuned spiritual technique from afar. Shocked, he quickly restrained Li Mo with his own mental energy, clearly sensing Li Mo¡¯s rage and fury in the process.


    Li Mo didn¡¯t answer the first elder¡¯s question, which was itself an answer. The first elder sighed, then smiled faintly. ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected that your mother would still be on the Chenyuan continent.¡±


    When the first elder had seen the statue of Empress Xue Tongst night, he had been so agitated that he could hardly speak.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a vestige of her former self, trapped within an immobile jade statue.¡± Li Mo¡¯s gaze turned toward the sea of clouds in the distance, where arge flock of birds was flying by. ¡°My mother¡¯s been trapped in a statue for an entire decade¡ªcan you imagine the pain and solitude it must have caused? I swear I¡¯ll find my mother¡¯s mortal body and revive her once more!¡±


    The first elder nodded. When he interacted with the statue, he had also noticed that the empress¡¯ past gentle, graceful self waspletely different from her present aloofness.


    ¡°Your mother understands your feelings, Xun Mo. She tasked me to look after you, to make sure that you¡¯re not being driven by your impulses. And¡­ she had me take particr heed of Yun Ruoyan, whom you seem to like.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡¯s thinking overmuch,¡± Li Mo replied coolly. He had never understood why his mother had been so insistent that he not act on his passions. After all, why couldn¡¯t he be romantically involved and seek revenge at the same time? The reason Li Mo was well-known to be cold and aloof, even to females, was simply his own personality.


    Once he found someone he truly loved, he would be as passionate as any other man.


    ¡°After her tribtion, the empress¡¯s personality truly seems to have changed.¡± The first elder sighed. ¡°However, Li Mo, have you thought about what you would do if Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intimately connected to the demonic dragons?¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t revealed the details of her conversation with the demonic dragon elder, the first elder and Li Mo weren¡¯t easy to fool. They had all but ascertained that there existed some unusual rtionship between her and the demonic dragons. As for what that rtionship entailed, however, they weren¡¯t quite sure.


    ¡°So what if they¡¯re connected?¡± Li Mo smiled. ¡°After all, my parents flouted the silver dragons¡¯ policy of having a pure, unsullied bloodline. Why shouldn¡¯t I do the same?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what the empress is afraid of.¡± The first elderid a hand on Li Mo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°To go against convention, convention that hassted for millennia, carries a steep cost.¡±


    The Beast King and Empress Xue Tong had paid for this cost with their own lives. With the Beast King¡¯s death, the beastkin kingdom had perished. Of the millions of beastkin, only tens of thousands still remained. Many were homeless and miserable, forced to move from slump to slump. Empress Xue Tong had lost her mortal body, and her spirit had been trapped for ten whole years without seeing the light of day.


    ¡°Master,¡± Li Mo asked, looking toward the first elder. ¡°You saw my father and mother get to know each other and fall in love. Do you think they¡¯ve ever regretted paying such a hefty toll?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They¡¯re the only ones who could answer that question.¡±


    In the evening, Li Mo appeared outside Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cottage as she was stripping and preparing to take a bath. Luckily, Yun Ruoyan had locked the bathroom window tight before doing so.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, open the window!¡± Li Mo rapped against it from the outside.


    ¡°Enter from the front door,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out. ¡°Is it a tradition of the Li family to enter through windows rather than doors?¡±


    In the end, Li Mo could only enter through the front door. Locking the windows but not the front door¡­ who are you guarding against, my dear Yan¡¯er?!


    Li Mo walked to the bathroom and was stupefied to find it locked shut as well.


    ¡°Have a seat and wait a little, I¡¯ll be done shortly,¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted.


    Li Mo¡¯srge body felt particrly clumsy and oversized in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s small cottage: everything seemed small, the desk, the stool, the bed¡­


    He frowned. Shui Yun had always done a good job carrying out hismands, but not this time.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done.¡± Yun Ruoyan finally opened the bathroom door and walked out, refreshed. She was dressed in white undergarments, and her hair was wet and draped behind her shoulders. Stripped of her fake birthmark, she looked as though she were glowing in every direction, capturing any gaze directed toward her.


    When Li Mo saw Yun Ruoyan standing by the door, as petite as her furniture, he stepped forward and scooped her up in two big steps.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly grabbed Li Mo¡¯s sleeve. She was about to protest when Li Mo¡¯s lips enveloped hers, forcing her words back down her throat.


    Yun Ruoyan had grown far morefortable with Li Mo. She had been reticent before, but now she was two-fifths shy, two-fifths bashful, and one-fifth repressed desire.


    Her emotions were so intoxicating to Li Mo that he had to use all his self-control to stop himself from taking matters further with her. By the time Li Mo finally let go of Yun Ruoyan, her face was ming red, and Li Mo had begun to pant softly.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er¡­¡± Li Mo¡¯s lower jaw was propped against the crook of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s neck. He called out to her in a low and hoarse voice.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°When will you finally be an adult?¡± Li Mo sighed, exasperated.


    Yun Ruoyanughed. ¡°My mind¡¯s quite old, even older than yours.¡±


    Li Mo only thought that she was joking. He inspected her face from up close, noting to his dissatisfaction a faint red scar on her right cheek: the result of Rong Yueshan¡¯s low-rank ice-attuned technique.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw Li Mo¡¯s gaze turn dark, she hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, nothing! Just a minor wound¡ªouch!¡±


    Li Mo had rapped her on the head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a woman who cares so little about her appearance as you do. Have you been using the salve that I gave you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, my dear ughtering King!¡± Yun Ruoyan acted coyly after seeing Li Mo¡¯s ugly expression.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± She suddenly recalled something important and sat up from Li Mo¡¯sp. ¡°Did you see Master Cang Song today?¡±


    ¡°No, why?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan told him about her encounter with the ck-d manst night.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s actually trying to steal the all-seeing mirror? He must be tired of living,¡± Li Mo snorted.


    ¡°I know how important this is. Because neither you nor the first elder were around, I reported the matter to Master Cang Song,¡± Yun Ruoyan stated. ¡°But you don¡¯t seem to be particrly concerned¡­¡±


    The all-seeing mirror was one of the most potent and well-known treasures of the academy. Shouldn¡¯t Li Mo have immediately told the first elder about the matter after learning about it from her?


    And Master Cang Song hadn¡¯t even reported it to Li Mo or the first elder, even though Li Mo had returned in the afternoon!


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you might not be aware of this, but,¡± Li Mo began slowly,bing his fingers through Yun Ruoyan¡¯s damp hair. ¡°The all-seeing mirror is an ancient, godly treasure, granted to Kongming Academy by the highest heavens. No thief would be able to steal it so easily.¡±


    The reason that Li Mo wasn¡¯t particrly concerned because the all-seeing mirror was enveloped by a heaven and earth array. Even activating the array would lead to divine punishment, let alone stealing the mirror. As a result, there was really no need to implement any safety or preventive measures around the mirror; anyone who tried to steal the mirror would be beset by heavenly tribtion.

 Chapter 229: The Farsighted King’s Ambition

    <h4>Chapter 229: The Farsighted King''s Ambition</h4>


    Li Mo then told Yun Ruoyan that many a thief had tried to steal the all-seeing mirror, but each had met a disastrous end. Yun Ruoyan now understood why Li Mo had been so unconcerned about the attempt, but she wasn¡¯t fully convinced.


    ¡°Since that ck-robed man was able to sneak into Kongming Academy, he can¡¯t be an ordinary cultivator.¡± Yun Ruoyan thought back to his red sword aura; he had to be at least an eighth-rank demaster.


    An eighth-rank demaster was superficially simr to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s current rank as a peak seventh-rank demaster, but the separation between ranks grew more and more extreme after fifth-rank. This was especially true for the gap between seventh- and eighth-rank, because only at eighth-rank could demasters learn to soar on their swords.


    Themon distinction of rank was a measure of umtion of spiritual energy. Only when demasters reached eighth-rank and could resonate with their des would they be considered true demasters. There were many of those who studied the way of a demaster, but few who could im to be true demasters. That ck-robed man had seemed to be a rather strong demaster in his own right.


    ¡°Not only is that ck-robed man a demaster, he was easily able to bypass the wards around Kongming Academy. Clearly, he must be familiar with the area, and he might even have an aplice within the academy itself,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued. ¡°In that case, how could he not know that the all-seeing mirror is protected by its own defensive array?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath, then continued, ¡°Furthermore, the ck-robed man even sent out two medicinal puppets to help Li Furong get into the academy sessfully. This implies that all this had to have been nned out quite some time in advance. Surely this seemingly well-informed and high-ranking cultivator wouldn¡¯t have such an obvious w in his ns?¡±


    Li Mo was very satisfied by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s serious appearance. ¡°Yan¡¯er, your analysis is quite reasonable. If there¡¯s truly a traitor in the ranks of Kongming Academy, then I¡¯ll surely root them out.¡±


    In the dark of the night, within a quiet, isted corner of the southern college, Cang Song anxiously waited for someone¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Why did you contact me in such a hurry?¡± the ck-robed man asked as soon as he entered.


    ¡°Did you go and find Li Furongst night?¡± Cang Song asked, his tone harsh.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You were the one who sent me a signal, so I went over to her cottage.¡±


    ¡°You were tailed, and you didn¡¯t even know! Yun Ruoyan, that girl that Li Mo took as disciple, saw your sword aura and caught every word of your conversation with Li Furong!¡±


    Only then did the ck-robed man seem to realize how serious the affair was. ¡°No wonder I kept thinking there was someone outside the door¡­ But no one was there when I went outside to look¡ªthis Yun Ruoyan must be quite adept at retracting her aura, to be able to fool even me!¡±


    ¡°Luckily neither the first elder nor Li Mo were present yesterday, and she told me about the affair instead. I¡¯d nned on killing her at the za today, but Li Mo came back right in the nick of time! Now that Li Furong¡¯s exposed, we have to change the n. She can¡¯t stay here any longer!¡±


    The ck-robed man immediately objected. ¡°No, that can¡¯t be! Li Furong¡¯s a pawn I¡¯ve groomed for this very asion.¡±


    ¡°But now she¡¯s exposed! I can only keep this a secret for an additional night. I have to report it tomorrow morning, or I¡¯ll arouse suspicion. Once I do so, I¡¯m sure the first elder will take preventive measures against her. Unless you kill her immediately, your identity might even be divulged!¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no chance of that.¡± The ck-robed man shook his head. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know my secret identity within Kongming Academy. Even if she¡¯s caught, she can¡¯t rat me out.¡±


    Cang Song snorted. ¡°You can¡¯t bear to get rid of her, can you?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s only a sacrificial pawn that I¡¯ve employed for stealing the all-seeing mirror. Why wouldn¡¯t I be willing to get rid of her? I just need her to start a diversion to lure the first elder away. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to sneak into the bottommost floor of the southern tower and steal the manual of heavenly dragons¡¯ tactics.¡±


    The ck-robed man looked at Cang Song, ardor in his gaze. ¡°You know that the Farsighted King has been nning to take over the Chenyuan continent for decades, and this manual is thest item he needs for his ns. I have to seize it for the Farsighted King to help him aplish his life¡¯s mission!¡±


    Cang Song sighed. ¡°In that case, what are you nning on doing?¡±


    ¡°Li Furong thinks that my objective is the all-seeing mirror, as does Yun Ruoyan. Report Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words fully, and you¡¯ll be able to confuse the first elder and Li Mo all the more.¡±


    The ck-robed man quickly came up with measures against Yun Ruoyan. ¡°As you know, the old codger and Li Mo both think themselves clever. They¡¯ll surely wait for Li Furong to try to carry out her objective, then catch her in the act. ording to n, I¡¯ll use her as a diversion and steal that manual!¡±


    Cang Song mulled the ck-robed man¡¯s idea over for a few moments before finally nodding. ¡°In that case, you better execute your n as quickly as possible, in case any furtherplications arise.¡±


    The ck-robed man nodded, then chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The moment the Farsighted King unites all of the Chenyuan continent will be the moment you be the first elder.¡±


    After the ck-robed man left, Cang Song tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Many years ago, when he¡¯d met the Farsighted King through a chance encounter, they found a kindred soul in each other. Both men had been squashed underfoot and unable to obtain true power for themselves. At the same time, they both had a reputation for being carefree and easygoing. Underneath that mask, however, they lusted for authority.


    Cang Song¡¯s cultivation had stalled. Not only could he not get to the apex of power, he was even unable to be an elder of Kongming Academy. As for the Farsighted King, his mother¡¯s status was inferior to Li Xiu¡¯s, so he was unable to seed the throne even though he was the eldest son.


    After the chance encounter, the two of them became as thick as thieves. Even after they separated, they exchanged countless letters with each other. Three years ago, the Farsighted King revealed his intention to seize the throne of the Li kingdom and hence unite the Chenyuan continent, and he had invited Cang Song to join him.


    Cang Song was a member of Kongming Academy, which had long had a policy of non-intervention with the secr world. Cang Song had initially refused, but the Farsighted King then made him an offer that he couldn¡¯t reject.


    The Farsighted King had imed that what he wanted wasn¡¯t just the Li kingdom, but the entire Chenyuan continent! He wanted his name to be recorded in history, and his wild ambition had overwhelmed Cang Song in fervor.


    The Farsighted King had even imed that the only reason Kongming Academy could remain superior to the four kingdoms was because the four kingdoms formed an intricate web of checks and bnces between themselves. If he were to unite the four kingdoms and hence be the sole ruler of the Chenyuan continent, his next step would be to take control of Kongming Academy, and Cang Song would be his choice for the new first elder.


    Cang Song¡¯s lofty ambitions meant that he had no choice but to ept. As a result, he became a spy for the Farsighted King. Slightly more than a year ago, the Farsighted King had discovered that in the bottommost floor of the southern tower of Kongming Academy was kept a legendary treasure, a manual of war tactics. Allegedly, the one who possessed this manual would be able to win any battle without fail.


    However, the southern tower was where the first elder cultivated, and he hadn¡¯t left Kongming Academy for many years. Unless there were something urgent happening in Kongming Academy, the first elder wouldn¡¯t even leave the southern tower.


    The Farsighted King had sent the ck-robed man over to find a chance to steal the manual with Cang Song¡¯s help, but they had never found a good opportunity. It was onlyter, when the ck-robed man thought to rope in his disciple who was skilled with thievery, Li Furong. With her as bait to lure away the first elder, the ck-robed man would be able to seize the opportunity to steal the legendary manual.


    He and Cang Song had then concocted a n to get Li Furong into Kongming Academy. Everything had been going as anticipated until a curious variable had emerged: Yun Ruoyan. This made Cang Song very ufortable.


    After the ck-robed man left Cang Song¡¯s cottage, he went straight to Li Furong¡¯s residence. Li Furong was sound asleep, and the ck-robed man jumped in through a window.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Upon feeling a mysterious man¡¯s presence, Li Furong immediately jumped out of bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± the ck-robed man whispered.


    ¡°Master, why are you here? I didn¡¯t send you a signal¡­¡± Li Furong immediately let down her guard and let out a yawn.


    ¡°Darling, I missed you. Aren¡¯t you happy to see me visiting you from time to time?¡± The ck-robed man chuckled as he sat by her bed. Despite their master-disciple rtionship, they seemed to behave far more intimately than was appropriate. Although they hadn¡¯t crossed the line physically, their conversations were unctuous and cloyingly sweet.


    Li Furong was indeed a little suspicious by her master¡¯s suddenly intimate behavior. ¡°Master, do you have a task that you need me to perform?¡±


    The ck-robed man nodded. ¡°Yes, the n has been moved forward.¡± He leaned against Li Furong¡¯s ear and whispered a few details to her.


    ¡°Really?¡± Li Furong¡¯s face was filled with glee.


    ¡°Of course! As soon as you seed, I¡¯ll rmend you to the Farsighted King himself. Given your looks, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be pleased with you. After that, you¡¯ll have a full life of wealth and riches lying ahead!¡±


    Naturally, Li Furong was unaware that she was only a sacrificial pawn. Like an ignorant piglet, she dreamt of an impossible future even as she was led closer to her ughter.


    In her cottage by the cliffside, Yun Ruoyan was learning a fire-attuned spiritual technique from Li Mo. As he raised his hand, spiritual energy quickly exuded from his palm and took on the shape of a fireball.


    ¡°This is a low-rank fire-attuned external spiritual technique,¡± Li Mo exined, revolving the fireball in his hands. ¡°This technique specifically counters the icy daggers that Rong Yueshan used on you today.¡±


    Li Mo had long known that Yun Ruoyan was most suited to fire-attuned techniques, but he had refrained from teaching them to her before she advanced further with her internal cultivation techniques. However, after today¡¯s bout, it was clear that she needed to be trained in the subject.


    <hr>


    1. True masters of the de can partake in swordflight and literally steer their swords. This is a somewhat subtle point in trantion: ¡®demaster¡¯ corresponds to the Chinese Óù½£Ê¦ (¡®wield-sword-master¡¯). Abstractly, Óù can be interpreted as somebination of wield/manage/govern; more literally, it can mean drive/steer. ¡®demaster¡¯ captures the abstract sense of Óù, but not its literal sense. Incidentally, the choice of ¡®demaster¡¯ rather than ¡®swordmaster¡¯ is because cultivators do not seem restricted to using swords, and de is a more generic term.

 Chapter 230: Closure of the Beastmaster Institution

    <h4>Chapter 230: Closure of the Beastmaster Institution</h4>


    ¡°That I can do,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, stretching out a hand, gathering her spiritual energy on her right palm, and shooting out a lime-green me. Its sudden appearance and unusual color were particrly eye-catching.


    ¡°Well?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned proudly to Li Mo. She had once used a simr technique against Wang Meng¡¯sckey, scorching his face.


    This time, she noted the simrities between that technique and the fireball that Li Mo had produced, and she was unable to help herself from demonstrating her capabilities in front of him.


    ¡°Very good, Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo smiled. ¡°Generally, most pillmasters have a strong fire attunement. Although this spiritual me of yours hasn¡¯t taken on the right form, it¡¯ll certainly be startling to less advanced cultivators. However, it won¡¯t work against the likes of Rong Yueshan, who has already begun studying external techniques.¡±


    Li Mo then proceeded to exin the intricacies behind the fireball technique to Yun Ruoyan and helped her analyze the differences between the spiritual mes that she used for pillmaking and the spiritual mes used in external techniques.


    ¡°While pillmaking, you convert the fire-attuned spiritual energy in your spiritual vortex into a spiritual me, then release it. However, when you use the fireball technique, you have to gather and contain the fire-attuned spiritual energy in your palm.¡±


    Li Mo demonstrated the technique as he spoke: the fireball in his hand grewrger, then smaller, then began to revolve, all while keeping a perfect, spherical core.


    ¡°What the fireball technique requires most is the ability to manipte the me to your desire,¡± Li Mo emphasized, then tossed the fireball out the window.


    Yun Ruoyan saw the fireball burst apart upon hitting the sea of clouds, seemingly lighting even the clouds on fire.


    ¡°Amazing!¡±


    ¡°The fireball technique is only a low-rank fire-attuned external technique, and you¡¯ll be able to learn it quickly after a little practice.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I definitely will practice!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo continued gazing at the sea of ming clouds before them, their eyes stained with the brilliant ze of mes.


    During the next few days, after she was done with her lessons, she would spend her evenings practicing the fireball technique in her little cottage, as well as her ability to control her spiritual mes.


    After a period of practice, Yun Ruoyan managed to grasp the fireball technique, and her control over her spiritual mes and fire-attuned spiritual energy had increased greatly. Rather than going to ss, Yun Ruoyan much preferred learning from Li Mo. He would demonstrate a concept or technique, then she would attempt to learn and master it on her own.


    However, she was still a member of the southern college, and it would be very difficult to raise her rank without attending her sses. The first elder imposed strict requirements on his students, and he would never raise his students¡¯ ranks as arbitrarily as did the sixth elder. Even Li Mo couldn¡¯t help her cheat.


    Li Mo had told her that she would need to get to the green rank before entering the three specialized institutions of Kongming Academy. Even after entering one of the institutions, her rank would easily help her secure rare materials and ess to restricted areas. As a result, Yun Ruoyan had no choice but to obediently attend each of her sses.


    Kongming Academy had three specialized institutions and five colleges; the three institutions were for demasters, pillmasters, and forgemasters. Before entering the three institutions, the students had to master the collegiate curriculum. This included fundamental demaster lessons, as well as somewhat more mysterious lessons in pillmaking and smelting.


    Each of the three types of lessons were taught by specialized instructors. Because the students were all at different levels of mastery, the sses always began with the most basic content. Yun Ruoyan was very familiar with demaster and pillmaster fundamentals, so she would often find it difficult to bear those sses. Only the rtively unfamiliar forgemaster ss was of some interest to her.


    There was another thing that caught her interest: the Chenyuan continent had four cultivator-type professions, not three. Why did the Kongming Academy have an institution for demasters, forgemasters, and pillmasters, but not beastmasters?


    Only after she had asked an older student about this did she finally receive an answer. Apparently, three years ago, there had been a shocking event. Over the years, using the all-seeing mirror, Kongming Academy had found countless small parallel dimensions for use as training grounds.


    These parallel dimensions tended to be rtively small, but were rich and replete with treasure and beasts on ount of their rtive istion. Three years ago, the elders had found a new parallel dimension, filled withrge quantities of low-rank, mid-rank, and even a few high-rank beasts.


    Many of the beasts possessed quite valuable cores, especially those whose cores could be used to make pills. Furthermore, they were rtively weak for their rank and hence easy to kill. Essentially, the parallel dimension was a treasure trove.


    The then-provost of the beastmaster institution had naturally requested to lead an excursion into that parallel dimension, bringing the instructors of the institution and a crop of the best students. Not only would they be able to train the students, they could also obtainrge quantities of beast spoils and cores.


    The elders approved this request, but after the instructors and students had entered the parallel dimension, the link between that dimension and the academy suddenly snapped. Even the all-seeing mirror was no longer able to find any trace of them.


    The provost, instructors, and students of the beastmaster institution were ultimately dered to be lost in spacetime, and there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone who had both the talent and inclination to take over for the missing provost. As a result, Kongming Academy had temporarily suspended its program and closed the corresponding institution.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Kongming Academy ever going to reopen the beastmaster institution?¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t the academy end up overlooking many potentially talented beastmasters and summoners?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brother, Yun Moxiao, was a highly talented beastmaster who had the potential to be a summoner, so Yun Ruoyan herself was very interested in this affair. In fact, she was relieved that her brother hadn¡¯t ended up joining Kongming Academy and gotten caught up in this affair.


    ¡°To rebuild the beastmaster institution is a ratherplicated affair,¡± another senior, Zong Yang, interjected.


    Not only was there no suitable provost for the responsibility, the old provost who had gone missing had been universally respected within Kongming Academy. Those instructors from the beastmaster institution who hadn¡¯t gone into the other dimension would often petition the elders to keep on searching for the missing provost and the instructors and students who had gone missing. Only then would they support re-opening the beastmaster institution once more.


    Even if everyone missing had died, those instructors wouldn¡¯t relent until the corpses of the missing had been found. However, trying to search for such a small parallel dimension among the countless that existed in the universe was no easy feat.


    Yun Ruoyan was startled by how resolute the remaining beastmaster instructors were. The provost really seemed to be revered by everyone, or they wouldn¡¯t have gone as far as to shut down the beastmaster institution inmemoration.


    After the morning¡¯s sses were over, the students all headed to the academy¡¯s cafeteria. Because of what had happened in the za yesterday, everyone knew of the rtionship between Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. Everyone in the southern academy¡ªeven those a few years above her¡ªwould be rtively polite to Yun Ruoyan.


    As Yun Ruoyan entered the cafeteria with her cousins, the older students would volunteer information about the best dishes and locations to eat. Of course, she also felt quite a few envious and jealous nces directed at her from afar, but Yun Ruoyan paid those students no mind.


    As a result of her newfound poprity, she and the two Lin sisters had already made quite a few friends with her upperssmen. One such was a beautiful, willowy girl, Guan Ruliu. She was already a green-rank student, and she would be able to enter one of the specialized institutions in the spring.


    Except for the upperssmen, she also got to know some other students from her cohort who had always been very interested in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s performance: they felt that she was a strong, talented student even without Li Mo¡¯s support, and they wanted to form connections with her.


    A great many trials would await all the students of Kongming Academy, so it was important to establish a small circle of cultivators with whom to take on these trials. Even Yun Ruoyan, who didn¡¯t much like associating with others, tacitly approved of their presence.


    ¡°What are the three institutions like? Are they simr to the five colleges?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked Guan Ruliu, who was sitting opposite her.


    ¡°No, not at all.¡± Guan Ruliu swallowed and wiped daintily at the side of her mouth. ¡°Once you enter an institution, you don¡¯t have to attend sses daily anymore. You¡¯ll have more freedom afforded to you, and you¡¯ll be able to do whatever you want with your time once you¡¯re done with the tasks that the instructors have set out for you.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore,¡± Zong Yang added, ¡°once you enter the three institutions, you can form your own parties to explore various trial grounds, kill beasts, and hunt for spiritual herbs and treasures. Of course, you¡¯ll have to report this to your instructor and have your instructor get approval from the elders, but it¡¯s not a difficult task.¡±


    Zong Yang had remained in Kongming Academy for quite some time, but he had never managed to get into one of the three institutions because of his low rank. From the other upperssmen, Yun Ruoyan found out that the trial grounds were likewise divided based on difficulty. The higher the difficulty, the more valuable the spiritual treasures within; conversely, the lower the difficulty, the scarcer and the less valuable the treasures.


    Students from the three specialized institutions could apply to venture into one of these trial grounds together. There would asionally also be such expeditions for students from the five colleges, but those trial grounds tended to be lower in difficulty.

 Chapter 231: Tyrant of the Northern College

    <h4>Chapter 231: Tyrant of the Northern College</h4>


    ¡°In that case, are the trial grounds for new students high- or low-difficulty?¡± one student asked, perplexed. As he did so, he snuck a nce at Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan understood his train of thought: based on the upperssmen¡¯s descriptions of the trial grounds, rookies like them would surely be sent to a lower-difficulty trial. However, that trial still contained quite a number of mid- and high-rank beasts. Even more surprisingly, Yun Ruoyan had managed to obtain a sage-grade spiritual herb, the amaranthine sun.


    This seemed to be at odds with what their upperssmen had described.


    ¡°The trial for iing students is the lowest in difficulty,¡± Zong Yang affirmed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys realize that the beasts within would almost never attack you of their own ord?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and the other gathered students thought back to their own experiences. Indeed, except for the eight-legged evil spirit, none of the remaining beasts had attacked Yun Ruoyan before she attacked them, or the treasures that they were guarding.


    ¡°As for how you obtained a sage-grade treasure¡­ well, it¡¯s probably just luck.¡± Zong Yang smiled.


    News of Yun Ruoyan having obtained a sage-grade treasure in the initial trial had spread, and many of the envious or jealous nces she had received were both because she had been taken as disciple by Li Mo and because of this sage-grade treasure.


    Many students were displeased by the fact that Yun Ruoyan had found treasure and a master so quickly after her arrival at the academy. Was she deserving of her luck? Some students loathed her because of their envy alone, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about her. Kongming Academy had a strict policy against snatching others¡¯ treasures that they had obtained during a trial, and Yun Ruoyan had quite a powerful backer in Li Mo.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, look!¡± Lin Qingxue suddenly tugged on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sleeve, then motioned to the entrance of the cafeteria.


    A group of people had just entered: among others, there were Rong Yueshan, Yi Qianying, Pei Ziao, Li Furong, Zhao Qiang, and Zhao Xu.


    ¡°Nothing good wille out of having those people gathered together!¡± Lin Qingxue grumbled. ¡°Snakes and rats!¡±


    Guan Ruliu caught the sudden shift in Lin Qingxue¡¯s usually jovial expression and tone. She had finished eating, and was waiting quietly for Yun Ruoyan and the rest of her group.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a conflict with them?¡± Guan Ruliu asked. She hadn¡¯t remained at the za after the roll call yesterday, so she hadn¡¯t been a bystander. Even the master-disciple rtionship between Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan was something that she had only discovered after the fact.


    ¡°More like a blood feud, at this point,¡± Lin Qingxue began grimly. During the trial, Rong Yueshan had manipted her fellow students into kidnapping her and her sister, before trying to kill them. At least in Lin Qingxue¡¯s eyes, Rong Yueshan could never be forgiven.


    ¡°Be especially careful of that youth.¡± Zong Yang pointed his chopsticks at a male leading Rong Yueshan¡¯s group, then lowered his voice. ¡°He¡¯s one of the de facto student leaders of the northern college, Guan Tianyu. He just came back from a high-rank trial yesterday.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced toward the tall, broad youth. While students who hadn¡¯t yet entered the three institutions didn¡¯t have the qualifications to enter high-rank trials, Guan Tianyu was apparently the grandnephew of the second elder himself. It was only because of this familial connection that he was able to enter the high-rank trial along with students from the three institutions.


    ¡°He¡¯s arrogant and vicious. Because of his rtionship with the second elder, there¡¯s no one he doesn¡¯t dare bully in any of the five colleges,¡± Guan Ruliu murmured, her back toward Guan Tianyu¡¯s group.


    As if feeling their stares, Guan Tianyu looked over at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group, his eyes glinting. Zong Yang quickly lowered his head, as did many of the other students sitting beside him.


    Yun Ruoyan nced coolly back before lowering her head and starting to eat.


    Guan Tianyu was very pleased to see the other students avoiding his gaze, and his lips curled up in a smile. Very quickly, however, his smile froze: Yun Ruoyan had suddenly raised her head and stared at him openly.


    The hubbub of the cafeteria seemed to die down in an instant, and the atmosphere turned tense. Lin Qingxue was as stubborn as a calf. Although she had lowered her head as Lin Qingchen tugged on her sleeve, she too nced up and stared at Guan Tianyu, mirroring Yun Ruoyan¡¯s actions. Her eyes were filled with disdain and loathing.


    Guan Tianyu was rather surprised to see Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cool gaze and Lin Qingxue¡¯s hateful gaze staring back at him. Who were these two girls, to be so daring? It had been many years since anyone from the five colleges had dared stare at him so openly.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Guan Tianyu asked Rong Yueshan, who stood by his side. Rong Yueshan was the second elder¡¯s new disciple, and had significant authority and status of her own in the northern college. Furthermore, because her uncle Rong Tianhai was an instructor of the northern college, she had the qualifications to walk by Guan Tianyu¡¯s side. Her shrewdly deferential and respectful behavior easily ingratiated her to him.


    ¡°That girl with the birthmark is Master Mo¡¯s new disciple, Yun Ruoyan. That round-faced girl by her side is her cousin, Lin Qingxue. Finally, that other girl who¡¯s eating beside them is also Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cousin, Lin Qingchen,¡± Rong Yueshan replied.


    ¡°She¡¯s the new disciple that Master Mo took on?¡± Guan Tianyu seemed shocked. ¡°Why is she so ugly?¡±


    Many of the students had seen Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark, revealed after Rong Yueshan¡¯s icy daggers had sliced her gauze patch in two. After that, Yun Ruoyan had been the recipient of many a curious nce, as though they were trying to see beyond her gauze patch at the startling disfiguration it hid.


    Somewhat displeased by all the attention, Yun Ruoyan decided to stop putting on a gauze patch altogether. After all, her purpose in attending Kongming Academy was to train and cultivate, not to be popr. Revealing her disfigured face would keep away the superficial and draw out friends who truly wanted to interact with her.


    Li Mo approved of Yun Ruyoan¡¯s decision, because she looked far too pretty with a gauze patch on. On the other hand, her now-ugly appearance allowed Li Mo to rx.


    ¡°Senior Brother, she¡¯s ugly in heart and mind as well,¡± Yi Qianying added from the side.


    ¡°I can see that.¡± Guan Tianyu narrowed his eyes. ¡°Anyone who dares stare back at me can¡¯t be normal.¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother, Yun Ruoyan is Master Mo¡¯s disciple. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t provoke her,¡± Rong Yueshan said.


    ¡°Yesterday, Miss Rong, Master Zhao, and Miss Zhao had an altercation with Yun Ruoyan in the za, and Master Mo argued for his new disciple one-sidedly,¡± Li Furong continued, gritting her teeth. ¡°Because of Master Mo¡¯s presence, Yun Ruoyan was able to im Miss Zhao¡¯s precious pearl for herself, and she even forced Master Zhao to kowtow to her and acknowledge his mistake!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Guan Tianyu frowned. The southern college was headed by the first elder and was of a higher standing than the northern college, but the students of the southern college tended to behave in a subdued manner on ount of the stringent guidelines established by the first elder.


    On the other hand, the northern college was led by the second elder, who was ambitious and aggressive. As if inheriting these characteristics, the students of the northern college tended to be bossy and domineering.


    ¡°To have kowtowed to her¡­!¡± Guan Tianyu looked at Zhao Qiang and Zhao Xu. Their expressions were ugly, but they didn¡¯t speak. The Zhao siblings weren¡¯t from the northern college, but they seemed to have formed a group with Rong Yueshan and the others. As their de facto leader, Guan Tianyu naturally had to defend his underlings.


    ¡°All the more reason to meet her for myself.¡± Guan Tianyu snorted, then began walking in their direction.


    Rong Yueshan and Yi Qianying exchanged a malicious nce with each other: they might be afraid of Li Mo, but at least one person wasn¡¯t!


    ¡°Guan Tianyu¡¯s walking over,¡± Zong Yang hissed anxiously. The other students seemed to be equally anxious, and each of them buried their heads in their meal.


    Guan Tianyu walked up to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s table, but he turned to face Zong Yang instead. Zong Yang seemed friendly and personable, but it was exactly that type of personality that was easiest to bully in Guan Tianyu¡¯s eyes. Indeed, Zong Yang had been shafted quite a few times by students from the northern college.


    ¡°Junior Brother Zong, how¡¯s your appetite today?¡± Guan Tianyu smiled a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    ¡°Ah? Haha, it¡¯s alright.¡± Zong Yang stood up and replied with a nervousugh.


    ¡°It looks like the meatballs are somewhat raw.¡± Guan Tianyu frowned.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zong Yang immediately shook his head. ¡°How could that be? It¡¯s not raw, not at all!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Guan Tianyu took Zong Yang¡¯s chopsticks from his hand and stabbed them into a meatball on Lin Qingxue¡¯s te. It had been steaming hot, but it quickly turned cold as soon as Guan Tianyu had picked it up. A thinyer of frost began forming on its surface.


    In front of the crowd, Gaun Tianyu held the meatball up to Zong Yang¡¯s mouth. ¡°This is surely raw. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t this junior sister have consumed it? But if you don¡¯t think it¡¯s raw, then why don¡¯t you eat it, so it won¡¯t go to waste?¡±


    1. Guan Ruliu and Guan Tianyu have no familial connection; the characters that make up their surname are homophones.

 Chapter 232: As You Wish

    <h4>Chapter 232: As You Wish</h4>


    While Guan Tianyu bullied Zong Yang, he nced at Yun Ruoyan from time to time. In the end, he was still somewhat afraid of Li Mo¡ªbut if he couldn¡¯t bully Yun Ruoyan directly, then he would instead bully those close to her, like Zong Yang.


    The other students sitting by Yun Ruoyan detected his true motives almost immediately, and they hurriedly left Yun Ruoyan¡¯s table with their trays of food, in case they became the next target. Zong Yang wished he could do the same: he was sick of being bullied, and would often take long detours just to avoid this tyrant.


    However, it was toote now.


    Guan Ruliu stayed put. As an experienced student with some backing in her own right, she didn¡¯t fear Guan Tianyu as much as the other students did. However, that didn¡¯t mean she would provoke him for no reason.


    ¡°Senior, I¡¯m already full,¡± Zong Yang refused the meatball in front of him. Eating a frozen meatball in winter wouldn¡¯t be afortable affair.


    ¡°Then you won¡¯t eat it?¡± Guan Tianyu continued to smile before facing Lin Qingchen. Lin Qingchen was vegetarian, and her tray of food was filled with leafy greens.


    Guan Tianyu sneered. ¡°I hate to see others waste food, so if you won¡¯t eat it, then how about you, junior sister?¡± He held the meatball in front of Lin Qingchen.


    Lin Qingxue pped her chopsticks down on the table and was just about to jump up when Yun Ruoyan caught her and did so herself. With her small stature, the tip of her head barely reached Gaun Tianyu¡¯s shoulder, and she seemed far less imposing than he.


    However, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t seem fearful of Guan Tianyu at all. Instead, her gaze was filled with disdain. This greatly incensed Guan Tianyu, and his eyes glinted dangerously.


    To the onlooking crowd, it looked as though these two were about to fight. Those who had been jealous or envious of Yun Ruoyan internally mocked her for overestimating her own capabilities, to dare to pick a fight with the tyrant of the northern college himself. On the other hand, those who felt goodwill toward her silently sent her a prayer. Everyone was certain that, if the two of them really were to fight, that Yun Ruoyan would bepletely countered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat it, I¡¯ll eat it!¡± Just as the atmosphere grew more and more tense, Zong Yang suddenly shouted. ¡°Wasting food bothers me too, so I¡¯ll have it.¡±


    Zong Yang reached out for Guan Tianyu¡¯s icy meatball with his chopsticks, frowning as he brought it toward his mouth.


    ¡°Senior Zong Yang, please wait.¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly stopped Zong Yang and reached out for the chopsticks in his hands. ¡°This meatball is cold, so please allow me to heat it up for you.¡±


    Zong Yang could feel a pulse of warmth travel down Yun Ruoyan¡¯s finger, through the chopsticks, and into the icy meatball. Quickly, its icy exterior melted, and it became steaming hot once more.


    ¡°Here you go, Senior Brother.¡± Yun Ruoyan removed her fingers from his chopsticks.


    ¡°Thank you, Junior Sister.¡± Zong Yang looked at the heated meatball in shock, then popped it into his mouth with a smile.


    ¡°Ah, it isn¡¯t raw,¡± he muttered indistinctly, the meatball still in his mouth. ¡°It tastes great!¡±


    He chewed, then swallowed, then wiped his mouth as the crowd stared at him.


    When Guan Tianyu saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s facility with her fire-attuned spiritual energy, he suspected that there was something wrong with his eyes. As an absolute rookie, how could someone like Yun Ruoyan have such delicate control over her spiritual energy?


    ¡°Senior Guan, are you satisfied now?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled icily at him.


    Yun Ruoyan had easily resolved the incident he was about to use to start a fight, leaving him even more dissatisfied than before.


    ¡°You¡¯re not bad, but you¡¯re so ugly that it pains my eyes just to look at you!¡± Guan Tianyu made a revolted expression as he focused on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark. ¡°I heard that you, Rong Yueshan, and Yi Qianying are all from noble families in the Li kingdom, aren¡¯t you? Why are they so much more beautiful than you are? And even if you¡¯re ugly, fine¡ªbut you¡¯re not even trying to hide it? How did you even get into Kongming Academy, and what could Master Mo have seen in a nobody like you to want to take you as a disciple?¡±


    Despite Guan Tianyu¡¯s manly physique, his insults were as poisonous as a woman¡¯s.


    ¡°Yo-you, do you know basic etiquette at all?!¡± Lin Qingxue stood up and yelled back at him, finally having had enough. This time, even Lin Qingchen began to frown. Even though they knew that Yun Ruoyan was just pretending to be ugly, they couldn¡¯t stand Guan Tianyu¡¯s scathing tone.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m only speaking the truth!¡± Guan Tianyu chuckled like a hooligan. Well? What¡¯re you going to do about me?


    ¡°That¡¯s right! If you don¡¯t want anyone toment on how ugly you are, then don¡¯te out and frighten us all!¡± Li Furong added.


    Rong Yueshan and Yi Qianying both looked on mockingly.


    ¡°Ha.¡± On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t seem to mind Guan Tianyu¡¯s words at all. ¡°Senior Guan, Kongming Academy admits students based on their skills, not on their appearance. I came to Kongming Academy to train and learn, not to take part in a beauty contest. If you want to look at pretty girls, there are brothels all around¡ªor just look around you!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled as her gaze swept over Rong Yueshan and Yi Qianying. ¡°They¡¯re no worse than the prostitutes at a brothel, after all.¡±


    Rong Yueshan, Yi Qianying, and Li Furong¡¯s faces turned ugly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Li Furong thundered. ¡°Topare us to prostitutes¡­!¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡± Yun Ruoyan covered her mouth in faux shock. ¡°Miss Li, you must be overthinking things. I was just using an example to praise your good looks.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Lin Qingxue jumped in. ¡°The brothels of the capital are filled with courtesans famous for their beauty. Based on appearance alone, you three might even lose out to them!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable,¡± Lin Qingchen continued icily. ¡°Senior Guan, if you¡¯re interested in beauty, feel free to tour a brothel.¡±


    Zong Yang let out a halfugh before he quickly covered his mouth with a hand, but his desire tough was so strong that his body was shaking and his eyes almost tearing up. Yun Ruoyan seemed to be one of those cold, aloof types, but her barbs were even sharper than Guan Tianyu¡¯s, and her two cousins weren¡¯t too bad either.


    Even Guan Tianyu was gaping.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, how dare you!¡± Rong Yueshan eximed, her face flushed. ¡°I¡¯m the niece of the empress, and Yi Qianying¡¯s the concubine of the crown prince! You dare belittle us with your crass insults?¡±


    Rong Yueshan had failed to defeat Yun Ruoyan at the za, and hadn¡¯t dared to make any other moves against her on ount of Li Mo. However, her hatred and desire to teach Yun Ruoyan a lesson had only grown and grown.


    Today, she had hoped to make use of Guan Tianyu to finally knock Yun Ruoyan down a few pegs, but even he wasn¡¯t a match for her! At the very least, she had now found a good excuse to engage her. Given such an insult, the second elder would probably punish her if he knew that she hadn¡¯t done anything to defend her honor.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t teach you a lesson today, I don¡¯t deserve to be a member of the Rong family!¡± Rong Yueshan yelled out, sweeping a hand in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s direction andunching two icy daggers at her.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Zong Yang pulled Lin Qingxue behind him, and Guan Ruliu shielded Lin Qingchen.


    Yun Ruoyan grabbed a bowl on the table and tossed it at the icy dagger. The dagger cracked the bowl, and the soup it contained spilled toward the three girls. Rong Yueshan and Yi Qianying were agile enough to dodge the projectile, but Li Furong ended up drenched in soup.


    Before Lin Qingxue couldugh at Li Furong¡¯s souplogged appearance, Rong Yueshan threw out two more daggers. This time, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t dodge. She raised her right hand, and a fireball emerged from her palm. Before the icy dagger could reach her face, she tossed it out.


    As the fireball encountered the two daggers in midair, it burst into mes, enveloping both daggers. Instantly, the daggers melted.


    The fireball technique, Guan Tianyu murmured to himself. This ugly girl really does have some skill¡­


    In just a few days, Yun Ruoyan had managed to counter her new spiritual technique which had been so effective against her at the za! ¡°You¡¯ve learned an external spiritual technique too!¡±


    ¡°Ha, you¡¯re not the only one with a master,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. She raised her right hand again, manifesting a second fireball. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to fight? I¡¯ll satisfy you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan threw the fireball in Rong Yueshan¡¯s direction. As Li Mo had attested, the fireball technique perfectly countered Rong Yueshan¡¯s icy daggers: the fireball could melt the daggers, but the daggers were ineffective against the fireball.


    Rong Yueshan watched the fireball draw near with rm and fright on her face¡ªbut just as it was about to hit her, Guan Tianyu finally made his move.

 Chapter 233: The Mysterious Black-Robed Man

    <h4>Chapter 233: The Mysterious ck-Robed Man</h4>


    Guan Tianyu shot out an array of icy knives against Yun Ruoyan¡¯s impending firewall. While his technique was also low-rank, it outstripped Rong Yueshan¡¯s in terms of both size and quantity. Even after melting, they didn¡¯t disappear. Instead, the meltwater quenched the fireball.


    Yun Ruoyan re-evaluated Guan Tianyu upon seeing his technique: despite his tyrannical behavior, he did have some skill of his own.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting hungry,¡± Guan Tianyu announced, pping his hands together. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    He nced askance at Yun Ruoyan once more, then headed to the other end of the cafeteria. Rong Yueshan gave Yun Ruoyan a scathing stare before following Guan Tianyu away, while Yi Qianying and Pei Ziao both stared at Yun Ruoyan with identical expressions of shock.


    Even the Zhao siblings seemed to be thinking about the minor altercation.


    ¡°Ah, is that it?!¡± Li Furong shouted in exasperation. No one was going to do anything about her being drenched in soup! When even her exmation went unanswered, she stomped her feet and ran out of the cafeteria.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, I didn¡¯t expect you would be so skilled!¡± Zong Yang looked Yun Ruoyan up and down, as though this was the first time they¡¯d met.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you really are amazing. What sort of spiritual technique is that, to be able to manifest such arge fireball? Even Rong Yueshan¡¯s no match for you!¡±


    The new students who had wanted to attach themselves to Yun Ruoyan, but had run away fearing Guan Tianyu, now came rushing back. ¡°Yun Ruoyan¡ªoh, no, Boss Yun, what sort of technique was that? Where did you learn it? Won¡¯t you teach us?¡±


    ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± Lin Qingxue nced at the neers. ¡°Of course Master Mo was the one who taught it to her! After all, Sister Ruoyan¡¯s his only disciple. It¡¯s naturally a secret technique, so Sister Ruoyan can¡¯t reveal it so casually!¡±


    Lin Qingxue was somewhat upset at the students who had run away at the slightest hint of danger. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan could understand their behavior¡ªit was natural for the weak to want to rally around the strong.


    However, the altercation did allow her to recognize the importance of finding good teammates, especially ones who would be able to stand against the strong. If her teammates were to run away upon seeing even a slightly dangerous beast, what good would they be?


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help thinking of Zhuo Yifeng, one of the few new students who had received Yun Ruoyan¡¯s approval. However, because of her close rtionship with Li Mo, the two of them had begun drifting apart.


    After he had left with the sixth elder during the schoolwide roll call, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t seen him again. On the other hand, Lin Qingxue had gone to the central college to pay a visit to Zhuo Yifeng. When she returned, she told him that Zhuo Yifeng was under the sixth elder¡¯s personal tutge, and he was growing stronger at a rapid pace.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed. Anger and vengeance were good motivators that could draw out one¡¯s full potential, and Zhuo Yifeng had had a very good foundation for cultivating. He had both the mental and physical fortitude to bear with pain and gruelling agony, and he was undoubtedly going to be strong.


    However, given Li Mo¡¯s ridiculous advancement in cultivation, Zhuo Yifeng had no hope of catching up to him at present. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t want to think about their impending battle: one was a friend with whom she had gone through life and death, and the other was her intimate lover¡­ Hopefully, the day of their fight would never arrive.


    ¡°Was the ughtering King really the one who taught you that technique?¡± Lin Qingchen asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yun Ruoyan nodded.


    Lin Qingchen frowned. She lived very close to Yun Ruoyan, and would often have dinner together with her. Except for when they were sleeping, they tended to do everything together. When had the ughtering King had the time to impart her cousin with this new technique? It looks like I¡¯d better find some time to have a chat with Sister Ruoyan¡­


    ¡°As expected of Master Mo¡¯s first disciple.¡± Suddenly, Guan Ruliu got up from her seat. ¡°Is everyone done eating? In that case, let¡¯s head back to the southern college to prepare for our afternoon sses.¡±


    As Yun Ruoyan left with her group, she suddenly felt a gaze staring at her from behind. Turning around, she saw a few familiar faces. She nced at them calmly before continuing to walk forward, until she disappeared from sight.


    Wang Meng and Li Qianxiao sat at a rather isted table in the cafeteria.


    ¡°Brother Wang, I noticed that you¡¯ve been looking at Miss Yun quite a bit. You haven¡¯t grown fond of her, have you?¡± Li Qianxiao asked.


    ¡°Crown Prince, you must be joking,¡± Wang Meng denied the allegation. ¡°On the other hand, I¡¯ve seen you nce at her quite a few times already. Miss Yi¡¯s your concubine, but you haven¡¯t nced at her at all; instead, your attention¡¯spletely focused on Miss Yun. May I ask why?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Li Qianxiaoughed dryly. ¡°I¡¯m just curious as to Miss Yun¡¯s birthmark. It seems to vary in size and saturation quite a bit: sometimes it¡¯s small, but sometimes it¡¯srge. Sometimes it¡¯s a faint red, almost pink, but sometimes it¡¯s such an intense red that it looks as if blood could drip out of it at any moment. Brother Wang, you¡¯re more learned than I am. Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Wang Meng had only ever seen the veiled Yun Ruoyan before. After she had taken off her gauze patch, he too was shocked by the birthmark on her face.


    Wang Meng had seen how much Li Mo adored Yun Ruoyan, and he had even gone as far as to take her as his disciple. Did Li Mo truly not care about her appearance? Wang Meng couldn¡¯t believe that.


    In that case¡­ could it be that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthmark was fake?!


    Wang Meng was a pillmaster, and he knew that a certain mixture of herbs would be able to create an ointment that would mimic a scar. This was amonly used method to disguise one¡¯s appearance, and Yun Ruoyan had likely been using a variation of the same ointment.


    ¡°Brother Wang, what¡¯s the matter? Why do you look as though you¡¯re in a daze?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, nothing.¡± Wang Meng gulped down a mouthful of soup, not intending to share his new discovery with Li Qianxiao. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen the fourth prince today?¡± He abruptly changed the topic. Thest few days, he¡¯d often seen the fourth prince while visiting Li Qianxiao.


    Wang Meng hadn¡¯t been familiar with Li Qianxiao in the past, and had only seen him a few times during banquets organized by Pei Yingxiong. However, they had quickly be familiar with each other given Wang Meng¡¯s intentional attempt to befriend him.


    ¡°He told me yesterday that he¡¯d had enough fun at Kongming Academy, so I had a senior of mine send him down the mountain this morning,¡± Li Qianxiao replied.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? I¡¯d nned on drinking with him tonight, but it seems like I¡¯ll have to shelve that for the moment¡­¡±


    On the second floor of the southern tower, Shui Yun was giving Li Mo a report. ¡°ording to your instructions, Your Highness, I intentionally found an opportunity to get close to Li Qianyue. As expected, he asked me about the all-seeing mirror.¡±


    Shui Yun smiled as she continued, ¡°And as you predicted, Your Highness, Li Qianyue doesn¡¯t know about the heaven and earth array surrounding the mirror. The moment I revealed it to him, he was so shocked that his face turned green, and he snuck away from the academy this morning.¡±


    Li Mo nodded.


    ¡°That old codger only cares about being rescued, so why would he reveal such ¡®unnecessary¡¯ information? Otherwise, no one would risk heavenly tribtion to transmit a message to the draconic realm on his behalf. I¡¯d nned on letting that old man go soon, but now that things have changed, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to dy things by a few years.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s tone and expression were far more malicious than usual, causing Shui Yun to feel quite uneasy. Although she had always found Li Mo icy and cold, he was actually very kind to his subordinates and kinsmen. However, whenever anyone brought up the draconic realm, his eyes would instinctively fill with killing intent, making even her, a long-time subordinate of Li Mo, fearful.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked you to keep a careful eye on that girl, Li Furong. Did you discover anything?¡± Li Mo¡¯s questions continued.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. The night you gave me the order, I was patrolling outside her cottage. In the middle of the night, a ck-robed man did enter the cottage. I intended to overhear their conversation from the outside, but he had spread his mental energy over quite a wide distance in order to detect any such intrusion.¡±


    Exuding one¡¯s mental energy was even more taxing than exuding one¡¯s spiritual energy, and one had to possess quite an advanced cultivation to be able to do so for a prolonged period of time.


    ¡°Given that the man¡¯s mental energy remained outside his body for the entire duration of the conversation, it¡¯s quite probable that he¡¯s at least a ninth-rank demaster,¡± Shui Yun hypothesized.


    ¡°Alright, I understand. Did you manage to discover where he headed?¡±


    ¡°I apologize, Your Highness. He fled quickly, and I didn¡¯t dare to follow too close to him, and he shrugged me off along the way.¡± Shui Yun bowed.


    ¡°I understand. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± Li Mo waved his hand, motioning for Shui Yun to leave.


    Li Mo then headed to the roof of the tower, where he stared at the academy from high above. His gaze swept over the southern college by his feet, headed to the western college, then to the northern and eastern colleges, as well as the central college in one corner.


    His forehead was slightly scrunched. The ck-robed man that Shui Yun had seen was undoubtedly the same man that Yun Ruoyan had told him about. And of the demasters that he knew who were above ninth-rank, the second elder was the only one who possessed a red sword aura!

 Chapter 234: Beating Him at His Own Game

    <h4>Chapter 234: Beating Him at His Own Game</h4>


    But it was impossible for the second elder to be the ck-robed man. Li Mo analyzed the situation calmly. First, the second elder had long since reached the realm of a sword saint, and it was impossible for him not to have discovered Yun Ruoyan and Shui Yun. Second, although the second elder was bossy, domineering, and entric, he would never do anything to harm Kongming Academy.


    In that case, the ck-robed man had to be a stranger not from the academy, one who had snuck into its grounds like Li Furong. However, whereas Li Furong had gotten in through the standard student selection process, the ck-robed man didn¡¯t fit the description of any male student in the academy.


    Neither could he be one of the instructors or provosts, so there was only one final possibility: he had to be aborer! Even with the outer disciples tending to the academy grounds, there was still more menial work to be done than was possible. As a result, the academy also hired someborers responsible for dirty, tiring tasks like removing night soil and tending to the vegetable gardens, tasks which even the outer disciples were unwilling to do.


    Eachborer signed a three-year contract with the academy, and they could choose to leave afterwards. In that case, the academy would hire moreborers from the foot of the Kongming Mountain.


    Li Mo¡¯s eyes gleamed: the ck-robed man had very likely snuck into Kongming Academy disguised as one of theseborers!


    Back in the cafeteria, after all the students had finished their meals, the outer disciples responsible for cleaning up began to sweep the floor. Most of the students had good dining etiquette, and the floor of the cafeteria wasn¡¯t usually too dirty.


    However, because of the conflict between Yun Ruoyan and Guan Tianyu, a considerable number of tes and bowls had been broken, and there was food scattered and spilled all over the floor. Although the outer disciples weren¡¯t true students of the academy, most of them were noble-born. It was already demeaning to them to have to sweep the floors and dust the rooms, but this was on another level altogether.


    The few outer disciples nudged each other, but none was willing to step up. Just then, a hunchback walked in from outside the cafeteria, an old man known to the outer disciples: the mute Old Li, who was responsible for night soil.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we pay Old Li to do it for us?¡± one of the outer disciples suggested.


    The others agreed. Even though the floor looked like a disgusting mess, it was still far cleaner than excretion.


    ¡°Hey, mute!¡± one of the outer disciples called out, but the old man didn¡¯t respond at all.


    ¡°Are you dumb? He¡¯s both deaf and mute!¡± Another of the outer disciples stepped forward, dangling a bit of silver in front of the old man, then pointing at the ground. With exaggerated mouth movements, he said, ¡°Help us clean the floor, and this silver¡¯s yours.¡±


    Old Li pretended that he didn¡¯t understand what they were saying, but the outer disciples crowded around him and kept on blocking him until he finally relented. In the end, quashing the fury in his heart, he stooped down, took a rag that one of the outer disciples handed him, and began cleaning the floor.


    Once my objective¡¯s aplished, I¡¯ll take all your lives as rpense!


    ¡°Did you see what happened in the cafeteria today?¡± While Old Li wiped at the floor, the outer disciples began to gossip among themselves.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ªI was helping out in the kitchen. What exactly happened?¡±


    The outer disciple who had seen it all recounted the proceedings. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that Miss Li was the funniest of them all. She ended up sttered with a whole bowl of soup, then began madly jumping up and down. No matter how pretty she was, she still looked like a fool!¡±


    He didn¡¯t remember much about the battle, but the sight of Li Furong being humiliated was an indelible memory.


    As Old Li wiped at the floor, he criticized Li Furong internally. He¡¯d told her to be subdued, subdued! What was she doing, causing such a big fuss?! Had her brain rotted away?


    That night, Old Li¡ªthe ck-robed man¡ªonce again entered Li Furong¡¯s room. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep a low profile? What happened to you in the cafeteria today?¡±


    ¡°That Yun girl was the one who hurt my wrist, so I wanted to get revenge on her and her two cousins!¡± Li Furong replied, indignant. ¡°I was with Guan Tianyu and Rong Yueshan today as I entered the cafeteria. Rong Yueshan and Yun Ruoyan harbor a grudge against each other, and all I wanted to do was provoke them both, but then soup drenched my face!¡±


    The ck-robed man snorted. ¡°Foolish in the extreme. Yun Ruoyan is Li Mo¡¯s disciple. Based on Li Mo¡¯s strength, even my little toe could have told you that Yun Ruoyan can¡¯t be too unskilled herself. She¡¯s definitely not as anodyne as she seems!¡±


    The ck-robed man had closely observed Yun Ruoyan in his guise as Old Li. Except for the ugly birthmark on her cheek, he hadn¡¯t discovered anything particrly special about her, but Li Mo¡¯s presence was enough for him to keep her in mind.


    ¡°You have to remember the purpose for which you entered Kongming Academy. Only when you¡¯re done with your task will I permit you to exact your revenge,¡± the ck-robed man emphasized.


    ¡°In that case, when are we carrying out the n? I don¡¯t want to stay here a moment longer,¡± Li Furoung murmured, ncing expectantly at the ck-robed man.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for a chance these few days.¡± In the dark, the ck-robed man¡¯s eyes looked as bright as the eyes of a night leopard lying in wait. ¡°Both Li Mo and the first elder are at the academy, so it¡¯s not currently a good time to act. We¡¯ll strike once Li Mo¡¯s gone and the first elder¡¯s alone.¡±


    Li Furong didn¡¯t want to stay, and neither did the ck-robed man! He¡¯d been pouring out night soil for half a year, and he was almost at the limit of his tolerance. That damnable Cang Song¡ªhe¡¯d been the one to assign him this ridiculous job!


    Without a choice, the ck-robed man penned a letter to the Farsighted King, beseeching for him to find some way to remove Li Mo from the picture.


    A few dayster, Li Mo received a letter from the pce, stating that the Farsighted King was intending to return to the capital to visit the emperor, and he¡¯d specially requested to see Li Mo as well. As a result, Li Xiu had written to Li Mo asking him to return at his earliest convenience.


    Li Mo clutched the letter in his hands thoughtfully. In the past few days, he¡¯d already discovered that Old Li was the ck-robed man. The reason he hadn¡¯t acted against him was because he wanted to find out whom he was working for.


    One of Li Mo¡¯s men had intercepted the letter that Old Li had sent to the Farsighted King, so he was naturally aware of its contents. He had then sent his guards to track the letter, all the way until it was delivered to the Farsighted King¡¯s manor.


    Initially, Li Mo met this unexpected news with disbelief: the Farsighted King Li Sheng was nominally his older brother, one who had given Li Mo the impression of being a virtuous, unambitious ruler concerned only for the wellbeing of his people. However, the letter that Li Mo had intercepted, along with his subsequent investigation, was conclusive evidence for his guilt.


    That evening, Li Mo sat together with Yun Ruoyan in front of her bed, watching the sea of clouds drift by.


    ¡°I received a letter from the pce. The Farsighted King will be visiting the pce tomorrow, and he specifically requested to see me.¡± Now that it was winter, the air had only grown colder and colder, and Yun Ruoyan was wrapped in Li Mo¡¯s embrace.


    When Yun Ruoyan heard Li Mo bring up the Farsighted King, she jolted up. ¡°The Farsighted King¡¯s in the capital? That Li Sheng?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one Farsighted King in the Li kingdom, and he¡¯s indeed Li Sheng. Yan¡¯er, you know him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him, but I know a big secret of his,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied seriously.


    ¡°Oh? Tell me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan revealed what she knew about the Farsighted King¡¯s nned rebellion to Li Mo. When he heard the story, he was even more convinced of his own judgment.


    ¡°It looks like this Farsighted King has been lying to our faces all this time. Honestly, he¡¯s skilled enough to fool even me¡­¡± Li Mo replied coolly.


    ¡°The reason he¡¯s going to the capital is to divert your attention, so Li Furong and the ck-robed man can carry out the heist.¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°Li Mo, I still feel that something¡¯s off. Since the heaven and earth array¡¯s protecting the all-seeing mirror, no one will be able to steal it away. Surely the Farsighted King knows about this, so why is he still nning this heist?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly my concern,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t acted against Li Furong and the ck-robed man both because I¡¯ve been trying to lure out the mastermind behind all this and because I need to work out their n.¡±


    ¡°In that case, how do you n on dealing with the Farsighted King?¡±


    Li Mo thought for a moment. ¡°Since they¡¯re trying to divert my attention, they must think me a threat to their ns. If I remain on the Kongming Summit, they surely wouldn¡¯t dare to act. In that case, I¡¯ll leave Kongming Academy temporarily.¡±


    Early the next day, Old Li waited outside the southern tower for the outer disciples in charge of sanitation to bring him the night soil to be transported away. As they did so, they began to chat with each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m envious that you¡¯re in charge of Master Mo¡¯s rooms¡ªhe¡¯s never in his room, and he¡¯s leaving again! You really do have it easy,¡± one of the outer disciples began.


    ¡°Oh? Is Master Mo going to leave? This has been the longest he¡¯s stayed in the southern tower these few years,¡± the other outer disciple replied. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I hear about his leaving?¡±


    ¡°I overheard the first elder talking to him while cleaning the first elder¡¯s room. Master Mo said that he received a letter from the emperor of the Li kingdom asking him to return to the capital today, and he¡¯s just about to leave.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? That means I can skive off again!¡±


    After Old Li poured out the night soil, he left the chamber pots behind for the two disciples to clean up, then rode off on his mule-driven cart. The moment he turned the corner, Old Li¡¯s face twisted in malice. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s finally time to act!¡±

 Chapter 235: The All-Seeing Mirror

    <h4>Chapter 235: The All-Seeing Mirror</h4>


    On the second floor of the southern tower, Li Mo stood against the railing of the balcony as Old Li raised his head up. As if feeling Old Li¡¯s gaze, Li Mo looked down before flying off on his sword.


    Old Li sighed in relief as he hid a smile. This troublesome fellow¡¯s finally gone!


    What the ck-robed man knew of Li Mo hade not only from rumors, but also the Farsighted King¡¯s warnings. As Li Mo¡¯s nominal older brother, the Farsighted King understood Li Mo quite well¡ªand the more he understood about him, the more he feared him.


    Li Mo had entered the pce at the tender age of six, but he had already disyed an unusual intellect then. Li Mo was far too intelligent, and his growth as a cultivator far too rapid. This shocked Li Sheng, and he deliberately made an effort to connect with his younger brother.


    However, despite Li Sheng¡¯s best efforts, the little child remained stubbornly cool toward him, as though he could detect his intentions beneath his guise of warmth and geniality.


    When Li Mo came of age, his astounding talent left Li Sheng fearful. At sixteen, he had led an army to quash the beastkin rebellion, and had quickly taken on a position of power at Kongming Academy.


    This talent had slipped past Li Sheng, asionally making him wake up in the middle of the night feeling regret and frustration. Li Mo alone would be enough to counter a thousand troops, ten thousand soldiers! And if he were to make an enemy out of him, then the opposite would be true.


    One of the reasons that Li Sheng had held off his n for so long was in order to gather enough manpower for his ambitions; another reason was his fear of Li Mo. The reason he¡¯d had the ck-robed man steal the manual of dragons¡¯ techniques was, inrge part, out of his desire to counter Li Mo. Li Sheng believed that, if he were to one day meet Li Mo on the battlefield, that he would have no chance of sess without that manual of tactics.


    That was the reason the ck-robed man had snuck into the academy.


    Because the ck-robed man had known that Li Mo was about to leave, his preparations were almostplete. After a rapid discussion with Cang Song and Li Furong, the n was put into action. Cang Song wouldn¡¯t be part of the operation; instead, he retreated to his own cottage to await the good news. The bulk of the n would be carried out by Li Furong and the ck-robed man himself at midnight.


    The poor Li Furong still hadn¡¯t realized the danger inherent to the all-seeing mirror, and she was destined to be naught but a sacrificial pawn. Blissfully unaware of her plight, however, she eagerly waited for the signal from the ck-robed man.


    Both she and the ck-robed man were dressed in dark clothes. In the deep of the night, they rushed toward the southern tower. Two hundred meters from their current position were two dark shadows, swiftly following behind the duo. These two were none other than Shui Yun and Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan was responsible for tailing Li Furong. As she watched Li Furong¡¯s back from afar, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a sense of shock. Li Furong¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t anything special, and even Lin Qingxue could beat her with ease. She seemed to be no stronger than an early fifth-rank demaster, but when she moved at full speed, Yun Ruoyan could barely keep up with her even using her own peak seventh-rank cultivation fully.


    Even such a seemingly useless person as her had her own talents.


    After the ck-robed man and Li Furong reached the southern tower, they hid behind a few shrubs by the side of the tower. Cang Song had earlier shown both of them the tower¡¯s blueprints, so they were rtively familiar with its structure and inner workings.


    ¡°You can make your move now. I¡¯ll wait here for you,¡± the ck-robed man murmured to Li Furong.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Furong took two steps forward before suddenly turning back, her eyes shining. ¡°Master, don¡¯t forget your promise to me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When have I ever lied to you?¡± the ck-robed man responded sincerely. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to rmend you to the Farsighted King. Once he ascends to the throne, you¡¯ll be in a position of power!¡±


    Li Furong¡¯s eyes turned even brighter.


    The ck-robed man watched on as Li Furong began climbing up the southern tower, a little regret in his heart. After all, he had trained her all these years. At the same time, however, he chuckled coldly to himself: she had been overstepping her bounds, and it was only right that she gave up her life as punishment.


    Contrary to Yun Ruoyan and Shui Yun¡¯s expectations, Li Furong didn¡¯t enter the tower and ascend from within. Instead, as though she were a lizard, she began scaling the tower from the outside at such a rapid pace that neither of them could quite believe their eyes.


    Yun Ruoyan had seen Li Mo disy a simr technique the night they scaled the walls of the Yuelu Vi, and she knew how much spiritual energy such a technique required. However, Li Furong clearly didn¡¯t possess that much spiritual energy, so how was she still able to use the technique so smoothly?


    ¡°There¡¯s a backdoor behind the southern tower. Miss Yun, keep an eye on Li Furong, and I¡¯ll stay here and watch over the ck-robed man,¡± Shui Yun whispered. Yun Ruoyan nodded and slipped away to the back of the southern tower.


    Yun Ruoyan had been told of the backdoor well in advance, so she found it quite easily. After entering the tower, she ran up to its top floor. At the same time, Li Furong vaulted over the high railing and jumped down onto the top floor of the tower. Yun Ruoyan retracted her aura and hid behind a door as she watched Li Furong head toward the all-seeing mirror.


    The all-seeing mirror sat on a stone podium, and Yun Ruoyan had only ever seen it once during the day. Then, it looked as though it had been surrounded by a patch of white fog. Once the first elder chanted an incantation, the white fog began to dissipate, revealing a single eye. As the eye opened, it would disy the image that one wanted to see.


    However, it was currently the middle of the night, and this was the first time Yun Ruoyan had seen how the all-seeing mirror looked at night. Its surface was pitch ck, as though it were an endlessly deep swamp, giving her a sense of mystery and coldness.


    At the same time, it made her back away instinctively.


    However, Li Furong didn¡¯t seem to have the same sense of unease. Her eyes were almost glowing as she strode toward the mirror, muttering to herself, ¡°So this is the all-seeing mirror? It¡¯s ck all over, and it doesn¡¯t look like anything special¡­¡±


    The moment she touched it, however, a mysterious phenomenon urred. On the pitch-ck surface of the mirror appeared a blood-red eye, which stared at Li Furong with such intensity that she instinctively backed away in fright.


    At the same time, a beam of red light shot out from the eye and hit Li Furong¡¯s body.


    ¡°A demonic eye, a demonic eye!¡± Qiuqiu suddenly shouted from within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind, its voice trembling in fright. During this period of time, Qiuqiu had been working hard on its own cultivation, and this was the first thing it had said to Yun Ruoyan in days.


    Even the usually calm Yun Ruoyan became anxious. Not responding to Qiuqiu¡¯sment, she focused all her attention on Li Furong, on whom the beam shone. As if the beam were extremely painful to bear, Li Furong¡¯s expression morphed into a grimace. She tried to scream, her mouth wide open, but no sound came out.


    Or perhaps there was sound, but it was blocked by the red beam¡­


    ck scales began to emerge from Li Furong¡¯s exposed skin. Li Furong¡¯s tender, snow-white skin was slowly being eaten away by these ck scales, and the frightening contrast between ck and white, illuminated in an eerie red, caused Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back to turn cold.


    ¡°Mistress, it looks like this Li Furong¡¯s just a ck-armored lizard who managed to obtain a human form!¡± Qiuqiu eximed.


    Yun Ruoyan stared at Li Furong¡¯s transformation in shock. Her hands and feet were slowly turning into ws, and her face took on an exceedingly strange lizardlike form. Finally, under the illumination of the red beam, her true appearance was finally revealed to one and all.


    She was a massive ck-armored lizard!


    However, the red beam still continued to eat away at Li Furong¡¯s skin. Even her ck armor seemed to be corroding under the force of the beam, and Yun Ruoyan could see wisps of white smoke where the beam hit her armor.


    The ck-armored lizard writhed in pain, but the red beam from the demonic eye seemed to have frozen her in ce. Not only did it stop her from making any sound, it also prevented her from moving away from the beam.


    When the ck-armored lizard had beenpletely consumed by the beam, there was only a gleaming ck beast core left behind.


    ¡°That¡¯s a ck-armored lizard¡¯s beast core¡ªMistress, it¡¯s an excellent ingredient for poison!¡± Qiuqiu reminded Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded as she walked toward the red beam. Just as she was considering how to best retrieve the beast core, her gazended on the all-seeing mirror¡¯s demonic eye. Instantly, Yun Ruoyan felt as though she had been struck with lightning, and a sh of white light blinded her mind¡¯s eye. Amidst that white light was the shadow of a ck dragon that slowly rose up, dispersing the light.


    ¡°Mistress, you have to hurry! The elders are alling!¡±


    As the white light in her mind vanished fully, Yun Ruoyan regained her sight. She looked toward the all-seeing mirror again and found that the demonic eye had vanished, and the mirror¡¯s surface was pitch ck once more.


    The ck-armored lizard¡¯s beast core fell to the ground. Yun Ruoyan picked it up, dumped it in her silver bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension, and hurriedly left the scene of the encounter.


    The ck-robed man continued hiding behind his shrub, waiting for some sort ofmotion to ur at the roof of the tower. Theck of any noise or motion left him particrly anxious, and he was concerned that something had gone wrong when five elders began converging on the rooftop. The ck-robed man nodded in satisfaction, then began retracting his aura even more fully.


    The five elders had each noticed the irregrity in the all-seeing mirror during their cultivation and had rushed over immediately. As soon as the ck-robed man saw themnding on the tower¡¯s rooftop, he unlocked the southern tower¡¯s front door with a key and slipped in.

 Chapter 236: Black Box

    <h4>Chapter 236: ck Box</h4>


    Shui Yun followed the ck-robed man into the tower. Following Cang Song¡¯s map, the ck-robed man sessfully found the secret vault at the basement of the southern tower; allegedly, the first elder would spend the entire night cultivating within the vault.


    At the moment, the vault¡¯s door was half-open, as though the first elder had left in such a hurry after sensing something amiss with the all-seeing mirror that he didn¡¯t even have the time to close the door.


    The ck-robed man walked into the secret vault.


    Behind him, Shui Yun thought, Just as His Highness suspected, the ck-robed man has another motive altogether¡­


    Shui Yun didn¡¯t follow the man into the vault. Instead, she turned and headed up the stairs.


    Five of the elders had already gathered at the roof of the southern tower, where they saw the all-seeing mirror fixed in its usual spot. However, the air reeked of a magical beast.


    ¡°It looks like a beast tried to break in,¡± the second elder began, his eyes darting around his surroundings.


    ¡°But the beast¡¯s cultivation was too low to do anything of note, and it was killed by the all-seeing mirror even before it could trigger the heaven and earth array¡­¡± The sixth elder¡¯s eyes were slightly bleary, as though he weren¡¯t fully awake from being interrupted midway through his cultivation.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the first elder? Surely he sensed this disturbance before us?¡± the third elder wondered.


    ¡°He lives right here in the southern tower, so he must have arrived before we did. He probably went back to cultivate after noticing that nothing was amiss.¡± The sixth elder yawned, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°With the all-seeing mirror around, there¡¯s nothing we have to worry about. Why don¡¯t we all head back? It¡¯s the middle of the night, and I¡¯m quite tired.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s something wrong!¡± the second elder said with certainty. He walked up to the all-seeing mirror, as though he were intending to activate it in the night.


    ¡°Second Elder, are you crazy?¡± The fifth elder stopped him before he could reach the mirror. ¡°You know the mirror isn¡¯t to be activated at night, or you¡¯ll suffer heavenly tribtion! As the head of the hall of penitence, surely you know this.¡±


    The second elder stopped short.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we find the first elder and ask him about the mirror?¡± the third elder suggested.


    The other elders all agreed with the third elder¡¯s judgment, and they were just about to head downstairs when they saw Shui Yun walk up.


    ¡°Elders, please wait.¡± Shui Yun blocked the path downwards.


    ¡°Shui Yun, what are you doing here?¡± The second elder frowned.


    ¡°The first elder has tasked me to wait here for you, Elders.¡± Shui Yun pulled out an identification token that glowed purple. The other elders all recognized that token¡ªindeed, they each had one of their own, from when they had first been a student at Kongming Academy.


    Now that they were elders, their identification tokens were all but useless, so they wouldn¡¯t normally carry it with them. As a result, they were all quite surprised to suddenly see the first elder¡¯s identification token in Shui Yun¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Elders, the first elder requests that you stay at the tower¡¯s roof for the moment,¡± Shui Yun said.


    ¡°Why all this trouble?¡± the third elder asked. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Elders, please wait. Once everything¡¯s over, the first elder will give all of you an exnation.¡± Shui Yun stopped replying to any questions. Although the elders were somewhat mystified by her behavior, they didn¡¯t press her further and instead waited quietly by the rooftop.


    Past the door of the secret vault was a rather long tunnel, with doors on either side. Behind the doors were the prized treasures of Kongming Academy. ording to Cang Song, the manual of tactics was behind the third door to the left. The ck-robed man took out the key that he had used to open the tower¡¯s door and unlocked the third door.


    Behind the third door on the right, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were observing the ck-robed man¡¯s actions through the door¡¯s keyhole.


    ¡°The thousand-faced key,¡± Li Mo murmured.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That man¡¯s holding the thousand-faced key, crafted from the beast core of the mythical thousand-faced beast. It¡¯s said to be able to unlock any lock in the world.¡±


    ¡°Such a marvelous treasure? It¡¯ll be mine,¡± Yun Ruoyanid im to the key, then smiled. ¡°Can we head out yet?¡±


    Li Mo nodded, and the duo walked out from behind the stone door. In the opposite chamber, the ck-robed man was slowly going through a bookshelf lined with books in search of that mythical manual of tactics. Finally, he found a ck, rectangr box in an unassuming corner of the shelf, only about the size of a palm. Engraved on the box was the lifelike figure of a ck dragon.


    It must be this box! It¡¯s exactly as was described, the ck-robed man thought, then reached out for it.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you were after?¡± a low voice suddenly rang out from behind the ck-robed man.


    Startled, the ck-robed man turned to the outside and saw that Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had appeared out of nowhere, blocking the exit to the chamber.


    ¡°Yo-You¡­ didn¡¯t you leave?¡±


    ¡°I did leave,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Then, I came back.¡±


    ¡°You were trying to draw me out!¡± the ck-robed man used, holding the ck box tightly against his chest as he prepared to defend himself.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t cover your tracks very well,¡± Yun Ruoyanmented idly. ¡°The only reason we didn¡¯t stop you beforehand was because we wanted to know what you were searching for. Hand over the box in your hands, and we might still spare your life.¡±


    ¡°You think you¡¯ll be able to catch me?¡± the ck-robed man snorted, tossing out a mysterious object from his hand. It smashed against the floor of the vault and gave off a blinding light. By the time the light had dissipated, so had the ck-robed man.


    ¡°Where is he? How did he suddenly vanish?¡± Yun Ruoyan was very shocked.


    ¡°A teleportation scroll¡­¡± Li Mo was also somewhat startled. There were indeed teleportation arrays that could provide instantaneous transportation, but they were often very costly in terms of spiritual energy, and required two to three cultivators releasing their spiritual energy at once to activate. The amount of spiritual energy needed would increase with the distance; Kongming Academy¡¯s trial grounds made use of teleportation arrays that required at least four advanced cultivators to support.


    There were a few ancient artifacts from long ago¡ªteleportation scrolls¡ªthat could provide instantaneous transportation without the associated spiritual energy cost, but they were so rare that Li Mo had only seen one such in his life. He hadn¡¯t expected that the Farsighted King would be willing to give up such a valuable artifact for that small, ck box.


    ¡°Damn it, they discovered me!¡± The ck-robed man was vexed at having to spend a priceless artifact to escape. ¡°At the very least, I obtained what I came for.¡±


    ¡°Did you seed?¡± Just as the ck-robed man was about to fly off on his sword, Cang Song suddenly appeared from behind.


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± The ck-robed man¡¯s voice was visibly rxed. ¡°And now that I¡¯m finally finished with my task, I can leave this ghastly ce.¡±


    ¡°My congrattions.¡± Cang Song walked up to him with a smile on his face. ¡°You yed quite an important role as well, so once I return, I¡¯ll be sure to praise you in front of the Farsighted King¡ª¡±


    Before the ck-robed man could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a sharp pain by his abdomen, and he looked disbelievingly at Cang Song.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ why?!¡± The ck-robed man grabbed Cang Song¡¯s blood-stained hand, within which was a short dagger that hadpletely prated the ck-robed man¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already been exposed,¡± Cang Song whispered. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to escape, so only if I kill you and mislead everyone will I be able to deliver the manual to the Farsighted King¡¯s hands. As for you¡­ rest in peace.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo rushed to the scene just in time to see Cang Song pierce the ck-robed man in the heart, then kick him down the cliffside.


    ¡°Master Cang Song, please wait!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, but it was to no avail.


    Cang Song sheathed his sword and turned back to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, his face calm. Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan hurried to the side of the cliff. Yun Ruoyan nced down to see what seemed like a bottomless pit, wreathed in mist. ¡°If he fell from this height, there¡¯s no chance that his corpse survived intact,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Senior Cang, what are you doing here?¡± Li Mo frowned.


    Cang Song replied cidly, ¡°I woke up and suddenly saw a red sword aura sh past my window. Since the aura seemed foreign to me, I followed it all the way here. The ck-robed man flying on his sword was attempting to run, so I fought him and knocked him down. He was struggling so fiercely that I had no choice but to use more extreme methods against him, and I misjudged my strength.¡±


    Li Mo was about to interrogate him further when Yun Ruoyan interrupted, ¡°Master Cang, did you see the ck box the ck-robed man was carrying?¡±


    ¡°A ck box?¡± Cang Song pretended to be mystified. ¡°Were you chasing after the ck-robed man because of something he had on him?¡±


    ¡°Senior Cang, did you see it?¡± Li Mo pressed.


    After thinking for a moment, Cang Song replied, ¡°When I knocked the ck-robed man off his sword, it seemed as though something fell out of his robe. As for what it was, however, I couldn¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°Where? Where did itnd?¡±


    Cang Song pointed at the grassy area behind him. ¡°Right there.¡±


    ¡°Senior, the ck-robed man stole the item from the southern tower, and it¡¯s very important,¡± Li Mo emphasized.


    ¡°From the southern tower?¡± Cang Song gaped in shock. ¡°Then it must be important. We have to search immediately!¡±


    Cang Song turned around and pretended to search the grass thoroughly.


    ¡°I found it!¡± Momentster, Yun Ruoyan found a ck box near a shrub. As her finger brushed against the engraved ck dragon on its cover, a sudden coolness seeped into her skin.

 Chapter 237: Returning to the Capital

    <h4>Chapter 237: Returning to the Capital</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan carefully inspected the ck box to identify why it was radiating such coolness. The box was made of a material unknown to her. It was wholly ck, and the dragon engraving was so detailed it could almost be real. At the same time, the ck dragon seemed somehow familiar to her.


    Yun Ruoyan had seen the illusion of a ck dragon a few times at the demonic dragon grotto within the trial grounds, and she had also seen a few ck dragons in her dreams. The engraved dragon felt as though it was of the same ilk.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er?¡± Li Mo called out, seeing that Yun Ruoyan seemed to be lost in her thoughts.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at Li Mo and opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t say anything¡ªthe strange sense of deja vu she felt was so unusual that she couldn¡¯t express her thoughts properly in words.


    ¡°Here, is this what he took from the southern tower?¡± Yun Ruoyan handed the ck box to Li Mo.


    The box did seem to be the one that the ck-robed man had taken. Li Mo nced coolly at Cang Song before opening it up, revealing a tablet of green jade. The pale green glow that the tablet gave off made it clear that it was no ordinary treasure. However, neither Li Mo nor Yun Ruoyan had seen the item before, so they couldn¡¯t tell what was so special about it.


    Li Mo reced the box¡¯s cover. ¡°Senior Cang, a thief snuck into the academy. Tomorrow, please investigate the matter carefully with the other provosts, just in case he has other aplices.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    As Cang Song watched Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan leave, his expression turned sunken. His displeasure toward Li Mo, which he had quashed for quite some time, red up once again. You think that you have the right tomand me just because you¡¯re the first elder¡¯s head disciple? Sooner orter, I¡¯ll teach you what it means to respect your elders! Cang Song quietly snorted as he turned to leave.


    Li Mo took two steps and stopped once more. Turning to Yun Ruoyan, he said, ¡°The five elders are still waiting atop the southern tower, so I have to rush to the pce and bring back the first elder.¡±


    He had truly returned to the pce to visit the Farsighted King, but had found an opportunity to have the first elder, who was familiar with shapeshifting, take his ce instead.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you! There¡¯s nothing else I can aplish over here, anyway.¡±


    With one hand on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s waist, Li Mo flew into the sea of clouds, heading directly for the capital.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take us a few hours to get to the capital and back. Will Senior Shui Yun be able to handle the five elders on her own?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, poking her head out from beneath Li Mo¡¯s expansive ck robe.


    ¡°Shui Yun¡¯s only the bearer of the news, so I doubt they¡¯ll make things difficult for her,¡± Li Mo replied, pressing her head back into his robe.


    After about three hours, Li Monded in the ughtering King¡¯s manor. It was deep in the night, and the first elder¡ªstill dressed as Li Mo¡ªhad long since departed from the banquet and returned to his manor. Li Mo and Yun Ruoyannded directly in Li Mo¡¯s courtyard, and the door to his bedroom opened as soon as they reached it.


    Yun Ruoyan stared open-mouthed at the person who opened the door, whose face was exactly identical to Li Mo¡¯s. Before she could react, Li Mo had pulled her inside.


    ¡°Elder,¡± Li Mo called out to the person who wore his face.


    ¡°He¡¯s the first elder?!¡±


    No one had to respond to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question, because the first elder was removing his disguise. He stretched out his right hand, which was glowing with spiritual energy. Then, he passed his right palm over his face, recing Li Mo¡¯s visage with his own.


    ¡°What sort of technique is this? It¡¯s incredible!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a spirit-based disguise technique that you¡¯ll be able to learn once you be a sword saint,¡± Li Mo exined.


    ¡°Did you aplish what you set out to do?¡± the first elder asked. Li Mo recounted what had happened that night, and Yun Ruoyan furnished additional details.


    ¡°That Li Furong was just a ck-armored lizard in disguise! But her cultivation was so low that she was vanquished by a beam of red light from the all-seeing mirror, and this is all that¡¯s left of her.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan revealed the ck beast core in her hands.


    ¡°In principle, if Li Furong was able to morph into a human form and have such arge beast core, her cultivation shouldn¡¯t have been too low. In that case, why was she still defeated by the all-seeing mirror so easily, and why was her student performance so mediocre?¡±


    Li Mo wasn¡¯t familiar with Li Furong, so he couldn¡¯t answer her question.


    The first elder mulled it over for a moment, then began, ¡°There¡¯s only one possibility: she must have taken a human form not too long ago. In addition, she must have obtained a human form through some sort of spiritual pill, rather than through regr cultivation. However, such pills would have stunted her cultivation, preventing her from progressing much farther.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan seemed as though she had a sudden revtion: Li Furong had clearly been raised and treated as a sacrificial pawn, from start to finish.


    ¡°Master, this is the treasure the ck-robed man was trying to steal from the southern tower.¡± Li Mo handed the small ck box to the first elder.


    The first elder carefully scrutinized the small box, opened it, and then took out the jade tablet within. Clearly, it was the first time that the first elder was seeing the contents of the box as well.


    ¡°First Elder, have you ever seen this box before?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    The first elder shook his head. ¡°There are ten stone chambers in the vault, each with at least a thousand treasures¡ªspiritual weapons, artifacts, tomes, and all sorts of strange oddities besides. Despite how much time I¡¯ve spent in the vault, I haven¡¯t studied more than one percent of the items within. This is indeed the first time I¡¯ve seen this tablet. However, although it is precious, it doesn¡¯t seem quite special enough to belong in the vault¡­¡±


    The first elder narrowed his eyes. ¡°On the other hand, this box seems much more interesting.¡±


    As if he suddenly recalled something, the first elder then hurriedly asked, ¡°How did that ck-robed man get into the vault?¡±


    The moment the first elder asked the question, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart twinged in pain. Somewhat mournfully, she began, ¡°The ck-robed man used a thousand-faced key to open the vault doors. I wanted to take the key for myself, but Master Cang knocked him down the cliff along with the key!¡±


    Li Mo folded his arms. ¡°Cang Song seemed a little suspicious. I could have caught the ck-robed man, but he knocked him off the cliff. As for this box, I suspect that it might have contained something else previously. Could someone have reced its contents?¡±


    ¡°You suspect Cang Song?¡± The first elder frowned, appearing more than a little shocked. Cang Song was the provost of the southern college, as well as a trusted junior of his.


    ¡°Only a suspicion, without any real proof at the moment,¡± Li Mo rified. ¡°After the ck-robed man had stolen the box, Cang Song was the only one who got close to him. If there¡¯s anything wrong with the box, it¡¯s very likely that Cang Song was involved.¡±


    The first elder¡¯s expression turned particrly serious. Li Mo had informed him that the Farsighted King was plotting a rebellion, and the item the ck-robed man stole surely had something to do with it. The vault was a well-kept secret of Kongming Academy, and the first elder was the only one qualified to open it. How did the Farsighted King find out about something that even he wasn¡¯t familiar with?


    Furthermore, Cang Song was a rtively high-ranking member of Kongming Academy. How might he have ended up in cahoots with the Farsighted King? If Li Mo¡¯s suspicions were indeed correct, then he had to be barred from Kongming Academy.


    ¡°Li Mo, I¡¯ve always been supportive of your actions, but Kongming Academy has a longstanding policy of not intervening with mortal affairs. Our goal is to continuously raise our cultivation and advance to a higher dimension,¡± the first elder emphasized. ¡°Mortal affairs areplicated by the shortsightedness of men, and cultivation is the only path to true power.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Li Mo acquiesced. The first elder was both Li Mo¡¯s master and parental figure, and he even took on the role of a friend at times. Li Mo deeply respected and trusted the man, and would even listen to him over Empress Xue Tong herself.


    Instead of paying attention to the conversation, Yun Ruoyan was still thinking back to what she had observed by the all-seeing mirror. Its demonic eye had shot out a bright red beam that had vaporized Li Furong in a sinister and grotesque manner, and Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help thinking back to the demonic eyes that Lin Qingchen¡¯s dragon ring had harbored.


    Although that pair of eyes was much smaller and weaker than the eye from the all-seeing mirror, they shared the same terrifying aura.


    ¡°Mistress, before you really understand what¡¯s going on with the demonic dragons, I strongly suggest you keep what you know a secret¡ªeven to Li Mo and the first elder.¡± Qiuqiu seemed to have detected the confusion that Yun Ruoyan was feeling, and it emphasized, ¡°You have to investigate the matter yourself!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was just considering whether to broach the topic with Li Mo and the first elder, but Qiuqiu¡¯s repeated reminder had caused her to drop the thought entirely.


    After clearing things up with the first elder, he left to handle the five elders still at the roof of the southern tower in Kongming Academy and took back the ck box for safekeeping. Li Mo had to enter the pce againe morning, because the Farsighted King was staying in the capital for a few days.


    The next day, after having breakfast with Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo headed for the pce. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t follow suit; instead, she went to the Lin manor to talk with her grandfather, Lin Zainan. She hadn¡¯t forgotten what the demonic dragon elder had told her within the demonic dragon grotto: ¡°Investigate your background, and you¡¯ll be sure to find traces of your bloodline.¡±


    To do so, Yun Ruoyan had to start with her rtives. The first person who came to mind was her grandfather who truly cherished and doted on her, Lin Zainan. Lin Zainan was shocked and excited to see Yun Ruoyan. Thest time he had seen her, Yun Ruoyan had been possessed by demonic energy and had been brought away in a hurry by Li Mo. Although Li Mo hadter sent him a letter to inform him that Yun Ruoyan had recovered, he couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    This time, as soon as he saw her, he quickly asked if she had really recovered and if she were still feeling unwell anywhere. Only when she had responded positively did he rx, then inquire as to why she had returned.

 Chapter 238: Mr. Dragon

    <h4>Chapter 238: Mr. Dragon</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan told Lin Zainan that she was helping Li Mo with a certain task in the capital, and was coincidentally free to visit him.


    When Yun Ruoyan demonstrated her newly acquired fireball technique, Lin Zainan was particrly impressed. ¡°While I was young, I focused so much on pillmaking that I dyed my studies as a demaster. In the end, I was never truly able to fly on my de, and I know next to nothing about external spiritual techniques. Ruoyan, you¡¯ve had impressive sesses as a pillmaster and demaster, and I¡¯m sure your future will be bright.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled and poured her grandfather a cup of tea.


    ¡°If your mother were still around, I¡¯m sure she would also be very pleased with your performance.¡±


    Lin Zainan¡¯s words were a perfect segue into the thrust of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s inquiry. ¡°While my mother was pregnant with me, did she often return to the Lin manor?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did. Back then, your grandmother was still alive, and I was often out wandering the continent and searching for rare herbs. Your grandmother often imed that your mother loved sitting in the peach blossom grove, staring at the peach blossoms for hours on end.


    ¡°Grandfather, except for my father, do you know of any male friends that my mother was close with during my pregnancy?¡±


    Lin Zainan stilled at the unusual question.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that a woman as beautiful as my mother would have had quite a number of suitors, especially before marrying my father,¡± she hastily added.


    ¡°She did!¡± Lin Zainan sighed. ¡°Once your mother came of age, matchmakers filled the entrance of the manor for days! We arranged for her to meet with quite a number of scions from other noble families, but none managed to catch her eye.¡±


    Lin Zainan ced his teacup on the table and closed his eyes, recollecting the events of yore. ¡°What was most surprising to me was that she would actually choose your father.¡± Lin Zainan sighed once more, his face filled with remorse. ¡°If I¡¯d known, I wouldn¡¯t have organized that peach blossom gathering!¡±


    ¡°Peach blossom gathering?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes lit up: this was the first time she¡¯d heard Lin Zainan mention something like this. Based on Lin Zainan¡¯s tone, it seemed very likely that it was during that gathering that Lin Yuemei became besotted with Yun Lan.


    ¡°Grandfather, can you tell me more?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed.


    About eighteen years ago, days after Lin Yuemei hade of age, preparations for her betrothal were under way. At the time, the Lin family¡¯s name was burgeoning, and Lin Yuemei¡¯s beauty was famed even beyond the capital.


    Lin Zainan had returned to the Lin manor in the deep of autumn, when the vibrant flowers and trees of spring and summer had all but withered away. Because the Lin family¡¯s peach blossom grove was nourished with spiritual energy, the Lin manor still seemed to be in the height of spring.


    As a result, he and his wife decided to organize a ¡®peach blossom gathering¡¯, inviting all the noble scions whom they considered suitable prospects for Lin Yuemei.


    The day of the gathering, Yun Lan appeared.


    ¡°Grandfather, as far as I know, the dispute between the Lin and Yun families had existed long before the gathering. In that case, why did you still invite my father?¡±


    As far as Yun Ruoyan knew, her parents¡¯ rtionship had once been forbidden by Lin Zainan. It was only after Lin Yuemei¡¯s stubborn insistence that Lin Zainan had finally relented; even then, however, Lin Zainan had never been pleased with Yun Lan.


    ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t invite him! But I couldn¡¯t stop him from attending with another guest,¡± Lin Zainan grumbled. ¡°At the beginning, your mother didn¡¯t seem all too interested in him. Instead, she seemed more enamored with that¡­¡±


    Lin Zainan furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. ¡°...with another young master, Young Master Long.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Long!¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart thumped. ¡°Who is he? Is he from the capital?¡± As Yun Ruoyan tried to remember if there were any noble families in the capital whose surname was ¡®Long¡¯, Lin Zainan replied, ¡°No, he came with another guest, and your father followed him here.¡±


    Lin Zainan noticed that Young Master Long and Lin Yuemei seemed particrlypatible, so he had him secretly investigated. Allegedly, he had been staying in the Yun family, his origin and whereabouts both a mystery.


    Lin Yuemei was the sole daughter of the Lin family, and Lin Zainan naturally wasn¡¯t about to betroth her to a strange man of unknown origin. He forbade her from interacting too intimately with Young Master Long, but Lin Yuemei had imed that they were only ever friends.


    ¡°That Young Master Long was truly of noble bearing and disposition, and even both your uncles were interested in him. They would frequently tour ces together, and I couldn¡¯t very well forbid solely your mother from going,¡± Lin Zainan continued. ¡°But what I didn¡¯t expect was that your father would go along on these excursions as well, and what I really didn¡¯t expect was that Yuemei would end up with him!¡±


    Based on Lin Zainan¡¯s tone, it seemed as though this Young Master Long was iparable to even Yun Lan¡ªthis despite the fact that Yun Lan was quite notable within the capital for his cultivation and ability!


    Could this Young Master Long be her father? If the demonic dragon elder¡¯s words had been truthful and Yun Ruoyan really was thest descendant of the demonic dragon bloodline, then she was no daughter of the Yun family, no daughter of Yun Lan himself.


    Would this Young Master Long be descended from dragons? Could he have been the man that Lin Yuemei had bade her call ¡®Father¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Lin Zainan interrupted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s thoughts, and she looked to him somewhat vacantly.


    ¡°Ruoyan, are you alright? Is there something that¡¯s troubling you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m alright, Grandfather.¡± Yun Ruoyan shook her head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just interested in this Young Master Long.¡±


    ¡°Frankly, this Young Master Long was quite strange.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan craned her neck forward, not wanting to miss a single word.


    ¡°After your father and mother got married, he suddenly vanished. A man like him seemed like the type that would be known across the continent, but I had never heard of him before or since, as if he hadpletely vanished from the mortal world¡­¡±


    Leaving her grandfather burdened with yet another bundle of mystery, Yun Ruoyan returned to the ughtering King¡¯s manor. There, she coincidentally ran into her brother, Yun Moxiao, and beside him was none other than Li Luo.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Li Luo. I was just about to ask you to inform my brother that I¡¯m here!¡±


    ¡°I did so on His Highness¡¯mand,¡± Li Luo replied, smiling.


    On the other hand, Yun Moxiao made a mock-angry expression. ¡°Ruoyan, isn¡¯t it too irresponsible of you to return to the capital and not send word home? You¡¯re not even married yet!¡±


    ¡°Brother, can we talk about something else?¡± Yun Ruoyan stuck out her tongue and coyly changed the topic, then dragged Yun Moxiao toward Li Mo¡¯s residence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare some tea.¡± Li Luo smiled, then headed to the kitchen.


    Yun Ruoyan saw Yun Moxiao¡¯s gaze follow Li Luo until she was out of sight. Nudging her brother, she asked, ¡°How¡¯re things going with my sister-inw?¡±


    Yun Moxiao blushed furiously. ¡°What sister-inw? We haven¡¯t done anything yet! If she hears what you¡¯re calling her, I bet she¡¯ll start ignoring me!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why haven¡¯t you done anything with her yet, Brother? You¡ª¡±


    Yun Moxiao hissed and mped her mouth shut. Not too longter, the two siblings arrived at Li Mo¡¯s quarters, an elegant wooden estate bordering a pond and other outrements of natural beauty. Most of the lotus flowers in the pond had withered, but there was a golden-backed carp swimmingzily in the crystal-clear water.


    ¡°This is the ughtering King¡¯s residence, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yun Moxiao nced suspiciously at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°You¡¯re staying here too?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. When she noticed her brother¡¯s frown deepen, she hurriedly added, ¡°What are you thinking? There are countless rooms avable here! I sleep over here, and he sleeps all the way over there, in that corner.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan gestured with her fingers. ¡°There are four rooms behind us, so nothing¡¯s going to happen!¡±


    Yun Moxiao sighed. ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯ll only be fourteen this year, and of age the next. Make sure you¡¯re not being taken advantage of, alright?¡±


    Especially to a man so powerful that even he couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    ¡°Yes, Brother.¡± Yun Ruoyan nodded. Although Yun Moxiao could be quite a nag at times, he truly cared about her. In contrast, Yun Lan couldn¡¯t wait to cart her off to Li Mo.


    As they talked, they entered one of the guest chambers, and Li Luo brought them tea.


    ¡°Sister Li Luo, my brother will be staying for lunch today, if that¡¯s alright,¡± Yun Ruoyan stated.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all.¡± Li Luo nced at Yun Moxiao and smiled, then left to prepare lunch.


    ¡°See? Sister Li Luo¡¯s being so nice to you. You have to reciprocate!¡±


    Yun Moxiao appeared to be fully focused on his tea. ¡°She¡¯s more grateful than anything else, really. After all, her senior brother¡¯s now working for my master in the army, and I was the one who rmended him for that position.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan thought back to the beastkin man who was missing one arm.


    Yun Moxiao had a sip of tea, then smiled brightly. ¡°But I have patience in spades.¡±


    ¡°Brother, can you help me investigate a man?¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly began.


    ¡°Whom?¡±


    ¡°A man whose surname is Long. He appeared eighteen years ago in the capital, and was close to both our parents. After that, however, he seemed to vanish into thin air,¡± Yun Ruoyan introduced. ¡°I need to know if he¡¯s interacted with anyone else except our parents.¡±


    When she saw the doubt in her brother¡¯s eyes, she continued, ¡°Please don¡¯t ask me why, and please don¡¯t reveal it to anyone else, either. When timees, I¡¯ll give you the details.¡±


    Yun Moxiao nodded. That his sister had started keeping secrets of her own was a sure sign that she had grown up, but Yun Moxiao didn¡¯t realize how many, nor how important, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s secrets were...


    <hr>


    1. ¡®Long¡¯ (Áú) meaning ¡®dragon¡¯.

 Chapter 239: Entering the Palace

    <h4>Chapter 239: Entering the Pce</h4>


    After lunch, Yun Ruoyan suggested ying go in order to give Yun Moxiao and Li Luo a chance to interact more with each other. Li Mo had tasked Li Luo with taking care of Yun Ruoyan, so she eded to the request and set up a go board in a side room. She had wanted for Li Luo and Yun Moxiao to y together, but Li Luo refused.


    Not wanting to force the matter, Yun Ruoyan had to y with Yun Moxiao herself. However, as she yed, she would often nce at Li Luo. Although Li Luo made noment, she would often frown when Yun Ruoyan ced a piece in a poor position. From some testing, she concluded that Li Luo was quite knowledgeable about go, and she seemed to be quite a good yer as well.


    The worst possible feeling for an aplished yer was to watch an inferior yer make mistake after mistake.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Yun Ruoyan deliberately misced a piece, then made a vexed expression. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t count that move! Let me undo my action.¡± Yun Ruoyan shamelessly took back her piece, and Yun Moxiao nodded with a smile. However, she then proceeded to spend the next few minutes seemingly deliberating her move.


    ¡°Sister Li Luo, what do you think my next move should be?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, and Li Luo couldn¡¯t resist answering.


    ¡°Try there.¡± Li Luo pointed at a certain spot. After breaking past this barrier, Li Luo was fully drawn into the game. After Yun Ruoyan¡¯s repeated questioning, she finally gave in and ended up taking Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spot.


    Yun Moxiao was highly aplished at go, but Li Luo wasn¡¯t much worse. The two of them shed again and again on the go board, neither willing to relent.


    In the end, Yun Moxiao barely won.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost,¡± Li Luo sighed.


    Yun Ruoyan red at Yun Moxiao. You should¡¯ve gone easy on her! Don¡¯t win the battle but lose the war!


    Yun Moxiao ignored Yun Ruoyan¡¯s re and smiled at Li Luo. ¡°Miss Li Luo, since it¡¯s still early, would you like to y another round?¡±


    Contrary to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expectations, Li Luo agreed quickly. They quickly engaged in another round of abstract warfare, and were both so engrossed in the game that Yun Ruoyan had be nothing but a bystander.


    By the time the second round was over, it was evening.


    ¡°Young Master Yun, you¡¯re truly skilled at go. I¡¯m not your opponent.¡± Li Luo lost once more.


    ¡°Sister Li Luo, you¡¯re already very impressive,¡± Yun Ruoyan began. ¡°My brother learned go from General Huang, and it¡¯s really quite incredible that you held on for so long.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan red at her brother once more: she had never seen him behave so ungentlemanly before! No wonder their romance hadn¡¯t progressed one bit!


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t particrly fond of go, and she had only made an effort to get better in order to please Pei Ziao. Although she was reasonably good, she ultimately didn¡¯t care much for the game. As a result, she felt as though it was more important to lose a round to make her opponent happier than to win at any cost.


    However, as serious yers, Yun Moxiao and Li Luo both treated the game differently. ying seriously was a sign of respect for one¡¯s opponent, and Li Luo would likely not have agreed to a second round otherwise.


    In contrast to Yun Moxiao¡¯s offense-based approach, Li Luo¡¯s ystyle was more moderate and restrained, but with a sharp edge. She had only lost because of her rtiveck of experience.


    ¡°Miss Li Luo, from whom did you learn go?¡± Yun Moxiao asked.


    ¡°His Highness asionally ys a few matches with others, and I¡¯ve picked up a little of the intricacies from watching him y,¡± Li Luo responded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Li Mo y go!¡± Yun Ruoyan appeared very excited at the thought. ¡°I¡¯ll have to challenge him one of these days.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to y now, Yan¡¯er?¡± As soon as she spoke, Li Mo¡¯s voice responded from the hall. Amidst everyone¡¯s gazes, Li Mo walked into the side chamber.


    ¡°Li Mo, you came back early!¡± Before he left in the morning, he¡¯d told her that he might have to stay until midnight, but he had returned by evening.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Li Luo got up from her seat and bowed.


    ¡°ughtering King.¡± Yun Moxiao also stood and bowed.


    Li Mo waved a hand in acknowledgement, then turned to Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Great timing! We¡¯re ying go, and my brother¡¯s amazing at the game. Would you like to have a round with him?¡±


    Yun Moxiao also turned to Li Mo, his gaze expectant and hopeful. Go was a mirror into one¡¯s temperament and personality, and Yun Moxiao did want to y a game with his prospective brother-inw.


    Li Mo nced at Yun Moxiao. ¡°That¡¯s fine, but not today. Yan¡¯er, I¡¯m here to bring you to the pce.¡±


    ¡°Me? Why?¡±


    ¡°Your father, Official Yun, is also present.¡±


    Since Yun Lan was also in the pce, then he surely knew that Li Mo had returned to his manor to fetch her. In that case, Yun Ruoyan had no choice but to go.


    Li Mo turned to Yun Moxiao again. ¡°There are quite a few other scions from the various noble families around. Do you want toe?¡±


    Having been in the army for much of his childhood, Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to socialize with other nobles. Now that he was back from the army, however, it was important for him to be developing connections by attending such gatherings. Indeed, Yun Lan had forced Yun Moxiao to attend quite a number of banquets with him.


    ¡°If Father didn¡¯t ask me to attend, he must have his reasons as to why, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll go. Farewell, Your Highness.¡±


    Li Mo nodded. ¡°Li Luo, see Young Master Yun out.¡±


    As Li Luo did so, Li Mo left with Yun Ruoyan on his sword.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly bringing me to the pce?¡±


    ¡°The Farsighted King took in a child who was set on bing my disciple, and I mentioned that I already had one.¡±


    The Farsighted King then expressed his interest in meeting Yun Ruoyan. Li Mo wanted to decline, but Yun Lan epted on his behalf. After mulling it over for a moment, Li Mo decided that introducing Yun Ruoyan as his disciple wasn¡¯t a bad idea, and he hade to fetch her himself.


    The winter chill made it ufortable to host gatherings outdoors, so the banquet was held in a chamber specifically designated for such gatherings. The imperial guards all recognized Li Mo¡¯s de aura, and he was able to fly into the pce andnd in front of the chamber without any problem.


    Yun Ruoyan followed Li Mo into the chamber. As they entered, all eyesnded on them. They walked to the front of the chamber and bowed down to Li Xiu, who was sitting on his dragon throne. Then, Yun Ruoyan turned to Yun Lan, sitting at the officials¡¯ table, and bowed to him as well.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you may rise.¡± Yun Lan smiled unusually affectionately at his second daughter.


    Yun Lan was well-known for hiding his intentions behind a superficial smile. At home, his face was stern and cold, and his smiles were so rare that Yun Ruoyan had hardly remembered seeing any. Outside, however, he was all smiles.


    This was something that Yun Ruoyan had long since gotten used to.


    When Yun Ruoyan turned and revealed the fake birthmark on her cheek, however, Yun Lan¡¯s face soured.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you put on a gauze patch?¡± he hissed, lowering his voice.


    Yun Ruoyan had refrained from applying a gauze patch on her face at Kongming Academy, intentionally trying to show off her ugly disfiguration. Not only would doing so scare away those insincere students who only wanted to get close to her for their own benefit, it was also a gesture of defiance.


    In her previous life, her ugly appearance had been a leading factor in her dire fate. This time, she wanted to maintain the same appearance but still forge a different oue for herself solely based on her own actions.


    Neither Lin Zainan nor Yun Moxiao were particrly shocked by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appearance, because what they cared about was Yun Ruoyan herself. On the other hand, what Yun Lan valued most were the benefits that she could bring the Yun family.


    Yun Ruoyan ignored Yun Lan, pretending that she didn¡¯t hear his question. Yun Lan was about to criticize her once more when an unfamiliar voice asked from ahead, ¡°Brother, is this your newest disciple, the Yun family¡¯s second daughter, Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to the source of the voice to see a man seated to the left of the dragon throne, a middle-aged man with a short, trimmed beard. This must be the Farsighted King, Li Sheng¡­ Judging from his appearance alone, he really does look like a wise king.


    After all, he had sessfully tricked tens of thousands of civilians, as well as the emperor himself.


    ¡°This is indeed she,¡± Yun Lan stood up and replied.


    ¡°She truly has a remarkable appearance.¡± The other officials, who found themselves at a loss trying to describe Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ugly appearance in a ttering manner, hurriedly nodded in agreement.


    Li Xiu, who had previously seen Yun Ruoyan¡¯s frightening birthmark, wasn¡¯t as shocked as the other officials. He smiled at Li Mo, murmuring, ¡°I¡¯d intended on betrothing the two of you to each other, but you ended up as master and disciple instead¡­¡±


    Both Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan smiled upon hearing the emperor¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,e over here.¡± Li Mo sat down opposite Li Sheng and motioned for Yun Ruoyan to sit beside him. As she did so, she suddenly felt two piercing gazes fixed on her. When she stared back, she met the eyes of a youth who wasn¡¯t much older than she was. He was dressed in red brocade, and sat stiffly by Li Sheng¡¯s side.


    Yun Ruoyan held the youth¡¯s gaze for a few breaths. His piercing gaze turned into one of interest, but Yun Ruoyan turned away in disinterest.


    The youth suddenly stood up and called out loudly, ¡°You¡¯re the ughtering King¡¯s disciple?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What of it?¡±


    Arching his eyebrows, the youth eximed, ¡°I want to challenge you! Dare you ept?¡±

 Chapter 240: The Poisoner’s Disciple

    <h4>Chapter 240: The Poisoner''s Disciple</h4>


    ¡°You want to challenge me?¡± The youth¡¯s sudden promation was unexpected to Yun Ruoyan¡ªand indeed, unexpected to all the other guests as well.


    All conversation paused as everyone¡¯s attention turned to Yun Ruoyan and the youth.


    ¡°Yes, I do! The ughtering King is my dream master, but he refused to take me as a disciple because of you. I want to challenge you and demonstrate in front of him that I¡¯m stronger than you are!¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to challenge you,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, smiling.


    Although the youth looked to be slightly older than Yun Ruoyan, perhaps fourteen or fifteen, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mental fortitude far eclipsed his. She looked at him as though she were looking at a child.


    ¡°You, you¡¯re looking down on me?!¡± The youth tightly clenched his fists.


    ¡°Wei Hai! Behave yourself!¡± the Farsighted King severely chastised the youth, but he continued to look at Yun Ruoyan stubbornly.


    The Farsighted King shook his head in frustration. ¡°This is one of my generals¡¯ boys, since orphaned. That general died honorably while trying to rid thend of a gang of robbers, and I took him in instead. I haven¡¯t been very strict on him, so his temper¡¯s a little wild.¡±


    ¡°A martyr¡¯s orphan? He certainly has the spirit of one!¡± the gathered officials began to whisper to each other.


    To have one¡¯s parents give their lives for their kingdom was the ultimate form of sacrifice, and such orphans were naturally afforded with unusual respect. Even the emperor Li Xiu couldn¡¯t helpment, ¡°Good child! If you have any wishes, I¡¯ll help you fulfill them.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, my sole desire is to have the ughtering King take me on as a disciple,¡± the youth quickly stated.


    ¡°Brother¡ª¡± Li Xiu looked toward Li Mo, who didn¡¯t look up from his cup of wine.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only take one disciple in this lifetime.¡±


    Beside him, Yun Ruoyan smiled. She too was looking at her cup of wine, and their mirrored gestures were unexpectedly harmonious. Nevertheless, their rtionship seemed to be slightly irregr: as if it seemed to possess some additional facets, but wascking in others. As for what these additional facets were, however, no one could seem to say.


    Li Mo never went back on his word, and Li Xiu had no choice but to tell the youth, ¡°That¡¯s a difficult wish even for me to fulfill. Is there anything else you want, like a high-grade spiritual pill or spiritual weapon?¡±


    ¡°My godfather has all sorts of spiritual pills and weapons,¡± the youth sniffed, then pointed at Yun Ruoyan once more. ¡°In that case, I want to have a fight with her!¡±


    Li Xiu sighed. Everyone present could see how fondly Li Mo looked on his new disciple. He couldn¡¯t force Li Mo to do anything, and this naturally extended to his disciple as well. However, he had already let down the youth once, so if he couldn¡¯t even fulfill this wish of his¡­


    Li Xiu spoke directly to Yun Ruoyan, bypassing Li Mo. His voice was infused less with the authority of an emperor and more the bargaining of a merchant. ¡°Miss Yun, I¡¯d like you to have a match with this youth to fulfill his desire.¡±


    Wei Hai was only a fifth-rank demaster, and Yun Ruoyan would surely crush him if she fought at her full strength. As a result, everyone tried to persuade Yun Ruoyan to agree, even Yun Lan. Without any other choice, Yun Ruoyan could only get up from her seat.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to take part, there¡¯s no need to force yourself to do so. I¡¯ll bring you away right now if you¡¯d like,¡± Li Mo said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need¡ªit¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    As Yun Ruoyan stood up, so did the youth. ¡°This chamber¡¯s too small, so let¡¯s go outside.¡±


    The chamber could seat up to five hundred officials at once, and there were only at most a hundred inside. The interior of the chamber was still very spacious, so what could the youth be nning?


    Before Yun Ruoyan could reply, the youth had already walked out of the chamber. Frowning, Yun Ruoyan followed. Li Mo also got up and walked outside, as did the Farsighted King and Li Xiu, followed by the remaining officials.


    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at the youth¡¯s back.


    The winter night was bleak and chilly, the sky without stars. Yun Ruoyan infused spiritual energy into her eyes and saw the youth slowly turn around.


    ¡°Yes, this will work. Prepare for my attack!¡± The youth leaped at Yun Ruoyan as he spoke, wind circling around his feet. The youth¡¯s speed far surpassed what was standard for his cultivation and shocked Yun Ruoyan, but she was still able to react in time.


    Yun Ruoyan jumped up into the air to evade the attack. With her present cultivation, she could jump up to thirty feet into the air. As soon as shended, however, the youth attacked and she had to jump up once more.


    Although the youth¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t particrly advanced, his unusual speed and stamina were rather troublesome for Yun Ruoyan to deal with. She didn¡¯t want to hurt him, but how would she restrain him without doing so?


    She couldn¡¯t use her fireball technique; it was too dangerous. Neither of them had a weapon, so she could only use short-ranged spiritual attacks.


    ¡°This youth isn¡¯t a general¡¯s descendant for nothing¡ªthat Yun Ruoyan can¡¯t even retaliate!¡±


    ¡°It might not be the youth who¡¯s strong, but rather Miss Yun who¡¯s weak.¡±


    Many of the gathered officials began whispering among themselves. Because they were fearful of Li Mo, however, they tried to speak as softly as possible. Most of them weren¡¯t particrly advanced cultivators, and they could barely see the battle in the dark.


    Li Mo, Yun Lan, Li Xiu, and Li Sheng could tell that, although Yun Ruoyan had simply been dodging the youth¡¯s blows, that she had the upper hand. Just then, Yun Ruoyan found an opportunity to attack: a gap in the youth¡¯s defense as he tried to kick at her.


    When he had done so previously, he would always retract his foot quickly after. This time, however, it stayed in mid-air for quite a while.


    Yun Ruoyan caught the youth¡¯s foot by the heel, then forcibly transmitted spiritual energy into it. If all went ording to n, the pain would permeate his body and cause him to lose his fighting ability.


    However, her spiritual energy couldn¡¯t seem to prate the youth¡¯s heel. Instead, her fingers spasmed in pain, as though something had bit her. The pain came and left so quickly that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fingers turned numb in a matter of moments. The numbness continued to spread from her fingers and through her arms, shoulders, and neck.


    ¡°Mistress, you¡¯ve been poisoned!¡± It was only then that Yun Ruoyan heard Qiuqiu¡¯s anxious voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bitte to be telling me that, Qiuqiu¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt as though her tongue was also turning numb. She looked at the youth standing some distance away, exposing a wrist containing a spider the same color as his clothes.


    ¡°A ck-mist spider,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. She¡¯d seen Li Furong try to use a simr spider to kill Lin Qingxue, but she had killed it in one blow before it could strike.


    That spider looked simr in size and shape to the one on the youth¡¯s wrist, but its color was different. That one was ck, but this one was a purplish-red.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a ck-mist spider,¡± Qiuqiu emphasized. ¡°It¡¯s a red-mist spider, at least ten times as venomous as the ck-mist variety! Mistress, you have to take an antidote, quick!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s whole body was turning numb, even her tongue. She gritted her teeth as she forced herself to take out an antidote from her silver bracelet before swallowing it with difficulty. Then, she pulled out a dagger strapped to her thigh, with which she sliced open her finger to let the venomous blood out.


    The youth didn¡¯t stop Yun Ruoyan, clearly not wanting her to die so quickly. With her cultivation being two ranks above his, this should have been an easy fight¡ªbut the youth¡¯s n had been lethal, precise, and dangerously effective.


    ¡°What¡­ do¡­ you want?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The youth¡¯s honest-looking face turned malicious. ¡°To exact revenge for my master!¡±


    ¡°Your master? Who¡¯s your master?¡±


    ¡°My master¡¯s a ck-robed poisoner, and Li Furong¡¯s my senior sister! Last night, I found out that they both perished at you and Li Mo¡¯s hands, and I swore I would kill you both!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re¡­ in cahoots with¡­ them.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tongue wasn¡¯t as numb as before, but trying to talk was still a taxing activity. Who could have transmitted the information to him? It had to be the spy that remained in Kongming Academy!


    ¡°Why did they stop?¡±


    ¡°Have they reached a conclusion?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Wei Hai had strayed quite far from the chamber during their fight. Although the crowd could see them both, they couldn¡¯t overhear their conversation.


    ¡°It looks like they¡¯re having a conversation. Could they have befriended each other?¡± Li Xiu smiled.


    ¡°That would be for the best,¡± the Farsighted King replied. ¡°Miss Yun¡¯s good-looking and intelligent, and she seems like a wonderfuldy.¡±


    Li Sheng turned to Yun Lan. ¡°Official Yun, is your daughter yet betrothed? If not, what do you think of betrothing her to my adopted son?¡±


    Yun Lan stilled, and he couldn¡¯t help turning to Li Mo. However, Li Mo¡¯s gaze was fixed on Yun Ruoyan, far into the distance.


    Li Mo was now Yun Ruoyan¡¯s master. ording to the customs of the Li kingdom, a master was equivalent in existence to a father, and Yun Lan had already given up on betrothing Yun Ruoyan to Li Mo. The master-disciple rtionship between them had already bound the Yun family to the ughtering King as firmly as would a marriage.


    He hadn¡¯t lost out!


    And now, he was even getting another offer of marriage from royalty? Naturally, Yun Lan was amenable to the offer. However, he didn¡¯t dare to agree immediately, because he would also require approval from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s new master, Li Mo.


    Both the Farsighted King and Li Xiu could understand the source of Yun Lan¡¯s concern, and they both turned to Li Mo.


    ¡°Brother, what do you think of this affair¡­?¡± Before he could continue, Li Mo¡¯s eyes shed with a sudden blue light, and he leaped toward Yun Ruoyan...

 Chapter 241: Abduction

    <h4>Chapter 241: Abduction</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan asked the youth who had given him that information, but he didn¡¯t reply immediately. Despite having consumed an antidote and then letting out her blood, the red-mist spider¡¯s venom had temporarily ced severe restrictions on her cultivation, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to defend against him for the moment.


    And although Qiuqiu could use its mental energy tomunicate with Li Mo directly, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t dare to make any sudden movement¡ªif she were to scream out for help, the red-mist spider that was still on the youth¡¯s wrist would instantly leap toward her and bite. While she was poisoned, she wouldn¡¯t have the agility to dodge the spider¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Mistress, you¡¯re in great danger! Let me inform Li Mo!¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t! We still need to figure out who the spy is.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time! Li Mo¡¯s already discovered that you¡¯re in danger, and he¡¯s heading toward you right now.


    ¡°Get him to wait!¡±


    Just as Li Mo was about to get close to Yun Ruoyan, Qiuqiu¡¯s voice suddenly rang out in his mind, telling him not to step any closer and that Yun Ruoyan was trying to uncover the identity of the spy within Kongming Academy.


    Li Mo frowned and stopped moving, but his gaze didn¡¯t stray from the two youths in the distance. If Yun Ruoyan was in any danger, he would be able to step forward in time to shield her.


    However, the youth seemed to be able to sense Li Mo¡¯s presence. He turned to him, his gaze arrogant and wicked. He retrieved a ck scroll from his clothes, then held it over his head. Li Mo was greatly rmed by the youth¡¯s gestures, and he rushed toward Yun Ruoyan like an arrow.


    Yun Ruoyan also noticed the object in the youth¡¯s hand: a ck scroll, exactly like the one the ck-robed man had used before. She was almost certain that it was another transportation scroll. Li Mo had mentioned how rare such scrolls were, and neither of them had expected the youth to possess another one.


    The youth smashed the scroll against the ground, instantly enveloping him and Yun Ruoyan in a white smoke. Li Mo rushed toward Yun Ruoyan as quickly as lightning, but he was still too slow. By the time he reached the white smoke, they had vanished.


    Li Mo then turned back and rushed to the Farsighted King. Grabbing his cor, Li Mo looked toward him with eyes like ice. ¡°What do you want?¡± he hissed.


    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡± the Farsighted King stared nkly at him.


    ¡°Where did that kid bring Yan¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Do you think no one knows of your ns?¡± Li Mo slowly raised his hand, hoisting the Farsighted King up from his seat. The Farsighted King¡¯s cultivation was so far below Li Mo¡¯s that he couldn¡¯t resist at all.


    ¡°Li Mo, let go of him!¡± Li Xiu quickly shouted. ¡°If there¡¯s something wrong, we¡¯ll clear it up. Don¡¯t act on impulse!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, if I¡¯m not mistaken, that youngd must have used a legendary transportation scroll to make them both vanish!¡± The present officials had never seen Li Mo so angry. None dared be the first toment on themotion except Yun Lan, and only because Yun Ruoyan was his daughter.


    ¡°Brother, please release me first.¡± Li Sheng struggled to break free of his grasp.


    Li Mo put him down and shouted. ¡°Speak! Where did you send Yan¡¯er?!¡±


    The Farsighted King coughed a few times before he began speaking. ¡°That teleportation scroll indeed belongs to my manor, and was one of the possessions that I bequeathed to General Wei. I¡¯m sure that he must have handed it to his son in turn. Wei Hai¡¯s a rather mischievousd, and it¡¯s possible that he¡¯s ying a joke. They might still be in the vicinity, so you should send guards out on patrol to see if they can spot them.¡±


    ¡°Right, Li Mo, don¡¯t be so impulsive,¡± Li Xiu persuaded. ¡°There are so many officials and me around that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do much. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just trying to y a little joke on us all.¡±


    Li Xiu thenmanded the eunuchs present to lead the search for the two youths.


    ¡°Li Sheng, are you sure you want me as your enemy? I wasn¡¯t particrly interested in your ns, but now¡­¡± Li Mo snarled, ¡°Get thatd to bring Yun Ruoyan back immediately, or no matter what you¡¯re nning, I¡¯ll make sure none of ites to fruition!¡±


    Li Mo was whispering directly into Li Sheng¡¯s ear, and no one else could overhear them. Li Sheng¡¯s innocent mien shifted almost imperceptibly. ¡°Me? What could I be nning? Li Mo, what are you talking about? Even if I were intending on doing something, how would you know about it?¡±


    Li Sheng had nned his rebellion for decades, and he naturally thought that he had concealed it perfectly.


    ¡°No matter how much you try to hide something, there¡¯ll always be traces left behind!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then.¡± Li Sheng suddenly smiled. ¡°Since you already seem to know everything, then I¡¯ll be frank: the teleportation scroll that Wei Hai used is a mid-rank scroll with a range of five hundred miles.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s eyes were so frosty that Li Sheng innately feared him, but with Yun Ruoyan in his grasp, he didn¡¯t have to be too worried about Li Mo. ¡°By this time, my dear adopted son has long since whisked your disciple away, and no one will be able to discern his whereabouts. If you let me go now, I promise I won¡¯t hurt Yun Ruoyan, but otherwise¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I hate being threatened?¡± Li Mo¡¯s face was almost stered to Li Sheng¡¯s ear, his tone so frosty that Li Sheng felt as though his ear was about to freeze over.


    ¡°The ughtering King does whatever he pleases, and naturally dislikes being controlled. However, even a dragon has its weakness, and I believe yours is this Miss Yun.¡±


    Li Sheng forced himself to remain calm. ¡°You have two choices: let me go and retrieve your disciple, or expose me and lose her!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, we haven¡¯t found any traces of Young Master Wei and Miss Yun around,¡± a servant rushed in and reported.


    Li Xiu frowned. Where could the two underaged youths have run off to? He couldn¡¯t help turning to Li Mo and Li Sheng, only to see Li Mo holding Li Sheng¡¯s cor high up in the air once more. Li Sheng¡¯s pale face was quickly turning red, as though he were about to gasp his final breath at any moment.


    Just as Li Xiu was about to stop them, Li Mo flew off with Li Sheng. ¡°I will never be subordinate to anyone!¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, where are you bringing me?!¡± On the sword, Li Sheng¡¯s red face slowly turned pale white once more. ¡°After all, we¡¯re brothers. Can¡¯t we discuss things properly, like gentlemen?¡±


    ¡°My surname¡¯s not Li, and I¡¯m not rted to the Lis by blood. My master, the first elder of Kongming Academy, paid a price to have me stay at the Li kingdom¡¯s pce, so I don¡¯t owe you any goodwill either.¡±


    Li Mo nced down over his sword at the Li kingdom¡¯s capital, his eyes indifferent and disdainful.


    ¡°Whether you want to rebel or even take over the entire Chenyuan continent, I don¡¯t care. However, you shouldn¡¯t have tried to sneak into Kongming Academy, and you shouldn¡¯t have dared to kidnap her despite knowing how important she is to me. I¡¯ll give you three days: if, in three days, Yun Ruoyan isn¡¯t safe and sound in my manor, I¡¯ll take your life myself.¡±


    The aftereffects of using the teleportation scroll in her weakened state quickly sent Yun Ruoyan into a state of dizziness. In her daze, she seemed to be able to hear Lin Yuemei¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Yan¡¯er,e,e over here, let me and your father have a good look at you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan slowly came to, but the voice that reverberated through her mind was Qiuqiu¡¯s, not Lin Yuemei¡¯s. ¡°Mistress, Mistress, you have to wake up!¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu!¡± Yun Ruoyan jumped up in shock. She had been lying on the ground, but now she was sitting upright. Inspecting her surroundings, she found that she was lying in a cage within a mountain cave, one unfamiliar to her.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, where is this? How long was I out?¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned, her face nk and wary.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the Farsighted King¡¯snds, a thousand miles from the capital,¡± Qiuqiu answered. ¡°You¡¯ve been unconscious for two days.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt her forehead. She was still a little dizzy, but her body¡¯s numbness had entirely dissipated.


    ¡°You¡¯ve actually woken up!¡± Suddenly, a youth appeared at the cave entrance¡ªthe same one who had plotted against her, Wei Hai. ¡°What sort of strange creature are you, to have beaten the red-mist spider¡¯s venom in just two days?! No one else has ever survived its bite!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan ignored Wei Hai¡¯s curious nce. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought it through.¡± Wei Hai walked up to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cage and sat down in front of it. ¡°The night I found out that you and Li Mo killed my master and senior sister, I wanted to eviscerate you on the spot,¡± Wei Hai began, his face lined with a viciousness unbefitting his age. ¡°But now I¡¯ve changed my mind. Your constitution seems to be rather unusual, and I¡¯d like to study you carefully.¡±


    ¡°Study me?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°You dare!¡±


    ¡°Haha, why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡±


    ¡°Your godfather¡¯s still with Li Mo. If you dare hurt me, Li Mo surely won¡¯t let him go!¡±


    ¡°Oh? You really believe him?¡± Wei Haiughed. ¡°Since you seem like an innocent young girl, let me tell you the truth. That old man¡¯s trying to foment a rebellion, and he managed to persuade my master to help him out¡ªbut he caused both my master and my senior sister to die!¡±


    Wei Haiughed even as his features twisted into a grimace. ¡°And now that they¡¯re all dead, there¡¯s no reason for me to stay by that old man any longer. I can do whatever I want, and he won¡¯t be able to stop me!¡±


    In the underground cer of the ughtering King¡¯s manor, the Farsighted King faced his second day of imprisonment.


    ¡°One day left,¡± Li Mo whispered from outside. ¡°If I don¡¯t see Yun Ruoyan here tomorrow, don¡¯t me me for being heartless.¡±


    By this time, even Li Sheng was getting worried. Wei Hai had always been a disobedient pawn, and he had be even more deranged after his master and senior sister¡¯s death. Li Sheng had had his men send word to Wei Hai to bring Yun Ruoyan back, but he hadn¡¯t responded even after two days. Most likely, he had already absconded with her!


    Li Sheng¡¯s initial n was to probe how important Yun Ruoyan was to Li Mo. Even though he had already secured the manual of dragons¡¯ tactics, Li Sheng still didn¡¯t feel secure¡ªthe ughtering King¡¯s name was so imposing that his soldiers would quake just from hearing his name. If he were able to suppress Li Mo without any fighting, that would be far preferable.


    Because of his fear of Li Mo, Li Sheng had spent a considerable amount of effort studying him. It wasn¡¯t difficult to figure out that the cold, aloof Li Mo had only one woman he seemed to care about, and with whom he had a rather ambiguous rtionship.


    Unfortunately for him, however, Li Sheng hadn¡¯t expected how stubborn Li Mo would be, even at the cost of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s life...

 Chapter 242: Secret Records of the Farsighted King’s Manor

    <h4>Chapter 242: Secret Records of the Farsighted King''s Manor</h4>


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Su Bei walked in and reported to Li Mo, ¡°We¡¯ve gone over the entirety of the Farsighted King¡¯s manor and some of his other vis, but Miss Yun was nowhere to be found.¡±


    Li Mo clenched his fists tightly: the reason he had locked Li Sheng up was because he knew that someone like him, who had masterminded a rebellion in secret for over a decade, would value his life over anything else. And as long as he had Li Sheng¡¯s life in his hands, Yun Ruoyan would be safe.


    ¡°Li Sheng, It looks like you¡¯ve grown fond of my dungeon,¡± Li Mo murmured icily. ¡°One more day. If I don¡¯t see Yun Ruoyan by then¡­!¡±


    Su Bei had sent out word that the ughtering King would exchange Li Sheng for Yun Ruoyan, and Li Mo had expected a more timely response from Li Sheng¡¯s men. He couldn¡¯t help feeling concerned for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s safety, and his expression turned even colder.


    Li Sheng sat by the corner of his cell. Ever since entering the cell, he hadn¡¯t said a single word. By this time, he was certain that Wei Hai had run off with Yun Ruoyan. Wei Hai, if I see you again, I won¡¯t spare you!


    When Li Mo saw Li Sheng remain stubbornly silent, he turned to leave.


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± Li Sheng called out from behind. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, that brat Wei Hai has likely hidden Yun Ruoyan somewhere. He won¡¯t send Yun Ruoyan back tomorrow.¡±


    Li Mo whirled around, his eyes like icy beams. ¡°You¡¯d entrust your affairs with a boy who might betray you?!¡±


    ¡°I was careless this time,¡± the Farsighted King replied, somewhat upset himself.


    ¡°In that case, look forward to your funeral.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Li Sheng stood up from his corner and walked up to the bars separating him from Li Mo. ¡°I know a few ces where Wei Hai could have hidden Yun Ruoyan. I¡¯ll bring you there to search for him!¡±


    ¡°What are you nning on doing?¡± Yun Ruoyan stared warily at Wei Hai. Although she was now cured of the red-mist spider¡¯s venom, she found that she had been inflicted by another type of poison when she tried to circte her spiritual energy.


    It seemed simr to the paralytic poison that Rong Yueshan had used, but was even stronger. Rong Yueshan¡¯s poison had still allowed her a small degree of movement, but this poison made it so that she could do nothing but speak.


    Yun Ruoyan was curled up in a heap by the side of the cage, a docilemb who could do nothing about her ughter drawing ever closer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Wei Hai stretched his lips wide in a smile. ¡°Before I figure out the secret of your constitution, I won¡¯t kill you. For the moment, I just want a little blood of yours.¡±


    Wei Hai walked up to Yun Ruoyan, cut her finger open, and stored some of her blood in a white porcin bottle. Then, he suddenly sniffed ravenously. ¡°How fragrant your blood smells¡­ it¡¯s so concentrated that it¡¯d be hard to miss it.¡± Wei Hai brought his head closer to her body. ¡°What sort of creature are you, truly? No human would have such an exotic fragrance!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a creature,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied coolly. ¡°I¡¯m a human, the second daughter of the Yun family!¡±


    In truth, there was a possibility that Yun Ruoyan was descended from demonic dragons, but this wasn¡¯t a suspicion that she would share with Wei Hai.


    ¡°Even if you won¡¯t admit it, I can figure it out for myself. If your blood¡¯s this fragrant, then it has to be something good¡ªmaybe even better than a spiritual pill!¡±


    Wei Hai held the porcin bottle under his nose, as if he had never smelled something so wonderful before, as if he had to restrain himself from drinking it there and then.


    If she could move, Yun Ruoyan would have frowned in repulsion. Based on Wei Hai¡¯s description, Yun Ruoyan was certain that he was likely a magical beast like Li Furong. Based on his substandard cultivation, he had probably ingested the same type of pill to boost his transformation capabilities as well.


    But was Wei Hai a ck-armored lizard, or some other species of beast entirely? Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t particrly care; what she was more concerned about was the fact that Wei Hai was looking at her as though her body were a gleaming pile of treasure.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not try anything funny with my blood,¡± Yun Ruoyan warned. ¡°I¡¯ve been poisoned since my birth, while I was in my mother¡¯s womb. The poison was the reason I have this birthmark on my face, and it¡¯s possible that this fragrance you smell came from this poison as well.¡±


    Wei Hai blinked, thenughed. ¡°Don¡¯t try to trick me. The Farsighted King¡¯s manor has quite a detailed record of you. It¡¯s true that you¡¯ve had your birthmark since you were little, but your little story about this poison is too far-fetched to believe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, believe it or not. But if there¡¯s a record of me, then you surely know that I¡¯m a daughter of the Yun family, Yun Lan¡¯s own daughter. How could I be a creature of any sort?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Wei Hai shook his head repeatedly. ¡°ording to the records, you¡¯re not Yun Lan¡¯s birth daughter.¡±


    ¡°What? What did you say?!¡± Although Yun Ruoyan had recently be more suspicious of her birth, her own mild suspicion was iparable to having someone assert that as a fact.


    ¡°The Farsighted King¡¯s records im that you¡¯re not from the Yun family. You¡¯re a bastard child, born out of wedlock!¡± Wei Hai repeated.


    Suppressing her shock, Yun Ruoyanughed coldly. ¡°Are you trying to trick me? Your joke¡¯s not funny at all!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that you wouldn¡¯t believe me,¡± Wei Hai replied. ¡°But the report¡¯s authentic. The Farsighted King¡¯s been plotting his rebellion for decades, and he¡¯s uncovered and kept careful track of the secrets of all the noble families in the capital. The records for something as major as having illegitimate children are particrly detailed, because such information can easily be exchanged for some sort of benefit from those families.¡±


    Perhaps because Yun Ruoyan and Wei Hai were the only two people in the mountain cave, Wei Hai was particrly talkative. As a result, Yun Ruoyan was able to extract more information from him, which she corroborated with her own knowledge of her birth.


    Allegedly, eighteen years ago, a Young Master Long began to reside in the Yun manor. This man was particrly mysterious, and even the Farsighted King¡¯s spies hadn¡¯t been able to uncover his origins. Young Master Long had stayed in the Yun manor for over half a year, during which time he got to know quite a number of the scions in the capital.


    Among these scions was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mother, Lin Yuemei, as well as her father, Yun Lan. Allegedly, Young Master Long had fallen in love with Lin Yuemei at first sight, and they had promised themselves to each other rtively quickly on. However, Lin Yuemei¡¯s father, Lin Zainan, hadn¡¯t approved of their rtionship, and they could only meet with each other illicitly. Theirmon friend¡ªYun Ruoyan¡¯s supposed father, Yun Lan¡ªhelped stop their secret from being discovered.


    Later, after Lin Yuemei found out that her father was nning on marrying her off, she and Young Master Long became so anxious that they adopted Yun Lan¡¯s questionable suggestion of having him set up a marriage with Lin Yuemei instead.


    Although the Lin and Yun families didn¡¯t get along with each other, Yun Lan and Lin Yuemei were certainlypatible in status, and both parties had stubbornly refused to marry anyone else.


    Without any other choice, their elders could only agree to this marriage. ording to n, the night that Yun Lan and Lin Yuemei were to be married, Young Master Long would elope with Lin Yuemei. When the day came, however, Young Master Long never showed up. In fact, it seemed as if he had vanished entirely from the world.


    Lin Yuemei believed that Young Master Long had changed his mind at thest minute, and was so upset that she actually consummated the marriage with Yun Lan, giving birth to Yun Moxiao.


    A few yearster, however, Young Master Long showed up once more in front of Lin Yuemei, exining why he had suddenly vanished. It turned out that Yun Lan had always liked Lin Yuemei, but Lin Yuemei had only had eyes for Young Master Long. As a result, he had nned Young Master Long¡¯s disappearance, and thetter had fallen into his trap. Yun Lan then manipted the grieving Lin Yuemei to loathe Young Master Long, causing her to begin a rtionship with Yun Lan instead.


    After Lin Yuemei found out about Yun Lan¡¯s treachery, she was so upset that she eloped with Young Master Long on the spot. At the time, Yun Lan was able to keep Lin Yuemei¡¯s disappearance a secret because she tended to remain in her own cottage, without interacting with anyone else.


    As Yun Lan hid his wife¡¯s disappearance from the public eye, he fervently began searching for her in secret. However, the two of them had vanished without a trace.


    Just as Yun Lan was about to lose all hope, Lin Yuemei suddenly returned to the Yun family, pregnant with child. This child was none other than Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Thus, you¡¯re neither a daughter of the Yun family nor of Yun Lan himself¡ªyou¡¯re a bastard child born to your mother and this mysterious Young Master Long!¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous!¡±


    Wei Hai stood up and headed to the entrance of the cave. ¡°Now that you¡¯vended in my hands, you¡¯re all but dead to the world. I might be talkative, but I¡¯m quite honest, and there¡¯s no reason to lie to someone who¡¯s about to die. What I¡¯ve told you was all present in your records.¡±


    Wei Hai stilled for a moment, then continued, ¡°There¡¯s also a report on this Young Master Long, but even I didn¡¯t have enough authority to view it. The only reports in the Farsighted King¡¯s manor that I can¡¯t view are the ones containing sealed information, so your father¡¯s origins must be mysterious indeed.¡±

 Chapter 243: A Precious Constitution

    <h4>Chapter 243: A Precious Constitution</h4>


    Wei Hai turned to leave as soon as he finished speaking.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m bringing your blood to an old man to find out what sort of creature you truly are,¡± Wei Hai replied. ¡°This cave is high up in the mountains, so don¡¯t try to escape while you¡¯re under the effects of my paralytic poison unless you want to fall and die.¡±


    Wei Hai spread his wings and jumped out of the cave, morphing into a different form as he did so. Because of how quickly he vanished, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t see his true appearance, but his feathered arms suggested that he was probably an avian-type beast.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, am I really not a human? Is my surname really not Yun?¡± The questions that hadin buried in her heart had finally been addressed, but Yun Ruoyan only felt more and more confused.


    ¡°Mistress, I don¡¯t think you can trust this Wei Hai¡¯s words fully. To be certain, you have to check the Farsighted King¡¯s records for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Right. Right! I have to see the records myself.¡±


    Actually, Yun Ruoyan still thought it quite possible that her father was indeed Yun Lan. Before her cultivation stagnated and began falling, before the birthmark on her face had berger and more grotesque, Yun Lan had been quite a caring father to her. Additionally, she had always been treated as a daughter of the Yun family.


    It was only after her cultivation began to g and her birthmark began to spread that Yun Lan¡¯s attitude toward Yun Ruoyan had be colder and her status in the Yun family fell. If Yun Lan weren¡¯t her birth father, would he have borne with her for so many years? But if the reason he distanced himself from her was solely because of her lost talent and beauty, then why did he still treat her so poorly even after she had regained both those qualities?


    And who was that Young Master Long? Why had he taken her mother away, then left her to return to the Yun manor alone?


    Yun Ruoyan felt as though her past was shrouded in even deeper a fog than before.


    Sensing its mistress¡¯ confusion, Qiuqiu advised, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to resolve this mystery just by thinking about it, Mistress. When the timees, I expect the answers to your questions will naturally resurface. Before then, we should figure out how to keep ourselves alive.¡±


    Qiuqiu¡¯s words immediately cleared Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. ¡°Qiuqiu, is there an antidote for this paralytic poison?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Qiuqiu affirmed. ¡°The ingredients you need for the antidote are all within the bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension. Do you remember that medicinal rabbit¡¯s beast core, Mistress? Its core will be the central ingredient for the pill.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t use my spiritual energy at the moment, and if I can¡¯t use my spiritual energy, then I can¡¯t refine any pills!¡±


    This advanced form of the standard paralytic poison caused even her spiritual pathways to be clogged up, preventing her from making use of her spiritual energy.


    ¡°Mistress, even if you can¡¯t, I can!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ can use your own spiritual energy to refine pills?¡± Ever since Qiuqiu had be Yun Ruoyan¡¯s contracted spirit, it had never seemed to have much spiritual energy. Only recently had Yun Ruoyan found out that this was because it had suffered a grievous injury while trying to defend the Beast King, causing most of its stored spiritual energy to dissipate.


    Yun Ruoyan was naturally surprised to hear Qiuqiu im that it could make use of spiritual energy once more.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu replied. ¡°During this period of time, I¡¯ve been cultivating within the pocket dimension, and I¡¯ve recovered a small bit of spiritual energy¡ªsurely enough to help refine a small antidote. But there¡¯s one other thing, Mistress¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The sage-grade amaranthine sun you acquired contains highly potent fire-attuned spiritual energy, and I¡¯ve been using it to aid my cultivation without letting you know,¡± Qiuqiu confessed. It was a fire qilin, and the fire-attuned spiritual energy in the amaranthine sun perfectly met its needs. It was purely by ident that Qiuqiu had discovered that the spiritual energy in the amaranthine sun would enter its spiritual vortex along with the spiritual energy in the silver bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension, augmenting his cultivation greatly.


    However, Qiuqiu knew how important the herb would be for Yun Ruoyan, a pillmaster for whom the amaranthine sun was a priceless treasure.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed, without any of the anger that Qiuqiu had expected. She naturally didn¡¯t mind Qiuqiu using the amaranthine sun; in fact, she was happy that Qiuqiu could recover part of its spiritual energy. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve recovered somewhat, Qiuqiu, you can help me out too!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress! Once my spiritual energy¡¯s mostly recovered, I¡¯ll be able to break the seal on the bracelet and regain my freedom.¡±


    Because Yun Ruoyan was unable to use her spiritual energy, she was unable to enter her silver bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension. Instead, shey quietly in her cage as she waited for Qiuqiu to refine the antidote. With nothing she could do, her thoughts returned to the mystery of her birth, and her mood worsened once more.


    ¡°Mistress, the antidote¡¯s ready.¡± After about fifteen minutes¡ªthough seemingly an interminable amount of time to Yun Ruoyan¡ªQiuqiu¡¯s voice rang out once more. ¡°Mistress, I¡¯ll have to try to drop the pill directly in your mouth.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan obediently opened her mouth wide and swallowed.


    After about another fifteen minutes, she slowly raised an arm. On her palm zed a bright me. The antidote had clearly taken effect, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual energy had been unblocked.


    She sat up, a steel dagger clutched in her hand, and slowly began to infuse spiritual energy into her de. Gleaming white, the de¡¯s prating power increased at least twofold. Yun Ruoyan was just about to sh at the bars of her cage when Qiuqiu suddenly called out, ¡°Mistress, thatd¡¯s back! If you break out of your cage now, you can teach him a lesson.¡±


    However, Yun Ruoyan thought for a moment before choosing to stow her dagger and sitting back in her original position instead. ¡°Didn¡¯t he say he was going to show my blood to someone to figure out what sort of creature I am? I¡¯d like to know, too.¡±


    As she finished speaking, a ck shadow flew into the cave from outside. This time, Yun Ruoyan clearly saw the form of the bird: a strange, gray-feathered bird whose name Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know.


    It trembled at the mouth of the cave before returning to its human form.


    ¡°Still here? Not bad.¡± Wei Hai smiled when he saw Yun Ruoyan sitting quietly where he had left her.


    ¡°It looks like I must be some wonderful creature if you¡¯re so happy,¡± Yun Ruoyan began, blinking as she looked toward Wei Hai.


    Wei Hai chuckled and sat down by her side, scrutinizing her carefully. His eyes were filled with such greed that Yun Ruoyan involuntarily shivered and tried to draw away. ¡°What are you looking at?!¡±


    Wei Hai chuckled once more, his eyes gleaming even brighter. ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected to discover such a treasure.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re a treasure,¡± Wei Hai emphasized. ¡°I was going to kill you, but now I¡¯m going to raise you instead.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan red at him. ¡°Since I¡¯m in your hands now, there¡¯s no need to keep my origins a secret, is there? Tell me what the results of your testing were!¡±


    Ever since Yun Ruoyan found out from the demonic dragon elder that she might possess a demonic dragon bloodline, she had kept it a secret from one and all, not even telling Li Mo. She had intended on affirming the truth of the matter for herself, and clearly Wei Hai seemed to know something.


    Wei Hai continued to look at her greedily. ¡°No wonder the ughtering King was attracted to you, even though he¡¯s famous for not being close to women, no wonder he wanted to take you as a disciple¡­ He must have known of your unique constitution, if he¡¯s willing to go to such ends.¡±


    What did this have to do with Li Mo? What unique constitution? Yun Ruoyan frowned as she waited for Wei Hai to continue.


    ¡°Judging from your expression, you don¡¯t know about this at all, do you?¡± Wei Hai sounded as though he were pitying her.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m far more honest than the ughtering King, at least¡ªI¡¯m not lying to you while trying to raise you and take advantage of you, am I? The truth, and nothing but the truth: I brought your blood to an old turtle acquaintance of mine to have him figure out why your blood was so fragrant. In the end, he didn¡¯t manage to uncover your origins, but he did discover that you had a precious constitution that appears once in a century.¡±

 Chapter 244: Deal

    <h4>Chapter 244: Deal</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan stared at Wei Hai, waiting for him to continue. With a smile, Wei Hai slowly announced, ¡°You¡¯re a human furn¡ª¡±


    The moment he was about to reveal the secret that Li Mo had kept from her, however, Wei Hai suddenly detected a few strong auras drawing close. He immediately mped his mouth shut. Yun Ruoyan also detected those auras, and she could clearly distinguish one of them as belonging to Li Mo.


    ¡°Well? Say it!¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed Wei Hai.


    However, Wei Hai seemed to be on full alert. He stood up rapidly, dropping the conversation as if it had never happened. ¡°He came so quickly! The ughtering King truly cherishes you.¡±


    He unlocked the cage, dragged Yun Ruoyan out, and pulled her toward the mouth of the cave.


    ¡°What¡¯s the secret behind my constitution? Tell me!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted even as Wei Hai dragged her away, the ground beneath her feet giving way to nothing but darkness.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to talk with you! Wait till we escape!¡± Wei Hai jumped into the abyss, dragging Yun Ruoyan down with her.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out, her body floundering as her fear overwhelmed her feigned paralysis. Turning her head, she noticed that Wei Hai¡¯s body was starting to change once more. Ash-gray feathers covered his shoulders, neck, and face. In a few breaths, Wei Hai had turned into the gray bird of before, and Yun Ruoyan was lying on its back.


    At the same time, Yun Ruoyan noticed two sword auras appearing in front of her, one of them being Li Mo¡¯s. On the other sword was a ck-robed man, whom Yun Ruoyan could recognize as Su Bei. On Su Bei¡¯s sword was another passenger, a middle-aged man in a dragon robe: Li Sheng.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo called out from afar, his voice quavering imperceptibly. During the intervening two days since Yun Ruoyan¡¯s disappearance, Li Mo had felt worry and anxiety unlike anything he had ever experienced. Li Sheng had brought them to various dpidated hideouts before they had finally discovered Yun Ruoyan¡¯s trail, but she wasn¡¯t safe yet.


    When Wei Hai saw the three men waiting for him in front, he immediately began flying in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Wei Hai, put Yan¡¯er down, and I¡¯ll give you a clean death!¡±


    ¡°Wei Hai, you traitor! Get back here!¡±


    Fearing for his life, Wei Hai nevertheless ignored both Li Mo and Li Sheng¡¯s cries, pping his wings furiously as he tried to leave his pursuers behind.


    ¡°Wei Hai, you can¡¯t escape,¡± Yun Ruoyan advised.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t have you, no one will!¡± Wei Hai replied icily.


    ¡°You look like someone who cherishes your own life,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, tightly clutching onto the feathers on Wei Hai¡¯s back. Because Wei Hai was flying so rapidly, the wind that buffeted Yun Ruoyan was so powerful that she felt as though she would be blown off his back at any moment. Only by tightly clutching his feathers and lowering her body was she barely able to stay secure.


    ¡°Miss Yun, you look as though you cherish your life more than I do,¡± Wei Hai replied. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, hold on even more tightly.¡±


    Wei Hai¡¯s speed rose again by half.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Yun Ruoyan could clearly hear the Farsighted King¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°Leave Miss Yun behind! How could you betray me?! Don¡¯t you know how loyal your master was? Aren¡¯t you worried of disappointing your master?!¡± Li Sheng¡¯s voice took on a heart-wrenching tone. ¡°Your master and senior sister, both dead¡­ You¡¯re the only one left, Wei Hai, so how can I bear to see you seek your death? Let Miss Yun go, and I can spare your life!¡±


    Wei Hai snorted. ¡°Aren¡¯t you good at brainwashing others, old man? It¡¯s exactly because my master and senior sister trusted you with their lives that they died! I won¡¯t repeat their mistakes!¡±


    Suddenly, a green sh shot past them, and Li Mo¡¯s figure appeared in front of them. The reason he hadn¡¯t dared to chase Wei Hai too closely was in fear that he would try something reckless and hurt Yun Ruoyan. Li Sheng had told Li Mo that Wei Hai kept poisonous insects all over his body, even ones that were so potent that they could kill a cultivator in one bite near-instantaneously.


    Even though Li Mo had caught up to Wei Hai, he didn¡¯t dare to get too close.


    ¡°Damn it, he¡¯s too fast!¡± Wei Hai shouted, then swerved in another direction.


    Another streak of green flew past his eyes, and Li Mo stood in front of him once more. Su Bei had caught up from the back, and the two of them began to hem Wei Hai in.


    ¡°Wei Hai, how about we make a deal?¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly began.


    ¡°What deal?¡±


    ¡°Satisfy two of my requests, and I¡¯ll ask Li Mo to spare your life.¡±


    ¡°Two requests? What are they?¡±


    ¡°First, tell me who the traitor in Kongming Academy is. Second, finish telling me what you were going to say in the cave.¡±


    Wei Hai thought for a moment. ¡°I can¡¯t satisfy your first request, because I also don¡¯t know who the traitor is. All I know is from the Farsighted King himself. As for the second request, if I did tell you, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to die easily.¡±


    The ughtering King¡¯s rage knew no bounds. He had already deeply offended him by taking Yun Ruoyan away, and revealing this secret would condemn him for good.


    ¡°Wei Hai, let go of Miss Yun! Don¡¯t you want to live?!¡± Li Sheng cried out.


    ¡°Old man, don¡¯t try to trick me,¡± Wei Hai sneered. ¡°How did you even find out about this hiding spot, anyway?¡±


    His master had once impressed upon him the importance of having secret hiding spots in case of danger, and they had prepared three such hidden locations together. Wei Hai was particrly confident that these locations had remained secret, and this was one of the reasons he had dared to snatch Yun Ruoyan away.


    However, Li Mo had only taken two days to find him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯d keep careful track of my aplices? Even if I weren¡¯t entirely sure where your hideouts, I can at least narrow them down to a few locations. However, your betrayal was indeed beyond my expectations,¡± Li Sheng sighed. ¡°If you want to court your own death, don¡¯t me me for not protecting you.¡±


    ¡°In that case, stop talking nonsense ande at me!¡± Wei Hai yelled, banking sharply and heading in Li Sheng¡¯s direction.


    Li Sheng immediately retreated behind Su Bei as Wei Hai turned toward Li Mo, his true target.


    ¡°Li Mo, beware of his spiders!¡± Yun Ruoyan wanted to block Wei Hai from releasing his red-mist spider, but it was already in Li Mo¡¯s face by the time she reacted.


    As if he hadn¡¯t heard anything, Li Mo didn¡¯t seem to be on guard at all.


    Momentarily, Wei Hai thought that his audacious n had actually seeded, but he quickly realized how naive he had been. As the red-mist spider flew toward Li Mo, it was blocked by the shimmering spiritual membrane that had suddenly appeared in front of him.


    Li Mo looked at the little red-mist spider, trapped in his shield, as his eyes shed an icy blue. With a sudden Poof!, the spider exploded into a bloody mist.


    Wei Hai¡¯s heart jumped as he quickly sent another spate of poisonous insects at Li Mo, all of which were blocked by his spiritual membrane and quickly burst into nothingness. There were so many insects that the sound of their bodies popping was as if someone had released a firecracker in the air.


    ¡°ughtering King, I¡¯d like to make a deal with you.¡± Seeing that even hisst-ditch effort had failed, Wei Hai suddenly cooked up another n.


    ¡°I never make deals with anyone.¡±


    ¡°This is a secret regarding Miss Yun that only you and I know,¡± Wei Hai hurriedly began. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll regret not participating in the deal, Your Highness.¡±


    Li Mo frowned as Wei Hai continued, ¡°Spare my life, and I¡¯ll keep this secret for good. Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell Miss Yun her secret now. Based on her personality, once she knows the secret, I¡¯m sure your ns won¡¯te to fruition!¡±


    Wei Hai¡¯s words turned Li Mo¡¯s dark face even darker, and it so spurred Yun Ruoyan¡¯s curiosity that she tried asking once more, ¡°Wei Hai, what secret?¡±


    As expected, Wei Hai ignored her.


    ¡°Alright, I promise not to kill you. Return Yan¡¯er to me immediately,¡± Li Mo said after a brief moment of thought.


    ¡°ughtering King, your word binds you. If you break your oath, may lightning erase your existence from this world!¡±


    Li Mo repeated the oath. ¡°Now, are you satisfied?¡±


    Wei Hai nodded, diving toward the ground. Li Mo and Su Bei followed suit, sheathing their swords as theynded, and Wei Hai took on his human form once more.


    ¡°This is the antidote.¡± Wei Hai handed Yun Ruoyan a pill. ¡°It¡¯llpletely remove the effects of the paralytic poison on your body.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had more or less recovered after consuming the antidote that Qiuqiu had refined, but she still took the antidote that Wei Hai offered her. Although his cultivation wasn¡¯t anything special, he was definitely a skilled poisoner, even able to enhance the poison of venomous insects. It was surely worthwhile to store one of his pills forter research.


    After she took the proffered pill, Yun Ruoyan kept it and quickly walked toward Li Mo.


    ¡°How did you¡ªimpossible! How could you have cured yourself of my paralytic poison without an antidote?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could easily have defeated Wei Hai with her cultivation, but she had pretended to remain poisoned! She had been tricking him all this time in order to get him to reveal the secret he had discovered!


    As Yun Ruoyan turned back smirking, she found to her shock that Su Bei had crept up to Wei Hai¡¯s back and was about to thrust a sword into Wei Hai¡¯s chest from behind...

 Chapter 245: Portal to Another Dimension

    <h4>Chapter 245: Portal to Another Dimension</h4>


    Wei Hai opened his eyes wide and lowered his head to look at the tip of the de poking through his chest, shocked that Li Mo would forswear himself. The cultivators of the Chenyuan continent believed in gods and demons, forcing them to uphold their oaths¡ªand yet Li Mo didn¡¯t seem to care at all!


    ¡°You¡¯re forsworn! You, don¡¯t you care about being punished by the heavens?!¡±


    What Wei Hai didn¡¯t know was that being struck by lightning really was no big deal to Li Mo. Li Mo didn¡¯t even spare another nce at Wei Hai; his entire attention was focused on Yun Ruoyan. However, Yun Ruoyan was looking intently at Wei Hai. He had died before he could reveal her secret!


    Su Bei sheathed his sword and Wei Hai crumpled to the ground, blood spurting out from his mouth and the wound by his heart. With thest of his breath, he looked toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Go speak with the old turtle if you want to figure out your secret.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the old turtle, and where do I go to find him?¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly asked, but it was toote.


    Li Mo shot Su Bei a nce, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.


    ¡°This bastard¡ªgood riddance!¡± Li Shengmented disdainfully, looking at Wei Hai¡¯s corpse.


    Yun Ruoyan snorted. ¡°You were the one who instigated him to abduct me, weren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t think you¡¯re absolved of all your crimes just because he¡¯s dead!¡±


    Although Wei Hai wasn¡¯t a good person, he was at least honest and truthful. On the other hand, Li Sheng gave Yun Ruoyan an exceedingly poor impression. What she knew of him had all been from hearsay, but she thought that someone who was able to scheme and lie in wait for decades while plotting a rebellion had to be remarkable in his own right.


    Now, however, seeing Li Sheng¡¯s petty behavior for herself, Yun Ruoyan felt as though his reputation was truly ill-deserved. He was far inferior even to his brother Li Xiu, emperor of the Li kingdom. Although Li Xiu always had a smile on his face, he was undoubtedly shrewd and astute, as was clear from his attitude toward Li Mo.


    On the other hand, Li Sheng had offended Li Mo almost immediately. Ever since quelling the beastkin rebellion many years ago, Li Mo had never again participated in the governance of the Li kingdom. Li Sheng could easily have tried to rope Li Mo in instead of alienating him by abducting Yun Ruoyan.


    Given Li Sheng¡¯sckluster performance in dealing with Li Mo, she doubted he would be able to aplish much of anything even if he were to follow through with his nned rebellion.


    ¡°Miss Yun, I was only trying to y a joke on you. I never intended on causing you any real harm, and it was all this bastard who foiled my ns!¡± Li Sheng stood erect, still trying to assume a royal¡¯s authority. ¡°If not for me, Miss Yun, you might still be trapped in Wei Hai¡¯s grasp! Li Mo, based on our agreement, you have to send me back at once!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had expected that Li Mo would deal with Li Sheng the same way he had dealt with Wei Hai. Contrary to her expectations, however, Li Mo instead waved at Su Bei, who began flying off with Li Sheng on his sword.


    ¡°You¡¯re letting him go just like that?¡± Yun Ruoyan stared at Li Mo. After all, Li Sheng was the mastermind behind the entire affair, and Yun Ruoyan really wasn¡¯t satisfied with letting him go so easily. Furthermore, she still had a request for Li Sheng: to go to his manor and look at her records for herself.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, there are plenty of opportunities to get revenge on him in the future. Right now, we have to hurry back to the Kongming Summit.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen within the academy?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡± Li Mo shrugged off his robe and draped it over Yun Ruoyan. ¡°But the first elder just sent me news that the portal to another dimension is opening a year in advance. The academy¡¯s soon going to be selecting a new batch of students to train and enter the portal.¡±


    This portal would open only once every three years. That it was happening a year in advance meant that the students would only have one year to train for its opening, and time would be very tight indeed.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s hurry back.¡± Yun Ruoyan had heard Li Mo say that one of the requirements for entering the portal was to be an eighth-rank demaster. Only then would she be able to achieve resonance with her de and use it to fly, to be a true demaster.


    Only then would she have the minimum power required to protect herself and to vie for treasures within the parallel dimension. Otherwise, she would be nothing but cannon fodder. Even Li Mo, a ninth-rank demaster bordering on a sword saint, was an ordinary existence in that dimension. As a result, this year of training would be immensely valuable to both Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan to guarantee their survival.


    ¡°Have you recovered fully from the poison?¡± Li Mo noticed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unusual pallor.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, the poison¡¯s dealt with. Let¡¯s set off immediately.¡±


    A few hourster, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo returned to Kongming Academy at night. Li Mo first sent Yun Ruoyan back to her little cottage by the cliffside before returning to the southern tower, where the first elder was waiting.


    ¡°Master, why is the portal to the alternate dimension opening in advance this time?¡±


    The first elder¡¯s face was unusually serious. ¡°I¡¯m not too familiar with the affairs in that dimension, and I don¡¯t have the authority to ask too many questions. The information was suddenly transmitted to me through the all-seeing mirror. Also, ten more people will be allowed into the portal than usual.¡±


    ¡°You mean there¡¯ll be thirty students this time?¡± Li Mo¡¯s tone was shocked. There had only ever been twenty students admitted at once!


    Thirty students wasn¡¯t much considering Kongming Academy¡¯s three-thousand-strong enrollment, but gathering thirty eighth-rank students wasn¡¯t so easy. Most of the new students were at the level of a fifth-rank demaster, and there weren¡¯t many eighth-rank demasters even among the older students. To send out thirty such students would dramatically thin the ranks of the elites.


    Although Li Mo had never entered the portal, he was familiar with the process after having been at the academy since his childhood. With the first elder¡¯s guidance, except for those who had already entered the portal, he was surely the most familiar with the other dimension.


    Those who had never entered the portal thought that there was treasure to be found everywhere, that spiritual herbs and pills littered the ground, that it was a gathering ground for spirits and immortals. As a result, they would give their all just for a chance to enter the portal.


    Before the first elder had described what the other dimension was like to Li Mo in detail, he had been the same way. The other dimension truly was lined with treasure, but also unimaginable peril. Many existences of the other dimension had cultivations so advanced that eighth-rank demasters would be nothing more than ants in front of them. Even their slightest motion could mean death.


    As a result, only a lucky few ever returned from the other dimension alive. However, those who returned would surely be superior existences on the Chentuan continent, and they had, with no exception, forbidden their own cherished children from entering Kongming Academy.


    As a result, Yun Moxiao, Wang Meng, and a few other particrly talented scions hadn¡¯t been students of the academy. Wang Meng had only entered due to his unusual circumstances, and he had hidden his decision from his father.


    ¡°Tomorrow, the elders will be convening to decide on the students entering the other dimension,¡± the first elder began. ¡°All sixth-rank demasters and up have a chance of being selected, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s already beyond that. What¡¯s your n?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll only be of age next year, and I naturally don¡¯t want to bring her into such a cruel, dangerous ce just as she enters adulthood.¡± Li Mo sighed. ¡°My original n was to wait for her to be older, but she seems very eager regarding this expedition. I¡¯ll let her know about the benefits and drawbacks and let her decide for herself.¡±


    The next morning, Yun Ruoyan felt far more refreshed after a good night¡¯s rest. Just as she was about to head into Lin Qingchen¡¯s bamboo forest to walk to ss with her, Li Mo suddenly flew into her window.


    He had done so so many times that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t even shocked. ¡°Do you have more information regarding this other dimension?¡±


    Li Mo walked over and wrapped his arms around Yun Ruoyan¡¯s small body. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I spent so much effort to get close to you. Why do I feel that you¡¯ve be colder and colder toward me thesest few days?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Have I?¡± Yun Ruoyan really hadn¡¯t noticed her subconscious estrangement from Li Mo.


    Li Mo guessed that Wei Hai must have revealed something to her during their captivity. Based on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attitude, however, she likely still didn¡¯t know much about the secrets he was hiding, so her behavior was only mild suspicion rather than full rejection. I have to tell Yun Ruoyan that she¡¯s a human furnace at some point, but the expedition to the other dimension¡¯s more important¡­


    If he were to reveal the secret all of a sudden, who knew how Yun Ruoyan would react?


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, no matter what, know that you¡¯re a girl that I care for very much.¡±


    Although Li Mo had always enjoyed being intimate with Yun Ruoyan, this was the first time he¡¯d ever said something so direct and mushy.


    Yun Ruoyan blushed and began tough, burying her head in Li Mo¡¯sp, her hands tightly wrapping around Li Mo¡¯s waist.


    ¡°I must have misheard¡ªwhat would others think if they heard what the ughtering King just said?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Li Mo sported a rareugh. ¡°Others might fear me, but not my precious Yan¡¯er.¡±

 Chapter 246: The Elders’ Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 246: The Elders'' Meeting</h4>


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Yun Ruoyan raised her head. ¡°You didn¡¯te to my cottage so early in the morning just to confess your affection for me, did you?¡±


    Li Mo couldn¡¯t help thwacking Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Ouch, it hurts!¡± Yun Ruoyan cradled her forehead as she red at Li Mo. ¡°What do you want? I still have to get to ss!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go. I¡¯ve already helped you take the day off.¡± Li Mo released Yun Ruoyan and pulled her to her nearby table, wanting to have a serious conversation about the other dimension with her.


    ¡°Before me, the first elder actually took on two previous disciples, one male and one female. However, they both died in the other dimension,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°Although I¡¯ve never been to that dimension, I know just how dangerous it can be. Less than a tenth of my seniors survived; sometimes, no one at all would return.¡±


    He sighed, then continued. ¡°For some reason, the portal¡¯s opening earlier than usual this time, and thirty students will be permitted to enter rather than twenty. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be even more dangerous than usual.¡±


    He looked seriously at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Tonight, the elders will convene to decide on a roster of students to enter the portal. If you¡¯re not interested in going---¡±


    ¡°Are you going?¡± Yun Ruoyan interjected, her eyes bright.


    ¡°I wanted to go three years ago, but the first elder stopped me. This time, I¡¯m going for sure, but as for you---¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± Yun Ruoyan interjected again, her voice resolute. ¡°I want to go with you!¡±


    That night, the six elders and their head disciples gathered at the roof of the southern tower to discuss their ns for the uing expedition.


    ¡°As you¡¯re all aware, my students surely wouldn¡¯t be able to survive the trip, so no one from my college will be going,¡± the sixth elder, who led the central college, proimed. He smiled winningly at the gathered elders, as if he hadn¡¯t said anything embarrassing.


    ¡°Sixth Elder, you can¡¯t be serious!¡± The third elder pointed at the sixth elder with a fat finger. ¡°None of our students have ranks as high as your students.¡±


    Everyone knew that the central college took in the most inferior students, but the sixth elder would grant them rank-ups each year in order for them not to look too inept upon their graduation.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the one not being serious here? You all know my college¡¯s situation! Sending them into the portal would just be sending them to their deaths!¡±


    ¡°My students would die too!¡± the third elder, who led the western college, also eximed.


    ¡°If neither of your colleges are willing to send anyone, do you expect all thirty students toe from our remaining three colleges?¡± the second elder asked pointedly.


    As soon as the second elder spoke, the other elders all became quiet.


    ¡°As the saying goes,petent people do the most work,¡± the sixth elder mumbled indistinctly.


    ¡°Sixth Elder, I couldn¡¯t hear you. If you have ament, say it loud and clear!¡± the second elder replied.


    ¡°Exactly! Sixth Elder, don¡¯t you think all the colleges should provide an equal number of students?¡±


    ¡°Based on the number of students who survive each expedition, they¡¯re all going to die anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly! If they¡¯re all going to die, then why not send students with a lower cultivation?¡± the fifth elder suggested.


    ¡°Fifth Elder, what exactly could you mean?¡± The sixth elder stared at him in shock. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of cheating, are you?¡±


    All students who were to enter the portal had to be eighth-rank demasters or higher. However, sixth-rank demasters were eligible for consideration; during the remaining year of training, their cultivation would naturally rise. As for those students who couldn¡¯t reach eighth-rank even by the conclusion of the training, they would be force-fed a spiritual pill that would bring them up to eighth-rank.


    Naturally, such pills came with a severe drawback. If they were used in moderation, then these drawbacks weren¡¯t particrly debilitating, but if they were used to enhance a student¡¯s cultivation by two or more ranks, those students¡¯ future potential would be consumed in their entirety. No longer would they be able to improve in their cultivation, and they would be far weaker than other cultivators at their current rank.


    Those students were essentially fake eighth-rank demasters, only there to meet the required quota.


    ¡°Heh heh.¡± The fifth elderughed a few times. ¡°Sixth Elder, why do you sound so shocked? Aren¡¯t you the one who cheats the most out of all of us?¡±


    ¡°Fifth Elder, my cheating is harmless to the rest of the academy. Trying to cheat here---¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the fifth elder¡¯s suggestion? I think it¡¯s quite good myself!¡±


    ¡°Good? If those guards figure out what we¡¯ve done¡­!¡±


    The elders continued their heated discussion.


    Li Mo sat silently by the first elder¡¯s side, very much used to this sort of situation. Whenever it came time for the portal to the other dimension to open, the elders would squabble for days on end to settle on a final roster.


    And while they fervently tried to stop their own college¡¯s students from participating, those students would eagerly hope against hope to be one of the lucky few selected. In past years, the central college¡¯s students were often the most displeased, thinking that the other four colleges¡¯ students had taken all their spots for the expedition.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± the first elder finally spoke.


    Everyone, even the second elder, instantly went silent. All eyes fell on the first elder.


    ¡°We won¡¯t cheat.¡± The first elder first rejected the fifth elder¡¯s suggestion. Eighth-rank demasters had a chance, however slim, to survive within the portal; those weaker would surely die. As the first elder of Kongming Academy, he could never allow so many innocent students to head to their deaths.


    The first elder was far more willing to send some students who had the opportunity to return: if they survived against all odds, then they would surely be superior existences on the Chenyuan continent, and this was as much an opportunity as it was a risk.


    ¡°The southern college will send ten students for the expedition,¡± the first elder began. ¡°The northern college will send eight, and the western and eastern colleges will send five each.¡±


    He then turned to the sixth elder. ¡°And the central college will send two. Is that eptable?¡±


    The sixth elder hesitated, opened his mouth as if to argue further, then looked down and nodded instead.


    ¡°Then the matter¡¯s settled.¡± The first elder stood up. ¡°Give me the roster from each college within a day. We only have a year to prepare, so we have to work rapidly. Li Mo will be responsible for part of the extradimensional training, and he¡¯ll be among the thirty students participating.


    In the central college, the sixth elder found Zhuo Yifeng and told him the news about the otherworldly expedition.


    ¡°Yifeng! Although you¡¯re a new student, you¡¯re one of the most talented in the central college. There are two slots avable for an expedition to another dimension, and I¡¯d like to give one of those slots to you.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bright eyes grew even brighter. ¡°Thank you for this opportunity, Sixth Elder! I surely won¡¯t disappoint you!¡±


    The new students had mostly heard about the expedition from the older students. Zhuo Yifeng had even heard that those who were selected to head into the other dimension were the strongest, most talented students of the academy. It was allegedly filled with treasure, and anyone who could return unscathed from the expedition would surely be a strong power on the Chenyuan continent.


    The head of the merchant coalition of Chenyuan continent, the owner of the Yuelu Vi and the current head of the governing body of cultivators, Dong Tiehe, and even the general of the Li kingdom¡¯s army, General Huang, were all cultivators who had braved this expedition and survived.


    The students of Kongming Academy were excited beyond belief whenever the topic was brought up, and they all secretly dreamt of being the next student chosen.


    The sixth elder couldn¡¯t bear to see Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s naive, exuberant expression, as though what he had given Zhuo Yifeng was salvation rather than a curse. ¡°The other dimension might be filled with treasure, but it¡¯s extremely dangerous. You have to be careful at all times, and prioritize your safety above all. No treasure is worth your life.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Sixth Elder!¡±


    The sixth elder sighed as he looked at Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back. He¡¯d just taken in what seemed like a promising disciple, only to have to send him into that tigers¡¯ den¡­


    After Zhuo Yifeng left, instead of heading back to the male residences, he instead turned to the cliffside, where he managed to pull out a wild pheasant he had hunted earlier in the morning out from a nearby bush. Because it was cold, the pheasant was nearly frozen solid. Zhuo Yifeng imbued spiritual energy into his right fist and pounded on the pheasant a few times to soften its flesh.


    Then, Zhuo Yifeng brought the pheasant to a nearby mountain stream, where he began to clean and dress it. After doing so, he thered a special seasoning on it and began to roast it over a fire.


    Not longter, the aroma of wild pheasant began to spread, and a ck shadow silently appeared opposite Zhuo Yifeng. Because Zhuo Yifeng was so focused on roasting the meat, he didn¡¯t notice the guest¡¯s arrival until he sat down right opposite him.


    Only then did Zhuo Yifeng raise his head in shock. ¡°Senior, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng smiled, his bright beastkin eyes reflecting the mes.


    The ck-d man peered at Zhuo Yifeng before lowering his head. He picked up a stick from the ground and threw it into the fire. ¡°Given yourck of alertness, I¡¯ll have you practice your wild vine arts a hundred times today.¡±

 Chapter 247: Su Nan and Li Mo

    <h4>Chapter 247: Su Nan and Li Mo</h4>


    ¡°Yes, Senior,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied, without any dissatisfaction regarding the punishment on his part. ¡°Senior, the meat will be ready soon.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng continued rotating the skewered wild pheasant, then sprinkled a handful of spices over it. Instantly, an unusual fragrance began spreading from the fire, and the ck-d man couldn¡¯t help gulping down his saliva.


    ¡°Your technique¡¯s quite good.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a skill that¡¯s been passed down my family,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied, smiling. ¡°My father was much better at it than I am.¡±


    About half a month ago, Zhuo Yifeng had been roasting a wild animal right here when the ck-d man suddenly showed up. When he asked Zhuo Yifeng for some meat, Zhuo Yifeng eded.


    Unexpectedly, the ck-d man was so fond of Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s cooking that he requested him to prepare it for him once every three days. Aspensation, he would teach Zhuo Yifeng some wood-attuned external spiritual techniques. The wild vine arts that the man had brought up was the first such technique that he had learned.


    ¡°Master, here!¡± Zhuo Yifeng handed a well-roasted hunk of meat to the ck-d man. ¡°Master, you told me that you would start teaching me a second technique soon. Are we starting today?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Master.¡± The ck-d man took the proffered skewer, his voice clear and cold. ¡°We¡¯re only mere acquaintances, and the only reason I¡¯m teaching you these techniques is for your roast meat. We¡¯re not master and disciple.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Senior, I understand¡­¡± Zhuo Yifeng sounded somewhat dejected.


    Over thest half-month, Zhuo Yifeng had been trying to deepen his connection with the ck-d man, but he refused to get any closer to Zhuo Yifeng. For some reason, however, the first time Zhuo Yifeng met him, he felt a startling sense of familiarity toward him¡ªdespite the fact that he had always been masked, and Zhuo Yifeng hadn¡¯t even seen his face at all.


    However, the sense of familiarity he felt was so extreme that Zhuo Yifeng was barely able to stop himself from getting close to and tightlytching onto the man.


    The first time the man taught Zhuo Yifeng a technique, Zhuo Yifeng had sought to be his disciple, but the ck-d man had rejected himpletely. Given how strongly he had rejected him again, it was quite likely that the man would stop showing up once he had had his fill of Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s food.


    Zhuo Yifeng sighed.


    ¡°In the end, the only one you can truly count on is yourself. Don¡¯t try totch onto others thinking that they¡¯ll support you for good.¡± The ck-d man seemed to have detected Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s thoughts. As he ate, he slowly continued, ¡°Everyone¡¯s goal in life is different, and yours is to get stronger on your own.¡±


    ¡°Senior.¡± Zhuo Yifeng sat in front of the man and asked, ¡°Senior, can you tell me what your goal is?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The ck-d man stopped eating, looked up, and scrutinized Zhuo Yifeng carefully. Unlike Zhuo Yifeng, the ck-d man¡¯s eyes were as dark as deep wells, and even his sclera seemed to be covered by shadow.


    Zhuo Yifeng also stood up.


    ¡°Today, I¡¯ll teach you a second external technique.¡± The ck-d man grabbed at the air, revealing a deep-green spiritual energy. ¡°The wild vine arts require that wild vines be present nearby, but this scattered leaves technique does not.¡±


    The man held his palm t, and a green leaf appeared on it. ¡°Use your own wood-attuned spiritual energy to control the leaf, manifesting it in whatever form you desire.¡±


    As he brought his other palm close to the leaf, it quickly began to transform rapidly in shape and quantity. One moment, it was a in, simple leaf; another moment, it had be two dozen leaves with sharp, serrated edges, the potency of which Zhuo Yifeng could almost feel.


    ¡°Did you see what I did?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Senior.¡±


    The ck-d man gestured with his palm, and the leaves between his hands all shot out at a boulder right opposite him. With a great rumbling sound, cracks began spreading through the surface of the boulder, reducing it to a pile of small rocks.


    Zhuo Yifeng gaped at the extraordinary sight. ¡°Amazing!¡±


    ¡°This is a mid-rank wood-attuned external spiritual technique. If you want to use it, you mustbine it with the internal cultivation technique that I taught you. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to expand your spiritual vortex sufficiently at your current cultivation, and you won¡¯t have the reserves to support this technique.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the instruction, Senior.¡± Zhuo Yifeng cupped his fists and bowed.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for today.¡± The ck-d man turned to leave. ¡°Remember to practice the wild vine arts a hundred times over before you start trying to y with this scattered leaves technique on your own.¡±


    ¡°Senior!¡± Zhuo Yifeng called out to the man from behind. ¡°I¡¯ve been selected to join the expedition to another dimension. My training will start tomorrow, so I probably won¡¯t be able to roast any more meat for you within the next year. Please take care!¡±


    The man stopped, but didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°I hope I¡¯ll be able to taste your cooking a year from now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll return safe and sound, Senior. I, Zhuo Yifeng, promise I¡¯ll be strong with my own power!¡±


    The ck-d man raised a hand in farewell, then vanished behind arge boulder.


    Zhuo Yifeng sucked in a deep breath and looked resolutely at another boulder nearby, a boulder almostpletely covered in vines. He strode over and began practicing the wild vine arts, a hundred times over.


    The ck-d man strode to the other side of the cliff, where a ck-robed man was waiting for him. He bowed. ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Su Nan, no need for the formalities.¡±


    Su Nan straightened up and removed his mask, revealing a resolute face and unusually bright eyes, no longer shrouded by shadow.


    ¡°My deepest gratitude for arranging the meeting between me and Feng¡¯er, Your Highness, and for permitting me to train him in external techniques.¡±


    ¡°No matter. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s a decently skilled cultivator, and he might even eclipse you with sufficient training.¡±


    Su Nan¡¯s features softened as he smiled. ¡°Feng¡¯er told me that he was chosen to head to an alternate dimension.¡±


    Although Su Nan had never entered that dimension, he was well aware of its dangers and risks. ¡°Based on his current capabilities, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to return unscathed.¡±


    ¡°If Zhuo Yifeng were still in the southern college, I might have been able toe up with something. Since he¡¯s in the central college, however, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for me to jump in. Since I¡¯ll be joining the expedition myself, I¡¯ll try to help him.¡±


    Su Nan rxed. ¡°My thanks, Your Highness. While interacting with him, I discovered that he harbors great antipathy toward you. If he offends you, please ept my apologies as his ipetent father in advance.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng had always viewed Li Mo as an enemy who had killed his father and ughtered his n, and his goal had been to exact revenge by killing him. He had started out in the southern college, and had only transferred to the central college because he discovered that Li Mo was an instructor in the southern college.


    ¡°Su Nan, don¡¯t you intend on reuniting with Zhuo Yifeng?¡±


    ¡°Before aplishing the mission that I pledged the Beast King I would finish, I can¡¯t have any other obligations.¡± Su Nan¡¯s stalwart face was resolute. ¡°Even if I were to reveal my existence to them, there would be too much that I can¡¯t exin at the moment.¡±


    A war between Li Mo and the silver dragon n would surely break out while trying to help Empress Xue Tong recover her true body, and Su Nan thought that leaving the Zhuo siblings alone was the best method of protecting them.


    Li Mo stared into the sea of clouds. ¡°Su Nan, one day, I promise you¡¯ll be able to speak to your son as his father.¡±


    The next day, the thirty-strong roster for the expedition into another dimension had been decided and stered at an eye-catching position on the za¡¯s noticeboard. The eagle-eyed student who had first spotted it hurriedly told everyone she knew, and word began to spread from there.


    Li Mo¡¯s name was first on the list, quickly followed by Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Boss, your name¡¯s not on the list!¡± one of Guan Tianyu¡¯sckeys whispered to him. Guan Tianyu clenched his fist tightly, reviewing the roster once and again, but his name was indeed nowhere to be found.


    Yun Ruoyan, Rong Yueshan, Pei Ziao, Zhuo Yifeng¡ªquite a number of new students, but not him, Guan Tianyu!


    ¡°The southern college hogged ten spots for themselves!¡± Guan Tianyu¡¯s thinckey eximed. ¡°Our northern college has two fewer spots than they do, and even the trash of the central college got two spots! What a waste!¡±


    Except for Zhuo Yifeng, there was another student from the central college: a female, Yan Hui. Next year, she would have been able to enter one of the three specialized institutions, and one year after that, she would be able to graduate. If the portal to another dimension hadn¡¯t opened a year earlier, Yan Hui would have avoided the cmity and gone on to be one of the only elites of the central college. Unfortunately for her, a major roadblock now stood in her way.


    The sixth elder had pondered for a very long time before choosing Yan Hui as the second participant from the central college.


    As for the northern college, which had to fill eight spots, the second elder was naturally unwilling to send his grandson into the other dimension to meet his death. As a result, Rong Yueshan and Yi Qianying¡¯s name were both on the list, but not Guan Tianyu¡¯s.


    Many students seemed very upset that they hadn¡¯t been chosen, none more so than Guan Tianyu himself.

 Chapter 248: A Severe Accusation

    <h4>Chapter 248: A Severe usation</h4>


    Guan Tianyu was used to lording over the northern college, and he absolutely hated being passed over for anything. Most of all, he didn¡¯t understand why he wasn¡¯t chosen when so many new students were! His cultivation wasn¡¯t weak, and he wasn¡¯t yet part of the three specialized institutions, so he certainly qualified!


    With a chip on his shoulder, Guan Tianyu¡¯s gaze scanned over the list and settled on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s name. Last time, when he and Rong Yueshan had tried to pit themselves against Yun Ruoyan, Guan Tianyu concluded that she was stronger than Rong Yueshan but still far weaker than he.


    Without using the bracelet¡¯s power, Yun Ruoyan was only a peak seventh-rank demaster, while Guan Tianyu was already eighth-rank and in the process of synchronizing with his de. Although it was only one rank¡¯s difference, that one rank was like the difference between heaven and earth.


    The infuriated Guan Tianyu went looking for an outlet for his anger.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, look! Your name¡¯s on the list, and you¡¯re right there near the front!¡± Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen dragged Yun Ruoyan into the crowd. Because she had known about the results for quite a while, however, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t seem shocked or surprised at all.


    ¡°I heard that the other dimension¡¯s littered with treasure, some so rare and potent that they¡¯ve almost never shown up on the Chenyuan continent!¡± Lin Qingxue remarked.


    ¡°Allegedly, many of the spiritual herbs and pills that have gone extinct or been lost to time aremonce in that dimension,¡± Lin Qingchen added. ¡°But all that¡¯s just hearsay. As for what the other dimension¡¯s really like, it seems as if no one from the academy really knows.¡±


    ¡°All the elders have explored that dimension, and allegedly some of the students from the three specialized institutions have also returned from that expedition.¡± Zong Yang jumped into the three girls¡¯ conversation. ¡°None of the students seem to want to reveal too much about their own experience, but what they brought back with them truly are treasures beyond treasures. That¡¯s why the rumor of the other dimension being littered with treasure is so widespread.¡±


    ¡°I know very little about this alternate dimension, but I¡¯ll be able to see it for myself this time!¡± Guan Ruliu eximed.


    ¡°Right? To think that I would get such an opportunity myself!¡± Zong Yang couldn¡¯t help smiling as he looked at his name, right below Guan Ruliu¡¯s. As far as they were aware, any of the students chosen to enter the other dimension would be eligible to enter one of the three specialized institutions as soon as they returned¡ªor even to graduate directly and begin amassing their own power on the Chenyuan continent!


    Yun Ruoyan knew more than the other students did about the dangers involved, but Li Mo had told her to avoid spreading the information to avoid a mass panic. Kongming Academy had always made this selection appear like a positive affair, and news of the students who had died were deliberately hidden from most of the other students.


    If the students were to know that less than one in ten students would be able to return from that dimension, and that frequently no one would return at all, would they be willing to enter?


    ¡°Hey, you there!¡± While they were talking, Guan Tianyu¡¯s thin, skinnyckey shouted at their group. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear our boss calling your name?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and the others looked toward the voice and saw the imposing Guan Tianyu heading in their direction.


    ¡°What, this tyrant¡¯s trying to pick a fight with us again?¡± Lin Qingxue pursed her lips. ¡°But where are Rong Yueshan and the others today?¡±


    Indeed, Rong Yueshan, Pei Ziao, and Yi Qianying were all missing.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you! Are you deaf or mute?!¡± The thin, skinnyckey had a shrill, piercing voice, instantly attracting the attention of much of the crowd gathered by the za. As soon as they noticed this famed tyrant, they quickly made way for him, then surrounded Yun Ruoyan and Guan Tianyu in a big circle as they looked on curiously.


    Based on their past experience, this seemed to be the prelude to Guan Tianyu teaching someone a lesson.


    Without any more bodies to hinder him, Guan Tianyu quickly walked up to Yun Ruoyan. He folded his arms and looked down at her disdainfully. ¡°You think you have the skills to enter this other dimension?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan only smiled blithely before turning to leave, not wanting to waste her saliva on him.


    ¡°What, afraid I¡¯ll expose you in front of this crowd? Are you that eager to run away?¡± Guan Tianyuughed from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t dare to do anything to you just because you¡¯re Master Mo¡¯s disciple! There¡¯s no one in Kongming Academy whom I, Guan Tianyu, fear!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this tyrant trying to say?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to expose?¡±


    ¡°Who cares? It¡¯s a free show for the rest of us! This tyrant didn¡¯t get into the roster, so he¡¯s taking it out on those who did.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t affected by Guan Tianyu¡¯s words or the discussion of the crowd around them. Instead, she had been so inured to such tricks by Yi Qianying and Yun Ruoyao that she knew some things were better left untouched. Instead of spending her energy defending herself against Guan Tianyu, she might as well start preparing for the expedition!


    ¡°Do you think the rtionship between you and Master Mo can remain hidden for long?¡± Guan Tianyu asked provocatively, feeling slighted by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s inattention.


    ¡°What nonsense are you speaking?!¡± Instead, Lin Qingxue was the one who became mad. She had originally intended on leaving with Yun Ruoyan, but now she had stopped and was looking back at Guan Tianyu in disgust.


    This tall, imposing fellow was actually an unbridled gossip! Worse, he was beaming at Lin Qingxue after having sessfully gotten her attention!


    ¡°I¡¯m not speaking nonsense at all! This is something I heard from Yi Qianying and Rong Yueshan.¡± Guan Tianyu smirked, as though Lin Qingxue¡¯s reaction proved that he had hit the nail on the head. ¡°Perhaps some of you other students in the academy don¡¯t know about this, but Master Mo¡¯s both the head disciple of the first elder as well as the ughtering King from the Li kingdom.¡±


    Guan Tianyu¡¯s words led to a round of hushed murmurs.


    ¡°ording to Rong Yueshan and Yi Qianying, Master Mo and Yun Ruoyan had a very ambiguous rtionship even within the Li kingdom, and Master Mo had even once asked for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand in marriage!¡± Guan Tianyu crowed. ¡°Who would have expected that they would be master and disciple instead? Those out of the loop might think that they have an ordinary master-disciple rtionship, but they¡¯re actually a couple!¡±


    Guan Tianyu¡¯s usation, which would indelibly stain Li Mo¡¯s reputation, was undoubtedly severe. Even the crowd stopped their hushed murmurs, not daring to discuss the affair any further. Li Mo was well-known in Kongming Academy, and the ughtering King was well-known throughout the continent!


    The only one who would dare nder him so openly was Guan Tianyu, backed by the second elder himself.


    Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen were so angry that they were trembling, but they didn¡¯t know how to refute his words. Although Guan Tianyu¡¯s words were despicable, he wasn¡¯t wholly incorrect. The Lin sisters naturally knew of the rtionship between Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, and they were both surprised to find out that Li Mo was going to take Yun Ruoyan as his disciple.


    Both the Lin sisters had secretly asked Yun Ruoyan about this, but Yun Ruoyan refused to tell them much, and neither Lin Qingxue nor Lin Qingchen wanted to press her. Now that Guan Tianyu was dragging it out into the open, neither Lin sister knew how to counter his words.


    ¡°Guan Tianyu, do you know what you¡¯re iming?¡± Instead, Guan Ruliu was the one who spoke up. As one of the seniors of the southern college, she tended not to participate in such minor squabbles, but Master Mo¡¯s reputation was something she had to defend.


    ¡°I, Guan Tianyu, never speak nonsense. If what I¡¯m saying isn¡¯t the truth, then why isn¡¯t Yun Ruoyan refuting my usation?¡±


    This was Guan Tianyu¡¯smon strategy: to incite his opponent into attacking him, at which point he would thrash his opponent in ¡°self-defense¡±.


    ¡°Guan Tianyu.¡± As all eyes turned to Yun Ruoyan, she finally spoke up. ¡°Although I¡¯m a new student, I know that you have a habit of trying to bully other students as soon as you be unhappy.¡±


    She sped both palms behind her back. ¡°You¡¯re trying to incite me, to nder Master Mo. This isn¡¯t something anyone from the southern college can put up with.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s name carried immense weight, especially within the southern college. Some of the students from the southern college had been raring to fight as soon as they had heard Guan Tainyu¡¯s provocation, and now they were even more angry.


    ¡°This northern college¡¯s tyrant, he¡¯s just getting bolder and bolder, isn¡¯t he? It isn¡¯t sufficient that he¡¯s bullying our juniors¡ªnow he¡¯s trying to nder Master Mo himself? He deserves a beating!¡±


    ¡°Master Mo¡¯s the ughtering King? He can¡¯t be thinking straight if he¡¯s trying to nder such an imposing figure!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled coldly. ¡°If you want to fight me, then I¡¯ll satisfy your desire so you don¡¯t have to try to think up any more nauseating ideas.¡±


    She lowered her stance and motioned for Guan Tianyu to make his move. Seeing that his preliminary goal was fulfilled, Guan Tianyu ignored the crowd and readied himself for a fight. His objective was simple: to hurt Yun Ruoyan and prevent her from being able to attend the training and hence participate in the expedition. As a result, her expedition spot would go to him, Guan Tianyu!

 Chapter 249: Domineering Skill

    <h4>Chapter 249: Domineering Skill</h4>


    ¡°If I¡¯d known how straightforward you¡¯d be, I wouldn¡¯t have wasted so much breath,¡± Guan Tianyu sneered. ¡°Do your worst!¡±


    By this point, Yun Ruoyan absolutely detested Guan Tianyu, and she started with a fireball. After a period of practice, Yun Ruoyan was getting much more ustomed to the fireball technique, and her fireball was twice asrge as before.


    Yun Ruoyan slung the fireball toward Guan Tianyu, who nced at the fireball with some shock before he countered with his own external ice-type technique. With his two palms held out in front of him, blue spiritual energy quickly manifested in the form of an icy bulwark. He tried to speed up the process as much as possible, but by the time Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fireball reached him, he was only halfway done.


    Half the fireball was blocked by the bulwark, and the other half licked Guan Tianyu¡¯s lower body. Instantly, his white student attire began to burn.


    Guan Tianyu¡¯s face paled as he hurriedly put out the mes with water vapor.


    ¡°Haha, he¡¯s on fire, on fire!¡± Lin Qingxue crowed. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for speaking nonsense!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands were still behind her back, as though the fireball had expended no effort from her. On the other hand, Guan Tianyu cut a sorry figure.


    ¡°How incredible! Last time, when she used that fireball in the cafeteria, it was barely half this size. It¡¯s only been two weeks, and she¡¯s already managed to improve so much!¡±


    ¡°As expected of Master Mo¡¯s disciple! I bet Guan Tianyu¡¯s not finding her an easy target now!¡±


    Despite Guan Tianyu¡¯s flustered appearance, he didn¡¯t suffer any serious injury.


    ¡°Boss, are you alright?¡± His thin, skinnyckey had run away as soon as Yun Ruoyan threw out the fireball, and he was only running back now.


    ¡°Scram, you useless piece of trash!¡± Guan Tianyu pushed him aside. He was more than a head smaller than Guan Tianyu, and his arms were half as thick as his. Guan Tianyu¡¯s rtively weak shove was enough to bowl him over, causing him to fall to the ground in a ¡®´ó¡¯ shape.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± the thin, skinnyckey yelped, but no one reached out to help him up. Instead, his fall incited a chorus ofughter.


    ¡°Hahaha, good riddance!¡±


    ¡°Pick a better boss to follow, you fool!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve long since gotten tired of his antics¡ªno, their antics!¡±


    The crowdughed uproariously, and even some students from the northern college joined in. Guan Tianyu tended to disrespect his seniors and bully his juniors, judging that no one would dare do anything to him because of his rtionship with the second elder. Against the students from other colleges, he was even more domineering.


    This thinckey would always follow behind Guan Tianyu, crowing at the students that Guan Tianyu bullied.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, I didn¡¯t expect you to progress so quickly.¡± Guan Tianyu straightened his clothes. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll be the one attacking, and I won¡¯t go easy on you!¡±


    With the wave of a hand, Guan Tianyu created a row of icy knives and shot them toward Yun Ruoyan. There were a dozen of them, and each had a different velocity and direction. It was clear that Guan Tianyu had used his full strength: each knife had a sharp, serrated edge, and thebined attack had high prating power and surprising range.


    Although Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fireball technique was strong, it would only hit one target: Guan Tianyu. On the other hand, Guan Tianyu¡¯s attack might very well hit those behind and to the sides of Yun Ruoyan.


    When the crowd saw Guan Tianyu¡¯s attack, they began to sweat. Was Guan Tianyu crazy? With such a broad attack, he¡¯d hit the bystanders as well!


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t yet sufficient to melt all of them at once with a single fireball. Even if she tried her best, she could only melt a small subset, and wouldn¡¯t be able to block the rest. Beside Yun Ruoyan were Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen, as well as a number of new students from the southern college who could hardly defend themselves against such an assault.


    It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to protect herself, but to protect others as well¡­


    ¡°Senior Sister Guan!¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly looked to Guan Ruliu, who stood by her side. Guan Ruliu nodded, taking a step forward and helping Yun Ruoyan block the errant knives.


    With four small fireballs, Yun Ruoyan dealt with four knives, but the remaining knives were already right in front of them. Guan Ruliu pulled out a vine from her pouch, which elongated into a living whip. With a sharp snap from Guan Ruliu, it smashed the remaining eight knives apart.


    ¡°It looks like you students from the southern college aren¡¯t so bad, so I won¡¯t have to hold back.¡±


    Guan Tianyu released another two rows of knives, about twice the number that he had before.


    ¡°Guan Tianyu!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted. ¡°If you want to deal with me, focus on me! What sort of nonsense is this?!¡±


    Guan Ruliu was already trying to disperse the crowd, but there were so many students behind Yun Ruoyan, some of whom hadn¡¯t realized what was happening and were still trying to squeeze in to watch the fight. Without more time, it would be impossible to get the students out of harm¡¯s way.


    ¡°What, you can¡¯t tell? I¡¯m spreading my to catch a big fish.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of hurting others and being punished in the hall of penitence?¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed. ¡°Last time, your northern college¡¯s own Master Rong clearly said that anyone who hurts their fellow students will be punished harshly!¡±


    Guan Tianyu only chuckled coldly. ¡°These icy knives of mine will only hurt others, not kill them. As long as they don¡¯t die, I won¡¯t be in any trouble at all. Enough with the nonsense¡ªtake this!¡±


    Guan Tianyu thrust his arms forward, and the row upon row of knives all shot out toward Yun Ruoyan.


    Guan Ruliu, Zong Yang, and the Lin sisters were trying their best to disperse the crowd behind, and Yun Ruoyan was left to defend against all the knives by herself. She too retreated, trying to conjure up more fireballs in the limited time she had.


    Everyone else watching stared grimly at the sight: evidently, it was highly unlikely that Yun Ruoyan would be able to deal with all the knives by herself.


    Yun Ruoyan herself had no time to think about anything else; she could only grit her teeth and try to bear the brunt of the attack, mitigating as much of it as possible. Just as the majority of the knives were about to strike her, jade-green leaves began flying into the arena from nowhere, farrger in number than the icy knives.


    As the leaves hit the knives, shards of ice and bits of leaf scattered through the air.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Guan Tianyu¡¯s gaze swept through the gathered crowd. ¡°Who¡¯s the one interfering in this bout?¡±


    ¡°Me!¡± The crowd turned to look at the student who had spoken: a tall youth no less imposing in stature than Guan Tianyu, Zhuo Yifeng!


    ¡°Brother Zhuo!¡± Lin Qingxue called out in excitement. ¡°Wonderful timing! This guy¡¯s a nuisance, so please take care of him with Sister Ruoyan!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s features softened as he met Lin Qingxue¡¯s smiling face. He walked up to Yun Ruoyan and slightly inclined his head.


    Yun Ruoyan mirrored the gesture, and the mutual rapport that they had developed came back in full force. In the intervening period, they had each found a mentor and be strong. Although neither of their cultivations had improved significantly, they had both picked up an external spiritual technique, increasing their affinity with the elements and solidifying their aura.


    They stood side by side. Even without verbalmunication, their synchrony seemed obvious to all.


    ¡°And who are you?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng rarely ventured outside the central college, so most of the older students were still unfamiliar with him.


    ¡°Boss, Boss, he¡¯s Zhuo Yifeng, a piece of trash from the central college!¡± His thin, skinnyckey clutched his waist as he answered.


    Guan Tianyu snorted coldly. ¡°And here I thought you were someone talented! But you¡¯re nothing but trash from the central college.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am.¡± Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bright eyes stared at Guan Tianyu. ¡°What matters is that you were bullying my friends, and you¡¯ll pay the price!¡±


    Guan Tianyu scrutinized Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s unusually bright eyes carefully, stilled, then scoffed. ¡°So you¡¯re a beastkind, are you? When did Kongming Academy start taking even the lowly beastkin? Are there no other humans on the Chenyuan continent?¡±


    Right after he spoke, Guan Tianyu noticed arge patch of slender, jade-like pine needles filling his vision, so many that he couldn¡¯t even begin counting them. However, he remained calm, grabbing his thinckey to use as a meat shield.


    He barely had time to scream before the needles struck him, each one causing him to squeal shrilly. However, because of how much thinner he was than Guan Tianyu, the majority of the needles struck Guan Tianyu instead.


    He looked like a cactus, blood welling where the needles pricked him. Although each wound was minor, there were so many of them that blood seemed to dye his arms red.


    The thin, skinnyckey that Guan Tianyu held in front of him was in even worse condition, with his entire back drenched in blood. Regardless of whether the injury was serious, just looking at him made one cringe.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, was it? You¡¯re trying to kill me?!¡± Guan Tianyu¡¯s eyes sparked with rage, but he didn¡¯t dare attack.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s external spiritual technique was so unusual and strong that Guan Tianyu had never seen its like. He almost couldn¡¯t believe that Zhuo Yifeng was actually a member of the central college.


    He could sense that Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s cultivation was lower than his, but this external technique alone was enough to ovee the difference.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Why aren¡¯t all of you in ss?¡± Just as Yun Ruoyan and Guan Tianyu seemed to be in a stalemate, Rong Tianhai¡¯s voice suddenly emerged from the crowd.


    ¡°Master Rong,e quickly!¡± Guan Tianyu hurriedly shouted. ¡°Someone¡¯s trying to murder another student! Punish him!¡±

 Chapter 250: Refusal

    <h4>Chapter 250: Refusal</h4>


    Just as Guan Tianyu was being forced back by Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s domineering skill, Rong Tianhai suddenly appeared. Guan Tianyu hurriedly called for help, and the students immediately made way for Rong Tianhai.


    ¡°Master Rong, you¡¯re here! These students hurt me and my peers badly, so you have to punish them!¡± Guan Tianyu¡¯s eyes roamed maliciously over Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng.


    As soon as Rong Tianhai saw Guan Tianyu and his skinnyckey¡¯s bloodied appearance, his voice turned cold. ¡°Who did this? What did I say about harming your peers?!¡±


    He turned to the crowd. ¡°Are there any students from the northern college here?¡±


    Immediately, a few students walked out.


    ¡°Bring these criminals to the hall of penitence!¡± Rong Tianhaimanded.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rong!¡± the students chorused, then began walking toward Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng.


    Zhuo Yifeng hurriedly stepped in front of Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I was the one who hurt them; no one else was involved!¡±


    Rong Tianhai nced at Guan Tianyu. ¡°Who was the one who attacked you?¡±


    Guan Tianyu didn¡¯t immediately answer. After all, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s Master Mo¡¯s disciple. If I use Yun Ruoyan and get Master Mo¡¯s attention instead, it¡¯d make matters worse, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to aplish my objective¡­


    No matter what, Guan Tianyu wanted a spot on the expedition to the other dimension. As long as one other person on the list wasn''t able to participate in the uing training, he would be able to take over for that person instead. As for those who offended him¡ªwell, he had plenty of opportunities in the future to take revenge.


    After mulling it over, he eximed, ¡°The one who wounded me was indeed this beastkind, and it¡¯s unrted to anyone else.¡±


    Rong Tianhai nodded and motioned to the northern college¡¯s students, two of whom walked out of the crowd to detain Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± Yun Ruoyan stepped forward. Despite her cool tones, her eyes shed as she stood before Rong Tianhai. ¡°Master Rong, as the head of the hall of penitence, surely you wouldn¡¯t pass judgment without listening to both sides of the story, would you?¡±


    The hall of penitence was where Kongming Academy would deal with heavenly tribtions and those students who hadmitted grave crimes. Students were rarely sent to the hall of penitence, but whenever they were, they would be punished harshly. As a result, the students were quite fearful of the ce.


    Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen also stepped forward to defend Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°Guan Tianyu was the one who tried to severely harm Yun Ruoyan, and he was even attacking innocent bystanders! It was only Sister Ruoyan and Brother Zhuo¡¯s timely defense that prevented more people from being hurt.¡±


    ¡°Right! It was that tyrant who tried to attack them first!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just defending ourselves!¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re to be punished, then they should be too! It wouldn¡¯t be fair otherwise!¡±


    The southern college¡¯s students erupted in protest, and even students from the other three colleges sided with them.


    ¡°Master Rong¡¯s an instructor from the northern college¡ªhe¡¯s not nning on being partial to his own college¡¯s students, is he?¡±


    ¡°Well, Guan Tianyu¡¯s rted to the second elder, and the second elder¡¯s the person in charge of the hall of penitence. It wouldn¡¯t be unusual if Master Rong really were to favor Guan Tianyu¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, it¡¯d be unusual if Master Rong didn¡¯t favor him! If not for the second elder, Guan Tianyu¡¯s regr behavior would have been more than sufficient to have him thrown into the hall of penitence!¡±


    Except for the silent northern college students, the remaining students all sided with Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng.


    Rong Tianhai also seemed to be afraid of causing amotion, because he ultimately dered, ¡°Take both Zhuo Yifeng and Guan Tianyu away!¡±


    ¡°I was also involved, so I should also be detained if Zhuo Yifeng is!¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly added. After all, Guan Tianyu had been targeting her, and Zhuo Yifeng had only ended up at odds with Guan Tianyu because of her. No matter what, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t just let Zhuo Yifeng shoulder her me.


    Rong Tianhai nced askance at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°In that case, take them all away.¡± Rong Tianhai waved a hand, and two more northern college students stepped up and reached out for her.


    Yun Ruoyan stepped back and said firmly, ¡°I can walk on my own.¡±


    After arriving at the hall of penitence, Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng were each put into a wooden cell while the investigation was underway. They sat opposite each other, separated by a small wooden table. Because of how long it had been since they hadst seen each other, they found themselves at a loss for words.


    ¡°...have you girls been alright, all this time?¡± Zhuo Yifeng finally broke the silence.


    ¡°Quite well. I heard Qingxue mention that you¡¯re quite a valued student in the central college, but I still didn¡¯t expect your training to progress so rapidly. That technique you used against Guan Tianyu¡ªit was a wood-attuned external technique, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    In the end, it was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s love for cultivation that lubricated their conversation.


    ¡°Right, a mid-rank wood-attuned spiritual technique,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied. ¡°Your fireball technique seemed pretty strong as well.¡±


    They were both surprised by each other¡¯s progress. Lin Qingxue would frequently head toward the central college to find Zhuo Yifeng, and would often report back to her. Simrly, Zhuo Yifeng would learn about Yun Ruoyan¡¯s progress through Lin Qingxue. However, Lin Qingxue wasn¡¯t very familiar with their cultivation, and it restricted the information she was able to provide.


    ¡°My fireball technique¡¯s only a low-rank fire-attuned technique, though.¡± Yun Ruoyan extended a hand, and a small me emerged on her palm. As she continuously infused spiritual energy into it, the small me becamerger andrger, ultimately transforming into a small fireball. It increased in size until it was the size of a baby¡¯s head, revolving between them and casting their faces in red.


    ¡°Incredible!¡± Zhuo Yifeng marvelled at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fine control.


    Zhuo Yifeng, who was also studying an external technique of his own, clearly knew how difficult it was to exert such fine control. He could manifest his newly learned scattering leaves technique, but controlling it was far harder. In the za, Zhuo Yifeng had only intended on using the technique to frighten Guan Tianyu a little, but he lost control over the technique after sending it out. In the end, he hurt both Guan Tianyu and hisckey.


    Luckily, he had just learned the technique, and he still couldn¡¯t use it at full power. Otherwise, based on what his mysterious ck-robed senior had shown him, those leaves could easily have ravaged their bodies.


    Yun Ruoyan clenched her fist, and her fireball was snuffed out. She smiled and nced at Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°This time, we were both chosen to enter this alternate dimension. I hope we¡¯ll be able to cooperate against any dangerous foes as we did before.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced fervently at Zhuo Yifeng, knowing how difficult it was to find apanion whom she could trust and with whom she had rapport. Despite knowing the enmity between Zhuo Yifeng and Li Mo, she still wanted to bring Zhuo Yifeng with her¡ªbeing able to team up with him would greatly improve both their chances at surviving.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to doing things alone,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied, after a momentary silence.


    Just like the others, Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t know much about this other dimension, and was particrly uninformed about its dangers.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, listen to me.¡± Yun Ruoyan continued trying to persuade him. ¡°This alternate dimension¡¯s filled with treasure, yes, but also with immense danger. If youe with me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t try to advise me further,¡± Zhuo Yifeng interrupted. ¡°My mind is set.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo had appeared out of nowhere outside the cell.


    ¡°Li Mo.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up and hurriedly walked up to him. ¡°I knew you¡¯de to save us.¡±


    Li Mo extended a hand into the cell and rapped Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head. ¡°Call me Master!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan rubbed her head as she frowned at Li Mo. Somehow, Li Mo had developed the bad habit of rapping her on the head, and Yun Ruoyan had protested this treatment multiple times before to no effect. Since Li Mo¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t looking too good, Yun Ruoyan relented and addressed him as he desired.


    ¡°Open the door,¡± Li Momanded the warden, who immediately bowed and acquiesced. When Yun Ruoyan walked out of the cell and noticed that Zhuo Yifeng was still sitting down resolutely, she immediately beckoned for him to leave with her as well.


    Li Mo walked out without sparing him a second nce. ¡°Training starts tonight. All students participating in the expedition must gather at the za by evening, and anyone who¡¯ste will be disqualified.


    Zhuo Yifeng clenched his fists as he slowly stood up and walked out of the cell.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, follow me.¡± Li Mo strode out at a rapid pace, and Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng followed him outside. Just as they were leaving the hall of penitence, however, three unpopr figures showed up.


    ¡°Senior Li Mo.¡± Rong Tianhai blocked his way. ¡°These two students have vited academy policy. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s inappropriate to just take them away without informing me, Senior?¡±


    When Li Mo had entered the hall of penitence to take Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng away, no one dared to stop him. Instead, they quickly sent word to Rong Tianhai, who rushed to the scene at once.


    Li Mo didn¡¯t want to waste time speaking with him. ¡°The training for the expedition to the other dimension starts tonight. If you leave them here, who¡¯s going to take their ce? You?¡±


    Rong Tianhai didn¡¯t have the authority to find out much about this alternate dimension, but given his management position and how long he¡¯d been in the academy, he had an inkling of the danger that it posed. As a result, he remained silent.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, then stop standing here and wasting everyone¡¯s time.¡± Li Mo walked around Rong Tianhai and continued forward, as if he were nothing more than a nuisance.


    As Rong Tianhai looked at Li Mo¡¯s back, he muttered resentfully to himself, You think you¡¯re so superior, don¡¯t you? Just wait till the next time yound in my hands!

 Chapter 251: Weak Spot

    <h4>Chapter 251: Weak Spot</h4>


    As Rong Tianhai grumbled to himself, he looked toward the west side of the hall of penitence. A valley had naturally formed there, and it was filled with arrays that had likewise been formed naturally. Anyone who had challenged the heavens would be sent there to receive heavenly tribtion.


    Thest time the valley had been used was to punish Li Mo for forcefully activating the all-seeing mirror¡ªand Rong Tianhai was sure that he would soon receive further such tribtion.


    As Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, and Zhuo Yifeng walked out of the hall of penitence, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help turning back. While entering, Yun Ruoyan had only given the hall¡¯s exterior a superficial nce. This time, she scrutinized it carefully. Beneath its roof appeared to be a relief sculpture, one hidden from in sight and lying in the shadows.


    For some reason, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze was instantly drawn to that sculpture. As she continued walking forward, she infused her eyes with spiritual energy and focused on the sculpture: a snake-like creature covered in scales and walking on four feet, but with its head missing. Because of the missing head, Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t able to discern exactly what type of spiritual creature it was, but it gave her a strange, creepy feeling.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Because she was so focused on the sculpture, she didn¡¯t notice that Li Mo had stopped. Instead, she walked right into his back.


    When Yun Ruoyan turned back to her front, Li Mo turned around to look at her. As their eyes met, Yun Ruoyan subconsciously cradled her head. If you rap my head again¡­!


    ¡°Miss Yun,¡± Zhuo Yifeng suddenly began. ¡°I¡¯m going to head back to prepare for the training, then leave for the za on my own.¡±


    Before Yun Ruoyan could react, Zhuo Yifeng was already walking off toward the central college. Yun Ruoyan stared forlornly at Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back¡ªwas there really no way to resolve the conflict between him and Li Mo? A few questions regarding Li Mo, which Yun Ruoyan had tried her best not to think about, then began popping into her mind.


    As the son of the Beast King, there had to be a reason why Li Mo had ended up killing beastkin in droves. Yun Ruoyan could sense that this was the key to unravelling the feud between Li Mo and Zhuo Yifeng. However, there was clearly a deep secret hidden here, and Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t bring herself to bring it up on her own.


    While she was thinking about the affair, her forehead suddenly began to hurt.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan clutched her forehead, really about to get mad at him.


    ¡°I heard you entered the hall of penitence voluntarily!¡± Li Mo¡¯s tone was particrly serious.


    ¡°So what?¡± Yun Ruoyan rubbed her forehead, not feeling as if her actions were mistaken at all.


    Her naive behavior left Li Mo rather annoyed. ¡°Are you aware just what kind of ce the hall of penitence is?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Yun Ruoyan continued walking forward, deliberately hitting him with her wrist as she walked past him.


    ¡°I forbid you from being so impetuous in the future.¡±


    ¡°That I can¡¯t guarantee,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, not turning back. ¡°After all, I can¡¯t just ignore my friend when he stood up for me!¡±


    ¡°If you wanted to help your friend, you could easily have found me instead. There was no need to join him as a prisoner.¡± Li Mo was furious, because no one knew better than he just how dangerous the hall of penitence was. If he hadn¡¯t been there, if there weren¡¯t a ready excuse like the impending training, then even he would have had to tread carefully!


    ¡°And what if you weren¡¯t there? If I couldn¡¯t find you in time? If you weren¡¯t willing to save him?¡±


    Li Mo stared at the obstinate girl in front of him, his heart stuffed up with anger and vexation. Why can¡¯t you just obediently listen to me?!


    ¡°So you entered the hall of penitence with Zhuo Yifeng because you were worried I wouldn¡¯t rescue him?¡± Li Mo¡¯s dark eyes turned even darker.


    Yun Ruoyan finally stopped, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, do you think me so petty?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan definitely didn¡¯t think Li Mo petty, but Zhuo Yifeng was so important a friend to her that she didn¡¯t dare take a risk.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you were certain that I cared about you, so you used yourself to force me into action¡­¡±


    The moment that Li Mo received news that Yun Ruoyan had been taken to the hall of penitence, he had dropped everything to help her, rushing there within fifteen minutes of finding out about the fact.


    Li Mo smiled bitterly: he really would do anything when it came to her. He suddenly felt as though he understood why his mother had forbidden him from dabbling in romance. His feelings were a weak spot, and weak spots could be easily taken advantage of¡ªfor instance, when Wei Hai had kidnapped Yun Ruoyan.


    That time, however, it was an external threat. This time, Yun Ruoyan was the one threatening him, with her own body, to save another man. No matter how good Li Mo¡¯s upbringing, this wasn¡¯t something that he could easily overlook.


    While Li Mo was understandably upset by her behavior, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t regret what she had done. If a simr thing were to happen again, she would likely behave in the same way.


    ¡°Alright, go back to your cottage and prepare for the training. Make sure you¡¯re notte this evening.¡± Li Mo left after seeing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s reticence to speak.


    ¡°Ah, wait!¡± By the time Yun Ruoyan reacted, Li Mo had already flown off into the distance. ¡°This time he¡¯s really angry, isn¡¯t he¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help feeling a little vexed upon seeing Li Mo fly off.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, are you alright?¡± Not long after Yun Ruoyan returned to the female residences, the Lin sisters found her and carefully scrutinized her all over, as if trying to confirm that Yun Ruoyan was whole and unhurt.


    Apparently, after Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng had been taken away, the older students had brought up quite a number of horror stories about the hall of penitence. Allegedly, amon punishment was to cripple students¡¯ cultivation, or even to break their fingers and toes, frightening the Lin sisters so much that they had immediately sought out Li Mo.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright! Don¡¯t be worried.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Brother Zhuo, and where¡¯s Master Mo? Why aren¡¯t they with you?¡± Lin Qingxue asked.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng went back to the central college, and Li Mo¡­ returned to the southern college.¡± Yun Ruoyan walked quickly back to her own cottage with her two cousins: she didn¡¯t know how long this training wouldst, and she had quite a number of things which she needed to inform her cousins of.


    Within the northern tower, Rong Yueshan, Pei Ziao, Yi Qianying, and five other students were listening carefully to the second elder¡¯s every word. Because he couldn¡¯t reveal too much, his advice seemed to be a little unclear.


    Perhaps because of his guilt at sending these students into grave danger, even the usually cold and severe second elder seemed to be particrly garrulous today.


    ¡°Pei Ziao!¡± he called out.


    ¡°Yes, Second Elder!¡± Pei Ziao stepped forward, and the second elder handed him a small, flute-like object.


    Pei Ziao¡¯s eyes shone, because that flute-like object was his family heirloom that had been confiscated right after he entered the college. He took the spear and gratefully bowed to the second elder before stepping back.


    The second elder then proceeded to return the other students¡¯ spiritual weapons, then had them prepare for the uing training.


    As soon as Pei Ziao and the others left, Rong Tianhai brought Guan Tianyu over to the northern tower seeking an audience with the second elder.


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± Guan Tianyu knelt down as soon as he saw the second elder.


    ¡°Tianyu, what¡¯s the matter? Stand up!¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡± Guan Tianyu resolutely continued to kneel. ¡°Grandfather, as long as you forbid me from participating in the expedition to the alternate dimension, I won¡¯t stand!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± the second elder yelled out. ¡°It¡¯s toote now that the roster¡¯s set!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Grandfather! I¡¯m far superior to those other students in terms of cultivation and talent, so why won¡¯t you let me go? I¡¯m your own grandson, so why would you give them the opportunity instead?!¡±


    ¡°If I say you won¡¯t go, then you won¡¯t! My decision is final! Get out!¡± the second elder thundered. ¡°Tianhai, drag him out and keep an eye on him until the expedition members have all left.¡±


    Rong Tianhai forcibly dragged Guan Tianyu away, then returned to report to the second elder about the altercation between Guan Tianyu and Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°This child tried to stir up trouble just so he¡¯d get a chance to join the expedition¡ªserves him right!¡± the second elder remarked.


    Rong Tianhai was quite surprised by the second elder¡¯s attitude, because he was so petty that he would always seek revenge if he felt that he had been wronged. It was this domineering attitude of his that had caused Guan Tianyu to be so tyrannical.


    This time, however, the second elder had actually said that Guan Tianyu deserved it! Rong Tianhai had never encountered such a situation before.


    ¡°Master, I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Tianhai, you¡¯re a favored disciple of mine, but I¡¯ve never let you participate in the expedition to the alternate dimension before. Have you ever med me like Tianyu?¡±


    ¡°In the past, Master,¡± Rong Tianhai replied truthfully. ¡°Later, I began to understand that it was because my cultivation was inadequate and that you were only trying to protect me. Master, I¡¯ve been trying my best to improve, hoping that I¡¯ll one day have the strength to enter the other dimension and obtain a treasure for you.¡±


    ¡°Tianhai, I¡¯m well aware of your filial piety, but drop all notion of heading to that dimension,¡± the second elder brusquely responded. ¡°Tianyu¡¯s father, himself a ninth-rank demaster and infinitesimally close to being a sword saint, just like Li Mo, lost his life there. Don¡¯t think of heading to that dimension before you¡¯re a sword saint.¡±


    The second elder¡¯s words caused Rong Tianhai¡¯s back to break out in sweat, and the doubts in his mind had finally been rified. For quite a long time, he¡¯d noticed that very few of his seniors who had gone to explore the alternate dimension had ever returned. The elders exined that the missing students had gone into seclusion after obtaining a miraculous treasure in an attempt to advance their cultivation.


    Based on what the second elder had just mentioned, however, it seemed far more likely that they had all perished in the other dimension!


    Evening finally arrived, and the students participating in the expedition gathered excitedly at the za. Because Li Mo was the only instructor taking part, he was primarily responsible for the yearlong training. After checking the time, he began to read off names from a roster.


    ¡°Zong Yang! Zong Yang¡­?¡± Li Mo read one name a few times, but no one responded.


    ¡°Master Mo,¡± Guan Ruliu spoke up. ¡°Zong Yang was hurt by an icy knife, so he won¡¯t be able to participate in the training.¡±

 Chapter 252: Intermediate Training Ground

    <h4>Chapter 252: Intermediate Training Ground</h4>


    While Guan Tianyu had been duelling Yun Ruoyan at the za, Zong Yang had been trying his best to get the crowd behind Yun Ruoyan to disperse, lest they be hurt by Guan Tianyu¡¯s wide-ranged attacks.


    One of Guan Tianyu¡¯s icy knives hadnded on Zong Yang¡¯s back. It had melted almost immediately upon entering his flesh, not leaving a significant wound or much pain. Because Zong Yang thought it simply a superficial injury, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    However, after three hours, he found that the wounded region was unusually cold to the touch, and a chill had entered his body through the wound, causing his entire body to turn ice-cold. All of a sudden, Zong Yang was bedridden.


    Guan Ruliu carefully described what had happened. Of the thirty students, only twenty-nine were left. Li Mo immediately sent someone to report the affair to the elders. Soon, the first, second, and fifth elders rushed to the scene; the other elders either pretended not to have received the news or to be deep in cultivation.


    The three elders quietly discussed the affair among themselves, and Li Mo stood by the side waiting for their deliberation.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re missing one student, let¡¯s pick one among our three colleges,¡± the first elder suggested.


    The fifth elder lowered his head, saying nothing and regretting his choice to show up. In the future, I really have to be more like the other three elders!


    ¡°Zong Yang¡¯s from the southern college. Now that he can¡¯t make it, the southern college naturally has to send another member,¡± the second elder stated.


    ¡°Second Elder,¡± Li Mo replied coolly. ¡°Zong Yang might be from the southern college, but his injury was caused by the northern college¡¯s Guan Tianyu. Shouldn¡¯t the northern college take responsibility for this?¡±


    ¡°I know of this,¡± the second elder replied. ¡°Two of my students were hurt as well, and one¡¯s even bedridden! And yet the culprits, Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan, are standing right there as if nothing had happened. Since it was a duel, it¡¯s surely not surprising for those who are weaker to get injured. What sort of responsibility need I take?¡±


    The second elder was well-known for shielding his students and being unreasonable, and even Li Mo wouldn¡¯t be able to talk any sense into him. Just as it seemed that the southern college would be forced to supply one more student, however, someone walked into the za and headed straight for the stage: Guan Tianyu!


    He had originally been under house arrest within the northern college, but had overheard a northern college student mention that Zong Yang had been hurt, and that a new student would have to be selected for the expedition.


    And how could Guan Tianyu miss such an opportunity? He immediately dashed out of his cottage and rushed toward the za.


    ¡°Elders, please wait!¡± Guan Tianyu shouted, panting.


    All eyes were on him.


    ¡°Tianyu, what are you doing here?!¡± The second elder looked at him in shock.


    As though he hadn¡¯t heard the second elder¡¯s words, however, Guan Tianyu began, ¡°Elders, I was the one who injured Zong Yang. I should be the one to rece him!¡±


    ¡°You brat, leave now!¡± the second elder howled in agitation.


    Guan Tianyu ignored him once more as he knelt down. ¡°Elders, I don¡¯t believe that I lose out to my peers in terms of talent and cultivation, and I should have been among the chosen in the first ce.¡± Guan Tianyu held his back straight and tried to ignore his grandfather¡¯s furious stare.


    ¡°You¡¯re making a fool of yourself!¡± the second elder shouted, his face turning purple. He stood up and looked as though he would pull Guan Tianyu away. ¡°Leave with me, now!¡±


    ¡°Please wait, Second Elder.¡± Li Mo strode forth, standing between them. ¡°Zong Yang might not have an exceptionally advanced cultivation, but he¡¯s at least a sixth-rank demaster. That Guan Tianyu was able to leave him bedridden is clear proof that he isn¡¯t weak.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s lips curled up as he turned to the second elder. ¡°And if he so desires the training, why don¡¯t you give him a chance, Second Elder?¡±


    Guan Tianyu was a little surprised to see Li Mo arguing for him, but he didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°Right, Grandfather, isn¡¯t Master Mo right? If you don¡¯t let me go, I¡¯ll kneel here until I die!¡±


    Guan Tianyu was the only grandson that the second elder had, and he naturally wasn¡¯t willing to send him into a den of wolves. He red furiously at Li Mo, his eyes so brimming with hate that it seemed mes would shoot out of them.


    ¡°Guan Tianyu,¡± the first elder finally began. ¡°The alternate dimension¡¯s filled with danger. Aren¡¯t you scared?¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Guan Tianyu onlyughed. ¡°I¡¯ve already gone on explorations into other dimensions with students from the three specialized institutions. What sort of trouble haven¡¯t I already seen?¡± Guan Tianyu responded arrogantly. ¡°The more dangerous the dimension, the more valuable its opportunities! I believe I have the talent to avoid danger and seize those opportunities!¡±


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re ambitious indeed!¡± The fifth elder smiled. ¡°You¡¯re truly a descendant of the second elder himself, and it looks like we don¡¯t have a better candidate!¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Guan Tianyu responded, very pleased by the fifth elder¡¯s sudden, effusive praise.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll fulfill your request.¡± Seeing how adamant Guan Tianyu was, and considering that there was no time to find another member, the first elder decided to grant him the position.


    And, just like that, Guan Tianyu would enter the alternate dimension. With great agitation, he walked toward the other students gathered by the za and was soon surrounded by the other members from the northern college.


    ¡°Senior Brother Guan, nice job! Now we can fight together.¡± Rong Yueshan smiled.


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll protect all of you!¡± Guan Tianyuughed loudly, very pleased that he had gotten what he wanted atst. As he turned, however, he met Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze. That gaze was cold and mocking, as if he had just done something very foolish.


    Just a brief nce was so infuriating to Guan Tianyu that, were it not for the elders present on stage, he would have exploded and attacked Yun Ruoyan right then and there.


    Back on the stage, the second elder was infuriated but made helpless by his grandson¡¯s foolishness. In the end, his anger could only turn into exasperation. He slumped back down into his chair. ¡°First Elder, Fifth Elder, are you so desperate to end my bloodline?¡±


    ¡°Second Elder, why not be more positive?¡± the fifth elder advised. ¡°Although this other dimension might be extremely dangerous, it isn¡¯t as though no one has survived. Anyone who has returned from that dimension, including me and you, are now part of the truly strong of the Chenyuan continent. Your grandson wouldn¡¯t have stopped until he was part of this expedition, I assure you.¡±


    The second elder looked at the fifth elder, but he didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°What¡¯s more, Master Mo¡¯s the one leading this expedition. If he¡¯s willing to take care of your grandson, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll have a farrger chance of surviving.¡±


    The second elder looked toward Li Mo, but he couldn¡¯t bear to lower his dignity enough to plead with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to protect each and every student,¡± Li Mo coolly replied, then turned to the first elder. ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s present, Elders, would you like to speak to the gathered students?¡±


    The first elder waved a hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s already quitete, so prepare to start the training.¡±


    Li Mo cupped his hands and bowed to each of the three elders, then motioned to Shui Yun, Mo Yun, and two other senior students beside him. The four senior students nodded and immediately prepared to set up a teleportation array.


    ¡°For this training, we¡¯ll be entering an intermediate-grade training ground.¡± Guan Tianyu was the first to stride through the portal, followed quickly by Rong Yueshan, Yi Qianying, Pei Ziao, and the other northern college students. Yun Ruoyan waited until the other students had entered before proceeding through the portal with the other southern college students, and Li Mo followed behind her.


    It seemed as though Li Mo had deliberately refrained from making eye contact with her as soon as they entered the za. Simrly, Yun Ruoyan refused to make eye contact with him.


    Although the two of them entered the transportation array one after the other, they didn¡¯tmunicate at all. The moment she passed through the array, Yun Ruoyan was struck dumb by the sight in front of her. Before her were trees so tall they seemed to extend into the clouds, flowersrger than her body, and grasses and vines as thick as her arm.


    The other students seemed as amazed as she was. ¡°Is this what intermediate training grounds are like? Amazing!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about this? There are all sorts of living organisms in intermediate training grounds¡ªyou¡¯ll find more oddities yet!¡± Because Guan Tianyu had previously explored such grounds with students from the three institutions, he wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attention was fully focused on a half-open flower. It was pure white, and it gave off a scent that Yun Ruoyan found surprisingly familiar. When she stepped forward and sniffed, she discovered that it was actually the smell of a peach blossom.


    Unlike regr peach blossoms, this one even seemed to make her feel more carefree and rxed¡ªin fact, the scent was exactly the same as those peach blossoms from the Lin family grove!


    Yun Ruoyan stepped closer to the flower, confused by the simrity, when it suddenly changed color. Its pure white appearance was quickly dyed a bloody red. Vines suddenly emerged from the center of the flower and began licking at Yun Ruoyan as though they were tongues.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, be careful!¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice called out from her back.


    Yun Ruoyan felt arge hand grab her waist, saving her from the attack of the unusual nt. Zhuo Yifeng immediately pulled out his bow and began slicing at the vines with his bowstring, immediately severing one.


    The vine immediately retracted, turning back into a flower once more. Then, even the petals closed up, the stem contracted, and the entire flower was pulled back into the ground.


    ¡°Look!¡± Guan Ruliu pointed at the ground, where the vine that Zhuo Yifeng had sliced off was squirming toward the earth as though it were a snake...

 Chapter 253: Subdivision

    <h4>Chapter 253: Subdivision</h4>


    ¡°What was that?¡± Yun Ruoyan, still lying in Li Mo¡¯sp, asked curiously.


    ¡°A bewitching flower.¡± Li Mo pointed at the vine still trying to squirm into the ground, and a purple me engulfed it and turned it into ash.


    The crowd had never seen such a mysterious living creature, and they were all somewhat mystified by the sight.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± Yi Qianying had been right behind Yun Ruoyan. When the flower attacked Yun Ruoyan, she was only saved because Pei Ziao had dragged her aside in the nick of time. At the moment, she was hiding behind Pei Ziao¡¯s back, her face stark white.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bewitching flower.¡± Guan Tianyu had clearly seen its like before. ¡°It¡¯s able to bewitch one¡¯s mind, and different people will smell different things based on what they like or their own life experience. Once it attracts those people closer with its unusual scent, it¡¯ll feast on them.¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Guan, why didn¡¯t you warn us earlier if you know so much about this flower?¡± Guan Ruliu asked coolly. She and Zong Yang were from the same cohort, and it was because of Guan Tianyu¡¯s meddling that Zong Yang had been unable to participate in the training. Although she didn¡¯t state it outright, it was obvious that she harbored deep resentment for Guan Tianyu.


    ¡°That¡¯s not my fault,¡± Guan Tianyu eximed. ¡°The bewitching flower takes on a different appearance each time it appears, and it¡¯s not so easy to distinguish! What¡¯s more, isn¡¯t Master Mo here with us?¡±


    Guan Ruliu sniffed, ignoring him.


    ¡°Everyone, be careful,¡± Li Mo warned. By this time, he had already put Yun Ruoyan down. ¡°Follow me carefully, and don¡¯t look at or touch anything you¡¯re suspicious of.¡±


    Li Mo turned and headed in the direction of the forest, and the crowd hurriedly followed behind him. After about an hour¡¯s worth of walking, they saw a treehouse in a clearing up ahead. By the side of onerge tree were carved handholds and footholds that could easily be climbed.


    Although Li Mo could have simply flown to the treehouse, he agilely demonstrated how to climb up to the treehouse instead, and the other students mirrored his movements. The treehouse was veryrge, easily hosting the thirty students. After they entered, they huddled together and waited for Li Mo¡¯s orders.


    By then, night had already fallen. However, because it was their first time in a new environment, the students were all excited and surprisingly lively.


    ¡°Are we going to be sleeping here tonight?¡± a student asked curiously.


    ¡°We¡¯re not sleeping with the male students, are we?¡± a female student suddenly eximed.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to train! Do you think it¡¯d be like Kongming Academy, or even back home? Just be thankful that we even have a roof over our heads!¡± Guan Tianyu yelled back.


    ¡°Exactly so! You students from the southern colleges are really quite soft, aren¡¯t you?¡± Rong Yueshanughed.


    ¡°We might be soft, but not softer than your northern college¡¯s Miss Yi! Has she poked her face out after her first scare?¡± The southern college student who had posed the earlier question sounded quite displeased. ¡°I heard that Miss Yi¡¯s the crown prince¡¯s concubine. Is Young Master Pei her guard?¡±


    Yi Qianying had been hiding behind Pei Ziao¡¯s back like a little bird. Although neither of them had been particrly intimate with each other, it was quite clear that they seemed to have a rather ambiguous rtionship.


    Pei Ziao immediately defended himself. ¡°The crown prince¡¯s concubine has had close ties to my Pei family since childhood, and we¡¯re as close as brother and sister. There¡¯s no need to try to dramatize our rtionship.¡±


    Pei Ziao nced subtly at Yun Ruoyan as he spoke. She was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room and looking at her surroundings. There was nothing in the treehouse, neither beds nor a stove, and it was only meant to be a temporary ce to rest.


    ¡°Whether or not my words are truthful, I¡¯m sure everyone else here can judge for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, Senior,¡± Yi Qianying finally spoke up for herself. ¡°What exactly are you implying? I don¡¯t quite understand your words. Could you be clearer?¡±


    That southern college student wasn¡¯t from the Li kingdom, so she wasn¡¯t afraid of this supposed crown prince¡¯s concubine at all. However, when she next piped up, Li Mo interrupted her.


    ¡°Silence! I¡¯ll only say the following once, so listen closely. This is the campsite that the students from the three institutions constructed while they were here.¡± Li Mo continued coolly, facing a sea of rapt eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve all realized how the surroundings here are different from what you¡¯re used to. Everything¡ªtrees, nts, animals¡ªis farrger here than we¡¯re used to on the Chenyuan continent.¡±


    ¡°Master Mo,¡± Guan Ruliu suddenly interrupted. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform us about what it would be like here in this dimension? You knew about the bewitching flower beforehand, didn¡¯t you? If you¡¯d informed us earlier, then Junior Sister Yun wouldn¡¯t have been so easily bewitched.¡±


    Guan Ruliu¡¯s confusion was one shared by many of the students, causing them to think that the expedition had been organized in such a hurry that no one had bothered to exin anything to them.


    At least during the new students¡¯ first expedition, they¡¯d been given a storage pouch with a map inside. This time, however, they had received nothing! Some of the students originally thought that they wouldn¡¯t need a map with Li Mo around as guide, but Li Mo¡¯s next words proved them wrong.


    ¡°The reason that the training feels rushed is in order to replicate what it¡¯s like to enter the alternate dimension a year from now,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°That portal doesn¡¯t open at a set time: it might open in the evening one day, or perhaps in the wee hours of dawn, while you¡¯re sleeping soundly. As soon as the portal opens, you have to enter it rapidly without any preparation.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s dark gaze swept over the assembled crowd. ¡°I¡¯m as unfamiliar with this alternate dimension as you are. The elders have each described their experience in this dimension to me, but they don¡¯t agree with each other. We hypothesize that the alternate dimension we enter changes each time the portal is opened, so we need to be able to get used to unfamiliar surroundings. This time, you should treat this training ground as one such unfamiliar environment.¡±


    The students nodded in agreement.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at Li Mo with new eyes, as if this were the first time realizing that here, his role was that of an instructor of Kongming Academy.


    ¡°Furthermore, this trial ispletely different from the beginner¡¯s trial youplete to enter Kongming Academy,¡± Li Mo continued severely. ¡°Last time, because you were expected to fight for a limited number of positions, fighting and brawling were generally permitted. Here, however, the main goal is to hone your adaptability, and there¡¯s no need to fight each other. Your objective will be to improve your skills, raise your cultivation, gather spiritual herbs, pills, and beast cores of use to you, and survive with your own strength.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Mo!¡± the students chorused.


    Li Mo then assigned the thirty students into ten groups of three, each of which would head in a different direction, then gather back in a week¡¯s time. What made Yun Ruoyan somewhat surprised was that Li Mo had actually grouped him, Zhuo Yifeng, and Yun Ruoyan herself together.


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t surprised to be in the same group as Li Mo, but she was very surprised that Li Mo would put Zhuo Yifeng with them. After all, Zhuo Yifeng held a bitter grudge toward Li Mo, and he¡¯d even tried to kill Li Mo before!


    As far as Yun Ruoyan knew, Li Mo would never go easy on someone who had tried to kill him. From her perspective, it was already surprising enough that Li Mo hadn¡¯t punished Zhuo Yifeng. He¡¯s not going to take this expedition as an opportunity to get rid of Zhuo Yifeng, is he¡­?


    As soon as that errant thought popped up, she quashed it. Based on Li Mo¡¯s capabilities, he didn¡¯t need any such trick to deal with Zhuo Yifeng. In that case, was Li Mo really trying to take care of Zhuo Yifeng? That seemed to be the case.


    Yun Ruoyan felt as though she really had wronged Li Mo before. Her anger dissipated as if it had never existed, and she looked toward Li Mo much more softly than before.


    Li Mo could sense the changes in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression, but he didn¡¯t seem very happy. Yun Ruoyan had resented him for half a day because of another man, and she¡¯d calmed down immediately once again because of that man¡­


    ¡°Master Mo, I¡¯d like to join your team,¡± Rong Yueshan suddenly piped up.


    ¡°Right, I want to be with Master Mo too!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    Rong Yueshan¡¯s request was echoed by many of the other members on the expedition, knowing that their safety would be all but guaranteed with him around.


    ¡°This is a teleportation scroll.¡± Li Mo ignored their requests and instead tapped on one of the floorboards of the treehouse. Beneath his palm immediately appeared a stack of scrolls.


    As soon as the students heard that these were supposedly legendary scrolls, their eyes all lit up in unison...

 Chapter 254: Soul-Stealing Bird

    <h4>Chapter 254: Soul-Stealing Bird</h4>


    Even Yun Ruoyan was surprised by the stack of scrolls on the ground. There were at least twenty of them, and the students were well aware that such legendary teleportation scrolls had all but vanished from the Chenyuan continent. Where could all these scrolls havee from?


    ¡°Is this a real teleportation scroll?!¡± Many of the students looked disbelieving at the stack of scrolls in Li Mo¡¯s hands.


    Yun Ruoyan took one of the scrolls and held it in her hand, immediately feeling an unusual pulse of spiritual energy. This scroll is real!


    Although it was real, it felt if it were new, not something passed down from ancient times. She turned doubtfully to Li Mo, as did many of the other students.


    ¡°This is something that I developed with the first elder after a long period of experimentation,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°I¡¯ll set up an array within the treehouse linked to these scrolls. Once you use a scroll, you¡¯ll be sent directly back here. Because of the time constraints, however, I was only able to make twenty-seven such scrolls. If you join my team, you won¡¯t get one.¡±


    ¡°I want a scroll!¡± Guan Tianyu was the first to step up. ¡°Given how strange the enemies can get here, even Master Mo might not be able to protect us all. Having one of these scrolls around will be safer.¡±


    ¡°I want a scroll as well.¡± Rong Yueshan was the second one up. She and Yun Ruoyan were bitter rivals, and Li Mo was both Yun Ruoyan¡¯s master and supposedly her fiance. Rong Yueshan found it quite likely that he would ignore her if she were in danger in order to remove one of Yun Ruoyan¡¯spetitors.


    Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying evidently felt the same way, because they too hurriedly took a scroll. The remaining students from the northern college followed suit, as did those students from the other three colleges.


    Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t think that Li Mo assigned him to his team in order to protect him, but he also didn¡¯t think that Li Mo would use this opportunity to harm him. After all, Li Mo had once told him to challenge Li Mo again once he felt capable. Although Zhuo Yifeng hated Li Mo, he believed that he was a trustworthy man. I¡¯ll figure out what you¡¯re up to¡ªjust you wait!


    ¡°In that case, since it¡¯s already dark, we¡¯ll rest for the night and head out tomorrow,¡± Li Mo announced, once everyone had imed a scroll.


    The treehouse was constructed with seven or eight gargantuan trees as base, and it was extremely spacious and sturdy. After Li Mo¡¯s announcement, the thirty expedition members split up into their teams and each found a spot for the night.


    In the meantime, Li Mo stood in the middle of the treehouse and began inscribing an array. He raised both hands, emanating a blinding amount of spiritual energy from his palm and fingertips, which diffused through the air. Following some arcane pattern, theynded on the floor of the treehouse, causing the students¡¯ teleportation scrolls to glow softly.


    The students stared at the grand working with awe, twenty-nine yearning, admiring nces all focused on Li Mo. Constructing arrays was a rare, lost art on the Chenyuan continent, because all the arraymasters had supposedly died a millennium ago in the great war between man and demon. Kongming Academy was the only ce on the continent where arrays still continued to exist.


    After Li Mo finished inscribing the array, he joined Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng in finding a corner of the treehouse in which they could rest. Yun Ruoyan wanted to speak with Li Mo, but she had to refrain from doing so overtly in front of the gathered students.


    Instead, they sat quietly and meditatedte into the night, at which time Yun Ruoyan was stirred awake by the howling of wild beasts. She was just about to get up and investigate when Li Mo pulled her back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re harmless,¡± Li Mo assured her. ¡°Save your energy for tomorrow.¡±


    Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan into hisp, causing her to frown as her eyes darted around the treehouse. Only when she was confident that they were all still asleep did she let out a breath, her heart still pounding.


    Although she had been intimate with Li Mo before, she had never done so in front of others. Yun Ruoyan was still deeply ufortable with performing such acts publicly.


    Although Rong Yueshan, Pei Ziao, Yi Qianying, and Guan Tiantu were far away, Zhuo Yifeng was right by their side. If they were discovered¡­


    ¡°Li Mo, put me down!¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered urgently.


    ¡°Shh. Close your eyes and rest.¡± Right after Li Mo spoke, she heard a low, throaty noise. As though it had some sort of sleep-inducing property, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes immediately shut tight, and she drifted into a dreamless sleep.


    The next day, she woke up slightly past dawn. Half her body was resting on the wooden floorboards. Li Mo wasn¡¯t by her side, but Zhuo Yifeng was quietly resting against a wooden pir. Yun Ruoyan sat up to find the other students all sleeping unusually soundly, and she gingerly began walking to the side of the treehouse.


    She poked her head out a window, infused spiritual energy into her eyes, and was shocked to find two dozen wild beasts sleeping beneath the trees. Each beast was massive in its own right, at least four or five times the size of creatures on the Chenyuan continent. Despite resting right by each other, they showed no sign of hostility, and she couldn¡¯t discern whether they were dead or alive.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡¯re awake.¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice came from the side, and Yun Ruoyan turned to find him perched on a tree branch.


    ¡°Li Mo, what¡¯s going on? Are these beasts dead or alive?¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t immediately respond. Instead, he stepped onto the air, a green sword aura ring by his feet, as he extended a hand to Yun Ruoyan. She turned back to the treehouse to see the other students, even the usually alert Zhuo Yifeng, still soundly asleep. Frowning in doubt, she epted Li Mo¡¯s hand, and he brought her down to the ground.


    From up close, Yun Ruoyan could easily tell that the beasts were indeed alive, not dead. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Li Mo?¡±


    She thought back to the students still soundly asleep before suddenly remembering the noise she had heard right after Li Mo dragged her into hisp. Was that noise the problem?


    Before Yun Ruoyan could ask once more, Li Mo replied, ¡°It was caused by a soul-stealing bird.¡±


    ¡°A soul-stealing bird?¡± The name felt somewhat familiar to Yun Ruoyan¡ªshe had read about it in a tome of magical beasts; more precisely, in a chapter of extinct creatures! The chapter contained all sorts of records about magical beasts that had gone extinct on the Chenyuan continent, and it seemed that this soul-stealing bird was one such. However, she didn¡¯t have a clear impression of the contents of the chapter.


    When Li Mo saw her visibly lost expression, he exined, ¡°Adult soul-stealing birds can kill with their cawing, but the one fromst night was clearly just a chick, and it could only induce sleep.¡±


    ¡°No wonder they were all sleeping so soundly! But in that case, what about these wild beasts?¡±


    The beasts were regr beasts, not magical beasts; the treehouse was situated on the outskirts of the forest, where the weaker and non-magical beasts would gather. More frightening existences tended not to appear until deeper in.


    ¡°Last night, I heard some beasts bellowing deep in the forest, and I¡¯m not sure what happened then,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°We can go check it out, but before that, I¡¯d like to catch this soul-stealing bird.¡±


    Li Mo then told Yun Ruoyan that soul-stealing birds enjoyed consuming all sorts of strange nts, especially the bewitching flower that they had encountered yesterday. Most likely, this particr bird had been attracted by that flower. Despite the sun already being high up in the sky, none of the other students seemed to be stirring.


    Li Mo¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Looks like this bird might still be a fledgeling, but it¡¯s certainly not weak.¡± He struck one of the smaller beasts with spiritual energy, causing it to stir. Momentster, it shut its eyes once more, dead.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s breakfast and lunch.¡± Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan: at this stage in his cultivation, Li Mo only ate when he wanted to. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan seemed to need to consume an ever-increasing amount of food daily. Clearly, Li Mo had killed the beast for her.


    As the sun rose even higher up the sky and sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, the beasts finally began to stir. They nced blearily at their surroundings, not seeming startled by Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s presence. Slowly, on four thick, solid limbs, they stretched and began lumbering off into the distance. A small number of beasts still remained asleep within the shadows.


    ¡°Generally, low-rank or regr beasts will naturally awaken about twelve hours after being put to sleep by a soul-stealing bird. However, the bird fromst night seems to be much stronger than average, so they might remain asleep for two whole days unless they¡¯re struck by direct sunlight,¡± Li Mo guessed.

 Chapter 255: Bewitching Flower vs. Fire Hog

    <h4>Chapter 255: Bewitching Flower vs. Fire Hog</h4>


    Because their expedition didn¡¯t have a strict time limit, Yun Ruoyan and the other students would be able to spend an entire year in the training ground if she so desired. As a result, neither she nor Li Mo were in much of a hurry.


    ¡°Li Mo, I don¡¯t know why you chose to assign Zhuo Yifeng to our team. Can you exin your reasoning?¡± If possible, she didn¡¯t want to manipte Li Mo as she didst time.


    Very pleased with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s use of ¡®we¡¯, Li Mo smiled at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Yan¡¯er, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m confident that you¡¯ll take care of Zhuo Yifeng.¡±


    Li Mo smiled. ¡°I heard you mention his excellent cooking skills. Given how much you like to eat, Yan¡¯er, wouldn¡¯t you be suffering without him?¡±


    ¡°Just because of this?¡±


    ¡°Why else?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was speechless.


    As they returned to the treehouse, they dragged all the students into the sunlight to wake them up.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are we sleeping here?¡±


    ¡°The sun¡¯s so bright! What time is it?¡±


    The students who had just awakened were very confused to find themselves lying out in the open.


    ¡°You can consume the beasts lying under the treehouse as food.¡± Li Mo didn¡¯t intend on telling the gathered students about the presence of the soul-stealing bird. ¡°You¡¯re free to set off on your own now.¡±


    Although the students were all somewhat mystified, they followed his instructions to retrieve some fresh meat from beneath the treehouse before setting off in their three-man teams. Li Mo brought Yun Ruyoan and Zhuo Yifeng to the west. Along the way, Yun Ruoyan told Zhuo Yifeng about the incident with the soul-stealing bird.


    As Li Mo began walking faster and faster, Yun Ruoyan stopped talking and focused on catching up to him. ¡°Li Mo, how do you know that the soul-stealing bird is in this direction?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°In that case, where are you taking us?¡±


    ¡°To where the bewitching flower came from.¡± Li Mo began walking even more quickly. Zhuo Yifeng was able to keep pace with his long legs, but Yun Ruoyan gradually began to fall behind. When Zhuo Yifeng noticed, he tried to grab her hand to pull her forward, but Li Mo suddenly stopped.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Ruoyan panted as she caught up to Li Mo.


    Without looking at her, Li Mo bent down at the waist. ¡°Get on.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°On me!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    The moment she did so, Li Mo began to dash forward so quickly that Yun Ruoyan could feel the wind rushing by her ears, and she couldn¡¯t help grab onto Li Mo¡¯s broad shoulders more tightly. Meanwhile, Zhuo Yifeng grit his teeth and tried his best to keep up.


    After about ten minutes, Li Mo stopped. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Li Mo helped Yun Ruoyan down from his back. In front of them was a flowerbed covered with fog, on which were growing a variety of purple and red flowers of unusual beauty. As a gust of wind blew by, Yun Ruoyan clearly sensed the fragrant odor of peach blossoms.


    Because she was mentally prepared, however, she managed to escape the bewitchment this time. However, she noticed Zhuo Yifeng taking a deep breath. She was initially worried that Zhuo Yifeng would be bewitched, but Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s eyes seemed to be as bright and clear as ever.


    ¡°What sort of fragrance did you smell?¡±


    ¡°The smell of the wuye flower,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied. ¡°When I was young, my mother nted a whole patch in our back garden. They were fiery-red and gave off a mild, pleasant fragrance.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng took another deep sniff.


    ¡°Shh, quiet,¡± Li Mo suddenly warned, before pulling Yun Ruoyan into a nearby bush. At the same time, Yun Ruoyan grabbed ahold of Zhuo Yifeng and pulled him back. The moment they settled into the bush, they could hear loud footsteps from the distance, so heavy they caused the ground to shake.


    At the same time, they felt an incredibly strong aura approaching rapidly. All three of them held their breaths and restrained their aura.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    Along with the thundering footfalls came an oppressing aura, one far stronger than what Yun Ruoyan had experienced against high-rank beasts back on the Chenyuan continent. A high-rank beast corresponded to a seventh- or eighth-rank demaster, and this aura was clearly that of a beast who had exceeded even that threshold.


    Yun Ruoyan looked toward Li Mo, who was staring fixedly at the direction of the footfalls.


    Suddenly, with a huge smash, a number of gigantic trees around the flowerbed were actually smashed apart. Quickly after appeared a wild hog that was the size of a small mountain. Between the hog¡¯s brows was a patch of ming red fur¡ªa fire hog!


    Yun Ruoyan had never seen such a humongous fire hog, one that looked as though it had mutated in size. Thergest beast she had seen before was the saber-toothed tiger back in the imperial realm, but this fire hog was at least twice its size.


    Yun Ruoyan stared at the humongous beast in shock, wondering how likely it would be for the three of them to kill it. While she was deep in thought, she saw the fire hog rush into the flowerbed. The purple-red bewitching flowers immediately retracted their buds and leaves, dipping back into the soil as soon as the fire hog got close and turning the verdant flowerbed into a patch of bare ground.


    The fire hog smashed its face against the ground, causing a cloud of dust to rise from the soil.


    ¡°Fire hogs enjoy rotting flesh, and it must have been bewitched by the bewitching flower,¡± Li Mo softlymented.


    Before them, the fire hog began nosing at the bare ground. It could clearly smell dposing meat, but there was no meat to be found! Furious by the deception, it began to paw at the ground, trying to uncover whaty hidden.


    Suddenly,rge, thick vines erupted from the ground and surrounded the hog, trying and failing to prate its tough hide. In fury, the hog opened its wide maw and bit down on one vine, pulling harshly on it and uprooting a whole bundle of red, bloody roots.


    The fire hog began chewing the roots ferociously, and the severed vines rapidly began to snake back into the soil. While the fire hog ate, Yun Ruoyan could see tens of tendrils silently emerging from the soil all around it. This time, instead of attacking directly, the tendrils slithered up the fire hog¡¯s four limbs and stomach, pressing down on its sensitive regions.


    Then, in synchrony, the tendrils attached to the hog¡¯s four limbs suddenly contracted, knocking the fire hog down. Only then did the hog seem to react, howling out as it tried to move its suddenly immobile limbs. At the same time, the tendrils by its tender underbelly tightened up, constricting its flesh.


    The fire hog¡¯s two round eyes began bulging from the immense pain, and saliva kept dripping from its tusks. The bewitching flower clearly didn¡¯t intend on giving the fire hog any opportunity to break free; countless tendrils then invaded its mouth, nostrils, ears, and even eyes.


    The hog thrashed further, but to no avail. By this time, its entire body had been wrapped up in countless tendrils, and all its efforts were only enough to make its mass tremble. Fresh blood began dripping out of its orifices, causing more tendrils to emerge from the ground.


    Then, the tendrils began secreting some green acid, sizzling as it made contact with the hog¡¯s flesh and releasing white clouds of gas into the atmosphere. At the same time, Yun Ruoyan could smell the intense, concentrated fragrance of peach blossoms, and Zhuo Yifeng the clear, clean scent of the wuye flower. Given the harrowing scene unfolding in front of them, however, the two youths felt a sudden desire to vomit.


    After about another ten minutes, the tendrils loosened, revealing nothing but a ghastly white carcass with no flesh remaining on its bones. The gigantic fire hog had been consumed in its entirety by a patch of bewitching flowers.


    Yun Ruoyan shivered as she realized what would have happened to herst evening without Li Mo¡¯s timely intervention.


    The tendrils retreated back into the ground, and another patch of purple-red flowers soon emerged. As pretty and enticing as they were, Yun Ruoyan was struck by a deep sense of revulsion. ¡°What a frightening flower¡­¡±


    ¡°The bewitching flower¡¯s seeds are an excellent ingredient for pillmaking,¡± Qiuqiu suddenly piped up. Qiuqiu had once taught Yun Ruoyan how to make an intoxicating fog, one that could paralyze her enemies. However, Yun Ruoyan¡¯sck of high-quality ingredients caused the fog to only be effective against sixth-rank and below demasters. The bewitching flower¡¯s seeds would undoubtedly enhance the potency of the fog.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be so easy to get these seeds, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    ¡°Mistress, I can sense that the natural enemy of these flowers is nearby,¡± Qiuqiu added.


    ¡°Be careful! A soul-stealing bird is approaching!¡± Li Mo whispered.


    ¡°Mistress, look to the east!¡±


    Upon following Qiuqiu¡¯smand, Yun Ruoyan saw a silver-feathered, gold-eyed, long-beaked bird drawing close.


    ¡°Plug your ears!¡± Li Mo and Qiuqiu said as one. Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng immediately obeyed, and even Li Mo cupped his hands around his ears. Immediately after the three of them did so, a deep, melodious birdcall rang through the clearing.

 Chapter 256: Catching the Bird

    <h4>Chapter 256: Catching the Bird</h4>


    Despite having plugged her ears, Yun Ruoyan could still hear a little of the soul-stealing bird¡¯s birdcall, and she began to feel a little dizzy. Li Mo reached out and touched her temples, infusing a small amount of spiritual energy to clear her head.


    He repeated the gesture with Zhuo Yifeng, clearing up his somewhat dazed eyes.


    Zhuo Yifeng nced askance at Li Mo, who retracted his fingers. Without meeting eyes with Zhuo Yifeng, he murmured, ¡°Be careful¡ªdon¡¯t be caught by its voice.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng turned back to the bird, his face expressionless. It gyrated above the soul-stealing patch, continuing its birdcall as it did so. Li Mo was almost entirely unaffected, and Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng both supplemented their mental defenses with spiritual energy.


    However, the birdcall clearly had an effect on the bewitching flowers. Despite sensing some danger and revealing their tendrils, they were waving around with abandon. The soul-stealing bird was about thrice the size of arge eagle, but it was still far smallerpared to the fire hog that had appeared earlier. It easily dodged and weaved around the tendrils that chased after it.


    Suddenly, the bird¡¯s eyes lit up, and it dove at a bright red bewitching flower, plucking out a red seed from its center before it could react.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bewitching flower¡¯s seed,¡± Qiuqiu informed Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan looked carefully at the seed that the soul-stealing bird swallowed as it flew away. Meanwhile, the bewitching flower rapidly withered at a rate visible to the naked eye. The bird seemed particrly excited, producing a longer, deeper birdcall than before.


    ¡°Mistress, be careful. The more such seeds a soul-stealing bird consumes, the stronger its sleep-inducing power,¡± Qiuqiu reminded.


    Because of Qiuqiu¡¯s reminder, Yun Ruoyan was able to strengthen her mental defenses in time, but Zhuo Yifeng fell unconscious to the ground.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, Zhuo Yifeng!¡± Yun Ruoyan shook him urgently, to no avail.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do now. This time, he¡¯ll fall asleep for at least sixteen hours,¡± Li Momented.


    During the course of their conversation, the soul-stealing bird had managed to consume three more bewitching flowers. As Qiuqiu had stated, its ability grew stronger and stronger with each seed at a surprisingly rapid pace. After crying out twice more, Yun Ruoyan was feeling faint even with her mental defenses shored up as much as possible, but the soul-stealing bird only seemed more excited.


    ¡°Bear with it a moment longer,¡± Li Mo whispered, transmitting another thread of spiritual energy to her.


    By the time the soul-stealing bird consumed its seventh seed, something unusual happened: out of the center of the patch of flowers emerged an unusuallyrge vine, which whipped toward the bird, which barely dodged the attack at the cost of a few feathers.


    After the vine popped up, so too did arge, multicolored bewitching flower.


    ¡°The evolved form of the bewitching flower!¡± Qiuqiu and Li Mo called out again.


    Even without an exnation, Yun Ruoyan could tell that this bewitching flower had to be superior to all the others. After the soul-stealing bird had destroyed seven bewitching flowers in a row, the evolved flower was so angry that it had finally revealed itself!


    ¡°For a soul-stealing bird to reach maturity, it has to consume the seed of an evolved bewitching flower,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to tame a mature soul-stealing bird for quite a while, and I¡¯ve finally found a good opportunity!¡±


    The evolved flower¡¯s vine continued trying to strike at the bird, but it was unable tond any hits after losing the element of surprise. Despite its girth, the vine moved astonishingly rapidly. Combined with the attacks of the other, smaller vines, the soul-stealing bird was having quite a difficult time dodging all the attacks.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, stay here and shield yourself well.¡± Li Mo suddenly shot out of the bush and flew into the patch of flowers.


    ¡°Li Mo, be careful!¡±


    With a glowing finger on his right hand as a sword, Li Mo shredded the vines attacking him. With his left hand, he burned the remnants of those vines to a crisp. No longer hindered by the smaller vines, the soul-stealing bird began to fight in earnest with the evolved bewitching flower, using its long, sharp beak to peck at its engorged vine.


    The vine secreted more of its green acid to try and defend against the attacks, but it was ineffective against the soul-stealing bird¡¯s beak. While the bird and vine tangled with each other, Li Mo had easily dealt with the vines attacking him and had made his way to the evolved flower.


    He extended both hands at the center of the flower, and white spiritual energy in the shape of a cyclone drilled into it. At the same time, the vine stopped attacking the bird and began heading for Li Mo¡¯s exposed back, while the evolved flower tried to close up its petals and retreat underground.


    While Li Mo continued trying to retrieve the evolved flower seed with one hand, he turned and began shooting fireballs, volley after volley, at the vine aiming for his back.


    Yun Ruoyan stared agog at the sight: she had seen Li Mo use his cyclone technique, and she had seen him use his fireball technique, but never both at once. That a person was able tomand a single type of attuned spiritual energy was rare enough, but Li Mo could use two types at the same time!


    As he continued shooting out fireballs at the vine, he kept increasing the prating power of his cyclone. Yun Ruoyan watched the fight with bated breath; just as she began to worry about Li Mo running out of spiritual energy, a multicolored, speckled pearl slowly emerged from the center of the evolved flower and fell into Li Mo¡¯s hands.


    The moment it did so, the evolved flower and its engorged vine suddenly began to wither. In seconds, the vibrant flowerbed had turned into barrennd.


    Li Mo raised the five-colored jewel in his hand as he stared at the soul-stealing bird.


    ¡°Submit to me, and this evolved flower seed will be yours!¡±


    The soul-stealing bird¡¯s golden eyes grew sharp. With a caw, it rushed toward Li Mo, who quickly dodged the bird¡¯s attack on his sword.


    That caw struck Yun Ruoyan like an ice pick to her head, making her feel as if her brain had been submerged in ice water. Suddenly, her somewhat dazed mind became crystal-clear again.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Zhuo Yifeng jerked out of his stupor with a painful wince. He tried to stand up, but Yun Ruoyan held him down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. Look there.¡± Yun Ruoyan pointed at the sky.


    Where Yun Ruoyan was pointing, Zhuo Yifeng could see Li Mo facing off with a soul-stealing bird. It knew that its sleep-inducing caw wouldn¡¯t be effective against Li Mo, so it switched to another call that would make one mentally alert at the cost of hurting one¡¯s brain.


    Instead of hurting Li Mo, however, it only managed to hurt Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan instead. They clutched their ears in pain, trying to prevent the sound that struck their brains as though icy needles were stabbing them.


    In mid-air, Li Mo rushed toward the bird whilepletely ignoring its caw. When the bird found that even this attack was ineffective, it jumped in fright and abruptly closed its mouth. By that time, however, Li Mo had already flown right up to it and leaped onto its back. AS the bird thrashed about, Li Mo began pounding its forehead.


    The young bird¡¯s golden eyes turned blood-red, then brown. It finally stopped struggling, then slowlynded on the ground. As Li Mo leaped off the bird, Yun Ruoyan ran over to him in excitement.


    ¡°I did it!¡± Li Mo eximed triumphantly.


    Yun Ruoyan burst into a smile, trying to pet the bird¡¯s brain. It dodged, then abruptly let out a shrill caw that left both Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng clutching their heads in pain.


    Only after what seemed like an eternity did the icy pain finally subside.


    ¡°This bird¡¯s really quite amazing!¡± Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t dare to try petting the bird any further.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, take this.¡± Li Mo handed her the evolved bewitching flower¡¯s seed, a multicolored jewel.


    ¡°If you use this to make a bewitching potion, I bet you could paralyze even Li Mo himself,¡± Qiuqiu eximed.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, feed it to the soul-stealing bird,¡± Li Mo murmured. ¡°Then, it¡¯ll be close to you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, smiling. As she turned to the bird, it became so excited upon seeing the seed in her hands that its feathers all became disordered.


    It opened its mouth slightly and repeatedly made small burbling noises, as though it were softly whispering to Yun Ruoyan, or as though it were a young fledgeling begging for food.


    ¡°In the future, don¡¯t let out such frightening caws out of nowhere, alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan extended her hand, and the soul-stealing bird obediently put its head underneath her fingers.


    Yun Ruoyan lightly patted the bird on its head, and it shed its golden eyes at her winningly.


    ¡°Alright, here you go!¡± She held the evolved flower seed right up to its beak, and the bird opened its beak wide and engulfed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Ruoyan!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng, standing right behind Yun Ruoyan, shouted as he tried to pull her back, but Li Mo stopped him. Yun Ruoyan could feel the soul-stealing bird¡¯s soft tongue wrapping around her hand, giving her an itchy sensation. Once she released the seed, that soft tongue immediately swallowed it. The bird released Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, then inclined its head as if to caw.


    Yun Ruoyan was so scared that she immediately held her hands up to her ears, but the soul-stealing bird didn¡¯t make any noise. Instead, it leaped off the ground and soared into the sky. When Yun Ruoyan inclined her head, she could see that it had broken through the dense foliage by brute force, leaving behind a bird-shaped hole through which she could see the bird¡¯s silhouette amidst the blinding sunlight.


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, her head still inclined. ¡°Is it going to return?¡±

 Chapter 257: Giant Bull

    <h4>Chapter 257: Giant Bull</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan was a little worried that the soul-stealing bird would simply fly away after having consumed the evolved bewitching flower¡¯s seed.


    ¡°Li Mo, is it going to return?¡±


    Before Li Mo could reply, however, a piercing cry came from the sky. Yun Ruoyan inclined her head to see a ck, palm-sized shadow rapidly approaching amidst a multicolored beam of light. The ck shadow flew to Yun Ruoyan and hovered in midair, revealing a petite, silver-feathered, brown-eyed, long-beaked bird.


    ¡°Is it¡­?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at the bird rather disbelievingly.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a mature soul-stealing bird. Once it reaches maturity, it can take on two forms: onerger and more suited for battle, and one smaller for everything else.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so cute!¡± Yun Ruoyan reached out for the palm-sized bird, which obedientlynded in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palm.


    ¡°Is it your contracted beast now?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked as she stroked it. ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing you enact the ritual.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not qualified enough to be my contracted beast, and I¡¯m justmanding it temporarily. You, on the other hand¡­ Yan¡¯er, you fed it the evolved bewitching flower seed that it needed to reach maturity, so it thinks of you like its mistress as well.¡±


    As if agreeing with Li Mo¡¯s words, the soul-stealing bird chirped twice.


    ¡°Mistress, it doesn¡¯t like being addressed as a soul-stealing bird,¡± Qiuqiu informed her. ¡°It wants you to name it!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled, stroking the petite bird once more. ¡°You want me to name you?¡±


    The bird hopped on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palm and chirped twice.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Yun Ruoyan thought for a moment and snuck a nce at Li Mo, her eyes curving into two crescents. ¡°Shall I call you Mo¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Li Mo frowned.


    ¡°Gegegege.¡± On the other hand, the soul-stealing bird seemed to be very pleased with the name, and it excitedly flew circles over Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head.


    ¡°In that case, you¡¯ll be Mo¡¯er from now on. Mo¡¯er, Mo¡¯er, haha!¡±


    The young girl¡¯s twinklingughter drifted through the forest as Li Mo shook his head and sighed. Zhuo Yifeng stood by the side, watching the young girl y with her new bird and watching the ughtering King¡ªthe man whom he hated, but had never personally interacted with.


    Ever since his childhood, he had imagined the ughtering King as a demon, one who wouldn¡¯t blink despite ughtering thousands of innocents. In his nightmares, he would imagine Li Mo holding a bloody knife as he decapitated his kinsmen, then walk closer to him with a macabre smile on his face.


    Without fail, Zhuo Yifeng awoke from his nightmares drenched in sweat. Now, however, that nightmarish ughtering King was smiling at a young girl¡­


    Zhuo Yifeng felt a little dazed.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, are you alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice suddenly broke him out of his reverie.


    ¡°Where are we headed next?¡± Zhuo Yifeng finally asked.


    ¡°First, help me retrieve some of these bewitching flowers¡¯ seeds.¡± Yun Ruoyan began heading toward the flowerbed. Although the bewitching flowers had all wilted, their seeds still remained on the ground, and the three of them were able to gather quite a number of them.


    Mo¡¯er rummaged through the dirt, eating its fill. Qiuqiu had told her that each seed that Mo¡¯er consumed would increase its power, and Yun Ruoyan had experienced this increased effect for herself. ¡°Qiuqiu, is there a limit to how much Mo¡¯er¡¯s power can increase by consuming these seeds?¡±


    ¡°These seeds won¡¯t help a mature soul-stealing bird, Mistress. Mo¡¯er¡¯s only consuming them because it likes the taste.¡±


    ¡°Mo¡¯er, don¡¯t eat all the seeds,¡± Li Mo suddenly said. Then, he turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡¯ve already gotten quite a number of seeds, haven¡¯t you? Leave the rest behind so the bewitching flowers can continue to grow.¡±


    The fifteen seeds that they had collected would be far more than sufficient for concocting a few batches of high-quality intoxicating fog, so she nodded.


    ¡°In that case, where should we go next?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked Li Mo the question that Zhuo Yifeng had asked her. As she spoke, she was interrupted by a grumbling from her stomach, causing both Li Mo and Zhuo Yifeng to look toward her, but she was so used to it that she wasn¡¯t embarrassed at all.


    Turning to Zhuo Yifeng, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s get some food first.¡±


    The three of them found a nearby stream, where Zhuo Yifeng began building a fire and roasting the meat from the treehouse with his own special spice mix. Meanwhile, Li Mo took out a sk of wine and began sipping at it slowly.


    The roasting meat turned a pleasant golden-brown, and the spices mixed with the meaty aroma to produce a head, concentrated fragrance that seemed to spread throughout the forest.


    ¡°It smells amazing!¡± Yun Ruoyan drew near to the fire. ¡°The scent¡¯s different from before¡ªZhuo Yifeng, you¡¯ve advanced not only your cultivation, but also your skill at roasting meat!¡±


    In order to ensure that his ck-d senior would keep returning for more meat, Zhuo Yifeng had been spending a significant amount of time to improve his culinary skills, and the spice mix he was currently using was a recent improvement.


    He smiled, then continued to twist the skewers to ensure that the meat was evenly roasted, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.


    ¡°Li Mo, here!¡± Yun Ruoyan handed Li Mo the first cut of meat. After all, he had given her the opportunity to be Mo¡¯er¡¯s mistress, and she had to thank him somehow.


    Li Mo continued sipping his wind, not reaching out for the meat.


    ¡°It¡¯s really good! Taste it¡ªit¡¯s not worse than your roasted fish, I promise!¡±


    Li Mo nced askance at Yun Ruoyan, who smiled winningly back at him. He stretched out two fingers. With a glowing fingertip, he sliced off a small piece of meat from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s skewer, then took a small bite.


    ¡°Well?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at him expectantly, as though it was meat that she had personally roasted.


    Li Mo swallowed. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He whistled to Mo¡¯er, who came darting down from the skies. Li Mo tossed him the remaining meat in his hand, and Mo¡¯er gulped it down and chirped for more.


    ¡°You¡¯re too picky! Look at how easy Mo¡¯er is to feed,¡± Yun Ruoyanmented, splitting her remaining roast meat with it.


    Li Mo¡¯s face turned ck.


    After having finished the meal, Yun Ruoyan happily wiped the sides of her mouth and asked Li Mo as to their next destination. Zhuo Yifeng reclined against a tree trunk, keenly paying attention to Li Mo¡¯s next words without trying to show it.


    ¡°You and Zhuo Yifeng both need actualbat experience,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°We¡¯re at the outskirts of this forest, so there won¡¯t be very powerful magical beasts around. To fight such beasts, we¡¯ll have to head east deeper into the forest.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that fire hog just now a high-rank magical beast?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked.


    ¡°It was attracted only by the bewitching flower. Now that the flower¡¯s withered, there won¡¯t be any more high-rank beasts around here for quite a while,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s set out immediately!¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s energy had been fully restored by her meal.


    Two hours into the forest, the trio suddenly heard a loud rumbling from up ahead. It seemed to be even louder than themotion caused by the fire hog, and even the gigantic trees surrounding them had begun to shake.


    Neither Yun Ruoyan nor Zhuo Yifeng had much experience fighting suchrge, strong monsters. Furthermore, since this was an alternate dimension, the size of the beasts was farrger than what either of them were used to. Even with Li Mo around, their faces both turned pale.


    Qiuqiu then informed Yun Ruoyan that the magical beast that was approaching wasn¡¯t particrly strong, so it didn¡¯t have much to fear. It appeared almost immediately after Qiuqiu spoke, barrelling through a number of trees and rushing in front of the trio.


    The beast appeared to be a giant bull, one as massive as a small mountain, its eyesrge enough that they could be used as full-size mirrors. Even more shocking were its two gigantic horns, shiny and sharp. The sunlight reflecting off its horns dazzled both her and Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhuo Yifeng nocked a tiger-head arrow on his bow.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Li Mo murmured from behind. ¡°Let Yan¡¯er deal with it on her own.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan twisted her head to look at Li Mo, her eyes shocked. It wasn¡¯t that Yun Ruoyan was fearful, but rather that the bull in front of her was so humongous that she had never seen its like.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, are you afraid?¡± Li Mo teased.


    Yun Ruoyan knew that Li Mo was trying to incite her into action. Calmly, she replied, ¡°It¡¯s certainly quite massive, but there won¡¯t be anything to fear once I kill it.¡±


    She retrieved the dagger strapped to her thigh, infused spiritual energy into her legs, and leaped toward the giant bull. Meanwhile, Zhuo Yifeng had pulled his bow taut and was aiming it and the bull¡¯s weak spots, ready to defend Yun Ruoyan at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Yun Ruoyan was a peak seventh-rank demaster, and she could leap thirty feet into the air. However, the bull was easily forty feet tall, so Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t able to jump directly onto its back. In mid-air, the giant bull tossed its head toward Yun Ruoyan, trying to gore her with its horns.


    Yun Ruoyan used the bull¡¯s momentum to somersault in mid-air,nding gracefully on the bull¡¯s head. The bull tried to shake Yun Ruoyan off, but she stuck a dagger into its forehead and held on tight. Although the bull¡¯s hide was tough and its bones hard, just like other magical beasts, there was a small slit between the two halves of its skull that could easily be prated.


    Yun Ruoyan urately guided her dagger into the slit, but it was too short to kill the bull instantaneously. Instead, after being dealt a critical blow, the bull began to buck even more wildly. She held onto the dagger for dear life as her body swung up into the air.

 Chapter 258: Eating Well, Sleeping Well

    <h4>Chapter 258: Eating Well, Sleeping Well</h4>


    Zhuo Yifeng was about to shoot an arrow at the buckling bull when Li Mo said from behind, ¡°If she can¡¯t handle magical beasts at this level on her own, there¡¯s no point heading deeper into the forest.¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan was temporarily unable to fight back, she didn¡¯t seem to be in much danger. After hearing Li Mo¡¯s words, Zhuo Yifeng let go of his arrow.


    On top of the buckling bull, Yun Ruoyan was cursing inwardly. Although it wasn¡¯t particrly clever and didn¡¯t possess any special techniques, its massive body and physical prowess more than ounted for these deficiencies.


    ¡°Mistress, given this bull¡¯s size and the thickness of its hide, it¡¯ll be easiest to kill by retrieving its beast core,¡± Qiuqiu began.


    ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t even move right now!¡±


    One of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands was tightly clenched around her dagger, and the other was grasping a handful of yellow fur from the bull¡¯s head. She felt as though she were the sole leaf on a tree in the deep of autumn, with a chilly wind tugging her every which way¡­


    ¡°I bet this bull¡¯s only bucking so hard because of the pain. Pull out the dagger, and it¡¯ll probably stop,¡± Qiuqiu advised.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try that.¡± As Yun Ruoyan gripped the bull¡¯s yellow hair tightly, she jerked her dagger from its head.


    The bull howled, stopped trying to buck her off, and began dashing forward madly instead.


    ¡°Qiuqiu¡­¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    When Li Mo saw what was happening, he quickly followed Yun Ruoyan on his sword, while Zhuo Yifeng began running behind him. Although Li Mo easily kept pace with her, he showed no sign of helping---and Yun Ruoyan had no intentions of asking for help. As a seventh-rank demaster, she was sure she would be able to take down such a mad bull!


    In order to do so, she would have to retrieve the bull¡¯s beast core directly. Once Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind was set, she immediately hugged the bull¡¯s head tightly as she raised her dagger and thrust it once more into the slit in the bull¡¯s skull.


    The bull howled and began to rampage once more, but Yun Ruoyan grit her teeth, bore with the sudden bout of dizziness, and stabbed the same spot again and again, three or four times consecutively.


    Li Mo finally nodded in praise.


    By her sixth attempt, Yun Ruoyan had finally managed to create a fist-sized hole in its skull. She stared into it and noticed a mud-yellow beast core, about the size of a human brain, buried underneath the bull¡¯s skull.


    She tried to extend her arm into the hole to dig it out, but it was far too deep for her arm to reach. In that case, she would have to destroy it directly!


    Yun Ruoyan gathered fire-attuned spiritual energy in her palm, prepared a fireball, and lobbed it directly toward the bull¡¯s core. Although the core looked quite massive, it began to shake violently upon being hit by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fireball.


    The bull stopped its rampage all of a sudden, then began smashing its head against a tree trunk, smashing the tree apart with brute force. Before Yun Ruoyan could be affected, however, she had deftly leaped onto another tree, then found an opportunity to jump back onto the bull¡¯s head.


    Even the bull wasn¡¯t unfazed after this impressive headbutt. As it finally slowed down, Yun Ruoyan hooked a leg against one of the bull¡¯s horns and sent fireball after fireball toward the bull¡¯s beast core with both palms.


    The fist-sized hole quickly grewrger andrger, and the fireballs directly exploded against the bull¡¯s core. After such a brutal pounding, the mud-yellow, brain-sized core finally developed a crack. On Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eighth fireball, that crack finally split the core apart.


    The giant bull finally fell amidst its howling. Yun Ruoyan stood on the bull¡¯s head, tilting as the bull fell, searching all around her for a potential foothold. Suddenly, she felt her body lighten: Li Mo had grabbed her by the waist.


    Yun Ruoyan twisted around to the man behind her. ¡°Well? This little bull¡¯s no match for me.¡±


    Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan, her face flushed and dripping with sweat. Shaking his head, he murmured, ¡°You¡¯re still quite inexperienced. If you ever encounter a beast which relies solely on brute strength, simply attack its beast core as quickly as you can.¡±


    By then, Zhuo Yifeng had rushed over. When he looked at the mountain-sized bull lying dead on the ground, he couldn¡¯t help but gape---it was simply toorge!


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, do you think those bull horns would make good arrowheads?¡± Yun Ruoyan descended from Li Mo¡¯s sword and walked to his side. The bull¡¯s beast core had been entirely destroyed, but its eyes were wide open and reflecting Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s appearance clearly.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help reaching out to touch the giant bull¡¯s eyes, finding them glossy and smooth to the touch.


    ¡°Mistress, the membrane of this giant bull¡¯s eyes can be detached and removed from its carcass. It might prove to be handy in the future,¡± Qiuqiu informed her.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s!¡± Yun Ruoyan unsheathed her steel dagger and began to cut lightly around one of the giant bull¡¯s eyeballs, then detached a clear, transparent membrane from it. ¡°It¡¯s really pretty!¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is.¡± Li Mo had soundlessly appeared behind Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back. He took out a jeweled case and handed it to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°You can keep it in this case for now.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan neatly packed the membrane into the case, then repeated her actions with the second eye. As she did so, a loud thud rang out from beside her---Zhuo Yifeng had leaped up onto the bull¡¯s head and used his bowstring to saw off one of its horns. As it fell to the ground, it created a ratherrge crater.


    ¡°It looked impressive, so how did it get cut off so easily?¡± Yun Ruoyan wondered.


    ¡°This bull¡¯s horns aren¡¯t high-ranking, but¡­¡± Li Mo peered at the bow in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hands. ¡°...no simple weapon would be able to slice it off so readily. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bow and bowstring, just like your dagger, are likely made from spiritsteel.¡±


    The bull¡¯s horns couldn¡¯t be used to forge arrowheads, and had to be discarded.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, climb up here.¡± Li Mo jumped up onto its head and waved at Yun Ruoyan, pointing to the hole in the bull¡¯s skull that she had created by force.


    On Li Mo¡¯s prompting, Yun Ruoyan stared suspiciously into the hole to see a mud-yellow pearl where the bull¡¯s beast core had been.


    ¡°This is¡­ this bull¡¯s beast core?¡±


    Li Mo nodded. ¡°With your skill, you¡¯re still unable to fully destroy a high-rank beast core. What¡¯s left is the heart of the beast core, and it¡¯s more precious than an ordinary low-rank beast¡¯s beast core.¡±


    Li Mo extended his hand toward the hole, and the mud-yellow pearl flew into his hands. ¡°This is an earth-type beast¡¯s beast core. It can¡¯t be used for pillmaking and is useless to either of you, so I¡¯ll keep it for the moment.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng jumped down from the bull¡¯s head and moved to its mouth, its tongue half-lolled out. Zhuo Yifeng sliced off the tongue¡¯s surface and then extracted arge chunk of the tender meat within: their dinner for the night.


    The trio continued their exploration in the forest. After about four hours, the sky had entirely turned dark. The canopy blocked even the smallest shred of moonlight, and they decided to make camp by arge tree.


    Zhuo Yifeng covered the beef tongue inrge leaves, buried it in mud, and lit a fire on top of it. When it was ready, he extinguished the fire and removed the well-baked meat, which gave off an enticing aroma and melted on the tongue. As Yun Ruoyan consumed the food, she was very happy that Li Mo had decided to assign Zhuo Yifeng to their team.


    As usual, Li Mo didn¡¯t have a single bite; he sat quietly by the side and silently sipped his wine.


    After dinner, because Li Mo had mentioned that bugs and snakes would frequently roam the forest ground at night, and that they could even encounter beast hordes if they were unlucky, the three of them decided to rest high in the trees.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, I¡¯ll show you a nice spot.¡± Li Mo soared up into the skies with Yun Ruoyan in tow.


    ¡°Where are you bringing me?¡± Yun Ruoyan waved to Zhuo Yifeng, left behind on the ground. He quietly stared at Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan as they flew past the dense canopy, blocking his sight. Casually, he leaped onto a tree¡¯srge bough, hugged his bow, and shut his eyes while leaning against its trunk.


    On the other hand, Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan all the way past tree after tree, until they finally arrived at the top of the forest. Moonlight shone silver against the crown of each tree, illuminating the forest as though it were an endless grasnds, as though it were the boundless sea.


    A wind blew by, and the trees seemed to rustle in response. Yun Ruoyan opened her mouth wide and raised her hands, intending to shout loudly into the air but instead only taking a deep breath.


    In this unfamiliar territory, even with Li Mo by her side, Yun Ruoyan still couldn¡¯t fully rx.


    ¡°It really is very beautiful here,¡± Yun Ruoyanmented, enjoying the cold, brisk air. ¡°But you don¡¯t intend on showing me the scenery all night, do you?¡±


    Li Mo smiled. ¡°With me around, I promise you¡¯ll eat and sleep well.¡±

 Chapter 259: Long Yan’er

    <h4>Chapter 259: Long Yan''er</h4>


    After enjoying the forest scenery and cool, fresh air from their vantage point, Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan to find a ce to rest.


    ¡°Ah! You¡¯re not intending on having me sleep here, are you?¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at the sight in front of her in surprise: a gigantic bird nest nestled between gigantic trees.


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t like it?¡± Li Mo hopped into the bird¡¯s nest with Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°No, no.¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly shook her hands. ¡°It¡¯s just, it¡¯s just too surprising¡ªisn¡¯t this bird¡¯s nest toorge?!¡± The nest had to be at least ten feet wide in length, and it appeared evenrger because it was circr in shape. What sort of bird could have made such a nest in the first ce?


    Yun Ruoyan jumped atop the nest as though she were a little kid, and found to her surprise that it was highly stic.


    ¡°This is a night owl¡¯s nest. Night owls rest during the day and operate at night, so we¡¯ll borrow its nest for one night.¡±


    ¡°A night owl! Isn¡¯t there a possibility that it might return in the night while we¡¯re sound asleep?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Li Mo had alreadyin down in the nestfortably. ¡°Even if ites back, there¡¯s no need to fear.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan sat by Li Mo¡¯s side, her hands hugging her knees. Jokingly, she continued, ¡°Because you won¡¯t sleep and will keep guard over me the entire night?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯ll be someone keeping guard, but it won¡¯t be me.¡± Li Mo whistled shrilly, and a bird responded from quite a distance.


    ¡°Ah, I forgot Mo¡¯er was here too!¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled¡ªMo¡¯er¡¯s birdcall had been sufficient to leave dozens of beasts sleeping for the better part of a day, so what did she have to fear? Not longter, the silver-feathered Mo¡¯er flew in from afar and stopped by the side of the nest. Under the moonlight, its eyes sparkled as it cocked its head toward Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan reached out and patted it.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± She prodded Mo¡¯er¡¯s sharp beak with a finger. ¡°I killed a giant bull this afternoon, and Zhuo Yifeng made me some beef tongue at night. It was so delicious that I almost swallowed my own tongue. What a pity that a glutton like you weren¡¯t there!¡±


    Mo¡¯er clearly seemed able to understand Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words, because it began hopping and chirping along the edge of the nest, looking quite regretful indeed.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, stop teasing that stupid bird.¡± Li Mo sat up and leaned against the edge of the nest, more indolent than Yun Ruoyan had ever seen him. His long, ck hair was draped behind his back, revealing his jadelike features. He was smiling as he sipped from a sk of wine. Li Mo wasn¡¯t drunk, but his eyes seemed zed over.


    Yun Ruoyan stared at Li Mo, enraptured, before Mo¡¯er¡¯s sudden, protesting chirp broke her out of her reverie.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. ¡°I¡¯m at least half your mistress, aren¡¯t I? Of course I¡¯d leave you something good!¡± She took out a little square of beef tongue wrapped up in a leaf, then fed it to Mo¡¯er in bite-sized chunks.


    When Mo¡¯er consumed it all, it let out a loud burp, causing Yun Ruoyan to burst out inughter. Li Mo reached a hand out and pulled Yun Ruoyan into hisp. She didn¡¯t resist, not until Li Mo pushed her down and began to kiss her forehead, her nose, and her lips. Only when he got to her neck did she push him away.


    ¡°Li Mo, you promised to wait for me to reach adulthood,¡± Yun Ruoyan panted lightly. ¡°After this year, I¡¯ll be an adult the next.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er¡­¡± Li Mo didn¡¯t break his kiss. Indistinctly, he continued, ¡°During this training, we¡¯re going to make sure you reach eighth-rank. Before entering the alternate dimension, I want to marry you. Yan¡¯er, I really can¡¯t wait.¡±


    Despite what he said, Li Mo ultimately stopped touching Yun Ruoyan, restraining himself despite his extreme mental and physical longing for her. He was now a peak ninth-rank demaster. Once Yun Ruoyan became a peak eighth-rank demaster, they would be able to couple, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unique constitution would allow him to break through the bottleneck of ninth-rank and be a sword saint.


    After that, it would be far more likely for him and Yun Ruoyan to return from the alternate dimension safely. As a result, increasing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation during this training would be paramount.


    ¡°I heard that those students who don¡¯t make it to eighth-rank during the training can consume a pill instead,¡± Yun Ruoyan began.


    ¡°That pill steals from your future potential, and will be immensely harmful to you going forward. I¡¯d never let you consume it, Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo seemed disgusted by the thought. ¡°Do you know why I chose the training to be hosted in this gigantic forest?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Is there a reason?¡±


    ¡°Of course. A year ago, when I brought a team of students here for training, I found a heavenly spirit fruit, but it wasn¡¯t yet ripe. Furthermore, there were quite a few high-rank beasts surrounding and protecting it, so I didn¡¯t dare make any rash attempt to seize it. After I returned to the Chenyuan continent, I did some calctions and found that the fruit would ripen this month. When I bring the fruit to you, Yan¡¯er, I¡¯m sure your cultivation will reach eighth-rank in no time.¡±


    ¡°A heavenly spirit fruit! That legendary treasure that can help a cultivator break through any bottleneck?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s a catch¡ªalthough the heavenly spirit fruit can help cultivators break through their bottlenecks, it doesn¡¯t work very well past ninth-rank. Furthermore, that cultivator has to have a strong enough foundation to be able to break through in the first ce; having a regr human consume the fruit would achieve nothing.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, surely it¡¯s being guarded by quite a number of eighth-rank and ninth-rank beasts?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yan¡¯er. I can easily handle a few ninth-rank beasts.¡± Yan¡¯er spoke as though it would be no big deal to him.


    However, Yun Ruoyan knew that doing so would be a significant undertaking. The ninth-rank beasts of this gigantic forest would likewise be massive themselves, and she had struggled so much with the bull in the afternoon simply because of its size and bulk.


    She didn¡¯t want to imagine howrge its ninth-rank equivalent would be!


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t worry too much about me¡ªthat dumb bird will be around to help.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced toward the side of the bird¡¯s nest, where Mo¡¯er had fallen asleep after sticking its head in the crook of its wings.


    After an exhausting day, Yun Ruoyan also began to doze off, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep in Li Mo¡¯sp. She woke to a dull thundering, frowning as she stirred. The thundering came from beneath her, and Yun Ruoyan was just about to get up and check it out when Li Mo pushed her down. ¡°It¡¯s a beast stampede passing by. Don¡¯t worry, and keep on sleeping.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to see Mo¡¯er poking its head out, yawn widely, then go back to sleep. Only then did Yun Ruoyan let out a breath and do the same herself, rxing and returning to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s warmp.


    Li Mo clutched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s waist more tightly as he murmured, ¡°Yan¡¯er, with me around, there¡¯s no need to remain so alert.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan closed her eyes and curled up against Li Mo. As drowsiness once again overcame her, Yun Ruoyan fell into a dream. She seemed to have arrived in a deep valley filled with greenery, peaceful and idyllic.


    ¡°Yuemei.¡± A clear male voice came from afar, and Yun Ruoyan turned toward its source. On a small path leading out of the valley, a man dressed in coarse hemp was quickly walking toward her. He was tall and broad, and his long ck hair was tied behind his head in a rough ponytail. His gaze was sharp, his smile gentle like the spring wind.


    ¡°Yuemei?¡± Yun Ruoyan repeated the man¡¯s words. ¡°Why do you know my mother¡¯s name? Who are you?¡±


    The man walked directly past Yun Ruoyan, and she turned around and began chasing after him. ¡°Hey, wait! Who are you?¡±


    Out of nowhere, a thatched hut suddenly appeared behind her by the side of theke.


    ¡°Yuemei, I¡¯m back! I caught a pheasant, and I¡¯ll make you a nourishing soupter!¡± The man rushed even more quickly toward the thatched hut. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart suddenly began to thump as she increased her pace to keep up.


    Just as the man arrived by the hut, its front door suddenly opened, revealing a woman dressed like a peasant. She wore a hemp kerchief about her head, a rough, patchwork dress, and an apron around her waist. Beneath that apron was a protruding belly. Despite her attire and belly, Yun Ruoyan easily recognized this woman as her mother, Lin Yuemei, with a single nce.


    She stilled as she watched the man and woman talk andugh.


    ¡°Long Yin, you¡¯re sweating so much! Come, let me wipe your sweat off for you.¡± Lin Yuemei took a handkerchief from her waist and began wiping at the man¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Yuemei, look!¡± The man proudly presented her with the pheasant that he had caught. ¡°I¡¯ll go make a soup with it for you and my darling Yan¡¯er.¡± Long Yin brought the pheasant to the side of theke and began cleaning its carcass.


    Lin Yuemei stood behind him, smiling. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a girl?¡±


    ¡°Yuemei, I can¡¯t be mistaken! Our daughter will be at least as good-looking as you, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll like the name I¡¯ve chosen for her, Long Yan¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Long Yan¡¯er does have a nice ring to it.¡± Lin Yuemei smiled blissfully.


    ¡°Long Yan¡¯er, Long Yan¡¯er, Long Yan¡¯er¡­¡± The name echoed in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind, stunning her.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Yan¡¯er! Wake up, Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo whispered into her ear. Yun Ruoyan struggled to open her eyes, and Li Mo¡¯s face appeared in front of her.

 Chapter 260: Miasmic Vine

    <h4>Chapter 260: Miasmic Vine</h4>


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, are you alright? Did you have a bad dream?¡± Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tear-filled face with concern.


    ¡°I¡­ I had a dream.¡±


    ¡°What dream?¡± This was the first time he had seen the usually stubborn Yun Ruoyan cry, and from a dream no less!


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head, not answering Li Mo¡¯s question. She closed her eyes and tried to think back to the scene, but she suddenly discovered that she was no longer able to recall Long Yin¡¯s appearance. Everything else in her dream was crystal clear¡ªthe man¡¯s attire, the pheasant he was carrying, Lin Yuemei¡¯srge belly, the chirping of the birds¡ªeverything but the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember!¡± Yun Ruoyan buried her head between her knees, feeling as though she had been consumed by a phantom pain.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, if you can¡¯t remember, don¡¯t force yourself to think about it.¡± Li Mo patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulders in constion. ¡°It¡¯s just a dream, so surely forgetting it isn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    After a long moment, Yun Ruoyan finally lifted her head up. When she next looked at Li Mo, her eyes were clear and lucid, as if her momentary copse hadn¡¯t ever happened. If Li Mo had looked more closely, however, he would have been able to see a gray fog hidden in the depths of her eyes.


    By the time Yun Ruoyan awoke, it was already bright outside. Zhuo Yifeng was likely waiting for them, so Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan quickly got dressed and prepared to head down into the forest once more.


    Although they had both slept in the bird¡¯s nest overnight, Li Mo¡¯s hair and robe were both in perfect order. On the other hand, her appearance was barely eptable for public scrutiny. After a whole day of travelling, and after her fight with the giant bull, her white academy outfit was somewhat filthy. She fervently hoped that there would be a nearby spring in which she could clean it.


    Just then, a clear, melodious call rang out from beneath them, which Yun Ruoyan easily recognized as Mo¡¯er. Although she couldn¡¯t understand its chirps and calls, she could easily sense its ttering intent.


    Li Mo shook his head and frowned. ¡°This gluttonous bird¡­¡± As he brought the two of them down to the forest floor, Yun Ruoyan realized why it was calling out so loudly. Zhuo Yifeng had already begun preparing a fire, over which he was roasting thin slices of beef tongue.


    Zhuo Yifeng turned around and waved at Yun Ruoyan before continuing to season the tender meat. A fragrant aroma began wafting out from the fire, causing Yun Ruoyan to salivate unconsciously.


    Mo¡¯er pped its wings and chirped piteously as it hovered around Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°It really is a gluttonous bird¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t helpmenting on Mo¡¯er¡¯s antics.


    After breakfast, she brought up the strange thundering noise she had heard in the middle of the night. Zhuo Yifeng, who had slept closer to the forest floor than Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, told them that there was arge stampede of wild beasts near their present location. The beasts were massive in size, but based on their aura, Zhuo Yifeng judged that they were all low-ranked, less advanced than the giant bull that Yun Ruoyan had faced.


    After breakfast, the trio continued progressing deeper into the forest. Along the way, they encountered quite a number of magical beasts, but most were still low-leveled. A few of the stronger beasts would asionally challenge the three cultivators, but they were handily dealt with by Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng.


    Although these low-ranked beasts didn¡¯t have a particrly advanced cultivation, however, they were sorge that killing them took a significant toll on both Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng. This slowed the group¡¯s pace; after collecting a fire-attuned, a wood-attuned, and two wind-attuned beast cores, Li Mo motioned for them to retract their auras to proceed in stealth.


    Because they had consumed so much spiritual energy, they decided to make camp in the evening. Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng sat cross-legged in meditation while Li Mo guarded them.


    Ever since bing a peak seventh-rank demaster, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual vortex had doubled in size. She had separated it into two smaller vortices, one two-thirds the size and containing regr spiritual energy, and the other one-third the size and containing fire-attuned spiritual energy.


    After absorbing spiritual energy from the air, gathering and refining it in her spiritual vortex, then splitting it into two streams, she slowly opened her eyes. By then, her surroundings had turned dark. Beside her, Zhuo Yifeng continued to cultivate.


    Yun Ruoyan raised her left hand and stared at the wooden qilin beads, right by her ornate silver bracelet. Qiuqiu had mentioned to her that the seemingly ordinary beads were actually a treasure made from the core of a fire qilin, greatly enhancing its owner¡¯s ability to generate fire-attuned spiritual energy.


    The reason Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pillmaster cultivation had progressed so rapidly was inrge part due to its wondrous effect. She thumbed the beads, felt their warmth, and looked toward Li Mo¡¯s back.


    The first time she had met him, Yun Ruoyan was still an ugly girl. She was disliked by her father and unloved by her grandmother, and all she had was a poisoned body and the vengeance she carried over from her past life.


    Now, she had cousins who were as close as siblings, close friends, and a man who truly seemed to care for her. Despite the as-yet unresolved mysteries still filling her heart and mind, despite her somewhat ufortable surroundings, Yun Ruoyan felt a sudden peace and happiness envelop her.


    Sensing her gaze, Li Mo turned back to face Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Yan¡¯er, how are your reserves?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯mpletely recovered, and I feel like I can kill two magical beasts back to back right now!¡±


    Li Mo smiled back and was just about to say something when a sudden shout interrupted their conversation. ¡°Is anyone around? Help, help!¡±


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan frowned: the shout came from none other than Guan Ruliu. She had formed a team with two other students from the southern college, neither of whom was weak. Both of them were peak sixth-rank cultivators, and Guan Ruliu herself was a peak seventh-rank demaster. She had been learning an external spiritual technique for over a year, and she was far stronger than Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng.


    Based on theirbat abilities, their group should have been safe as long as they didn¡¯t venture into the depths of the forest. What could she have encountered to cause her to shout for help?


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Zhuo Yifeng had woken up from his cultivation.


    ¡°It¡¯s Senior Sister Guan! We have to go over and take a look.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up and immediately dashed over, quickly followed by Li Mo and Zhuo Yifeng.


    The trio followed the shouts to a miasmic, swampy area about a thousand feet away. Before they could approach, Li Mo frowned and motioned for Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan to temporarily hold their breaths and to allow spiritual energy to circte through their body instead.


    Zhuo Yifeng frowned. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look natural. It feels artificial, as if someone deliberately constructed such an environment.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng had been in and out of forests since his birth, and he was very familiar with miasma. Natural miasma was often quite dense with water vapor, but the fetid air that hung around the trio was extremely dry.


    ¡°This is indeed manmade. Be careful!¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered, lowering her voice.


    Although Li Mo didn¡¯t say anything, he raised an eyebrow in disapproval. Before they had set out on the expedition, he had warned all the students that this expedition was meant for advancing their cultivation and increasing theirbat experience. As a result, they were forbidden from attacking other students.


    The reason he had divided the students into groups of three and tried to avoid putting students who had bad blood with each other together was exactly to prevent this sort of situation¡ªbut someone had clearly, grantly, disobeyed hismand!


    ¡°Senior Sister Guan, where are you?¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, I¡¯m over here! Please,e save us quickly!¡± Guan Ruliu¡¯s voice was weak and thin, as if she had been sapped of all her spiritual energy.


    ¡°We¡¯reing!¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, then headed deeper within the miasma with Zhuo Yifeng and Li Mo. They finally spotted Guan Ruliu where the miasma was so thick that it was dyeing the air in shades of purple, green, and brown: she had been bound in midair by a great tangle of vines.


    Night was approaching, and the darkened, engorged vines looked particrly sinister and eerie in the fading light.


    ¡°Senior Sister Guan, what happened?!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed. She tried to step closer to her, but found that the path forward waspletely covered in vines.


    Zhuo Yifeng nocked an arrow and prepared to shoot, but he didn¡¯t dare make a sudden move without understanding the situation fully.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine, for the moment,¡± Guan Ruliu replied powerlessly. ¡°But my two junior brothers were both swallowed up by these vines.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t see any sign of a body on the ground littered with vines. Those two students were both from the southern college, and they had been quite friendly to Yun Ruoyan. Given this connection, she really was quite worried about them.


    In the end, she turned toward Li Mo. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Stay here.¡± Green sword aura shed at Li Mo¡¯s feet, and he soared toward Guan Ruliu from the air. He extended two fingers and concentrated spiritual energy near their tip. With a white sh, the vines holding Guan Ruliu up broke, and shended in Li Mo¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Master Mo!¡± The fatigued Guan Ruliu seemed to rx as soon as she was freed from the vines¡¯ embrace. Just then, however, something unexpected happened!


    ¡°Li Mo, be careful!¡± Yun Ruoyan screamed. Behind and all around Li Mo, under his feet, around his arms, above his head, countless vines seemed to rear their heads at Li Mo as though they were poisonous snakes, ready to strike at Li Mo at any moment...

 Chapter 261: Half-Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 261: Half-Spirit</h4>


    ¡°Catch!¡± Li Mo tossed Guan Ruliu toward Zhuo Yifeng, who deftly caught her. At the same time, Yun Ruoyan shouted, ¡°Li Mo, be careful!¡±


    The vines surrounding Li Mo all attacked at once, enveloping him in their midst in the blink of an eye. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help thinking back to what had happened in the mountainous cave during the imperial expedition, to the wild vine spirit that she and Zhuo Yifeng had encountered. That spirit was able to suck away one¡¯s vitality, and it was very difficult to deal with unless they attacked its main body directly.


    The vines in front of her were very likely a simr existence to that wild vine spirit. Judging by the number of vines and its offensive capabilities, however, it seemed far superior to the vine spirit Yun Ruoyan had encountered before.


    ¡°Those vines will suck away your spiritual energy,¡± Guan Ruliu croaked out, validating Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hypothesis.


    By this time, Li Mo waspletely wrapped up in the vines, and the bundle of vines surrounding him was gettingrger andrger with every passing moment. None of the vines attacked her or Zhuo Yifeng; instead, they focused entirely on Li Mo. Likely, the pure spiritual energy emanating from Li Mo¡¯s body was far more enticing to them than they were.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately tossed a fireball at the heart of the vines. After Zhuo Yifeng left Guan Ruliu in a rtively safe area, he also began attacking the vines with his wood-attuned spiritual techniques.


    As Yun Ruoyan continued tossing volley after volley at the wild vines, the exterior of the vines began to burn¡ªbut it was only a small patch, one which was quickly filled by the innumerable vines present.


    Zhuo Yifeng tried using his wild vine arts to control the vines, but his cultivation was clearly insufficient to ovee the vine spirit¡¯s control. Not only did the vines shrug off his attack, some even began to attack him.


    Zhuo Yifeng had no choice but to switch to using his bowstring to chop off the approaching vines as he tried to protect him and Guan Ruliu behind him.


    Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s attacks sessfully attracted part of the vine spirit¡¯s attention, but the ball of vines surrounding Li Mo continued to getrger. As it did so, it began to revolve. Yun Ruoyan had no idea what was happening inside, and she began to get more and more anxious.


    Ignoring the danger, she began tossing fireballs at the bundle of vines from both hands at once, scorching a path ahead for herself. Then, she ran directly forward.


    ¡°Ruoyan! Be careful!¡± Zhuo Yifeng shouted from behind.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, take good care of Senior Sister Guan!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t running toward the vines simply because of a moment of impulse; she had been observing the ball of vines, trying to find any traces of where the vine spirit¡¯s main body could be. Suddenly, she noticed that there was a gigantic tree about fifty feet behind the ball of vines, one which waspletely wrapped up in vines. By its roots were a number of thick, engorged vines, the size of pythons.


    As Yun Ruoyan continued lobbing fireballs at the vines approaching her, she followed the trail of engorged vines to their core: a swampy, muddy ground from which the vines emerged. It had originally been hidden by a number of smaller vines. Now that the vines had all begun surrounding Li Mo, however, the heart of the vine spirit had been exposed.


    Yun Ruoyan hurriedly threw out another volley of fireballs, then leaped to the heart of the wild vines while unsheathing her spiritsteel dagger. She sliced at the heart of the vines, only to find it far tougher than she had anticipated. Despite the fact that her dagger was able to slice iron as though it were nothing more than mud, it had only been able to create a barely visible nick on the surface of the vine.


    The ball of vines wrapping Li Mo up had already grown to the size of a small house. More worryingly, Li Mo hadn¡¯t seemed to do anything from within. In fact, Li Mo was deliberately exuding his spiritual energy, trying to lure all the vines over to attack them all in one go.


    However, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have any inkling of this. She was frightened and worried, more so than she had ever been. As she shouted loudly for Li Mo, she began slicing madly at the heart of the vines.


    Once, twice, thrice¡­


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t notice the vines slithering toward her and binding her body, but Li Mo did hear her fervent cries from deep within the interior of the vines. He tried to end the battle quickly by expelling the rest of his spiritual energy all at once.


    So attracted were the vines to this massive outpouring of spiritual energy that they gave up on attacking Zhuo Yifeng. Even the vines that had wrapped around Yun Ruoyan began to slither toward the ball surrounding Li Mo instead.


    Except for the main vine that grew out of the swampy ground, almost all the remaining vines had rushed toward the ball surrounding Li Mo. It grew more and more massive, and vines swarmed around it so grotesquely that it was a horrifying sight to behold.


    Yun Ruoyan continued to slice at the heart of the vine spirit with her dagger, to no avail. Without vines attacking him, Zhuo Yifeng managed to rush to her side. He tried to use his bowstring to saw at the heart of the vine, but it seemed to be as useless as her dagger. Behind them, the ball of vines swiftly grewrger andrger in size, and was almost encroaching on the ground where Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng were standing.


    ¡°Ruoyan, this ce is dangerous!¡± Zhuo Yifeng grabbed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand. ¡°We have to leave, now!¡±


    As though she hadn¡¯t heard Zhuo Yifeng at all, Yun Ruoyan continued shing at the vine mindlessly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pull me!¡± Yun Ruoyan thundered. ¡°Leave me here! I have to save Li Mo!¡±


    ¡°Given how strong the ughtering King is, I¡¯m sure he knows what he¡¯s doing,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied, forcefully hoisting her up onto his shoulders and dragging her away despite her protests.


    ¡°Let go of me, Zhuo Yifeng! Let go!¡±


    Just as the two of them escaped the nest of wild vines, the gigantic ball surrounding Li Mo began to pulse. Within the ball, Li Mo had heard Yun Ruoyan¡¯s anguished cries, and he decided not to wait any longer. Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan could see the ball of vines visibly distorting in shape and bing oblong.


    Zhuo Yifeng stopped moving and put Yun Ruoyan down as they both turned to look at the ball of vines. As it grewrger, the vines wrapped around the ball seemed to go berserk as they tried to flee.


    Peng¡ª!


    With a loud bang, the ball of vines burst apart, scattering sticks and branches all over. With the bow in his hands, Zhuo Yifeng shielded him and Yun Ruoyan from the bulk of the sticks.


    Yun Ruoyan finally saw Li Mo, standing at the epicenter of the explosion.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡±


    Li Mo looked at Yun Ruoyan, only able to nod at her before a sudden, shrill scream emerged from the heart of the vines. The three of them all looked toward the swampy ground in unison, only to find a human-like creature waiting for them.


    ¡°A wild vine spirit!¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out. Everyone on the Chenyuan continent knew that wild spirits were far more dangerous than simple magical beasts. The vine spirit¡¯s nude body was speckled with mud, and an engorged vine grew from its brain. It had a head, an upper half-body, and two arms. However, its lower half was nothing more than a tangle of vines: it was a half-spirit, not yet fully formed!


    The half-spirit¡¯s eyes were two pitch-ck orbs, sweeping over Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng beforending on Li Mo. Li Mo¡¯s eyes gleamed, causing the wild vine spirit to tremble and try to dart back underground in an attempt to flee.


    However, Li Mo grabbed hold of the engorged vine growing from its head and tugged on it, dragging the half-spirit back aboveground as it screamed shrilly once more.


    ¡°Trying to leave?¡± Li Mo thundered at the spirit. ¡°Die!¡±


    In desperation, the half-spirit severed the vine growing on its head. As itnded on the ground, it crawled back into the damp earth like a centipede.


    ¡°You dare try to escape?!¡± Li Mo soared toward the half-spirit¡¯s body, but by the time he arrived by the hole, the half-spirit hadpletely vanished underground. He leaped down from his sword and pointed a finger at it. The sword let out a resonant cry, then flew into the ground in the direction of Li Mo¡¯s finger.


    Swiftly followed a moderate shaking, apanied by the vine half-spirit¡¯s shrill screams. Li Mo then directed the sword to return to the surface with the half-spirit in tow. As he sheathed his sword, the half-spirit trembled all over as it begged for mercy by Li Mo¡¯s feet.


    Without the slightest hesitation, Li Mo released a gigantic fireball, swallowing the half-spirit whole and leaving naught but ashes behind.


    Yun Ruoyan stood behind Zhuo Yifeng, stunned.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo turned and gave her a gentle smile, causing her to blink and finally react.


    ¡°Li Mo, are you¡­ alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan walked up to him and began inspecting him all over.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo cupped Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cheek, his lips curled up into a smile. ¡°Of course I¡¯m alright! But this half-spirit was so sly that if I hadn¡¯t pretended to fall into its trap, it would have escaped my grasp.¡±

 Chapter 262: Caught!

    <h4>Chapter 262: Caught!</h4>


    As Li Mo stared into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes, which were turning red because of her anxiety, his smile expanded. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I love seeing your concern for me.¡±


    The deep smile on his face caused an unknown anger to well up from deep within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart, and she knocked Li Mo¡¯s hand away from his cheek. ¡°You¡­¡±


    She red at Li Mo, but she didn¡¯t know how to express this anger that threatened to consume her. How stupid she was! Li Mo was the ughtering King, a veritable god! How could he have been endangered by a mere vine spirit?


    Yun Ruoyan, who could maintain her cool even in the face of imminent danger, had panicked as soon as she had seen Li Mo in peril. Fear, anxiety, and nervousness, more concentrated than she had ever experienced before, had threatened to swamp her.


    Now, as she looked at Li Mo standing unharmed in front of her, all that anxiety and fear transformed into anger, clogging up her chest and leaving her at a loss for words.


    Seeing her vexed expression, Li Mo lightly pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I¡¯m alright. On the Chenyuan continent, there¡¯s not much that can harm my life.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯srge, expressive eyes began to well with tears. ¡°Li Mo, promise me you¡¯ll always be fine, alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo replied seriously.


    Zhuo Yifeng, standing not too far away, turned elsewhere as soon as he saw the two of them starting to hug. His gazended on two protrusions in the ground that had appeared after the vine half-spirit¡¯s death. Seeing that they looked like human figures, Zhuo Yifeng walked over curiously.


    After Li Mo had killed the vine spirit, all the vines in the region had wilted, leaving only yellowed remnants on the ground. Those two human-like protrusions were hidden beneath these yellowed remnants.


    Zhuo Yifeng walked up to them, parted the wilted vines with the bow in his hands, and found the two youths lying underneath.


    ¡°They¡¯re over here!¡± Zhuo Yifeng called out, and Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan began walking over instantly.


    Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t recognize the two youths, but Yun Ruoyan did: they were Guan Ruliu¡¯s two missing teammates. Zhuo Yifeng leaned down to check their breathing, then felt at their necks.


    ¡°Their spiritual energy has beenpletely sucked away by the vine spirit,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°And their spiritual vortices seem to have been damaged irrecoverably. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able to keep their cultivation.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s voice was grim, and Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s faces were severe. The miasmic air that surrounded this swamp was artificial, manmade¡ªbefore they investigated the matter further, they couldn¡¯t be sure exactly who it was that hadid such a devious trap for them.


    Zhuo Yifeng and Li Mo each carried one of the two unconscious youths out of the wild vine nest. Compared to them, Guan Ruliu was doing far better. Although she had also lost almost all her spiritual energy, her spiritual vortex had been unaffected. After some rest and recuperation, she would be able to recover without any permanent damage.


    Li Mo handed a bone quintessence pill to Yun Ruoyan, who helped Guan Ruliu consume it. After she did so, she was barely able to stand with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s assistance.


    By then, the sky had fully darkened. Saddled as they were with three injured cultivators, they wouldn¡¯t be able to climb up to treetops to rest as they had done the night before. Instead, they found a rtively secluded location and made camp there.


    After dealing with the three injured cultivators, Zhuo Yifeng began to set up a fire. Guan Ruliu had recovered slightly after some meditation, and Yun Ruoyan handed her a slice of roast meat, which she forced herself to consume.


    ¡°Senior Sister Guan, how did you end up in that wild vine spirit¡¯s nest?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any evidence, but I¡¯m certain that the one who harmed us is Rong Yueshan¡¯s group,¡± Guan Ruliu replied angrily. ¡°Rong Yueshan, Yi Qianying, Pei Ziao, Guan Tianyu, and two other students from the northern college have all banded together.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all as bad as each other!¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out. The moment she discovered the miasma, she began to suspect that it had been a ploy by Rong Yueshan and her crew, but she had no idea what their motive could be.


    ¡°How can you be certain that the culprits were Rong Yueshan and the rest?¡± Li Mo asked. As the instructor responsible for this training, he needed verifiable evidence.


    ¡°Yesterday, we encountered them while exploring the forest. Because I didn¡¯t want to end up in an altercation with them, I took a side path with my two juniors,¡± Guan Ruliu continued. ¡°In the middle of the night, however, I suddenly heard a male and female talking to each other. By the time I awoke, I found that miasma had surrounded me.¡±


    Although Guan Ruliu didn¡¯t see anyone with her own eyes, she thought that those voices sounded like Rong Yueshan and Guan Tianyu.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°Did you hear what they were saying?¡±


    ¡°It seemed like they were trying to make use of me to lure others into the trap, but as for whom, I¡¯m not quite sure.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng exchanged a nce¡ªsomeone whom Rong Yueshan, Guan Tianyu, Yi Qianying, and Pei Ziao wanted to hurt? Surely it could be none other than Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°As I awoke, I discovered that the miasma was poisonous. I had already breathed some in during my sleep, but luckily my cultivation was high enough to shield me against part of its ill effects. I was able to move if I struggled, but both my juniors were unconscious¡­¡±


    Guan Ruliu nced at her two juniors. After being saved, they had each woken up once, and Yun Ruoyan had fed them both a bone quintessence pill. Although neither of them were in mortal danger, it was unlikely that they would retain their cultivation.


    Both of them had fallen into a deep sleep because of their weakness.


    ¡°I tried to bring my juniors out of the miasma, in the direction in which it was least concentrated. Somehow, we ended up in the wild vine spirit¡¯s nest. Once those vines came in contact with our bodies, they started to suck away our spiritual energy. Given my weakness, I was unable to defend myself, and my juniors were engulfed almost immediately. I was hung upside-down for a day and night. Just when I thought I would die here, I sensed your presence nearby.¡±


    Guan Ruliu clutched her chest weakly as she spoke. Yun Ruoyan reached out and took her hand, lightly consoling her, ¡°Senior Sister Guan, it¡¯s alright. You¡¯re safe.¡±


    In the night, six shadows darted through the forest and arrived at the miasmic swamp.


    ¡°Sister Yi, can you remove the miasma now?¡± Rong Yueshan asked Yi Qianying.


    These six shadows were none other than Yi Qianying, Rong Yueshan, Pei Ziao, Guan Tianyu, and another male and female from the northern college. The skinny male was Song Yi, and the beady-eyed female was Sun Yan.


    Yi Qianying replied in the affirmative. She took out some powder from a pouch by her waist, then turned to Song Yi and Sun Yan. ¡°Senior Song, Senior Sun, please help me.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Song Yi snapped his fingers and tossed a spark of me at the powder in Yi Qianying¡¯s hands. Instead of catching on fire, the powder began to release a white, odorless smoke in the air. Sun Yan then extended a hand and waved her fingers at the smoke, generating a gust of wind that blew the smoke into the miasma. As it did so, both the smoke and miasma seemed to vanish.


    The six students then rushed toward the nest of wild vines, where none of them seemed shocked to find a whole patch of wilted vines.


    ¡°Third Uncle¡¯s right¡ªthis half-spirit was no match for the ughtering King!¡± Rong Yueshan eximed.


    ¡°ording to Master Rong, Master Mo¡¯s already a peak ninth-rank demaster, and he¡¯s infinitesimally close to bing a sword saint,¡± Guan Tianyu continued. ¡°The vine half-spirit¡¯s only a peak eighth-rank demaster at most, and its body is particrly weak. Once it¡¯s caught, there¡¯s no way Master Mo would let it get away.¡±


    ¡°Considering Master Mo¡¯s personality, he¡¯d definitely kill it immediately! And because of the miasma, they¡¯d surely vacate the area right after saving the students,¡± Yi Qianying added. ¡°Master Rong predicted everything perfectly!¡±


    Guan Tianyu smiled. ¡°Given how important these students were to Master Mo, I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t search the area for the treasure that the vine half-spirit left behind. Everyone, let¡¯s spread out and search for it.¡±


    After about fifteen minutes, Pei Ziao finally found the swampy ground under which the vine spirit had been hiding. As he scraped away the wilted vines, a pale green glow emerged from underneath.


    ¡°It¡¯s over here!¡± Pei Ziao called out, and the remaining five members rushed to him.


    ¡°This is it!¡± Rong Yueshan eximed. The pale green glow illuminated their smiling faces.


    ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t frighten it, and don¡¯t let it run off¡­¡± Guan Tianyu leaned down and whispered.


    The six students surrounded the glowing, swampy ground, all leaning down. Guan Tianyu made a hand signal to the remaining five students, all of whom held their breath as they watched Guan Tianyu take out a dagger and a golden cord.


    Guan Tianyu gently began digging at the ground with his dagger and quickly revealed a jade-green rhizome. The gathered students¡¯ eyes gleamed as Guan Tianyu carefully dug around it. ¡°Everyone, be alert! It¡¯s about toe out!¡±


    Suddenly, a bright green light scampered out from underground. The six students reached out for it together, startling it and causing it to try to dive back into the ground. However, Guan Tianyu¡¯s golden cord had already bound it tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s caught, it¡¯s caught!¡± Guan Tianyu stood up in excitement, holding up the bright green bundle in his hands. The other five students all stared at it in wonder...


    <hr>


    1. Well, they¡¯re not on the Chenyuan continent¡­

 Chapter 263: Spiritual Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 263: Spiritual Treasure</h4>


    Trapped in Guan Tianyu¡¯s golden cord was a baby-like figure two thumbs wide, translucent and sparkling with green light. The golden cord had caught it by its delicate neck, and it stuck out its tongue and red at the youths crowded around it.


    ¡°Is this the spiritual treasure that Master Rong spoke of?¡± Yi Qianying asked.


    This so-called spiritual treasure was the descendant of a wild spirit. Before the spirit¡¯s death, it wouldn¡¯t grow at all. On the other hand, after the spirit¡¯s death, it couldpletely inherit the spirit¡¯s power and abilities. It started out with the intellect of a two- or three-year-old child, and would rapidly mature and grow into its power.


    Not all wild spirits were able to produce such a spiritual descendant; wild spirits, at least on the Chenyuan continent, were naturally more gifted than other races. They were monsters born from the souls of human or beast cultivators after their death upon attaching to nts or animals.


    And because of their innate talent, few wild spirits were able to reproduce on their own, especially if they hadn¡¯t yet grown a full human body, as was the case with this wild vine spirit. Because the wild spiritual descendant¡¯s intellect wasparable to that of a child, it was very easy to tame and train. To kill a spirit and then steal and tame its descendant was equivalent to getting a deadly weapon.


    Two months ago, while Rong Tianhai was leading an expedition into this forest with a group of students from the northern college, he had discovered this spiritual descendant entirely by ident. The little creature was particrly vignt; at the same time that Rong Tianhai discovered its existence, it also discovered Rong Tianhai. Only after pursuing it for quite a while did Rong Tianhai finally learn out the presence of the wild vine half-spirit.


    In order to obtain that spiritual descendant, Rong Tianhai had tried to fight the vine spirit. With his cultivation, however, Rong Tianhai was unable to defeat the spirit, and could only retreat in disgrace. However, he had taken note of the wild spirit¡¯s presence, and when Li Mo suggested entering the same location for training, Rong Tianhai cooked up a n to take advantage of Li Mo to kill the half-spirit.


    ¡°Senior Brother Guan, we can¡¯t stay here for long.¡± Rong Yueshan nced all around her. ¡°We have to hurry up and leave with the spiritual descendant!¡±


    Guan Tianyu then took out a red cloth bag, dumped the sparkling, baby-like figure into it, and then attached it to his waist. Then, the six youths hurriedly left the scene.


    About two miles from the swampy ground, while Rong Yueshan and the others were trying to capture the spiritual descendant, Yun Ruoyan once again heard the rumblings of a beast horde while in her dreams.


    She awoke in shock, sitting up to find Li Mo and Zhuo Yifeng standing not far from her. Guan Ruliu and her two juniors were so weak that they were still deep in sleep, not having sensed themotion at all.


    As the thunderous rumbling drew closer, Yun Ruoyan walked to Li Mo¡¯s side. ¡°There are beasts approaching, aren¡¯t there? Should we hide?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Judging by the noise, they¡¯ll pass by us through another path, and they shouldn¡¯t get close to where we are.¡±


    Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan before turning to Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°I¡¯m going to bring Yan¡¯er over and inspect the situation more carefully. Stay here and protect the three of them.¡±


    He left with Yun Ruoyan on his sword. Not long after, they stopped on a bough of a gigantic tree, listening to the beasts¡¯ rumbling get louder and louder. Yun Ruoyan infused the majority of her spiritual energy into her eyes in order to increase her night vision, then stared in the direction of the noise.


    All the trees of the forest were gigantic, and they were spaced quite arge distance from each other. Where the canopy was sparser, some moonlight would filter down to the undergrowth. With her augmented vision, she could clearly see a horde of beasts rushing through the gaps in the trees toward her and Li Mo.


    Yun Ruoyan had experienced a simr horde before during the imperial expedition, and her memories of the event were still imprinted in her mind. However, the horde in front of her far outstripped the earlier memory, because each of the beasts were so massive that it felt as if the ground were truly trembling with every step they took.


    The wave of beasts approaching them was eight beasts strong. As they rushed below Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s tree, one beast¡¯s horns identally clipped the trunk of the tree on which they were located, causing a tremor that spread through the entire tree.


    Yun Ruoyan was well prepared, having grabbed onto Li Mo with one hand and the tree trunk with the other. Even if the tree were to break entirely, she wouldn¡¯t be scared. However, it only shook once before stilling once more.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at the beast who had knocked into the tree: clearly dazed, it stood still, shook its head a few times, then began running again.


    ¡°Where are they running towards?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked Li Mo.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to this forest twice. The first time, I encountered a beast horde; the second, I didn¡¯t,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°Suchrge-scale movement can ur for two reasons. The birth of a particrly strong magical beast who tries to expand its territory might cause these lower-ranked or regr beasts to flee. More rarely, the birth of a spiritual treasure will attract all sorts of beasts over.¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, which do you think is more likely?¡±


    ¡°Very probably the second. Based on my calctions, it¡¯s almost time for the heavenly spirit fruit to ripen,¡± Li Mo murmured. ¡°To be sure, however, we¡¯ll need to wait for that dumb bird toe back and report.¡±


    In the evening, Li Mo had sent Mo¡¯er off to investigate if anything was happening on the path ahead. Mo¡¯er returned just as the sun was rising, perching on Li Mo¡¯s shoulders and chittering and chattering to him.


    Although Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t understand Mo¡¯er¡¯s speech, Qiuqiu could, and it tranted Mo¡¯er¡¯s words for her to hear. Mo¡¯er had apparently told Li Mo that it had flown directly along the path, finding four waves of beasts along the way.


    As it got farther and farther along the path, the beasts grew stronger and more numerous, some of which possessed incredible strength¡ªthe equivalent of peak ninth-rank demasters! There were at least a few such beasts, and it was theirbined presence and aura that had led to so many beast hordes rampaging away.


    Yun Ruoyan thought back to the two reasons that Li Mo had brought up earlier for such a beast stampede. Given that there were multiple strong beasts around, it had to be thetter reason: the appearance of a legendary spiritual treasure.


    After hearing Mo¡¯er¡¯s report, Li Mo decided to have Guan Ruliu and the other two students from the southern college sent back to the treehouse. Because the three of them had lost their teleportation scrolls in the miasma, Li Mo had to fly them back on his sword.


    Luckily, the two weaker students had finally woken up. Li Mo sent them back in two batches: first the two weaker students, then Guan Ruliu.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I was injured within just a few days of entering this expedition¡­¡± Guan Ruliu sighed, leaning against a gigantic tree trunk. After a night¡¯s worth of meditation, she had regained a fifth-rank demaster¡¯s cultivation, but it was still far from her original eighth-rank cultivation.


    Actually, as a fifth-rank demaster, she would be able to apany Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and Li Mo on their expedition. However, the two junior students from the southern college were now nothing more than mere mortals. Without anyone around to take care of them, they would likely die within this forest of giant trees.


    ¡°Senior Sister, don¡¯t be discouraged,¡± Yun Ruoyan consoled. ¡°This isn¡¯t the only dimension we¡¯ll be in, and once you recover your cultivation, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a chance to work together in the future.¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡± While the two girls were talking, Zhuo Yifeng suddenly made a shushing gesture. From the forest came the sound of people walking, and six more students quickly emerged by their campsite.


    ¡°How fortuitous that we would meet you here!¡± Guan Tianyu, leading the party of six, smiled.


    ¡°Truly a coincidence, given howrge this forest is,¡± Rong Yueshan added.


    ¡°It¡¯s no coincidence!¡± Guan Ruliu immediately stood up and red at the intruders. ¡°Why are you following us? Are you trying to harm us again?!¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister Guan, what are you saying?¡± Yi Qianying pretended to be innocent. ¡°Has our group done anything against you?¡±


    ¡°You dare deny it?!¡± Guan Ruliu and her two juniors had barely escaped from the miasma with their lives. Her two juniors had had their cultivation crippled, and hers had greatly fallen. Even the usually cool and calm Guan Ruliu was now greatly enraged upon seeing her attackers in person. If Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t held her back, she would have leaped forward to tussle with them on the spot.


    Anyone else in her shoes would likely have done the same thing.


    ¡°Senior Sister Guan,¡± Guan Tianyu began. ¡°As a senior of Kongming Academy, how could you nder your juniors so?¡±


    ¡°Whether or not it¡¯s nder, you all know full well,¡± Guan Ruliu gritted out, trying to suppress her anger.


    ¡°Nonsense! As long as there¡¯s no evidence, it¡¯s all nder,¡± Guan Tianyu replied smugly.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Yun Ruoyan lightly pinched her hand and whispered into her ear, ¡°They¡¯re a group of six, and we won¡¯t be able to handle them at the moment. When Master Mo¡¯s back, he¡¯ll naturally right this wrong for you.¡±


    Guan Ruliu forcibly suppressed her anger and shifted her gaze away from the hostile group of students, no longer interacting with them. However, Rong Yueshan and her group clearly seemed intent on stirring up trouble. When Guan Ruliu turned silent, Rong Yueshan asked, ¡°Senior Sister Guan, why is it only the three of you here? Where are your two juniors, and where¡¯s Master Mo?¡±

 Chapter 264: Song Yi’s Accidental Death

    <h4>Chapter 264: Song Yi¡¯s idental Death</h4>


    ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Zhuo Yifeng, who had remained silent during the entire encounter, finally spoke up. He stepped forward and shielded Yun Ruoyan and Guan Ruliu while pressing the team of six.


    ¡°We¡¯re all peers, aren¡¯t we? We just wanted to check up on you guys since we¡¯ve met so coincidentally.¡± Guan Tianyu nced askance at Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°We don¡¯t care for your concern! Please leave immediately,¡± Zhuo Yifeng eximed, no trace of politeness in his voice.


    ¡°What, you think we¡¯ll leave just because you told us to?¡± Pei Ziao scoffed.


    ¡°Pei Ziao,¡± Yun Ruoyan finally began. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Master Mo told us not to fight each other. Stay away from us!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stared directly at Pei Ziao, who flinched upon being reminded of some of his most unpleasant memories. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze was filled with anger and deep loathing, something that Pei Ziao had never understood. Where had such deep emotione from? He had tried to figure it out, and he had tried to get closer to Yun Ruoyan, but to no avail.


    Finally, when Yun Ruoyan had knocked him off a cliff while trying to acquire the sage-grade amaranthine sun, Pei Ziaopletely gave up on trying to improve his rtionship with Yun Ruoyan.


    From then on, Pei Ziao and Yun Ruoyan had been bitter enemies.


    Right then, the look that Yun Ruoyan gave him was exactly the same as when she had knocked him off the cliff: a vile hatred, stripped bare, as if she would only be appeased if she were to take his life. Pei Ziao was still unsure of what exactly had sparked such hatred, but he knew that he might never find the answer. After all, it wasn¡¯t as if a reason was needed to loathe and detest someone.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want trouble, then leave immediately!¡± Yun Ruoyan continued coldly. ¡°But if you do want trouble, then we¡¯d be d to oblige.¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s not as if this forest is your home! We can go where we want!¡± Yi Qianying replied.


    ¡°Three versus six, hmm?¡± Guan Tianyu chuckled.


    He knew that Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng were rather talented, but also that Guan Ruliu was hurt and very weak. On the other hand, the six of them were in perfect condition, and they all had rather decent cultivations. If Guan Ruliu were unhurt and still a peak eighth-rank demaster, then they might be on somewhat equal footing, but now¡­


    ¡°Oh, but I do want trouble!¡± Guan Tianyu taunted.


    Zhuo Yifeng had never been one for wasting time, and the six-man team in front of them was clearly here to cause trouble. Before Yun Ruoyan could speak, he had already retrieved the bow from his back and pulled the bowstring taut, his eyes glinting as he stared at the six youths.


    ¡°Eh, you¡¯re thed from the central college, aren¡¯t you? What¡¯re you trying to do?¡± Thenky male by Guan Tianyu¡¯s side, Song Yi, stepped up in front of Guan Tianyu. Song Yi and Sun Yan were both rather talented cultivators from the northern college, and were particrly adept at fighting together. This time, they had received express instructions from the second elder to protect Guan Tianyu.


    As Zhuo Yifeng aimed his bow, he warned, ¡°You¡¯d better not try anything funny!¡±


    Yi Qianying, Pei Ziao, and Rong Yueshan had all seen Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s archery for themselves, and they couldn¡¯t help taking a step back upon seeing him draw his bow. Guan Tianyu, Song Yi, and the beady-eyed Sun Yan, however, had no idea how good his archery was.


    Song Yi snorted. ¡°You¡¯re just some trash from the central college!¡±


    ¡°This batch of new students really needs to be taught a lesson,¡± Guan Tianyu opined. ¡°Daring to challenge me despite being from the central college¡­? And you even tried to make a fool of me in public by teaming up with her!¡±


    In order to help out Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng had struck Guan Tianyu with his scattered leaves technique, and Guan Tianyu had remembered his face ever since. The only reason he hadn¡¯t yet struck was because he hadn¡¯t found a good opportunity; now that Li Mo wasn¡¯t here and he was outnumbered, it was the perfect time to strike back.


    Last time, Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯sbined efforts had left him publicly humiliated, and he was somewhat reluctant to vite Li Mo¡¯s warning. His trap against Guan Ruliu and her juniors was done without leaving any evidence behind, but this time, his group had clearly provoked Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and Guan Ruliu while Li Mo wasn¡¯t present. Because it had the potential to be problematic, Guan Tianyu had no intention of attacking them personally.


    ¡°Senior Guan, if it¡¯s something as simple as teaching some trash from the central college his ce, I can do it. You don¡¯t have to dirty your hands,¡± Song Yi volunteered, stepping up in front of him and cracking his knuckles.


    ¡°Junior Song, he¡¯s all yours.¡± Guan Tianyu was delighted to have someone take his ce.


    Despite Song Yi¡¯s taunting words, he shot a nce at Sun Yan by his side. Sun Yan nodded, extending her hands toward Zhuo Yifeng. Her jade-like arms crossed, she spread her hands apart and generated an almost invisible wind that blew toward Zhuo Yifeng.


    Standing behind Zhuo Yifeng, Yun Ruoyan could clearly sense the presence of this wind. She instantly became more alert, but found to her surprise that it didn¡¯t seem to be an attack at all. Just as the three of them were confused about the identity of the wind, Yun Ruoyan suddenly saw Song Yi pinching his hands together and making a throwing motion in their direction.


    As Sun Yan continued her fanning motion, a spark of fire flew toward them from Song Yi¡¯s hands, erupting in a ze of fire.


    Because Zhuo Yifeng was so focused on aiming his bow, he didn¡¯t notice Song Yi¡¯s actions. When the ze erupted, he was caught unawares. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan reacted quickly, tossing out a fireball that caused a gigantic explosion when it made contact with the me.


    While Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fireball was weaker than thebination of Sun Yan¡¯s wind and Song Yi¡¯s me arts, the st was sufficient to defend against the majority of the me, and it gave the three of them the time they needed to retreat. Zhuo Yifeng took three steps backward to avoid the brunt of the me, then released the bow.


    ¡°Argh!¡± A male voice cried out in pain.


    ¡°Senior!¡± It was quickly followed by a girl¡¯s shrill shriek.


    Only when the mes vanished did Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and Guan Ruliu figure out what had happened. Opposite them, Song Yiy slumped on the ground, his chest prated by an arrow that Zhuo Yifeng had shot out.


    The arrow that Zhuo Yifeng had shot out almost as a reflex had actually hit the skinny Song Yi in his chest!


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Song Yi pointed an using finger at Zhuo Yifeng. Before he could finish his words, however, dark red blood pulsed out of his mouth.


    ¡°Senior Brother, are you alright?¡± Sun Yan knelt down and leaned over him, so anxious she seemed as if she were about to cry.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± The moment Song Yi opened his mouth, blood poured out again.


    Given Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s transcendent skill at archery, as well as how close they were standing, even an unintentional shot could easily take one¡¯s life.


    ¡°I¡ª I¡ª¡± Song Yi never managed to finish hisst words. His breath stuck in his chest, his eyes rolled back, and he died.


    ¡°Senior!¡± Sun Yan cried out shrilly, almost in disbelief. The two of them were senior and junior, but also a couple. Sun Yan naturally wasn¡¯t about to take Song Yi¡¯s death lying down. She put down Song Yi¡¯s corpse and screamed hoarsely to Zhuo Yifeng, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng had shot Song Yi only in defense against his attack. He hadn¡¯t been trying to kill him, but he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to do so if he proved a lethal threat. As a result, Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t think that he had to exin himself. ¡°If you want revenge,e at me!¡±


    Sun Yan vanished from everyone¡¯s sight, shocking the gathered crowd.


    ¡°What just happened? How did Senior Sun suddenly vanish?¡± Yi Qianying cried out in shock.


    ¡°She¡­vanished?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Guan Ruliu both started in surprise before rushing to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s side, standing back to back in a defensive formation.


    ¡°Senior Sun¡¯s a particrly advanced wind-attuned cultivator in the northern college,¡± Guan Tianyu began, his voice cocky and delighted. He rubbed his hands in glee, excited to watch the drama unfold. ¡°She can already use the wind-attuned spiritual energy in the air to hide herself in in sight. The reason she hasn¡¯t attacked you yet was to stop us from trouncing you, but you actually killed Song Yi! She alone can kill all three of you easily¡ªlook forward to your deaths!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, be careful.¡± Guan Ruliu looked alertly all around her. ¡°Sun Yan¡¯s cultivation isn¡¯t advanced enough to support her using such an advanced technique for long. Don¡¯t give her any opportunity to strike, and she¡¯ll have to reveal herself sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s there!¡± Yun Ruoyan saw a shadow appear right in front of her, but it vanished again near-instantaneously.


    ¡°Not good¡ªher cultivation might not be advanced enough to support longer periods of stealth, but she¡¯s using her speed to evade us as well! She¡¯s only appearing for brief glimpses at a time, and we won¡¯t be able to catch her like this!¡±


    Just then, a deep cut appeared on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s arm, and fresh blood immediately spurted out of the wound...

 Chapter 265: Overswing

    <h4>Chapter 265: Overswing</h4>


    Sun Yan managed to attack Zhuo Yifeng while under the effect of invisibility. Then, Yun Ruoyan saw her image suddenly appear and disappear not far from Zhuo Yifeng, as though she nned on sneaking up on him once more.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, be careful!¡± Yun Ruoyan tossed a fireball in the direction of the image, thwarting Sun Yan¡¯s sneak attack. She next appeared quite a distance away from the trio, a short knife in her hand with Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s blood still dripping off of it.


    She stared at Yun Ruoyan with her small, beady eyes. ¡°I¡¯m here to take Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s life in revenge for my senior. I suggest neither of you interfere.¡±


    ¡°Revenge? It just so happens that I also have a debt to settle with you!" Guan Ruliu replied icily.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be so easy to kill us three!¡± Yun Ruoyan added.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll just kill all of you,¡± Sun Yan eximed vehemently. ¡°Then, my senior won¡¯t be lonely in death!¡±


    She vanished once again, preparing to strike. This time, she focused on Guan Ruliu, drawing an extremely deep wound on the back of her palm.


    Zhuo Yifeng immediately released a patch of sharp pine needles in Guan Ruliu¡¯s vicinity, some of which hit Sun Yan and forced her to reveal herself. As she did so, Yun Ruoyan lobbed a gigantic fireball at her.


    Because Sun Yan was trying to dodge Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s scattered leaves, she was unable to avoid Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fireball. Instead, with a beautiful, practiced hand gesture, she generated a gust of wind in her hand, which she used to deflect the fireball. Rather than hitting her head-on, it lit up several strands of her hair.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡± Sun Yan¡¯s eyes gleamed red, her murderous intent clearly visible.


    ¡°Senior Brother Guan.¡± Just then, Rong Yueshan, who had been intently watching the drama unfold, walked to Guan Tianyu¡¯s side and murmured, ¡°Let¡¯s take this opportunity to¡­¡± She made a shing gesture by her neck, causing Guan Tianyu to stare nkly at her for a moment.


    Although he didn¡¯t like Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng, he had only wanted to give them a harsh punishment, not to take their lives. As a bystander, however, he wouldn¡¯t mind watching someone else kill them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. Sun Yan¡¯s particrly strong, and I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need to step up.¡±


    Yi Qianying could sense Guan Tianyu¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Senior Brother Guan, the three of them clearly suspect that we were the ones who set up Guan Ruliu. If we allow them to report the incident to the first elder, it¡¯ll be a troublesome affair for us even if they don¡¯t have solid proof. Why not get rid of them now and prevent the trouble entirely?¡±


    Yi Qianying¡¯s words struck at the core of Guan Tianyu¡¯s worries. ¡°Alright. If Sun Yan can¡¯t kill them, we¡¯ll make a move then,¡± he decided.


    Sun Yan sheathed her dagger and took out a gleaming silver de. In the blink of an eye, she vanished once more.


    ¡°She¡¯s about to use a lethal technique! Everyone, be careful!¡± Guan Ruliu eximed.


    Yun Ruoyan held her dagger in one hand and infused spiritual energy into the other, ready to toss out a fireball on a moment¡¯s notice. As Zhuo Yifeng pulled his bow taut, he continuously infused spiritual energy into his tiger-canine arrows.


    Guan Ruliu was currently only at the level of a fifth-rank demaster, and was the weakest of the three. It was very likely that Sun Yan would target her. As a result, Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng focused much of their attention to protecting her.


    They remained on high alert for quite a few minutes, but Sun Yan ultimately didn¡¯t attack. Instead, Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s intense concentration left them quite fatigued. Despite the fact that it was a rtively cool day, sweat was visibly beading on their foreheads.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep going like this,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured.


    ¡°Do you have any suggestions?¡± Guan Ruliu asked.


    Yun Ruoyan quickly devised a n. ¡°Yes, but you¡¯ll have to be bait, Senior Sister Guan¡­¡±


    As Sun Yan continued to hide in stealth, she looked for an opportunity to attack the trio. Although none of their cultivations were as advanced as hers, they were each quite difficult to deal with. If she wanted to kill all three of them, she would have to wait until she could find an opportunity. However, they worked together so well that such opportunities were few and far between.


    Just as Sun Yan was feeling anxious, she saw a gap in their defenses: Guan Ruliu, who was being shielded by Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng, seemed to have be so anxious that she had identally exposed half her body.


    Sun Yan stepped forward without hesitation, raising the sword in her hand and sweeping it at Guan Ruliu¡¯s exposed body.


    By this time, Yun Ruoyan had exuded her mental energy as far as she could. Although she wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint Sun Yan¡¯s exact location, she caught a sh of light reflecting off of Sun Yan¡¯s silver sword. In the direction of the light, she immediately tossed out her spiritsteel dagger and a fireball.


    Sun Yan blocked the dagger with her silver sword, then used her wind arts to deflect the fireball. What she didn¡¯t see was an arrow infused with spiritual energy that shot through the fireball and into her chest.


    She staggered, vomited a mouthful of blood, and looked disbelievingly at the arrow prating her flesh. Then, she slowly fell to the ground and died.


    ¡°They¡­ they actually killed Senior Sister Sun!¡± Yi Qianying eximed.


    Guan Tianyu was equally surprised by the surprise attack. Sun Yan was equally advanced a cultivator as he was, but her cultivation veered toward stealth rather than direct confrontation. Even when he challenged her, he had never won.


    His grandfather, the second elder himself, had praised Sun Yan as a marvellous assassin. She and Song Yi had been an undefeated team in the northern college; even academy-wide, she was considered one of the top students among the five colleges. That was why the second elder had sent them to guard Guan Tianyu.


    Unexpectedly, both of them had died to Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Senior Brother Guan, what are you waiting for? We need to get them now!¡± Rong Yueshan shouted anxiously.


    Despite having lost her best opportunity to kill Yun Ruoyan, she didn¡¯t make the first move¡ªbefore entering the training, Rong Tianhai had told her that the elders were paying very close attention to this training, so no matter how much she wanted to kill Yun Ruoyan, she couldn¡¯t do so openly. Otherwise, the second elder himself would punish her.


    If she really wanted to strike, she would have to do so secretly¡ªor to incite Guan Tianyu into attacking her instead. As the only living descendant of the second elder, Guan Tianyu wouldn¡¯t be punished by the second elder no matter what he did. As a result, even his aplices would get off easily.


    ¡°Senior Brother Guan, let¡¯s attack!¡± Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying also shouted.


    ¡°Alright! Attack!¡± As the leader of their team, Guan Tianyu certainly couldn¡¯t back down. With his shout, Rong Yueshan, Yi Qianying, and Pei Ziao immediately brandished their weapons and began rushing toward Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and Guan Ruliu.


    Pei Ziao thrust his spear unerringly toward Yun Ruoyan. Her spiritsteel dagger had stuck into a faraway tree trunk during her bout with Sun Yan, and she had temporarily lost her weapon. Luckily, Yun Ruoyan reacted quickly enough to dodge the blow.


    At the same time, Rong Yueshan faced off with Zhuo Yifeng, and Yi Qianying against Guan Ruliu. Zhuo Yifeng had had a slightly lower cultivation than Rong Yueshan, but his cultivation had greatly improved ever since he began to study external wood-based spiritual techniques. With his wild vine arts and scattered leaves technique, he could fight on equal footing with Rong Yueshan.


    And although Guan Ruliu¡¯s cultivation had fallen dramatically, it was more than enough to deal with Yi Qianying.


    Although Pei Ziao had a weapon in his hands, Yun Ruoyan was able to use her silver bracelet to temporarily augment her cultivation, greatly increasing the strength of her fireballs and direct spiritual attacks.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, I¡¯ve always tried to be kind to you, but you¡¯ve never once appreciated my intentions! Our feud ends here!¡± Pei Ziao howled, his eyes red, his spear pointed straight at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Speak with your actions, not your words!¡± Yun Ruoyan lobbed several fireballs in Pei Ziao¡¯s directions, all of which he deftly dodged.


    Then, Pei Ziao thrust his spear toward Yun Ruoyan, who bent at the waist and narrowly avoided the strike. She caught the spear by its haft, augmented her cultivation with her bracelet, and sent a pulse of spiritual energy at Pei Ziao through his spear.


    Pei Ziao immediately felt a strong sensation of numbness spread through his hands, which quickly permeated his body as though he had been struck by lightning. After an intense period of cultivation, Pei Ziao had be a peak seventh-rank demaster, just like Yun Ruoyan. However, he found that her mastery of spiritual energy seemed to be quite significantly above his.


    Pei Ziao felt his spiritual energy swiftly draining away, that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out against Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attack for much longer. If he couldn¡¯t block this blow, then he would either be heavily injured or, worse, dead.


    At the same time, Yun Ruoyan was also reaching her limits. She had expended quite a bit of spiritual energy during her battle with Sun Yan, and was only able to augment her spiritual energy to early eighth-rank¡ªnot enough to fully overpower Pei Ziao.


    ¡°Senior Brother Guan, help!¡± Pei Ziao croaked, calling out to Guan Tianyu. Whereas he, Rong Yueshan, and Yi Qianying had begun attacking the trio, Guan Tianyu had simply stood by the side. Rong Yueshan and Yi Qianying were both involved in their own battles against Zhuo Yifeng and Guan Ruliu, and neither of them could spare any attention for him.


    Guan Tianyu had developed a bossy, domineering personality under the second elder¡¯s pampering, but once he left his protection, he would be particrly careful. Now that all three members of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group were involved in their own battles, he had an opportunity to strike without being struck back.


    He took out his own weapon, arge broadsword, and walked up to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s front. ¡°You brat, I didn¡¯t want to kill you, but you¡¯ve offended too many people and found out too much!¡±


    Guan Tianyu raised the broadsword in his hands and brought it down over Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head...

 Chapter 266: Realization

    <h4>Chapter 266: Realization</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan was momentarily tied up inbat with Pei Ziao, whereas Zhuo Yifeng and Guan Ruliu were tied up in fighting Rong Yueshan and Yi Qianying respectively. As such, neither of them were able to do anything against Guan Tianyu, whose sword was right about to behead Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, watch out!¡± Zhuo Yifeng shouted.


    As Yun Ruoyan fought with Pei Ziao over his spear, she suddenly saw the gleam of a de flying toward her. In that moment, her gaze turned blood-red. Guan Tianyu saw the change happen, but his de didn¡¯t stop moving. Instead, deep within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind, a blood-red eye suddenly seemed to open, releasing a red, bloody glow that shot out of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes at Guan Tianyu.


    ¡°Argh! My eyes, my eyes!¡± Guan Tianyu began to wail like a pig being led to the ughter.


    The red beam had shot directly out of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes and into Guan Tianyu¡¯s. Guan Tianyu instantly felt as though his eyes were burning, and bloody tears began to leak from them.


    ¡°My eyes! Someone, help, I can¡¯t see!¡± Guan Tianyu threw down the broadsword in his hands and fell to the ground, crawling helplessly.


    Meanwhile, Yun Ruoyan turned toward Pei Ziao. Guan Tianyu¡¯s sudden blindness had so shocked Pei Ziao that he immediately shut his eyes when Yun Ruoyan turned toward him. A huge wave of spiritual energy seemed to strike him, immediately pushing him away. When hended on the ground, he spat out arge mouthful of blood, clearly badly hurt.


    The four remainingbatants all stopped fighting and looked toward Yun Ruoyan simultaneously. Her eyes a bloody red, she seemed like an entirely different person, one who exuded a murderous aura.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, are you alright?¡± Zhuo Yifeng and Guan Ruliu asked, concerned.


    As if she couldn¡¯t hear them, however, Yun Ruoyan slowly leaned down, picked up Guan Tianyu¡¯s broadsword, then began to move toward the helpless Guan Tianyu. As everyone watched openmouthed, she held the broadsword high above her head and made as if to strike at his head.


    Moments before her sword beheaded Guan Tianyu, a green sh of light suddenly appeared from afar like lightning. Li Mo appeared beside Yun Ruoyan in the blink of an eye and quickly grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked toward Li Mo with her blood-red eyes, and he felt as though two hot coals had suddenly been dropped in his eyes. His pitch-ck pupils turned an icy blue, quickly relieving the symptoms of her gaze. He touched his finger to a specific point in the back of her neck, causing Yun Ruoyan to close her eyes and fall unconscious into hisp.


    ¡°Master Mo, Ruoyan almost died in their hands!¡±


    Li Mo held Yun Ruoyan in his embrace as his eyes swept over Guan Tianyu, Rong Yueshan, and Pei Ziao. ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned that you aren¡¯t allowed to harm your peers during this training, and I hereby rescind your right to participate any further. Scram!¡±


    ¡°Master Mo, I contest this judgment!¡± Pei Ziao stepped forward. ¡°Seniors Song Yi and Sun Yan both died to Zhuo Yifeng, and Senior Brother Guan¡¯s eyes were injured by Yun Ruoyan! If we¡¯re to be punished, then they should likewise be punished!¡±


    ¡°You contest my judgment?¡± Li Mo¡¯s eyes turned ck once more, but the coldness within it didn¡¯t dissipate at all.


    ¡°Yes, Master Mo! I refuse to ept it!¡±


    Li Mo swept his sleeve at Pei Ziao, generating a huge gust of wind that whirled Pei Ziao high up into the sky before forcing him down toward the ground, filling his mouth with blood. ¡°Take Guan Tianyu with you and scram!¡±


    This time, no one else dared dissent. Yi Qianying clutched Pei Ziao, and Rong Yueshan supported Guan Tianyu, his eyes a bloody mess. Each pair used a teleportation scroll to return to the forested treehouse.


    ¡°Mistress, Mistress, are you alright?¡± Amidst a patch of darkness, Yun Ruoyan seemed to hear Qiuqiu¡¯s anxious voice. She slowly opened her eyes to find her lying in a strange, pitch-ck ce.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, where am I?¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, but Qiuqiu seemed to have vanished entirely.


    ¡°We¡¯re in your mind.¡± Although Qiuqiu didn¡¯t respond, another voice did. This voice sounded somewhat familiar, as though she had heard it somewhere before, but she didn¡¯t remember where.


    ¡°Who are you, and where did you say this was?¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately queried.


    A red eye suddenly blinked open not too far ahead of Yun Ruoyan, from which shone an eerie red light.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± As soon as she saw the eye, Yun Ruoyan remembered the identity of the voice: the dragon soul that hady dormant in the dragon ring, who had tried to get her to attack Lin Qingxue¡¯s pet, Whitey!


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the demonic dragon elder reim the ring?¡±


    ¡°He did take the ring, but my soul remained,¡± the voice continued. ¡°Under the first elder¡¯smand, I¡¯m to protect you when you¡¯re in danger.¡±


    ¡°To protect me?¡± The sudden appearance of the red-eyed dragon soul was beyond Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Right, to protect you. Before you can discover the truth behind your identity, I¡¯ll remain in your body,¡± the eye exined. ¡°But because your cultivation¡¯s still too low, you won¡¯t be able to support my existence for too long a period of time, and I¡¯ll mostly be unconscious. Only when your life¡¯s in great peril will I appear.¡±


    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an enforcer of the demonic dragon n,¡± the voice replied, before closing its eye once more. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s surroundings again returned to pitch ck.


    ¡°Mistress, Mistress? Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, wake up!¡±


    Qiuqiu¡¯s voice and Li Mo¡¯s voice rang out at the same time, and Yun Ruoyan finally awoke from the strange darkness that surrounded her.


    ¡°What happened to me?¡± Yun Ruoyan found that she was half-lying in Li Mo¡¯sp. Herst memory was of Guan Tianyu¡¯s broadsword shing as it flew down toward her.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯ve woken up!¡± Guan Ruliu nced at her in concern. ¡°Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, Senior Sister Guan, what happened to me?¡± Yun Ruoyan tried to sit up but found herself weak and aching all over, with almost no spiritual energy left in her body.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already been unconscious for two days,¡± Guan Ruliu began, her expression somewhat curious. ¡°What fire-attuned spiritual technique did you use to burn Guan Tianyu¡¯s eyes blind? I¡¯ve never heard of such a domineering technique.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment, then thought back to what the demonic dragon enforcer had mentioned. Combining it with Guan Ruliu¡¯s words, Yun Ruoyan guessed that the red eye had somehow managed to blind Guan Tianyu to save her.


    ¡°Ruoyan, are you alright?¡± Guan Ruliu asked again, seeing that Yun Ruoyan was in a daze.


    ¡°Oh, I---¡±


    ¡°She just woke up, so let her rest a little longer,¡± Li Mo interrupted. Guan Ruliu nodded, walking outside the room. Li Mo silently stared at Yun Ruoyan, not saying a word, making her feel grossly ufortable.


    ¡°Li Mo, why are you staring at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, are you hiding something from me?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled, then averted her eyes. After a moment¡¯s silence, she suddenly realized that she hadn¡¯t seen Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°Where¡¯s Zhuo Yifeng?¡±


    Li Mo sighed and replied patiently, ¡°Another wave of wild beasts rushed by a moment ago, and he went to investigate. I expect he¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±


    ¡°What about Mo¡¯er?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked all around her. ¡°Why is Senior Sister Guan still with us? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to take care of the two cultivators who had lost their cultivation?¡±


    ¡°Thesest two days, we¡¯ve been seeing more and more stampedes, and the heavenly spirit fruit is getting closer and closer to maturity. I had the dumb bird scout the path forward.¡± Li Mo¡¯s eyes remained on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, keeping track of her every motion. ¡°As for Guan Ruliu, I sent those two cultivators back to Kongming Academy, so she¡¯ll be able to explore with us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan lowered her head, thinking about how to get past Li Mo¡¯s questioning.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, if you have any other questions, I¡¯d happily answer them for you,¡± Li Mo added. ¡°I only have one question, and I hope you¡¯ll be able to tell me the truth.¡±


    ¡°What question? Ask away!¡± Yun Ruoyan raised her head and met his eyes unflinchingly, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t stop until he was satisfied.


    ¡°Why can I still sense the scent of that demonic ring on you? I thought it vanished, but could it have remained in your body instead?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either!¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, with almost no hesitation. She knew that any deliberation on her part would lead to suspicion, but she had still underestimated Li Mo¡¯s wariness.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er¡­¡± Li Mo continued slowly. ¡°If you responded this way initially, I would have believed that you didn¡¯t know a thing, but given that you¡¯ve been hemming and hawing and trying to avoid this question, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re hiding a big secret from me!¡±

 Chapter 267: Means and Methods

    <h4>Chapter 267: Means and Methods</h4>


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, what exactly have you been hiding from me?¡± Li Mo¡¯s gaze turned sharper as he nced at Li Mo, as though he would be able to glean the truth from her face. He wasn¡¯t someone who particrly enjoyed prying into someone else¡¯s affairs, but what had happened to Yun Ruoyan was so serious that he had to be prepared.


    That demonic ring had clearly vanished, so why was it that remnants of its demonic aura were still on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body? Why had it protected Yun Ruoyan at a crucial juncture? Combined with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unnatural behavior at the demonic dragon grotto¡­ could it be that Yun Ruoyan was somehow rted to the demonic dragon n?


    Was she thest descendant of the demonic dragons?


    After a long moment¡¯s silence, Yun Ruoyan finally began, ¡°Li Mo, when we were in the capital, you asked if I had any secrets.¡±


    Li Mo looked at Yun Ruoyan, willing her to continue.


    After a momentary pause, Yun Ruoyan said, ¡°I didn¡¯t answer your question then, but I do have secrets¡ªmore than one. Just as you¡¯ve said, however, these are secrets that I can¡¯t reveal to anyone, not even my closest confidantes, at least not now.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s ink-ck eyes looked at Yun Ruoyan. She looked back calmly, without any hint of evasiveness.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, I thought that after having been with you for so long, you would be able to trust me fully¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course I can trust you.¡± Yun Ruoyan caught Li Mo¡¯s hand. ¡°But Li Mo, before I fully unravel this mystery, please let me keep my secrets, alright?¡±


    ¡°I never want to see you hurt, Yan¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng had returned in the midst of their conversation, naturally ted to see Yun Ruoyan awake once more. However, seeing how close Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were standing to each other, he stood vigntly at a distance without interrupting them.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, what did you discover?¡± Yun Ruoyan had seen Zhuo Yifeng. In an attempt to finish this conversation with Li Mo, she began to greet him before Li Mo could say anything.


    Zhuo Yifeng was also somewhat confused and concerned about what had happened to Yun Ruoyan, but he didn¡¯t intend on asking about the specifics of the matter.


    ¡°When did you wake up?¡±


    ¡°I just did.¡± Again, Yun Ruoyan asked, ¡°So, what did you find?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s face turned severe. ¡°This time, not only did the beast stampede grow noticeablyrger in size, there were even such mid-rank beasts mixed in with the low-rank ones.¡±


    The closer they went to their destination, the nearer the date of the heavenly spirit fruit¡¯s ripening, the more the high-rank beasts sent the other beasts fleeing.


    The second day, Mo¡¯er returned and reported to Li Mo that it had seen three high-rank beasts, one of which it wasn¡¯t sure it would be able to defeat on its own. Because Mo¡¯er hadn¡¯t gotten all the way to the heavenly spirit tree, Li Mo believed that there were very likely more than three high-rank beasts in the vicinity.


    Yun Ruoyan wanted to keep hurrying forward, but the awakening of the demonic dragon spirit had so weakened her that they had to stay for another day and night before she felt quite ready to walk.


    After her day-long cultivation, Yun Ruoyan had finally recovered most of her spiritual energy. Li Mo had wanted to let her rest for another day, but Yun Ruoyan was urgently seeking the heavenly spirit fruit in order to break through to eighth rank. When she had suggested leaving immediately, Li Mo didn¡¯t stop her. However, because of the inherent danger involved in seizing the fruit, he hadmanded Zhuo Yifeng and Guan Ruliu to remain only by the vicinity.


    Then, Li Mo flew Yun Ruoyan through the forest in the direction of the heavenly spirit tree. By evening, they had finally reached a deep valley, one that seemed to stretch on endlessly into the depths.


    ¡°Past that stretch of forest is the heavenly spirit tree,¡± Li Mo announced, pointing at the opposite side of the valley. Although the valley was deep, it wasn¡¯t very wide across; even as a seventh-rank demaster, Yun Ruoyan would be able to leap over it, if only barely.


    Just then, a beast¡¯s roar rang out. It came from a great distance away, and yet Yun Ruoyan felt it as clearly as if the beast had been right next to her. The earth began to tremble, and both Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo witnessed arge pack of beasts desperately running out of the forest.


    ¡°How impressive!¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help murmuring.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.¡± Li Mo wrapped Yun Ruoyan up in his robes before continuing onward. Mo¡¯er hid in Li Mo¡¯s broad hood, following him and Yun Ruoyan toward the heavenly spirit tree. Although it was already dark, they didn¡¯t intend on resting. Based on Li Mo¡¯s calctions, the heavenly spirit fruit would mature in no more than three days, and they had to rush to the heavenly spirit tree within that timeframe.


    Just as Mo¡¯er had described, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo saw quite a few high-rank magical beasts along the way. Li Mo had told her that the high-rank beasts of the gigantic forest were iparable to those from the Chenyuan continent: not only were they far more massive in size, their attack power was often double or treble that of their Chenyuan counterparts. Even more frighteningly, some high-rank magical beasts also knew how to use ranged spiritual techniques.


    At midnight, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan finally arrived at the grove in which the heavenly spirit tree was located. As soon as they approached the grove, Yun Ruoyan could feel three particrly dangerous auras. As Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan ascended up a nearby tree, she could suddenly feel one of those three auras heading in her direction.


    Yun Ruoyan looked toward Li Mo, who made a shushing gesture at her. Both of them retracted their auras and hid¡­


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    They could feel the ground trembling as a massive creature approached them, one with long, blue-green fur all over its body.


    ¡°What sort of creature is that?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, as quietly as she could.


    ¡°A slumberbeast,¡± Li Mo replied.


    A slumberbeast, a creature that particrly enjoyed to sleep, especially in damp, moist ground. The creature¡¯s blue-green fur grew over its long periods of hibernation. Its unique skill was a long-ranged spiritual howl, exactly the howl that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had heard from a distance.


    ¡°To have awoken even a slumberbeast¡­ it seems like there are more beasts hankering for this fruit than I expected,¡± Li Mo replied, equally quietly.


    ¡°Shh, it¡¯sing.¡± Yun Ruoyan saw the slumberbeast shaking its gigantic body as it lumbered to their tree, then began to relieve an itch by rubbing its body against the bark of the tree. The tree shook so much that Yun Ruoyan felt as though someone were using a jackhammer right by her side, but neither of them dared to move. If they startled the slumberbeast, it might howl at them. While Li Mo would be able to bear with it, Yun Ruoyan would fare far worse.


    Luckily, the slumberbeast didn¡¯t discover the two interlopers. After it scratched its itch, ity down right by the giant tree and began to sleep, snoring loudly after only a few moments.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, stay here and rest. I¡¯ll head further inward to have a look.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need.¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly grabbed onto Li Mo. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan deeper into the grove. After about ten minutes, Li Mo once again ascended a tree with Yun Ruoyan in tow. ¡°Yan¡¯er, look¡ªthat¡¯s the heavenly spirit tree!¡± Li Mo pointed at a curious tree not far below them.


    As Yun Ruoyan looked downwards, she finally saw the tree she had heard so much about. It was a tree that constantly changed colors, far more unique than what she had expected. One moment, it would be a bright jade green; another, it would turn a ming scarlet. As she continued looking at it, it then turned a pure white, as though it were carved out of ice itself.


    Just as she thought there were no further variations which would surprise her, it turned a mud-yellow, as though it were made of y.


    On the Chenyuan continent, it would certainly be considered a gigantic tree. Inparison to the trees around it, though, it was far shorter. At this very moment, there were three high-rank beasts surrounding and patrolling the short, phantasmagorical tree. The high-rank beasts stared so fervently at the tree that it seemed as though even a mosquito wouldn¡¯t be able to escape their grasp.


    ¡°Li Mo, why does this tree¡¯s appearance keep changing?¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t answer Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question; instead, he focused intently on the patrolling beasts.


    When she realized that Li Mo wasn¡¯t about to reply to her question, Yun Ruoyan curiously followed his gaze to the three beasts. Even after observing for quite some time, however, she couldn¡¯t detect anything unusual.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After another moment¡¯s observation, Li Mo tugged on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand. Then, he brought her to a tree slightly farther away.


    As soon as theynded, Yun Ruoyan asked her question again. ording to Li Mo, the heavenly spirit tree could bear at most two heavenly spirit fruits, each being fire-, wind-, ice-, and earth-attuned. As a result, any cultivator would be able to get a boost upon consuming the fruit, which was partly why it had attracted so many beasts.


    ¡°These three high-rank beasts each seem like a very strong entity. Li Mo, how likely are you to be able to snatch a fruit away from under their noses?¡±


    ¡°While inspecting those three magical beasts, I noticed a rather interesting situation,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Of those three beasts, two are allied against the third.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal, isn¡¯t it? If they all want the fruits, then it makes sense that they¡¯ll bepeting against each other. I didn¡¯t notice that two of them were allied, however.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, that slumberbeast just now is likely allied with the third beast,¡± Li Mo continued. ¡°There are only two spirit tree fruits, so the four high-rank beasts would have teamed up in pairs. Once the fruits reach maturity, they¡¯re sure to have a big fight over the fruits. At that time, we¡¯ll have the opportunity to swoop in and steal them from under their noses¡ªand if we try to pit them against each other, we¡¯ll have arger chance of sess!¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes brightened as she turned to Li Mo.


    <hr>


    1. Think Snox.

 Chapter 268: Ripening

    <h4>Chapter 268: Ripening</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan asked Li Mo exactly how he nned to stir up conflict between the two pairs of magical beasts.


    ¡°Bewitching powder.¡±


    ¡°Bewitching powder¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan seemed shocked. ¡°You mean, to use some bewitching powder to bewitch those four high-rank magical beasts?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Since they¡¯re paired up, even if one side loses, we¡¯ll still have to deal with two high-rank beasts.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there any possibility that they¡¯d defeat each other, allowing us to im the spoils?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very possible, but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll be able to snatch the fruits away so easily.¡± Li Mo frowned. ¡°There might only be four high-rank beasts out in the open, but I¡¯m sure there are quite a number of lower-ranked magical beasts hiding further out, looking for an opportunity to im the fruits for themselves. If these four really were to defeat each other, then the lower-ranked beasts will surely swarm the tree. In that case, it might be even harder for us to get the fruits.¡±


    After hearing Li Mo¡¯s analysis, Yun Ruoyan also thought that it would be better to use her bewitching powder to bewitch all four high-rank beasts. However, the problem was that the bewitching powder she had on her could only bewitch those of a lower cultivation, let alone high-rank magical beasts.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo extended a hand to her. ¡°Lend me your pill furnace, as well as some of the seeds of the bewitching flower. I¡¯ll make the bewitching powder that we need for this myself.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s silver bracelet contained two pill furnaces: one was from the Pei household, and specially designed for pills; the other was bought in an underground market, and specially designed for poisons.


    Yun Ruoyan took out the poison cauldron and handed it to Li Mo, followed by some bewitching flower seeds. The moment she did so, Yun Ruoyan saw Mo¡¯er, who had been hiding in Li Mo¡¯s hood, pop out, chirp twice, then snatch one of the seeds away.


    ¡°You glutton!¡± Yun Ruoyan scolded, chuckling.


    Initially, Yun Ruoyan had thought that Mo¡¯er might have been able to aplish something, but the slumberbeast perfectly countered its ability. Although Mo¡¯er¡¯s calls would be able to induce sleep in the beasts, the slumberbeast¡¯s howl had the opposite effect: to awaken all beasts. As a result, Mo¡¯er wasn¡¯t able to y any role in this n.


    ¡°Mistress, it¡¯s a rare opportunity to be able to see the ughtering King concoct a poison. You have to take advantage of it,¡± Qiuqiu advised.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately focused on Li Mo¡¯s every gesture. He was far more aplished a pillmaster than even Lin Zainan, and his spiritual me was the purest she had seen. When he switched between the seven colors of me, she could feel no sense of waste or excess.


    As Li Mo concocted the poison, he described to Yun Ruoyan the difference between dealing with medicine and dealing with poison, then answered several questions that Yun Ruoyan posed. Although Yun Ruoyan had already taken Li Mo as master, Li Mo hadn¡¯t had much opportunity to impart his knowledge to her, and they had never talked about poisons before. Yun Ruoyan particrly cherished this learning opportunity, and continued to ask question after question during the concocting process.


    It was deep into the night when Li Mo finally made enough bewitching powder to affect the four high-rank beasts, and the two of them decided to act the day the heavenly spirit fruits were to ripen.


    Two dayster, Zhuo Yifeng and Guan Ruliu arrived by the narrow valley across which the heavenly spirit tree was located. Without Li Mo¡¯s assistance, they had encountered quite a few wild beasts along the way, including a few low- and mid-ranked beasts. However, the two were skilled enough to be able to ughter most of the beasts that came their way and avoid those that they couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Senior Sister Guan, are you able to jump across this valley?¡±


    Guan Ruliu judged the deep but rather narrow valley. ¡°In the past, I would be able to do so easily. Now, however, with my cultivation still not fully recovered¡­¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng nced at the other side of the valley and frowned thoughtfully.


    ¡°Junior Brother Zhuo, you¡¯re not thinking of crossing the valley, are you? Master Mo told us to wait here for him and Ruoyan to return, and it¡¯s better not to adventure on your own.¡±


    ¡°But now that we¡¯re here, wouldn¡¯t it be regretful for us not to explore the area a little? I wouldn¡¯t want to leave any regrets behind.¡± Zhuo Yifeng stretched as he took out a teleportation scroll, which he handed to Guan Ruliu. ¡°If you¡¯re in danger, take this and return to the treehouse.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Guan Ruliu asked quizzically.


    ¡°I took it from Song Yi and Sun Yan¡¯s bodies. This one¡¯s for you, and I have one of my own.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng had been responsible for burying Song Yi and Sun Yan¡¯s corpses, and he had retrieved these two teleportation scrolls before burying them.


    ¡°In that case, you need to be careful as well. As soon as you encounter any danger, rip the scroll!¡± Guan Ruliu knew that any objection on her part would be pointless, since Zhuo Yifeng had already made up his mind.


    ¡°Yes, Senior Sister!¡± Zhuo Yifeng dashed up to the valley, his legs and feet infused with spiritual energy. At the edge, he leaped up and easily cleared the jump. Once hended, he turned back and waved to Guan Ruliu, then entered the grove.


    By then, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had already waited by the vicinity of the heavenly spirit tree for two whole days, checking up on the tree every so often. The four high-rank beasts continued to guard the tree, each taking turns to rest. They seemed to havee to some sort of agreement to only fight for the fruits once they were ripe.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they just fight each other right now, instead of waiting for the fruit to ripen?¡±


    ¡°Each of the four beasts has a different affinity than the rest, and each is a master of its own affinity. Their presence here will cower the remaining beasts. If any of them were to die here, another beast would simply take their ce, which might cause more trouble for the remaining high-rank beasts.¡±


    Li Mo even suspected that the four beasts might even have been friends¡ªto an extent.


    As night fell, the two picked some fruits for dinner and again went to check on the heavenly spirit fruits. Li Mo carefully brought Yun Ruoyan closer and closer to the tree, until Yun Ruoyan was finally able to see a multicolored fruit about the size of a fist.


    ¡°How will we know when it¡¯s mature?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll release a distinct aroma and fall from the tree,¡± Li Mo answered.


    ¡°Li Mo, look!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly saw a horned beast poke its head out from a nearby de, causing one of the four high-rank beasts to shoot out a gigantic fireball at it.


    With a big explosion, the horned beast¡¯s head caught on fire. It let out a shrill shriek as it scampered away, tossing and turning its head to try to get rid of the mes.


    There was another ruckus on the other side of the tree: the green, armored high-rank beast had spat out an icicle as wide as a tree trunk at another beast which she hadn¡¯t seen, killing the mountain-sized beast instantly.


    ¡°Truly impressive!¡± Yun Ruoyan remarked.


    As she watched yet another wave of beasts run off, a sudden, enticing aroma caught her by surprise. It was more fragrant than anything she had ever smelled or eaten¡ªnot an overwhelming scent, but rather a clean, refreshing one that tugged at her soul.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately looked toward Li Mo, who had begun to smile. After ncing at Yun Ruoyan, he quickly turned to the four high-rank beasts by the tree. They had all been attracted by the unusual scent; their eyes were closed, their nostrils red.


    ¡°Commence the operation!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately replied.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan soared toward the tree.


    With two plops, the two fist-sized heavenly spirit fruits fell from the tree, causing the enticing aroma to disappear. The four high-rank beasts all regained their senses and looked greedily at the two sparkling, multicolored fruits now lying on the forest ground. Almost as one, they bared their teeth and began to face off against each other, as though a vicious fight were about to take ce.


    By this time, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan hadnded almost right by the heavenly spirit tree. Making use of their small human bodies, they hid behind the tree while the other beasts were all distracted by the impending fight. Yun Ruoyan poked her head out from behind the tree, noticing the auras of many beasts from the nearby woods.


    She swept her eyes around her surroundings and found over ten pairs of eyes staring greedily at the tree right in front of her. As Li Mo had suspected, if these four high-rank beasts were to heavily wound each other, the beasts hiding in the forest would then start a free-for-all for the heavenly spirit fruits.


    If that were to happen, no matter how strong Li Mo was, it would be difficult for him to get the fruits and leave with her while facing so many beasts.

 Chapter 269: Disappearance

    <h4>Chapter 269: Disappearance</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan saw the two heavenly spirit fruits not thirty feet from her, and she barely suppressed the desire to grab them and run. The four high-rank beasts were staring warily at each other, and none of them had seemed to detect her and Li Mo¡¯s presence.


    As a result, Yun Ruoyan took one small step toward the fruits.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, what are you doing?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was about to sneak over when Li Mo pulled her back.


    ¡°I wanted to snatch the fruits while they¡¯re distracted!¡±


    ¡°The moment you touch one of those fruits, hundreds of the beasts hidden in this grove will start howling, and the four high-rank beasts will instantly pounce on you,¡± Li Mo replied severely. ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient. We¡¯ll watch and wait.¡±


    The four beasts growled and bristled at each other, their hostility growing stronger and more palpable. Finally, the green-haired slumberbeast howled at the fire-breathing red-furred beast and an iceunching green-scaled beast opposite it.


    This was the first time that Yun Ruoyan had felt its howl from close range. Last time, she had been by the other side of the valley, and the howl had causedrge quantities of low- and mid-rank beasts to scamper out of the grove in fright.


    At close range, the howl was so overwhelming that Yun Ruoyan felt as though the ground were trembling all around her. If Li Mo hadn¡¯t held his hands around her ears, she would likely have been rendered unconscious by the sound waves alone.


    The slumberbeast¡¯s howl had had the same effect on many of the beasts also gathered in the grove, and even the two high-rank magical beasts right opposite it were shaking their heads and trying to dispel the dissonant sound.


    At the same time, the bald yellow beast by the slumberbeast¡¯s side lowered its head and rushed toward the red-furred beast on the opposite side, headbutting it in its stomach.


    Peng!


    The red-furred beast was instantly knocked away, its enormous body sent sailing into a gigantic tree. Because of its bulk and momentum, it crushed both that tree and the next one it impacted. As itnded on the ground, it spat out a mouthful of particrly red blood, which ignited the grasses and shrubs itnded on.


    ¡°What¡¯s causing its blood to catch on fire?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked in shock.


    ¡°This yellow-furred beast is earth-attuned, and it has incredible offensive and defensive power. It seems like its attack actually damaged the red-furred, fire-attuned beast¡¯s spiritual vortex, causing an outpouring of fire-attuned spiritual energy.¡±


    To be able to damage one¡¯s spiritual vortex like that¡­!


    The green-scaled beast immediately shot out an array of icicles at the yellow-furred beast. Although it was able to avoid two of the icicles, it was hit by the third. With a harsh, grating sound, the icicle splintered to pieces, leaving arge gash on the yellow-furred beast¡¯s leg.


    When the slumberbeast saw its ally hurt, it howled out once more¡ªbut this howl was clearly far weaker than the previous one. Each of the slumberbeast¡¯s howl consumed a certain amount of spiritual energy, so its howls would get weaker and weaker when used in session.


    The green-scaled beast only seemed to be stunned for a moment before bing clear-headed again, and it shot an icicle at the slumberbeast. The slumberbeast¡¯s ungainly body wasn¡¯t suited for dodging. The icicle stabbed into its leg, causing it to tilt and fall to the ground.


    The yellow-furred beast gritted its teeth, bore with its wound, and crashed into the green-scaled beast while its attention was diverted by the slumberbeast. Just as its ally had, the green-scaled beast flew into the distance, breaking a few trees as it did so. When itnded, it likewise spat out a mouthful of blood, turning the ground to ice where itnded.


    Clearly, its spiritual vortex had also been damaged.


    All four of the beasts had taken a debilitating injury, and hundreds of pairs of eyes seemed to be waiting for a precise moment to strike. Just like Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, they were trying to figure out how to get the fruit and leave in one piece.


    ¡°Since all the other beasts are waiting, what if we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait some more. We shouldn¡¯t strike before we¡¯re entirely confident. We¡¯ll need patience to find a way to get what we want while minimizing the injuries we take.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, suppressing her eagerness to get the fruits as she settled in and continued watching on with Li Mo.


    The yellow-furred beast was the one with the lightest injuries among the four high-rank beasts. Its golden eyes swept across the forested backdrop, causing the multitude of beasts hidden in the grove to slink back in retreat. Then, it nced at the slumberbeast, who nodded toward it, before stepping toward the two heavenly spirit fruits.


    Yun Ruoyan looked on anxiously, itching to dart out and grab the fruits.


    ¡°This yellow-furred beast is strong,¡± Li Momented. ¡°Not only is it faster than it looks, it can even severely wound the spiritual vortices of beasts at the same level of cultivation. We¡¯d better not try to attack it with brute force. Dumb bird, get out!¡± Li Mo turned around.


    Mo¡¯er, who had been hiding in Li Mo¡¯s broad hood all along, unwillingly poked its head out. Its nemesis was the slumberbeast, whose two howls had so frightened it that it darted into the depths of his hood and refused toe out.


    Now that its master was summoning it, however, it had no choice but toply.


    ¡°This is a packet of bewitching powder. Drop it over the yellow-furred beast¡¯s head.¡± Li Mo handed a small satchel to Mo¡¯er.


    Although Mo¡¯er¡¯s voice could induce sleep, it was far lower in cultivation than these four high-rank beasts. Furthermore, with the slumberbeast around, its signature skill would be easily countered. Its only advantages were its size and speed.


    Mo¡¯er hesitated for a moment. Only when it saw the slumberbeast lying injured on the ground did it chirp and hop out of Li Mo¡¯s hood, picking up the small satchel with its beak and flying directly for the yellow-furred beast.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo watched on as it flew above the yellow-furred beast, which growled in warning. Ignoring it, Mo¡¯er pecked a hole in the satchel of bewitching powder and began sprinkling the colorless, odorless powder over the yellow-furred beast¡¯s head. The yellow-furred beast felt its nose suddenly start itching, and it let out an enormous sneeze¡ªsucking in even more of the bewitching powder. Because its back was to the other magical beasts, no one else had discovered what had just happened.


    Having aplished its objective, Mo¡¯er chirped and quickly darted back to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side, cocking its head as it watched the yellow-furred beast¡¯s antics with its two masters.


    The yellow-furred beast¡¯s gaze looked a little dazed.


    ¡°Alright, we can show ourselves now.¡± Li Mo took hold of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand and walked out into the open with her. Because the heavenly spirit tree had stopped giving off light after its fruits reached maturity, their surroundings were almost entirely dark.


    However, since most of the present beasts had some form of night vision, their two silhouettes were clearly visible. As she walked, Yun Ruoyan could feel hundreds of stares on her, tracking her every move.


    Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan toward the two heavenly spirit fruits, neither rushing nor walking too slowly. The slumberbeast, green-scaled beast, and red-furred beast all tried to stand back up as they let out warning growls. As Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan walked out, they released their auraspletely. Li Mo was a peak ninth-rank demaster, and Yun Ruoyan a peak seventh-rank. Theirbined auras would be able to hold back the low- and weaker mid-rank beasts.


    Even the three injured high-rank beasts didn¡¯t immediately attack them.


    As the slumberbeast howled once more, Mo¡¯er, who had been perched on Li Mo¡¯s shoulder, immediately darted back into his hood. Following the slumberbeast, the other two high-rank beasts also began to growl.


    ¡°Mistress, not good! These three high-rank beasts aremanding the nearby beasts to attack you!¡±


    Almost immediately after Qiuqiu¡¯s warning, the surrounding low- and mid-rank beasts emerged from the forest, surrounding Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. Whereas Yun Ruoyan had long since unsheathed her spiritsteel dagger in preparation for this eventuality, Li Mo seemedpletely unperturbed.


    As a red-eyed wolf pounced at the two of them, Yun Ruoyan tried to defend herself with the dagger, but Li Mo pulled her into his embrace and darted aside. Before they couldnd, Yun Ruoyan heard a loud crash: the yellow-furred beast had physically blocked the blow for them.


    The red-eyed wolf¡¯s waist had broken from the impact, and it fell dead to the ground. With the yellow-furred beast around, the other magical beasts didn¡¯t dare attack carelessly, and Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo made it to the heavenly spirit fruits without any further disturbance.


    Li Mo stooped down to pick up a fist-sized, multicolored heavenly spirit fruit. Yun Ruoyan was about to do the same with the other, but before she could do so, a ck, sharp-toothed, long-snouted creature suddenly popped up from the ground right by the fruit¡¯s side and caught it before she could.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out and tried to snatch the fruit back, but the mysterious creature had already popped back into the ground and disappeared without a trace.

 Chapter 270: Consuming the Heavenly Spirit Fruit

    <h4>Chapter 270: Consuming the Heavenly Spirit Fruit</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan hurriedly pulled out a dagger and began digging at the ground, trying to unearth the small, mysterious creature which had snuck away with one of the heavenly spirit fruits.


    ¡°That¡¯s a fleeing groundrat, which can burrow as quickly as you or I can run. We won¡¯t be able to catch it.¡± Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan up, then looked alertly around them.


    By then, the remaining three high-rank beasts had discovered something amiss about the yellow-furred beast. Although they were all rather heavily injured, they dragged themselves up and stood opposing it.


    Behind the three high-rank beasts, within the dark forest, glinted the eyes of countless magical beasts.


    ¡°We have to find a way to get out. Even that yellow-furred beast won¡¯t be able to shield us from all these attacks,¡± Li Mo said, then handed her the heavenly spirit fruit that he had imed.


    Yun Ruoyan slipped the fruit into her silver bracelet as the three high-rank beasts began to howl, causing the beasts still hidden in the grove to step out. There was arge pack of wolves, as well as the saber-toothed tigers and firehounds that Yun Ruoyan had previously encountered. Now, however, they all seemed to be gigantified.


    The three high-rank beasts howled as one, and eight wolves pounced at Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. The yellow-furred beast continued to block them¡ªthree wolves were deflected, two were swiped to death, but the remaining three bit at the yellow-furred beast¡¯s flesh.


    The sudden pain caused the yellow-furred beast to howl, triggering wave after wave of attack. Consumed by pain, the yellow-furred beast began rampaging as it tried to defend against the multitude of beasts that had surrounded it. Despite its prowess, however, it wouldn¡¯t be able to handle so many attacks at once.


    Li Mo quickly flew off on his sword with Yun Ruoyan, and she pointed at a tree branch directly ahead of them. ¡°Li Mo, look!¡±


    On that tree branch squatted a gigantic monkey, one that was baring its canines at her and Li Mo. Its bloody-red eyes were fixed on her petite frame. The moment Yun Ruoyan pointed at it, it leapt toward her, and Yun Ruoyan immediately got into a defensive stance with the dagger in her hands.


    As if prepared, however, Li Mo managed to swerve away from its attack.


    ¡°What sort of magical beast is this? Why haven¡¯t I noticed its existence before?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve always been around,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°But because they¡¯re just wild monkeys, barely cultivators at all, it¡¯s difficult to notice them unless you¡¯re familiar with them. However, even without spiritual energy, these are particrly difficult beasts to deal with. At times, they¡¯re even harder to handle than magical beasts.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re present in overwhelming quantities, and all of them will swarm toward the single target that they¡¯ve designated, even at the cost of their own lives. Look around you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan tightly clutched Li Mo¡¯s waist to stabilize herself, then looked at her surroundings. The trees around them had soundlessly filled up with monkeys, some clinging onto the tree trunk, some stooping between branches, some hanging upside down off their tail, and some hidden in the crown of each tree.


    Out of nowhere, they hadpletely surrounded Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan. Li Mo hovered in mid-air, as if a single gesture would set off all the monkeys and endanger them both.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, are you ready?¡± Li Mo murmured.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Li Mo suddenly shot into the skies. A rain of monkeys pounced toward them, and Yun Ruoyan waved her spiritsteel dagger madly in defense. At the same time, Li Mo flew away at full speed while lobbing fireballs and icicles at any monkey which got too close.


    The howls and shrieks of the wild monkeys filled Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ears. Just as it seemed as though they would be able to break free of the forest, they encountered a woven from interlinked wild monkeys, holding hands and tangling tails together.


    Without slowing down, Li Mo turned around and called out to Mo¡¯er, ¡°Dumb bird, if you¡¯re still alive,e out and help!¡±


    Mo¡¯er poked its head out of Li Mo¡¯s hood, then spread out its wings and rushed to the front. As it did so, it transformed into itsrger form, going from the size of a magpie to several times the size of an eagle.


    It dashed toward the of monkeys, who met it head-on without any intention of ducking back. Right before it collided with them, however, Mo¡¯er suddenly stopped and began to caw. Despite knowing what was about to happen, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s vision nevertheless turned fuzzy, and she would have fallen to the ground if not for Li Mo¡¯s timely assistance.


    On the other hand, the wild monkeys were wholly unprepared for such an attack. They all fell unconscious, and each one slowly began to fall toward the ground.


    After this final hurdle, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan finally managed to make it out of the forest. As they did so, a resonant howl came from behind. Yun Ruoyan was jolted awake, as though her head had just been immersed in a bath of ice water¡ªthe slumberbeast, enraged beyond belief at the duo¡¯s sessful escape, had let out the cry with thest of its reserves.


    Mo¡¯er was so scared that it chirped, returned to its original size, and ducked back into Li Mo¡¯s hood.


    This was the first time that Yun Ruoyan had seen Mo¡¯er¡¯srger self, and she had been somewhat awed by its majesty¡ªbut now its majestic image was dashed, and she couldn¡¯t help smiling.


    Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath, sighing. Their escape had been a prelude to dawn, and as the two flew higher and higher, they could see the sunrise down below.


    Yun Ruoyan retrieved the heavenly spirit fruit from her pocket dimension, marvelling at how difficult it had been to obtain the treasure.


    ¡°It¡¯s best to consume the spirit fruit within a day of its ripening,¡± Li Mo advised. ¡°We¡¯ll head to a safe, secluded area so you can consume it now.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng rushed toward the heavenly spirit tree, barely a mile away. In his haste, he had chosen not to sleepst night. Although he didn¡¯t know about the heavenly spirit fruit, the howls that he had heard from the distance, as well as the continuous stream of beasts leaving the area, signalled a major disturbance.


    Along with major disturbances often came major opportunities, and Zhuo Yifeng was certain that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had gone to seek out exactly such an opportunity. By the time Zhuo Yifeng arrived at the scene, however, all he saw was a battlefield inplete disorder, with carcasses strewn left and right.


    Zhuo Yifeng rummaged through the carcasses. Although he didn¡¯t discover anything special, he did manage to obtain quite a number of mid-rank cores. Even more luckily, he had even found a high-rank earth-attuned beast core. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s adventure would have been worth it for this one core alone.


    After hisrge harvest, Zhuo Yifeng quickly retraced his steps and headed back in Guan Ruliu¡¯s direction.


    Meanwhile, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan were trying to find a suitable location for Yun Ruoyan to ingest the pill and break through. Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan to a gigantic tree, one evenrger than those around it, with a circumference equal to the wingspan of ten whole men.


    Part of the tree had been hollowed out, and the hollow was as tall as Li Mo. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo stopped outside the hollow, where Mo¡¯er chirped happily and flew in. After ncing at each other, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan followed it in.


    This was none other than Mo¡¯er¡¯s old residence. When it heard that Li Mo was trying to find a safe, secluded ce for Yun Ruoyan, Mo¡¯er had led them to its home! The interior of the hollow was easily wide enough to fit seven or eight people, and it was surprisingly clean.


    ¡°Hey, Li Mo, what are those?¡± Yun Ruoyan saw that there was a pile of bones left in the corner of the hollow, all of which were ratherrge. Yun Ruoyan walked over and picked up what appeared to be a leg bone, and she was just about tough at Mo¡¯er¡¯s hobby of collecting the bones of its prey when Li Mo began, ¡°These bones look like those of an adult soul-stealing bird, so they¡¯re likely from Mo¡¯er¡¯s parents.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan immediately put the bone back down, looking appropriately chastised.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,e over here.¡± Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan to a small alcove in the hollow, where a bed of soft leaves and fur had beenid out¡ªlikely where Mo¡¯er used to rest.


    Mo¡¯er flew around the hollow once. When Yun Ruoyan held out a bewitching flower seed, it quickly dove down and plucked it out of her hands, then obediently returned to Li Mo¡¯s hood.


    ¡°This ce is very suitable for cultivation,¡± Li Mo said, then sat Yun Ruoyan down on the soft leaves and furs. ¡°Yan¡¯er, you should consume the heavenly spirit fruit and begin the breakthrough process now.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Yun Ruoyan removed the glowing, multicolored fruit from the silver bracelet.


    ¡°Mistress, if you do manage to break through, you can also help me break through as well,¡± Qiuqiu informed her.

 Chapter 271: Fleeing Groundrat

    <h4>Chapter 271: Fleeing Groundrat</h4>


    Qiuqiu¡¯s cultivation and true form were both locked away upon being sealed in the silver bracelet. In order to break through this barrier, both its own cultivation and its mistress¡¯ cultivation had to advance.


    When she first entered Kongming Academy, Yun Ruoyan had obtained a sage-grade spiritual herb, the amaranthine sun. With the herb, Qiuqiu had amassed sufficient spiritual energy to break through, but it would require Yun Ruoyan to break through before it could do so as well.


    As a result, this breakthrough would be critical to both Yun Ruoyan and Qiuqiu.


    Li Mo took the heavenly spirit fruit from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands, then palmed her spiritsteel dagger from her thigh. He cut the heavenly spirit fruit in two, revealing a multicolored core and causing a clean, cool fragrance to permeate the air¡ªthe same scent that the heavenly spirit tree had released upon the maturity of the two spirit fruits.


    ¡°Here, Yan¡¯er, consume this.¡± Li Mo handed Yun Ruoyan the core.


    The core melted on her tongue, transforming into a warm current that spread throughout her entire body through her mouth, leaving behind a sweet fragrance. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body rxed fully, as though all her weariness had welled up and was now lulling her to sleep.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, close your eyes and cultivate,¡± Li Mo immediately reminded, seeing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s soporific gaze.


    Li Mo¡¯s words immediately cleared her mind, and she did as instructed. Arge quantity of fire-attuned spiritual energy was generated from her body, a windfall from the heavenly spirit fruit. Without wasting even a single drop, she gathered it all and sectioned it off in her spiritual vortex. She repeated the process, over and over, but no matter how much energy she gathered, there was always more waiting for her.


    After two days, Yun Ruoyan discovered that her spiritual vortex was no longer able to store any more fire-attuned spiritual energy; if she continued what she was doing, it was likely that she would distend her spiritual vortex.


    Just as she was about to stop cultivating, Li Mo¡¯s voice rang out from her mind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yan¡¯er. I¡¯ll impart you a cultivation technique that will allow you to condense your spiritual energy and greatly enhance how much you can store in your spiritual vortex.¡±


    He imparted the technique, and Yun Ruoyan began applying it immediately. Two dayster, Yun Ruoyan had managed to condense her spiritual energy twofold, freeing up half the space in her spiritual vortex. By then, her body had be engorged with the fire-attuned energy that the heavenly spirit fruit ceaselessly provided, and Yun Ruoyan returned to her regr cultivation once more.


    For ten whole days, Yun Ruoyan cultivated ceaselessly, until the stored energy in the heavenly spirit fruit seemed finally to be exhausted, propelling her all the way from a peak seventh-rank demaster to an eighth-rank one.


    ¡°Mistress, you¡¯ve finally broken through!¡± Qiuqiu shouted exuberantly.


    ¡°Li Mo¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes and nced at Li Mo with unbridled joy and excitement. ¡°I¡¯ve broken through!¡±


    ¡°In that case, shall I start preparing for our wedding?¡± Li Mo smiled at her.


    Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the gigantic forest, rtively far from Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s abode, Zhuo Yifeng had lost his way¡­


    Zhuo Yifeng had been heading back to meet up with Guan Ruliu after iming his spoils by the heavenly spirit tree. Just before dawn, however, a pervasive fog began spreading through the forest, and Zhuo Yifeng found himself progressing further and further away from the treehouse.


    After realizing that he had gotten lost, Zhuo Yifeng immediately took out his teleportation scroll, hoping to return directly to the treehouse. However, the moment he did so, a wild monkey jumped out of nowhere and snatched the scroll away.


    ¡°You beast! Return that scroll to me!¡± Zhuo Yifeng hurriedly chased after it. However, the wild monkey adroitly lost Zhuo Yifeng amidst the fog. During the chase, Zhuo Yifeng had only gotten more and more lost. After an interminable period of time, when the fog finally lifted, it was dark once more.


    Zhuo Yifeng had only foraged a few wild berries and fruits to eat during the day, and his stomach was growling. He had encountered a few wild beasts on the way back, but he didn¡¯t want to be burdened with a beast¡¯s heavy carcass given the spoils that he was already carrying with him. While there were a few smaller, more agile beasts, they moved so quickly and were so skilled at concealing themselves that even Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s archery was no help against them.


    Instead, Zhuo Yifeng used the tools he carried everywhere with him to make a little trap filled with fresh fruit. Then, hey down to rest on a tree bough nearby.


    At midnight, Zhuo Yifeng heard a loud noise from the trap, finding a round and chubby little beast trussed up amidst his trap. Zhuo Yifeng leaped to the ground and caught the creature, ready to slit its throat.


    Just then, the small creature suddenly opened its mouth and yelled out, ¡°Please, spare me! Don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hand stilled. ¡°You can speak?¡±


    He was surprised, but not entirely shocked. The Chenyuan continent was rife with stories and tales about creatures who, upon reaching a certain domain of cultivation, were able to take on a human form and speak. However, this was the first time he had ever seen its like.


    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m just a fleeing groundrat, with barely any cultivation at all!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng peered carefully at the small, rat-like creature in his hands¡ªround and chubby, with sharp incisors and round eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re some type of wild spirit, aren¡¯t you? Surely you can¡¯t be up to any good. Now that you¡¯vended in my hands, you¡¯ll simply be a sumptuous meal for me!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s previous run-in with the wild vine spirit had left him with prejudice against spirits in general. As he spoke, he lifted his dagger once more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, don¡¯t!¡± the fleeing groundrat screamed, recoiling. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a treasure, alright? Won¡¯t you spare my life?¡±


    The dagger stopped short of his neck once more.


    ¡°Oh? What treasure?¡± Zhuo Yifeng paused, his face turning vicious. ¡°If you dare lie to me¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, I wouldn¡¯t dare! It¡¯s a heavenly spirit fruit, the best treasure that this forest has to offer!¡±


    ¡°A heavenly spirit fruit?¡± Zhuo Yifeng had never heard of the name. Rather than shock and excitement, he simply disyed mild confusion.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t enter this forest for the heavenly spirit fruit?¡± The groundrat appeared very surprised, but quickly nodded its head. ¡°No wonder. The heavenly spirit tree bears fruit only once every few centuries.¡±


    The groundrat then told Zhuo Yifeng all about the miraculous properties of the heavenly spirit fruit. ¡°No matter how low or high your current cultivation, consuming the heavenly spirit fruit will surely boost it.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng was clearly getting tempted. He was a seventh-rank demaster, and progressing to eighth-rank wouldn¡¯t be an easy task. He had heard that those who didn¡¯t make it to eighth-rank even after the yearlong training would be forced to consume a spiritual pill that would raise one¡¯s cultivation. However, Yun Ruoyan had secretly told him that that spiritual pill had very severe aftereffects, and would likely prevent his cultivation from rising at all in the future.


    ¡°Does this heavenly spirit fruit possess any side effects?¡±


    ¡°No, absolutely not!¡±


    It spoke of the fruit¡¯s miraculous properties at length, and even mentioned that Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had taken the other fruit.


    ¡°The heavenly spirit tree only bore two fruits after a few centuries. One of them, I stole; the other, a male and female cultivator took.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng was initially suspicious of the groundrat¡¯s words, but the male and female cultivator that the groundrat had described sounded so much like Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan that he couldn¡¯t help thinking that he had really stumbled upon a treasure¡ªhow lucky he was!


    ¡°So, where¡¯s this fruit?¡± Zhuo Yifeng picked the groundrat up and scrutinized it carefully, but he couldn¡¯t find anything hidden on its body.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t kill me, I¡¯ll hand it over!¡±


    Although the heavenly spirit fruit was certainly valuable, the groundrat prized its life above all.


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t kill you. Where¡¯s the fruit?¡±


    The groundrat opened its mouth wide, wider than he could have imagined possible. As its round belly began to rise, its mouth filled with multicolored light, and it spat out the fist-sized fruit from its belly.


    ¡°This is the heavenly spirit fruit?¡± Zhuo Yifeng nced at the fruit on the ground, glowing softly with lights of all colors. Its exterior was surprisingly firm: even after the groundrat had swallowed it, it showed no signs of being digested. How was he to consume it?


    ¡°Do you have a sharp dagger?¡± the groundrat asked.


    <hr>


    1. I thought they were supposed to return to the treehouse after a week¡­

 Chapter 272: Dead

    <h4>Chapter 272: Dead</h4>


    ¡°Here, this.¡± Zhuo Yifeng handed the groundrat the dagger which he had used to threaten it, but the groundrat shook its head.


    ¡°Use that.¡± The groundrat¡¯s little w pointed at a tiger-canine arrow in the quiver on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back.


    Zhuo Yifeng had already used up the majority of his tiger-canine arrows, and there were only three left in his quiver.


    ¡°Those arrowheads of yours look quite sharp, so use them instead.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng plucked out an arrow. Following the groundrat¡¯s instructions, he pried open the fruit¡¯s tough outer shell, revealing a multicolored core that looked like a pill.


    ¡°Consume this, and that¡¯s it,¡± the groundrat instructed.


    Zhuo Yifeng nced at the core in his hand, sensing the concentrated spiritual energy it held, a smile dancing around his lips. With the core in one hand, and the groundrat in the other, he stood up.


    ¡°Hey, let me go!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng released his hand, dropping the groundrat onto the ground. It cursed in pain, then hurriedly burrowed into the ground and went out of sight. Zhuo Yifeng headed off in search of a secluded spot, consumed the core, and began to cultivate.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s cultivation was wood-attuned, and the heavenly spirit fruit generated an abundance of wood-attuned spiritual energy for him. Five days passed in the blink of an eye; after those five days, just like Yun Ruoyan, he found that his spiritual vortex had been filled to the brim, but the wood-attuned spiritual energy was continuing to flow out of his core.


    If he didn¡¯t disperse the spiritual energy from the core throughout his body, his spiritual vortex wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the strain; if he continued dispersing the spiritual energy throughout his body, it might break down.


    Without an appropriate technique for condensing spiritual energy, Zhuo Yifeng was on the verge of being consumed by his cultivation.


    ¡°Haha! This is the price for daring to mess with me, foolish human!¡± The groundrat that had scampered off now returned with a vengeance, smiling cockily at Zhuo Yifeng. It had tracked him to his hiding spot and was waiting for the precise moment at which he would go mad. Because of a natural defect, the groundrat wasn¡¯t able to cultivate on its own. Instead, it had somehow mastered a technique that would allow it to steal another creature¡¯s spiritual energy.


    As a result, even though it had managed to steal a heavenly spirit fruit, it wouldn¡¯t be able to consume it itself. Just as it was worrying about what to do, Zhuo Yifeng appeared. The devious groundrat cooked up a n to have Zhuo Yifeng consume the pill on its behalf, then to steal Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s spiritual energy away from him.


    Just as it was searching for an opportunity to strike, spiritual energy began to run rampant through Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body, causing the groundrat to want to squeak in excitement.


    ¡°You, what are you trying to do?¡± Zhuo Yifeng opened his eyes and warily stared at the groundrat. The spiritual energy in his body and spiritual vortex continued to froth and bubble, causing him to grimace and splitting his concentration.


    Although he still held a bow in his hands, he didn¡¯t have the strength to pull it taut. Although his body and spiritual vortex were filled to the brim with spiritual energy, he couldn¡¯t seem to use any of it.


    Zhuo Yifeng could only watch on as the groundrat approached him cockily. ¡°Since you look to be in such pain, I¡¯ll help you relieve it.¡±


    The little groundrat scampered to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back, then stuck to him like a pancake and began to suck away the excess spiritual energy in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body. Initially, Zhuo Yifeng struggled and tried to beat the groundrat away. However, with the groundrat¡¯s ¡®assistance¡¯, the spiritual energy that threatened to overwhelm Zhuo Yifeng had finally found a way out.


    Zhuo Yifeng stopped struggling, and the man and beast cultivated in an unusual equilibrium. As the heavenly spirit fruit generated spiritual energy, the groundrat sucked it away.


    After another five days, the groundrat¡¯s body had filled up with spiritual energy. It tried to detach from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body, but found itself utterly incapable of doing so: the spiritual energy had formed a natural flow between Zhuo Yifeng and the groundrat, one from which the groundrat couldn¡¯t extricate itself.


    Even after struggling for two entire days, it was still stuck to Zhuo Yifeng. Right before it would lose consciousness due to the spiritual energy rampaging through its body, it shouted to Zhuo Yifeng, ¡°Hey, if this keeps up, we¡¯re both going to die!¡±


    ¡°You little bastard, serves you right!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ might have a solution to save us both,¡± the groundrat replied.


    ¡°What?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked. He still had a blood feud with Li Mo, and he couldn¡¯t die now!


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you the only technique that I¡¯ve cultivated, which you can use to transfer your body¡¯s excess spiritual energy to some other creature,¡± the groundrat began. ¡°Once you learn it, find some magical beast in the forest and transfer your excess spiritual energy into it. The spiritual energy provided by the heavenly spirit fruit might be immense, but it¡¯s certainly finite. As long as you canst until all the energy is exhausted, we¡¯ll live.¡±


    Both their conditions were particrly severe. With no other resort, Zhuo Yifeng could only agree to the groundrat¡¯s suggestion. Zhuo Yifeng stumbled out of the bush he was hiding in, his body almost bulging at the seams with spiritual energy. Not a few stepster, he tumbled to the ground.


    However, the spiritual energy leaking out of him managed to attract a wolf hunting in the distance, which padded warily toward Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s prone body.


    ¡°Hey, hey, wake up!¡± Sensing danger, the groundrat bit Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s shoulder.


    Zhuo Yifeng gasped in shock, regaining his senses once more. As he turned, he saw the head of the giant wolf right next to his body. Before it could react, he stretched out his hand and began applying the groundrat¡¯s technique to transfer spiritual energy into the wolf.


    The wolf was initially startled, but then it felt a huge wave of spiritual energy transferring from the human in front of it. It had no clue what was going on, but the influx of spiritual energy was sofortable a sensation that it ended up sitting quietly and wagging its tail as the spiritual energy flooded through its body.


    When Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo soared over the narrow valley and re-entered the forest of giant trees, they found Guan Ruliu waiting for them. She anxiously told them that Zhuo Yifeng had rushed to the other side of the valley in search of them, and they immediately turned back to try to find him.


    After two nights, they finally found Zhuo Yifeng deep within the grove that contained the heavenly spirit tree. By the time they found him, he was unconscious. Beside himy a wolf whose body had exploded from taking in too much spiritual energy, and a groundrat spirit was stered to his back.


    ¡°Li Mo, what¡¯s going on?!¡±


    Li Mo nced at Zhuo Yifeng, then at the groundrat attached to his body. ¡°He must have consumed the heavenly spirit fruit as well. Without anyone to guard him or a technique to condense spiritual energy, he¡¯s losing control of his cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Losing control¡­!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted. ¡°Can he be saved? Li Mo, can you save him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how he managed to survive, but with me around, I won¡¯t let him die!¡±


    In his deep slumber, Zhuo Yifeng suddenly felt a pulse of mental energy breaking through his mental barriers and calling out to him, ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, wake up, wake up!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Instead of answering his question, the voice continued, ¡°You have an immense amount of spiritual energy in your body right now. I¡¯ll impart you a technique for condensing your spiritual energy, which will help you break through.¡±


    In his half-conscious state, Zhuo Yifeng began to apply the technique. He didn¡¯t know how long he spent circting his spiritual energy over and over, but he finally managed to squeeze everyst bit into his spiritual vortex, sessfully making the transition from a seventh-rank to an eighth-rank demaster.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, Brother Zhuo!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng opened his eyes to see Lin Qingxue¡¯s impassioned gaze.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Two tear tracks glimmered on her round face.


    ¡°Qingxue, what are you doing here?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked, shocked. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    Thest thing Zhuo Yifeng could remember was the wolf¡¯s body exploding after being filled up with spiritual energy. The force of the explosion had knocked him unconscious, after which point Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had found him.


    ¡°You¡¯re in the central college¡ªback in your own room!¡± Lin Qingxue told him anxiously, worried about his mental condition.


    ¡°My own room?¡± Zhuo Yifeng nced all around him at his familiar surroundings, verifying Lin Qingxue¡¯s words. ¡°How did I end up in my own room? Wasn¡¯t I training in an alternate dimension?¡±


    Lin Qingxue told him how Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had brought him back, and how he hady unconscious for three whole days. Only then did he realize that they had saved him, that Li Mo himself was the one who had imparted him with the vital technique of condensing his spiritual energy.


    He saved me¡­?!


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, what¡¯s the matter? You look so pale¡ªlet me fetch you a physician!¡± Lin Qingxue was just about to dash out of the room when Zhuo Yifeng pulled her back. ¡°Where¡¯s Yun Ruoyan and Master Mo?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re in the great hall.¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°Guan Tianyu¡¯s dead, and Rong Yueshan and her group¡¯s iming that Sister Ruoyan killed him. The second elder¡¯s making a fuss and refusing to leave. He¡¯s intending on killing Sister Ruoyan to avenge him!¡±


    ¡°What? Guan Tianyu¡¯s dead?!¡± Zhuo Yifeng hopped out of bed.


    ¡°Yes, and they¡¯re iming that Sister Ruoyan¡¯s the murderer!¡±

 Chapter 273: A Curious Incident

    <h4>Chapter 273: A Curious Incident</h4>


    The six elders of Kongming Academy had gathered in the great hall. The first elder chaired the meeting; to his left and right sat the remaining five elders. Beside them sat the provosts of each college, with Li Mo on the right. And in the center of the great hall stood five people: Yun Ruoyan and Guan Ruliu on one side, and Rong Yueshan, Yi Qianying, and Pei ZIao on the other.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t the truth of the matter been established?¡± the second elder asked, his face ugly. He stared maliciously at Yun Ruoyan, as though he wanted to dice her up on the spot. ¡°Yun Ruoyan killed Guan Tianyu, and I want her life in rpense!¡±


    ¡°Second Elder, the matter¡¯s still under investigation. It¡¯s certainly not confirmed that that¡¯s the case,¡± the first elder replied.


    ¡°What else is there to investigate? Rong Yueshan, Yi Qianying, and Pei Ziao all saw it with their own eyes! Is the southern college going to allow a murderer to remain in good standing?¡± the second elder yelled, jumping out of his seat.


    ¡°Second Elder!¡± Then, Li Mo also stood up. ¡°Who was it that told you that Yun Ruoyan killed Guan Tianyu?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s gaze swept over Rong Yueshan¡¯s group of three.


    ¡°The three of us reported the incident to the second elder together,¡± Rong Yueshan said, stepping forward. ¡°Senior Brother Guan died at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nder!¡± Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t speak up, but Guan Ruliu couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°When the four of you parted ways with us, Guan Tianyu was clearly still alive. Who knows what might have happened between then and when you left the training grounds?¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister Guan, what do you mean?¡± Yi Qianying put her hand to her mouth. ¡°Are you implying that the three of us killed Senior Brother Guan and then tried to me it on Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    Guan Ruliu frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not what I said. But consider a scenario like this¡ªyou encountered a horde of powerful beasts on your way out of the forest and left the wounded Guan Tianyu behind in order to escape with your lives. If not for such a situation, how would Guan Tianyu¡¯s corpse be so mangled?¡±


    Behind Rong Yueshan¡¯s group was a stretcher, and on that stretcher was Guan Tianyu¡¯s corpse. It was covered with a white cloth that was now stained with blood; the extent and richness of the color spoke volumes as to the state of Guan Tianyu¡¯s body.


    ¡°Senior Brother Guan¡¯s corpse was only mutted after his death,¡± Pei Ziao replied somberly. ¡°It¡¯s true that we weren¡¯t able to protect his corpse in its entirety, but that was because the treehouse was suddenly attacked by arge horde of beasts! All of us suffered some form of injury in our defense, let alone the dead Guan Tianyu!¡±


    ¡°Or so you im. What if Guan Tianyu had died during the defense itself, because you weren¡¯t able to protect him?¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Guan was beset with grievous injuries after his fight with Yun Ruoyan, which directly led to his death. Later, we had a run-in with wild beasts at the treehouse. Senior Sister Guan, surely you aren¡¯t trying to conte the two issues?¡± Rong Yueshan shouted in defense.


    ¡°Enough.¡± The first elder struck the armrests of his chair, quieting everyone instantly. ¡°Each party will present their own ount of what exactly happened.¡±


    Rong Yueshan detailed her version of the events on behalf of her group. Because Yun Ruoyan was the suspect in this affair, she had Guan Ruliu speak for her instead. Their ounts were rtively simr: the two parties hade into conflict, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s party had killed Song Yi and Sun Yan, then seriously wounded Guan Tianyu by blinding him. Then, Li Mo arrived, and Rong Yueshan¡¯s group wasmanded to return to the treehouse.


    Where the two ounts differed was on their respective emphases. Rong Yueshan focused on how Yun Ruoyan¡¯s team had killed Song Yi and Sun Yan, then grievously injured Guan Tianyu. On the other hand, Guan Ruliu focused on how Rong Yueshan¡¯s party had incited the whole affair, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group was only acting in self-defense.


    ¡°I can attest that, when Rong Yueshan¡¯s group left, Guan Tianyu only had a severe eye injury and nothing more. There was no way he could have been so grievously injured that he would die!¡± Guan Ruliu emphasized.


    ¡°My grandson¡¯s death will not go unpunished!¡± The second elder continued looking hatefully at Yun Ruoyan when he spoke.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo nced at each other, both realizing that this was a ploy. When all the students had gathered in the treehouse at the end of the expedition, they found Rong Yueshan¡¯s group being attacked by arge group of wild and low-ranked beasts. By then, Guan Tianyu had died.


    Rong Yueshan imed that Guan Tianyu had died to the beast onught, and neither Yun Ruoyan nor Li Mo had paid the incident much mind. However, after returning to Kongming Academy, all three of them immediately recanted their statements and used Yun Ruoyan of seriously injuring Guan Tianyu and ultimately leading to his death and his body¡¯s muttion as a result of the beast horde.


    From Yun Ruoyan¡¯s perspective, this was clearly nder, but those who weren¡¯t in the know could easily ept this as fact.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s confusion nowy in why such arge group of beasts had attacked the treehouse. It was constructed about eighty feet from the forest, and those beasts wouldn¡¯t be able to climb up into the treehouse. Instead, they had mmed their bodies against the trees holding the treehouse up, causing it to fall to the ground,


    What could have riled up the beasts so much that they would spare no expense to attack Rong Yueshan¡¯s group?


    ¡°Second Elder, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s important to figure out what¡¯s going on before you use these students? It¡¯s exactly because this matter concerns your grandson¡¯s death that you should be all the more prudent!¡± the sixth elder advised.


    Yun Ruoyan had saved Zhuo Yifeng, who belonged to the central college. As a result, the sixth elder thought quite fondly of her.


    ¡°And what do you mean?¡± The second elder pointed an using finger at the sixth elder. ¡°Do you im that I¡¯ve wrongfully used Yun Ruoyan?!¡±


    ¡°I think that that¡¯s quite possible,¡± the sixth elder replied calmly, seemingly unperturbed by the wrathful fury on the second elder¡¯s face.


    ¡°You!¡± The second elder¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°And so what if I¡¯ve maligned her?! Today, I¡¯ll see that Yun Ruoyan gets her just deserts so my grandson can restfortably in his grave!¡±


    ¡°Second Elder!¡± Li Mo suddenly cried out. ¡°Give me a day, and I¡¯ll find your grandson¡¯s killer for you. Whether you agree or not, I won¡¯t let you touch my disciple.¡±


    Li Mo met the second elder¡¯s gaze evenly, neither man intending to relent.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave it at that,¡± the first elder stepped in. ¡°Give Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan a day to prove their innocence.¡±


    The second elder had no choice but to ede to the first elder¡¯s will. ¡°And if they can¡¯t prove their innocence even after a day?¡±


    ¡°In that case, you may do whatever you like with me and my disciple, Second Elder,¡± Li Mo pledged.


    ¡°One full day¡ªdon¡¯t try to run off, or I¡¯ll hunt you down even if I have to trawl through the entirety of the Chenyuan continent!¡± The second elder pointed a warning finger at Li Mo, then beckoned to the northern college¡¯s students to follow him out with Guan Tianyu¡¯s corpse.


    Shortly after, the remaining elders and provosts also departed, leaving only the first elder behind. ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± he asked Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    Li Mo nced at Cang Song, still in a corner of the room, and didn¡¯t respond. Nodding, the first elder called out to Cang Song, ¡°Cang Song, see if the students in the southern college are doing well. There¡¯ll be apetition between the colleges in two months, so make sure that the students are preparing for it.¡±


    Cang Song nodded and left, but couldn¡¯t help turning back after leaving the great hall. How exactly would Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan get out of this mess? He was eagerly waiting for a good show!


    ¡°Li Mo, you don¡¯t trust Cang Song?¡± the first elder asked after Cang Song left. To the first elder, Cang Song was a trusted confidante. Although he had never divulged the details of his rtionship with Li Mo to Cang Song, he wasfortable allowing Cang Song to handle the workings of the southern college with little oversight on his part.


    In conclusion, the first elder considered Cang Song quite trustworthy, so he was surprised to see Li Mo so guarded against him.


    ¡°I am a little suspicious of Senior Cang Song at the moment, but we can discuss thister. Right now, I have to bring Yan¡¯er back to the forest to find some evidence of the altercation,¡± Li Mo replied.


    By the time they returned, the treehouse that had hosted them was nothing but splinters. The trees that had supported it were stumps, and beast carcasses filled the ground where the treehouse once stood.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan nced at each other before turning to a beast carcass and pulling its eyes open. The beast¡¯s eyes were muddied and obfuscated, as though it had been drugged.


    ¡°As expected.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up and looked toward Li Mo. ¡°These magical beasts were stimted by a beast attractant.¡±


    Li Mo nodded, having thought of this possibility at almost the same time as Yun Ruoyan. ¡°But who did it, and why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I have one suspect¡ªno, I¡¯m almost certain that the one who did this was her!¡±


    ¡°Her?¡±


    ¡°Yi Qianying! Back in the imperial territory, Yi Qianying used this exact tactic to lure two high-rank beasts into my group. After this period of time, she¡¯s surely grown more adept with such powders.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan swept over the carcasses strewn on the ground. Although they were massive, the beasts didn¡¯t have a very advanced cultivation at all.


    ¡°Given Yi Qianying¡¯s current skills, I doubt it would be difficult for her to attract all these beasts over. Of the students participating in the training, she¡¯s the most likely one to have done so.¡±


    ¡°In that case, we now need a motive. Why would she want to attract a horde of beasts over to attack herself?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. She was sure that Yi Qianying had done it, but why? She surely wasn¡¯t nning onmitting suicide, so¡­


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s to hide something,¡± Li Mo suddenly began, while Yun Ruoyan was lost in her thoughts...

 Chapter 274: Murderer

    <h4>Chapter 274: Murderer</h4>


    ¡°Why would Yi Qianying want to attract beasts over to attack her? What could she be trying to hide?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo began to think along these lines for a motive behind Yi Qianying¡¯s strange behavior. Suddenly, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What if she was trying to hide Guan Tianyu¡¯s cause of death?¡±


    Li Mo had arrived at the same conclusion. ¡°If it truly is to cover up Guan Tianyu¡¯s death, then that¡¯s what we have to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Right¡ªwe can¡¯t let Yi Qianying get away scot-free!¡±


    Back in the northern college, in Rong Tianhai¡¯s courtyard, Rong Yueshan, Yi Qianying, and Pei Ziao stood quietly around Rong Tianhai in silence, their heads lowered and their gazes downcast.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve obtained the spirit descendant, then where is it now?¡± Rong Tianhai¡¯s face was dark with anger.


    ¡°Third Uncle, we did manage to capture the spirit descendant ording to your n,¡± Rong Yueshan began. ¡°However, we handed it to Guan Tianyu for safekeeping. In the night, when we were attacked by arge batch of wild and low-ranked beasts, we didn¡¯t pay attention to Guan Tianyu¡ªand he died to one of the beasts!¡±


    ¡°Master Rong, that spirit descendant likely escaped while the beasts were attacking Guan Tianyu,¡± Yi Qianying added quietly, as if afraid of angering Rong Tianhai further.


    Rong Tianhai was indeed furious. He had spent an immense amount of effort trying to cook up a n to obtain the spirit descendant, and he had only discovered it in the first ce because of a stroke of luck. But when he finally had an opportunity to carry out his n, something unexpected had happened and the spirit descendant had vanished!


    If he didn¡¯t catch this spirit descendant now, he might never have a chance to get one ever again.


    However, this was only part of the reason he was angry: what made him more furious was that Rong Yueshan and the others had tried to pin the me for Guan Tianyu¡¯s death on Yun Ruoyan, and they had only revealed the truth when he pressed them!


    ¡°In that case, Guan Tianyu really died from a beast onught?¡± Rong Tianhai asked, his tone harsh.


    Rong Yueshan and the others nodded their heads without speaking a word.


    ¡°You dare trick me and even the second elder?!¡± Rong Yuehai thundered.


    ¡°Third Uncle, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s getting more and more arrogant. With Master Mo protecting her, if we don¡¯t make use of this opportunity to incite the second elder¡¯s wrath against her, we really can¡¯t hurt her,¡± Rong Yueshan exined.


    Rong Tianhai turned toward her. ¡°Whatever method you use against Yun Ruoyan doesn¡¯t matter, but did you really think you could fool the second elder?¡± Frowning, he continued. ¡°The only reason the second elder hasn¡¯t realized the deception is because he¡¯s currently mired in sorrow at the loss of his grandson. When he thinks back to the situation more logically, when he investigates Guan Tianyu¡¯s cause of death, he¡¯ll surely discover something amiss!¡±


    Rong Tianhai folded his arms across his chest. ¡°What¡¯s more, now that Li Mo¡¯s gotten involved in the affair, do you think you can really fool them both? The second elder loathes being tricked by others¡ªonce he finds out about your lie, he¡¯ll be the first to go after all of you!¡±


    When Rong Yueshan found Guan Tianyu¡¯s corpse, the first thing that hade to mind was trying to pin the me on Yun Ruoyan. She hadn¡¯t considered anything beyond that, and Rong Tianhai¡¯s words were making her worry quite considerably.


    ¡°Third Uncle, what should we do?!¡±


    ¡°Master Rong, please help us,¡± Pei Ziao added. Although Yi Qianying didn¡¯t speak, she was the most anxious of the three. Would the second elder really discover their lies? In that case, would he find out about her lies, too?


    ¡°Go back to your cottages first, and let me think about what to do.¡± Rong Yianhai sighed. ¡°If need be, I¡¯ll confess to the second elder on your behalf. In that case, you¡¯d all better pray for his leniency.¡±


    As soon as Yi Qianying returned to her cottage, she closed every door and window, then took out a pendant she hung around her neck. It shone brightly, as though it were merely an expensive ornament, but it was actually a very precious extradimensional storage space.


    This pendant was part of the dowry provided by the Yi family when she became the crown prince¡¯s concubine, and could be considered a family heirloom. Most such storage devices, just like the storage rings that both Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo possessed, could only store dead creatures. There were some that could also contain living creatures, like Yun Ruoyan¡¯s silver bracelet, but these were far rarer. This gold pendant was one such treasure.


    Yi Qianying ced the pendant in her palm. She closed her eyes and, barely moving her lips, caused a red pouch to appear seemingly out of nowhere. She opened the pouch to reveal a glowing, jade-green human-shaped nt¡ªthe spirit descendant that had allegedly gone missing!


    Its eyes were tightly shut, as though it was sound asleep. Yi Qianying took out a pouch of powder. Using a little stick, she scooped out some powder and ced it directly under the spirit treasure¡¯s nose.


    Achoo!


    The spirit treasure immediately sneezed loudly and woke up. As it opened its eyes, it tried to bite at Yi Qianying¡¯s fingers, but she quickly snatched them back.


    ¡°You little brat!¡± Yi Qianying tugged on the pouch. ¡°In order to steal you, I even killed Guan Tianyu! You¡¯d better take me as your mistress, or I won¡¯t go easy on you!¡±


    Yi Qianying had plotted to im the spirit descendant for herself almost immediately upon learning about it. Her cultivation was the lowest among her peers; even now, she was only an early fifth-rank demaster. Neither did she have the requisite talent to proceed much further, and bing strong through her cultivation alone was likely an impossibility. Although she was quite gifted at concocting all sorts of poisons, her inadequate cultivation prevented her from bing a pillmaster or even a poisoner.


    As a result, she felt an immense desire to obtain the spirit descendant. As its mistress, she would obtain the skills of a wild vine demon and the qualifications to be strong¡ªand then she would be able to exact revenge on Yun Ruoyan!


    Although Yi Qianying looked weak and innocent, she was cold-hearted and vicious. The moment that thought passed through her mind, she started plotting a n that would leave her the owner of the spirit descendant.


    When Yun Ruoyan blinded Guan Tianyu, Yi Qianying treated it as a sign that even the heavens were favoring her. That night, when the four of them returned to the treehouse to rest, Yi Qianying used one of her poisons to daze Rong Yueshan and the others.


    However, Yi Qianying was unable to find the spirit descendant on Guan Tianyu¡¯s body. She had to wake him up, then fake her voice while trying to force him to reveal the whereabouts of the spirit descendant.


    Guan Tianyu was very tight-lipped, so Yi Qianying had no choice but to torture him. Guan Tianyu had been so coddled by his grandfather that he quickly gave in and handed the spirit descendant over. The moment he did so, however, he attacked Yi Qianying, who identally killed him in defense.


    In order to hide what she had done, she sprinkled a beast-attracting powder over her unconscious group, and particrly over Guan Tianyu¡¯s body, so as to give off the impression that he had been killed by wild beasts.


    Neither Rong Yueshan nor Pei Ziao knew about this affair. When Rong Yueshan saw Guan Tianyu¡¯s corpse, she naturally believed that beasts had somehow gotten ahold of him, and she had thene up with the idea of ming Yun Ruoyan for his death.


    Yet unable to tame the spirit descendant, Yi Qianying could only give up struggling after hours of fruitless effort. She stored its pouch back in her pendant, blew out the candle on her desk, and went to bed. The moment she did so, two shadows flitted from her rooftop.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo looked at each other, then flew off on Li Mo¡¯s sword in the direction of the southern tower.


    ¡°Well? Have you found sufficient evidence to clear your name?¡± The first elder had been waiting on the roof of the southern tower.


    ¡°Not only did we find the evidence, we even found the true culprit,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Yi Qianying!¡± Yun Ruoyan jumped in, exined what they had found during the expedition in the giant forest, then described what they had overheard on Yi Qianying¡¯s rooftop. ¡°We heard Yi Qianying herself say that she had killed Guan Tianyu for the spirit descendant!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about a spirit descendant?¡± The first elder sounded somewhat confused.


    ¡°Within the forest, I killed a wild vine demon,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°That spirit descendant seemed to belong to that demon.¡±


    ¡°We killed the wild vine demon, but they were the ones who found the spirit descendant¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan shot Li Mo a knowing nce.


    ¡°Yes, I suspect they¡¯ve taken advantage of us.¡± Li Mo crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°This is the first time someone¡¯s ever tried to do so to my face¡ªand even to try to frame my disciple. Quite interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan understood Li Mo well: his expression and tone might seem rxed, but he was surely quite incensed. None of the students who thought themselves so clever at hoodwinking him would get away easily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Yi Qianying was the mastermind behind this entire affair,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, thinking for a moment. ¡°Based on my understanding of her, she doesn¡¯t have the skill or foresight to craft such a delicate n.¡±


    ¡°In that case, based on your deductions, there¡¯s likely someone else involved behind this entire affair,¡± the first elder began.


    ¡°Right, or Yi Qianying wouldn¡¯t have been able to im the spirit descendant for herself,¡± Yun Ruoyan added.


    ¡°No matter who the ultimate culprit is, we¡¯ll drag them out at the great hall tomorrow!¡± Li Mo eximed.


    The next morning, as Yun Ruoyan walked out of her cottage in search of Li Mo, she met Zhuo Yifeng along the way. Zhuo Yifeng had beening to find her; the students selected to participate in the expedition to the alternate dimension were exempt from sses and could spend their time as they wished.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng!¡± Yun Ruoyan saw his strapping figure from a distance. ¡°Are you doing well?¡±

 Chapter 275: Discovered

    <h4>Chapter 275: Discovered</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯m all fine now,¡± Zhuo Yifeng said, walking up to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°And I¡¯ve broken through to eighth-rank.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions! In that case, you won¡¯t have to consume that frightening spiritual pill to boost your cultivation anymore.¡±


    ¡°I also have to thank you for returning to save me,¡± Zhuo Yifeng continued. ¡°I thought I would die there, all alone in another dimension.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled. ¡°Actually, the one who saved you was Li Mo. Even if I wanted to save you, I wouldn¡¯t have the skills to do so.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s smile was brittle. ¡°Senior Sister Guan told me everything.¡±


    By then, there were already some girls cultivating together in the courtyard. When they saw Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng talking to each other, they all turned to the two of them. Because they had managed to defeat Guan Tianyu together with theirbined strength, quite a number of students were familiar with their faces.


    In addition, given that Yun Ruoyan was the main suspect for Guan Tianyu¡¯s death during this expedition, Yun Ruoyan was known by one and all in the southern college.


    ¡°I still have a lot of things to do today, and I¡¯m headed to find Li Mo now. Do you want toe with me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to deal with the second elder today as well, won¡¯t you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, but didn¡¯t reveal what she had found out through her investigation with Li Mo. First, everyone would find out in the afternoon, and there was no need to inform Zhuo Yifeng about it early. Second, she was truly in a hurry.


    Zhuo Yifeng mulled it over for a moment. ¡°Let me follow you.¡±


    As they walked out of the courtyard, they met Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue, who had rushed out to find them. They had heard about the usations leveled against Yun Ruoyan, and insisted on heading to the great hall with her. However, Yun Ruoyan refused, insisting that they go to ss instead. In the end, they could only give in.


    Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng went to the southern tower to find Li Mo, and all three of them then headed to the great hall. Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan naturally walked side by side, and Zhuo Yifeng followed behind them.


    Zhuo Yifeng knew that Li Mo had saved his life and had even imparted to him a technique for condensing spiritual energy, tempering and confusing his feelings toward Li Mo. As for Li Mo, well, he didn¡¯t seem concerned about this matter at all. Even after seeing him, his gaze simply swept coolly by, treating him as nothing more than a bystander as usual.


    This sort of supercilious feeling Zhuo Yifeng could understand, but it still struck him hard. To be saved by one¡¯s self-proimed nemesis, then to have that nemesis not care at all¡­ Zhuo Yifeng felt slighted and humiliated, but what was he to do?


    He lowered his head, tightly clutching the bow behind him.


    By the time they reached the great hall, the second elder, Rong Tianhai, Rong Yueshan, and the other students from the northern college had already arrived. Guan Tianyu¡¯s corpse had been left at the center of the great hall, but surrounding the corpse was an array of spiritual herbs, pills, and high-quality beast cores to prevent it from dposing.


    Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, and Zhuo Yifeng walked by Guan Tianyu¡¯s corpse and bowed to the second elder, who snorted in displeasure and nced wrothfully at Yun Ruoyan. Last night, after returning to the northern college, he had intended on carefully inspecting the wounds on Guan Tianyu¡¯s body. However, whenever he saw his grandson¡¯s mutted corpse, he was so ovee by grief that he couldn¡¯t continue the examination.


    As a result, until now, the second elder still didn¡¯t know his grandson¡¯s true cause of death. However, he had stared at Guan Tianyu¡¯s burned eyeballs for quite some time. The fire-attuned spiritual energy that had caused the damage had been so strong that traces of it still lingered on his body. The second elder was initially somewhat suspicious at how a seventh-rank demaster had produced such a strong attack, but Rong Yueshan¡¯s group had witnessed it personally, and Yun Ruoyan herself had imed responsibility for it.


    Given that Li Mo was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s master, and given that the second elder had never seemed to be able to get a grasp on Li Mo¡¯s full capabilities, it wasn¡¯t out of the question that it was a secret technique that Li Mo had imparted to Yun Ruoyan.


    Rong Tianhai was shocked to see the second elder¡¯s grief. He had been his disciple for over twenty years, and the second elder had always seemed to be cold and aloof. Despite his affection for Guan Tianyu, he would rarely disy it at all. Even to his grandson, he was superficially sharp and severe.


    As a result, it waspletely beyond Rong Tianhai¡¯s expectation that the second elder would be so ovee by grief that he resembled a different person entirely. Rong Tianhai had originally been looking for an opportunity to reveal the truth as he knew it, but he hesitated upon seeing the second elder¡¯s appearance.


    Since the second elder treated Yun Ruoyan as his grandson¡¯s murderer, telling him that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t responsible for the affair would undoubtedly cause him to shift his attention elsewhere. In that case, his grief and anger would be acutely reflected in Rong Yueshan¡¯s punishment.


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll have to double down on the im that Yun Ruoyan murdered Guan Tianyu. As long as Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unable toe up with conclusive evidence, then she¡¯ll have to take the me for the entire affair.¡±


    This was a contingency n that Rong Tianhai had brought up to Rong Yueshan¡¯s trio as they discussed what to do.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯ll suffer for what you did to Senior Brother Guan!¡± Yi Qianying shouted the moment Yun Ruoyan stepped into the great hall, her face a grieving, indignant mask.


    Yun Ruoyan was quite shocked by Yi Qianying¡¯s deception¡ªdespite being the culprit, how was she able to appear so sorrowful, so guileless? Even Yun Ruoyan had to marvel at her skill and shamelessness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly gave Yi Qianying a bright, sunny smile. ¡°The true murderer will surely pay for this. Yi Qianying, you can¡¯t run away from the crimes you¡¯vemitted, no matter how well you think you¡¯ve hidden from them.¡±


    As she smiled, Yun Ruoyan nced askance at Guan Tianyu¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°You¡ªwhat do you mean by that?¡± Yi Qianying appeared a little flustered, an emotion that she quickly suppressed.


    Yun Ruoyanughed coldly once more, then walked away and ignored her. If not for Li Mo wanting to catch the true mastermind who had orchestrated this entire affair, they would have caught Yi Qianying and brought her to the second elder immediately.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s smile caused Yi Qianying no small amount of unease. What¡¯s going on? Could she have discovered the truth?


    No¡­ No, that¡¯s impossible! No one realized what I did! Despite her confidence, she didn¡¯t dare to stand out any longer. Instead, she hid behind Rong Yueshan and Pei Ziao¡¯s backs, ready for any surprises that Yun Ruoyan might try to spring.


    After about fifteen minutes, the other elders and provosts also gathered at the great hall. Except for the elders and provosts, there were also the students who had taken part in the expedition.


    ¡°Junior Sister Ruoyan.¡± Guan Ruliu walked up to and stood by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side. As she did so, a number of other students from the expedition followed¡ªones who were generally friendly toward her, mostly from the central and southern colleges.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, we believe that you''re not the culprit.¡±


    ¡°Right, we believe you.¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan was quite confident that she would be able to vindicate herself, she was still d to have the support of her peers. In contrast, those students from the northern college were staring at her with hateful eyes, as if already having decided that Yun Ruoyan was the culprit.


    ¡°Why are there so many students here?¡± The first elder frowned.


    ¡°I had theme.¡± The second elder looked down at the gathered crowd. ¡°I want them to see the consequences of harming their peers! Now, we¡¯ll begin the trial of Yun Ruoyan!¡±


    ¡°Hold it!¡± Li Mo suddenly stood up, breaking him off. ¡°Second Elder, you promised us a full day to find evidence to prove our innocence. You couldn¡¯t have forgotten, could you?¡±


    The second elder faltered. He had made the promise yesterday, but because he didn¡¯t think the two of them coulde up with any such evidence, he was a little shocked at seeing Li Mo bring the matter up. ¡°Have you really found some evidence?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Not only did we find evidence that vindicates my disciple, we even found the true culprit behind Guan Tianyu¡¯s murder!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The second elder frowned deeply. He leaned forward, craned his long, slender neck, and stared unblinkingly at Li Mo. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Instead of directly pointing out Yi Qianying, Li Mo stood up and walked over to Rong Yueshan and her fellow students from the northern college. By then, Yi Qianying had already retreated to the midst of the crowd, trying to lower her presence.


    ¡°Master Mo, what are you trying to do?¡± Rong Tianhai stood up from his seat as Li Mo walked closer and closer to the gathered students from the northern college.


    Li Mo stopped and turned toward Rong Tianhai. With an outstretched hand, he made a grasping motion in the students¡¯ direction. Along with a girl¡¯s shrill scream, a gleaming golden pendant flew out of the crowd andnded in his hand.


    Yi Qianying clutched her neck, staring at Li Mo with eyes of desperation. Her mind nked. It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over! I¡¯m dead!


    How had she been discovered so easily?!

 Chapter 276: Scapegoat

    <h4>Chapter 276: Scapegoat</h4>


    Everyone had seen Li Mo remove the pendant from Yi Qianying¡¯s neck, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to dispute that the pendant was hers even if she wanted to. Except for Yun Ruoyan, they all seemed confused by Li Mo¡¯s sudden action.


    ¡°Master Mo, what are you doing? Please return my pendant to me,¡± Yi Qianying murmured pitifully, and the crowd¡¯s flummoxed gaze turned to Li Mo.


    ¡°Senior Brother, can you exin yourself?¡± Rong Tianhai asked the question that was in everyone¡¯s minds.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want evidence?¡± Li Mo held the pendant out for everyone to see. ¡°This is the evidence you¡¯re looking for!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this just Yi Qianying¡¯s pendant? How could it be evidence of anything?¡± Rong Yueshan asked.


    ¡°It might look just like a normal pendant, but it¡¯s actually an extradimensional storage device,¡± Li Mo exined.


    ¡°And so what?¡± Pei Ziao stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m sure most of the students present have one of their own!¡±


    ¡°It naturally doesn¡¯t mean anything by itself, but this isn¡¯t a usual such device. This pendant can even store living creatures¡ªfor example, a spirit descendant.¡± Li Mo nced at the second elder and Rong Tianhai as he spoke, noticing their shocked expressions.


    However, the second elder was still more confused than shocked. ¡°What spirit descendant? What does this have to do with my grandson¡¯s death? Li Mo, exin yourself!¡±


    On the other hand, Rong Tianhai gaped in shock as he turned to Yi Qianying, his face filled with disbelief.


    Yun Ruoyan had attested to the fact that this wasn¡¯t a n that Yi Qianying could cook up, so she suspected that there was a mastermind behind her actions. Li Mo guessed that this mastermind was either the second elder himself or Rong Tianhai.


    Neither of the two men would want to cause Guan Tianyu¡¯s death, so Li Mo¡¯s suspicions was that one of the two had prompted Rong Yueshan, Yi Qianying, and the others to make use of him to get rid of the wild vine demon, then to snatch up its treasure.


    And once they obtained this treasure, Guan Tianyu would be responsible for its safekeeping. Yi Qianying, blinded by greed, had then attacked Guan Tianyu, inadvertently killing him in the process. To hide the murder, she had to attract a beast horde over and pretend that Guan Tianyu had been killed by wild beasts.


    Rong Tianhai¡¯s expression gave him away as the mastermind.


    ¡°Second Elder, as the instructor in charge of this expedition, I will take responsibility for uncovering the truth behind Guan Tianyu¡¯s death.¡± Li Mo injected spiritual energy into the pendant, producing a red pouch on his palm. ¡°Within this pouch is the wild vine demon¡¯s spirit descendant.¡±


    The moment the pouch appeared, Rong Yueshan and Pei Ziao both looked toward Yi Qianying. Rong Tianhai did the same, his rage almost palpable. Rong Yueshan and Pei Ziao had witnessed Guan Tianyu keeping the spirit descendant in this red pouch. The second elder was even more familiar with it: it was a spiritual device that he had made specifically for spirit descendants!


    Yi Qianying¡¯s heart thumped. Her legs were quivering, and it felt as though she would sink to the ground at any moment. She began to breathe rapidly, ck spots appearing in front of her vision. The moment her deception was exposed, she would die a terrible death. Despair overwhelmed her, more acutely than she had ever felt before.


    ¡°Senior Brother, what can this spirit descendant prove?¡± Yi Qianying¡¯s dark thoughts were interrupted by Rong Tianhai¡¯s question. ¡°All it shows is that Yi Qianying was lucky enough to obtain a spirit descendant while adventuring in the forest.¡±


    Rong Tianhai looked toward Li Mo and deliberately continued casually, ¡°Just like Yun Ruoyan was lucky enough to obtain a sage-grade amaranthine sun. As you know, Kongming Academy has a policy of allowing students to keep whatever spoils they find in these training grounds¡ªSenior Brother, surely you¡¯re not going to im it for yourself, are you?¡±


    Li Mo frowned as he stared at Rong Tianhai. Clearly, he was trying to fabricate a lie to protect Yi Qianying.


    More urately, Rong Tianhai was trying to protect himself. No matter how Yi Qianying had obtained the spirit descendant, one thing was clear: it had been in Guan Tianyu¡¯s possession, and now it was in Yi Qianying¡¯s.


    Rong Tianhai didn¡¯t know how Yi Qianying had managed to steal the spirit descendant without anyone else finding out, but based on his understanding of Guan Tianyu, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have let the treasure go without a fight. Given Yi Qianying¡¯s cultivation, she surely wouldn¡¯t be able to beat him in a straight fight, but if she were to torture him¡­


    Rong Tianhai didn¡¯t dare follow that train of thought further.


    ¡°The presence of this spirit descendant doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± Li Mo¡¯s sharp gaze seemed to scour Rong Tianhai. ¡°I killed a wild vine spirit during the expedition, and this spirit descendant came from that spirit.¡±


    Rong Tianhai opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but Li Mo didn¡¯t give him the opportunity to do so. ¡°The reason I entered this wild vine spirit¡¯s territory was because it had trapped several of my students¡ªand the reason they were trapped was because someone had schemed to lure them into the wild vine spirit¡¯s nest.¡±


    Li Mo turned to Guan Ruliu. ¡°As the victim, please tell everyone what you experienced.¡±


    Guan Ruliu nodded and stepped forward, describing how she and her two junior brothers had fallen prey to some sort of miasma and then ended up entrapped by the wild vine spirit. ¡°After being poisoned, I seemed to hear Yi Qianying¡¯s voice, so I suspect that our situation wasn¡¯t a mere ident.¡±


    ¡°You¡ªyou¡¯re lying! What does your plight have to do with me? That¡¯s nder!¡± Yi Qianying eximed. For a few dire moments, she had thought herself dead, but Rong Tianhai actually spoke up for her! How could Yi Qianying not be excited upon seeing this beacon of salvation?


    ¡°It was I, Master Mo, and Zhuo Yifeng who entered the miasma and found Senior Sister Guan and her two juniors,¡± Yun Ruoyan jumped in, finally speaking for herself. As the key figure in this entire fiasco, her words instantly caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Based on Master Mo¡¯s and my experience, that miasma was manmade!¡± Yun Ruoyan paused a few moments for emphasis. ¡°Combining this observation with Senior Sister Guan¡¯s eyewitness ount, it¡¯s not hard to deduce that Yi Qianying was the one who created this miasma and induced Senior Sister Guan and her teammates to enter the wild vine spirit¡¯s nest!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Yi Qianying shrieked. She turned toward Rong Yueshan and Pei Ziao, her gaze anxious. ¡°Well? Say something! Tell everyone this isn¡¯t the truth¡ªafter all, I was with you two all this time, wasn¡¯t I? How could I have created this miasma and schemed against Guan Ruliu and her team?¡±


    Rong Yueshan and Pei Ziao both chose to remain silent. Neither of them were fools, and the fact that Yi Qianying had stolen the spirit descendant had been a great blow to their trust. Furthermore, the only reason Rong Tianhai had spoken up for her was clearly to save his own hide! Why would they get involved if they didn¡¯t have to?


    ¡°Not only that,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued, ¡°While investigating the giant forest with Master Most night, we discovered that the beast horde that attacked everyone only did so because the treehouse had been dosed with a beast-attracting powder!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze turned to Yi Qianying, and the gathered crowd all looked toward her as well. Some of them had been wounded by the attack, and three students had even died! If that wasn¡¯t just an ident, but had been deliberate¡­


    ¡°First Elder, before we began the training, Master Mo warned us not to fight with each other, but someone actually dared do so! You have to punish them on behalf of the students who died in this incident!¡±


    ¡°Yes, the culprit has to be severely punished!¡±


    The affected students all began to holler.


    ¡°Silence.¡± The first elder turned toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Was there anything else of note?¡±


    ¡°Yes, First Elder,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued. ¡°I recall a simr incident involving a beast-attracting powder during the initial trial to get into Kongming Academy, the expedition into the imperial realm. Yi Qianying had once used such a powder to attract two high-rank beasts toward me, so I suspect that this incident was likewise caused by her!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were deliberately piling everything on Yi Qianying. If they had instead chosen to target Rong Yueshan, Pei Ziao, and even Rong Tianhai in public, it would surely be a big blow to the northern college¡¯s reputation. Even the second elder, who grieved for his departed grandson, couldn¡¯t ept such a conclusion.


    If the second elder were to retaliate or defend his students, then Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo wouldn¡¯t be able to aplish their goal. On the other hand, if they were to me Yi Qianying for everything, then it was likely that the second elder wouldn¡¯t step in just on her behalf.


    As expected, when Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo seemed as though they were trying to pin the me on the entire series of events on Yi Qianying, even Rong Tianhai changed his tune.


    ¡°Yi Qianying!¡± Rong Tianhai pointed at her and yelled out, ¡°Are Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words true?!¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI¡ª¡± Yi Qianying was startled at Rong Tianhai¡¯s sudden shout.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve truly schemed against your fellow peers once and again, as the provost of the northern college, I surely won¡¯t go easy on you.¡±


    Rong Tianhai had initially expected Li Mo to try to pin the me on him, but that didn¡¯t seem to be his intent. In that case, Rong Tianhai was quite happy to have Yi Qianying shoulder the me in his stead.


    Given that Yi Qianying was the one who had killed Guan Tianyu, any punishment she received would be well deserved.


    Yi Qianying was quite flummoxed by this sudden turn of events. She had killed Guan Tianyu because of her greed for the spirit descendant, a crime that would be immensely difficult to weasel out of by itself. However, from the look of things, it seemed as if Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Rong Tianhai were all in cahoots¡ªthey were trying to me everything on her!


    She looked beseechingly toward Pei Ziao and Rong Yueshan, both of whom stared back with an icy gaze. Even her fellow students distanced herself from her, causing her to stand alone against a sea of hostile faces.

 Chapter 277: Admission of Guilt

    <h4>Chapter 277: Admission of Guilt</h4>


    ¡°Yi Qianying, are you still denying your crimes?¡± Rong Tianhai shouted once more.


    ¡°I, I¡ª¡± Yi Qianying was still hesitating when Rong Yueshan sidled up behind her and whispered gently, ¡°You¡¯d better admit your guilt while Senior Brother Guan¡¯s death is still considered an ident.¡±


    Yi Qianying¡¯s heart thumped. Although she would be admitting to harming her peers, it was surely better than being med for Guan Tianyu¡¯s murder and being the target for the second elder¡¯s revenge.


    ¡°I, I confess!¡± Yi Qianying slowly fell to her knees in front of the crowd.


    The first elder stood up from his seat. ¡°In that case¡ª¡±


    ¡°First Elder, I¡¯ll take responsibility for this matter, given that I oversee the northern college. Please allow me to bring Yi Qianying to the hall of penitence to be punished,¡± the second elder interrupted as soon as the first elder began to speak.


    ¡°As for the murderer?¡±


    ¡°My poor grandson died to a beast horde! Since Yi Qianying was responsible for bringing the beasts over, she will naturally have to take responsibility,¡± the second elder exined.


    ¡°In that case, do you agree that Yun Ruoyan should be absolved from me?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± the second elder replied, as though he weren¡¯t the one who had pronounced her guilty in the first ce. ¡°Now that everything¡¯s settled, please allow me to leave.¡±


    The second elder left the great hall with arge crowd of students from the northern college in tow, followed by the disgraced Yi Qianying.


    The other elders and provosts all seemed somewhat confused. Some had noticed something amiss, but there was no reason for them to get involved in others¡¯ affairs. After the second elder left, the remaining students and faculty of the academy slowly began to drift out of the great hall.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, why are you running about even before you¡¯re fully healed?¡± The sixth elder clicked his tongue as he approached Zhuo Yifeng.


    Zhuo Yifeng was now truly one of the strongest students in the central college. After the expedition, he had be an eighth-rank demaster, a rare feat even within Kongming Academy, but especially within the central college. Despite being new, he had already attained such a marvellous aplishment!


    ¡°Quick, follow me to my residence. I¡¯ll have to prepare a little something to help you recuperate.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng turned to look at Yun Ruoyan, who smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m alright now, so you should return with the sixth elder. We¡¯ll have another training sessioning up, remember?¡±


    After Zhuo Yifeng left, Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, and the first elder headed to the northern tower together. Upon reaching the second floor of the tower, Yun Ruoyan asked Li Mo, ¡°Why did we spare Yi Qianying this time? And how about Rong Tianhai, Pei Ziao, and Rong Yueshan? Surely they should have been implicated too?¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan had managed to vindicate herself, she regretted not being able to round up and trounce all her enemies from the northern college at once.


    ¡°What we can think of, so can the second elder. You know how much the second elder cares about his reputation, don¡¯t you? He¡¯ll certainly deal with Rong Yueshan¡¯s group and Rong Tianhai even if we don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, if we did try to use Rong Tianhai and all those students from the northern college in such a public venue, he would surely try to defend them, and it would have gone worse for us,¡± the first elder added.


    Li Mo and the first elder exchanged a nce and smiled.


    On the second elder¡¯s orders, Yi Qianying was imprisoned within the hall of penitence. Rong Tianhai, Rong Yueshan, and Pei Ziao were each called in for questioning with the second elder. Right after they entered the second elder¡¯s residence, the second elder turned around and pped Rong Tianhai.


    The strike had been infused with spiritual energy, and Rong Tianhai staggered and almost fell to the ground. Luckily, Pei Ziao had supported him from behind.


    ¡°All of you, kneel!¡± The second elder¡¯s face had suddenly turned disconcertingly dark.


    When Rong Tianhai recovered from the p, he was the first to kneel. Mimicking him, Pei Ziao and Rong Yueshan also knelt down.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about a spirit descendant?¡± Before Rong Tianhai could respond, the second elder warned, ¡°You know my temper, so don¡¯t try to trick me!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, Master.¡± Rong Tianhai kowtowed deeply. Then, he described how he had taught Rong Yueshan¡¯s group how to make use of Li Mo to obtain the wild vine spirit¡¯s spirit descendant.


    Rong Yueshan and Pei Ziao filled in the details of what had actually happened during the training expedition. ¡°We gave the spirit descendant to Senior Brother Guan for safekeeping, and it was with him for the entire duration. We also don¡¯t know how Yi Qianying managed to take it from him,¡± Rong Yueshan exined. ¡°However, we¡¯re quite confident that Senior Brother Guan¡¯s death had something to do with Yi Qianying.¡±


    The second elder snorted coldly. ¡°Something to do with? She clearly killed my grandson in order to seize that treasure! All of you are implicated in my son¡¯s death, and you¡¯ll all receive punishment at the hall of penitence!¡±


    The three of them lowered their heads, not speaking a word in retort.


    ¡°In that case, what will we do with Yi Qianying?¡± Rong Tianhai asked. ¡°Should we just...¡±


    Rong Tianhai made a shing gesture against his throat.


    ¡°That would be far too painless for her,¡± the second elder gritted out. ¡°Keep her in the worst cell you can find, and have her be severely punished by the students working in the hall of penitence¡ªbut make sure she doesn¡¯t die. A yearter, release her and throw her into an alternate dimension. I don¡¯t want to see her again!¡±


    Within a prison cell in the hall of penitence, Yi Qianyingy curled up in a corner of the cell, herrge eyes staring expressionlessly at the ground. In her mind¡¯s eye, she kept reying the series of events that had left her in such dire straits. When she first saw the spirit descendant, her mind had suddenly filled with greed. She enacted her n to kill Guan Tianyu, then incited an attack by a beast horde to hide the murder. Then, she manipted Rong Yueshan toe up with the n to me it all on Yun Ruoyan.


    What had gone wrong? Yi Qianying knew that her n was daring, but it should have worked. Up untilst night, Yi Qianying had thought that she had pulled off her n faultlessly. Not only did she manage to snatch the spirit descendant, she had even managed to pin the me on Yun Ruoyan!


    But in the span of a single day, her fortunes had reversed. The one who had been imprisoned wasn¡¯t Yun Ruoyan, but her! She had truly made a mess of things.


    Yi Qianying cradled her head with her arms and rocked back and forth against the cold, damp ground. Just as she was about to begin wallowing in her misery, the door to her cell opened. Yi Qianying raised her head to see two gray-robed disciples, one fat and one skinny.


    ¡°Senior Brothers, what are you here to do?¡± They were smiling in malicious glee, greatly difiting Yi Qianying.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. We just wanted to find you a better ce to rest, Senior Sister. How could such a beautiful girl like you stand to remain in this dinky cell?¡± the skinny disciple joked, then smiled all the more brightly, sending shivers down her spine.


    ¡°No, no! There¡¯s quite no need. I¡¯m fine where I am, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± The fatty chortled. ¡°You think you¡¯re here as a guest? Get up!¡±


    He roughly grabbed Yi Qianying¡¯s arm and pulled her up, then dragged her outside.


    ¡°Where exactly are you taking me, Senior Brothers? Won¡¯t you please tell me?¡± Yi Qianying handed a rather ornate bracelet on her wrist to the fat disciple, and a ring on her right hand to the skinny one.


    ¡°Senior Brothers, please, take this gift,¡± Yi Qianying begged piteously.


    The two disciples palmed Yi Qianying¡¯s jewelry and smiled, satisfied. ¡°We¡¯ve been tasked to send you deeper into the dungeons. Originally, we¡¯d nned on torturing you after bringing you there, but since you¡¯re so respectful of your elders, we¡¯ll let you go this once.¡±


    They brought Yi Qianying to a ck, smelly, damp little chamber, out of which emanated the ghastly odor of rot and decay. Through the metal grille, Yi Qianying thought she could see a few red-eyed rats scurrying about.


    ¡°And here we are, your new residence! Get in!¡± The skinny disciple shoved Yi Qianying.


    ¡°No, no! I don¡¯t want to go in, I won¡¯t!¡± Yi Qianying held on to the metal bars on the outside of the cell, shaking in horror.


    ¡°And here I thought you would be more obedient¡­ You¡¯re asking for trouble, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t force me to attack you. All your spiritual energy has been sealed, and you¡¯re nothing more than an ordinary human now,¡± the fatty reminded.


    ¡°Senior Brothers, please do me onest favor, please!¡± Yi Qianying held on to the metal bars in desperation. ¡°I¡¯m the concubine of the crown prince of the Li kingdom. Please let the crown prince know that I¡¯ve been imprisoned here, as well as the northern college¡¯s Pei Ziao. Please, I¡¯ll reward you once I¡¯m freed!¡±


    In her cottage by the cliffside, Yun Ruoyan was taking a bath.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan submerged her entire body within the bathtub. After almost two weeks in an alternate dimension, she was finally able to enjoy a hot water bath. Yun Ruoyan was sofortable that she didn¡¯t even want to poke her head out of the water.


    Just then, a pair of hands deftly reached into the bathtub, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her out.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Yun Ruoyan screamed, only to see that the person standing in front of the bathtub was none other than Li Mo. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?!¡±


    She subconsciously crossed her arms over her chest.


    ¡°Do you know how long I¡¯ve been sitting on the windowsill? You never came out of the water, and you didn¡¯t respond to my calls, so I was worried that you had drowned.¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice had turned a little husky once he noticed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s nude body.


    ¡°Have you forgotten that I have this?¡± Yun Ruoyan pointed at the gleaming serpent-core ne around her neck.


    Under her ne¡¯s reflected light, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s skin appeared as sparkling and translucent as the serpent¡¯s beast core itself, so beautiful that she seemed like an otherworldly creature.


    Her clean face was as smooth and unblemished as a freshly peeled egg, soft, tender, but firm to the touch. Her skin was like that of a freshly bloomed lotus flower, and the few drops of water still clinging to her skin only entuated her beauty.


    Li Mo couldn¡¯t help reaching out to caress her face. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll be heading back to the capital to prepare for our wedding. As soon as you be of age in theing spring, we¡¯ll get married.¡± Li Mo¡¯s ardent gaze roamed her body.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, a slight smile by her lips. ¡°Whatever you wish, Your Highness.¡±


    The moment she spoke, Li Mo stepped forward and pressed his lips to hers. Over the course of a deep, elongated kiss, Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan out of her bathtub and into bed. Yun Ruoyan offered no resistance; she was as obedient as a gentle bunny under Li Mo¡¯s ministrations.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t as if Yun Ruoyan was a virgin; after all this time, she had long since mentally prepared herself for being with Li Mo. However, just as both of them were deep in the throes of passion, Li Mo stopped himself forcefully. He buried his head by the crook of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s neck, his voice low and hoarse.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, I promised not to do anything with you until you came of age. I keep my promises.¡±

 Chapter 278: Message

    <h4>Chapter 278: Message</h4>


    Dark and damp was Yi Qianying¡¯s cell in the depths of the hall of penitence, a neverending darkness that caused her to lose track of time. Initially, she had yelled and screamed, hoping for some sort of attention, any sort. However, even after her throat had gone hoarse, no one came.


    Her onlypanions were the rats in her cell, as well as a set of old, bleached bones from a previous resident, though exactly how far back she couldn¡¯t determine.


    Tired of yelling and shouting, she eventually curled up by a corner of her cell, hugging her knees. There were only two such dry areas in her cell; the other was exactly opposite, and was upied by the skeleton.


    ¡°Time to eat!¡± a familiar voice called out. Food was provided once daily in this prison, and this was the same disciple responsible for the dreary duty.


    The moment Yi Qianying heard his voice, she immediately woke up from her daze and carefully trod to the grille of her cell, avoiding the damp patches of ground.


    ¡°Senior Brother, is there anyone here to see me?¡± Yi Qianying craned her neck and called out.


    ¡°No,¡± the warden replied, impatient. Yi Qianying had made quite a fuss since her imprisonment, but she had finally grown weary of doing so thesest few days. However, every time he brought food over, Yi Qianying would ask him the same question.


    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be! Did you really ask on my behalf? I¡¯ve made it worth your while, haven¡¯t I? If you want more, I have a few more pieces of jewelry and the like¡­¡± Yi Qianying removed herst hairpin and handed it to the man.


    The man took the hairpin, briefly smiled, and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth¡ªgive up! You¡¯re imprisoned in the deepest dungeon of the hall of penitence, designated only for those prisoners who¡¯vemitted such grave sins that they can¡¯t be pardoned! The only prisoners sent here are ones ted for death, so who woulde visit you?¡±


    Yi Qianying gaped, but she was unable to say a word. Actually, this sort of oue had been within her expectations. Li Qianxiao hated her in the extreme, and would likely much prefer that she disappeared entirely from his sight. She still held a faint flicker of hope that Pei Ziao would save her, but reality had snuffed this hope out.


    Her straits were dire, irrevocably and entirely so.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ve taken your money for nothing,¡± her jailer warned. ¡°I¡¯ve helped you get better food thest few days, so just stay in your cell patiently and don¡¯t cause me any trouble.¡±


    Yi Qianying nced at the hardened bun, the bowl of porridge that was as clear as soup, and a few leafy greens scattered on a te. Sheughed bitterly, knocking the tray of food over.


    ¡°Ah! You don¡¯t want the food? Then I won¡¯t bring you any tomorrow, either!¡± The man stormed off.


    Yi Qianying raised her head and chuckled to herself, louder and louder, until herughs turned to mournful cries and intive sobs. One wrong move, and she had lost everything!


    Meanwhile, Li Mo had brought Yun Ruoyan to his manor in the capital.


    ¡°Li Mo, weren¡¯t we going to go on another training session? Why did you bring us back here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to marry you as my consort, so of course I have to return and prepare a gift,¡± Li Mo replied.


    He had brought up the matter while they were still in the forest expedition. At that point, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t objected, but now that she was witnessing Li Mo¡¯s preparations in person, she couldn¡¯t help getting anxious.


    ¡°But I¡¯m your disciple! You know as well as I do how much emphasis the Li kingdom ces on customs. I¡¯m worried my father will forbid this marriage,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, concerned.


    ¡°Ha! I, Li Mo, have never been restrained by such customs.¡± He smiled winningly at her, then pulled her into his rooms. Along the way, they encountered Li Luo. She had clearly received advance warning that Li Mo would be returning to the manor, and hade out to wee him.


    Yun Ruoyan had yet to consume breakfast, and Li Mo ordered Li Luo to prepare a few snacks.


    When Li Mo saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s worried expression, he pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Yan¡¯er, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything. Just prepare to be my consort.¡±


    Not longter, Li Luo brought a few trays of snacks and two bowls of lotus-seed soup over.


    ¡°Where did such fresh lotus seedse from in the middle of winter?¡±


    The glistening lotus-seed soup looked no different from that which she had been served in the height of summer.


    Li Luo bowed. ¡°Since you enjoyed it thest time you were here, Miss Yun, His Highness had us prepare a few lotus roots to be stored in the cer.¡±


    ¡°Sister Li Luo, it¡¯s been so long that you¡¯ve even started being distant to me again!¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up and tugged at Li Luo¡¯s hand. She was her brother¡¯s one love and would very likely be her sister-inw in the future, and she had to make sure she was on good terms with her. Furthermore, Yun Ruoyan truly liked this strong, unyielding beastkin woman.


    ¡°Miss Li Luo,¡± a servant suddenly called out. ¡°Miss Li Luo, are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Li Luo called back. She was just about to step outside when the servant rushed into the room.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± When the servant rushed in and found Li Mo sitting in the room, he was so scared that he immediately knelt and bowed. ¡°Your Highness, I meant no disrespect¡ª¡±


    Li Mo peered coolly at the servant before motioning for him to rise.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you in such a rush?¡± Li Luo asked.


    ¡°Young Master Yun¡¯s here,¡± the servant began, smiling. ¡°That¡¯s why I came in search of you so urgently, Miss Li Luo.¡±


    The servant¡¯s smile and eager tone made Yun Ruoyan suspect that her dear brother had been a frequent guest at the ughtering King¡¯s manor¡ªand he had likely bribed this servant, or he wouldn¡¯t have been so eager to ry his arrival to her.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, since your brother¡¯s here, call him over and let¡¯s have a talk.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew that Li Mo was trying to take advantage of this opportunity to tell Yun Moxiao about his nned marriage with her. Of her rtives, the one whose opinion she cared about most was undoubtedly her brother, Yun Moxiao.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, and her heart began to palpitate.


    Under his master¡¯s order, the servant ran back to the front doors to invite Yun Moxiao in. Not long after, the servant returned with him in tow.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Yun Moxiao was surprised to see Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan together. Before he could say anything, however, Yun Ruoyan had rushed up to his side.


    ¡°Ruoyan, when did you return?¡±


    ¡°I just did, and then you got here!¡± Yun Ruoyan pursed her lips mischievously.


    ¡°Ah, that.¡± Yun Moxiao cleared his throat self-consciously upon seeing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression. ¡°I came to find Li Luo in order to get her to pass a message to you.¡±


    ¡°What message?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s from Grandfather, asking you to head to the Lin manor when you have an opportunity. Apparently, there¡¯s some family business that he¡¯d like to tell us about, but he didn¡¯t specify what exactly.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan immediately turned anxious: if it weren¡¯t something particrly urgent or important, her grandfather surely wouldn¡¯t go as far as to send a messenger to the ughtering King¡¯s manor.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s head over immediately.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned back to Li Mo. ¡°I¡¯ll head to the Lin manor with my brother right now, then go directly back to the Yun estate.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I have some matters of my own to attend to, so I¡¯ll head over to find your father once I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Yun Moxiao was on his way out when he suddenly heard Li Mo mention that he was going to the Yun manor in search of Yun Lan. He stopped short, turned around, and asked, ¡°Your Highness, may I ask why you¡¯re looking for my father?¡±


    ¡°I n on asking him for Yan¡¯er¡¯s hand in marriage.¡±


    Yun Moxiao blinked. ¡°Your Highness, haven¡¯t you already taken Ruoyan as a disciple?¡±


    ¡°Taking her as a disciple was only an interim measure,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°Our rtionship is solely that of instructor and student, nothing more. Neither of us have taken the matter seriously.¡±


    ¡°Not take the matter seriously?! But an apprenticeship¡¯s a serious matter, one that remains with you for your entire lifetime!¡± It would be an understatement to call Yun Moxiao agitated. He had grown up with the regimented, constrained lifestyle of the army, and he was extremely shocked by Li Mo¡¯s indifference to cultural norms.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go find Grandfather first. We can discuss this issueter.¡± Yun Ruoyan gave Li Mo a look, then forcefully pulled her brother away.


    As the two of them left the ughtering King¡¯s manor and got on the Yun family carriage, Yun Moxiao began haranguing her about ethical and societal norms, particrly concerning her and Li Mo. Because they were master and disciple¡ªand, symbolically, father and daughter¡ªtheir rtionship would be incestuous.


    Yun Ruoyan had never known this old-fashioned side of her brother, and she countered, ¡°In that case, isn¡¯t interracial coupling between humans and beastkin likewise frowned open? Brother, why do you still insist on being with Sister Li Luo?¡±


    Yun Moxiao sputtered. After quite a lengthy silence, he finally replied, ¡°My situation¡¯s different!¡±


    ¡°Different? How? Li Mo and I aren¡¯t rted by blood, so how could it be incest?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re master and disciple!¡±


    ¡°And so what? The difference between ¡®master¡¯ and ¡®disciple¡¯ is just a distinction of status. As the scion of a noble family, the distinction between you and Sister Li Luo, a beastkin servant, is likewise a distinction of status. If you can ignore this difference, why can¡¯t I?¡±


    Yun Moxiao thought himself rtively eloquent, but he found himself tongue-tied with regards to his sister¡¯s logic.


    ¡°I can¡¯t outwit you,¡± Yun Moxiao finally continued. ¡°But if you want to marry the ughtering King, then you surely have to gain the approval of our father and the emperor himself. Whether or not you need the approval of Kongming Academy, I don¡¯t know, but this is no easy task to aplish.¡±


    ¡°Li Mo will deal with all that,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, forcing a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll just need to prepare to be a bride.¡±

 Chapter 279: Not Dead!

    <h4>Chapter 279: Not Dead!</h4>


    Yun Moxiao stared dazedly at Yun Ruoyan, rather shocked by her desire to be married off as soon as possible. After all, to him, she was still just a little girl!


    In truth, ignoring her reborn soul, she was just a little girl.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re still not of age yet, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m only fourteen. Next spring, when the phoenix orchids bloom once more, I¡¯ll reach my age of majority.¡±


    Her gaze was bright, clear, and filled with anticipation. ¡°It¡¯s only two or three months away, so it isn¡¯t too early to be nning my wedding now.¡±


    Given her apparent jubtion, Yun Moxiao couldn¡¯t bear to speak up against his sister¡¯s wishes. ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯ve changed so much thisst year,¡± he eventually sighed.


    By the time Yun Moxiao had returned from the army, Yun Ruoyan had already cleansed the carmine embrace from her body with Lin Zainan¡¯s help. With this poison gone, she had regained her beauty.


    If you had seen me before my rebirth, Brother, you would surely have been more surprised. ¡°My hard work brought me a few opportunities, but arge part of my improvement was only possible due to Li Mo¡¯s help,¡± Yun Ruoyan began solemnly. ¡°Brother, if there exists a man that¡¯s worth my marrying, that man is surely Li Mo.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words were tinged with the affectation of aged wisdom, manifesting itself so strongly that Yun Moxiao was a little taken aback.


    His sister smiled again, somewhat sadly. ¡°No matter how you or Father object, no matter what Grandfather thinks, I¡¯ll still marry Li Mo.¡±


    ¡°Since your mind is set, as your brother, I have to support you, don¡¯t I?¡± Yun Moxiao sighed.


    ¡°Brother, thank you!¡± Yun Ruoyan leaned her head against his dependable shoulder. In her heart, she thanked the heavens once again that there were two trustworthy men in her life this time around.


    ¡°Young Master, Miss, we¡¯re at the Lin manor,¡± their carriage driver announced.


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao got off the carriage. When they saw Lin Bo standing at the front of the manor waiting for them, they both sped up unconsciously.


    ¡°Lin Bo, what¡¯s so urgent?¡± they asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see once you talk to Master Lin,¡± Lin Bo replied.


    The two siblings exchanged a worried nce before they followed Lin Bo toward Lin Zainan¡¯s study. As they entered, they saw Lin Zainan slumped against his chair behind the desk, his eyes zed over. However, his eyes conveyed neither worry nor anxiety, but rather a sense of joy.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Xiao¡¯er, you¡¯re both here!¡± Lin Zainan straightened up and smiled.


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao both rxed upon seeing their grandfather in good spirits.


    ¡°Grandfather, what was so urgent that you had to summon us immediately?¡± Yun Moxiao asked.


    ¡°Something big has happened.¡± Lin Zainan motioned for Lin Bo to shut the door, then for Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan to have a seat. ¡°Yesterday, one of the servants responsible for guarding the Lin mausoleum reported that someone tried to rob a tomb.¡±


    ¡°What---someone robbing a Lin family tomb?!¡± Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan recoiled with identical expressions of shock, then looked even more strangely at Lin Zainan. Doing so was an unimaginable offense, so why did Lin Zainan look so happy?


    ¡°Grandfather, why aren¡¯t you¡­ angrier?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Because the incident led me to discover an excellent piece of news,¡± Lin Zainan replied agitatedly.


    ¡°What news?¡±


    Lin Zainan took a deep breath and slowly eximed, ¡°Your mother might not be dead!¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, what did you say?!¡± Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan eximed as one. Yun Ruoyan was so shocked that she even stood up.


    ¡°Your mother might still be alive,¡± Lin Zainan repeated, his voice quavering.


    ¡°Mother isn¡¯t dead?!¡± Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao exchanged a nce in disbelief. After Lin Zainan returned from the pillmasters¡¯ conference in the Yue kingdom and was told that Lin Yuemei had died, he had discovered several strange aspects of her death that merited a postmortem examination of her corpse.


    However, by that time, the Yun family had already buried Lin Yuemei, and they were strongly against Lin Zainan¡¯s request.


    ¡°I had no other choice but to sneak into the Yun family mausoleum to reim Lin Yuemei¡¯s corpse,¡± Lin Zainan exined.


    ¡°What?! Grandfather, you¡­ stole Mother¡¯s corpse and brought it back to the Lin family?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao were clearly shocked that their esteemed grandfather would do such a thing.


    ¡°I was heartbroken by my daughter¡¯s death and suspicious that her death had been caused by the Yun family, so I didn¡¯t want to leave even the smallest stone unturned.¡±


    Lin Zainan¡¯s means were shocking, but his motives were understandable.


    ¡°No one knew about this, no one except for me and Lin Bo. I hid the matter even from your grandmother.¡±


    ¡°In that case, my mother¡¯s sepulcher is fake¡­?!¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t believe that she had been paying her respects to an empty tomb all this time.


    ¡°After I retrieved her corpse, I made her original tomb in the Yun family a cenotaph,¡± Lin Zainan continued. ¡°Your mother¡¯s corpse hadrgely dposed, and there were no distinguishing features left on her body. I didn¡¯t discover any remnants of a strong poison or anything of the sort, so although I still had my doubts, I could only drop the matter. Afterwards, I buried that body within the Lin mausoleum.


    Yun Ruoyna remembered that there had been an unnamed tomb by her deceased grandmother¡¯s tomb, which Lin Zainan had always bade her kowtow to whenever she came by to offer sacrifice to her ancestors. Only now did she realize that it was likely her mother¡¯s.


    ¡°But,st night,¡± Lin Zainan continued, his voice tinged with emotion, ¡°that grave robber unearthed the corpse I retrieved from the Yun family. The groundsperson didn¡¯t dare touch it, so he reported the matter to me immediately. When I ced those bones back into your mother¡¯s tomb, I found that they didn¡¯t belong to your mother.¡±


    Lin Zainan was so agitated that his beard was faintly shaking. ¡°When Yuemei was small, she fell while learning horseback riding. At the time, she broke her left arm, and I personally attended to her injury using bone-fixing grass.¡±


    The bone-fixing grass was a herb that could be threaded through broken bones to help them mend fully. However, the seam at which the cracks joined up would be dyed a bright jade-green, one which would never fade.


    ¡°I found that her left radius was whole and unblemished, so the skeleton couldn¡¯t have been your mother¡¯s at all!¡± Lin Zainan stood up. ¡°As such, I suspect your mother might still be alive.¡±


    ¡°Our mother¡¯s alive?¡± Yun Ruoyan nced toward Yun Moxiao, only to see shock and agitation warring on his face. Only after long minutes did the two siblings seem able to digest this revtion.


    ¡°In that case, where might she be?¡± Yun Moxiao asked.


    Both siblings turned toward Lin Zainan, hoping against hope that he would have a clue as to her whereabouts, but he only shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but this is a question to pose to your father. I think it highly likely that he¡¯s been hiding Yuemei somewhere,¡± Lin Zainan spat, his disgust for Yun Lan as clear as it had ever been.


    ¡°I had intended to pay a visit to the Yun manor to interrogate Yun Lan himself, but he would have all sorts of excuses for me. I don¡¯t think I would be able to discover anything, so I summoned both of you urgently to see if you had any ideas regarding how to proceed.¡±


    Yun Moxiao scrunched up his forehead. ¡°Grandfather, if I may speak honestly, I think Father¡¯s feelings for Mother are genuine. If he truly orchestrated her false death, then why would he have remained grief-stricken all these years?¡±


    Yun Moxiao had personally witnessed how his father had restored and maintained Lin Yuemei¡¯s former cottage, and how frequently he would head to the cottage atop theke to reminisce about his time with her.


    And during Yun Ruoyan¡¯s annual visits to the Yun mausoleum to offer sacrifices to her ancestors, she would often see her father standing still in front of Lin Yuemei¡¯s tomb. Even if he knew her tomb were fake, surely he wouldn¡¯t have kept the pretense up for over a decade?


    ¡°Even so, he¡¯s still quite suspicious,¡± Lin Zainan emphasized. ¡°Yun Lan¡¯s our only lead, and we have to begin our investigation with him.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t worry. Ruoyan and I will surely investigate this matter thoroughly. No matter where our mother is, we¡¯ll bring her back to reunite with you,¡± Yun Moxiao promised, his tone resolute.


    The two siblings left the Lin manor and returned to the Yun household. Yun Ruoyan paid her respects to her father and described what had happened during her stay at Kongming Academy. When Yun Lan found out that Yun Ruoyan had been chosen to participate in the expedition to the alternate dimension, his face twitched.


    But he didn¡¯t say anything more, and only instructed her to train studiously and prepare well. Yun Ruoyan nodded and turned to leave, but when she got to the door of his study, he called her back. ¡°Tomorrow, go pay your respects to your mother with your brother.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned around to see Yun Lan seated at his desk, his head lowered as he wrote, as though his words were only a coincidence.


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡±


    Then, Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao went to see their grandmother together. Surprisingly, she found Qin Jianmei and Yun Ruoyu in her yard with her.


    ¡°Ruoyan greets Grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Ah, my Yan¡¯er¡¯s finally back to see me!¡± The Yun matriarch smiled and extended a hand to her.


    Yun Ruoyan sped her grandmother¡¯s hand and sat down by her side. ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t apany you more often.


    The Yun matriarch held onto her with both hands. ¡°Yan¡¯er, although I wish you could always apany me, I know how important your cultivation is. After all, in the end, this house and the family name will pass onto your generation.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m old, and I don¡¯t know how many years are left to me. You must remain safe; don¡¯t force me to send one of my grandchildren off again.¡±


    Yun Ruoyao¡¯s death had been a big blow to Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch; the Yun family had fewer scions than average for the noble families of the capital.


    After Yun Ruoyao¡¯s death, the main house¡¯s descendants only consisted of her, Yun Ruoyu, and Yun Moxiao.


    <hr>


    1. Radius as in arm bone, not circle.

 Chapter 280: Demonic Bloodline

    <h4>Chapter 280: Demonic Bloodline</h4>


    ¡°Luckily, Ruoyu was ill and unfit to participate in Kongming Academy¡¯s trial. The three of you must work together so that the Yun family will continue to prosper for generations toe.¡± The Yun matriarch nced somberly at her three grandchildren, her eyes doting.


    ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll honor the Yun name,¡± Yun Moxiao promised.


    ¡°Sister, you really must stay home for a few more days this time!¡± Yun Ruoyu nudged Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I¡¯m the only girl left in the Yun manor now, and there¡¯s no one at all for me to talk to!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Second Miss,¡± Qin Jianmei added, smiling. ¡°Ruoyu was originally quite lively, but now that she¡¯s been living with me, reciting Buddhist mantras at dawn, spending time with her grandmother in the afternoon, and remaining in her own rooms at night, I¡¯m worried that she¡¯s smothering herself.¡±


    ¡°Ruoyu has indeed been visiting me a lottely.¡± The Yun matriarch beamed at her youngest granddaughter, having gotten much closer to her. ¡°I¡¯m simply afraid that I might be boring her too much.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel bored, Grandmother!¡± Yun Ruoyu replied. ¡°I enjoy spending time with both Grandmother and Mother, but now that Sister Ruoyan¡¯s home, I¡¯ll be visiting her quite a bit as well!¡±


    Yun Ruoyu seemed to have be a different person entirely: not only had her personality changed, so had her taste in clothing. In the past, she had always dressed in bright reds and pinks, but she had now switched to far iner greens and browns.


    And Qin Jianmei, who had always secluded herself in her cottage, now seemed more amiable and friendly.


    ¡°I might not be able to stay for a long time during this visit, but I¡¯ll be home in the mornings these two days. Sister Ruoyu, if you¡¯re bored, please feel free toe find me.¡±


    The skies grew dark as they chatted. Because the Yun matriarch could only eat soft foods and was concerned that her grandchildren wouldn¡¯t be able to stomach her usual fare, she didn¡¯t bid them stay for dinner. Instead, they left her residence and each returned to their own cottage.


    Yun Ruoyan walked together with Yun Moxiao. As they passed by Madam An¡¯s cottage, she could hear a woman¡¯sughter, wavering sharply between high-pitched and low-pitched, which somehow turned into shrill shouts and cries.


    As she cried, she began to wail inment, her voice mncholy and deste.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned and looked toward Yun Moxiao, who told her, ¡°It¡¯s Madam An. Right after Yun Ruoyao¡¯s death, she grew deathly ill. Father sent for quite a number of physicians, none of which were able to help. In the end, it was Madam Qin who slowly nursed her back to health, but her mental faculty has been in decline ever since. Now, it looks as though she¡¯s gonepletely mad.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. Yun Ruoyao and Madam An¡¯s downfall was neither something that left her happy or overly concerned; she hadn¡¯t been and wasn¡¯t willing to expend any more effort on them than was necessary.


    She returned to her own cottage, where her maids were overjoyed to have her back. Xi Lan and Peony prepared a feast for Yun Ruoyan, each dish something that she liked. Her brother apanied her for dinner at her cottage before leaving.


    After dinner, Yun Ruoyan took a bath before proceeding through her daily cultivation routine. That night, she prepared to concoct poison. She took out her cauldron and sessfully concocted a fifth-grade cultivation-dissociating pill, one which Qiuqiu had promised would be able topletely destroy the cultivation of an eighth-rank or lower demaster.


    ¡°It¡¯s that strong?¡± Yun Ruoyan clutched the dark gold surface of the pill.


    ¡°This is nothing! All the poison pills you¡¯re able to make at the moment are only able to deal with cultivators of the same or lower rank than you. Against someone as strong as Li Mo, your poison would be all but useless!¡± Qiuqiu warned.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, I remember you telling me that I¡¯d be able to study from that tome of poison that you have once my cultivation¡¯s high enough¡­¡±


    ¡°I did mention it,¡± Qiuqiu replied, ¡°but I believe my exact requirement was for you to be a ninth-rank demaster first, Mistress. As of the moment, it seems like you¡¯re merely an eighth-rank demaster.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yun Ruoyan deted, seeing that Qiuqiu wasn¡¯t about to give in.


    ¡°Someone¡¯sing,¡± Qiuqiu suddenly called out. Yun Ruoyan could also feel an aura drawing near her back window, one that she found familiar but not overly so.


    ¡°Miss Yun, long time no see.¡± The man who entered her room through her back window was draped in a ck robe exactly like Li Mo¡¯s¡ªthe third prince Li Qianhan, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for quite a while.


    ¡°I regret that I¡¯m unable to wee you properly sote at night, Third Prince.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled mischievously.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Qianhan had known each other even before Li Mo; for a very long period of time, Li Qianhan had been their courier, and his sudden appearance today undoubtedly had something to do with Li Mo.


    ¡°Is something wrong with Li Mo again?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He had to leave the capital for a few days, but he¡¯ll be back as soon as possible.¡± Li Qianhan satnguidly at her table, ncing at the tea and snacks still on it.


    Now that it was winter, however, the cold tea was unsuitable for drinking. Luckily, there was still a tter of snacks set on her table, and Li Qianhan began snacking on a small piece.


    ¡°What¡¯s so urgent?¡± Yun Ruoyan hugged her knees, a slight frown marring her face.


    ¡°Uncle¡¯s gone to prepare a betrothal gift,¡± Li Qianhan replied, between bites.


    ¡°A betrothal gift? For what?¡±


    ¡°What else? To marry you, of course!¡± Li Qianhan nced askance at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°He understands your father, Yun Lan, very well. In order for him to agree to this marriage, one which could very well make him lose face, Uncle has to offer him a gift he can¡¯t refuse¡ªsome high-rank beast cores, for example, or even high- or sage-grade spiritual pills and herbs. These aren¡¯t so easy to procure, even for a man like Uncle.¡±


    Li Qianhan swallowed another bite of a pastry, then wiped his hands against each other and stood up. ¡°Uncle told me to tell you to stay here and wait for him toe for you.¡±


    Li Qianhan left after delivering his message, leaving Yun Ruoyan curled up in bed. She blinked for a few moments, then slowly began to smile.


    A thousand miles away from the Yun manor, in the beastkin valley deep within the Yueli Mountains, an ancient castle stood stark against the winter night. Beneath the castle was a secret vault, and within the vault was a jade-white statue of a woman.


    ¡°Your son greets you, Mother.¡± Li Mo bowed toward the stature.


    ¡°Rise,¡± came a pleasant but cold voice. ¡°Mo¡¯er, are you here for something important?¡±


    ¡°Mother, Yun Ruoyan is now an eighth-rank demaster, and I n on taking her as wife next spring. I came here to inform you of the matter.¡±


    ¡°That girl still isn¡¯t of age, is she?¡±


    ¡°She will attain her majority next spring.¡±


    ¡°An eighth-rank demaster before the age of fifteen¡­ an umon sight on the Chenyuan continent, surely.¡±


    ¡°In one of Kongming Academy¡¯s training grounds, a forest of giant trees, we obtained a heavenly spirit fruit. She managed to break through after consuming the fruit,¡± Li Mo exined.


    ¡°Even so, that she managed to reach such a realm with a single heavenly spirit fruit is remarkable. Taking her as your wife will be no issue, Li Mo, especially since her constitution will help advance your cultivation. I shall, of course, aid your efforts. Su Nan, bring over the fruit of cloud and sky.¡±


    Su Nan bowed and walked into an antechamber, quickly returning with a box lined in gold and jade. Empress Xue Tong nodded almost imperceptibly, allowing Li Mo to open the box. The moment he did so, the room became bathed in multicolored light.


    The fruit of cloud and sky was a potent spiritual treasure even above the heavenly spirit fruit itself, able to help a peak ninth-rank demaster break into the realm of a sword saint. However, it also had a significant drawback: one who consumed such a fruit would always remain the lowest rank of sword saint, never to improve once more.


    Despite this drawback, the fruit was a treasure beyondpare. Even Li Mo hadn¡¯t expected Empress Xue Tong to bring out such a valuable gift.


    ¡°I have some understanding of this Yun Lan. He might appear to be honorable, respectable, even old-fashioned, but he¡¯s shrewd and wily deep inside. As long as you can pay the price, he¡¯s certainly willing to break a rule or two,¡± Empress Xue Tong continued mildly.


    Lin Mo knew that Yun Lan was an early ninth-rank demaster, one hardly likely to reach the realm of a sword saint on his own might alone. However, with this fruit of cloud and sky, this realm would no longer be a dream. All cultivators sought to advance their cultivation, and Yun Lan was no exception.


    ¡°I thank you for your generosity, Mother.¡± Li Mo bowed deeply.


    ¡°Mo¡¯er, we share amon goal: to raise your cultivation as high as possible, then to ughter the silver dragon n in revenge for your father. All that we¡¯ve done, we¡¯ve done for this goal. I will give all that I have to this end, and I expect the same of you, my son.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother. I will spare no effort to ughter the silver dragon n.¡± Li Mo¡¯s eyes were steely with resolve.


    ¡°You may leave.¡±


    Li Mo followed Su Nan out. After they left, a person walked out from another side chamber¡ªLi Mo¡¯s master, the first elder of Kongming Academy.


    ¡°You im that Mo¡¯er doesn¡¯t know that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s a descendant of the demonic dragon n?¡±


    The first elder mulled it over for a moment. ¡°I think he only suspects that Yun Ruoyan might be connected to the demonic dragon n. After all, he¡¯s not as familiar with them as we are, and it¡¯s not an easy fact to ascertain.¡±


    Long before Yun Ruoyan had been possessed by the demonic ring, the first elder had already begun suspecting her identity. During this period of time, he had focused his efforts on investigating her background¡ªthat she had once been poisoned, that despite her status as a wife-born heir, she wasn¡¯t particrly liked by her father.


    These findings only deepened the first elder¡¯s suspicions of her identity. When he sent someone to investigate her mother¡¯s tomb, he finally confirmed his hypothesis. Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t Yun Lan¡¯s child; her birth father was someone else, and her mother, Lin Yuemei, was likely still alive...

 Chapter 281: Madam Qin’s Cottage

    <h4>Chapter 281: Madam Qin¡¯s Cottage</h4>


    The first elder had begun his investigations before meeting Empress Xue Tong once more. The only reason he had done so was because he noticed Li Mo¡¯s unusual attitude toward Yun Ruoyan, and he had probed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s background as a mere precaution.


    But after his encounter with Empress Xue Tong, he delved even deeper into her past. By the time he realized that Yun Ruoyan possessed the demonic dragon¡¯s bloodline, he had decided to swear loyalty to Empress Xue Tong, and had revealed this secret to her.


    ¡°How did you determine that Lin Yuemei was still alive?¡± Empress Xue Tong asked.


    I had someone examine her corpse in the Yun family mausoleum, only to discover that it was only a cenotaph,¡± the first elder replied. ¡°Later, my men found out, almost by coincidence, that the Lin mausoleum contained a nameless grave. It had been constructed not too long after Lin Yuemei¡¯s death, but no one from the Lin family had passed away at the time. As a result, I had him investigate the grave. Themotion startled Lin Zainan, and it was he that brought up the possibility that Lin Yuemei was still alive.¡±


    The first elder looked solemnly at Empress Xue Tong. ¡°However, I don¡¯t think we should keep this matter from Xun Mo. Even if we don¡¯t tell him, he¡¯ll discover the truth sooner orter. On the other hand, if we deliberately kept it a secret, he would likely me us once he found out.¡±


    Empress Xue Tong¡¯s voice was cold, touched with the hard edge of steel. ¡°I¡¯ve considered all the points you¡¯ve brought up, but it¡¯s clear that Mo¡¯er¡¯s invested in this Yun Ruoyan. I¡¯m afraid that his emotions will unduly influence him at an inopportune moment, so it¡¯s best that we keep this hidden from him for the moment.¡±


    The first elder had seen for himself how much Li Mo cared for Yun Ruoyan. If there came a day when they had to make use of, or even sacrifice, Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo¡¯s emotions would likely lead him to inaction.


    ¡°Have you ever thought of meeting this Yun Ruoyan? After all, Li Mo¡¯s about to marry her,¡± the first elder suddenly said.


    ¡°No. It won¡¯t do to have outsiders know of my identity. Have the two of them train together for a while longer. If therees a day when you can confirm that Yun Ruoyan would sacrifice herself for Li Mo, I shall meet her then.¡±


    In order to form an alliance with the demonic dragon n undoubtedly required the services of itsst descendant, Yun Ruoyan. However, this was a delicate matter, something that had to be nned around with care. That Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan liked each other was a heaven-sent opportunity, one that Empress Xue Tong clearly had to take advantage of.


    Over the next few days, Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao went around investigating their mother¡¯s potential whereabouts. Naturally, they couldn¡¯t ask Yun Lan about the matter directly, so they were also at a loss as to how to proceed.


    Yun Ruoyan tried to learn about her mother from the Yun matriarch, but her grandmother didn¡¯t know much about her mother. ording to her, Yun Lan had guarded her mother very well after bringing her into the Yun household. In order to prevent her from getting bullied, he would always apany her to pay respects to their parents in the morning, and he had gone against his parents¡¯ wills because of her quite a few times.


    The Yun matriarch said that Yun Lan had been thoughtful and ambitious starting from a very young age. Only when it came to matters regarding Lin Yuemei did he seem like a man possessed.


    Yun Ruoyan mulled over what her grandmother had said. ¡°Grandmother, after my mother married my father, was there ever a period of time when she was away from the Yun family?¡±


    ¡°After your mother gave birth to your brother, she moved to a rather isted cottage in the Yun household, and we would rarely see her afterwards. However, I don¡¯t believe she was ever away from the Yun household for long periods at a time. Yan¡¯er, what prompted you to ask these questions?¡±


    ¡°No reason, Grandmother. I heard my grandfather tell me that my mother was flighty in her childhood, so I was curious about whether she had changed.¡±


    The Yun matriarch frowned. ¡°Lively? Not as far as I could tell. However, your mother was truly a beauty, though one who wasn¡¯t prone to smiling.¡±


    Not having been able to obtain any information of value from her grandmother, Yun Ruoyan chatted with Yun Moxiao regarding how to proceed, then decided to talk to those who had been in the Yun household when Lin Yuemei was around.


    Yun Moxiao would approach the older servants, while Yun Ruoyan would ask Qin Jianmet about the matter. She knew that Qin Jianmei used to be quite friendly with her mother, and it was very possible that she would know some important information.


    Conveniently, Yun Ruoyu hade over early in the morning to y with Yun Ruoyan. The two of them enjoyed tea and snacks in her room; Yun Ruoyu asked her a few questions about Kongming Academy, which Yun Ruoyan described briefly.


    Then, Yun Ruoyan asked about what had happened in the Yun household while she was gone, as well as how Madam An had gone mad. At first, Yun Ruoyu¡¯s tone and mannerisms were quite natural, but as soon as she brought up Madam An, her expression stiffened.


    Curious. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t press her on the details, but made a note to investigate it further in the future. As Yun Ruoyu bade farewell to her, Yun Ruoyan volunteered to walk to Madam Qin¡¯s cottage with her.


    Somewhat surprised, Yun Ruoyu responded, ¡°My mother¡¯s likely performing morning service at this time, so I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t have the time to wee you, Sister.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°I can wait in the courtyard until she¡¯s done. We¡¯re in the middle of winter now, and with the fresh bout of snowst night, I¡¯m sure the plum blossoms around her cottage have bloomed. I¡¯d love to take the opportunity to see them for myself.¡±


    In the end, Yun Ruoyu relented, and the two of them headed for Madam Qin¡¯s quarters together.


    As they passed by Madam An¡¯s cottage, Yun Ruoyan could once again hear her quiet sobs and loudughter, all the more eerie for being interspersed with each other.


    ¡°Mother has always been a strong, tough woman, so how did she suddenly go crazy?¡± Yun Ruoyan wondered, almost to herself.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t go crazy all of a sudden, Mistress,¡± Ling Lan replied.


    Peony and Xi Lan had been busy preparing feasts and snacks for Yun Ruoyan upon her return to the Yun household. When they discovered that Yun Ruoyan had grown half a head taller since her departure for Kongming Academy and that the winter clothes they had made were all too small for her, they also had to remake her entire winter outfit.


    And because they were worried that Yun Ruoyan would leave all of a sudden, Peony and Xi Lan had almost ended up working overnight in order to get her afortable, warm set of winter clothing before she had to return to Kongming Academy once more.


    As a result, Yun Ruoyan hadrgely been apanied by Ling Lan thesest few days.


    ¡°How do you know, Ling Lan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m friends with one of the servants responsible for Madam An¡¯s household, and I heard her mention that, despite her sorrow, Madam An was still quite mentally healthy,¡± Ling Lan responded. ¡°However, her old illnesses came back with a vengeance as a result of her grief. Master Yun sent for quite a number of physicians for her, and her dietrgely consisted of tonics and pills of all sorts. In the end, she slowly recovered from her illnesses, but her mental state had deteriorated greatly.¡±


    Ling Lan shook her head. ¡°She began to sleeptalk at night, then started talking nonsense even during the day. Now, it seems like she¡¯s truly gone crazy.¡±


    She didn¡¯t go crazy all of a sudden¡­? Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intuition told her that something was amiss. It wouldn¡¯t have been strange for her to go crazy all of a sudden because of severe mental trauma, but to have descended into craziness over a prolonged period of time¡­


    ¡°Sister Ruoyao¡¯s death was truly a blow to Madam An,¡± Yun Ruoyu sighed. ¡°Her body, already weakened from illness, couldn¡¯t bear her grief. Shortly after Sister Ruoyao¡¯s passing, I would frequent Mother¡¯s cottage to make sure that she was doing well. After she scolded me all of a sudden, however, I didn¡¯t dare visit her anymore.¡±


    As they talked, they arrived at Madam Qin¡¯s residence. Despite being situated in a rather isted part of the Yun household, the grounds were exquisitely kept. The snowy courtyard was bordered by plum blossom trees, which blossomed all the more brightly for the cold.


    And although it was farther from the main household, just the exterior appearance of Qin Jianmei¡¯s cottage alone was far better than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s own cottage, and it was clear that Yun Lan quite favored her.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m here with Sister Ruoyan to visit you,¡± Yun Ruoyu called out.


    However, no one responded to her call. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s currently busy with her morning service,¡± Yun Ruoyu whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the living room and warm ourselves up first.¡±


    She pulled Yun Ruoyan into one of the rooms, calling out for Meixiang all the while. A drab maid walked out of a side chamber, and Yun Ruoyu had her prepare some tea.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, please don¡¯t be offended. Meixiang¡¯s the only servant here in this cottage, and the tea and snacks might not be up to par.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°This is a perfect time to enjoy the scenery outside.¡±


    She sat down, then quickly stood back up. As she headed outside, she told Ling Lan, ¡°Go help Meixiang with the tea and snacks.¡±


    Ling Lan nodded and left as Yun Ruoyan walked out.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, it¡¯s cold outside! Make sure you don¡¯t freeze!¡± Yun Ruoyu scrambled out into the courtyard with her. Plum blossoms filled the courtyard, bright dashes of color against a snowy-white backdrop. Yun Ruoyan pretended to take in the sight, but her gaze quickly honed in on a small room by the western side of the house.


    From that room came a strong, concentrated herbal aroma¡ªsandalwood incense for prayer, but far more fragrant than usual.


    ¡°How fragrant!¡± Yun Ruoyan sniffed. ¡°It¡¯s not like what they make outside at all.¡±


    ¡°This is my mother¡¯s homemade concoction,¡± Yun Ruoyu exined.


    Just then, the door to that room creaked open, and a drab Qin Jianmei walked out of it. ¡°Second Miss, what brings you to this humble abode today?¡± She smiled as she greeted Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°The snowst night was beautiful, and I thought that your plum blossoms would have bloomed magnificently, Madam Qin. When Sister Ruoyu came to visit me, I simply followed her over.¡±


    She walked over to Madam Qin, meeting her halfway. ¡°Madam Qin, you truly are devout, maintaining such a routine for years on end.¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at the room that she had just left. ¡°Madam Qin, would you permit me to pray for a little as well?¡±

 Chapter 282: A Clue From Old Zha

    <h4>Chapter 282: A Clue From Old Zha</h4>


    Qin Jianmei frowned, somewhat perturbed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sudden request to pray with her. ¡°Second Miss, you¡¯re not religious, are you? May I ask what sparked your interest in prayer?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be undergoing a difficult trial soon, so I¡¯d like to try anything that might help.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Second Miss?¡±


    ¡°Madam Qin, you might not know this, but I¡¯ve been chosen by Kongming Academy to participate in an expedition to an alternate dimension, and I¡¯ll be heading off in the near future.¡± She sighed. ¡°This trip will be exceptionally dangerous, so I thought that it might be a good idea toe over to your cottage to pray, Madam Qin. Given how devout you are, I¡¯m sure that my prayers have a better chance of being heard.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan pivoted around Qin Jianmei and hurriedly rushed to that strange chamber. Qin Jianmei and Yun Ruoyu exchanged a nce with each other before they quickly followed her. Before Qin Jianmei could stop her, Yun Ruoyan pushed open the door and entered the chamber.


    A bout of concentrated fragrance struck her, causing her to frown and cover up her nose. By then, Qin Jianmei and Yun Ruoyu had reached her side. Because she had already opened the door, however, they didn¡¯t stop her.


    Yun Ruoyan waved a hand in front of her nose to dispel the smoky air that wrapped around her. Once her eyes got used to the dim lighting, she was able to see into the interior of the chamber. By the western wall was a long table, and on that table was a Buddha statue. Before the statue burned sticks of incense, with smoky trails emanating from their tips.


    The incense sticks seemed to surround the Buddha in a smoky mist, making its features difficult to discern with the naked eye.


    ¡°This chamber¡¯s situated in a rather shaded location, and there¡¯s not much lighting avable. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be used to it, Second Miss, so why don¡¯t we talk in the living room?¡± Qin Jianmei murmured softly, as though she were afraid of disturbing someone by being too loud.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sister Ruoyan. The living room¡¯s nice and heated, and the tea and snacks are ready now. Why don¡¯t we talk there?¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯m already here, I might as well pray.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled, then stepped inside. She walked to the front of the Buddha and found two tatami matsid out, one old and one new. The old one was rather badly worn, likely Qin Jianmei¡¯s, and the new one was likely Yun Ruoyu¡¯s.


    ¡°Second Miss, here.¡± Qin Jianmei lit two sticks of incense and handed them to Yun Ruoyan, who knelt down on the worn tatami mat, bowed her head deeply twice, then took the sticks of incense that Qin Jianmei handed her. She was just about to stick them into the incense burner when Qin Jianmei stretched a hand out. ¡°Second Miss, why don¡¯t you let me do it?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan handed her the incense sticks in her hand, and Qin Jianmei deferentially ced them into the incense burner in front of her.


    At that precise moment, for some reason, Yun Ruoyan felt as though Qin Jianmei¡¯s visage had suddenly turned into that of the smoky Buddha whose features she still couldn¡¯t fully discern.


    She blinked, and the vision was gone. Qin Jianmei was still Qin Jianmei, her face unadorned with any makeup, but beautiful and clean in her asceticism. However, when she saw it shrouded in shadow, Yun Ruoyan felt a sudden sense of unease.


    ¡°Second Miss, are you alright?¡± Qin Jianmei asked.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    The three of them walked out of the chamber and into the living room. They had a few snacks and chatted a little, whiling away the morning. As noon approached, Qin Jianmei offered to have Yun Ruoyan stay for lunch, but she declined in favor of checking up on Yun Moxiao.


    As Yun Ruoyan and Ling Lan returned to her cottage, they met Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s the matter? Have you found any information?¡± Yun Moxiao was walking with urgency, his eyes bright.


    ¡°Yes, I did! I found a very important piece of information from an old servant. Let¡¯s discuss it more inside.¡±


    The siblings entered Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cottage and sat by her table. ¡°Brother, what did you find out?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, do you still remember Old Zha?¡±


    ¡°Old Zha?¡± Yun Ruoyan thought for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Is there something wrong with him?¡±


    ¡°He used to be a servant in Mother¡¯s quarters a decade or so ago.¡± Yun Moxiao put down the teacup in his hands and leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯ve investigated all the old servants in the Yun household that were present during that time, but none of them were familiar with Mother. I thought back to my childhood and remembered aborer who did odd jobs around the cottage, Old Zha. Yesterday, I found out that he had returned to his hometown to retire. I rushed there overnight and learned something very important from him.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°Old Zha told me that, the year Mother contracted a deadly illness, Father sent for famous physicians all throughout the capital to no avail. One day, however, someone rmended a wandering physician into the Yun household.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Old Zha said that the physician was indeed quite capable. After consuming a few batches of the medicine that he prescribed, Mother¡¯s illness got better. From then on, that physician was hired and made responsible for Mother,¡± Yun Moxiao continued. ¡°In order to thank him, Father even set up an apothecary for him in the capital. However¡­¡±


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s tone turned dismal, and his expression forlorn.


    ¡°However, Mother¡¯s expression soon took a sharp turn for the worse. In the end, even this physician was helpless against the onught of the disease, and Mother¡¯s body began to dpose all over. Not long afterwards, she passed. Because of the strange circumstances surrounding Mother¡¯s death and the possibility that Mother had contracted some sort of rare, infectious disease, it was decided that Mother¡¯s corpse would be buried immediately.¡±


    Yun Moxiao paused, and the two siblings recalled the miserable condition their mother had been in when she passed.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t even five years old by that point, but I still have some recollection of the event. When Mother got a little better, Father would bring us to her quarters for a visit. She could still speak a few words to me through a beaded curtain then, but after her illness took a turn for the worse, I was never allowed to visit. By then, I had already been sent to General Huang for his tutge, and rarely came home after that.¡± Yun Moxiao sighed.


    Yun Ruoyan had no recollection of this part of her life; after all, she was barely an infant during that time. She was unable to remember her mother except through brief snatches of memory from a time before she was fully able to think. She would only see her brother once or twice a year; after General Huang had taken him away for his apprenticeship, it became once every two or three years.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s thoughts meandered to the memories she had tried long and hard to forget, but which felt as though it had been imprinted in her soul. The dormant poison in her body had awoken, disfiguring her and ruining her cultivation. She was humiliated in the duelling arena, forced out of the family academy, isted by Yun Lan and bullied by her sisters and cousins, then taken advantage of and thrown out to die¡­


    When she next opened her eyes, her gaze was as lucid as it had ever been.


    ¡°I believe Mother¡¯s still alive!¡±


    ¡°But how did she manage to survive, and why did she pretend to be dead?¡± Yun Moxiao felt as though he were surrounded by fog. Just when he thought he had gotten somewhere, he found that what awaited him was mystery after mystery.


    ¡°Ruoyan, do you think Father knows about Mother¡¯s deception?¡±


    ¡°We discussed this at Grandfather¡¯s ce, didn¡¯t we? Based on Father¡¯s behavior all these years, he couldn¡¯t have known that Mother¡¯s still alive!¡±


    ¡°But why would Mother hide this from Father?¡± Yun Moxiao appeared even more confused. ¡°Father treated Mother so well, so why did Mother leave? Doesn¡¯t she care about us? Or¡­¡±


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Was Mother threatened or forced to leave?¡±


    To Yun Moxiao, Yun Lan was passionately in love with Lin Yuemei, and he naturally thought that Lin Yuemei reciprocated his feelings. However, Yun Ruoyan knew the sordid truth.


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t want to hide this secret from Yun Moxiao, but she also didn¡¯t know how to tell him about it. Even her own understanding was confused, and she hadn¡¯t even told Li Mo about this matter.


    ¡°I think Mother must have had her own predicaments. Once we find her, we¡¯ll have an answer to everything.¡±


    Yun Moxiao nodded. ¡°I¡­ feel like we shouldn¡¯t hide this from Father.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t tell Father about this,¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately replied. ¡°Mother intentionally faked her death without letting Father know. Now that we have some clues, we should keep investigating further on our own. Also, didn¡¯t you say that Father was embroiled in a political feud with the head of the Rong family, Rong Tianling? It¡¯s best not to cause him any more trouble.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s tell him once we¡¯ve found something of note. If Father were to find out that Mother¡¯s still alive, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be very happy.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Brother, what should we do next?¡± Yun Ruoyan abruptly changed the topic.


    ¡°Our only clue is that wandering physician who treated Mother. Old Zha told me where his apothecary in the capital was located, and I¡¯m ready to head there now if you¡¯re free.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have lunch, then head there immediately afterward.¡±

 Chapter 283: A Heart-Stealing Demon

    <h4>Chapter 283: A Heart-Stealing Demon</h4>


    After having lunch, Yun Moxiao brought Yun Ruoyan to the wandering physician¡¯s apothecary.


    ¡°Old Zha said that the apothecary¡¯s by the west side of town,¡± Yun Moxiao remarked.


    ¡°The west side? But that¡¯s where Grandfather¡¯s apothecary is! I¡¯m sure the two apothecaries can¡¯t be that far apart, so why haven¡¯t I ever seen it before?¡±


    The western sector of the capital was less popted than average, and only an apothecary asrge as her grandfather¡¯s could survive based on its reputation alone. Most of the smaller apothecaries or private practices were in the northern and southern sectors of the capital, where more residents inhabited.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find out once we get to the ce, won¡¯t we?¡± Yun Moxiao replied. ¡°That year, Old Zha would often head to the physician¡¯s apothecary to get treatments for Mother¡¯s illness, so he was very sure about the address.¡±


    Travelling to the western sector of the capital took two hours by carriage, and they stopped by what seemed to be a dpidated alleyway. Yun Ruoyan stepped out of the carriage to find the area deserted save for a few old, locked houses, the padlocks crusted over with a thickyer of rust. Clearly, they had remained uninhabited for quite some time.


    ¡°Brother, are you sure it¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡°Right here, without a doubt.¡± Yun Moxiao walked deeper into the alleyway. ¡°Ruoyan, look!¡±


    Yun Moxiao stopped by a door and pointed at the wooden que on it. Yun Ruoyan walked up to him and nced at the peeling paint.


    ¡°It¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Old Zha said.¡± Yun Moxiao frowned.


    ¡°It looks as though quite a lot has happened in thest ten years¡­¡±


    Their lead lost, the two siblings decided to poke around the Lin apothecary to see if they could find any information about this ce. If that too failed, then they would ask about the rundown apothecary from the nearby residents. As long as it had once existed, and as long as that wandering physician was still alive, the siblings firmly believed that they would be able to find him.


    With Lin Qingchen at Kongming Academy, Zhuo Lin¡¯er was helping out in the apothecary.


    ¡°Young Master, Young Miss!¡± As soon as they walked into the apothecary, Zhong Bo walked up and greeted them earnestly.


    ¡°No need for the courtesy, Zhong Bo,¡± Yun Moxiao quickly replied. Zhong Bo was the manager of the apothecary, and he was well respected by one and all.


    Yun Ruoyan nced all around her. As usual, everything was neat and orderly. Her gaze lingered behind the medicine cabs, where a young teenager she didn¡¯t recognize was in charge of filling the prescriptions that the senior physicians had written.


    ¡°Zhong Bo, what happened to that Che Mingchen?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    Che Mingchen was Ling Lan¡¯s brother, and it was Yun Ruoyan who had rmended him to the Lin apothecary. Before Yun Ruoyan entered Kongming Academy, she had seen him once filling the exact same role.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about that Schr Che? Ten days ago, he took part in the imperial examinations again¡ªand he was finally chosen! He¡¯s home waiting for his official assignment now, I¡¯m sure.¡± Zhong Bo chuckled.


    Zhong Bo¡¯s words surprised her. With Xi Lan and Peony busy, Ling Lan was the main servant responsible for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s affairs, and they had spent a significant amount of time together thesest few days. Why hadn¡¯t Ling Lan informed her about this? After mulling it over for a moment, she surmised that Ling Lan likely hadn¡¯t yet heard about the affair.


    Zhong Bo then revealed to Yun Ruoyan that, after Lin Qingchen left for Kongming Academy, Lin Zainan would sometimes attend to matters at the apothecary himself. Upon seeing Che Mingchen¡¯s excellent handwriting, he had spoken with the man and gradually gotten to know his circumstances.


    Given his talents, Lin Zainan had personally written to some court officials he knew, then urged Che Mingchen to continue down the path of schrship. As expected, Che Mingchen was sessful the next time he took the imperial examination.


    ¡°Young Miss, are you here to find Che Mingchen?¡± Zhong Bo asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re here for another reason, Zhong Bo. I have something to ask you¡ªcan we talk inside?¡±


    Faced with the serious gazes of the two Yun siblings, Zhong Bo nodded and led them into the interior of the apothecary. After preparing some tea, he motioned for Yun Moxiao to begin his questioning.


    ¡°Zhong Bo, you¡¯ve been working in this field for quite some time. Have you ever heard of Physician Ceng, from the Huichun Apothecary?¡±


    ¡°Young Master, do you mean the apothecary that¡¯s one street down from us?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao exchanged a nce with each other, their eyes lighting up.


    ¡°Zhong Bo, are you familiar with him? Do you know where he is?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not particrly familiar with him, but we work in the same profession, after all. Miss Yun, may I ask why you¡¯re looking for him?¡±


    ¡°Zhong Bo, we found out that the man responsible for treating our mother right before she passed was exactly this Physician Cheng, and we have a few questions for him regarding the situation,¡± Yun Moxiao jumped in.


    ¡°So he was the one who treated Miss Lin at the time!¡± Zhong Bo seemed a little surprised. ¡°All I know is that he¡¯s particrly skilled at diseases pertaining to women. Three years ago, a king invited him to serve as his personal physician.¡±


    ¡°Who was it?¡± Yun Moxiao asked. ¡°Was it a king from the Li kingdom?¡±


    There were only two kings in the Li kingdom, the ughtering King Li Mo and the Farsighted King Li Sheng. If it were a king from another country, on the other hand¡­


    ¡°It was the Farsighted King, Li Sheng,¡± Zhong Bo replied. ¡°Allegedly, he sent for Physician Ceng because his consort was infertile, and Physician Ceng has remained there ever since.¡±


    As they walked back to their carriage, Yun Ruoyan began, ¡°Brother, let me investigate the Farsighted King myself. If you go, you might arouse Father¡¯s suspicions. After all, Father¡¯s still having some trouble dealing with Rong Tianling in court, isn¡¯t he? He might need your assistance and presence.¡±


    Yun Moxiao tapped a finger against his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m notfortable leaving you alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already an eighth-rank demaster, Brother!¡± Yun Ruoyan deliberately raised her voice. ¡°There aren¡¯t that many people who can ovee me in the Chenyuan continent. I¡¯ll just sneak into the Farsighted King¡¯s mansion and kidnap this Physician Cheng for questioning¡ªI bet we¡¯ll be able to find out anything we want!¡±


    Yun Moxiao couldn¡¯t help chuckling at his sister¡¯s macho act. ¡°Alright. In that case, I¡¯ll leave matters to you. Sister.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll set off tomorrow,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, her mind thinking of the records archive in the Farsighted King¡¯s mansion. Before the training session at Kongming Academy, Yun Ruoyan had learned from Wei Hai that the Farsighted King had kept records of her birth, which could possibly give her a clue as to her true identity, as well as of the mysterious Master Long.


    Yun Ruoyan had intended on sneaking into the Farsighted King¡¯s archives at the time, but her ns were derailed because of the expedition to the alternate dimension. Then, after returning to the capital once more, Lin Zainan had summoned her and her brother to tell them about the shocking news that their mother might still be alive.


    This was an excellent opportunity for her to aplish both goals: to bring Physician Cheng back for questioning, as well as to study the records that the Farsighted King had kept of her and of this Master Long.


    When Yun Ruoyan returned to the Yun manor, she set off almost immediately. Riding on a mesteed, she rushed toward the Farsighted King¡¯s manor in the dark of night.


    ¡°Mistress, shouldn¡¯t you tell Li Mo about this?¡± Qiuqiu asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Farsighted King¡¯s archives in order to discover the secret behind my birth, Qiuqiu, and I might finally solve the mysteries that have been guing me for so long! But I¡¯m still unprepared to tell anyone about this, so it¡¯s better to act alone.¡±


    The reason Yun Ruoyan had chosen to leave in the night was exactly to prevent Li Mo from finding out about her ns. Once he did so, she wouldn¡¯t be able to act alone. Before she left, she told her brother that, if Li Mo were toe back to find her, to tell him that she would return within three days due to an urgent matter.


    At daybreak, Yun Ruoyan finally arrived at the Farsighted King¡¯snds. She got off her horse before the city walls, only to find a long line snaking out the main gate. Guards stood in front of it, inspecting everyone trying to head inside.


    She approached an elderly man with two baskets tied to a wooden pole he carried over his shoulder, clearly a farmer who was intending to enter the city to sell his produce.


    ¡°Uncle, may I ask what happened in this city? Why are there so many guards around?¡±


    ¡°Miss, you aren¡¯t from around here, are you?¡± The old farmer nced at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s clothing and rare breed of horse.


    ¡°I came from the capital on official business,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°No wonder.¡± The farmer stroked his beard. ¡°We¡¯ve had demon sightings over here in the city, you see, one that eviscerates its victims and eats up their hearts and livers. Quite a few poor victims have already been found dead in the city.¡±


    ¡°A demon in the city?¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned.


    ¡°Right. This demon only operates at night, and it only seems to act within the city,¡± the farmer continued. ¡°However, no one who doesn¡¯t have any identification can stay in the city overnight, so they¡¯re suspecting that it somehow snuck in from outside. Now, everyone trying to enter the city is subject to a strict search.¡±


    The farmer took a deep breath. ¡°So far, the guards have found quite a few spirits and demons disguised as people, but the incidents in the city haven¡¯t stopped. Miss, if you don¡¯t have anything terribly urgent, I rmend you wait until the demon¡¯s caught before you return.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle! I won¡¯t keep you any longer.¡± Yun Ruoyan waved at the old man, who joined the line that was steadily growing longer.


    Yun Ruoyan stood by the roadside, observing those who were lining up to enter the city. She infused her spiritual energy into her eyes, noting that essentially all the civilians doing so were ordinary folk without a shred of cultivation. A few among them were low-rank demasters, and a rarer few seemed to have a trace of a weak demonic aura about them, though they were rtively harmless ones.


    After observing the line a little longer, Yun Ruoyan also joined the line. Luckily, despite its length, it moved at a rtively rapid pace, and she got to the city gates within half an hour.


    ¡°Raise your hands,¡± the guard responsible for searching her instructed.


    Yun Ruoyan eded to the request, and the guard scanned her body with a mirror¡ªone which could detect demons, but only rtively weak ones. After asking her a few rudimentary questions about the reason for her stay, she was let in without a fuss.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s goal was to infiltrate the Farsighted King¡¯s manor at night, but it was only dawn. As a result, she wasn¡¯t in much of a rush. Instead, she began to follow a certain man through the crowds. He had been right in front of Yun Ruoyan, and she could sense a faint demonic air about him.


    Initially, Yun Ruoyan thought him merely a weak demon, but he actually wasn¡¯t detected by the inspection at the city gates. Her curiosity sparked, she began to follow behind him, wanting to see if he was the rumored demon who had gone around eviscerating people...


    <hr>


    1. I am using ¡°king¡± to refer to the emperor¡¯s brothers, which might otherwise bemonly referred to as princes. This has already been used implicitly in the appetions of ughtering King and Farsighted King. For this novel, ¡°prince¡± will refer solely to the emperor¡¯s sons.

 Chapter 284: Sneaking into the Manor

    <h4>Chapter 284: Sneaking into the Manor</h4>


    What Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t anticipated was that the demon would walk straight to the Farsighted King¡¯s manor. She hid by a nearby wall, only to see the man easily enter the manor by disying a token on his waist.


    The Farsighted King¡¯s manor is truly a den of corruption!


    Most manors were guarded by a single guard, and even Li Mo¡¯s manor only had two stationed at once. The Farsighted King¡¯s manor had an extravagant six, and security was undoubtedly even heavier around the interior.


    For convenience, Yun Ruoyan had left her mesteed in an isted clearing outside of city grounds. She found a nearby inn in which to stay, had a light meal, then conserved her strength until nightfall.


    When darkness finally enveloped the city, Yun Ruoyan skulked to the Farsighted King¡¯s manor, all dressed in ck. Silently, she crept up a wall and infiltrated the depths of the manor.


    The moment shended on the other side, she saw a patrol of seven or eight guards walking past and hurriedly hid behind a nearby rock garden. After inspecting her surroundings, she found that she hadnded in the manor¡¯s court back garden, rtively close to the residential space within.


    Her understanding of the Farsighted King¡¯s manor hade mainly from Zhuo Yifeng, but Zhuo Yifeng hadn¡¯t revealed very much to her. As such, she needed to find another reliable source of information.


    When the second group of patrolling guards walked by, Yun Ruoyan snuck up behind thest guard and tapped his shoulder. The guard turned and was just about to call out when Yun Ruoyan waved a hand at him, dispersing a gust of scentless, colorless intoxicating fog against his face.


    Her goal aplished, Yun Ruoyan shed away before anyone else could see her.


    ¡°Jin, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± One of the guards in front stopped, turning back to the guard Jin, who had fallen behind the rest of his patrol.


    ¡°I need to pee. Don¡¯t wait for me¡ªI¡¯ll be right back!¡±


    As the patrol left, Jin walked to the back of the rock garden and faced Yun Ruoyan woodenly.


    ¡°Where does His Highness live?¡±


    ¡°At the center of the back garden.¡± Jin pointed toward a building somewhat taller than those surrounding it, its windows still lit up.


    ¡°Do you know where the secret archives of the Farsighted King are located?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Jin replied, his face still dull. ¡°However, there¡¯s an area in the Farsighted King¡¯s residence that¡¯s forbidden to all outsiders, and it¡¯s very likely that what you¡¯re looking for is in there.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Yun Ruoyan nodded, then continued, ¡°In that case, do you know if there¡¯s a Physician Ceng here in the manor? Allegedly, the Farsighted King invited him here to treat his consort¡¯s infertility.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know of him. He stays in one of the side cottages.¡±


    After confirming that she had no further questions, Yun Ruoyan told Jin, ¡°Return to your room and go to bed. When you wake up, you¡¯ll have forgotten this conversation.¡±


    Jin nodded and turned away with a sluggish gaze.


    After considering her options, Yun Ruoyan decided to first kidnap Physician Ceng before trying to infiltrate the secret archives. Her rationale was that it would be rather easy to slip away even if she were detected during her infiltration, but trying to kidnap Physician Ceng would then be much harder.


    Referring to the patrol routes and timetables that Jin hadmunicated to her, Yun Ruoyan reached Physician Ceng¡¯s little cottage without any further encounter with the guards. It was already veryte at night, and the cottage was dark all over except for two brightnterns by the front door.


    Perhaps because of how securely the exterior of the manor was guarded, the front door of the cottage was only closed rather than locked. Instead of entering directly, Yun Ruoyan knocked on the door¡ªshe had found women¡¯s and children¡¯s clothing being hung up to dry, and kidnapping Physician Ceng with brute force would surely cause a big disturbance with them around.


    ¡°Who is it, thiste at night?¡±


    ¡°Physician Ceng, my mistress suddenly developed an acute stomachache, and she sent me over to have you take a look,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined, disguising her voice. ¡°I apologize for the disturbance.¡±


    ¡°Alright, give me a moment,¡± the middle-aged male voice called out. Momentster, the dark interior of the cottage lit up with light. The door opened mere momentster, and a bearded, middle-aged man walked out.


    When Physician Ceng saw that the person standing in front of him was a ck-d girl, his eyes immediately widened. The next moment, however, his face had been enveloped in intoxicating fog, leaving him nothing but a puppet under Yun Ruoyan¡¯s control.


    ¡°Husband, who¡¯s out there?¡±


    ¡°Give me a little medicine so your family isn¡¯t suspicious. In two hours, meet me in the rock garden by the southern wall, and make sure you aren¡¯t discovered by anyone.¡±


    Physician Ceng nodded woodenly. Then, as though nothing had happened, he called out to his wife, ¡°It¡¯s one of the Farsighted King¡¯s concubines, nothing urgent. I checked up on her before, and it seems like she¡¯s gotten a little chill due to the weather. I¡¯m going to grab some herbs and return shortly.¡±


    Following Yun Ruoyan¡¯s requests to the letter, Physician Ceng entered his workshop and grabbed a few pouches of medicine, which he then handed to Yun Ruoyan. She ced them on the windowsill, then turned to leave.


    After doing so, Yun Ruoyan immediately headed toward the tallest part of the Farsighted King¡¯s rooms. The stretch of road up to his quarters was unusually tightly patrolled; it was no more than half a kilometer¡¯s walk, and yet she encountered five or six guard patrols.


    Yun Ruoyan found this level of security very strange. Despite her poor impression of Li Sheng, he was very well liked by the people of hisnd, and was widely known as a virtuous king throughout the Li kingdom.


    And given the people¡¯s positive impression of him, it seemed unlikely that he would have to be wary of any sort of assassination attempt. In that case, what could exin the intensity and frequency of the guard patrols?


    Could he be afraid of that demon running amok in hisnd? Surely that couldn¡¯t be, if he were harboring demons of his own!


    Yun Ruoyan easily dodged all the patrols and vaulted the wall into the Farsighted King¡¯s private residence. She darted to the side of a tree and hid in the shade as she inspected the grounds. Surprisingly, there didn¡¯t seem to be a single guard inside¡ªall of them had been dispatched outside his residence and within the manor as a whole instead.


    However, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t rx. There were two potential reasons for the reason the security was dispersed in such a way: first, that his rooms hid such important secrets that he forbade anyone froming close, even his personal guards; or second, that there was some master guarding his private rooms, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about internal security.


    As she thought more about the second point, Yun Ruoyan became even more careful.


    His residence was almost entirely dark save for thenterns lit up along the corridors; only a second-floor room remained lit up. Yun Ruoyan slowly scaled the residence and hovered near a window, listening in from the outside.


    ¡°Your Highness, these are some snacks I prepared for you today, and they¡¯re still fresh,¡± Yun Ruoyan heard a male voice begin.


    ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± This was the voice of a middle-aged man, with whom she was quite familiar: the Farsighted King, Li Sheng!


    ¡°Your Highness, these three hearts are all from maidens below sixteen, and they surely have the best taste of them all.¡± The young man smiled wickedly.


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan heard the word ¡®heart¡¯, she frowned. Was the culprit behind the frightening incidents in the city none other than the Farsighted King himself?


    She slowly straightened up and poked a little hole through the window, through which she could observe whaty within. Two men stood within the room, one the Farsighted King, the other the man she had seen on her way into the city.


    ¡°Be more careful. If you¡¯re caught by a cultivator in the city, even I can¡¯t save you,¡± Li Sheng warned, his gaze turning to the red box that the young man had left on the table. Within the box were the ¡°snacks¡± that he had referred to earlier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. In order to keep my true purpose hidden, I also took the hearts from young and old alike. Security¡¯s been tight around the citytely, so today¡¯s delicacies were obtained beyond the city. I certainly won¡¯t be caught, and even if I am, I wouldn¡¯t rat you out, Your Highness. No matter my words, no one would believe me¡ªafter all, you¡¯re the virtuous Farsighted King, beloved by one and all!¡±


    ¡°And so I am.¡± Li Sheng seemed to be quite ttered by the young man¡¯s effusive praise, and he let out a throatyugh.


    ¡°Your Highness, if you have no further instructions for me, I¡¯ll bid my farewell. I hope to be able to secure more snacks for you soon.¡±


    ¡°You may leave.¡± Li Sheng waved the man away.


    Yun Ruoyan nned to wait until the young man had departed before sneaking into his rooms, tying up Li Sheng, then forcing him to reveal where his archives were located. After that, she would kill him.


    However, not long after the young man left, Li Sheng stood up with his box of hearts and walked to a corner of the room. Therey a rather unassuming flowerpot and a few even more unassuming flowers. Li Sheng stooped down and rotated the flowerpot a little, revealing a hidden door behind the flowers.


    With a slight creaking noise, a door-sized hole was revealed in the wall¡ªthe entrance to a secret chamber!


    Li Sheng stood up and walked into the hole. As his body vanished past the entrance to the secret chamber, Yun Ruoyan slid the window open, jumped into the room, and followed silently behind him...


    <hr>


    1. Rice-paper windows, not ss windows.

 Chapter 285: The Genuine Farsighted King

    <h4>Chapter 285: The Genuine Farsighted King</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan followed Li Sheng into the hidden entrance in his room. It led down a flight of stairs, iid on either side by some illuminating moonstones. The tunnel echoed with the sound of Li Sheng¡¯s footfalls, and Yun Ruoyan crept silently behind, counting each step that she took. Upon reaching the 116th step, Li Sheng¡¯s footfalls became muted, and its echoing quality vanished.


    She anticipated that Li Sheng had entered his secret archives¡ªindeed, after turning the next bend, she could clearly see a stronger source of illumination. Yun Ruoyan stopped by the edge of the stairs and hid behind a stone wall as she observed her surroundings.


    Whaty in front of her was a particrlyrge space, segmented into many small chambers in the same manner as the vault in the southern tower of Kongming Academy, as if someone had meticulously copied its design and implemented a simr space here.


    After some time, Yun Ruoyan stepped out from behind the wall. By then, Li Sheng had already vanished within one of the chambers. She strode down the central corridor, ncing at the chambers on either side as she walked forward. Unlike the southern tower¡¯s vault, each of the chambers here wasbelled.


    Some werebelled with ¡®gold, gems, and jewelry¡¯, others with ¡®strategy and tactics¡¯, and yet others with ¡®spiritual herbs and pills¡¯, ¡®spiritual weapons and techniques¡¯, and all sorts of other precious treasures.


    When she passed by the fifth chamber, her eyes lit up: it wasbelled with ¡®secret archives¡¯.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart began to thump: behind this chamber were the secret archives that Wei Hai had mentioned! Her own identity and the secret behind the mysterious Master Long, so intimately connected to her, ally behind this door.


    And the moment she pushed it open, she would be able to unravel the tangled threads of her own history, to grasp at the truth that had long been out of reach.


    Yun Ruoyan ced her hand on the door and tried to push it open, but it was locked very tightly. The keyhole appeared to be in the shape of a very deep ¡®Ê®¡¯, of a type that she had never seen before.


    ¡°Qiuqiu,¡± Yun Ruoyan asked mentally. ¡°Are you familiar with this type of lock?¡±


    Qiuqiu was woken up from its cultivation by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s summons. ¡°Mistress, that¡¯s a very difficult lock to open unless you can somehow obtain the key from Li Sheng. Otherwise, your only realistic choice is to smash the door down.¡±


    Smashing the door down was all but an impossibility: the door was built from a highly durable ck material, one that her spiritsteel dagger couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch on.


    ¡°Alright, in that case, I¡¯ll go find Li Sheng and snatch the key from him.¡± Yun Ruoyan stepped back into the corridor and continued walking forward. As she did so, she infused spiritual energy into her ears and listened carefully for any motion near her surroundings.


    Suddenly, a sinister male chuckle rang out from her front, and Yun Ruoyan immediately stepped closer to the source of the noise. The chuckles were intermittent, but got clearer and clearer as she strode closer.


    Suddenly, Yun Ruoyan stopped. The chuckles that she was hearing wereing directly from her left¡ªfrom a chamber marked ¡®prison¡¯.


    Yun Ruoyan walked up to the chamber to find that the door was slightly ajar, with a little slit between it and the doorframe. The chuckles were emerging from this slit.


    ¡°Haha, Your Highness, do you want a bite? This tastes great!¡± Yun Ruoyan heard a particrly demonicugh as she stered her ear against the door.


    This voice was both familiar and strange to Yun Ruoyan: it clearly sounded like Li Sheng¡¯s voice, but there was somehow a feminine quality to it that sent shivers down her spine.


    ¡°Demon, I curse you!¡± The other speaker¡¯s tone was one of grief and indignity, and it caused Yun Ruoyan to frown. This voice also sounded like Li Sheng¡¯s¡ªwhat was going on? Was there one or two people in this chamber?


    ¡°You curse me? Haha, hahaha.¡± The demonic voice chortled incessantly, as if he had just heard a wonderful joke. ¡°You¡¯re my prisoner, you know? I can end your life with a twitch of my fingers. Brother, I truly admire your guts.¡±


    ¡°Pah! Who¡¯s your brother, you demon?!¡± The man seemed to react particrly strongly to the word. ¡°I only regret that I kept you in my manor all those years ago! Kill me and let me atone for my sins!¡±


    ¡°Kill you? Oh, I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it,¡± the demonic voice continued. ¡°Once I¡¯ve consumed eighty-one maidens¡¯ hearts and obtain the body of a maiden for myself, I¡¯ll bring you to my cave dwelling and copte with you¡ªyou as the head of the household, and I as your wife. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice? After all, I couldn¡¯t bear to leave you so pained in this cramped chamber. As long as you submit to me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Pah! You ugly demon, dream on! Kill me!¡±


    The demonic voice sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not feeling great today, are you? I¡¯lle talk to you again tomorrow.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could hear footsteps approaching the door. Just as the person behind was about to step out, Yun Ruoyan kicked the door open and jumped in, locking the door once more behind her.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± that demonic voice eximed, in shock.


    ¡°Long time no see, Your Highness.¡± Yun Ruoyan looked Li Sheng up and down, noting his official¡¯s robe and golden crown.


    ¡°He¡¯s not the Farsighted King, I am!¡± the man in the cell called out. His voice was also that of the Farsighted King¡¯s, but his appearance far less sightly: his clothes were ragged and shabby, his hair limp and loose over his shoulders.


    ¡°If you¡¯re the Farsighted King, then who is he?¡± Yun Ruoyan pointed at the borately dressed man in front of her.


    ¡°He¡¯s a demon! He trapped me here, then took on my appearance tomit evil deeds!¡±


    ¡°Audacious wretch!¡± The well-dressed Farsighted King¡¯s voice had returned to normal. He turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°This is a demon I caught quite some time ago, and he¡¯s going somewhat crazy from captivity. Miss Yun, don¡¯t take his words seriously.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a demon, he is!¡± The captive flung his hair behind his shoulders, revealing a face the exact copy of the Farsighted King¡¯s.


    ¡°How could there be two of you?¡± Yun Ruoyan pretended to be shocked.


    ¡°I¡¯m the real one,¡± the well-dressed man shouted.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m the real one. He¡¯s fake!¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s fake. I¡¯m the real one!¡±


    The two Farsighted Kings began to squabble with each other.


    ¡°Stop, stop! I have a method to resolve this problem.¡±


    Both men immediately asked, ¡°What method?¡± However, Yun Ruoyan could tell that the well-dressed Farsighted King looked a little anxious, whereas the captive¡¯s eyes gleamed with hope.


    ¡°My master¡¯s right about to get here,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, then turned to the well dressed Li Sheng in front of her. ¡°Once he¡¯s here, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to identify which of you is genuine!¡±


    The well dressed Li Sheng¡¯s face turned pale. He suddenly waved a hand at Yun Ruoyan, causing a jade-green snake to fly at her.


    However, Yun Ruoyan was already an eighth-rank demaster, and her spiritual attacks had greatly increased in potency. She extended her hand, causing a white beam of spiritual energy to shoot out of her fingertips and strike the snake¡¯s body.


    ¡°Demon, you¡¯ll meet your downfall today!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a busybody!¡± The demon repeatedly waved a hand at Yun Ruoyan, summoning countless small snakes, spiders, and other poisonous creatures in her direction.


    Yun Ruoyan protected herself with a spiritual barrier, one which none of the poisonous creatures could prate. The moment they touched the barrier, they were flung away by the spiritual energy shielding her.


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to make you give up!¡± Yun Ruoyan flung out some intoxicating fog at the false Li Sheng, courtesy of Qiuqiu. Curiously, however, it didn¡¯t seem to have any effect.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s only one reason the intoxicating fog will fail,¡± Qiuqiu chirped, frowning. ¡°If your opponent¡¯s cultivation is more advanced than your own¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! He didn¡¯t look like he had any sort of cultivation at all. Except for being able to summon poisonous creatures at will, he didn¡¯t use any other sort of attack either¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan shook her head. ¡°At any rate, the most important thing right now is to knock him out!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan dashed toward the false Li Mo, who couldn¡¯t dodge in time. Yun Ruoyan chopped at the back of his neck with a palm, knocking him unconscious and causing him to slump to the floor.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan greets the Farsighted King.¡± She walked up to the front of the haggard man and bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Rise, rise. My deepest gratitude for your timely assistance, Miss Yun.¡±


    Somehow, Yun Ruoyan had bumbled her way into releasing the true Farsighted King from captivity. She had been a little worried about being unable to retrieve the key to his secret archives, but it didn¡¯t seem as though that would be a problem any longer. It wouldn¡¯t even be an issue for her to bring Physician Ceng away for a few days, either!

 Chapter 286: Contents of the Archives

    <h4>Chapter 286: Contents of the Archives</h4>


    After Yun Ruoyan saved the genuine Farsighted King, they then locked the fake Farsighted King in the prison cell before leaving the chamber.


    ¡°I heard you mention Li Mo just now. What¡¯s the rtionship between you and him?¡± Li Sheng asked Yun Ruoyan. He was seated by a table, still wearing the ragged, soiled garb from before, but somehow still emanating a kingly aura.


    ¡°He¡¯s my¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to best continue the sentence. ording to their agreement, he would be headed to the Yun manor today to ask for her hand in marriage. Had he done so? If he had, he would likely be very upset to see her missing¡­


    Li Sheng smiled upon seeing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about, is there? Rather, I must apud you for catching my brother¡¯s interest.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan lowered her head in tacit admission at Li Sheng¡¯s guess.


    ¡°My third brother¡¯s quite lucky to be able to have a beauty like yourself,¡± hemented. ¡°When I next see him, I must thank him for the help.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, he is he, and I am I. Since I was the one who saved you, shouldn¡¯t you thank me instead?¡±


    Li Sheng hesitated for a moment, then began tough at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s boldness. ¡°In that case, how would you like me to repay the debt, Miss Yun?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, to tell you the truth, I came to your manor hoping to be able to ess your secret archives. I was trying to find the key to the archives when I identally noticed your plight.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°I also have another request, Your Highness. I¡¯d like to have Physician Ceng travel back with me to the capital for a few days.¡±


    ¡°I can certainly satisfy these requests, Miss Yun.¡± Li Sheng acquiesced without any hesitation.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m also curious about another thing, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°I think I know what you¡¯re interested in,¡± Li Sheng sighed. ¡°After all, you¡¯ve already seen me at my worst¡ªwhy not tell you about this too?¡±


    The Farsighted King told Yun Ruoyan that, about three years ago, a demon had emerged on one of the nearby mountains. It preyed on the unsuspecting vigers and townsfolk close by, terrorizing them and reveling in their fear.


    Li Sheng brought a troop of soldiers from the Farsighted King¡¯s manor to hunt it down, only to find a woman, beautiful beyondpare, hidden in the depths of the demon¡¯s cave. Li Sheng was about to send her back home when she cried and told him that her parents had been eaten by demons, that she was destitute and homeless.


    The woman begged Li Sheng to take her in, and Li Sheng relented. She stayed at the Farsighted King¡¯s manor for the better part of a year. One night, however, when the moon was full, she invited Li Sheng over to enjoy the night scenery together. After having a few cups of wine, she grew tipsy and ultimately revealed her true appearance.


    ¡°I had never before seen such a humongous snake. Her jade-green scales reflected the moonlight, suddenly so cold and stark to my eyes. Her pupils were blood-red, her forked tongue almost five feet long. When she opened her maw, I could smell the heavy stench of blood.¡±


    Li Sheng almost shuddered as he recalled those memories. ¡°I was still conscious after seeing the woman transform into a snake. Though I tried to kill her, I ultimately couldn¡¯t bring myself to do so. In my indecision, it caught me and imprisoned me in that chamber ever since, until I was finally saved by you today.¡±


    Only after his imprisonment did Li Sheng find out that the woman he had ¡°saved¡± was actually the leader of all those demons who had been terrorizing the townsfolk.


    ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s something that¡¯s still confusing to me,¡± Yun Ruoyan began. ¡°Given that that snake demon could freely switch between its human and demon forms, it must have a very advanced cultivation. However, when I fought her, I couldn¡¯t detect anything particrly unusual or profound about her.¡±


    That Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intoxicating fog didn¡¯t work on her was definitive proof that the demon¡¯s cultivation was above hers.


    ¡°The vagaries of fate!¡± Li Sheng sighed deeply. What had unsettled him the most was that that woman had been a male snake demon, one that had somehow be besotted with him. In order to hide the fact that he had imprisoned Li Sheng, he transformed his appearance into Li Sheng¡¯s.


    Monthster, he had even found records of a certain demonic technique that would allow him to consume fresh maidens¡¯ hearts to be a regr mortal woman. Apparently, the snake demon had already consumed more than seventy such hearts, and was nearingpletion with the technique. As a result, his body had already begun showing some characteristics distinctive to human females.


    At the same time, his demonic aura and spiritual energy were both dramatically weakened. Because he was in the process of turning into a human, his cultivation might not have been lowered, but his spiritual energy had been mostly consumed by his demonic arts.


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan mused. ¡°In that case, Your Highness, how do you n on dealing with him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll naturally kill that bastard!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s another matter that I¡¯m curious about.¡± After mulling it over for a moment, Yun Ruoyan decided to ask what was on her mind.


    ¡°What is it, Miss Yun?¡±


    ¡°Are you aware that that snake demon has been fomenting rebellion under your name?¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan asked that question, she deliberately paid careful attention to Li Sheng¡¯s face, which seemed to stiffen slightly. After a moment of silence, he replied quite naturally, ¡°I¡¯ve heard him mention it a few times, but it hasn¡¯t ever been anything major. I suspect it¡¯s simply in his nature.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Yun Ruoyan inclined her head slightly, not pressing him any further. In her heart, however, she felt as though she had gained a slightly better understanding of the true Farsighted King.


    He definitely wasn¡¯t as innocent as he seemed. After all, based on what Zhuo Yifeng had told her, he had been nning this rebellion for at least a decade, not merely three years. She was therefore quite confident that the rebellion hadn¡¯t been initiated by the snake demon, but rather by the Farsighted King himself quite some time in the past.


    However, the snake demon had taken over the nning for the rebellion after assuming his identity. Perhaps in order to please Li Sheng, he had even sped up the ns for so doing by gathering a veritable horde of demonkin to assist in this endeavor.


    However, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t intend on dealing with this matter. After all, she was now a member of Kongming Academy, and she would be heading into an alternate dimension with Li Mo a yearter. Compared to that, matters on the Chenyuan continent really didn¡¯t seem all that important to her.


    ¡°Your Highness, thank you for revealing this secret to me and clearing my doubts.¡± Although Yun Ruoyan had doubts about his true intentions, she still disyed a superficial politeness.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothingpared to the favor of saving my life, Miss Yun,¡± the Farsighted King replied earnestly. In his mind, however, he was simply treating Yun Ruoyan as a means ofmunicating with Li Mo; since she was his disciple, whatever he told her would ultimately be passed on to Li Mo.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t want to embroil herself in the matter, and refrained from asking any further questions. Instead, she directly asked for the key to the Farsighted King¡¯s secret archives, which Li Sheng handed her immediately.


    As she set off for the secret vaults once more, she suddenly thought of something and handed Li Sheng a pouch of powder. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s another favor I have to trouble you with. I drugged Physician Ceng with an intoxicating fog, and he¡¯s waiting for me now by the rock garden by the northern wall. Please send someone over to sprinkle this antidote on his face.¡±


    Then, Yun Ruoyan quickly walked back down into Li Sheng¡¯s vaults, an ornate key in her hand. Although the lock opened easily, it took her some effort to push open the tremendously heavy door, a feat that was impossible without some achievement in cultivation.


    In front of her eyes was a room of modest size, not particrly wide but with a high ceiling. The room was filled to the brim with bookshelves, each packed with reams upon reams of paper and stacked folders. As Yun Ruoyan nced around the room, she began to feel a little ustrophobic.


    The bookshelves all around her were iid with moonstones, and between every few shelves was amp made of a pearl-of-night, a light source that would never be extinguished. As a result, she could see her surroundings very clearly.


    Yun Ruoyan began searching for her own secret folder. The archives were catalogued very neatly based on the noble houses of the capital. Surprisingly, there were even a few shelves dedicated to the royal family.


    When Yun Ruoyan took the key from Li Sheng, she had promised not to casually flip through other families¡¯ folders, and it wasn¡¯t as if she were so curious that she couldn¡¯t restrain herself. She focused solely on finding the Yun family folders, but because of how much information there was, it took her almost an hour to do so.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally found it!¡± Yun Ruoyan took a rather slim folder out of a jam-packed bookshelf, her heart heavy. She flipped to the records pertaining to her generation, then found her name. Her pounding heartbeats reached a crescendo, then went silent. I have no agency in choosing my birth. No matter what I find, all I can do is adapt to the circumstances and face reality, she reminded herself.


    Amidst the crowded bookshelves, Yun Ruoyan sat down and began to read.


    ¡°The 534th generation heir, Yun Ruoyan, has a bloodline not of the Yuns; she was born to Lin Yuemei and a mysterious man by the name of Master Long. The sudden appearance of this Master Long in the capital drew Ye Mei¡¯s attention, but almost no information about him could be found. Once, while tracking Master Long, Ye Mei observed him fighting with another man and performing a full-body transformation into a shocking ck dragon. Based on Ye Mei¡¯s description, this Master Long is likely an extant member of the demonic dragon n, which had mysteriously vanished from the annals of the Chenyuan continent over a millennium prior.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled. Despite her conjectures and guesswork, when what she had suspected wasid out in front of her in writing, Yun Ruoyan still found herself needing some time to digest the revtion.


    ¡°Ye Mei trailed Master Long until he eloped with Lin Yuemei. A few monthster, when Lin Yuemei returned to the Yun manor, she was pregnant with Yun Ruoyan¡­¡±

 Chapter 287: My Life is Mine Alone

    <h4>Chapter 287: My Life is Mine Alone</h4>


    After reading through the part of the Yun family dossier which pertained to her, Yun Ruoyan sat on the floor in silence, her circumstances and surroundings all but neglected. The dossier had verified her hypothesis regarding her identity, and it had exined quite a number of her strange experiences.


    She wasn¡¯t Yun Lan¡¯s daughter, and no trace of Yun blood ran in her veins. This exined Yun Lan¡¯s indifference to her and her achievements, and why she had been treated so poorly despite supposedly being the direct female heir to the house.


    The grudges she had harbored toward Yun Lan dissipated like smoke in the wind. If I¡¯m not his daughter, what obligation does he have toward me? None at all. Yun Ruoyan scoffed at herself, but she did remember being the object of Yun Lan¡¯s affection at a young age. Was that just because I was my mother¡¯s child, if nothing else? But once she passed, I¡¯m sure that tenuous affection must have faded¡­


    However, the confirmation that she possessed half a demonic dragon¡¯s bloodline was still immensely shocking to her. After having been human for so many years, it was really quite hard for her to ept that she¡­ wasn¡¯t.


    Besides, weren¡¯t the demonic dragons members of the demon race? A thousand years ago, the demon race had been driven to extinction by thebined efforts of the silver dragons and humans. If she bore the demonic dragon bloodline, would she have to be enemies with humans and the silver dragon n? To fight against, rather than with, her friends, family, and lovers?


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice rang out then, more somber than she had ever recalled it being. ¡°No matter what, you¡¯ll always be my mistress.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Qiuqiu.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled wanly. ¡°Even if there¡¯s no longer a ce for me in this world, at least I know that you¡¯ll be here with me.¡±


    ¡°Mistress, it¡¯s not just me. Li Mo¡¯s feelings toward you aren¡¯t a lie, and I¡¯m sure he would choose to be with you as well.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t he a member of the silver dragons? As a descendant of the demonic dragon n, we were fated to be enemies from birth.¡± Yun Ruoyan buried her head between her knees, theplicated emotions warring amidst her heart more profound than she could express.


    ¡°Mistress, if you don¡¯t reveal the secret behind your parentage, would anyone ever find out? Don¡¯t worry about these things¡ªyou¡¯re still you, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yun Ruoyan blinked, her thoughts clearing up. ¡°What do those demonic dragons have to do with me, anyway? Why do I have to go against the entire continent on their behalf?¡±


    But the moment she thought these thoughts, a red light suddenly shed through her mind. ¡°As a descendant of the demonic dragons, if you dare resist your responsibility for the n, you¡¯ll be cursed by your ancestors¡¯ wrathful spirits!¡±


    That voice was tinged with such immense anger that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head felt as though it would explode with pain.


    ¡°I am the master of my own destiny!¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out, even as she cradled her head. ¡°Neither the demonic dragons nor the silver dragons, neither spirit or demon, human or beast¡ªno one will ever dominate me again in this world!¡±


    Her sudden outburst, the result of two lifetimes¡¯ worth of oppression, sent the figment of demonic aura in her mind reeling.


    ¡°Mistress, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice rang out once more. ¡°Is that demonic eye doing something again?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Qiuqiu, I suppressed it.¡± Yun Ruoyan wiped at the sweat beading on her forehead. ¡°My life is mine alone to live. I won¡¯t let anyone threaten me.¡±


    ¡°Mistress, no matter what you ultimately choose, I¡¯ll still follow you,¡± Qiuqiu reaffirmed.


    Yun Ruoyan closed the dossier and reced it on the bookshelf.


    ¡°Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. Here¡¯s the key to the archives.¡± After leaving the archives, Yun Ruoyan handed the ¡®Ê®¡¯-shaped key to the Farsighted King.


    ¡°Compared to your saving my life, Miss Yun, this is nothing worth mentioning.¡± Li Sheng smiled as he took back the key. ¡°However, I hope you¡¯ll keep what you found, as well as the existence of the archives itself, a secret.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡± Yun Ruoyan replied immediately. Neither Li Mo nor the current emperor of the Li kingdom, Li Xiu, knew about the Farsighted King¡¯s archives, and it was clear how important Li Sheng deemed it and to what extent he had attempted to keep it a secret.


    Furthermore, despite how many secrets those archives contained, Li Sheng had handed her the key with only a simple request to not look at what was irrelevant to her. Even if she had saved Li Sheng¡¯s life, surely she had to reciprocate his trust.


    By the time she had finished with the archives, the sun was already high in the sky, and it seemed like it was almost noon. Li Sheng had already taken a bath, changed his clothes, and shaved. No trace of the prisoner could be seen on his person, neither his attire nor bearing.


    No ordinary servant would have been able to tell the difference between this Li Sheng and the demon who had taken his ce for a few years.


    ¡°Your Highness, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving with Physician Ceng now.¡± Yun Ruoyan nced out the window.


    Li Sheng coughed lightly, as though he were trying to restrain himself from saying something.


    ¡°Your Highness, is something the matter? Could there perhaps be some rtionship between Physician Ceng and the snake demon?¡±


    After all, Physician Ceng had been brought into the manor three years ago, near the time at which the snake demon had likewise been introduced to the manor.


    ¡°No, not quite,¡± Li Sheng replied. ¡°I only recruited Physician Ceng at the request of one of my concubines, who learned that he was particrly skilled at treating female ills. He has nothing to do with that odious snake demon.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Your Highness, is there some other problem?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like this,¡± Li Sheng exined. ¡°I was locked up by that snake demon for three years, and he¡¯s culled quite a number of my loyal subjects during this period of time. Furthermore, he¡¯s even gathered a veritable army of demons working under him to further my ns, so although I¡¯ve recovered my identity, I don¡¯t currently have anyone able to deal with these demons, and I don¡¯t think I can handle them on my own. If you¡¯re willing, Miss Yun, I¡¯d be honored to have you stay and help me exterminate them.¡±


    Li Sheng had been a seventh-rank demaster before his confinement, but his physique and cultivation had both declined dramatically in captivity. Even if he were still in peak condition, the demons working in the city would be able to overwhelm him by sheer numbers alone.


    Yun Ruoyan thought it over for a moment. ¡°I apologize, Your Highness, but I have an urgent matter in the capital that I need to handle. If it¡¯s alright with you, I can definitelye back after I¡¯m done dealing with my affairs.¡±


    ¡°I should be able to dy for a few months by stating that I¡¯m going into seclusion to prepare for a breakthrough. Miss Yun, I await your help.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Sheng worked out a n: he would im to be in seclusion for two months, and she would finish her affairs and help him to exterminate the remaining demons in the city before those two months were up.


    ¡°However, I¡¯ll have to deal with that heart-ripping demon preying on the innocent townsfolk immediately.¡±


    Li Sheng told her that the demons working for ¡°him¡± were mostly situated in the mansion right by his manor, and that particr demon was likely to be there as well. However, given how many demons were living in the mansion, it would be a dangerous task to try to assassinate that particr demon in broad daylight.


    ¡°I can summon a few subordinates over to help you,¡± Li Sheng suggested.


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t do, Your Highness,¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately objected. ¡°If you take part in this, it might cause some of the demons to suspect that something¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s best if I go at it alone.¡±


    They discussed their ns all through the afternoon. By the time Yun Ruoyan was prepared for the mission, it was already nighttime. Yun Ruoyan nced at the dark skies, the waning crescent moon hanging in the air, asionally covered up by a few wispy clouds and plunging thend into darkness for moments at a time.


    Dressed entirely in ck, she waved to Li Sheng, who stood behind her, before jumping off the second-story window as though she were a swallow.


    Because the Farsighted King¡¯s guards were all subordinates of the snake demon, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t leave the Farsighted King¡¯s manor directly. In the same way as she came, she snuck by the patrolling guards and scaled the northern wall, heading directly to the neighboring mansion.


    Perhaps because of the darkness, the mansion that had seemed so benign during the day was now suppurated with demonic aura, so thick that Yun Ruoyan felt as though she might choke on it. She had originally nned on scaling the wall and jumping into the mansion directly, but the density of the demonic aura caused her to change her mind.


    Instead, because the mansion wasn¡¯t particrly big, Yun Ruoyan decided to walk around its outer boundary and try to find a region where the demonic aura was weaker. As she got close to the front gates of the manor, however, she suddenly saw three men walking out from it.


    Yun Ruoyan hurriedly dashed for the shadows as she observed them from the distance¡ªcoincidentally, one of those three men was the target she was looking for.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, what¡¯s the special asion? Why are you taking us all out?¡± a chubby man was talking to him.


    ¡°I brought His Highness three maidens¡¯ hearts today, and he allowed me to take quite a bit of money from the treasury. Of course I¡¯d treat my friends and brothers, wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll thank you for your generosity in advance.¡± The other man walking by his side was dressed up like a schr, but he spoke with as much a feminine affectation as the imprisoned snake demon.


    ¡°Brother Chang, you¡¯re in rather high spirits today, aren¡¯t you? Could it be that you¡¯re actually going to frequent a brothel with us? You might be able to do it, of course, but would it even be enjoyable for you? Haha!¡± The fattyughed at his own words.


    The schr simply scoffed, pursing his lips and holding his fan between his face and the fatty¡¯s, disdaining even the thought of looking at him.


    ¡°I do know a good ce,¡± her target finally spoke. ¡°A new brothel just opened up on Hongliu Street, and it boasts both a repertoire of beautiful, skilled women and delicate young boys, just the thing for both of you. Well?¡±

 Chapter 288: Killing Three Demons

    <h4>Chapter 288: Killing Three Demons</h4>


    ¡°Oh? In that case, I must check out this ce with you, Brother Wang,¡± the schr replied with a smile.


    Yun Ruoyan silently crept behind the three demons as they walked through the city¡¯s bustling nightlife. ¡°Qiuqiu, what do you think of these three demons¡¯ cultivation?¡±


    Because all three of them possessed a rather strong demonic aura, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t fully discern their cultivation for herself.


    ¡°Mistress, all three demons have a weaker cultivation than you, but you¡¯re unlikely to gain the upper hand if they all work together. Even if you can eke out a victory, it won¡¯t be easy,¡± Qiuqiu replied.


    Although Yun Ruoyan was courageous, she wasn¡¯t foolishly so: unless there was a pressing reason, she wouldn¡¯t risk herself if she could help it.


    ¡°And if I use some intoxicating fog?¡±


    Since all three demons had a weaker cultivation than she did, the intoxicating fog that she had brewed once upon a time would be effective against them. Of course, it would be somewhat challenging to target all three demons at once, but Yun Ruoyan was quite confident in her speed.


    ¡°That would work, Mistress, but there¡¯s only enough left in the pocket dimension for one of them,¡± Qiuqiu replied helplessly.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll just keep on tailing them. I¡¯m sure that, at some point tonight, he¡¯ll be alone for at least a moment.¡±


    The moment they approached the brothel, they were personally weed in by a middle-aged woman with unusually heavy makeup on her face, a clear sign that her target frequented the brothel. Because she was still dressed entirely in ck, however, she couldn¡¯t follow them in without drawing attention to herself.


    Instead, she circled around the back of the brothel and scaled the back wall. Shended to discover that she was in the back of the kitchen, which was currently bustling with activity. Luckily, Yun Ruoyan moved quickly enough to hide in a little corner before anyone noticed her.


    ¡°Liu Zi, hurry up and serve them!¡± an irate chef called out from the kitchen, causing anky waiter to dash in from the front of the brothel. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ming!¡±


    As he passed through a rather dim corner of the kitchen, a hand reached out and grabbed him from a nearby bush, clutching his mouth shut and dragging him into the bushes. Liu Zi struggled, felt the back of his neck go numb, and passed out.


    Yun Ruoyan quickly stripped off her clothes and hid them in the bush, then took off Liu Zi¡¯s attire and put them on herself. In order to avoid attention, she had washed off the fake birthmark on her face. She walked out of the bush a handsome waiter.


    ¡°Liu Zi, Liu Zi! Damn it, where¡¯s that fool?!¡± the impatient chef called out once more.


    ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Yun Ruoyan ran into the kitchen to see a chubby middle-aged man, his face gleaming with oil, wearing an apron and with a bigdle in his hand. His hands were on his hips as he yelled at the younger chef by his side.


    ¡°Work faster, faster! Why don¡¯t you have more energy? Haven¡¯t you eaten?¡± Clearly, the fat man was the head chef of this kitchen.


    ¡°Sir, where¡¯s the food to be served?¡± Yun Ruoyan rushed up to the chef and asked, a smile stered on her face.


    ¡°Right over there, that fragrant perch.¡± The middle-aged man pointed to a dish with thedle in his hand.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, took the te of fish, and turned to leave.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± Only then did the middle-aged man get a good look at her face, and he blocked her path with thedle in his hand. Arching his eyebrows, he asked, ¡°Who are you? I¡¯ve never seen you before!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a neer! It¡¯s my first day of work today.¡± Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t seem anxious at all.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that Liu Zi?¡±


    ¡°He had a sudden stomachache, so I¡¯m his recement.¡±


    There was an unwritten rule in this kitchen that any newbie at the brothel would have to make the rounds through the back of the kitchen, or the kitchen staff would deliberately make things hard for them. However, when the middle-aged man saw that Yun Ruoyan was little more than a boy, and a handsome, delicate one at that, he couldn¡¯t bear to do so.


    He moved hisdle aside and motioned for Yun Ruoyan to leave. As he stared at her petite form, he wondered, Why¡¯s that old hag making him do kitchen deliveries rather than taking guests? It doesn¡¯t make sense!


    Yun Ruoyan brought the tray of food into the main dining area of the brothel. She nced all around her, but didn¡¯t see any of the three demons. Because she saw the old matron continuously ascending and descending the stairs to the second floor with new guests each time, she went up the stairs as well. The second floor was divided into two sections, with one flight of stairs on her left and right leading up. Yun Ruoyan stepped toward the left flight.


    ¡°Where are you going? It¡¯s the other side!¡± the matron hollered. When Yun Ruoyan turned around to head toward the other flight of stairs, she stilled for a moment. When did I hire such a handsome youngd?


    ¡°Madam, if we have to wait for our girls, surely we should at least get our food on time?¡± Someone popped his head out of one of the rooms on the second floor¡ªthe demon she was looking for.


    ¡°The food and girls are almost here! Please, give me a few more moments!¡± The matron herself walked into the room, quickly followed by Yun Ruoyan. Inside sat the fatty, the schr, and her target.


    ¡°Quick, serve our honored guests,¡± she instructed Yun Ruoyan, who lowered her head and set the tes of food on the table.


    ¡°Madam, did wee at an inopportune time? Having to wait so long for two girls¡ªand how about those dashing young boys that you advertised? You¡¯d bragged to me about how they looked even more delicate than the most beautiful women here!¡± Her targetughed as he joked with the old matron.


    ¡°The girls are on their way, of course! And as for whether or not I¡¯m lying about the boys, you¡¯ll find out for yourself in a matter of moments.¡±


    ¡°No need for the boys,¡± the schrly demon suddenly eximed.


    ¡°What, Brother Chang, you want to try some women today? Haha!¡± The fatty drank wine by the bowlful as he chortled loudly.


    The schr pointed the fan in his hand at Yun Ruoyan, still standing behind the matron. ¡°I want him.¡±


    Faced with sudden attention from everyone in the room, Yun Ruoyan quickly recovered from her fluster. After all, given her cultivation, she would be able to escape unscathed even if she couldn¡¯t kill her target.


    ¡°Madam, your brothel is truly a delight!¡± Her target stared unblinkingly at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Even your waiters are so handsome that even a man like me can¡¯t help being attracted, let alone my brother here. Would you allow him to stay?¡±


    He took out a silver ingot from his robes and handed it to the old matron, who smiled beamingly at the sight of money. She swivelled her head and instructed Yun Ruoyan, ¡°Stay here and serve these three guests. They won¡¯t treat you poorly, and you¡¯ll get more money from this one night than you would in a year¡¯s wages as a waiter.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan pinched her petite hands and nodded, the doubt and worry on her face clearly highlighting her delicate features. The schr forced himself to remain calm and motioned for Yun Ruoyan toe closer.


    She walked over with small, hesitant steps, then whispered to the schr, ¡°Sir, there are too many people here¡­¡±


    When the schr saw a blush creeping over Yun Ruoyan¡¯s features, he immediately stood up. ¡°Brothers, I think I¡¯m getting a little drunk, so I¡¯ll be retiring early.¡±


    The two demons smirked at him and nodded.


    The old matron brought the schr and Yun Ruoyan to one of the private rooms along the right corridor. Once the old matron left, the schr seemed to instantly change his demeanor, revealing a wanton and sinister expression as he pounced on Yun Ruoyan.


    The next moment, a dagger was by his throat.


    ¡°Wh¡ªWho are you? What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you immediately. I just need your help,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, then waved a hand at him and enveloped his head in intoxicating fog. ¡°Kill the two demons who came to this brothel with you, then kill yourself,¡± shemanded icily.


    ¡°Eh? Brother Chang, back so early?¡± the fatty eximed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it¡ªthatd fainted after just two goes.¡± He slumped down in his original seat.


    ¡°Feh. He might have looked pretty, but his limbs were so spindly that they¡¯d break with a touch! It¡¯s these big-bosomed women you want, eh?¡± He pinched a rather corpulent prostitute by his side, who yelped theatrically. She smiled, but her smile quickly turned into a mask of horror.


    The schr who had been by her side suddenly morphed into a snake-headed demon, then opened his maw and bit down on the fatty¡¯s neck. The fatty struggled to free himself, blood dripping everywhere in the process and causing the two prostitutes apanying them to call out shrilly before fainting.


    ¡°Brother Chang, what¡¯re you doing?!¡± the heart-ripping demon stood up, intending to strike out against him, when he suddenly felt the strength leave his body.


    Quickly realizing that this was a trap, he ignored his two brothers and leapt out of the window behind him, stumbling his way toward the mansion neighboring the Farsighted King¡¯s manor.


    However, before he could get far, a shadow blocked his path: the handsome waiter who had served them.


    ¡°Who are you, and why are you targeting me?¡± the demon asked warily, retreating near a wall.


    ¡°The heavens sent me here to banish evil,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, brandishing her spiritsteel dagger as she drew closer and closer to the demon.


    The demon struggled to defend himself with his rapidly weakening limbs.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve consumed my cultivation-destroying pill, you¡¯re nothing more than a cripple,¡± Yun Ruoyan remarked icily. ¡°After digging out so many maidens¡¯ hearts, I¡¯ll have you experience what it¡¯s like to be on the other end of things!¡±


    She thrust her dagger toward the demon¡¯s heart...

 Chapter 289: Angry

    <h4>Chapter 289: Angry</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dagger cleanly prated the heart-ripping demon¡¯s chest. His eyes bulged wide open as he stared at Yun Ruoyan. Arduously, he forced out, ¡°If you kill me, His Highness will surely seek revenge, as will myrades in the mansion.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I hope you enjoy waiting in the underworld for them to do so.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice was as cold as sleet. Even after she removed the knife and the youth crumpled to the ground, he continued spasming on the floor, not quite dead yet.


    At the same time, a pair of jade-green pupils appeared on the street leading up to the brothel, and it quickly approached Yun Ruoyan and the fallen demon. It was a thick python with the bloody head of a wild boar within its maw¡ªthe true body of the schrly demon. Of course, the wild boar¡¯s head belonged to the fatty.


    Yun Ruoyan took two steps back andmanded the python to drop the wild boar¡¯s head on the ground. Subsequently, it bit the spasming body of the fallen demon, bisecting it in half. His lower half-body fell to the ground, spilling out his organs and intestines. His two feet turned into the cloven hooves of a mountain goat.


    After swallowing half the youth¡¯s body, the python began smashing its head against the stone walls on either side of the road: once, twice, thrice¡­


    To Yun Ruoyan, each smash felt like a minor earthquake. Themotion rapidly drew the attention of the nearby residents. By then, Yun Ruoyan had hidden by the side of the road, continuing to oversee the scene until she could confirm that the python had also died.


    She returned to Li Sheng¡¯s rooms. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve already dealt with that demon. Come morning, I¡¯ll be leaving with Physician Ceng.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already dealt with the situation, Miss Yun?¡± Li Sheng seemed quite surprised: because he knew that Yun Ruoyan was intending on killing the demon, he had been quietly observing the neighboring mansion from his room.


    He retired at midnight, not having noticed anymotion at all. Initially, he had thought that Yun Ruoyan had been scared away by the overwhelming demonic aura in the region, but he had woken up to Yun Ruoyan telling him that the demon had been vanquished!


    ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness!¡± Frantic knocks could be heard from outside, and Yun Ruoyan hurriedly hid behind a screen.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Li Sheng called out.


    ¡°Masters Wang, Liu, and Chang started a fight by a brothel!¡±


    ¡°Started a fight?¡± Li Sheng seemed a little confused, but quickly followed up with, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°All of them died! And because they all ended up revealing their demonic forms, there¡¯s a mor on the streets¡ªthe townsfolk are iming that they must be the demons responsible for the spate of gruesome crimes recently! Your Highness, do you want to make a public appearance to quell the crowd?¡±


    The messenger speaking outside was likely a demon himself.


    ¡°I will be remaining in secluded meditation for two months. Handle this matter yourself,¡± Li Sheng replied coolly.


    The messenger hesitated for quite a while before replying in the affirmative, then turning to leave. Only when Yun Ruoyan heard his footfalls down the stairs did she emerge from behind the screen.


    ¡°These demons are crafty and easily suspicious. If I¡¯m still not out in two months¡¯ time, they¡¯ll surely suspect that something¡¯s wrong,¡± Li Sheng murmured, somewhat worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. Even if I can¡¯t return to help myself, I¡¯ll surely send someone else of at least equal cultivation to do so.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s reassurance actually did calm Li Sheng down. She returned to the inn at which she was staying. By mid-morning, Physician Ceng had entered the inn and found her on Li Sheng¡¯s orders. ¡°You must be Miss Yun! On the Farsighted King¡¯s orders, I¡¯m here to apany you to see a patient,¡± he began respectfully.


    Yun Ruoyan had an impulse to ask him about Lin Yuemei¡¯s condition on the spot, but she knew that this wasn¡¯t the appropriate ce or time. ¡°Physician Ceng, we¡¯ll be heading to the capital. Have you eaten breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s leave immediately.¡± The carriage that she had requested from Li Sheng had arrived in the morning. Physician Ceng entered the carriage; Yun Ruoyan would be the driver. They were out of the city in an hour¡¯s time. Because the carriage was clearly marked with the Farsighted King¡¯s insignia, none of the guards had stopped her on the way out.


    Not long after she exited the city, a mesteed rushed up to greet her from the opposite direction.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Yun Ruoyan steered the carriage closer. ¡°Brother, what are you doing here?¡±


    When Yun Moxiao saw Yun Ruoyan, he quickly turned around. ¡°I was still somewhat worried about you, so I begged Father¡¯s leave and came to have a look.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s head back together.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled¡ªalthough she felt that Yun Moxiao was being overly cautious, she could clearly feel her brother¡¯s care and concern through his thoughtful gesture.


    ¡°Did you manage to find Physician Ceng?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s right in the carriage. I encountered a few problems along the way that dyed me for a day, and I¡¯ll talk to you about them once I have time.¡±


    Because Physician Ceng was still in the carriage, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t want to chance telling her brother about the Farsighted King and the demon infestation in the city. Instead, they focused on riding.


    A mesteed would be able to reach the capital in a day¡¯s hard ride, but Yun Ruoyan¡¯s carriage was clearly somewhat slower. Furthermore, given that Physician Ceng had to rest from time to time, the two siblings took one whole day and night to arrive at the capital once more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle Physician Ceng. You¡¯d better head to the ughtering King¡¯s manor,¡± Yun Moxiao advised.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is Li Mo mad?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know this, but the second day after you left, the ughtering King came to the Yun manor asking for your hand in marriage. When he found out that you weren¡¯t there, his face was even colder than Father¡¯s¡ªyou know what I mean! That¡¯s partly why I rushed to find you.¡±


    ¡°Did Father ept?¡± Compared to Li Mo¡¯s anger, Yun Ruoyan was clearly more concerned about what her father thought about the affair.¡±


    ¡°Initially, he was against it, but when the ughtering King took out the fruit of cloud and sky, Father relented. He said that he would wait until you returned to decide; after all, as a member of Kongming Academy, your words carry weight,¡± Yun Moxiao recounted. ¡°Actually, Father has always understood that there was something going on between you and the ughtering King. If you insist on marrying him, I¡¯m sure Father would agree.¡±


    More like he¡¯s just agreeing because of that fruit! Yun Ruoyan knew of it: a legendary treasure that could advance someone from the peak of ninth-rank to the level of a sword saint. Even if one¡¯s cultivation were to stagnate at that level, that person would still be at the peak of cultivators on the Chenyuan continent.


    This betrothal present seemed to have been specifically designed for Yun Lan, and Li Mo had surely given up something precious for it. Yun Ruoyan could almost imagine Li Mo¡¯s face when he arrived at the Yun manor with the fruit in hand, only to find her missing.


    Yun Ruoyan was somewhat scared for her uing confrontation with Li Mo. However, having gotten used to his moods, she couldn¡¯t help smiling upon trying to guess his expression when he realized that she was missing.


    ¡°In that case, Brother, I¡¯ll hand Physician Ceng to you and have a look around the ughtering King¡¯s manor. She handed him the reins to the carriage and swapped horses with him, then galloped over.


    ¡°Miss Yun, you¡¯re finally here!¡± The moment she arrived at the ughtering King¡¯s manor, the pair of fat and skinny guards that she had seenst time quickly approached her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Miss Yun, over the past few days,Miss Li Luo has been around the front gates so often, asking whether you¡¯d shown up, that we¡¯re both going crazy!¡±


    ¡°Stopining to her and dying things further! Quick, Miss Yun, please enter.¡± The fatter guard took over the reins to her mesteed.


    ¡°Sorry for the trouble,¡± Yun Ruoyan apologized, then entered the manor. As she entered his residence, she called out, ¡°Li Mo, Li Mo!¡±


    ¡°Miss Yun, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Li Luo walked out of a side room and greeted her.


    ¡°Sister Li Luo, is Li Mo inside?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but he hasn¡¯t said a word after returning from the Yun manor yesterday,¡± Li Luo whispered.


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing now?¡±


    ¡°Reading.¡± Li Luo turned around and nced at the room before continuing, ¡°However, he¡¯s remained on the same page since morning. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking, and I¡¯ve never seen him like that before. I think you¡¯d better have a look for yourself.¡±


    Li Luo walked off, leaving Yun Ruoyan to brave Li Mo¡¯s fury all on her own. She stood by the doorframe and saw Li Mo resting crookedly on a futon, his gaze fixed to the book in his hands. She waited for quite a while, but didn¡¯t see him turn a single page...

 Chapter 290: I’ll Tell You Everything

    <h4>Chapter 290: I¡¯ll Tell You Everything</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan stood by the entrance to Li Mo¡¯s rooms, not daring to enter. In the end, just as she had made up her mind to walk in, Li Mo spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re you standing there for? Aren¡¯t you tired after these few days of running around?¡± Li Mo put down his book, then raised his head to meet her gaze.


    ¡°I heard you were angry, and I was scared,¡± Yun Ruoyan lowered her head, smiling winningly. After she had removed her fake birthmark as a disguise during the brothel infiltration, she hadn¡¯t made a new one. Instead, she had put on a gauze patch over her right cheek.


    Her full day and night of riding had caused her hair to be somewhat tousled. Because she hadn¡¯t consumed much food, her jaw looked far more pointed, and her skin wan and sallow.


    ¡°And here I thought you weren¡¯t afraid of anything,¡± Li Mo replied coolly.


    Looks like he¡¯s really mad. She carefully walked over to his side. ¡°Are you really mad?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be?¡± His brows were arched, his nose slightly upturned, his lips barely pursed.


    ¡°You should be,¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°How can I make you feel better?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan swept a strand of hair behind her ear, looking frustrated. Li Mo sighed and was just about to say something when Yun Ruoyan leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Her soft lips were cold, like the dew on a winter morning.


    ¡°Are you still mad?¡± Yun Ruoyan had only briefly touched her lips to his before breaking the contact, and herrge, expressive eyes were focused on Li Mo.


    So quickly she had almost missed it, Yun Ruoyan saw an icy blue gleam sh through Li Mo¡¯s pupils, and then she was grabbed in a tight embrace, her lips overwhelmed by Li Mo¡¯s.


    If Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips were icy dew, then Li Mo¡¯s were an ardent fire, one that could make her lips boil. She had epted the kiss, but as Li Mo became more and more demanding, Yun Ruoyan tried to push him away. She could feel an iron tang by her lips, but she didn¡¯t know whether it came from her or Li Mo.


    Her lips turned numb, and the kiss no longer seemed gentle or sweet. All she could sense was Li Mo¡¯s fury, as clear as day.


    ¡°Li Mo, you¡¯re making me hurt.¡± Yun Ruoyan pushed against his shoulders, murmuring, ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    The moment Li Mo did so, she stumbled backwards, but Li Mo caught her by the arm.


    ¡°Li Mo, it looks like you really are mad at me.¡± She wiped at her lips and found a red smear on her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯ve had some time to cool down beforeing back.¡±


    She was about to leave when Li Mo grabbed onto her even more tightly than before.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have disyed my anger so, and I definitely shouldn¡¯t have hurt you in the process. But¡­¡± Li Mo took a deep breath. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so angry if I didn¡¯t care about you so much.¡±


    Goodness, was Li Mo really trying to flirt with her? Awkwardly and in an easily misinterpreted manner, but¡­


    Given his usual cool, aloof demeanor, Yun Ruoyan found herself particrly affected by his words. She didn¡¯t doubt the strength and truth of his feelings at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have left without letting you know and causing you to worry, but there were some things that I had to aplish on my own. After all, I can¡¯t be relying on you all the time, can I?¡±


    ¡°And why not?¡± Li Mo frowned. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just keep relying on me? If I didn¡¯t always want to be able to support you, why would I marry you? I want to protect you, to make sure that you¡¯re shielded from pain!¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, I know you have good intentions.¡± She sat down by his side, choosing her next few words with care. ¡°I¡¯ve experienced quite a bit of trauma before meeting you, and although I¡¯ve been trying to forget these terrible memories, they¡¯ve left a scar on me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan leaned her head against Li Mo¡¯s shoulder and continued, ¡°Before all that happened, my biggest dream was to find a man whom I could count on. Afterwards, however, what I realized was that the only one who¡¯ll always be there for you¡­ is yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, can¡¯t you let me support you? Just like how you¡¯re leaning against me now.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan chuckled bitterly and shook her head. ¡°Perhaps one day, when we¡¯re free of these mortal bindings.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, sometimes I really don¡¯t understand you.¡± Li Mo kneaded her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re only fourteen. Except for your trip to Kongming Academy, this is the first time you¡¯ve left the capital. Your age and experience are bothcking, but sometimes you give me the impression that you¡¯ve seen it all. And those words just now¡ªit¡¯s lucky I was the one you were talking to. What sort of expression would someone else have upon hearing something like this from a fourteen-year-old girl, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, let me tell you a secret.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice was suddenly solemn. ¡°My soul was reborn. The reason I sound so world-weary is because I¡¯ve already lived out one life. I died a terrible death, brought on by my own ipetence. Both the Yun and Lin families were dead to thest, all because of me! This time, I swear I won¡¯t be a weakling again.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo turned around and nced equally seriously at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Your fibs have grown remarkably believable in just a few short days.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    Li Mo shook his head. ¡°Of course not! Is what you said true?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ it¡¯s fake,¡± Yun Ruoyanughed mischievously. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s simply because I had to mature early. Myst few years in the Yun household haven¡¯t been a pleasant experience, as you know. My mother passed early, my father doesn¡¯t like me, my brother wasn¡¯t by my side¡­ I grew used to having to fend for myself, and it¡¯s a habit I can¡¯t change. If you really want to marry me, please ept me as I am.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo replied immediately. ¡°However, I do wish that there weren¡¯t so many secrets between us¡ªafter all, we¡¯re about to be husband and wife. If we¡¯re still hiding things from each other left and right, does our marriage really have any meaning?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan thought for a moment. ¡°Li Mo, my past experiences have made it very difficult for me to trust others, even those closest to me. I won¡¯t reveal my secrets before you do yours, but I¡¯ll certainly reciprocate.¡±


    Li Mo stood up. He walked up to a window and turned toward the pond of lilies outside, causing a heavy silence to descend on the room. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this exact matter during the few days you were gone. The reason I was unwilling to reveal all my secrets to you was because I didn¡¯t want to drag you into the danger that surrounds me. If we¡¯re to be married, however, then I can¡¯t shield you from that danger any longer.¡±


    ¡°The secrets that I¡¯ve sworn to protect with my life¡ªI¡¯ll reveal all of them to you.¡±


    Li Mo had already informed Yun Ruoyan of his identity, but after having been together for so long, Yun Ruoyan could sense that he hadn¡¯t told her the full story. For example, why did Li Mo frequently vanish for a few days at a time? Who was the madam that she had overheard him talking about back in the southern tower?


    Although Yun Ruoyan wouldn¡¯t ask Li Mo these questions directly, that didn¡¯t imply that she wasn¡¯t concerned or that she didn¡¯t want to know. She was simply waiting for an opportunity for Li Mo to tell her about everything herself, and now was the best time for doing so.


    ¡°Before revealing this secret to you, I have to show you two ces.¡± Li Mo extended a hand to her.


    Yun Ruoyan took his hand, and Li Mo brought her outside the living room. On his sword, they soared toward the Yueli Mountain.


    Four hourster, they stopped near the top of a valley, below which Yun Ruoyan could see a few dozen wooden cottages: a little settlement,plete with livestock andborers.


    ¡°Everyone living in this settlement was a beastkin ve that I saved in the past, as well as a new batch that was rescued from the Yue kingdom not ten days ago. Now, there are over two thousand people living here,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°I might not be able to recreate the beastkin kingdom, but I wanted to at least give them a life free of discrimination and strife.¡±


    ¡°Do they know that it was you who saved them?¡±


    ¡°Only a rare few,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Most of them are like Zhuo Yifeng, thinking of me as their mortal enemy.¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, there¡¯s been a question I¡¯ve never found the answer to. Did you really ughter that army of a hundred thousand beastkin that fateful day?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they were all infested with a demonic parasite. If I hadn¡¯t killed them, they would have be bloodthirsty demons.¡± Li Mo¡¯s knuckles had turned white. ¡°Only a rare few were able to ovee the corruption, and they¡¯ve mostly be my guards. The rest of them, sensing the demonic energies coursing through their bodies, begged for death, and I had no other recourse.¡±

 Chapter 291: Meeting Empress Xue Tong

    <h4>Chapter 291: Meeting Empress Xue Tong</h4>


    Li Mo¡¯s tone echoed with grief and helplessness. At the time, he was no more than a youth of sixteen or seventeen. How great did his willpower and fortitude have to be, to bear the cries of a hundred thousand kin? How great his courage, to utter themand that would doom them all?


    And yet no one else on the Chenyuan continent knew the truth; they styled him a god of ughter, the ughtering King, a mark of praise and reverence¡ªand yet to him it was only a reminder of an agonizing decision he had to make, relived time and time again. Only Li Mo knew what he had given up that day, and the mantle he now carried: to be misunderstood by his fellow kin, to be hated, to be gued by his own conscience!


    Yun Ruoyan felt as though she could now understand why Li Mo seemed so cold, why he always dressed in ck, and why, despite being only in his twenties, he already seemed so jaded and indifferent.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart throbbed for the youth of sixteen who had to kill his kin, who bore a mountain¡¯s worth of responsibility all on his own. Sensing his rigid body and tight muscles, she hugged him in an attempt to get him to rx.


    ¡°Li Mo, do you know who it was that set these demonic parasites on your kin?¡± Killing the perpetrator of these crimes was the only possible revenge.


    ¡°It was the first elder of the silver dragon n. He was badly injured by my father during a battle that year, and he chose to exact revenge on the beastkin as a whole. He had one of his n enforcers infiltrate the Chenyuan continent, stirring up the beastkin and inciting them into rebellion against the humans, hoping that the humans would ughter them all.¡±


    When Li Mo found out about this affair, he requested that the Li emperor make him the general of the forces tasked to quell the rebellion. Because the Li emperor knew something of his parentage, he agreed.


    The reason Li Mo took on the role of general was to prevent this needless fight. He found the generals of the beastkin army and made his identity known, revealing the scheme of the silver dragon¡¯s n first elder. The generals were naturally willing to follow Li Mo, and they all surrendered to him.


    Seeing that his scheme had failed, however, the enforcer of the silver dragon n chose to give up his life¡¯s cultivation in ast-ditch effort to infest the beastkin army, a hundred thousand strong, with demonic parasites that would turn them into bloodthirsty barbarians.


    If all hundred thousand beastkin soldiers were to be parasitized and allowed to run rampant, then the Chenyuan continent would have be a living hell. Li Mo had no other choice than to call for their deaths.


    ¡°When those beastkin found out that they would be demons in their own right, they begged for death to thest. I swore to them that I would behead the silver dragon n¡¯s first elder in vengeance for their suffering and constion for their sacrifice.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan firmly gripped Li Mo¡¯s shoulders. ¡°In that case, I too shall help with this goal. Let his head forever hang in this valley; let it serve as his eternal remorse!¡±


    Li Mo hugged her back, his body cool but warmer than it had ever been. ¡°This is only one of my secrets. Next, I¡¯ll take you to see a certain person, a person whom I have to protect with my life.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan thought of the madam she had heard reference to back in the southern tower, the madam whom Li Mo had called Mother. However, Li Mo had once told Yun Ruoyan that his mother had been seized by the silver dragon n, and this was something that had gued Yun Ruoyan for quite some time¡ªthough it seemed that this question would be quickly resolved.


    On his sword, they flew past the Yueli Mountains, toward another valley further in the distance.


    The second day after Yun Ruoyan¡¯s trip to the Farsighted King¡¯s Manor, right as Li Mo was about to head to the Yun manor to ask for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand in marriage, he received amand from his mother telling him to bring Yun Ruoyan over to see her.


    At first, Li Mo was a little hesitant, but he made up his mind to do so after having this conversation with Yun Ruoyan.


    Empress Xue Tong had only ever treated Yun Ruoyan as a cultivation tool since the first she had heard of her from Li Mo. However, after learning from the first elder of Kongming Academy that she possessed the bloodline of the demonic dragons, she intended to make use of her as a pawn in her ns.


    More specifically, she would make use of her to reach an agreement with the demonic dragon n to team up and destroy the silver dragonspletely. If this alliance were to be sessful, however, Yun Ruoyan would have to y an important role in the negotiations. As a result, she had to meet this allegedly exceptional girl in person.


    Two hourster, Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan to another, unfamiliar valley. Perhaps because it was turning dark, or because it was rtively uninhabited, this valley looked far darker and sinister than the previous one.


    A grand, imposing castle loomed in the distance, partially destroyed and in quite some disrepair.


    ¡°Li Mo, is this¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, the castle of the beastkin kingdom. I was born right here.¡±


    Li Mo took Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand and walked her to the castle, murmuring, ¡°This was also where I grew up, and the castle¡¯s the source of many of my cherished childhood memories. However, during my sixth year here, my life fell apart.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re here! The madam has been waiting for quite some time.¡± Su Bei greeted them near the entrance, dressed entirely in ck and with an expansive hood covering his head.


    ¡°This is Su Bei, another of my guards. However, he¡¯s been tasked to remain here to guard this ce,¡± Li Mo exined.


    Of Li Mo¡¯s guards, Su Nan was the only one she had some familiarity with; Su Dong, Su Bei, and Su Xi were names that she had only heard Li Mo mention in passing.


    However, Yun Ruoyan did remember Su Bei¡¯s voice: he was the man whom Li Mo had been talking to moments after she had woken from unconsciousness.


    ¡°And this must be Miss Yun. Miss, please follow me.¡± Su Bei bowed and unhooded himself, revealing his true appearance. His face was stoic and resolute, and a long, angled knife scar stretched from his forehead all the way down his jaw through his left cheek, making him look more severe.


    The more she looked at it, the more she found his face simr to someone she knew¡ªZhuo Yifeng! Of course, Zhuo Yifeng was still just a youth, but the stoic, resolute aura that he projected felt virtually identical to Su Bei¡¯s.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know the rtionship between Zhuo Yifeng and Su Bei, and she didn¡¯t think too much about it. Treating it as a mere coincidence, she nodded at Su Bei and followed him and Li Mo into an underground tunnel.


    Quickly, the three of them reached the end of the tunnel, leading into a secret vault. Su Bei slowly opened the doors as Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo, her heart starting to beast faster and faster. This madam that Su Bei was serving, that Li Mo swore to protect with his life¡ªcould it be the woman that she was thinking about?


    With anxiety, confusion, and some amount of excitement, Yun Ruoyan took a few steps forward and entered the chamber before Li Mo.


    ¡°Miss Yun, it¡¯s good to meet you.¡± The moment she stepped into the vault, a pleasant but cold voice spoke to her.


    Yun Ruoyan looked up to see a statue in the spacious room, one of a woman seemingly carved in white jade. Arrayed around her were all sorts of rare spiritual herbs, pills, and treasure, and the vault was filled with a potent, concentrated haze of spiritual energy.


    ¡°Miss Yun, I¡¯ve heard Mo¡¯er talk about you many a time. Now that we¡¯re finally meeting, I can indeed affirm your beauty with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my mother, the honorable Empress Xue Tong of the beastkin kingdom,¡± Li Mo began.


    He walked up to Yun Ruoyan, then bowed toward her mother. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve brought Yan¡¯er here to pay respects to you.¡±


    ¡°Yun¡­ Yun Ruoyan greets the Empress Xue Tong.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Yun Ruoyan hurriedly mimicked Li Mo¡¯s actions and bowed toward the jade statue.


    ¡°You may rise,¡± Empress Xue Tong replied mildly. ¡°Miss Yun, is my countenance frightening to you?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Highness! I was just a little taken aback.¡±


    Empress Xue Tong was clearly an immobile jade statue, but Yun Ruoyan could feel her gaze linger on her.


    ¡°Li Mo has mentioned you to me a few times,¡± she began hesitantly. ¡°He said that you were taken away by the silver dragons, so I am a little shocked to see you here.¡±


    She frowned at Li Mo, as if ming him for her confusion.


    ¡°Li Mo didn¡¯t lie to you,¡± Empress Xue Tong sighed. ¡°I was truly abducted by the elders of the silver dragon n. The entity speaking to you is nothing more than a fragment of my soul. The reason Li Mo hid this matter from you was not because of ack of trust, but rather because this matter is of life-and-death importance to me. If the silver dragons were to find out that I still existed on the Chenyuan continent, even in this form, they would surely try to send people after me¡ªand the two of you.¡±


    Empress Xue Tong¡¯s voice turned cold once more.


    ¡°As such, my presence here is a responsibility and danger to all those in the know. Your marriage with Li Mo will undoubtedly chain and embroil you in this matter, and I hope you¡¯ll understand your newfound responsibilities clearly.¡±


    <hr>


    1. ¶« (dong), ÄÏ (nan), Î÷ (xi), ±± (bei) represent the four cardinal directions, so this is a matched quartet of names.

 Chapter 292: The Scarlet Eye

    <h4>Chapter 292: The Scarlet Eye</h4>


    ¡°If this is too heavy a burden for you to carry, you still have time to change your mind,¡± Empress Xue Tong continued. ¡°I can wipe the memories of all that you¡¯ve seen and heard today, annulling the proposed marriage between you and Li Mo.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t frighten me, and I won¡¯t regret my decision. I intend and am willing to share Li Mo¡¯s responsibilities,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied without any hesitation. She turned to Li Mo. ¡°Li Mo, will you make me regret my decision? As long as your heart is mine, I will shoulder this burden with you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s goal in this life was to live a better life than she had in the past. Now, she had voluntarily chosen to share in Li Mo¡¯s calling.


    Li Mo¡¯s dark pupils were so bright as to be shocking. ¡°I, Li Mo, swear on the name of my father, the Beast King, that I shall never turn my back on you in this life. If I forswear myself, may I¡ª¡±


    Li Mo was just about to recite a litany of curses when Yun Ruoyan cupped his mouth and continued, ¡°If you turn your back on me, may you and I never meet again, forever separated in life and death, in all future reincarnations, with the heaven and earth as our witnesses!¡±


    Li Mo frowned and grasped Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand. Her words were truly far more damning than any sort of curse could be¡ªto be separated from his beloved Yan¡¯er would truly be more heartwrenching than a thunderstrike from the heavens, than being pierced through the heart, than having his body torn apart¡­


    ¡°I ept!¡± Li Mo forced out.


    ¡°My son has found a truepanion,¡± Empress Xue Tong eximed, gratified. ¡°Su Bei!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    ¡°Bring over the gifts that I¡¯ve prepared for Miss Yun.¡±


    Su Bei rushed into a side chamber, then returned with an oblong box iid with jade. When he opened it in front of her, a bright red glow forced her to shield her eyes with her hand. It faded, revealing a blood-red spiritual sword.


    ¡°This sword bears the name of Scarlet Eye,¡± Empress Xue Tong announced. ¡°It was a sword that my consort, Li Mo¡¯s father, the deceased Beast King, used in his prime. After he mastered his main cultivation technique, he no longer found use for the sword, and it¡¯s been kept here ever since.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced at the Scarlet Eye, clearly sensing the concentrated fire-attuned spiritual energy within it. Furthermore, this fire-attuned energy seemed to resonate with that within her qilin beads.


    The moment this thought became fully formed in her mind, the beads on her wrist turned a scorching red. At the same time, she felt the fire-attuned spiritual energy in her spiritual vortex begin to froth. It wasn¡¯t an ufortable sensation, but rather one of excitement.


    The red glow that the Scarlet Eye had initially given off seemed to re-emerge, though far gentler than before¡ªa rosy hue that reminded one of dawn, which seemed topel Yun Ruoyan to reach out and take the de.


    The qilin beads on her wrist had been forged by the Beast King himself, and the Scarlet Eye was likewise his sword. Because so much of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pillmaster cultivation had been performed with help from the beads, her spiritual energy had taken on some of the Beast King¡¯s innate quality.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± Yun Ruoyan breathed, and even Su Bei seemed awed by the sight.


    ¡°This sword is truly drawn to you by fate,¡± Empress Xue Tong murmured, after recovering from her temporary shock.


    ¡°Does this sword have any special properties beyond being concentrated with fire-attuned spiritual energy?¡± Everyone seemed shocked that she could handle it directly.


    ¡°Miss Yun, you might be unaware of this, but this Scarlet Eye was forged by my consort in his prime, out of spiritsteel taken from a volcano¡¯s core. The sword itself burns with immense heat, one that would prevent anyone else from even touching it. When it glows, this heat soars to an unimaginable extent, and only this box made with thousand-year-old frosted jade can counteract this heat. I had imagined that, except for my consort, no one else on the continent would ever be able to use it again.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s that powerful¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan held the sword with her right hand, then tentatively touched the de with her left. She felt no warmth at all, but instead a faint coldness.


    ¡°My gratitude, Your Highness. This is truly a remarkable sword.¡±


    Empress Xue Tong smiled. ¡°I heard Li Mo mention that you were now an eighth-rank demaster.¡±


    Eighth-rank and above demasters would be able to train with a spiritual sword and have it serve as a flying device. However, those swords that met this criterion were undoubtedly rare and precious treasures, andmonly had very stringent requirements with regard to cultivation technique and spiritual energy attunement.


    Despite this difficulty, only those cultivators who had mastered a sword would be considered true demasters. As a result, despite there being quite a number of eighth-rank demasters on the Chenyuan continent, rtively few were true demasters. A significant portion of demasters remained unable to find one of these rare swords, made even rarer by the need forpatibility.


    As a result, despite being eighth-rank, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t hold high hopes for finding a sword that would match her aptitude so quickly¡ªuntil today.


    ¡°Initially, I had intended on handing you this box of frosted jade to be made into a sheath on your behalf, but to think that you would be able to use it directly¡­ Well, this certainly saves some effort.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan reluctantly reced the Scarlet Eye back in the box of frosted jade before thanking Empress Xue Tong once more.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, this is Mother¡¯s weing gift for you. If you thank her too much, it¡¯ll make it seem as though you¡¯re still viewed as an outsider,¡± Li Mo reminded her from the side.


    ¡°Exactly so,¡± Empress Xue Tong said. ¡°I certainly won¡¯t be able to attend your wedding in such a state. This Scarlet Eye is a present for you from your future mother-inw.¡±


    ¡°You honor me, Your Highness.¡± Yun Ruoyan still couldn¡¯t resist the ingrainedpulsion to bow. From the side, Li Mo began to smile even as he shook his head.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, why do you still address me as Your Highness?¡± Xue Tong called her by her nickname, just as Li Mo did. ¡°You should call me Mother.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned toward Li Mo, who nodded at her. He stepped forward and stood beside Yun Ruoyan, tugged on her hand, then knelt down. ¡°Mother, please ept my and Yan¡¯er¡¯s kowtows in advance.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er pays her respects to her mother,¡± Yun Ruoyan added, mimicking Li Mo¡¯s gestures.


    ¡°Rise, rise, my dear children.¡± Empress Xue Tong seemed a little overwhelmed, and even her usually cold voice had begun to tremble.


    The three of them then discussed their wedding preparations further. Although Yun Lan hadn¡¯t given Li Mo a definitive answer to his proposal, Li Mo was quite confident that the betrothal gift would be sufficient incentive for him to do so.


    As for the emperor Li Xiu, who had always been courteous and respectful to Li Mo, Li Mo didn¡¯t think him a significant obstacle. While there would surely be rumors about their master-disciple rtionship, neither Li Mo nor Yun Ruoyan paid much mind to their name.


    What they instead discussed was the date of the wedding. Li Mo wanted it as soon as possible, whereas Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have much of a preference. In the end, Empress Xue Tong decided on next spring, the day after her fifteenth birthday.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure this ce is too far for the two of you to get to frequently,¡± shemented. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve already kowtowed to me, there¡¯s no need for you to return here after the wedding to do so as well.¡±


    ¡°Mother, Yan¡¯er and I will be starting a new training session after the wedding before entering the alternate dimension directly. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take us to return, so please take good care of yourself,¡± Li Mo finally said.


    Then, the two of them left the secret vault.


    ¡°Congrattions on your uing wedding, Your Highness,¡± Su Bei said, right as they left the castle. Li Mo nodded, then removed a cerulean sword from his storage ring. ¡°This is a wood-attuned spiritual sword. Now that Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s also an eighth-rank demaster, he¡¯ll be a suitable sessor for it.¡±


    ¡°My gratitude, Your Highness!¡± Su Bei took the sword reverently, his tone impassioned.


    ¡°A year from now, Zhuo Yifeng will enter the alternate dimension with us. Take this opportunity to spend time with him before then.¡±


    Su Bei nodded, not saying anything more.


    As a green aura shed from the sword underneath his feet, Li Mo left soaring with Yun Ruoyan, rushing in the direction of the capital. The sun was already rising, and the first thing that they had to do was to inform Yun Lan of the uing marriage.


    Not long after Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo left, a white-robed, white-haired elder stepped out from the empress¡¯ secret vault¡ªthe first elder of Kongming Academy.


    ¡°Empress, the ns you¡¯ve set in motion will undoubtedly lead to Xun Mo¡¯s resentment. Please reconsider, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°First Elder, you need not repeat yourself.¡± Her words were colder than before. ¡°I am perfectly willing to suffer my son¡¯s resentment if it means that I can avenge my consort. Have you dealt with the matters with which I tasked you?¡±


    ¡°I have gone to the demonic dragon grotto within the trial grounds, and I have transmitted your message to the demonic dragon souls,¡± the first elder replied.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°They would like to meet with you personally to discuss matters.¡±

 Chapter 293: Betrothal

    <h4>Chapter 293: Betrothal</h4>


    The first elder told Empress Xue Tong that the demonic dragon souls in the demonic dragon grotto wanted to meet with her in person to facilitate the discussion. Empress Xue Tong neither epted nor refused the offer immediately; instead, she carefully considered her options.


    ¡°Empress, you must be cautious. You¡¯ve already hidden here for more than a decade, and it¡¯ll be very risky to leave at the moment.¡±


    Although the silver dragon elders didn¡¯t yet know that a fragment of the empress¡¯ soul remained active on the Chenyuan continent, they still had quite a number of scouts in the vicinity, all of which were rather difficult to deal with. All the empress knew of these scouts was that the Yuelu Vi was one such; over the years, Li Mo had managed to save quite a number of beastkin ves from the vi.


    Xue Tong wasn¡¯t confident that she would be able to avoid exposing herself to these scouts. If that were to happen, the consequences would be unimaginable. This was what most worried her.


    After a long moment¡¯s contemtion, she finally announced, ¡°It might be dangerous to leave the area, but the benefits outweigh the risks. First Elder, bring Su Bei with you to prepare for my departure. I will personally head to the demonic dragon grotto to discuss matters with the demonic dragon elders.¡±


    Knowing that Empress Xue Tong had made up her mind, the first elder could only nod in eptance.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    As dawn broke, Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan back to the ughtering King¡¯s manor. A betrothal was an important affair, and neither of them thought it appropriate to participate in their travel-worn state. As such, both of them had made a temporary stop at Li Mo¡¯s manor, where Li Mo instructed Li Luo to draw them both a bath and to prepare fresh clothes for them.


    Ever since Yun Ruoyan had stayed at Li Mo¡¯s manor for a whole night, his manor had begun preparing clothes for Yun Ruoyan as well.


    ¡°Do I have to be present for the betrothal offer?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°Should I return to the Yun manor before you, then wait at my cottage for the news?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for such trouble. Why don¡¯t you just head there with me, Yan¡¯er?¡± He chuckled at her anxious appearance. ¡°Yan¡¯er, could it be that you¡¯re embarrassed?¡±


    ¡°Embarrassed?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Of course not! But no matter what, I¡¯m still a proper daughter of the Yun family. Shouldn¡¯t I be more reserved? Surely it wouldn¡¯t do for me to look as though I can¡¯t wait to get married!¡±


    ¡°More reserved?¡± Li Mo couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter any longer. ¡°Like this?¡±


    He dragged Yun Ruoyan into his embrace, then leaned down to kiss her.


    ¡°Your Highness, Miss Yun, the bath is ready.¡± Li Luo suddenly appeared by the door, then immediately lowered her head upon seeing what they were doing.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, let¡¯s bathe and change our clothes, then head to the Yun manor together.¡±


    ¡°Together?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked up, her cheeks blushing red. ¡°We¡¯re¡­ bathing together?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°If you¡¯d like, Yan¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately pushed against Li Mo¡¯s chest, struggling to free herself from her embrace. From his smiling expression, she knew that he was just teasing her.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t get mad,¡± Li Mo continued. ¡°My bathtubs are all too small for two, but once you move in, Yan¡¯er, I¡¯ll prepare a hot tubrge enough for both of us to make love in.¡±


    Li Mo said all those words with a straight face, but Yun Ruoyan was turning scarlet. She nced at Li Luo, still standing by the doorframe with her head lowered, and quickly dashed to her side. ¡°Sister Li Luo, don¡¯t listen to His Highness speak nonsense! Please, lead me to the baths.¡±


    When she was done, she dressed in a dress that Li Mo had picked out for her: a fiery red dress with a phoenix orchid motif. In general, Yun Ruoyan tended to dress casually, in a manner suited for physical exertion. Even in winter, she would only throw on a shawl or jacket; because of her cultivation, she wasn¡¯t particrly bothered by the cold.


    This fiery-red dress was more formal than she was used to, but it was surprisingly easy to put on and take off. Yun Ruoyan liked it very much.


    ¡°His Highness designed this himself, Miss Yun,¡± Li Luo mentioned in passing.


    After putting on the new dress, she sat in front of the mirror as Li Luo brushed her hair. She didn¡¯t put on a gauze patch, and neither did she hide her beauty with a fake birthmark.


    When Li Luo walked in and saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s true appearance, it took her quite some time to gather her wits.


    ¡°His Highness has always had excellent taste. Miss Yun, you look stunning in that dress,¡± Li Luo praised.


    ¡°Sister Li Luo, won¡¯t you call me Ruoyan instead of Miss Yun?¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time that she had made such a request; she was quite ufortable at having the girl of her brother¡¯s dreams refer to her so formally.


    ¡°I do have to stop calling you Miss Yun,¡± Li Luo joked. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to serve you, Consort Yun.¡±


    ¡°Sister Li Luo! I¡¯m not married yet!¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face flushed red once more. Although she had experienced marriage in the past, her experience this time still seemed so novel that she was as nervous and shy as ever.


    ¡°Li Luo, His Highness sent me over to ask if the two of you were ready yet. It¡¯s starting to gette,¡± a servant called out from outside.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be done soon!¡± Li Luo called back.


    ¡°It¡¯s customary to make marriage proposals in the morning for good luck. Now that it¡¯s almost noon, I¡¯m sure His Highness is getting somewhat nervous,¡± Li Luo exined.


    Because Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t yet of age, her hairstyle couldn¡¯t be tooplicated. Li Luo deftly twisted her hair into many small braids, then wound them into twin buns pinned atop her head. The resulting hairstyle was simple yet elegant, cute yet entuating her fine features. Combined with her dress, she looked as graceful as ark.


    Li Mo smiled as soon as he saw her.


    ¡°His Highness reserves all his genuine smiles for you, Miss Yun,¡± Li Luo whispered from the side.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo stepped forward and swept Yun Ruoyan into an embrace. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two of them held hands as they stepped into the carriage, which drove off in the direction of the Yun manor.


    ¡°Li Mo, once you¡¯re done with this marriage proposal, I¡¯d like to discuss some matters with you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Yan¡¯er.¡±


    An hourter, the carriage stopped in front of the Yun manor. When the guards at the front gate saw the ughtering King arrive with Yun Ruoyan, they immediately rushed to report the sight to Yun Lan.


    Meanwhile, Li Mo helped Yun Ruoyan down the carriage, then walked into the manor while still holding her hand.


    ¡°What? Repeat yourselves!¡± Yun Lan had been dealing with court documents in his study when he was rudely interrupted with news of Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Master, the ughtering King is walking toward the great hall with Miss Yun,¡± the guards repeated.


    ¡°How presumptuous!¡± Yun Lan got up and began rushing toward the great hall himself.


    ¡°What did you say? The ughtering King was holding onto my sister¡¯s hand as they walked toward the great hall?¡± At the same time, Yun Moxiao, who was cultivating in his yard, received the same news from one of his servants. They¡¯re being too bold, aren¡¯t they? It looks like Yan¡¯er¡¯s not intending to marry anyone else but him!


    Although the Li kingdom wasn¡¯t the most conservative, there were still customary rules and formalities to be upheld, especially between men and women whose rtionships were still up in the air. As for Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, their affairs were even moreplicated, because they were master and disciple as well.


    Luckily, the servants of the Yun manor weren¡¯t aware of this. Otherwise, rumors of their indecency would have spread throughout the capital in the matter of hours,pletely tarnishing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s half-tarnished name.


    ¡°Matriarch!¡± The Yun matriarch¡¯s personal attendant, Xiao Lan, hurriedly rushed into her room.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Madam, the ughtering King is here with a marriage proposal once again,¡± Xiao Lan informed the Yun matriarch.


    ¡°Again?¡± The Yun matriarch frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t Ruoyan secretly leave the manor just to avoid himst time? Why is he back?¡±


    The Yun matriarch didn¡¯t think very highly of the ughtering King; an ice-cold killer wasn¡¯t someone she wanted as a son-inw.


    ¡°No, no¡ª¡± Xiao Lan didn¡¯t know how to preciselymunicate what she had seen. ¡°Madam, you must take a look for yourself. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be sent off so easily this time!¡±


    Not long after Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo arrived at the great hall, Yun Lan, Yun Moxiao, and the Yun matriarch all arrived in rapid session. They were quickly followed by Qin Jianmei, who had brought Yun Ruoyu along with her.


    After Madam An had gone crazy, Qin Jianmei had temporarily assumed the responsibilities of the female head of the household and began dealing with the affairs that had traditionally been taken care of by Madam An. As a result, it wasn¡¯t much of a surprise for her to be present.


    ¡°Official Yun greets the ughtering King.¡± As usual, Yun Lan bowed to Li Mo, but he stopped him before he could finish the formal greeting. At the same time, he announced to those behind Yun Lan, ¡°Today, Ie to the Yun manor not as the ughtering King, but as a suitor asking for your daughter¡¯s hand in marriage, Official Yun.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± the Yun matriarch jumped in, before Yun Lan could speak. ¡°As you know, Yan¡¯er¡¯s not just the daughter of the Yun household, but also a student in Kongming Academy. Her marriage isn¡¯t something that we elders from the Yun family alone canmand; her opinion is equally important.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan, standing behind Li Mo, felt a warmth in her chest at her grandmother¡¯s words. She knew that the reason she had interrupted her own son was because she was afraid that Yun Lan would use her marriage as a bargaining chip.


    ¡°Grandmother.¡± Yun Ruoyan stepped forward and sped her wrist. ¡°Marrying the ughtering King is an oue that I¡¯d be happy with.¡±

 Chapter 294: Inquiry

    <h4>Chapter 294: Inquiry</h4>


    The Yun matriarch had rushed to the great hall fearing that Yun Ruoyan would be bullied into an arrangement that she wouldn¡¯t be happy with, but she hadn¡¯t known her true feelings about Li Mo.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, are you sure? Think carefully! Don¡¯t ruin your life on a moment¡¯s impulse, on external pressure,¡± the Yun matriarch continued, still a little worried for her granddaughter. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t feel strongly about anyone at the moment, there¡¯s no need to rush. You¡¯ll only be of age next spring, and postponing any marriage arrangements until then isn¡¯t out of the question.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced at Li Mo, not knowing whether tough or to cry. She hadn¡¯t realized how unfavorable her grandmother viewed the ughtering King. After all, the ughtering King was a rising star in the Li kingdom, and all sorts of noble families had been trying to forge connections with him in recent years. The only reason they had stopped was because of his frosty demeanor.


    Unexpectedly, the Yun matriarch had unequivocally rejected him¡ªeven before knowing that she and Li Mo were master and disciple!


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s filial piety toward her grandmother was being reciprocated in kind.


    ¡°Grandmother, I really am thankful for your concern, but I¡¯m willing to marry Li Mo,¡± Yun Ruoyan reaffirmed sincerely.


    The Yun matriarch appeared a little taken aback. She had heard that Li Mo was interested in Yun Ruoyan, and that her son was naturally invested in making this marriage a reality, but she had never learned Yun Ruoyan¡¯s own view on the matter.


    ¡°Mother, please allow me to handle this matter,¡± Yun Lan then began.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The Yun matriarch patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands and sighed weakly. ¡°It looks like I really am getting old and muddle-headed. In that case, I¡¯ll leave your affairs in your own hands.¡± She turned toward her son. ¡°I expect only the best for Ruoyan. A wife-born daughter of the noble house of Yun is fit for royalty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m getting a little tired, so if you don¡¯t mind, Your Highness, I¡¯ll be retiring to my rooms for the moment.¡± She turned back to Li Mo. He had made clear that he was approaching the Yun family as a suitor rather than as the ughtering King, and the Yun matriarch¡¯s slightly informal treatment was acknowledgment on her part.


    ¡°Naturally, Grandmother,¡± Li Mo replied. Although he didn¡¯t bow, his tone was clearly respectful.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at her grandmother¡¯s back as she was brought away on her pnquin. It looks as though Grandmother doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m not really a member of the Yun family.


    She had once suspected that the Yun matriarch was aware that she wasn¡¯t Yun Lan¡¯s child, because she had indeed been rather cold to her in her past life. Despite being thrown out of the family academy by Yun Lan, the Yun matriarch hadn¡¯t stepped in to shield her.


    Now, however, she had to rethink her assumptions. If the Yun matriarch didn¡¯t know of her background, then there were only two reasons for her rtive coldness: first, that she didn¡¯t like Lin Yuemei, or second, that Yun Ruoyan herself was an unlikable child in her past life.


    Did no one else from the Yun family know the secret truth behind her parentage? Otherwise, how could no one have brought it up?


    ¡°Qin Jianmei greets the ughtering King.¡± Madam Qin, who had been standing by the side, stepped forward, followed by Yun Ruoyu and Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°Please, dispense with the formalities. As I¡¯ve mentioned, I¡¯m here merely as a suitor for Ruoyan.¡±


    After their greeting, Qin Jianmei, Yun Ruoyu, and Yun Moxiao all stood by a side of the chamber. Although Li Mo had mentioned that he wasn¡¯t here as the ughtering King, no one really dared to neglect his identitypletely. As a result, while he and Yun Ruoyan continued to stand in the great hall, no one would sit, not even Yun Lan.


    Given the Yun matriarch¡¯s approval, Li Mo felt as though the marriage proposal would easily go through, but he still had to carry out the formalities in full. He revealed a sandalwood box containing the fruit of cloud and sky. Thest time he came to the Yun manor to propose marriage, Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t present. Yun Lan used her as an excuse to avoid responding then, so the fruit was still in Li Mo¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Official Yun, Yan¡¯er and I have an affinity with each other, and we already have a prospective date for our marriage in mind. We hope for your approval.¡± He handed the box to Yun Lan.


    Yun Lan looked at Li Mo, then at Yun Ruoyan, before finally taking the box. ¡°Your Highness, it is truly an honor for our families to be brought closer by marriage. However, as for the matter of your being master and disciple¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Official Yun,¡± Li Mo swiftly replied. ¡°I will petition the emperor to proim the details of the marriage, absolving the Yun family from any smear on its reputation.¡±


    Only then did Yun Lan truly rx.


    Subsequently, they began discussing the more mundane details of the marriage. Because Qin Jianmei was now responsible for the household affairs of the Yun family, she too remained for the discussion.


    They stayed in the great hall for four whole hours before they had worked out all the details of the wedding.


    ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t expect you would be so meticulous as to discuss this with us yourself,¡± Madam Qin couldn¡¯t helpmenting.


    There were a considerable number of details to go over in the nning stage, and most noble families would have sent a respected housekeeper to work through the details. Unexpectedly, Li Mo had done so himself.


    ¡°My goal is to give Yan¡¯er a wless wedding.¡± He turned to look at Yun Ruoyan, who smiled back at him.


    Yun Lan felt that he should have been happy to see him and Yun Ruoyan so close¡ªafter all, Yun Ruoyan was a daughter of the Yun family at least in name, if not in blood. Their marriage would certainly elevate the status of the Yun family, but Yun Lan had a veryplicated view of her rtionship with Li Mo.


    He couldn¡¯t help thinking back to Lin Yuemei¡¯sst request: to have Yun Lan take care of Yun Ruoyan, on ount of their feelings for each other. Lin Yuemei had been at death¡¯s door. To prevent her from dying with this regret, he had unwillingly epted her request.


    During the first few years of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s childhood, he was able to feel some sense of affection for Yun Ruoyan, but this affection slowly dried up as Yun Ruoyan turned ugly and her cultivation retrogressed.


    Yun Lan had almost given up on Yun Ruoyan entirely when, a few monthster, Yun Ruoyan managed to regain her footing based on nothing but her own will. Not only that, she had even snagged a man like the ughtering King! This was truly Lin Yuemei¡¯s daughter¡ªno, Lin Yuemei¡¯s and his daughter!


    ¡°Official Yun, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll be taking our leave for the moment. I shall send for the matchmakers to arrive tomorrow,¡± Li Mo stated.


    Li Mo held hands with Yun Ruoyan as they walked out of the great hall, followed by Yun Moxiao. Li Mo had originally intended on taking Yun Ruoyan straight back to the ughtering King¡¯s manor, but Yun Ruoyan asked for them to head to her cottage instead. ¡°Brother,e with us. I need to tell you both something.¡±


    Back in her rooms, Yun Ruoyan had Peony and Xi Lan keep guard outside before she turned to Yun Moxiao. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m about to marry Li Mo, so I don¡¯t want to keep anything hidden from him. However, this concerns both you and me, so I¡¯d like to get your approval before I mention anything to Li Mo.¡±


    Yun Moxiao naturally understood what Yun Ruoyan was referring to. ¡°I can definitely trust His Highness. With his help, it might even be possible to discover Mother¡¯s whereabouts more quickly.¡±


    Having obtained Yun Moxiao¡¯s approval, Yun Ruoyan told Li Mo all that they had discovered about their mother, Lin Yuemei.


    ¡°You im that your mother might still be alive?¡±


    ¡°Right. It¡¯s very likely that our mother isn¡¯t dead, so we¡¯ve been spending a lot of effort on trying to figure out her whereabouts,¡± Yun Moxiao replied.


    ¡°The reason I went to the Farsighted King¡¯snds was to search for a physician who had been taking care of Mother while she was gravely ill. We had hoped to figure out the truth behind her illness,¡± Yun Ruoyan then mentioned. ¡°Furthermore, I wanted to discover the culprit behind her poisoning. What sort of grudge did he harbor toward Mother to dose her with such a frightful poison¡ªone that would even affect me, still in her womb!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had already discussed with her brother all that she had learned about her poison from Li Mo. Li Mo had had his men keep tabs on the whereabouts of the tribes from which this poison had originated, but although there were traces of their existence scattered all around the capital, they seemed to have simply vanished from the continent.


    ¡°Were you able to find that physician?¡± Li Mo asked.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, then turned to Yun Moxiao. ¡°Where¡¯s Physician Ceng at the moment?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, after you left, I intended to bring him to the Yun manor. However, once there, he turned incredibly scared, refused to enter, and even tried to escape! With no other choice, I could only bring him to the Lin manor.¡±


    ¡°This Physician Ceng must know something,¡± Li Mo muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s go pay him a visit first.¡±


    The three of them then headed to the Lin manor, where Lin Zainan himself brought them to a small cottage where Physician Ceng was currently locked up. As they entered, Physician Ceng immediately rushed toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Miss Yun, I came with you to visit a patient on His Highness¡¯ orders. Why am I being locked up?!¡±


    ¡°Physician Ceng, the reason I brought you to the capital was to ask you a few questions, not to have you inspect a patient,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined.


    ¡°To ask me a few questions?¡± Physician Ceng¡¯s face was clearly pale. He slowly slumped down on a seat. When he next spoke, his voice had gotten far quieter. ¡°I don¡¯t know any of you. What could I possibly know?¡±

 Chapter 295: Speaking Up

    <h4>Chapter 295: Speaking Up</h4>


    Seeing Physician Ceng¡¯s guilty expression, Yun Ruoyan immediately pressed him. ¡°In that case, do you know of the Yun family?!¡±


    ¡°S¡ªSo what if I do?¡± Physician Ceng raised his voice a little. ¡°The Yun family¡¯s well known in the Li kingdom. Wouldn¡¯t anyone with some upbringing have heard of it?¡±


    ¡°In that case, have you heard of the Hundred-Herb Apothecary?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    Physician Ceng¡¯s pale face turned as white as a sheet: the Hundred-Herb Apothecary was the apothecary that Yun Lan had opened for him in the capital in gratitude for his actions. If Yun Ruoyan had even learned about that apothecary, it seemed that he would be unable to hide his involvement with the Yun family further.


    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± Physician Ceng finally looked the gathered people in the eye: Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, Li Mo, and Lin Zainan. Each of them had an imposing presence, and it was clear that they weren¡¯t ordinary men and women.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a matter you should concern yourself with, Physician Ceng,¡± Yun Moxiao replied. ¡°All you have to do is answer our questions.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°We want to know the true cause of death for Yun Lan¡¯s wife, Lin Yuemei, thirteen years ago.¡± Lin Zainan, who had remained silent until now, took two steps forward, his eyes gleaming at Physician Ceng. Although he was past seventy, his eyes were as shrewd as ever. No one without sufficient resolve would be able to stare him in the eye while he was furious.


    Physician Ceng only nced at him briefly before immediately looking away. He seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°Thirteen years ago¡­ the young madam of the Yun family?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s been so long that I¡¯ve forgotten.¡±


    ¡°You liar!¡± Yun Moxiao eximed. ¡°Why else would you be so afraid that you tried to run away when I brought you to the Yun manor?¡±


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s tone was so severe that Physician Ceng almost jumped up in fright. Yun Ruoyan waved a hand at Yun Moxiao, motioning for him to calm down, before walking up to Physician Ceng and sitting down by the stone bench next to him.


    ¡°Physician Ceng, you don¡¯t seem like a malicious man. Why hide someone else¡¯s secrets? Tell us everything you know, and we¡¯ll send you back to your family immediately,¡± Yun Ruoyan promised. ¡°On the other hand, if you don¡¯t cooperate¡­ Given my rtionship with your master, I don¡¯t think it would be a big deal even if I killed you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could see that this Physician Ceng was a coward. His expression made clear that he knew something of her death, but it was very likely that he had been threatened not to divulge the secret. She had frightened him in an attempt to get him speaking, but although he was very afraid, Physician Ceng refused to speak up.


    Even by sunset, they hadn¡¯t gotten any more information out of him. Instead, his head drooped and his features turned listless, as if he were about to sleep. No matter who tried to speak to him, he wouldn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°If words won¡¯t do the trick¡­¡± Yun Moxiao cracked his knuckles and stepped forward, but Yun Ruoyan held him back.


    ¡°No, Brother! Look at him¡ªif you even punch him twice, he¡¯d likely die! In that case, whom would we ask for information?¡±


    ¡°But we surely have to think of something, don¡¯t we?¡± Yun Moxiao asked anxiously.


    ¡°Qiuqiu?¡± Yun Ruoyan summoned Qiuqiu mentally.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mistress?¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t my intoxicating fog work against this Physician Ceng anymore?¡± Since frightening Physician Ceng hadn¡¯t seemed to work, Yun Ruoyan used herst remaining supply of intoxicating fog on him.


    Repeated uses of the fog within a short timeframe would hurt one¡¯s mental faculty, so Yun Ruoyan had tried to avoid it if possible. However, she didn¡¯t have much of a choice now.


    Even so, despite how effective the intoxicating fog had been on him before, it wasn¡¯t effective at the moment. He seemed like someone who had lost his soul, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words were nothing more than idle chatter to him.


    ¡°Could I have used too little of the fog?¡± she asked Qiuqiu.


    ¡°Physician Ceng¡¯s only a regr human without any cultivation of his own. What little intoxicating fog you had left should have been enough,¡± Qiuqiu responded. ¡°And it does look like he¡¯s under its effects.¡±


    ¡°Then why isn¡¯t he listening to me?¡± Yun Ruoyan had orchestrated the murder of three demons with the fog, none of whom seemed to be able to defend against it at all. How could it have suddenly lost its effect on this Physician Ceng?


    ¡°There¡¯s only one possible reason,¡± Qiuqiu replied after some time. ¡°What you¡¯re asking about is so important to him that he¡¯s still avoiding the question subconsciously. Mistress, I suspect he thinks it more important than even his life!¡±


    ¡°More important than his life?! Why?¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Clear the intoxicating fog from him.


    ¡°Hm? Oh!¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly did so. Physician Ceng suddenly seemed clear-headed once more. He raised his head and blinked blearily at the four people in front of him.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, does this Physician Ceng have a family still?¡± Li Mo asked. His tone was casual, but Physician Ceng stiffened.


    ¡°Yes. He has a wife, and a few children.¡± Yun Ruoyan thought back to the clothes she had seen being hung up to dry that night she had visited his cottage. ¡°Three children, a girl of twelve or thirteen, and a pair of male twins, only five or six years old.¡±


    ¡°This old fellow looks like he¡¯s intending to stay here,¡± Li Mo continued, not sparing a nce for Physician Ceng. ¡°Bring his wife and children to apany him, and if necessary¡­¡±


    Li Mo made a shing gesture by his neck, and Physician Ceng¡¯s eyes widened. His face, already stark white, began to tremble.


    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat are you nning to do?¡± Physician Ceng slowly stood up, his shaking more and more pronounced. The middle-aged man who hadn¡¯t even dared look Yun Ruoyan in the eye was now staring at Li Mo, his fear all but forgotten.


    ¡°That year, when Young Madam Yun passed, she left two pitiful children behind. Can you imagine their suffering?¡± Li Mo turned emotionlessly to Physician Ceng. ¡°If you choose to ally yourself with viins, then I¡¯ll let you have a taste of that pain for yourself!¡±


    ¡°No¡­ No¡­!¡± Physician Ceng fell to the ground. ¡°This has nothing to do with my family! I¡¯ll tell you everything, but you have to promise me one thing!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly spoke up.


    ¡°Let me bear the weight of my crimes. Don¡¯t harm my family.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªwe wouldn¡¯t hurt innocent women and children,¡± Yun Moxiao promised. ¡°Just tell us everything!¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Physician Ceng took a deep breath, sat down, and began to recount his tale. Thirteen years ago, he had been nothing more than a wandering physician. He had travelled to the capital, where he saw a notice from the Yun family seeking talented physicians for Young Madam Yun, who had contracted a deadly illness.


    Thinking that he might be able to treat her, Physician Ceng paid a visit to the Yun manor. While studying Lin Yuemei¡¯s symptoms, he realized that she wasn¡¯t ill¡ªshe had been poisoned. As luck would have it, Physician Ceng had heard his father discuss a very simr poison with him before.


    ¡°At the time, Young Madam Yun¡¯s skin had turned a mottled ck, and she would vomit blood from time to time. These symptoms matched a poison that my father had told me about, and I coincidentally knew the antidote. However, because of how ingrained the poison was, I wasn¡¯t confident that I would be sessful.¡±


    Nevertheless, Physician Ceng¡¯s remedy worked, and Lin Yuemei¡¯s illness took a turn for the better. In order to thank him, Yun Lan had had an apothecary constructed in the capital for him.


    Things seemed to be going well until the day he received a letter from his hometown, stating that his wife hade down with a sudden illness and was very ill.


    ¡°I was so anxious that I intended to return on the spot. It was already nighttime, but I didn¡¯t have the luxury to wait till dawn,¡± Physician Ceng continued. ¡°However, just as I had packed and was about to leave, a veiled woman walked into my courtyard. She told me that my wife hadn¡¯t contracted an illness, but rather the same poison that had befallen Young Madam Yun¡ªbut ten times more concentrated. She had poisoned my wife herself!¡±


    The woman then took out two pills and handed them to Physician Ceng, one the antidote to the poison, and another a stimnt that would enhance the effects of the poison.


    ¡°The woman told me that I wouldn¡¯t have the time to nurse my wife back to health. The only way I could save her was if I poisoned Young Madam Yun myself¡ªonce she died, someone would hand me the antidote for my wife¡¯s poison.¡±


    Physician Ceng began to sob. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone, I really didn¡¯t, but my wife was already pregnant with my daughter¡­¡±


    ¡°So you poisoned my mother instead?!¡± Yun Moxiao howled at the physician, his eyes red.

 Chapter 296: The Art of Swordflight

    <h4>Chapter 296: The Art of Swordflight</h4>


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to, but¡­ my wife, my children, I, I couldn¡¯t just watch them die!¡± Physician Ceng sobbed. ¡°From then on, I only focused on women¡¯s ills, never dealing with poisons or mdies of any sort. Even after an entire decade, my heart has never found peace. I know you must be the rtives of Young Madam Yun, here to find me for revenge. I don¡¯t mind dying, but please spare my wife and children¡ªthey had no knowledge of any of this!¡±


    By this point, Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, and Lin Zainan were all filled with a heady mix of sorrow, fury, and indignation. Lin Zainan stumbled, and Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao hurriedly helped him to one of the stone benches.


    ¡°Grandfather, didn¡¯t you mention that Mother could still be alive? Don¡¯t be too upset,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered to him.


    Only then did Lin Zainan recover from his sudden, acute grief. Hearing how someone had personally poisoned his precious daughter had dug up old wounds he had thought long since healed.


    Yun Ruoyan broke the pregnant silence. She slowly stooped by Physician Ceng¡¯s side. ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t mind your death, but there¡¯s someone who deserves to die more. Do you know the identity of the woman who gave you the poison?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªno, I don¡¯t.¡± Physician Ceng finally stopped sobbing. His voice hoarse, he replied, ¡°She wore a hat with a white, translucent veil, one that trailed down her entire body. Not only did it cover her face, but even her figure as well.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead scrunched up. ¡°In that case, even if you were to see that woman again, you wouldn¡¯t be able to identify her?¡±


    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t.¡± Physician Ceng buried his head in his chest. If he were able to do so, he would still have some value alive. However, Physician Ceng didn¡¯t want to sully his conscience any further. Even if he had lied, he didn¡¯t think he would be able to trick the four people in front of him. Instead, he would only bring trouble to his family.


    As Physician Ceng prepared to die, he suddenly remembered a minor detail during his conversation with the woman.


    ¡°I remember something!¡± he suddenly shouted, standing up.


    ¡°What did you remember?¡± Everyone turned to him.


    ¡°Her smell.¡± Physician Ceng spoke rapidly, as though he was worried that he would quickly forget the impression in his mind. ¡°She smelled very strange.¡±


    ¡°In what sense?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed.


    ¡°As a physician, I have to deal with all sorts of herbs, so my sense of smell is particrly sensitive. I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be able to recognize the woman¡¯s smell, even after all these years.¡± He frowned and thought back carefully to his memory. ¡°It was a very strong sandalwood fragrance, as though her body had been steeped in it after years of incense and prayer. The fragrance was so strangely strong as to be almost overwhelming.¡±


    ¡°A sandalwood smell, steeped in incense, curiously intense¡­¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, have you thought of something?¡± Li Mo asked, upon hearing her mumbling.


    ¡°Ruoyan, do you know something?¡± Yun Moxiao had also discovered something amiss with his sister.


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head, then slowly nodded. ¡°This description does remind me of a person, but I hardly think it possible¡­¡±


    ¡°Who?!¡± Yun Moxiao shouted.


    ¡°Madam Qin, Qin Jianmei!¡±


    ¡°Madam Qin?!¡± Yun Moxiao sounded immensely disbelieving. ¡°Ruoyan, could you be mistaken? How could Madam Qin be the one who had poisoned Mother?¡±


    Li Mo and Lin Zainan were both unfamiliar with Qin Jianmei, so they didn¡¯t react. Instead, they listened carefully to Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao¡¯s analysis.


    ¡°I also hope she isn¡¯t the culprit¡ªafter all, she did take care of me in the past,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. ¡°However, she¡¯s the only one I could think of who could possibly have such a fragrance about her. I¡¯ve only ever smelled that sandalwood fragrance from Madam Qin, but it¡¯s not something you can easily detect unless you¡¯re close by.¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough to judge based on the sandalwood fragrance alone,¡± Yun Moxiao replied. He had a very good impression of Madam Qin, a woman who seemed at times almost divorced from the mortal world. Could she really have been their mother¡¯s killer? Yun Moxiao really couldn¡¯t imagine the thought.


    ¡°Not only that,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued, ¡°I feel like she¡¯s changed significantly after assuming Madam An¡¯s responsibilities, and even Yun Ruoyu seems to have changed dramatically.¡±


    In the past, Qin Jianmei had almost never stepped out of her cottage, let alone take the initiative to head into the great hall to discuss matters with a guest. However, the Qin Jianmei of the present frequently walked around the manor and had taken over the management of the household.


    Yun Ruoyu had changed equally dramatically. She had been bossy and rambunctious, but now she was a demuredy! Anyone who hadn¡¯t known her before her transformation would have thought that that was her original personality.


    Actually, Qin Jianmei and Yun Ruoyu¡¯s transformations were clear to all in the Yun household. In the past, Qin Jianmei had been so isted and distant that no one could get close to her. Now, she smiled at one and all, and was both thoughtful and attentive. Yun Ruoyu often picked on the servants for even minor faults, but now she had be understanding and generous.


    Everyone had epted the wee changes, even Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°It certainly does feel like Madam Qin and Ruoyu are both easier to get along with, but that isn¡¯t anything unusual, is it?¡± Yun Moxiao replied.


    Yun Ruoyan clearly didn¡¯t think so: as someone who had been reborn, she knew full well how difficult it was to change one¡¯s personality so abruptly andpletely. Unless the same fate had befallen them, what could have caused such drastic change?


    What could have happened to Qin Jianmei and Yun Ruoyu?


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, since you suspect her, why not investigate her? If she really was the woman who poisoned your mother a decade ago, she would surely have left traces of her involvement behind,¡± Li Mo suggested. ¡°I¡¯ll also have my guards start an investigation.¡±


    Physician Ceng thought himself marked for death, but unexpectedly, Yun Ruoyan and the others showed no such intention.


    ¡°Before we find the woman who poisoned you, we can¡¯t let you go,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to let your family know that you¡¯re safe, and the Farsighted King will take good care of them. Wait here patiently until we find that woman.¡±


    The four of them had a simple meal in the Lin manor before leaving at dusk.


    ¡°Ruoyan, won¡¯t you return home with me?¡± Yun Moxiao asked, seeing Li Mo dragging her away toward his carriage.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er¡¯s returning to my manor,¡± Li Mo interrupted before she could reply.


    Li Mo¡¯s response had been so natural that Yun Moxiao couldn¡¯t refute his words. He naturally knew that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were spending a considerable amount of time together. If Li Mo weren¡¯t a gentleman, he would already have had plenty of opportunity to strike.


    Nevertheless, to see a man bring his underage sister away so casually in the dark of the night¡­


    ¡°Brother, I acquired a spirit sword yesterday, and Li Mo¡¯s going to teach me how to resonate with it,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me! I can take good care of myself.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took Li Mo¡¯s hand and stepped into the carriage with him, which left for the Farsighted King¡¯s manor.


    Yun Moxiao sighed.


    Once they were back in Li Mo¡¯s manor, Li Mo immediately summoned Su Nan to have him start an investigation on Qin Jianmei. After he left, Yun Ruoyan excitedly took out the Scarlet Eye, ready for Li Mo¡¯s instruction.


    ¡°To learn the art of swordflight, you first have to learn how to interact with this sword,¡± Li Mo exined. The first half of the technique he would impart to her would allow for mental, nonverbalmunication between her and her sword, allowing her to resize it at will. The extent of these modifications was dependent on her cultivation. ¡°Once you¡¯re able to erge and shrink your sword at will, I¡¯ll teach you the second half of the technique: how to soar on your sword.¡±


    Li Mo touched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead with a finger, transmitting a skein of spiritual energy into her mind and filling it with the contents of the first half of the technique.


    ¡°Ask me if you have any questions.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan closed her eyes and carefully unwrapped the mental transmission. Then, she opened her eyes and began performing the technique on the Scarlet Eye, transmitting her fire-attuned spiritual energy into the sword, then reiming it and sending it into her spiritual vortex.


    Initially, Yun Ruoyan could feel a mild resistance from the sword toward her spiritual energy. After a few cycles, however, the fire-attuned spiritual energy from her body could easily circte between her spiritual vortex and the Scarlet Eye, without any resistance at all.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned the first stage of the technique!¡± Yun Ruoyan retracted her spiritual energy and called out to Li Mo happily.


    Li Mo was a little shocked by the rate of her progress: she hadn¡¯t taken more than two hours to do so! Li Mo himself had spent over a day, and other cultivators took months, years, even decades.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not yet tired, we can start the second half of the technique immediately,¡± he began. ¡°At this rate, you¡¯ll be able to soar on your sword within ten days.¡±

 Chapter 297: Manipulation

    <h4>Chapter 297: Maniption</h4>


    On the top of the southern tower of Kongming Academy stood the all-seeing mirror. As the moonlight struck its surface, it shone with a serene blue-ck glow. A white-haired, white-robed elder walked to the surface of the mirror, holding a woman¡¯s statue in his hands¡ªnone other than that of Empress Xue Tong.


    ¡°Your Highness, this is the all-seeing mirror,¡± the first elder introduced. ¡°From here, your spirit will be able to enter the trial grounds directly.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s begin, First Elder.¡±


    The first elder waved a hand at the all-seeing mirror, causing its surface to give off a bright, white glow. Then, he closed his eyes as blinding spiritual energy emerged from his forehead. At the same time, the forehead of the statue in his hands likewise lit up in white. The two spirits simultaneously flew into the all-seeing mirror.


    Empress Xue Tong¡¯s spirit followed the first elder into the series of oases, and the demonic dragon souls deep in the demonic dragon grotto sensed their presence almost immediately.


    The visage of a humongous ck dragon formed within the grotto, then rose up the oasis and roared out in the first elder and Empress Xue Tong¡¯s direction.


    ¡°What a domineering cry,¡± Xue Tong¡¯s voice came from the distance. ¡°Is this how the demonic dragon n greets its guests?¡±


    Her spirit was dressed in a diaphanous silver dress. She followed the first elder to the demonic dragon grotto, stopping about a hundred feet from the oasis, where the demonic dragons met them.


    ¡°Empress Xue Tong, we have been looking forward to meeting you.¡± The gigantic ck dragon¡¯s head drew slightly closer to Xue Tong, and she immediately felt its powerful aura spread out. Amidst this domineering aura, her spiritual visage weakened and began to flicker.


    The first elder frowned and sped his hands behind his back, forming a barrier of spiritual energy around Empress Xue Tong. However, the empress was unruffled. She stood tall and proud, firm and unyielding, as though she had returned to being a jade statue once more.


    ¡°How pitiful, to be left with only a shred of a soul.¡± The demonic dragon reared its head back and ended its spiritual onught.


    ¡°The sorry fate of one woman can hardly bepared to the downfall of the demonic dragon n,¡± Xue Tong began. ¡°To think that the once-proud rulers of the Chenyuan continent would have ended up sealed within this deep pool¡­¡±


    She infused spiritual energy into her voice, magnifying it so that it could be heard everywhere in the oasis. Her words were immediately met with cries from the gathered dragonsrge and small, furious and mournful, low- and high-pitched. Suddenly, the serene oasis seemed to be filled with green and red dragon¡¯s eyes wherever she looked.


    Even the experienced first elder seemed to be rather nervous at the sight, but Empress Xue Tong seemed wholly unaffected. Her voice was clear and cold, inflectionless but somehow able to stir up one¡¯s emotions.


    ¡°Given that you¡¯ve been trapped here for millennia, don¡¯t you wish to soar through the skies once more?¡±


    The projection of the massive ck dragon nced at Xue Tong, its eyes narrowed. ¡°Now that the bloodline of the demonic dragons has been revived once more, our days of being shackled are limited. We have no need for your concern, Empress.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± Empress Xue Tongughed. ¡°The demonic dragon bloodline has been passed down for millennia. Surely there have been at least ten generations of descendants since the demonic dragons¡¯ downfall, Elder. If breaking the seal were as easy as finding a descendant, you would have long since escaped.¡±


    Xue Tong¡¯s eyes gleamed as she looked at the demonic dragon. Although it didn¡¯t respond, its whiskers suddenly began to tremble in rage.


    Xue Tong ignored its fury and continued, ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, the demonic dragons¡¯ seal can only be broken by a descendant who has reached the realm of a sword saint and can manifest her innate dragon soul. And even when these conditions are met, the process of breaking the seal is so dangerous that a failed attempt is likely to end in death.¡±


    She paused momentarily. ¡°Within the first two centuries of the seal, quite a few demonic dragon descendants tried to break the seal. None survived, and even those families possessing the demonic dragon¡¯s bloodline eventually began to view breaking the seal as a hopeless endeavor. From then on, those descendants broke from custom, from the weight and responsibility of their bloodline. Not only did they cut off allmunication with the demonic dragon n, they hid their names and tried to lead normal lives within human society!¡±


    Her eyes shed. ¡°After a few centuries of mingling with humans, their bloodline is so diluted that they might as well be humans themselves! To find a cultivator possessing a strong enough bloodline to form an innate dragon soul would be harder than finding a needle in a haystack! And yet¡­¡±


    Her voice rose to a crescendo. ¡°And yet, you seeded, didn¡¯t you? A few decades ago, you managed to find one such person, who managed to cultivate his dragon¡¯s soul. Unfortunately, just like his ancestors before him, he refused to sacrifice himself for the greater good of the n! So what if you find another person with the bloodline and the talent? Who would sacrifice themselves for strangers long before their time?¡±


    ¡°You do know a lot about us,¡± the demonic dragon finally replied, its tone no longer as bombastic as before. ¡°In that case, do you mean to im that you have some means ofpelling this descendant to risk her life for us?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Xue Tong replied without any hesitation. ¡°I would not have epted this meeting otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And the source of your confidence?¡± The demonic dragon¡¯s whiskers began to tremble once more.


    ¡°Love. Have you never wondered why those bloodline descendants of yours would abandon their responsibilities?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all cowards!¡± the ck dragon seethed.


    ¡°Some, perhaps, but surely not all¡ªno, most are weighed down by love. To risk it all and fail would mean an eternal parting from their rtives, their friends, their lovers. To risk it all and fail would be to leave the same burden to their children, their children¡¯s children. Who would choose to assume the heavy mantle of the demonic dragon¡¯s bloodline? Better to leave it all behind.¡±


    ¡°Even so¡­!¡±


    ¡°And yet, just as they choose to ignore this responsibility out of love, so too can they be induced to sacrifice themselves in the name of love,¡± Xue Tong interrupted. ¡°It all depends on how this love is manipted.¡±


    ¡°In that case, you must be confident that you¡¯re able to control the current holder of the demonic dragon¡¯s bloodline.¡± The demonic dragon suddenly closed in on Xue Tong.


    ¡°She¡¯s about to be my daughter-inw,¡± Xue Tong replied confidently. ¡°Given her affection for my son, she will willingly take on this ordeal.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± the demonic dragon boomed, its massive body circling above the oasis and sshing water all over. ¡°In that case, Empress, make your demand.¡±


    Xue Tong met the demonic dragon¡¯s blood-red eyes. ¡°I expect you already understand my situation. My request is for you to exterminate the silver dragon n after your revival, to exact revenge for my consort.¡±


    ¡°We demonic dragons have always had a blood feud with the silver dragons. Even without your request, we would do the same.¡±


    ¡°In that case, help me find my stolen body after you exterminate the silver dragons, and we have a deal.¡±


    ¡°We shall await our descendant¡¯s arrival!¡± After speaking itsst, the projection of the demonic dragon dove back into the demonic dragon grotto. The oasis turned serene and peaceful once more, as if nothing of import had taken ce.


    ¡°Empress, let¡¯s return,¡± the first elder advised.


    Empress Xue Tong looked at the oasis, a brief smile gracing her cold features, before she eded.


    As Li Mo read a few documents in his study, Yun Ruoyany down on a nearby futon, her Scarlet Eye momentarily growing and shrinking in size. At its smallest, it was the size of her spiritsteel dagger, though far more potent. Her spiritsteel dagger could cut through steel as though it were mud, whereas the Scarlet Eye would melt through the steel and turn it into a puddle of mud.


    If she could control its temperature, then she would even be able to roast meat on the de itself¡­ Yun Ruoyanughed at herself when her thoughts drifted involuntarily to food.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You seem so happy.¡± Li Mo put down the sheaf of papers in his hand.


    It had been about a week since the marriage proposal, and most of the preparations wereplete by this point. All that was left was the marriage itself, and spring woulde within five days. Very quickly, Yun Ruoyan would officially be Li Mo¡¯s consort, royalty of the Li kingdom in her own right.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, stop tempting me so!¡± Li Mo sighed, extending a hand out to her. Yun Ruoyan sheathed the Scarlet Eye, then walked toward Li Mo and into his embrace.

 Chapter 298: Infiltrating Qin Jianmei’s Cottage

    <h4>Chapter 298: Infiltrating Qin Jianmei¡¯s Cottage</h4>


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at the papers that Li Mo had just put down, then began tough. ¡°And here I thought my dear ughtering King was working on official business! But this¡­¡±


    The papers scattered on the desk were all drawings of all sorts of ornamental hairpins: simple, understated jade; ornate gold; translucent pearl¡­


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡¯ll be of age after youring birthday. After that, you¡¯ll be able to essorize with all sorts of hairpins, and I have to prepare them for you, don¡¯t I?¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°As for your clothes, you¡¯ll need a set for cultivation, a few for casualwear, and even more for formalwear.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you let Sister Li Luo handle this?¡± Yun Ruoyanughed. ¡°And if you prepare so many sets of clothes, I won¡¯t have an opportunity to wear them all! Right after the marriage will be another training session, and then we¡¯ll depart for the alternate dimension. Surely you aren¡¯t nning on having me bring these clothes along?¡±


    Li Mo smiled. He knew that these preparations were strictly quite unnecessary, but he couldn¡¯t help wanting to be personally responsible for them, as though it were a necessary part of expressing his joy.


    ¡°Look! I can change the Scarlet Eye¡¯s size at will now.¡± Yun Ruoyan extricated herself from Li Mo¡¯sp. ¡°Won¡¯t you teach me swordflight?¡±


    Just as Yun Ruoyan pulled Li Mo up from his chair, Su Nan¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Your Highness, the dossier you had me prepare on Madam Qin, Qin Jianmei, is ready.¡±


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    Su Nan entered, a few stacks of papers in his hands. When he saw Yun Ruoyan, Su Nan bowed, handed the papers to Li Mo, then stood to one side.


    ¡°This is all the information I had my guards prepare on Qin Jianmei.¡± Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan back down onto hisp, and the two of them began flipping through the pages of information together.


    ¡°Oh? Madam Qin¡¯s not from the capital,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. ording to one page, Qin Jianmei had followed her father into the capital, and her father was a travelling physician. ¡°And apparently she¡¯s known my father for quite some time¡ªlikely even before my mother married into the Yun family!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan handed Li Mo the page of information she was looking at. Allegedly, Qin Jianmei¡¯s father was amon guest among the noble houses because of his talent as a physician. The Yun manor was one of the manors he frequented, and it exined how Qin Jianmei and Yun Lan had met.


    The third year after Qin Jianmei arrived with her father, however, he died suddenly of an unknown cause. At the same time, Qin Jianmei assumed her father¡¯s role as a physician and continued living in the capital alone, until she eventually married Yun Lan as a concubine and gave birth to Yun Ruoyu. Ever since then, she had mostly stayed in her own cottage in the Yun manor.


    ¡°Is there any information about Madam Qin¡¯s family before she moved to the capital? Where was her hometown?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, curious.


    Prepared, Su Nan stepped forward. ¡°Qin Jianmei and her father wandered the Chenyuan continent before entering the capital, and we¡¯ve traced their movement through each of the four kingdoms. However, we don¡¯t have a good understanding of any notable events that happened during their journey, or of their original hometown.¡±


    ¡°Who would have expected Madam Qin¡¯s origins to be so mysterious?¡± Yun Ruoyan mused.


    After reading through the stack of information, Li Mo then handed the sheaf of papers back to Su Nan. Although his guards weren¡¯t able to determine whether Madam Qin was indeed responsible for her mother¡¯s poisoning, her mysterious background drew Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Li Mo, have you heard of the carmine embrace?¡± Shey on a futon, curled up against Li Mo.


    ¡°What, your poison?¡± Li Mo mussed her hair as he spoke.


    Yun Ruoyan sat up straight and turned to him in shock. ¡°You know it? How did you find out?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the first time we met? I knew that you had been poisoned then.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do! I saved your life, and you tried to return the favor by promising to find me an antidote,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied mischievously. ¡°And I did receive two bottles of spiritual pills from you, but never an antidote. I bet you forgot about the matter entirely! Luckily, my grandfather helped prepare me an antidote. Li Mo, if we look at the situation this way, don¡¯t you still owe me a considerable favor?¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t forgotten. In order to determine the origins of that poison, I even made a trip to the Yue kingdom. It was there that I found out that the poison originated from a shamanic tribe, and I even met with one of the elders of the tribe. However, I only managed to learn the name of the poison from him before he died in a kamikaze explosion,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°He was the only member left in his tribe, and the other tribesmen had long since wandered to all corners of the Chenyuan continent. I had no means of acquiring an antidote, but luckily, you were cured by the next time we met.¡±


    Their gazes met, and they both thought back to that sunny afternoon when the phoenix orchids were in full bloom. Li Mo had fallen from a tree, shrouding them both in his expansive robe. That was the second time they had been in close contact with each other, and it was then that he noticed how unique Yun Ruoyan was.


    ¡°Could Madam Qin have been from that shamanic tribe?¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly said.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, why do you think so?¡±


    No one would think of connecting the third wife of the Yun family to a shamanic tribe that lived deep in the mountains of the Yue kingdom.


    ¡°This is only my conjecture,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined, snuggling into Li Mo¡¯s embrace. ¡°My grandfather had an ancient tome which described the carmine embrace, allegedly stemming from a shamanic tribe of the Yue kingdom. So far, this agrees with your research¡ªbut the tome continued by borating on the cultural practices of this tribe. Supposedly, the tribesmen worshipped a deity of reincarnation, one that required constant prayer from dawn to dusk. Madam Qin does just that.¡±


    However, there were so many devout Buddhists around that Madam Qin¡¯s actions couldn¡¯t be taken to be suspicious on their own, and this was only a small reason for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hypothesis. ¡°Furthermore, do you remember the sandalwood fragrance that Physician Ceng mentioned? I smelled something very simr in Madam Qin¡¯s cottage.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath, then continued. ¡°In addition, the sudden changes in Madam Qin and Yun Ruoyu¡¯s behavior have left me very suspicious.¡± One thing alone might have been a coincidence, but three?


    ¡°What of the motive?¡± Li Mo asked. ¡°Does she bear some grudge toward your mother?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head. ¡°As far as I know, they had an amicable rtionship. When I was little, she took good care of my brother and me. This is the hole in my conjecture: if they truly got along, then why would Madam Qin poison my mother with such a malicious, vile poison?¡±


    She pushed away from Li Mo and stood up suddenly. ¡°No matter what her motive is, and regardless of whether she was truly responsible for my mother¡¯s poisoning, this is something I have to clear up. Tonight, I¡¯ll sneak into Madam Qin¡¯s rooms.¡±


    Night fell, and a howling blizzard descended on the capital. Amidst the heavy snowfall, Li Mo flew Yun Ruoyan to the mountain at the back of the Yun manor, separated from Qin Jianmei¡¯s rooms by only a wall.


    Li Mo sheathed his sword and vaulted over the wall after Yun Ruoyan. By then, it was so dark that the manor was silent all over¡ªyet despite thete hour, Qin Jianmei¡¯s prayer room was still brightly lit.


    Could she be praying even thiste at night?


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo exchanged a nce as they crept toward the source of the illumination, then poked a small hole through one of the chamber¡¯s windows. Through it, they could see Qin Jianmei praying earnestly, kowtowing thrice and inserting a stick of incense into the incense burner.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze then turned to the figure of the Buddha.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°The Buddha. Thest time I was here, the statue was of Guanyin, not Buddha! Buddha in a past life, and Guanyin in the present¡­ Madam Qin truly is a descendant of that shamanic tribe!¡± Yun Ruoyan was just about to break in through the window when Li Mo pulled her back.


    ¡°This alone isn¡¯t enough to convict her.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± Themotion that ensued drew Qin Jianmei¡¯s attention, and she began walking toward the window.


    Meow!


    Meow!


    Two meows suddenly caused her footsteps to stop. Through the window, she could see the silhouettes of two cats in heat fornicating by the window and tearing holes in it as they tussled.


    ¡°Two little bastards¡­ How dare you disturb the Buddha¡¯s repose?!¡± Qin Jianmei¡¯s cid face suddenly turned dark. She flung a hand at the window, shooting out two silver needles as she did so. Before they could even cry out, the two cats tumbled down the windowsill andnded headfirst in the snow.


    What impressive needlework, Li Mo thought, before pulling Yun Ruoyan away from the area.


    ¡°Li Mo, let go of me! Why didn¡¯t you let me catch her on the spot?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°What good would that do? Did you think it would be as easy as restraining or killing her?¡±

 Chapter 299: Kidnapped

    <h4>Chapter 299: Kidnapped</h4>


    ¡°She¡¯s a member of that shamanic tribe, and the poison that was used on my mother and me was something that only a member of that tribe could concoct! I¡¯m sure that she was the one who poisoned my mother all those years ago!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, her face a mask of horror and pain.


    ¡°And so what?¡± Li Mo countered. ¡°This isn¡¯t an easy woman to deal with. If you rush in and try to interrogate her on the spot, she¡¯ll simply deny the usation¡ªand if she doesn¡¯t admit it, she definitely won¡¯t give you the answers you¡¯re looking for. Even if you threaten to kill her, she might not relent¡ªand she¡¯s a physician in her own right, so your intoxicating fog might not work on her.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew that she couldn¡¯t kill Qin Jianmei on the spot; many of the questions that still gued her could only be resolved with answers from Qin Jianmei. However, she didn¡¯t have a clue how to make her confess to her crimes.


    ¡°In that case, what would you suggest?¡±


    Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan, swept away the snow that had gathered on her hair, and enveloped her in his hooded robe. ¡°Find her weak spot, then use that to make her speak.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help remembering how Li Mo had gotten Physician Ceng to talk. Although it seemed like he was a cowardly man, he was willing to die if it meant that he could save his wife and children. His spirit, at least when it came to protecting his family, was so strong that he was able to resist thepulsion of the intoxicating fog as nothing more than amoner without any shred of cultivation.


    Li Mo¡¯s threat of bringing his family here with him had been enough to get him to talk, even when Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intoxicating fog couldn¡¯t do the job.


    Physician Ceng¡¯s family was his weakness, so would Yun Ruoyu be Qin Jianmei¡¯s weakness? After all, Yun Ruoyu was her own daughter, her only rtive within the capital.


    ¡°Li Mo, I think I know what to do.¡±


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan returned to the Yun manor. She first paid her respects to her father, then went to have a chat with her grandmother, before finally returning to her cottage. As she returned, Ling Lan excitedly ran out to greet her, telling her that her brother, Che Mingchen, had passed the imperial examination to be a court official.


    Because Yun Ruoyan had been away from the Yun manor for quite some time, Ling Lan hadn¡¯t had a chance to share the good news with her.


    ¡°This is truly good news.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled, extending a hand to help Ling Lan up from her kneeling position. Apparently, Che Mingchen had epted his assignment and would be starting in just a few days.


    Furthermore, Che Mingchen had been assigned a position in the capital. Although it was currently no more than a minor role, there would be significant opportunity for advancement.


    ¡°This is all thanks to your help, Mistress! Without your grace, my family might have perished,¡± Ling Lan wept, her voice trembling. ¡°Mistress, once more, I pledge my eternal allegiance to you!¡±


    ¡°You silly child.¡± Yun Ruoyan patted Xi Lan¡¯s head, then instructed Peony to give her five hundred taels of silver. ¡°Taking on the position of an official will require all sorts of small bribes. Take this money and hand it to your brother. Make sure he cherishes this opportunity and adapts to his circumstances! He can be just and forthright once he¡¯s established a name for himself, but before then¡­¡±


    Ling Lan gratefully epted the gift on her brother¡¯s behalf, adding it to a mental tally she might not be able to pay back even with her life. Then, Yun Ruoyan gave her a few days off to celebrate with her brother.


    By the time she was finished dealing with all sorts of misceneous affairs, it was nearing noon. Yun Ruoyan had Xi Lan prepare a few dishes from the kitchen, then had Peony send for Yun Moxiao.


    The two siblings gathered for lunch in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cozy rooms, dining at a table right next to a warm firece.


    ¡°Peony, my brother and I can handle things on our own now. You and Xi Lan should head inside to warm up,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress!¡± Peony was just about to leave when Xi Lan asked, ¡°Mistress, I¡¯ve made some ns with Sister Xiao Lan to learn needlework and embroidery from her, and it¡¯s almost time for our session. May I go?¡±


    ¡°Go, go.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled as she waved a hand at her.


    ¡°Thank you, Mistress!¡± Xi Lan hopped out of the yard, and Peony returned to her own rooms, shaking her head.


    Now that her servants had each been diverted, Yun Moxiao put down the pair of chopsticks in his hands and looked toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Ruoyan, is there something you want to tell me?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan recounted what she had seenst night in Qin Jianmei¡¯s cottage.¡±


    ¡°Could she really have been the culprit?¡± Yun Moxiao seemed dazed by the revtion. ¡°But why? What grudge does she have with Mother? She doesn¡¯t seem like the type to be jealous¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao had actually been more suspicious of Madam An, but the culprit now seemed to be the far more innocuous Madam Qin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the reason, so Li Mo and I were thinking of¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan leaned closer to Yun Moxiao, then whispered into his ear.


    ¡°Is this appropriate?¡± Yun Moxiao frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to harm anyone.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be careful not to hurt anyone,¡± Yun Ruoyan promised. ¡°And we¡¯ll hide our involvement from everyone.¡± She took a gulp of wine, then beamed at Yun Moxiao. ¡°Brother, just wait for the truth to be revealed.¡±


    ¡°Mistress, Young Master, something¡¯s wrong!¡± Xi Lan hurriedly rushed back from outside, yelling loudly as she did so.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you so anxious?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°The¡ªThe third miss¡­!¡± Xi Lan had rushed back so quickly that she was huffing and panting, unable to get a word out.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the third miss?¡± Peony had noticed themotion and also headed outside.


    ¡°The third miss was kidnapped!¡±


    ¡°What? Kidnapped?!¡± Peony repeated, in shock. ¡°Are you certain? Who would dare kidnap a young miss of the Yun household?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Xi Lan hurriedly continued. ¡°Just as I arrived at Sister Xiao Lan¡¯s rooms, ready to learn some patterning from her, a servant came by to report that Miss Ruoyu was kidnapped! The Yun matriarch was startled from her afternoon repose, and she¡¯s gone to Master Yun to understand what happened.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao exchanged a nce from inside the room. The n has begun.


    ¡°Brother, we should head out as well.¡±


    By the time the two siblings walked to Yun Lan¡¯s study, the Yun matriarch had already arrived. She sat at the head of the table, her mien severe. Madam Qin stood by her side, silently weeping.


    ¡°Father, my sister and I were having lunch in her cottage when we suddenly heard a servant im that Ruoyu¡¯s gone missing. What¡¯s going on?¡± Yun Moxiao asked directly.


    ¡°Look at this.¡± Yun Lan handed Yun Moxiao a letter, which he opened for him and Yun Ruoyan to read.


    Official Yun, my wife and I have long heard rumors of your generosity. We would be very pleased to receive a donation of a high-grade spiritual pill and three mid-grade spiritual pills. For the moment, we¡¯ve invited your daughter to dine with us. Master Yun, please personally bring these pills to the bakery at the foot of the Minghuang Mountain. The moment we ascertain your delivery shall be the moment your daughter is released into your care once more.


    The Demonic Duo


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan really has been kidnapped!¡± Yun Moxiao eximed, before putting the letter back on the desk.


    ¡°Ruoyu frequently joins me for morning service, but because she¡¯s been feeling rather unwell, I¡¯ve had her rest instead. However, because I didn¡¯t see her at all today, I was worried and went to her quarters to check up on her. The moment I entered her rooms, I discovered her servants drugged and lying on a futon, whereas Ruoyu herself was nowhere to be seen! This was the only thing I found on her bed.¡±


    ¡°Madam Qin, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no need to worry. Whoever this demonic duo is, if they want these pills so badly, they surely wouldn¡¯t harm Sister Ruoyu.¡± Yun Ruoyu walked to Madam Qin¡¯s side and began consoling her as she carefully scrutinized her expression.


    Qin Jianmei¡¯s anxiety didn¡¯t seem to be faked; as she had expected, Yun Ruoyu was the weak spot in her defenses.


    ¡°Master, who exactly is this so-called ¡®Demonic Duo¡¯? Will they hurt Yu¡¯er?¡± Qin Jianmei then turned to Yun Lan. ¡°They¡¯ll let her go after we give them the pills, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this ¡®Demonic Duo¡¯ before,¡± Yun Lan replied, his face downcast. ¡°They gained some notoriety for themselves after repeatedly striking at Yuelu Vi, but why did they suddenly start targeting us Yuns?¡± Yun Lan furrowed his brows as he murmured to himself.


    ¡°Father,¡± Yun Moxiao called out, breaking his train of thought. ¡°Father, I don¡¯t believe now is the time to try to discern their motives. It¡¯s more important to save Ruoyu!¡±


    ¡°Right, we need to save Ruoyu.¡± Yun Lan turned to Qin Jianmei. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This ¡®Demonic Duo¡¯ doesn¡¯t have a history of excessive violence, and I¡¯m sure Ruoyu¡¯s still safe at the moment.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s not wait.¡± The Yun matriarch sat up straight. ¡°Yun Lan, get the pills. Xiao¡¯er, apany your father to the Minghuang Mountain. Everyone else, retreat to your quarters and wait for further news.¡±

 Chapter 300: Conversation in the Teahouse

    <h4>Chapter 300: Conversation in the Teahouse</h4>


    After the Yun matriarch¡¯smand, the gathered members of the Yun family each went on their own task. Yun Moxiao apanied Yun Lan to pick out the pills that the kidnappers had requested, then set off for the Minghuang Mountain.


    The Yun matriarch asked Qin Jianmei to return with her to her cottage and wait for news together, but Qin Jianmei declined. Her face crestfallen, she said that she would go back to her own cottage and pray to Buddha that Yun Ruoyu might be released safely.


    ¡°Grandmother, you don¡¯t look too good. Shall I send for a physician?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    The Yun matriarch shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was woken up during my afternoon nap, so I¡¯m just feeling a little tired.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Grandmother, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer. Rest well and I¡¯ll visit youter.¡± She walked the Yun matriarch back to her rooms, then returned immediately to her own cottage, informing Xi Lan and Peony that she was going to cultivate and was not to be disturbed.


    She entered her rooms to find Li Mo quietly seated at the table, waiting for her. He wore a pure white suit, entuating his height and physique. His hair no longer draped down his shoulders; instead, he tied it back in a ponytail, framing his forehead, sharp brows, and deep, thoughtful eyes.


    Li Mo¡¯s attire instantly made him look almost a decade younger. He was only in his early twenties, but his usual outfit made him look as though he were in his thirties or forties.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, what¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?¡± Li Mo asked, noticing that Yun Ruoyan appeared to be looking at him in a daze.


    ¡°N-No, there¡¯s no problem at all!¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately shook her head, but her eyes remained fixated on his appearance. ¡°Li Mo, you look really good like this! Can you keep dressing up this way in the future?¡±


    Li Mo smiled coolly. ¡°And lose all my reputation as the ughtering King? I¡¯m only dressed like this to mislead Yun Lan.¡±


    Although Yun Lan was known for being sharp-eyed, no one would ever rte Li Mo¡¯s current appearance to the ughtering King.


    Li Mo then retrieved a green demon¡¯s mask and wore it on his face. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get ready.¡±


    While talking to Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan had dressed herself in a dark robe, then threw on a cloak to hide her body shape. From her silver bracelet, she took out a red demon¡¯s mask and wore it on her face.


    Li Mo flew Yun Ruoyan toward the foot of the Minghuang Mountain¡ªnot to the bakery, but to a teahouse about three miles away.


    As for Qin Jianmei, after she returned to her own cottage, she changed into riding gear, vaulted over the wall by her cottage, bought a horse from the streets, and then rushed off. Her destination was a teahouse by the foot of Minghuang Mountain.


    When she found out that Yun Ruoyu had been kidnapped in the morning, there were two letters on Yun Ruoyu¡¯s bed, not just one. She had shown one letter to Yun Lan, but the other was addressed to her: it told her to head toward the teahouse, that an old acquaintance wanted to see her again.


    Because of her concern for Yun Ruoyu, Qin Jianmei ventured into the teahouse alone without any hesitation.


    Meanwhile, Yun Lan and Yun Moxiao had arrived by the bakery at the foot of the mountain, where they met with Su Nan, disguised as the baker. ¡°What can I get you, dear sirs?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for someone,¡± Yun Moxiao began, as Yun Lan nced all around them. There were only four or five customers in the bakery, all of whom seemed perfectly ordinary in appearance and aura.


    ¡°May I ask for whom?¡±


    Yun Lan turned to the baker and immediately identified him as someone suspicious. Although Su Nan had retracted his aura to the best of his abilities, he couldn¡¯t hide from Yun Lan¡¯s unusually prating gaze. Whether he was a master could be detected just from his eyes alone, and Yun Lan could see, reflected in his eyes, theposure and confidence that only a master would possess.


    ¡°The goods are ready. We want the girl,¡± Yun Lan murmured, before Yun Moxiao could speak.


    ¡°Sirs, please follow me.¡± Su Nan motioned toward the interior of the bakery.


    ¡°Where is my daughter, Yun Ruoyu?¡± The moment they entered the back of the building, Yun Lan¡¯s aura exploded from his body. His hand tightened around Su Nan¡¯s neck like a vise, and he mmed him into a neighboring wall.


    Su Nan didn¡¯t retaliate, and neither did he intend to. After a brief struggle, he forced out, ¡°The third miss of the Yun family isn¡¯t here. I¡¯ve prepared a carriage on my master¡¯s orders, and he has promised a fine show for both sirs.¡±


    Qin Jianmei galloped all the way to the foot of the Minghuang Mountain and entered the empty teahouse.


    ¡°I¡¯m here! Where¡¯s my daughter?¡± she hollered, kicking open the front doors of the teahouse.


    Two shadows walked out from behind a screen on the second floor. The man was dressed in white and wore a green-faced demon¡¯s mask. The woman had an expansive cloak around her, and she wore a red-faced demon¡¯s mask.


    ¡°Madam Qin, you¡¯re very timely,¡± the white-robed man stated. His voice was hoarse and rough, and it was difficult to discern whether it was natural or artificial.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Demonic Duo? Where¡¯s my daughter? What are the two of you nning?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your daughter¡¯s safe for the moment,¡± the man replied. ¡°We¡¯re in search of you because of an incident from a decade ago that we¡¯d like to understand better.¡±


    ¡°An incident from a decade ago?¡± Qin Jianmei¡¯s tone was perplexed. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the Yun family for over a decade, and I almost never step out of the manor. Whom could I have offended, and what incident could there be?¡±


    ¡°More urately, it was something that happened thirteen years ago¡ªperhaps a little earlier. Can¡¯t you think of anything incriminating that you might have done about fifteen years ago?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s piercing gaze scrutinized Qin Jianmei carefully through his demon mask.


    Qin Jianmei stilled. Fifteen years ago was a¡­ tumultuous time, and she had carried out many shameful deeds, enough tost her for an entire lifetime. However, Qin Jianmei didn¡¯t have a particrly strong sense of guilt or shame.


    She stood straight and prim, holding her head up high. ¡°I, Qin Jianmei, have led an honest and upright life. I have no guilty conscience to speak of.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, directing an usatory finger at her. ¡°Do you want your daughter to suffer the price for your lies?!¡±


    ¡°What do you want? If you want to deal with me,e at me directly! My daughter¡¯s the third miss of the Yun family. If you dare hurt her, there will be consequences and reprisal from the Yun family.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan, made even more incensed by Qin Jianmei¡¯s words, was about to interrogate her when Li Mo pulled on her cloak. ¡°Yun Lan¡¯s watching the scene from a distance. Don¡¯t speak lest he detect something amiss. Let me deal with the situation.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan forcefully quashed her anger and nodded, then took two steps back.


    ¡°Debts must be repaid, and grievances righted. As you say, a parent¡¯s debt shouldn¡¯t extend to her children¡ªso how can you justify your use of the carmine embrace?¡±


    Qin Jianmei¡¯s face, flushed from anger, froze and turned pale. ¡°What¡¯s this carmine embrace? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying at all! Are you trying to use me of a crime I didn¡¯tmit?¡± she hurriedly yelled, defending herself.


    Li Mo knew that Qin Jianmei wasn¡¯t an easy person to deal with, but that made it all the more interesting.


    ¡°If you¡¯re unaware of the carmine embrace, then do you know of a shamanic tribe deep within the Yueli Mountain, or the idol of reincarnation?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°In that case, I have something to show you.¡± Li Mo pped his hands thrice, and a masked, ck-d servant emerged from the back of the teahouse and handed a tray to him. The object in the tray was covered in ck cloth. Li Mo unwrapped it to reveal two Buddhist statues, one of Guanyin and the other of Buddha.


    From afar, they looked no different from the statues that graced many a religious household, but a careful inspection would quickly highlight one distinction: both statues had a feeling of malice about them. Despite their smiling faces, they gave off an eerie sensation that didn¡¯t seem to have a source.


    As she looked more carefully at the statues, Yun Ruoyan realized that those were the two statues that had been in Qin Jianmei¡¯s prayer chamber!


    When Qin Jianmei saw the statues that she had worshipped day and night for the greater part of a decade in Li Mo¡¯s hands, she stumbled, and her face turned even paler than before.

 Chapter 301: True Colors

    <h4>Chapter 301: True Colors</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯m not very familiar with the shamanic tribes of the Yue kingdom, but I do know that this pair of Buddha and Guanyin statues is of particr importance to them, sometimes even more so than their lives.¡±


    Li Mo gently caressed the two statues, spiritual energy gathering near the tips of his fingers. The moment he touched the statues, their sinister, smiling faces seemed toe to life.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze was trained on Qin Jianmei, so she initially didn¡¯t notice the changes in the statues¡¯ appearance. However, when she suddenly saw the anxiety in Qin Jianmei¡¯s gaze, she focused on the two statues in Li Mo¡¯s hands and noticed how their creepy smiles were turning far more malevolent.


    With a sudden crack, the stomach of one of the statues began to crack under the force of Li Mo¡¯s spiritual energy.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Qin Jianmei finally thundered. ¡°These statues are mine! Are you nothing more than thieves?!¡±


    ¡°Madam Qin, if you¡¯re not from a shamanic tribe, how did youe across these statues?¡± Li Mo asked. ¡°Furthermore, both of these statues are filled with spiritual energy, clearly a sign that they¡¯ve been prayed to day and night. What other reason could there be for your decade-long worship? Madam Qin, I advise you to stop prolonging the inevitable. Admit it: you¡¯re a member of that tribe!¡±


    Qin Jianmei stood still for a few moments. Then, out of nowhere, she began tough. ¡°If you¡¯re so certain that I¡¯m from that tribe, then I won¡¯t lie any further. So what if I¡¯m a descendant from the tribe?¡±


    ¡°In that case, you must surely know of the carmine embrace.¡± Li Mo¡¯s tone suddenly turned severe. ¡°The carmine embrace is a poison unique to that shamanic tribe, just like these two statues. Fifteen years ago, it was you who poisoned a woman of the Yun household.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Qin Jianmei defended herself. ¡°I admit I was from that tribe, and I admit I know of the carmine embrace, but what reason do you have for believing that I ever poisoned someone? I¡¯m just a devout believer!¡±


    Li Mo pped another three times. On the first floor, a ck-d man escorted a middle-aged man out into the hall where Qin Jianmei was standing.


    ¡°Madam Qin, do you recognize him?¡± Li Mo asked.


    Qin Jianmei turned to the man. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    That middle-aged man looked at Qin Jianmei, then shook her head toward Li Mo. However, Li Mo then signalled the ck-d man to blindfold the middle-aged man.


    ¡°Physician Ceng, see if you recognize her now,¡± Li Mo instructed.


    Physician Ceng slowly drew closer to Qin Jianmei and carefully smelled the air around her. He had only taken in two breaths when he yelled, ¡°It¡¯s her, it¡¯s her! She was the one who had me poison Young Madam Yun!¡±


    Seated in a suite on the first floor of the teahouse, Yun Lan suddenly rose up. His eyes narrowed, and his fingers curled up into a fist.


    ¡°What nonsense are you speaking?!¡± Perhaps because Qin Jianmei had forgotten Physician Ceng¡¯s appearance, she wasn¡¯t able to identify him at first nce. However, when Physician Ceng brought up what happened thirteen years ago, Qin Jianmei immediately recognized him, but even so, she wouldn¡¯t admit to what she had done. ¡°I don¡¯t know you at all!¡±


    ¡°You¡ªit was you!¡± Physician Ceng became agitated. This woman had made use of him, inflicting over a decade of guilt and mental trauma on him! Now that he had finally found her again, how could he not be enraged, not be furious? If not for the ck-d man restraining him, he would have dashed up to Qin Jianmei and tried to beat her up on the spot! ¡°I know your scent! You might have thought you covered yourself up well, but I wouldn¡¯t mistake your scent for anything in the world! I would stake my life on it!¡±


    Qin Jianmei finally felt a sense of urgency, but she continued to deny the usations. ¡°Aren¡¯t there many simr-looking people in this world, let alone simr-smelling ones? You must be mistaken. Thirteen years ago, I hadn¡¯t yet married into the Yun family, so why would I poison Young Madam Yun?¡±


    Li Mo jumped in. ¡°Initially, I was also confused as to your motive. However, when I found out that you knew Yun Lan before marrying into the Yun family, I began to harbor a few suspicions. You might not seem interested in power, but you¡¯re a greedy woman at heart, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He raised his head and proimed, ¡°You felt strong feelings toward Yun Lan, but he had already married Lin Yuemei, whom he liked. He even married Madam An, to whom he had been engaged. The only one he was unwilling to marry was you, so you took advantage of your training and faculty as a physician to poison Lin Yuemei!¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous! This is only a conjecture on your part¡ªor do you have any evidence to back up your ims?¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t seem to have heard her. ¡°Perhaps you were afraid to reveal yourself, or perhaps you were so malicious that you didn¡¯t want her to pass away so readily. At any rate, instead of killing her directly, you applied a slow-acting poison on her that would lie dormant in her body for over two years. During this time, the carmine embrace passed from her body to her yet-unborn daughter¡¯s. Two yearster, when the poison finally activated and shey dying, she met Physician Ceng. Toplete your revenge, you made use of him to add a fast-acting form of the poison into her food, causing her to die!¡±


    Although Qin Jianmei tried desperately to school her emotions as Li Mo talked, the naked insecurity she felt at having her decade-old actions being revealed was too much of a shock for even her to handle. ¡°N-Nonsense!¡± she repeated. ¡°You have no proof for any of these ims!¡±


    Her face was twitching, but she grit her teeth and refused to change her stance.


    ¡°Whether or not these are my one-sided ims are irrelevant, Madam Qin. What matters is if you were indeed the culprit,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Not only did you poison Lin Yuemei to death over a decade ago out of petty jealousy, you even turned Madam An crazy! You might have thought your actions discreet and unbeknownst to any, but we, the Demonic Duo, are here to right these wrongs.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying at all!¡± Qin Jianmeiughed. ¡°You im you¡¯re righting a wrong, but do you even have the ability to do so?¡±


    ¡°If Yun Lan were to know about your crimes, do you think he¡¯d believe us or you? I wonder if he¡¯d want to deal with you himself?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s words turned Qin Jianmei¡¯s face ashen. ¡°You crazy bastards¡­ Don¡¯t you dare try to foil my ns!¡±


    The moment Qin Jianmei spoke, her two statues seemed to undergo a strange transformation. ck smoke emerged from the Buddha statue, materializing as a hand that began choking the ck-d man holding the statues. Before the man could react, his throat had been crushed, and he fell dead to the ground.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately tried to pick up the two statues that had fallen, but Li Mo pulled her back behind him. ¡°That¡¯s demonic aura! Don¡¯t get close!¡±


    The two of them stared at this so-called demonic aura, so thick it was almost congealed. It kept pouring out of the Buddha¡¯s head, which then surrounded the Guanyin statue right next to it. The Guanyin¡¯s eyes widened and turned red. Yun Ruoyan, who was staring at the two statues, received a big shock.


    The two religious icons had somehow turned sinister and demonic in the blink of an eye. Yun Ruoyan could see a red, gaseous substance begin to emerge from the Guanyin¡¯s eyes, perhaps another form of demonic energy.


    The red and ck mists didn¡¯t mix; instead, they stuck to each other and began to solidify.


    ¡°Not good¡ªit¡¯s taking on the shape of a human!¡± Li Mo murmured.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Just then, a terrible scream came from the first floor. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo turned their heads from the demonic aura to see Physician Ceng bleeding from his nose and mouth, three silver needles stuck in his head.


    ¡°Qin Jianmei, how dare you!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted.


    ¡°None of you shall leave alive!¡± Qin Jianmei eximed, throwing three silver needles in the direction of Li Mo¡¯s guard, who had been responsible for restraining Physician Ceng.


    Li Mo pointed his finger at the needles and shot out a beam of spiritual energy at them. Although the needles were quick, Li Mo¡¯s spiritual beam was clearly quicker. It struck down the needles, and Li Mo¡¯s guard drew a sword and shed at Qin Jianmei.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t kill her!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted.

 Chapter 302: Originally a Demon

    <h4>Chapter 302: Originally a Demon</h4>


    ¡°Stop!¡± Li Momanded. If they had wanted Qin Jianmei to die, they wouldn¡¯t have prepared such an borate scheme¡ªYun Ruoyan still had a multitude of questions about Lin Yuemei for her!


    Li Mo¡¯s guard hesitated and stilled, the de inches from Qin Jianmei¡¯s face. Sensing an opportunity, she flicked a wrist at the guard¡¯s chest, but he was prepared. He shielded his body with his de and avoided two of the needles, but the third struck his wrist.


    The guard immediately felt a sense of numbness and paralysis; clearly, the needle was poisoned.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± Li Momanded, and the guard cradled his injured wrist as he did so.


    By then, the red and ck mists that the Buddha and Guanyin statues had given off had morphed into a half-red and half-ck human-shaped monstrosity. It was over ten feet tall, with two thick, coarse arms and legs. It clumsily strode forward, leaving only broken chairs and tables in its wake.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Su Nan and five other guards appeared on the second floor, forming a human wall in front of Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°It¡¯s a demonic puppet!¡± Li Mo warned, his expression serious. To Su Nan, he quietly added, ¡°Protect Yan¡¯er well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± Su Nan took a step back and stood by her side.


    ¡°A demonic puppet?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked curiously. This was the first time she had ever heard of such a monstrosity. ¡°Could you exin what a demonic puppet is?¡±


    ¡°My mother brought it up once when I was little: it¡¯s a particrly lethal humanoid-type weapon, and it looks exactly like what¡¯s in front of us,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°However, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen it in person as well.¡±


    ¡°Bodhisattva, heed mymands!¡± Qin Jianmeimanded the gigantic puppet, a stick of incense in her hand. It was lit, and an unusually intense sandalwood fragrance soon filled the entire room.


    The humanoid figure was only vaguely humanlike in shape. Its body had no orifices, but as the fragrance spread through the room, two small cavities appeared approximately where its nose would have been.


    When the smoke from Qin Jianmei¡¯s stick of incense wafted into those two cavities, its face cracked open where its mouth would have been. It released a long, low, painful groan in response to Qin Jianmei¡¯smand.


    Subsequently, it waved its two gigantic fists at Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, moving much more quickly than its lumbering form would have suggested. Neither they nor their guards tried to block the blow; instead, everyone jumped aside.


    The puppet¡¯s fist punched a hole into the second floor as Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and their guards jumped down to the first floor, the guards still forming a protective wall around the two of them. Mimicking their motions, the humanoid puppet also jumped down onto the first floor, tworge pits appearing where its feetnded, sending tremors through the entire building.


    Li Mo had chosen to meet Qin Jianmei at an abandoned teahouse at the foot of the Minghuang Mountain in the middle of winter. There were almost no tourists in the region during this time of year, and they didn¡¯t have to worry about injuring any innocent bystanders in their fight.


    ¡°Bodhisattva!¡± Qin Jianmei had somehow appeared by the demonic puppet¡¯s side. It leaned down and extended a palm toward Qin Jianmei, who stepped onto it agilely. She lit another stick of incense and held it by the puppet¡¯s nose, causing it to grow evenrger, sorge that its head was almost poking through the ceiling of the teahouse.


    Pacing in a suite on the first floor of the teahouse, Yun Moxiao anxiously watched the scene. Yun Ruoyan had intimated to him that she and Li Mo were the Demonic Duo, and he itched to join the fight and help them.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± Yun Lan shouted. ¡°That¡¯s a demonic puppet, and you¡¯re no match for it! Let¡¯s see how skilled this supposed Demonic Duo is first.¡±


    Back in the hall, when Yun Ruoyan saw that the puppet had grown evenrger, she murmured, ¡°We can¡¯t let it ingest any more of that smoke, or it¡¯ll just growrger andrger.¡±


    ¡°Attack!¡± Su Nan called out to the five guards in front of him, who split up and dashed toward the puppet, three of them soaring into the air on their swords. The moment they got close, the five guards attacked in unison.


    The two guards remaining on the ground swung the des in their hand at the puppet¡¯s legs. Despite how sturdy they looked, they turned incorporeal as the guards swung their des, unbncing them. Before the two guards could react, the puppet raised a leg and kicked both of the guards away.


    Meanwhile, the three soaring guards found themselves struggling in a simr fashion. Their attacks passed through the puppet as though it were air, but its attacks hit them solidly. Despite being eighth-rank demasters, even they couldn¡¯t hold on much longer against the puppet¡¯s onught.


    With a muted cry, one guard fell from his de¡ªQin Jianmei, sitting on the puppet¡¯s shoulder, had thrown a silver needle in his direction. One of the remaining guards swooped down toward hispanion and brought him away, leaving a single guard against the puppet.


    ¡°Your Highness, if we can¡¯t attack that woman, we won¡¯t be able to win!¡± Su Nan muttered anxiously.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, wait here. Su Nan, take good care of her!¡± Li Mo flew toward the puppet, deciding to step in as the lone guard facing off against the puppet swiftly retreated.


    ¡°Madam Qin, do you intend on bing a demon yourself?¡± Li Mo asked coldly. ¡°The demonic ways have been sealed for millennia, and yet I see traces of them in your attacks!¡±


    Qin Jianmei snorted. ¡°My shamanic tribe descended from the great demons of yore! It was only because of you humans that we had to hide up in the mountains, that we had to betray our own heritage and ancestry.¡±


    After a thousand years, the shamanic tribe had split into two: one half, the conservatives, continued to live deep within the mountains of the Yue kingdom, whereas the other half, the extremists, began living among humans and tried to revitalize the demon race.


    A schism developed between the two factions of the shamanic tribe, one which culminated in a great battle, killing arge fraction of the tribe. Of the lucky ones who remained alive, some chose to remain in the mountains, and others began to intermingle with humans once more.


    Qin Jianmei was among those who chose to return to living with humans. Because the shamanic tribe was skilled with medicine, most members of the tribe would make a living as wandering physicians. Generation after generation, many such members of the tribe had deliberately chosen to forget their own identity in order to better assimte into human society.


    Indeed, Physician Ceng was very likely also a descendant of the shamanic tribe, but he had likely not found out about his true bloodline.


    ¡°We members of the Qin n have always inherited the shamanic bloodline¡ªno, more urately, the demonic bloodline,¡± Qin Jianmei began. ¡°When the pure demonic energy essible through our bloodline was sealed off, we developed another approach: by refining a demonic puppet.


    However, for a demonic puppet to reach the peak of its power required sacrificing the heart of a person with the demonic bloodline, followed by a long, continuous period of prayer with sandalwood incense steeped in one¡¯s own blood. As a result, despite the long history of the shamanic tribe, there had been no recorded instance of a demonic puppet that had reached its true potential.


    Ever since she was little, Qin Jianmei had been captivated by the puppetry that her father had described, but she had been unable to carry out her ns without the rare, precious heart of one with the demonic bloodline. However, fifteen years ago, when her father suddenly passed away, Qin Jianmei dug out his heart with her own hands and began refining a demonic puppet.


    ¡°There were only eighty-one days left before this puppet would have attained greater heights¡ªbut you had to wreck my ns!¡± Qin Jianmei¡¯s face contorted into a mask of fury as she turned to Li Mo. ¡°But even as it is now, it¡¯s far more than sufficient to deal with the likes of you mortals. Bodhisattva, kill these insolent fools!¡±


    The demonic puppet opened its maws wide and let out a dull, grating whine. Its fists swung at Li Mo with the force of a missile, and even from a distance, Yun Ruoyan could hear the whooshing of the wind as its fists approached.


    Yun Ruoyan nced anxiously at Li Mo, hovering in midair, as she summoned the Scarlet Eye. It was only because she still hadn¡¯t learned how to soar on her sword that she hadn¡¯t rushed to help Li Mo out.


    ¡°Mistress, you don¡¯t have to worry too much,¡± Qiuqiu advised. ¡°Even if Li Mo¡¯s unable to subdue this demonic puppet, it won¡¯t be too hard for him to escape unscathed.¡±


    Just as Qiuqiu predicted, Li Mo moved even more swiftly than the puppet¡¯s fists. No matter how the puppet swung at him, its attacks couldn¡¯t connect with his body.


    ¡°Bodhisattva, kill him!¡± Qin Jianmei seemed rather anxious. On hermand, the demonic puppet opened its mouth wide and shot out a huge gust of ck smoke, which seemed as though it would smother Li Mo...

 Chapter 303: A Rapacious Ambition

    <h4>Chapter 303: A Rapacious Ambition</h4>


    The ck smoke that sprayed out of the demonic puppet¡¯s mouth gradually transformed in mid-air into eight demonic ws, which pounced at Li Mo.


    ¡°Li Mo, be careful!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted. Despite Qiuqiu telling her that Li Mo would be able to handle the situation, the demonic puppet and its abilities were all a mystery to the gathered crowd, so they couldn¡¯t help but turn anxious.


    Yun Ruoyan clutched the Scarlet Eye tightly, ready to help at a moment¡¯s notice, but she couldn¡¯t yet fly on her sword. She could only watch on as the eight ws surrounded Li Mo all over, swatting, chopping, and wing at him. Li Mo¡¯s white robes fluttered as he skirted by each w¡¯s attack, dodging and twisting away so gracefully that the ws couldn¡¯t even touch the hem of his robes.


    ¡°Father!¡± Within the suite, as Yun Moxiao looked on anxiously at what was going on in the hall, he couldn¡¯t stand still any longer. ¡°Let¡¯s go out there and help!¡±


    ¡°Help?¡± Yun Lan¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°Help whom?¡±


    ¡°To help¡­¡± Yun Moxiao opened his mouth, but the words he was about to say stuck in his throat. Yun Lan didn¡¯t know that the Demonic Duo was Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo!


    Yun Lan coolly nced at Yun Moxiao. ¡°Whether this Demonic Duo is friend or foe, we can¡¯t yet tell.¡± Although Qin Jianmei¡¯s actions were truly unexpected and infuriating, she¡¯s still a member of the Yun family. This is an internal affair, not some dirtyundry to be aired in public.


    And who were the Demonic Duo? They had appeared on the Chenyuan continent out of nowhere, and their first recorded incident was at Yuelu Vi. Allegedly, they snuck into the vi at night to rescue arge batch of beastkin ves, but beyond that, they had done nothing else of note.


    What Yun Lan didn¡¯t understand was why they had suddenly appeared, as well as why they had kidnapped his daughter and targeted Qin Jianmei. If they sought revenge against her, why didn¡¯t they kill her outright? What was the point of orchestrating this entire affair? What were their motives behind staging this show? Yun Lan couldn¡¯t answer any of these questions, so he refused to get involved in the matter.


    Yun Lan then carefully scrutinized the figures of the Demonic Duo in front of him. The white-robed man was clearly a master of his art, and he possessed a cultivation advanced enough to stand against even the demonic puppet. However, he had no clue who the man could be.


    As for the woman, she was shrouded in an expansive, dark cloak. She neither spoke nor made a move, and it was even harder for Yun Lan to discern her identity.


    Curiously, however, both figures seemed somehow familiar to him. If I actually do know them, then they must have considerable skill at disguise¡­


    ¡°Father, this demonic puppet isn¡¯t something native to the Chenyuan continent, and it boasts extreme offensive power. Given how close this region is to the capital, if we can¡¯t bring it down in time¡­!¡± Yun Moxiao quickly thought of an excuse that would goad his father into action. ¡°Father, what¡¯s important now is to get rid of that monstrous creature!¡±


    Yun Lan frowned. Qin Jianmei was still lighting up sticks of incense around the demonic puppet, causing it to slowly growrger andrger. However¡­ Yun Lan¡¯s gazended on Qin Jianmei. Based on his understanding of her, he didn¡¯t think she would make a big mess of things. The only reason she had even deployed the puppet at all was because she had to protect her secret.


    It would be far better to show up only after the demonic puppet had defeated the Demonic Duo, or if both parties ended up injured.


    ¡°Father!¡± Yun Moxiao urged anxiously.


    ¡°That demonic puppet might not be at its peak strength, but it¡¯s still not an easy opponent for either you or me,¡± Yun Lan replied. ¡°Not even if we were to team up with that Demonic Duo!¡±


    ¡°In that case, what should we do?!¡±


    ¡°Wait and see!¡±


    They suddenly heard a buckling noise¡ªthe puppet had grown sorge that its head had finally reached the ceiling and was about to break through to the roof. However, its shoulders were stuck by the ceiling, so it reached out a gigantic hand and toppled the entire roof.


    Themotion that the demonic puppet was causing would quickly startle those from the capital, so he began to attack in earnest. With a fireball in one hand and an icicle in the other, he circted both fire- and ice-attuned spiritual energy at the same time.


    ¡°A fire and ice dual cultivator!¡± Qin Jianmei and Yun Lan were both shocked, Yun Lan especially so. He had only seen such dual cultivators in an alternate dimension¡ªthe ridiculously strong, top-tier cultivators could even use three or four different attunements of spiritual energy at once, and there were even legends of those who could employ up to five.


    However, this was almost unheard of on the Chenyuan continent. Were the Demonic Duo not cultivators from the Chenyuan continent?


    The demonic ws that surrounded Li Mo were impervious to physical attacks, but the spiritual attacks that Li Mo employed did considerable damage to them. After Li Mo began attacking, he swiftly dispatched five of the demonic ws.


    ¡°Bodhisattva, what are you waiting for? Kill them!¡± Qin Jianmei urged the demonic puppet, which spat out a red fog at Li Mo this time.


    Just as before, the red fog morphed into eight demonic ws, their nails sharp and long, and a considerable upgrade over the ck ws.


    ¡°Bodhisattva, aren¡¯t you full of energy? Keep going!¡± Qin Jianmei continued berating the puppet, then lit up a stick of incense made of blood extracted near her spiritual vortex. The demonic puppet took a huge whiff, then blew out two streams of mist from its mouth, one ck and one red. In mid-air, they took on the form of gigantic ws which pounced toward Li Mo.


    In a matter of moments, Li Mo waspletely surrounded by the ws.


    ¡°Qin Jianmei, aren¡¯t you worried about your daughter¡¯s life?¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly shouted.


    Qin Jianmei stilled, then directed the demonic ws away from Li Mo, revealing his figure once more. He stood atop his sword, dressed in robes of pure white. A mask covered his face, and his hair was neatly tied behind his head, not a strand out of ce. Only then did Yun Ruoyan rx once more.


    ¡°If you hand my daughter over now, I¡¯ll consider letting you die a painless death,¡± Qin Jianmei shouted at Li Mo. She seemed to radiate a demonic aura, havingpletely lost the tenderness and gentleness that had been her guise.


    ¡°Madam Qin, your daughter also possesses the demonic bloodline. Are you nning on making her a second you?¡± Li Mo interrogated her scathingly.


    ¡°Naturally, my daughter will inherit the legacy of us demonkin.¡± Qin Jianmei sighed, her sinister expression taking on a hint of misery. ¡°Yu¡¯er fell in love with the crown prince, but the crown prince had never cared for her. Having fallen in love with a man that she would never be able toy im to, she would have been destined to remain single her entire life¡ªbut no more!¡±


    The sadness on Qin Jianmei¡¯s face transformed into egotisticalughter. ¡°I spent a whole decade trying to raise this Bodhisattva. It might not be at its peak power, but it¡¯s more than sufficient to deal with the likes of you! Once I ughter you all and continue refining Bodhisattva further, I¡¯d be able to dominate the Chenyuan continent itself! Then, I¡¯d be able to gather my kin and construct a kingdom just for our shamanic tribe, and then we mother and daughter would be able to get anything we want!¡±


    Qin Jianmei inclined her head as sheughed crowingly.


    Her unexpected words stunned everyone around. Li Mo had only thought that she was so deeply in love with Yun Lan that she had killed Lin Yuemei and turned Madam An crazy out of jealousy, but she was instead motivated by a rapacious ambition!


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had intended to leave her alive in order to question her about Lin Yuemei, but now it seemed as though they had to kill her at all costs, lest they unleash a disaster on the Chenyuan continent.


    Even Yun Lan, still watching themotion in the side room, widened his eyes in shock. As he nced toward Qin Jianmei, still sitting on the puppet¡¯s shoulder, he thought back to the first time they had met. He had thought the memory lost to him, but now it came back as clear as day.


    It was a rainy afternoon. Yun Lan was strolling through the streets when he suddenly ran into a young woman carrying an umbre. She stumbled and almost fell, but Yun Lan caught her by her waist in the nick of time.


    Her face was like a lotus flower, pure and unsullied. When she saw Yun Lan, her face med red. Her eyes, like those of a panicked doe, were clear and expressive.


    Decadester, that pure, unsullied, clear, expressive girl had turned into a madwoman...

 Chapter 304: Why the Change?

    <h4>Chapter 304: Why the Change?</h4>


    If he had never met Lin Yuemei, Yun Lan would have taken Madam An as his wife ording to his family¡¯s ns, then taken Qin Jianmei as concubine following his own wishes.


    However, at a flower-viewing party two months after meeting Qin Jianmei, Yun Lan met Lin Yuemei. When Lin Yuemei walked out from amidst the peach blossoms dressed in a dark red brocade, it was love at first sight. He knew his emotions were misced, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to forget about her. Even when he found out that she already had a man of her dreams, his feelings for her didn¡¯t change.


    When Lin Yuemei went on excursions with his good friend, Long Yin, they would frequently bring him along. Yun Lan looked on helplessly as the girl of his dreams flirted with his friend, his spirits falling but his emotions yet unchanging.


    But just as Yun Lan thought that he wasn¡¯t fated to be with Lin Yuemei, Long Yin suddenly vanished. To make Lin Yuemei give up on him, Lin Zainan began making ns for her wedding. While Lin Yuemei was distraught, Yun Lan jumped in to save the day, caring for her as meticulously as he knew how.


    Initially, Lin Yuemei was unwilling to marry him, but when Yun Lan promised not to touch her for two years and that he would divorce her immediately if Long Yin were to make a reappearance within those two years, Lin Yuemei finally eded.


    At the same time, Yun Lan manipted the Yun family into agreeing to the marriage between him and Lin Yuemei, though he was forced to take Madam An, with whom he had a prior engagement, as a concubine as well.


    In the end, just as he had wanted, Yun Lan married Lin Yuemei. What he didn¡¯t know was that, the day he married Lin Yuemei and took Madam An as concubine, a fair maiden stood crying the entire night long outside the walls of the Yun manor.


    Yun Lan had intended on watching Madam Qin and Li Mo duel quietly, but after hearing her ambitious ims, his eyes began to spark with killing intent.


    ¡°If you want your daughter back, unsummon this puppet immediately. Otherwise, you¡¯ll never see your daughter for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Such big words,¡± Qin Jianmei scoffed,ughing in her anger. ¡°But just as you intend on coercing me with my precious daughter, so can I threaten you with your precious woman!¡±


    Qin Jianmei pointed a finger at Yun Ruoyan, and the demonic puppet immediately spat out ck and red mists at her. As they intermingled in mid-air, they turned into over a dozen ws that pounced on her.


    ¡°Protect Miss Yun!¡± Su Nanmanded, and his five men formed a barrier encircling her.


    Li Mo frowned. As an eighth-rank demaster, Yun Ruoyan had a rtively advanced cultivation on the Chenyuan continent, but facing something like a demonic puppet, which wasn¡¯t native to the Chenyuan continent, was still a highly dangerous prospect.


    Li Mo was about to turn around to save her when, with the flick of a hand, Qin Jianmei surrounded him with the demonic ws that had retreated to the side.


    Su Nan and the guards that hemanded all boasted a cultivation beyond Yun Ruoyan¡¯s, but the demonic ws were so unusual and present in such great quantities that the guards couldn¡¯t handle them all.


    Two of the guards were trussed up by several of the ws, then tossed aside. One w caught Su Nan¡¯s wrist, and the other tried to take his de away. With a shout, Yun Ruoyan drew her Scarlet Eye.


    In order tobat the demonic ws, Su Nan and the others had to infuse spiritual energy into their weapons. Even so, the damage that they caused was minimal. On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s Scarlet Eye immediately caused a sizzling sound as soon as it made contact with one of the ws.


    ¡°Miss Yun, your sword can extinguish demonic aura!¡± Su Nan eximed.


    ¡°In that case, let me attack them,¡± Yun Ruoyan volunteered, charging ahead and chopping through the horde of ws that flocked toward her.


    When Yun Ruoyan had cleared away most of the ws in her vicinity, she noticed Li Mo once again being surrounded by ws.


    ¡°Su Nan, take care of yourself!¡± Yun Ruoyan grit her teeth and rushed toward the demonic puppet, intending on relieving the pressure on Li Mo.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡± Qin Jianmei shouted,manding the puppet to strike her with its fists.


    Yun Ruoyan dodged the attack with an elegant vault, then hacked at the puppet¡¯s gigantic fist with her sword. The moment the Scarlet Eye met the puppet¡¯s fist, it was as though a red-hot brand hadnded on flesh.


    The puppet was evidently able to feel pain, because it howled and flung Yun Ruoyan aside. Shended on the ground gracefully, holding up the Scarlet Eye in front of her as she defended against the puppet¡¯s onught.


    The pain seemed to have honed the puppet¡¯s will to fight, because even without Qin Jianmei¡¯smand, it focused all its attention on Yun Ruoyan. Without the puppet¡¯s control, the demonic ws that had engulfed Li Mo were weakened significantly. With his newfound freedom, Li Mo looked below him to see Yun Ruoyan facing off against the demonic puppet.


    ¡°You fool, get back! You¡¯re not its match!¡±


    But it was already toote. The demonic puppet suddenly opened its mouth wide at Yun Ruoyan, releasing two gusts of demonic aura in rapid session, one ck and one red. Four red and ck ws wed at Yun Ruoyan. She cut one down, but the other three attacked her simultaneously.


    They caught her neck, wrist, and one ankle.


    With a snap, one w broke her wrist, causing the Scarlet Eye to tter to the ground as the other three ws held her body up in mid-air.


    ¡°Cease your resistance, or I¡¯ll kill her now!¡± Qin Jianmei threatened. Li Mo had no choice but to surrender, allowing the ws to capture him as well.


    Within the suite, Yun Moxiao was so dismayed by Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s capture that he announced, ¡°Father, I can¡¯t wait any longer!¡±


    He kicked the door to the suite open and rushed out into the hall, yellow sword aura appearing by his feet as he rushed toward Yun Ruoyan.


    When Qin Jianmei turned and saw Yun Moxiao, she stilled for a moment before smiling brightly once more. ¡°Good timing! Once I kill you, Ruoyu will have one fewerpetitor in the Yun family.¡±


    Yun Moxiao unsheathed a sword by his waist as he chopped at the w clutching Yun Ruoyan¡¯s neck. As she struggled, Yun Ruoyan yelled out to Yun Moxiao, ¡°Watch your back!¡±


    Yun Moxiao turned around to see a red swordposed of demonic aura about to stab at his chest. He thought that he was about to perish, but moments before that sword struck his chest, it vanished.


    At the same time, the ws surrounding Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo all vanished. Yun Moxiao caught the falling Yun Ruoyan, thennded on the ground with Li Mo.


    By the other end of the room, Qin Jianmei opened her eyes wide as she nced at the sword that had skewered her heart. She turned disbelievingly toward Yun Lan, his face a frozen mask.


    ¡°Jianmei, how did you end up in such a wretched state?!¡± Yun Lan eximed, his voice shot with disappointment and coldness.


    ¡°How did I end up in this state?¡± Qin Jianmeiughed as she parroted Yun Lan¡¯s question. ¡°You dare ask me that?¡±


    The steel through her heart felt as cold as ice. Light shrunk from her. Qin Jianmei found herself back in her bleak memories, trapped in silence and smothered by the dark.


    ¡°Beat her, beat her up! She¡¯s a demon!¡± came the voices of a few raucous kids. They surrounded her and yelled out, ¡°She¡¯s from that shamanic tribe, and they¡¯re all demons! We won¡¯t y with her!¡±


    The children left, leaving a heartbroken little girl sobbing quietly to herself.


    When a middle-aged man appeared in front of her, the little girl looked up even as tears fell from her eyes like beads strung on a ne. ¡°Father, we¡¯re not demons! Father, tell them I¡¯m not a demon!¡±


    Qin Jianmei awaited her father¡¯s constion, but all she received was a p to her face.


    ¡°How many times have I told you not to tell others that we¡¯re from that shamanic tribe?! Now we¡¯ll have to move all over again!¡±


    The man pulled her up roughly and dragged her away.


    The scene disappeared, quickly reced by another. A handsome youth stood on a bridge with a shy girl.


    ¡°Jianmei, you like me, don¡¯t you?¡± the youth asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The girl hesitated and lowered her head, unused to the youth¡¯s scrutiny.


    ¡°You must,¡± the youth continued, before she could respond. ¡°Otherwise, why would you blush the moment you saw me? Do you blush when you look at other young men?¡±


    ¡°N¡ªNo, I don¡¯t.¡± The girl continued lowering her head.


    ¡°No what?¡± The youth continued. ¡°You don¡¯t like me, or you don¡¯t blush?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Even the tips of the girl¡¯s ears had turned red as she tightly clutched the hem of her dress.


    The youth smiled and tugged on her hands. ¡°Jianmei, if you like me, would you like to get married? However, given your status, you could only be my concubine. Would you ept that?¡±

 Chapter 305: Events of the Past

    <h4>Chapter 305: Events of the Past</h4>


    The young girl pursed her lips, her face flushed. The words ¡°I¡¯m willing¡± were stuck in her throat, and, try as she might, she was unable to say them out loud. However, in her heart, she continued repeating, I¡¯m willing! I¡¯m willing!


    ¡°Stop dreaming!¡± That scene too disappeared, reced by her father¡¯s booming voice. ¡°That Young Master Yun got married today, to both a wife and a concubine! He¡¯s long since forgotten about you!¡±


    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be! He promised that he would marry me¡­!¡± the girl murmured, her face buried in her arms.


    ¡°What kind of person is he, and what kind of person are you? Stop pining over him and make yourself useful at home!¡± He walked out the front doors, a padlock in his hand.


    The young girl suddenly stood up. ¡°Father, please don¡¯t lock me at home,¡± she yelled, rushing toward him.


    Her father tried to restrain her and push her back into the house, but the girl resisted with all her strength. With a strength that belied her slender frame, she pushed him aside and rushed out the door. Her father stumbled and hit his head against a wall, but the young girl had already run off.


    She ran all the way to the Yun manor. By the time she arrived, it was alreadyte in the evening. She was barred by the guards at the front gate, where she begged and pleaded for them to let her in to no avail.


    ¡°Our Young Master¡¯s going to be quite busy after the wedding, so please don¡¯t show up here again, Miss Qin. Young Master Yun isn¡¯t going to be willing to see you, and Master and Madam Yun will also be unhappy to have you around¡­¡±


    The young girl was unable to get past the front gates, and the guards wouldn¡¯t even let her stand by the entrance. She could only skulk by a corner, earnestly watching the Yun manor from a distance, so close yet so far.


    The Yun manor was decorated withnterns and colored banners, and the celebrations brought festive cheer to one and all. Bright rednterns cast the manor in a fiery glow, as though it were an ind on a sea of mes.


    The warmth and heat did not reach the young girl. She sat disheartened outside the manor for the entire night, and when she returned home the next day, she found that her father had died, his skull cracked open by his fall against the wall, bloodying his head.


    When the girl thought back to what had happened and realized that she had killed her own father, she drew the dagger that he always carried by his waist and held the point against her neck. As she did so, however, she suddenly noticed a worn ck manual in his robes.


    Curious, the young girl picked up the manual and began flipping through it. It described the sacrificial arts of the shamanic tribe, ones that her father had always forbidden her from practicing. She put down the dagger in her hands and began reading through the manual. The light in her eyes slowly rekindled as she flipped through the pages, slowly at first, then faster and faster.


    When she finished the final page of the manual, she slowly put it down and looked at her father¡¯s lifeless corpse, the man who had brought her up but hadn¡¯t given her even a shred of warmth.


    The young girl bit her lip as her eyes glinted. She slowly raised the dagger in her hands, closed her eyes, and stabbed her father¡¯s chest, right where his heart was.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Qin Jianmei clutched her face.


    As the illusory scene unfolded before their eyes, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan walked up to her Qin Jianmei, now in the guise of a young girl. ¡°Madam Qin, won¡¯t you give up?¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice appeared by her ears. ¡°To have sacrificed even your own father¡¯s heart for this demonic puppet¡­ a woman like you deserves to die!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Qin Jianmei clutched her eyes, her body trembling.


    ¡°Li Mo, can we destroy the demonic puppet like this?¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan were both hovering on his sword as they each pointed a finger at the puppet¡¯s temples, infusing spiritual energy into its head. Meanwhile, Yun Moxiao, Yun Lan, and Li Mo¡¯s guards all stood on the ground, craning their heads as they focused on the situation developing above them. Beside Yun Lany the corpse of Qin Jianmei, killed by a single strike through her heart.


    ¡°My mother told me that demonic puppets are fuelled by the mental energy of those who made them,¡± Li Mo exined. Different people had different beliefs, different characteristics and natures, and this was reflected in the form that the demonic puppet took. Some people were kind-hearted, others were evil, and most were somewhere in-between.


    The base emotion that Qin Jianmei had infused into her puppet was bitter hatred. Though she had died, the demonic puppet had epted her lifetime¡¯s worth of bitter memories. As long as they didn¡¯t dissipate, the demonic puppet would continue to exist.


    In order to fully destroy the puppet, they would have to draw her negative emotions out, then banish them one by one. Otherwise, once Qin Jianmei¡¯s grudges and emotions were digested by the demonic puppet, it would be even more frightening than before.


    ¡°Right now, I¡¯m trying to draw out Qin Jianmei¡¯s hatred with my spiritual energy. If they dissipate of their own ord, then all the better; otherwise, we¡¯ll have to expel them with brute force,¡± Li Mo continued. ¡°Now, focus your energy and use your spiritual energy in conjunction with me to force all her grudges out of the puppet. With luck, we¡¯ll be able to see a memory involving your mother.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, then mimicked Li Mo¡¯s gestures.


    Qin Jianmei, who now only existed in the form of her grudges, waspletely ensconced by Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual energy. The memories that she was forced to relive caused her to tremble all over, but even though she shut her eyes and covered them up tightly with her palms, they still unfolded before her.


    The young Qin Jianmei began to perform sacrificial rites to her newly crafted Guanyin and Buddha statues, each of which consisted of half her father¡¯s heart. The process had given her new life, and she no longer seemed like the heartsick, forlorn girl she was before.


    As a physician, she continued frequenting the major noble families of the capital, including the Yun family. The next time Qin Jianmei saw Yun Lan was two yearster, during his wife¡¯s childbirth. How happy he had been! All his attention was focused on his bedridden wife and the baby in hisp, and he had barely given her a single nce.


    Qin Jianmei nced at the woman in bed. She was extremely beautiful, so much so that Qin Jianmei had to admit it despite her own petty jealousy. However, that beautiful woman seemed mncholy, so much so that she had gotten sick from it. Qin Jianmei soon became her go-to physician, and she would often frequent the Yun manor and Lin Yuemei¡¯s cottage.


    Eventually, Yun Lan did recognize her. When he brought the matter up, Qin Jianmei responded coolly, as if what had happened between the two of them in the past hadn¡¯t affected her. Somehow, this caused her to gain Yun Lan¡¯s respect.


    Because of her deliberate attempts to get close to Lin Yuemei, Qin Jianmei and Lin Yuemei soon became friends. Lin Yuemei didn¡¯t have anyone else in the Yun family to speak to, and she gradually began to open up to Qin Jianmei.


    It was only then that Qin Jianmei found out that Lin Yuemei didn¡¯t actually like Yun Lan; her love was someone called Long Yin. Apparently, in order for the Yun family to have a descendant, she had been drugged unknowingly and had spent the night with Yun Lan.


    Lin Yuemei didn¡¯t know about Qin Jianmei¡¯s feelings for Yun Lan. How worthless Yun Lan¡¯s feelings were to Lin Yuemei, and yet they were all that Qin Jianmei could dream about!


    Why should I have to suffer such misery? As her envious, jealous feelings stewed and intensified, Qin Jianmei decided to poison Lin Yuemei with the carmine embrace. The reason she didn¡¯t kill Lin Yuemei on the spot was because Lin Yuemei was the reason she could enter and leave the Yun manor at will.


    The scene blurred. The next memory was of Lin Yuemei telling her that her beloved had returned¡ªallegedly, he had left for an important matter which he couldn¡¯t reveal. Because he had to do so in a hurry, he wasn¡¯t able to say his farewells to her, but he had passed Yun Lan a letter to be handed to her on his behalf. However, Yun Lan had secretly hidden that letter.


    When Lin Yuemei found out about the affair, she was so enraged that she had a big fight with Yun Lan, then left her son behind in the Yun manor, never to return. Qin Jianmei knew that Lin Yuemei had surely eloped with that so-called Long Yin, but not exactly where she had gone.


    Yun Lan didn¡¯t seek her out anxiously, and neither did he make the matter widely known. As a result, almost no one but Qin Jianmei knew of Lin Yuemei¡¯s disappearance.


    After Lin Yuemei¡¯s disappearance, Yun Lan began to seek out Qin Jianmei. She would spend all her effort consoling him, and just when she was sure that Yun Lan was slowly developing feelings for her, Lin Yuemei returned again.


    Yun Lan once again flung Qin Jianmei aside, focusing all her attention on Lin Yuemei. Lin Yuemei¡¯s body was strangely weak, and Qin Jianmei was tasked with nourishing her back to health. During a routine inspection of her body, she discovered that Lin Yuemei was two months¡¯ pregnant.


    She secretly informed Yun Lan of the affair, who told her to pretend as if nothing was wrong. Qin Jianmei saw how well Yun Lan treated a woman who didn¡¯t like him, who had betrayed him, who had even had someone else¡¯s baby. Shepared it to her own treatment at Yun Lan¡¯s hands, and all her envy and jealousy morphed into hatred toward Lin Yuemei.


    She began to increase the dosage of poison she would put in her food. Finally, the year after Yun Ruoyan was born, the carmine embrace triggered, taking Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mother away from her. Yun Lan managed to find a physician who was capable of treating the poison, Physician Ceng, but Qin Jianmei made use of him to worsen the poison instead.


    Not long after Lin Yuemei¡¯s death, Qin Jianmei finally achieved her goal: to be married to Yun Lan as a concubine. She believed that she had gotten everything she dreamed for, but not long afterwards, Yun Lan took in two more concubines, each bearing some resemnce with Lin Yuemei.


    Yun Lan quickly tossed Qin Jianmei aside once more, and it was only then that she realized that Yun Lan¡¯s heart would never belong to her.


    Ever since then, Qin Jianmei had focused all her attention on her sacrificial arts, remaining in her chambers for days at a time. After a decade, almost everyone in the Yun manor had forgotten about her¡ªuntil Yun Ruoyu was punished with house arrest after having offended Yun Ruoyan.


    Because Qin Jianmei¡¯s puppetry was about to reach a new, elevated stage, her ambitions grew and grew. She hoped to give to Yun Ruoyu what she was unable to attain herself. She tutored her in the sacrificial arts that she had mastered, hoping to provide a blueprint for Yun Ruoyu¡¯s sess.


    Yet all this had been ruined by Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, and Qin Jianmei herself was in dire straits...


    <hr>


    1. After 305 chapters, we find out that the true viin was Yun Lan all along¡­

 Chapter 306: Yun Lan’s Strength

    <h4>Chapter 306: Yun Lan¡¯s Strength</h4>


    The memory finally vanishedpletely. Qin Jianmei¡¯s spirit, still trapped by Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s spiritual energy, was trembling all over. The images and scenes that had appeared were all past memories that she hadn¡¯t wanted to revisit.


    She had imagined that the past was the past, gone and forgotten for good. As long as no one knew about what she had done, then it wouldn¡¯t be of any import to her. When she had cut apart her own father¡¯s chest, she had buried her conscience and her guilt.


    But when she saw her wooden face as she removed her father¡¯s heart from his chest, when she saw her cold, calcting face as she poisoned Lin Yuemei, when she saw her sinister face as she had her own daughter bring Madam An a concoction that would slowly turn her crazy¡­


    When these memories resurfaced, she found that she couldn¡¯t bear to look at them, that she was so afraid her whole body trembled.


    As Li Mo continued releasing his spiritual energy, he looked at Yun Ruoyan. Qin Jianmei¡¯s memories had clearly shown how she had poisoned Lin Yuemei, and that her true father wasn¡¯t Yun Lan, but instead a man called Long Yin.


    Li Mo didn¡¯t know that Yun Ruoyan had long since found out about her true parentage, so he was very worried for her. Unexpectedly, Yun Ruoyan seemed to receive the news calmly, so he rxed and turned back to Qin Jianmei.


    Yun Lan frowned as he looked at the three people in mid-air. While he was in the alternate dimension, he had personally witnessed a demonic puppet being killed. Under normal circumstances, killing the owner of the demonic puppet would cause the puppet to vanish as well. Only high-ranking demonic puppets would be able to host their masters¡¯ spirits, as was the case here.


    Yun Lan hadn¡¯t expected that Qin Jianmei¡¯s demonic puppet was already at such a level. He nced at Qin Jianmei¡¯s lifeless body, his eyes turning even darker.


    ¡°Madam Qin, you¡¯ve already paid the price for what you¡¯ve done. Now that you¡¯re dead, don¡¯t hold onto your grudges any longer,¡± Li Mo murmured.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead?¡± Li Mo¡¯s words finally provoked a reaction from Qin Jianmei. In her spirit form, she raised her head, looked all around her, and chuckled bitterly. ¡°I thought I would be able to change my fate, and yet this was my oue¡­ no, I refuse to submit! The heavens might have cursed me, but I will not sumb!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan thought that she would have been happier to see her mother¡¯s killer so deste, but her past life¡¯s experience had instead left her with some sympathetic resonance for Qin Jianmei. Neither of them began as evildoers, but chance and ident hadpelled them deeper into their demise. One wrong step had doomed their fates for good.


    In her past life, because Yun Ruoyan was weak and useless, because she listened to others mindlessly, she had suffered a wretched fate. Meanwhile, because Qin Jianmei had been bewitched by Yun Lan¡¯s honeyed words, she had fallen in love with someone who wouldn¡¯t ever love her back.


    ¡°Madam Qin,¡± Yun Ruoyan found herself saying. ¡°Do you believe in reincarnation? If fate were to give you a second chance, would you have lived your life the same way?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sudden question was quite unexpected to Qin Jianmei. As a member of that shamanic tribe, she naturally believed in reincarnation, in the Buddha of the past and the Guanyin of the present. However, she believed in it in the abstract, not as though it were reality.


    ¡°If I could reincarnate, I would certainly not believe the words of men so easily. Even if I have to lead a dull, ordinary life, even if it meant I would have to give up on the possibility of being truly strong, I would never stoop so low again,¡± Qin Jianmei pledged.


    ¡°In that case, why not let go of your grudge and let this demonic puppet dissipate? Go where you ought to go, and you might find another chance at life,¡± Yun Ruoyan said.


    Qin Jianmei stilled again. ¡°I killed your mother, and I ruined your life. Don¡¯t you hate me? You should loathe me so much you would damn me to hell for eternity!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t expected Qin Jianmei to have recognized her. She was a little shocked, but quickly calmed herself down. ¡°You¡¯re already dead, Madam Qin, and my revenge is done. If you do intend on causing trouble, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Qin Jianmei suddenly began tough. ¡°Ruoyan, I actually do like you. You¡¯re not at all like your mother; she was beautiful but sheltered, whereas you¡¯re worldly and intelligent.¡±


    ¡°Madam Qin,¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°I hope you can give yourself a chance.¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha¡­¡± Qin Jianmei¡¯sughs seemed to turn low and mournful. ¡°The road to hell is paved with good intentions. For me, perhaps having my soul scattered to the winds would be the best possible ending¡­¡±


    Her spiritual body suddenly grewrger andrger, so quickly that even the spiritual energy that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were giving off wasn¡¯t enough to restrain her. At the same time, the demonic puppet began to move. It swung a fist toward Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan. Li Mo steered his sword away from the blow, but in doing so, freed Qin Jianmei from his restraints.


    ¡°Not good,¡± he murmured. ¡°The demonic puppet¡¯s going to merge with her spiritual body!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan brandished her Scarlet Eye, and Li Mo had readied an icicle in one hand and a fireball in the other, both of them prepared for a prolonged battle.


    However, the demonic puppet turned away from them and instead toward Yun Lan, the man whom Qin Jianmei had loved her entire life but was never able to possess.


    ¡°Even if I die, I¡¯ll bring you down with me!¡± Qin Jianmei hollered.


    Under her control, the demonic puppet blew out two gusts of demonic aura at him, one ck and one red. They morphed into gigantic ws which pounced on Yun Lan. They were far stronger than the ws that had gued Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, having been infused with the power of Qin Jianmei¡¯s grudges. Even the wind generated from their motion was sufficient to blow Su Nan, Yun Moxiao, and Li Mo¡¯s other guards aside.


    Only Yun Lan seemed to be unaffected by the attack. With his hands sped behind his back, he patiently waited for the ws to approach him. One w seized his neck, and the other his two legs, raising him high up into the air.


    ¡°Yun Lan, you¡¯re the bane of my existence! Only with your death can I reincarnate in peace.¡± The demonic puppet that had merged with Qin Jianmei raised a gigantic fist at him.


    With a great smash, the fistnded on Yun Lan¡¯s body. However, contrary to her expectations, Yun Lan didn¡¯t die or turn into meat paste. Instead, Qin Jianmei could feel a surprising surge of strength resisting her blow.


    Everyone gathered could see Yun Lan encased in a shield of blinding white light. Yun Ruoyan could identify that shield as a membrane made of spiritual energy, one that could be activated by any eighth-rank demaster during times of duress. However, if the attack was from a cultivator with a more advanced cultivation, then the membrane might as well be useless; it was only effective against attacks from a lower cultivation. If the difference in cultivation wasrge enough, then it could even reflect an iing attack.


    Zhuo Yifeng had once been injured by this damage reflection.


    If Yun Lan¡¯s spiritual membrane was able to defend against the demonic puppet¡¯s attack, then it could only mean that his current cultivation had exceeded that of the demonic puppet!


    Yun Ruoyan was immensely shocked. It was rare that her father would reveal his own cultivation to anyone, and she hadn¡¯t expected that it would be so extreme.


    ¡°This is the realm of a sword saint!¡± Li Mo whispered in her ear. ¡°That fruit of cloud and sky was surely a great help to him.¡±


    Yun Lan¡¯s spiritual energy grew whiter and even more blinding, and the demonic puppet¡¯s fist was pushed further and further away by its force. With a great Bang!, the demonic puppet¡¯s enormous body was flung into the wall of the teahouse and brought it crashing down.


    The white spiritual energy on Yun Lan¡¯s body slowly turned red. Just like Yun Ruoyan, Yun Lan also used fire-attuned spiritual energy. With some technique unfamiliar to her, he covered his entire body with spiritual me. Upon touching the me, the ck and red demonic ws crumbled into ash.


    A blood-red sword aura appeared underneath Yun Lan¡¯s feet as he flew toward the demonic puppet. With a manifestation of spiritual energy, he forcibly extracted Qin Jianmei¡¯s spirit from within the demonic puppet.


    ¡°You want to kill me?¡± Yun Lan asked. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to kill you, but it looks like it won¡¯t be possible!¡± Qin Jianmei¡¯s face was bitter. ¡°I wasted my entire life¡¯s emotions on you, and this is what I get? You were the one who reduced me to this sorry state, so of course I¡¯d take my revenge on you!¡±


    ¡°Foolish!¡± Yun Lan muttered disdainfully. ¡°You killed Yuemei, so I can¡¯t spare you. Die!¡± Yun Lan¡¯s voice was cold, without any hint of warmth, nor even a shred of sorrow or disappointment.


    ¡°Yun Lan, was I never in your heart?¡± Qin Jianmei asked, unwilling to give up.


    Yun Lan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°There have been many women in my life, but except for Yuemei, they¡¯re all one and the same. I initially thought you might have been a little different from them, but it seems as though you were simply more foolish.¡±


    The spiritual mes on his body slowly encroached upon Qin Jianmei.


    ¡°I am foolish, aren¡¯t I? You might not think much of me, but please treat Ruoyu well. After all, she¡¯s your daughter by blood¡ª¡±


    Before Qin Jianmei could finish speaking, her soul, evanescent and fragile, had scattered to the winds...

 Chapter 307: Year After Year

    <h4>Chapter 307: Year After Year</h4>


    After Yun Lan burned Qin Jianmei¡¯s incorporeal body to ash, the demonic puppet slowly crumbled in like manner, restoring peace and quiet to the surroundings.


    ¡°Father,¡± Yun Moxiao called out, stepping forward.


    Yun Lan continued standing on his blood-red sword, motionless. He nced down at Yun Moxiao, his gaze skimming over Yun Ruoyan. She thought she could see a note of sorrow in his eyes, but only for an instant.


    Was that an illusion? Yun Ruoyan thought.


    ¡°Father, you aren¡¯t hurt, are you?¡± Yun Moxiao asked.


    Yun Lan slowly shook his head, thennded on the floor of the teahouse. Yun Ruoyan was a little worried that Yun Lan had recognized her¡ªafter all, even Qin Jianmei had managed to do so, and Yun Lan¡¯s sensitivity would be far stronger as a sword saint.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at Li Mo, who shook his head minutely before dragging her toward Yun Lan. At the same time, Yun Lan stumbled, then spat out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± Yun Moxiao ran forward to help support him, and Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan to a stop.


    ¡°No matter.¡± Yun Lan shook a hand at him, but mere momentster, he slumped and fell unconscious against Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°Father!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, almost involuntarily. She was just about to step forward when Li Mo pulled her back. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with Official Yun. He¡¯s just stepped into the realm of a sword saint, and because he did so using the fruit of cloud and sky, his foundation isn¡¯t stable. He used too much of his spiritual energy to get rid of that puppet, so both his spiritual vortex and body have received a definite amount of damage.¡±


    ¡°However,¡± Li Mo continued, ¡°now that he¡¯s a sword saint, this sort of injury won¡¯t be critical to him. He just has to recuperate a little to return back to normal.¡±


    ¡°The two of you should leave now,¡± Yun Moxiao advised. ¡°There might be imperial guards heading here at any moment.¡±


    This battle had caused a rather significant disturbance even in the capital, and it was sure to have startled at least the civilians. Luckily, Li Mo had chosen to meet Qin Jianmei at a rather isted area, far from ordinary civilians and without the possibility of causing too much damage.


    Li Mo left with Yun Ruoyan and his guards. Yun Moxiao was just about to bring Yun Lan away when the imperial guards arrived.


    ¡°Official Yun, General Yun, may I ask what happened here?¡± The captain of the imperial guards immediately stepped forward, noting their dishevelled appearance.


    ¡°Send us back to the Yun manor for now. I¡¯ll exin thingster.¡± Yun Moxiao was the general in charge of the imperial troops garrisoned at the capital, and this imperial guard was his subordinate. The guard didn¡¯t dare to question his superior, and could only nod and reply in the affirmative.


    ¡°How should we deal with this corpse over here?¡± He then pointed at Qin Jianmei¡¯s body.


    After being brought back to the manor, Yun Lan only woke up after three days and three nights. Meanwhile, Yun Ruoyu woke up that night in her rooms and walked out of her cottage.


    When her maids saw her walking out of her rooms rubbing her eyes, they all jumped up in shock, then gathered around her to ask where she had gone. How had she vanished, then appeared so suddenly from her rooms?!


    However, Yun Ruoyu herself hadn¡¯t even realized that she had gone missing. When she woke up in bed, she only thought that she had been so tired that she had gone to bed without realizing it.


    After Yun Lan woke up from hisa, he informed the household that Madam Qin had died of a sudden, severe illness, revealing no further details to anyone else. Even Yun Ruoyu was unable to find out the truth, let alone an outsider. Of course, no outsider would care much about a concubine.


    And because she was only a concubine, Qin Jianmei didn¡¯t have the right to be entombed in the Yun family mausoleum. Instead, she was buried in one of the better plots ofnd nearby.


    Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao weren¡¯t her children, so they didn¡¯t have to attend her funeral. Yun Ruoyu was the only one who showed up in mourning clothes. After the affair, Yun Ruoyan specially went to Qin Jianmei¡¯s grave and burned a cloth sack in front of it.


    Li Mo was a little confused by her actions. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you hate her? After all, she poisoned your mother, and she was the cause of your childhood trauma!¡±


    ¡°I used to hate the culprit behind my mother¡¯s poisoning, and I did loathe Madam Qin while I suspected her of being the poisoner,¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°However, when I think back to what happened during my childhood, when I was grievously wounded during a friendly bout, Madam Qin was the only one willing to take me in and take care of me. Perhaps she was the root cause of all my troubles, but she did give me a spark of hope when all seemed lost to me. I thank her for that, if nothing else.¡±


    The cloth sack burned away, revealing the twinned statues inside.


    ¡°These two statues are emblematic of the shamanic tribe, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be happy to have them. With this act, I¡¯ll let bygones be bygones.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan then followed Li Mo away.


    Not long after their departure, a shadow appeared before Qin Jianmei¡¯s grave. She hastily dumped a pile of dirt on the burning sack, then shrugged off her funeral clothes and used them to pick up the statues, which she cradled in her arms as she ran off.


    In the blink of an eye, two weeks had passed, and the next day would be the eve of Chinese New Year. Kongming Academy was on leave, and Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue, and Zhuo Yifeng had all returned to the capital.


    During this period of time, Yun Ruoyan would frequently head to the Lin manor in the mornings to chat and y with Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue. In the afternoon, she would then go to the ughtering King¡¯s manor to learn swordflight. At night, she returned to her own cottage to cultivate and rest.


    The Yun matriarch, who hadn¡¯t been very strict in the past, suddenly began to restrict her movements after her engagement with Li Mo. She had summoned Yun Ruoyan to her rooms and had told her, rather severely, that she had to avoid spending the night at her fiance¡¯s ce both for propriety and for self-respect.


    Yun Ruoyan obediently nodded her head and added another task to her daily routine: paying her respects to her grandmother daily after returning from the ughtering King¡¯s manor.


    Initially, she was a little worried that Yun Lan would suspect that she was involved in Qin Jianmei¡¯s death. However, when she heard her brother mention that Yun Lan had tasked him with uncovering the identity of the Demonic Duo and provided him with a list of potential suspects, she rxed¡ªneither she nor Li Mo had been on her father¡¯s list.


    Yun Lan treated Yun Ruoyan no differently than before, but ording to her grandmother, he had been single-handedly responsible for preparing her dowry. Yun Ruoyan harbored extremelyplicated emotions for her father: she had once hated him and begrudged him, but after discovering the truth, neither of those feelings seemed appropriate. At the same time, however, she felt no sense of kinship toward him. Regardless, it didn¡¯t feel strange to call him ¡®Father¡¯, something Yun Ruoyan chalked up to habit.


    On the night of Chinese New Year¡¯s Eve, as Yun Ruoyan held a night vigil with her grandmother, her grandmother slowly began to snore. Yun Ruoyan and some of her grandmother¡¯s maids quietly snuck to one of the outer chambers with a portable stove as they waited for midnight, for the dawn of a new year.


    At midnight, Yun Lan and Yun Moxiao also arrived at the Yun matriarch¡¯s quarters, bringing with them a chain of firecrackers, something which had recently grown very popr in the capital.


    Xiao Lan woke the Yun matriarch up, and the gathered crowd took turns kowtowing to her and paying their respects. With a smile, the Yun matriarch handed everyone a red packet, filling the room with a festive cheer.


    Only one thing marred the festivities: the fact that the Yun matriarch had suddenly brought up Yun Ruoyu. Ever since Qin Jianmei¡¯s death, Yun Ruoyu seemed to have be a different person entirely. She had moved from her previous quarters to her mother¡¯s residence, and she stayed cooped up in the house the entire day.


    ¡°Yun Lan, have someone go look at Ruoyu tomorrow. How pitiful she is, to have lost her mother so suddenly!¡± the Yun matriarch eximed.


    ¡°Mother, I had someone bring her some food this evening. There¡¯s no need to worry; she¡¯ll surely recover with time,¡± Yun Lan replied.


    ¡°Grandmother, why don¡¯t I light some firecrackers? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like seeing them!¡± Yun Moxiao suggested.


    No one noticed anything unusual about Yun Ruoyan, and the mood that had suddenly turned awkward at the mention of Yun Ruoyu returned to normal. This was the first New Year that Yun Ruoyan had experienced at the Yun family after her rebirth, and she marvelled at how long the year had been, as though she had managed to resolve any regret she had had in her past life.


    However, as the memories of the past year shed by her mind, she couldn¡¯t help thinking that the year had actually passed by quite rapidly. There had been no time to rest between all sorts of crises and challenges that awaited her. Now that she was looking back at them, however, those challenges had only been stepping stones, which she had made use of to forge a path for herself.


    Beyond her own improvements, both mental and physical, Yun Ruoyan felt that her most important gain was the courage to face any challenge and the desire to seek out self-improvement even if she had a powerful support she could lean on in times of need.


    Peng! Peng, peng!


    A series of fireworks exploded in mid-air, drowning the night sky in all sorts of bright and glittering colors. Thus ended the first year of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s rebirth, and before hery all sorts of future challenges¡­


    After the midnight celebration, everyone returned to their own residences. Because of how rxed she was, Yun Ruoyan allowed her drowsiness and lethargy to fully ovee her. She began nodding off during the walk back to her cottage, and her eyes slowly shut. The responsibility of bringing her back to her rooms fell to Xi Lan and Peony, each supporting one arm of hers as they dragged her to bed. Then, they wiped her hands and face, removed her outer garments, and covered her up with a nket before blowing the lights out and gently closing the door to her room.


    The moment she was alone, Li Mo snuck noiselessly into her room through a back window. If she weren¡¯t so tired, Yun Ruoyan would have immediately awoken from her sleep, but this time, she only rolled in bed, kicked off her nket, and continued to sleep.


    Li Mo¡¯s lips curled up as he shrugged off his robe andy by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side. Only then did she realize that she had a visitor, but his familiar scent was enough for her to ascertain his identity. Without even opening her eyes, she curled up next to him. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here sote?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve, after all. I don¡¯t want to spend it alone,¡± Li Mo replied.


    Yun Ruoyan could feel the cold permeating through Li Mo¡¯s body and realized that he had to have been waiting outside her window for her. She was a little sorry for him, so she pulled his body tight against hers.


    ¡°Li Mo.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°In the future, I promise I¡¯ll apany you day after day, year after year¡­¡±


    <hr>


    1. It is customary to provide offerings to the dead by burning them.

 Chapter 308: Coming of Age

    <h4>Chapter 308: Coming of Age</h4>


    Time flew. March 29th was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s birthday, and the day she woulde of age. In the Li kingdom, theing-of-age ceremony was of particr importance; it represented the first foray into adulthood and eligibility for marriage. Given Yun Ruoyan¡¯s identity as the female heir of the Yun family, a student at Kongming Academy, and the future consort of the ughtering King, her ceremony was all the grander.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, this dress is gorgeous!¡± Lin Qingxue opened her eyes wide as she stared at Yun Ruoyan, draped in a full-body, fiery-red dress that trailed across the ground. Phoenix orchids, stitched in gold thread, shone and glittered as they caught the light.


    Her slender neck and fair, white skin formed a dramatic contrast with the red of the dress. Because she had been resting and eating well, and owing to the increase in her cultivation, Yun Ruoyan had grown even taller, and her body had filled out. Although she was only fifteen, she looked like a youngdy of seventeen or eighteen.


    With that dress, she was a mature, stunning beauty.


    ¡°Qingxue¡¯s right, Sister Ruoyan! You look like a different person entirely!¡± Lin Qingchen added.


    Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue had arrived at her cottage bright and early in the morning. As girls of honor in hering-of-age ceremony, they were also dressed up formally.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look good?¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up and twirled around in a circle, and the gold-stitched phoenix orchids seemed to fly up into the air. As the sunlight impinged on them, they began to sparkle.


    ¡°Of course you look wonderful!¡± Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue chorused in unison. ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯re giving off a different feel than usual.¡±


    ¡°Different? How?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at her reflection in the mirror and frowned subtly. Actually, she agreed with them, but she didn¡¯t know what had changed. After all, she had worn the same exact dress in the past, and she had appeared countless times in both her past and present lives in formalwear. Today, however, when she looked at herself in the mirror, she felt as though the woman looking back at her was somehow different in quality.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown up, Mistress,¡± Peony smiled and replied, her gaze proud. Her words gave name to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s transformation. ¡°Mistress, you¡¯re no longer a child or young girl, but a woman anddy in your own right.¡±


    Because Yun Ruoyan was born at noon, hering-of-age ceremony was also scheduled for noon. After breakfast, the streets outside the Yun manor were jam-packed with carriages. Guests and visitors arrived in an endless stream, one that could contest the crowds that had gathered for the Yun matriarch¡¯s birthday celebration not so long ago.


    ¡°I heard that this Miss Yun¡¯s going to be married to the ughtering King not long after hering-of-age ceremony. Is that true?¡± one of the guests whispered to another.


    ¡°I heard the same thing! Apparently, the wedding date¡¯s set for three dayster. I wonder why they¡¯re rushing it so much?¡±


    One of the guests in front of them turned around and interrupted, ¡°Oh, you must not know! Allegedly, they¡¯re both going to be taking part in some sort of dangerous expedition in Kongming Academy, and they might not return for quite a while.¡±


    ¡°An expedition hosted by Kongming Academy? What expedition, and where? How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡± That person nced around warily before continuing, ¡°This is something internal to Kongming Academy, and not information most people would be privy to. However, my young master is also taking part in this expedition, and I only learned about it because I overheard his conversation with my master. My young master¡¯s been training hard for this expedition all day long, and my master¡¯s been collecting treasures from all over to help him prepare! They¡¯re so busy that neither of them could spare time to attend Miss Yun¡¯sing-of-age ceremony, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m here in their ce.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I recognize you!¡± the first guest eximed. ¡°You must be the housekeeper of the Pei family!¡±


    Naturally, the young master he mentioned was Pei Ziao.


    ¡°No wonder you know so much!¡± the second guest marvelled.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s more!¡± The Pei housekeeper, gratified that the guests knew of him, leaned in and whispered an even more juicy secret, ¡°You might not know this, but the ughtering King¡¯s an instructor at Kongming Academy, and this Miss Yun is the only disciple that he¡¯s taken.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± The two guests both opened their eyes wide. ¡°How could they get married, then?!¡±


    ¡°Right! To marry your master, who¡¯s like your father¡­¡±


    The Pei housekeeper chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s what my master said, too! That¡¯s why he wouldn¡¯t have shown up even if he weren¡¯t busy!¡±


    ¡°Is that true? Are they really master and disciple?¡± Some of the more nosy guests had leaned in and overheard the shocking secret.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s my turn to go in!¡± The Pei housekeeper didn¡¯t dare take responsibility for spreading the secret, so he hurriedly changed the subject and weaselled his way through the front gates. However, the news that he¡¯d shared rapidly spread among the gathered guests.


    ¡°This Miss Yun and the ughtering King are about to be married, but they¡¯re master and disciple! Did you know?!¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous! You¡¯re not serious?¡±


    ¡°I am, I am!¡±


    Because there were so many guests, most of the guests gathered by the front gate were those of less rtive importance. The more distinguished guests would enter the manor directly from side doors along the manor¡¯s perimeter¡ªfor example, a few of the high-ranking court officials that Yun Lan knew, the princes of the Li kingdom, and a few of the young masters and misses from the various noble families who hade to join in the festivities.


    ¡°Congrattions, Official Yun! Your daughter is truly aplished!¡± One of the court officials, of about the same ranking as Yun Lan, stepped forward to congratte him. ¡°She¡¯ll be avable for marriage after theing-of-age ceremony, won¡¯t she? If she¡¯s not yet betrothed, I¡¯d love to seek her out for my son!¡±


    Yun Lan replied somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°I apologize, Official Liu, but she¡¯s already been promised to someone. The wedding will be within the week, so please doe attend then!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Official Liu appeared rather shocked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t informed of this matter at all! To whom is she engaged?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been too long since my daughter returned from Kongming Academy. Time has been rather tighttely so we haven¡¯t advertised the betrothal, but I n on announcing it at hering-of-age ceremony today,¡± Yun Lan replied.


    Actually, Li Mo was initially adamant that the wedding be extravagant and luxurious, but because Yun Ruoyan thought that an understated ceremony would be better, Li Mo deferred to her will.


    Actually, Yun Ruoyan would have preferred to not have argeing-of-age ceremony at all either, but Yun Lan and Li Mo both objected vehemently. Theing-of-age ceremony was a milestone in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s life, one that was customarily made known to one and all.


    Since it was almost time for the ceremony to begin, all the important guests were gathered into the great hall of the Yun manor. The remaining guests would watch on from the boundary and from outside. Presiding over the ceremony was the Yun matriarch, the most senior member of the Yun family and the most distinguished woman of the household.


    Yun Lan sat right below the Yun matriarch. As Yun Ruoyan¡¯s father, he too yed an important role in the ceremony. Li Mo sat right next to him, as the highest-ranking guest present, and Li Qianhan by Li Mo¡¯s side.


    Meanwhile, the crown prince Li Qianxiao and the second prince Li Qianyuan sat opposite them on the Yun matriarch¡¯s other side.


    ¡°The propitious hour ise, and the ceremony shall begin,¡± the official overseeing the ceremony announced, and the murmurs of conversation in the hall immediately halted.


    Yun Ruoyan walked into the great hall, trailed by Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue. She took slow, deliberate steps, and everyone¡¯s gaze was immediately transfixed by her fiery-red dress. Li Mo nced at her with a gaze full of happiness and noted that a small smile was also dancing by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips. When she saw him, she cheekily raised her jaw at him, her eyes dancing mischievously.


    The crown prince, Li Qianhan, craned his neck and stared at Yun Ruoyan as though transfixed. By his side, the second prince¡¯s gaze slightly narrowed. Whenever this Yun Ruoyan appeared, her appearance always looked dramatically different from when they had seen herst.


    Yun Ruoyan stopped at the center of the hall. Two well-dressed servants stepped forward, one cing a prayer mat in front of Yun Ruoyan, and the other bringing a golden tray of water in front of the Yun matriarch, who immersed her hands in it.


    ¡°Kowtow to heaven and earth, that they might bless and protect thee.¡±


    The Lin sisters retreated to the sides. Yun Ruoyan knelt down on the praying mat, kowtowing thrice.


    ¡°Kowtow to friends, family, guests and rtives all, that they might care for thee in times of need.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan kowtowed thrice around the room.


    ¡°Kowtow to your parents and elders, that they might remain healthy now and forevermore.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan finally kowtowed thrice to Yun Lan and the Yun matriarch.


    When she was done, she sat back up, her spine straight. The Yun matriarch finished washing her hands, stood up, and allowed the Lin sisters to support her to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s front.


    A servant walked forward with a box of jade and gold. Lin Qingchen took the box and held it up to the Yun matriarch, who took out a golden phoenix hairpin and stuck it into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unadorned hair.


    ¡°And by this rite, thou art marked a woman true.¡±


    <hr>


    1. Imagine maids of honor in a wedding ceremony.

 Chapter 309: Right and Proper

    <h4>Chapter 309: Right and Proper</h4>


    Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue both helped Yun Ruoyan up. She bowed to the gathered guests, thanking them for their attendance, and epted their effusive praise.


    ¡°I thank all in attendance for being present at my daughter¡¯sing-of-age ceremony,¡± Yun Lan announced, standing up from his seat. ¡°Given this opportunity, I also have another piece of good news to announce: my daughter has been betrothed to the ughtering King, and their wedding will take ce three dayster. I hope you¡¯ll all join me at the celebration again then.¡±


    Of the guests, only a rare few had heard of the news, so most of the gathered crowd was astounded¡ªfirst, by the fact that Yun Ruoyan was marrying the ughtering King Li Mo, and secondly, by the fact that it would be so sudden.


    Because Li Mo was in attendance, however, the whispers were particrly hushed.


    ¡°It looks as though what that Pei housekeeper said wasn¡¯t a lie. What do the ughtering King and Miss Yun, if they¡¯re rushing the marriage like this?¡±


    ¡°It surely seems like there¡¯s something going on,¡± someone else added. ¡°A disciple marrying her master? Outrageous! I¡¯d not attend such a wedding!¡±


    The other guests also began to murmur quietly, and even those who weren¡¯t volunteering anything perked up their ears and paid attention.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Yun Lan all possessed a rather advanced cultivation, so they could easily hear what the guests were whispering about, but this was something they had already anticipated would happen.


    Unlike other events, theing-of-age ceremony did not involve any sort of banquet, so Yun Lan continued, ¡°Now that the ceremony¡¯s over, I won¡¯t waste any more of your precious time, honored guests. Three dayster, I¡¯ll offer you another toast in thanks.¡±


    But just as the crowd turned to leave, a boomingugh came from outside the great hall of the Yun manor. ¡°Official Yun, how could you not inform me of an event as important as your daughter¡¯sing-of-age ceremony?¡±


    Rong Tianling stepped into the great hall with Rong Yueshan in tow.


    The feud between the Rong and Yun families was, by now,mon knowledge in the capital. When Rong Tianling arrived, the guests¡¯ expressions all changed: some expectant, and others worried.


    ¡°I heard that the ughtering King¡¯s disciple was having hering-of-age ceremony today, so I chose to attend even without receiving an invitation,¡± Rong Tianling continued, then bowed to Li Mo.


    ¡°The ughtering King¡¯s disciple? Then¡­ Miss Yun?!¡± Amotion erupted amidst the crowd.


    ¡°It seems like the rumors are true! Miss Yun and the ughtering King are truly master and disciple, so how can they be getting married?!¡±


    Naturally, Rong Tianling¡¯s n was to cause trouble for Yun Lan.


    ¡°Master Rong, today is a day of celebration for my daughter. I ask that you not disrupt our joyous proceedings,¡± Yun Lan replied coldly.


    Rong Tianling made a confused expression. ¡°Disrupt? What sort of disruption? Official Yun, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!¡±


    Yun Lan¡¯s voice and face both turned cold. Yun Ruoyan should have left after the ceremony, but Rong Tianling was now blocking the exit. Li Qianxiao and Li Qianyuan both knew of the rtionship between Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan. When the news of the wedding was announced, they briefly flirted with the idea of announcing that Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan were master and disciple, but that notion quickly dissipated when they realized that they would be going against Li Mo.


    After being struck by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dramatic changes, Li Qianxiao had settled on an exceedingly intense infatuation with Yun Ruoyan. If he werepeting against Li Mo, however, no matter how intense his feelings, he could only suppress them.


    Li Qianyuan¡¯s feelings were far less intense than those of his brother, but he too was a little disappointed upon finding out that she would be marrying Li Mo. However, he certainly wouldn¡¯t act on those feelings and do something that could offend the ughtering King.


    As a result, when Rong Tianling appeared and revealed the truth, Li Qianxiao and Li Qianhan couldn¡¯t help feeling a little excited. Given the crowd¡¯s reaction, how would the wedding proceed now? The two young men, who had already stood up, now sat back down again.


    ¡°Your Highness, please, won¡¯t you stand on my side?¡± Rong Tianling turned to Li Mo, his face wronged. ¡°I came all the way here to celebrate your disciple¡¯sing-of-age ceremony, so why is Official Yun iming that I¡¯m here as a disruption?¡±


    That Rong Tianling was so bold as to challenge Li Mo himself was unexpected to the crowd, but Li Mo himself didn¡¯t much mind. He sat back down in his original seat, his face surprisingly casual and¡­ unusually genial?


    Faced with such a smile, Rong Tianling couldn¡¯t help feeling a little guilty. ¡°Your Highness, won¡¯t you say anything in my favor?¡± he asked again.


    Just then, another voice came from outside the great hall, thin and reedy and sharp, as though a man was speaking with a pinched throat. However, as soon as the crowd heard this sound, they all made way for the neer.


    ¡°By the writ of the emperor himself¡ª¡± That sharp voice persisted until the speaker came into the hall. Except for the titled Yun matriarch and Li Mo, who was royalty himself, everyone else knelt.


    The eunuch that entered the hall nced at the gathered crowd, cleared his throat, unrolled the imperial edict, and began to read, ¡°The female heir to the Yun family, Yun Ruoyan,posed and dignified, courteous and humble, good-looking and intelligent, kind and virtuous, hase of marriageable age. To my brother Li Mo, I bequeath her as bride and consort, with a wedding to follow in three days¡±


    The eunuch cleared his throat once more. ¡°Official Yun, please ept this edict.¡±


    Yun Lan stepped forward, and the eunuch continued, ¡°His Highness mentioned that three days might be a little rushed, so the wedding ceremony need not be particrly grand. However, His Highness will make a public showing himself.¡±


    ¡°I, Yun Lan, ept this edict.¡± Yun Lan bowed.


    ¡°Everyone may leave. Given the short amount of time before the wedding, there¡¯s no need to dy Official Yun further,¡± the eunuch then called out to the gathered crowd. ¡°Master Rong, the emperor has prepared a feast for you, so please return to the pce with me.¡±


    Rong Tianling hesitated for a moment before skulking away with the eunuch. Since the emperor himself had granted the wedding, whatever misgivings that the crowd might have had to remain unsaid. That master and disciple couldn¡¯t get married was only an unwritten rule. Now that the emperor himself had broken that rule, it was precedent for future such couplings.


    Three dayster, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan were to be married. Although three days was a rather short amount of time, the wedding still managed to be grander and more imposing than Yun Ruoyan had expected. Because the emperor himself would be in attendance, the imperial family¡¯s procession would take up half the street, and trying to be understated was simply impossible.


    During her wedding day, Yun Ruoyan was pulled up at the crack of dawn, then suffered the ministrations of her maids and several others who had been pulled in to help. Only after four whole hours did they finally brand Yun Ruoyan presentable.


    The Lin sisters, as well as the other guests and nobles in attendance, all the youngdies of the capital that Yun Ruoyan knew, as well as those that she didn¡¯t, were stupefied upon seeing Yun Ruoyan in her wedding dress. No words could describe the imposing beauty of the woman who stood before them, and even the young misses usually inimical to her could only admire her beauty and stature.


    Only when the propitious hour arrived and Yun Ruoyan was brought away by the Lin sisters did the young misses of the capital finally break out of their trance.


    ¡°I heard that Miss Yun had a birthmark on her face. Why don¡¯t I see anything now? She looks beautiful!¡± a young miss who had seen Yun Ruoyan for the first time remarked.


    ¡°She did have a birthmark in the past, and I even saw it during the flower-viewing party hosted by the empressst year¡ªbut now it¡¯spletely gone! She looks like an entirely different person now¡­ How could someone have changed so much in so short a period?!¡±


    ¡°Ah, none of you girls know this, do you?¡± Another noble girl, who seemed to know the secret to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s beauty, spoke up. ¡°Allegedly, the ughtering King can make a salve to improve one¡¯s beauty, and Miss Yun¡¯s birthmark is all but healed now! But surely there¡¯s still a few remnants of it left, which exins why her face looks so powdered. Didn¡¯t her skin look pretty? It had to have been the ughtering King¡¯s salve!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The girls¡¯ eyes immediately began to grow bright. ¡°What sort of salve? Oh, I¡¯d love to have it! And that powder¡­!¡±


    After the entire day¡¯s worth of ceremonies, Yun Ruoyan thought herself nothing more than a puppet who couldn¡¯t think or move. She was bogged down with an borate costume, an ornate and particrly heavy headdress, and a red veil that covered her face and blocked her vision. When she lowered her head, all she could see were her feet. Even the slightest step required someone else¡¯s support, and she thought she was more tired than she would be if she had cultivated for three straight days.


    Li Mo could clearly see her frustration and impatience. As they exchanged vows, he whispered by her ear, ¡°Thank you for your hard work today, my little consort.¡±


    ¡°The newlywed shall exchange vows and be sent into their nuptial chamber!¡± the wedding official announced, amidst a stream of cheers. From right beside her, Yun Ruoyan thought she could hear Li Mo¡¯s happyughter. Hidden behind her veil, she couldn¡¯t help blushing: it was finally time for them to consummate their marriage...

 Chapter 310: A Candlelit Night

    <h4>Chapter 310: A Candlelit Night</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan was brought directly to her and Li Mo¡¯s nuptial chambers. Because it was simply Li Mo¡¯s bedroom, a location Yun Ruoyan was quite familiar with, she felt some of her anxiety dissipate.


    The Lin sisters smiled and giggled at her, then left. She sat alone on the bed, now draped in a rich, red fabric. Because she hadn¡¯t eaten for the entire day, her stomach was grumbling.


    Yun Ruoyan bore with her hunger for quite a while before finally sumbing to her temptations. There were a few trays of wedding pastries on the table, and she had just lifted the tray when a woman¡¯s voice called out, ¡°Ah! The bride can¡¯t consume the food before her groom gets here!¡±


    It was the matchmaker who had been guing her all day long¡ªdon¡¯t do this, don¡¯t do that, be careful of this, be careful of that¡­ When Yun Ruoyan heard her voice, she reflexively covered up the tray of food before obediently sitting still, as though she were a doll.


    ¡°Good! That¡¯s what a bride should be like!¡± she eximed. In truth, she was quite pleased with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s performance that day: she only had to remind her of everything once before she was able to do everything perfectly.


    ¡°Where¡¯s His Highness? When will he be heading over?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you have to be more patient, Miss Yun!¡± the matchmaker joked.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t tell the matchmaker that it was because she was so hungry that she was waiting for Li Mo¡¯s arrival so she could eat. After a long moment, there was finally some movement by the door¡ªbut it was Li Luo, not Li Mo. Li Luo had the matchmaker leave the room, then removed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s veil.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at Li Luo as though she were her savior. ¡°Sister Li Luo, please bring me something to eat. I haven¡¯t eaten for the entire day!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was so desperate she was almost about to cry. In order to look good in her clothes, Peony and Xi Lan had forced her to go on a temporary diet starting a few days ago. She had refrained from eating meat starting then, and after being starved for the entire day today¡­


    Li Luo stilled after seeing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pitiful expression. Combined with her exquisite, delicate makeup, even she was struck by her emotional appeal despite being a woman.


    But only a woman like Miss Yun would be fit to be my master¡¯s consort, after all, she thought.


    ¡°His Highness knew you would be hungry, so he had me send you something to eat,¡± Li Luo replied, putting a tray of snacks that Yun Ruoyan regrly enjoyed in front of her. ¡°His Highness said not to eat too much meat tonight, so please have some light refreshments to ease your hunger for the moment, Consort Yun. He might be slightly dyed.¡±


    ¡°Has the emperor not left yet?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°He left in the morning,¡± Li Luo replied. ¡°His Highness was stalled by your brother.¡±


    Apparently, Yun Moxiao had drunk himself into a stupor in his rooms, and had arrived at the ughtering King¡¯s manor in a drunken haze. He saw Li Mo quickly after his arrival and wouldn¡¯t let go of him, iming that, as his new brother-inw, Li Mo had to please him before he would allow him to enter his nuptial chambers.


    The court officials present, emboldened by Yun Moxiao¡¯s actions, also did the same.


    Li Mo, in surprisingly high spirits and knowing how much Yun Moxiao meant to Yun Ruoyan, eded. Amidst the crowd¡¯s raucous cheers, they began to down cup after cup of wine. In the end, Yun Moxiao had gotten entirely drunk. He began addressing Li Mo by name rather than title, warning him that if he were to treat his little sister poorly, he would raze his manor to the ground.


    His slurred, drunken words so shocked the gathered officials that they all left, none daring to brave the consequences of Li Mo getting mad, finally leaving the ughtering King¡¯s manor quiet once more.


    ¡°Li Luo, send him back personally,¡± Li Mo instructed.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Li Luo watched on as a few servants loaded Yun Moxiao into a carriage. After she got on the carriage with him, the driver drove them to the Yun manor.


    Yun Moxiao slowly opened his eyes amidst the rhythmic swaying of the carriage to see Li Luo by his side, sitting quietly and hugging her knees. For some reason, Li Luo¡¯s face seemed to radiate an almost imperceptible sadness.


    ¡°Li Luo,¡± Yun Moxiao called out.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Li Luo turned to look at Yun Moxiao to see his twin eyes sparkling, as though he had all manner of words he wanted tomunicate to her.


    ¡°Now that my sister¡¯s married, I have to get married too. Won¡¯t you marry me?¡± His drunken haze had emboldened him enough to ask the question that had been guing his mind. Another surge of alcohol-fuelled haze swept over his mind. Before he fell asleep, he could only grit out, ¡°Li Luo, I¡¯m serious! If you agree, you have to let me know tomorro¡ª¡±


    Yun Moxiao fell back asleep.


    Thirsty after eating so much, Yun Ruoyan noticed two sks of liquid by the table. She poured a cup for herself and sniffed it warily. Her experience from her past life told her that nuptial chambers frequently boasted alcoholced with an aphrodisiac, but this liquid smelled clean and sweet, neither the slight sourness of alcohol nor the unctuous sweetness of an aphrodisiac.


    Yun Ruoyan drained her cup. The liquid was sweet, cool, and refreshing. While waiting for Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan had cup after cup, and she had drained both sks by the time he arrived.


    The door creaked open, revealing Li Mo, who had bathed and dressed in a new set of clothes, his hair still a little damp.


    Yun Ruoyan raised her head and looked at him, then finished off thest dregs of liquid from her cup.


    ¡°Li Mo, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up and walked toward him, beaming. The headdress and borate dress she were wearing made her somewhat clumsy, but it didn¡¯t detract from her otherworldly beauty.


    Li Mo took a single step forward and held her tightly in his embrace. She inclined her head and smiled, her eyes hazy but full of affection. ¡°Li Mo, why do you smell so good?¡± she asked, leaning against his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t recall you smelling so good before¡­¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er?¡± Li Mo picked up the sks on the table and shook them, only to realize that they were empty. ¡°You drank all this wine?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled and raised her head, ncing at the sk in Li Mo¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s right. Li Luo brought me a few snacks, and then I got thirsty. I was bored while waiting for you, so I just kept drinking it. What¡¯s in these sks, anyway? It tasted great!¡±


    Li Mo thought back to a conversation with Li Qianhan a few days ago. Uncle, this is a new aphrodisied alcohol of my own design. It tastes better than what you¡¯ll find out in the streets, and it¡¯s even more potent!


    At the time, he had ignored the sks, but Li Qianhan had put them in his bedroom of his own ord.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face slowly flushed, and it was only then that she realized that what she¡¯d drunk seemed to have some problems.


    ¡°Li Mo, what exactly was in those sks? Why do I keep wanting to drink more?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s cheeks were tinged with red, because while Yun Ruoyan was talking, her petite, dainty hands had begun roaming his body, and she leaned forward on tiptoes to press her lips against his.


    Li Mo¡¯s lips were cool and refreshing, while Yun Ruoyan¡¯s were burning hot.


    ¡°Something that¡¯ll stop you from hurting during our first coupling,¡± Li Mo murmured, then swept Yun Ruoyan up and brought her to bed. At the same time, he began undressing her, removing veil and headdress, ribbon and sash and hairpin, her borate robe and all sorts ofyers underneath.


    He wanted to undress her quickly, but didn¡¯t want to hurt Yun Ruoyan in the process.


    ¡°How bothersome it must be to wear so manyyers,¡± he murmured. Yun Ruoyan heard a ripping sound: Li Mo had torn, intentionally or otherwise, theyer of garments underneath her robe but above her underclothes, revealing a thin strip of fair, snowy-white skin.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er¡­¡± Li Mo deftly stripped off her underclothes, crooning all the while.


    Yun Ruoyan felt as though she had been submerged in a warm ocean, waves of pleasure enveloping her and radiating from inside to outside, endlessly caressing her body. The waves grewrger andrger, threatening to submerge her in their depths.


    Suddenly, Yun Ruoyan felt a little fearful, as though she might drown in the ocean that caressed her ever so warmly. Struggling, she opened her eyes to see Li Mo only inches from her face. His eyes were tightly closed, his forehead frowning, so Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t tell how he was feeling.


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± she called out softly.


    Li Mo slowly opened his eyes, an icy blue glow seeping out of his gaze. Before her eyes, he began to transform. His ck hair slowly turned a silver-white, as did his brows; his gaze darker, more prating; his lips so red it seemed as though blood would drip from them at any moment.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo opened his bright lips and softly called out Yun Ruoyan¡¯s name. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan slowly shook her head. This wasn¡¯t the first time she had seen his true form, but she had never seen the entire transformation so clearly. She was startled, but that feeling quickly receded in favor of admiration. That there could be such a beautiful man in this world...


    <hr>


    1. It is clearly a good idea to ask for a woman¡¯s hand in marriage while (1) drop-dead drunk, (2) in a carriage, and (3) while she¡¯s just had her secret affection for Li Mo dashed to pieces.

 Chapter 311: The Vanished Realm

    <h4>Chapter 311: The Vanished Realm</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan fell asleep in Li Mo¡¯s embrace. Her face was rxed, her face as smooth and white as a lotus, her lips slightly swollen but smiling. Li Mo kissed her forehead, slowly drew his arm out from underneath her neck, and left the bed. He put on his robes and walked outside the room.


    Raising his hands, he summoned spiritual energy into his fingers. One hand turned a fiery red; the other was covered with frost.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally broken through!¡± Li Mo clenched his fists tightly. He had finally advanced to the realm of a sword saint! His spiritual energy could directly manifest in elemental form, and his attacks were easily twice as strong as before.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unique constitution as a human furnace had truly been beneficial to him, more so than any spiritual herb or treasure.


    ¡°Xun Mo.¡± Suddenly, Qiuqiu¡¯s voice rang out in his head.


    Li Mo retracted his hands and went back inside the room. He looked at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sleeping form and noticed her silver bracelet glowing faintly.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, it looks like you¡¯re recovering quite well,¡± Li Mo replied with mental energy. In the past, if he wanted to talk with Qiuqiu, he would have to initiate the conversation and supply enough energy to break the bracelet¡¯s barrier. However, this time, Qiuqiu was able to talk with him without needing his help.


    ¡°The amaranthine sun that my mistress obtained has helped me tremendously,¡± Qiuqiu replied. ¡°Now that she¡¯s an eighth-rank demaster, I have far more freedom than I did before. Once she bes a sword saint, I¡¯ll likely be able to break out of this barrier and recover my true body.¡±


    ¡°Based on her talent in cultivation and my help, she¡¯ll be able to do so within the decade,¡± Li Mo promised. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be anxious, Qiuqiu.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the reason I initiated this conversation. Li Mo, while I was cultivating, I suddenly felt a huge surge in my mistress¡¯ spiritual energy. Although it didn¡¯t seem harmful to her, it felt very strange. Can you tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Qiuqiu had ascertained that Li Mo was the cause of the perturbation, but he didn¡¯t know how he had caused it.


    Now that Li Mo had no need to hide matters from Yun Ruoyan further, it would be a good opportunity to tell her about her secret. Actually, he had intended on telling her about it tonight before they were to consummate their marriage, but because Yun Ruoyan had identally drunk the aphrodisied wine, Li Mo didn¡¯t have a chance to do so.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, I can tell you what¡¯s going on, but don¡¯t tell your mistress just yet. I want her to hear about it from me,¡± Li Mo answered.


    Qiuqiu agreed, and Li Mo then described Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unique constitution as a human furnace.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Qiuqiu murmured. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. Although your motives were initially impure, your feelings toward my mistress now are genuine, and I believe she can sense it too. Given her personality, however, you¡¯d better rify things to her sooner rather thanter.¡±


    Li Mo nodded, deciding he would do so before they entered the alternate dimension. He wanted to tell her about the matter the next morning, but was interrupted by a message from the first elder.


    The message spoke of an unexpected matter, one that excited even Li Mo. He quickly told Yun Ruoyan about the affair, which she had heard mentioned before by some of the older students. It was about the beastmaster institution¡¯s instructors and students, long thought to have vanished in an alternate dimension.


    Three years ago, Kongming Academy consisted of five colleges and four specialized institutions, not the three that there currently were. The elders of Kongming Academy had discovered a new realm filled with magical beasts through the all-seeing mirror, a treasure trove to members of the beastmaster institution.


    As such, the provost of the beastmaster institution sought approval from the elders to enter the dimension with his fellow instructors and students. After they entered, however, something unexpected happened¡ªthe connection between the realm and the all-seeing mirror vanished, and the expedition members were thought lost in the vast expanse of spacetime.


    The first elder¡¯s message revealed that that dimension had appeared once more. Kongming Academy was readying an expedition into that dimension, and he wrote to ask if Li Mo had any interest in participating.


    ¡°That provost from the beastmaster institute was on good terms with me,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°My master and I never gave up on searching for that realm. Now that we¡¯ve finally found it again, I have to enter it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied without any hesitation. She had been very curious when she had first learned about the affair, and she was excited to have an opportunity to poke around the unusual realm for herself.


    Now that Li Mo was a sword saint, he was confident that he would be able to protect Yun Ruoyan even within the alternate dimension, let alone this minor realm.


    ¡°But this realm won¡¯t disappear again, will it?¡± Yun Ruoyan was still a little concerned about the realm¡¯s anomalous behavior.


    ¡°They made too few preparations when braving the realmst time. This time, we¡¯ll certainly make sure everything¡¯s as expected before we depart.¡±


    Because of the urgency of the matter, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan returned to Kongming Academy on the second day of their marriage, before the Chinese New Year break even ended.


    Before returning, however, Yun Ruoyan made sure to task Yun Moxiao with heading to the Farsighted King¡¯s manor to help him get rid of the demons guing his city. Yun Ruoyan had promised Li Sheng to return in a month to help, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to do so personally anymore.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯ll fulfill my request,¡± Yun Moxiao replied.


    This was a little surprising to Yun Ruoyan: her brother had never requested anything of her. She smiled and nced at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Brother?¡±


    Yun Moxiao described how he had proposed to Li Luo in a drunken haze while leaving the ughtering King¡¯s manor. Ever since then, Li Luo had avoided him, and Yun Moxiao¡¯s request was for Li Luo to apany him on this trip.


    This wasn¡¯t a hard request for Yun Ruoyan to fulfill; after all, Li Luo would carry out Li Mo¡¯s orders without fail. However, when Li Mo instructed Li Luo to do so, she too made a request of her own: that Su Nan apany them, or she would disobey. Without a choice, Yun Ruoyan could only agree to this additional condition, even as she worried about her brother¡¯s prospects.


    With everything settled, Yun Ruoyan finally left for Kongming Academy with Li Mo.


    ¡°Li Mo¡­ Hey, hey! ¡­Li Mo, slow down and wait for me!¡±


    A red aura glowed at her feet as Yun Ruoyan flew on her Scarlet Eye. Although she had been practicing fervently with her sword, despite Yun Ruoyan¡¯s prodigious talent for cultivation, she had a particrlycking sense of bnce.


    Li Mo had promised that she would be able to soar on her sword within ten days, but even after a month, Yun Ruoyan could only hover on her sword while swaying from side to side. If Li Mo were beside her, the problem wasn¡¯t too bad, but if Li Mo were to stray from her, then Yun Ruoyan became so nervous that she would tremble all over.


    ¡°You can¡¯t move too slowly,¡± Li Mo called out, deliberately keeping some distance from her. ¡°The slower you go, the harder it is to keep your bnce! That¡¯s why newbies are always told to soar quickly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of experience,¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted back, frustrated. ¡°It¡¯s that I have a fear of heights!¡±


    Li Mo rubbed at his temples. How many times had he flown with Yun Ruoyan? Why had her acrophobia only made its existence known when she was alone?


    ¡°Fine¡ªget on!¡± Li Mo, finally defeated by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s relentless cries, extended a hand to her. Their speed of travel instantly increased by an order of magnitude, and they arrived at Kongming Academy before noon.


    The two of them headed straight for the peak of the southern tower, where the first elder was waiting for them.


    ¡°Look.¡± Without much in the way of greeting, the first elder showed them the all-seeing mirror. Yun Ruoyan could see a picturesque scene: a startlingly blue sky adorned with white, fluffy clouds, as well as lush greenery peppered with birds and flowers.


    ¡°First Elder, is this that vanished realm?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes, this is it,¡± he replied with certainty. Prodding at the mirror, he shifted the scene to a mountainous valley, one filled with all sorts of magical beasts. Yun Ruoyan could recognize quite a number, but there were even more that were unfamiliar to her, and in such numbers that she could only gape in amazement.


    ¡°Master, did you discover Master Qin¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Li Mo asked.


    The first elder shook his head. ¡°No, but this realm is unusually big, and there are quite a number of locations that I haven¡¯t investigated. Other areas seem to be shielded from scrying by magical barriers, and even the all-seeing mirror can¡¯t show me anything. As a result, someone has to personally enter and investigate this realm.¡±


    ¡°First Elder, I¡¯ll head there with Li Mo,¡± Yun Ruoyan announced. ¡°When should we set off, and what preparations should we make in advance?¡±

 Chapter 312: A Certain Question

    <h4>Chapter 312: A Certain Question</h4>


    Because she was worried that the realm would mysteriously vanish once again, Yun Ruoyan asked the first elder and Li Mo what sort of preparations that would need to make before heading to that mysterious realm.


    The first elder said that he was trying to inscribe higher-ranked teleportation scrolls, ones that could allow the two of them to instantly teleport back to the southern tower if they ran into an unexpected situation. However, inscribing these scrolls required an immense amount of spiritual energy and the support of an array. Thus, the first elder would need a helper who was at the level of a sword saint.


    Of the remaining four elders, two were in secluded cultivation, one had gone travelling across the continent, and only the second elder remained in Kongming Academy. The first elder was just about to leave in search of him when Li Mo said, ¡°Master, let me help you.¡±


    The first elder and Yun Ruoyan both looked at Li Mo, who raised his hands. One palm and wrist was suffused with hot me, and the other with cold frost.


    ¡°Li Mo, you¡­ you¡¯re a sword saint now?!¡± the first elder eximed.


    Yun Ruoyan likewise gaped in shock and admiration. She knew that Li Mo had been stuck as a ninth-rank demaster for quite some time, and she was naturally quite happy to see him break through. ¡°Li Mo, when did this happen? You were still a ninth-rank demaster while dealing with Madam Qin, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Last night,¡± Li Mo smiled wryly, not hiding the truth from Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Last night¡­? Whenst night?¡± Yun Ruoyan seemed quite confused¡ªthey¡¯d spent the entire night together, after all. When had Li Mo had the time to break through?


    Unless¡­!


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes widened as she nced at Li Mo, who smiled and nodded at her. After recovering from her shock, her face immediately flushed a deep red, and she hurriedly changed the topic after remembering that the first elder was also present.


    ¡°Ahem! First Elder, about how long would it take to make this teleportation scroll?¡±


    Li Mo hadn¡¯t informed the first elder that Yun Ruoyan was a human furnace, but the first elder had heard Empress Xue Tong bring it up. As a result, he was quite clear regarding what had happened, but he could only pretend as if he didn¡¯t. ¡°Half a day would be sufficient, but just in case something unexpected happens, I n on inscribing four scrolls. Thus, I¡¯ll need the entire day.¡±


    They all went to the first elder¡¯sboratory and cultivation chambers, and the two sword saints began theborious process of inscribing the advanced teleportation scrolls. Because the first elder had studied the process intensively over a long period of time, the inscription technique that he had developed wasn¡¯t particrly difficult, but it required an immense amount of spiritual energy.


    Yun Ruoyan stood to one side as she watched the two men stand on either side of a stone counter and infuse spiritual energy into the two scrolls at its center. As the spiritual energy permeated the scrolls, they slowly began to glow.


    It was dark outside by the time the first elder and Li Mo finally finished the first two advanced teleportation scrolls, but they only had a short break before they proceeded with the other two. After reaching ninth-rank, they could slowly rece food with spiritual energy for nourishment, so neither Li Mo nor the first elder needed to eat. Unfortunately, the same wasn¡¯t true for Yun Ruoyan.


    Just as it turned dark, she left the southern tower in search of something to eat. Because of the holidays, there weren¡¯t many people remaining in Kongming Academy, and the cafeteria wasn¡¯t open. She was wondering where she would get any food when she saw a shadow heading her way.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, what are you doing here?!¡± Wasn¡¯t Zhuo Yifeng supposed to be back home in the Lin manor, apanying Zhuo Lin¡¯er?


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aplishing very much at the Lin manor, so I decided to return early to cultivate. It¡¯s quiet here, and the air is full of spiritual energy,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied. In the darkness, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t clearly see Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s face, but he seemed to have gotten thinner and taller than before.


    Thest time she had seen Zhuo Yifeng was right before her engagement with Li Mo, near the start of the vacation about a month ago.


    That day, she had gone to the Lin manor early in the morning. ording to Lin Qingchen, Lin Qingxue was practicing her archery with Zhuo Yifeng. Because Yun Ruoyan recalled that she had promised Lin Qingxue to give her a good bow once she developed her archery skills further, she decided to watch them train, pulling Lin Qingchen with her.


    As they entered the back garden, they saw Zhuo Yifeng standing directly behind Lin Qingxue, pulling on the same bow together. Lin Qingxue¡¯s face was flushed red, a sweet smile on her face; Zhuo Yifeng was somewhat expressionless, but his body was stered quite closely against hers.


    Zhuo Yifeng had taught Lin Qingxue archery like this in the past, but had never been so intimate with her. Lin Qingchen¡¯s face turned stern as she made to stride forward, but Yun Ruoyan pulled her back. Lin Qingchen frowned and eded, but she watched on with a dark face and folded arms.


    Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t seem to feel any sort of emotion toward Lin Qingxue, but Lin Qingxue clearly thought differently. Her aura of happiness was so radiant that Yun Ruoyan could feel it even from a distance.


    After that, she saw Zhuo Yifeng twice that month, both times with Lin Qingxue. The two of them had clearly seemed to grow closer.


    Lin Qingchen was quite worried about the situation, but Yun Ruoyan imed that it was a good thing for Lin Qingxue to be able to be with the person she liked. Furthermore, Zhuo Yifeng was very dependable, and he would hardly do anything untoward to her.


    However, what Lin Qingchen was worried about was the fact that Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t actually have feelings for Lin Qingxue. They both knew that Lin Qingxue liked Zhuo Yifeng, but Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t tell if Zhuo Yifeng liked her back. Based on her understanding of Zhuo Yifeng, however, she didn¡¯t think he would act so familiar with her if he didn¡¯t like her.


    When she told Lin Qingchen this, Lin Qingchen hesitantly asked her, ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I keep feeling as though Brother Zhuo has someone that he likes, but this person isn¡¯t Qingxue. Have you felt the same way?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated for a moment. She really hadn¡¯t noticed! Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t wear his emotions openly on his face, and Yun Ruoyan frequently found that she had no clue what he was thinking. Despite this, she didn¡¯t much mind, and had always considered him a dependable friend.


    ¡°He likes someone? If not Qingxue, who else could it be?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, frowning.


    Lin Qingchen also frowned at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s response, but after quite a while, she finally sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    Lin Qingchen¡¯s question had stuck with Yun Ruoyan. When she found a chance, she had even asked Zhuo Lin¡¯er if her brother had a girl that he fancied. Zhuo Lin¡¯er told her that his brother had known some girls, but she didn¡¯t think he particrly liked any of them.


    As a result, Yun Ruoyan had been hoping to have a discussion with Zhuo Yifeng. As Lin Qingxue¡¯s cousin, Yun Ruoyan felt as though she had some responsibility to help keep an eye out for her.


    This coincidental meeting would be a good opportunity for doing so.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, I was just looking for you!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed. ¡°Can we sit down somewhere and chat?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stomach began to growl as she talked. She patted it gently, as if consoling it.


    Zhuo Yifeng couldn¡¯t help but smile upon seeing her behavior. Because she wouldn¡¯t be able to see his expression clearly in the darkness, his smile was wider than usual. ¡°You¡¯re hungry?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very hungry!¡±


    ¡°The ughtering King didn¡¯t make you anything to eat?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s busy at the moment.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll fill you up,¡± Zhuo Yifeng said. He beckoned her toward a cliff, and Yun Ruoyan followed behind him. As they walked, Zhuo Yifeng asked her why she and Li Mo had also returned to Kongming Academy.


    Zhuo Yifeng knew that they were newlyweds, so he was very surprised to see her here. Since he was a trusted ally and because the appearance of the realm wasn¡¯t a secret, she told Zhuo Yifeng about what had happened.


    They got to the edge of the cliff as they chatted. Because of how high Kongming Academy was, there were still regions of snowfall despite the fact that it was the start of spring.


    Zhuo Yifeng dug out a little rabbit carcass from behind arge rock, one that he had hunted earlier. He started a fire and expertly roasted, seasoned, and dressed it.


    As Yun Ruoyan held her hands against the toasty fire, she began seriously, ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, I have a very important question for you, and you have to answer me honestly. You¡ª¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng broke her off, his hands still moving deftly as he did so. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me anything at the moment; wait until I¡¯m finished with this rabbit. It¡¯ll only taste good if I put my heart into it.¡± Zhuo Yifeng nced at Yun Ruoyan, his eyes shining more brightly than she had ever seen them, before he lowered his head once more and focused on the meat in his hands.


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t expected Zhuo Yifeng would interrupt her¡ªas far as she could remember, Zhuo Yifeng hadn¡¯t ever done so. He would always sit quietly and wait for her to finish speaking, then either nod silently or reply quietly with his thoughts on the matter. However, he had never once broken her off.


    The scent of wild rabbit permeated the air, but Yun Ruoyan was so engrossed in her thoughts about Zhuo Yifeng that she didn¡¯t notice it at all.


    ¡°Alright, here.¡± Zhuo Yifeng handed Yun Ruoyan a rabbit¡¯s leg. She took a deep whiff, then a big mouthful.


    When Yun Ruoyan had devoured half the rabbit, Zhuo Yifeng finally asked, ¡°Alright, what did you want to ask me just now?¡±

 Chapter 313: The Mysterious Realm

    <h4>Chapter 313: The Mysterious Realm</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan stared at Zhuo Yifeng, only now seeming to realize that there was something different about him. However, when she inspected him more closely, she noticed nothing other than the fact that he had grown taller and thinner.


    ¡°Do you know that Qingxue likes you?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhuo Yifeng answered, tending to the fire.


    ¡°Then, do you like her?¡± Yun Ruoyan continued.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied immediately.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Yun Ruoyan rxed, as if arge weight had fallen from her shoulders. ¡°Good.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng continued, ¡°My sister and I have no living kin, and I am deeply grateful to the Lin family for taking us in. Qingxue and Qingchen treat us like siblings, and I¡¯ll treat them in kind.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Yun Ruoyan sucked in the breath she had just exhaled. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not what I mean! Do you like her the way a man loves a woman?¡±


    ¡°I must have misunderstood,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied, continuing to tend to the fire. The glow of the fire reflected in his bright eyes, obscuring his true emotions.


    By this point, Yun Ruoyan was getting a little anxious. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, I¡¯m telling you, Qingxue truly likes you! Both I and Qingchen can see this, so if you really like her, then treat her well. Otherwise, stay away from her!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stared at Zhuo Yifeng, waiting for his response. It was a long whileter when Zhuo Yifeng finally responded, ¡°I can¡¯t promise that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because Qingxue confessed to me and I rejected her, but she said she wouldn¡¯t give up as long as I didn¡¯t dislike her. Regardless of whether I like her or not, she requested that I give her a chance,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied. ¡°She told me she wanted to use her sincerity to convince me of her emotions.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yun Ruoyan felt suddenly weak and powerless. ¡°She confessed to you and said something like that? What a foolish girl!¡±


    ¡°She really is, isn¡¯t she?¡± Zhuo Yifeng smiled. Upon seeing that smile, she suddenly felt an indescribable difort.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, no matter what, you can¡¯t hurt Qingxue. She¡¯s like my sister, and if you dare to hurt her, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Yun Ruoyan replied seriously.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t something I can promise.¡± Zhuo Yifeng turned back to Yun Ruoyan, as serious as she was. ¡°The reason I left the Lin manor so early into the vacation was to get away from Qingxue, so she would have some time alone to cool down. However, when Qingxue returns to Kongming Academy a few dayster, what do you think I should do?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng turned to Yun Ruoyan, his bright eyes almost luminescent in the darkness.


    Yun Ruoyan huffed, standing up. ¡°I don¡¯t care! No matter what, if you hurt Qingxue, I won¡¯t go easy on you!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was about to turn and leave when Zhuo Yifeng called out from behind, ¡°Why not let me go to this mysterious realm with you? If Qingxue¡¯s unable to see me for a prolonged period of time, she might cool down.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan halted and turned back to Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°This isn¡¯t something I can promise. The first elder has to approve of the decision, so I¡¯ll let you know once I hear back from him.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan left, Zhuo Yifeng sat back down in front of the firepit. A ck shadow silently appeared by his side, and Zhuo Yifeng handed him a sk of alcohol.


    ¡°You gave my food to someone else,¡± the ck-d manmented as he took a swig.


    Zhuo Yifeng prodded the fire with a stick, using so much force that it cracked and broke in two. He threw the pieces of the stick into the fire.


    ¡°Master,¡± Zhuo Yifeng called out, turning to the ck-d man. ¡°If there¡¯s something you like but can never take for yourself, and you have to watch her be stolen away by your nemesis, what would you do?¡±


    The ck-d man stilled. It was a long time before he replied, staring pensively at Zhuo Yifeng all the while. ¡°If it¡¯s only a possession, then I¡¯d do everything in my ability to snatch it back. But if it¡¯s a person whose heart isn¡¯t with you, then what¡¯s the point of stealing her away?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bright eyes dimmed. ¡°I¡¯m useless, Master, utterly useless.¡± Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s head drooped, his voice pained. ¡°I fell in love with a girl at first nce, but I never dared reveal a shred of affection toward her. She was so beautiful and elegant that, in front of her, I felt as small as a speck of dust. Master, I feel like a wretch.¡±


    The ck-d man patted Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s shoulders and handed him the sk of wine. Zhuo Yifeng took a big gulp, one that burned as it slid down his throat.


    The ck-d man sighed. ¡°Everyone¡¯s a ve to their emotions. Isn¡¯t that girl, Lin Qingxue, the same way toward you? Child, what¡¯s yours will eventually be yours, and what¡¯s not yours won¡¯t be no matter how you pine for it.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng chuckled bitterly, draining half the wine in one gulp. He was turning a little dizzy, and he cradled his head as he smiled. ¡°Master, is there anything that belongs to me? I seek revenge, but my enemy¡¯s so strong I¡¯ll never catch up to him even if I spend my entire life on it¡ªand the girl, the woman I love, she married him before I could muster up the courage to confess! Master, I can¡¯t stand this, I can¡¯t stand this anymore!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s head slowly drooped against the ck-d man¡¯s shoulders as he fell into a drunken sleep. The ck-d man sighed, took the sk of wine from him, and drained itsst drops.


    By the time Yun Ruoyan returned to the southern tower, Li Mo and the first elder were still inscribing thest two teleportation scrolls. By the time they finished, it would probably be dawn the next day.


    When Li Mo noticed that Yun Ruoyan was just sitting in a daze, he thought her tired and had her go rest. Yun Ruoyan agreed, thinking that it wouldn¡¯t be toote to mention Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s request tomorrow instead.


    The moment Yun Ruoyan left, a ck shadow slid into the southern tower. The first elder and Li Mo had finally finished inscribing the two scrolls by then, and they both looked toward him. The ck-d man removed his hood and revealed a scarred face.


    ¡°Su Nan,¡± Li Mo called out, addressing the man. ¡°Did something happen to my mother?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s perfectly well, Your Highness. I¡¯m here with a request for my son, Zhuo Yifeng.¡±


    The next day, by the time Yun Ruoyan woke up, Li Mo and the first elder had already finished inscribing all four teleportation scrolls.


    ¡°Li Mo, can I ask you for a favor?¡± Yun Ruoyan handed him a damp towel.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Li Mo took the towel and started cleaning his face.


    ¡°I saw Zhuo Yifeng yesterday in the academy.¡± Yun Ruoyan recounted the conversation that she had with Zhuo Yifeng about Lin Qingxue. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯d like to bring Zhuo Yifeng with us into this mysterious realm. Otherwise, I¡¯d be worried about not being able to watch over Qingxue.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s bring him along.¡± Li Mo epted without any fuss. ¡°After all, we have four teleportation scrolls, so there¡¯s definitely enough for him as well.¡±


    As a result, Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, and Zhuo Yifeng all stood in front of the all-seeing mirror at noon that day.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to activate the all-seeing mirror¡¯s teleportation capability now. When you enter the realm, you might appear in mid-air, so be prepared,¡± the first elder reminded them.


    The all-seeing mirror also boasted teleportation capabilities, but it could only transport a limited number of people at once. Furthermore, because there was no corresponding array to receive them at their destination, they often appeared in mid-air rather than on the ground.


    As a result, if there was to be arge group of people entering some trial grounds, it would be better to construct a teleportation array in advance instead.


    Yun Ruoyan felt a beam of white light envelop her, one so bright that she closed her eyes reflexively. Then, arge gust of wind caused her hair and clothes to flutter, and then she became weightless.


    As she drifted, Yun Ruoyan felt two hands grab her and ease her fall. The beam of light vanished, and when Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by a white cloud.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, but the strong wind that rushed at her face stole the words from her mouth. She struggled to look to either side of her to see Li Mo and Zhuo Yifeng by her side, each grasping one of her hands.


    The moment the three of them passed through the cloud cover, Yun Ruoyan saw a lush scenery filled with blues and greens underneath her. Sword aura gleamed under both Li Mo and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s feet as the three of them stopped falling. Li Mo took Yun Ruoyan¡¯s waist, Zhuo Yifeng let go, and Yun Ruoyannded in Li Mo¡¯sp.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that it looks even prettier in-person than what we saw from the all-seeing mirror,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. Trees, lush and jade-green, seemed to reach toward the heavens. The air was bright and blue, the clouds white and wispy, as if she had found herself in a wondend.


    ¡°The spiritual energy here is far denser than on the Chenyuan continent as well,¡± Li Momented.


    Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan both began to meditate reflexively; indeed, the spiritual energy density seemed to be over twice that on the Chenyuan continent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find somewhere tond first,¡± Zhuo Yifeng began, then took the lead as he flew toward the canopy of trees. Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan followed closely behind him.


    After about fifteen minutes of flight, Yun Ruoyan finally saw the gleaming reflection of waves in sunlight.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bigke over there, so let¡¯s fly over,¡± Li Mo suggested. As they did so, however, the clear blue skies suddenly darkened, and the wind rose up as a howling gale. It swept up countless leaves in its flight, which rushed toward the trio as though they were throwing knives...

 Chapter 314: Without End

    <h4>Chapter 314: Without End</h4>


    Like a hail of daggers, countless leaves flew toward Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and Li Mo. A spiritual membrane surrounded all three of them as they continued flying toward theke despite the leaves¡¯ attacks.


    Because Li Mo was a sword saint, his spiritual membrane was far stronger than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s, and many of the leaves rebounded off when they struck. As for Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng, their spiritual membranes began to shudder and crack. Upon seeing the problem, Li Mo hurriedly hid Yun Ruoyan in his robes.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, take this!¡± Yun Ruoyan extended her hand out of Li Mo¡¯s robe as she tossed her spiritsteel dagger to Zhuo Yifeng. One of the leaves struck her arm, scoring a bloody line in it.


    Zhuo Yifeng took the proffered dagger and began to strike at the leaves while rushing toward the pond behind Li Mo as quickly as he could.


    After a frenzied rush, the three of them finally managed to escape the leaves¡¯ attack, safely reaching the dazzlingke. As theynded, Yun Ruoyan burrowed her way out of Li Mo¡¯s robe.


    ¡°Is your hand alright?¡± Zhuo Yifeng stepped forward and returned her dagger to her.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a little scratch.¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at her arm as she took the dagger. A small trickle of blood escaped the wound.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s bleeding.¡± Zhuo Yifeng frowned. He retrieved a roll of gauze and was just about to bandage Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wound when Li Mo walked over with a handkerchief he kept by his side.


    ¡°Give me your hand.¡± Li Mo¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t very pleased, so Yun Ruoyan obediently stretched her hand out in front of him and allowed him to bandage her wound.


    ¡°Why did these leaves suddenly attack us?¡± she asked.


    She thought she had moved rather agilely, and she was even wearing clothes optimized forbat¡ªbut even so, a leaf had cut her arm! One leaf alone might not have done very much to her, but there were thousands of them out there.


    ¡°Could someone have been controlling the leaves?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked, causing both him and Yun Ruoyan to stare warily at their surroundings.


    ¡°It¡¯s also possible that it¡¯s a phenomenon unique to this realm,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°Different realms tend to have different environments and peculiarities, so we¡¯d best be careful.¡±


    As one of the instructors responsible for overseeing student expeditions into these realms, Li Mo was quite familiar with the different types of realms. Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan had only entered two realms before this one: the first was in a sandy, desert-like area peppered with oases, and the second was in a forest filled with giant trees.


    This time, the three of them had arrived at a realm of breathtaking natural beauty, but who knew what sort of dangers awaited them behind this mour?


    After Li Mo bandaged Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wound, the three of them walked about a quarter-hour along the side of theke and discovered that it extended all the way through a valley. Within that valley, they could see a small house in the distance.


    Their spirits quickly rose upon seeing the house: in this uncolonized area, it was hardly likely for there to be any manmade structures¡ªunless they were built by the instructors and students who had gone missing three years prior!


    They rushed to the house only to find that it had long since been deserted. There were still a few pieces of furniture remaining, clear evidence that someone had stayed there for an extended period of time, but all the furniture was covered by a thickyer of dust.


    ¡°There used to be a woman living here,¡± Li Mo said, brushing his fingers against a table¡¯s surface.


    ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    Li Mo pointed by a woodenb by his hand. ¡°This is a woman¡¯s ornament.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan walked over to find ab with a peach blossom engraved on it.


    ¡°A couple used to live here, it seems like,¡± Zhuo Yifengmented from one corner of the room, and Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan both turned to him.


    Zhuo Yifeng pointed at a wooden cradle by his side. ¡°This is a baby¡¯s cradle, but it¡¯s only half-finished.¡±


    ¡°Were there any couples among the students from the beastmaster institution?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked Li Mo.


    He shook his head. ¡°There weren¡¯t any, but there were certainly both male and female disciples. It¡¯s not impossible that they got married afterwards.¡±


    ¡°But where could they have gone?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng and Li Mo both shook their heads, unable to answer this question.


    ¡°Based on how clean and undamaged everything looks around here, as well as this half-finished cradle, they must have left rather urgently but willingly,¡± Zhuo Yifeng suggested.


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Li Mo shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s possible that they were forced to leave even before they managed to return to this house.¡±


    Not finding anything more valuable in the house, the trio walked out and decided to investigate the nearby forest. Perhaps because of the spiritual energy density in this realm, the forest was lush and rampant. With their experience in the forest of giant trees, however, this level of greenery was something they had all grown used to.


    They walked about another fifteen minutes within the forest when there was amotion ahead of them. Quickly after the discordant sound, a bunch of wild rabbits, pheasants, and other beasts that Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t name, began running toward them.


    ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s a magical beast ahead.¡± Even Qiuqiu was startled from its cultivation.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. She could also sense the beasts¡¯ auras, arge crowd of them, in fact. However, they all seemed to be rather low-ranking ones that could be dealt with quite easily.


    Instead of stopping, the three of them continued moving forward. Shortly afterward, a loudermotion could be heard from the distance, and Yun Ruoyan was the first to notice a pack of firehounds dashing in their direction.


    ¡°So they were firehounds,¡± Zhuo Yifeng murmured, aiming his bow at the leader of the pack. It pierced through the leader and embedded itself in the head of the hound right behind it. The hound howled, then slumped to the ground. The other hounds, shocked by the sudden attack, all stopped moving, but another pack of hounds rushing toward them from behind forced them to head onward as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is it a beast stampede?¡± Zhuo Yifeng wondered.


    The three of them jumped up into the trees as they watched a pack of almost a thousand firehounds rush by below them. Although firehounds weren¡¯t high-ranked beasts, it was quite rare to see such arge pack of them.


    Most beast stampedes consisted only of about a thousand beasts, usually of different types, but this pack of hounds was a thousand strong just by itself.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not likely that there are only firehounds here, is it?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°After all, we did see quite arge variety of beasts present when we scried this realm with the all-seeing mirror.¡±


    ¡°This realm truly seems rather unique,¡± Li Momented. ¡°Let¡¯s continue heading forward.¡±


    By then, the pack of hounds had already rushed by them. Li Mo took Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand as they leapt down from the tree together, and the three of them continued rushing forward. What they hadn¡¯t anticipated was for a pack of red-eyed wolves to show up next, also about a thousand strong. Red-eyed wolves were stronger than firehounds, but some amongst this pack were clearly rather shortsighted. Even after most of the pack had drifted away, about thirty or so remained, surrounding the trio and treating them as prey.


    Despite the fact that red-eyed wolves weren¡¯t high-ranking beasts, Qiuqiu had mentioned that their cores were fire-attuned, and could be used to craft a pill that would improve the efficacy of her pillmaster cultivation. As a result, Yun Ruoyan nned on ughtering a few of them now that they had presented themselves so nicely to her.


    It¡¯s been a long while since I hunted some beasts, so I¡¯ll practice on these ones for now¡­


    Yun Ruoyan waved to Li Mo and Zhuo Yifeng, then jumped down from the tree with her spiritsteel dagger in her hands. As the thirty wolves watched her fall, they immediately pounced on her, causing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual membrane to shimmer with light. Although their ws and teeth were sharp, their cultivation was far too low to prate the defense of the eighth-rank Yun Ruoyan.


    With the protection afforded by her barrier, Yun Ruoyan raised the dagger in her hands and struck at the red-eyed wolves neighboring her. Every strike struck a critical location andted her another kill; only when half theirrades were gone did the wolves finally realize that she wasn¡¯t prey to be hunted, but rather a predator who had begun attacking them, instead.


    The remaining wolves immediately gave up on the attack and began fleeing toward their pack.


    Yun Ruoyan ughtered the wolves to her heart¡¯s content. Protected as she was by her spiritual barrier, no blood or viscera stained her body. With Li Mo and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s help, she quickly extracted the cores from the dozen or so wolf carcasses.


    By then, the skies had darkened, and the three of them were just about to head back to theke to rest when an even louder noise came from behind.


    Awoooo! Awooooo! Tremendous howls caused the air itself to vibrate.


    ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s a beast horde ahead, and a high-rank beast!¡± Qiuqiu eximed.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Zhuo Yifeng all nced at each other. What was going on? Was this some sort of breeding ground for magical beasts?

 Chapter 315: Those From the Beastmaster Institution

    <h4>Chapter 315: Those From the Beastmaster Institution</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and Li Mo didn¡¯t have much of a breather before another batch of magical beasts appeared in the forests in front of them. This time, it was a group of saber-toothed tigers.


    Saber-toothed tigers were high-rank magical beasts, far stronger than the firehounds and red-eyed wolves that they¡¯d seen, and none of the three of them dared to go against such arge group. Instead, they all jumped back up into one of the nearby trees.


    There had to have been at least two hundred tigers, each one massive in size. The trees of the forest were broad and tall, but quite a few still fell to their sharp teeth.


    Zhuo Yifeng nced at the saber-toothed tigers, his mind contemtive. He had fewer than ten tiger-canine arrows left in his quiver, and despite the fact that he could reuse the arrowheads, his stock was still slowly but surely being depleted by battle.


    They were so precious to Zhuo Yifeng that he wouldn¡¯t even use them under regr circumstances. He had tried to procure some more saber-toothed tigers¡¯ canines in the capital, but they were almost as rare as high-grade spiritual pills.


    This was likely the best opportunity he would ever have for getting more of their canines. Zhuo Yifeng promised himself that he would get at least a dozen, so he could have over a hundred tiger-canine arrows smelted for him!


    Despite his ns, however, Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t make a hasty move. Based on their skills, it would be rtively straightforward for them to deal with about a dozen tigers, but if they were to end up provoking all two hundred¡­


    Zhuo Yifeng patiently waited for the tigers to run past them. Only as thest few stragglers were running off did Zhuo Yifeng finally take out a tiger-canine arrow and shoot it at one of the tigers, piercing its brain with a single blow. The tiger howled; although it hadn¡¯t yet died, it fell to the ground, unable to get up.


    Zhuo Yifeng was just about to shoot another of the tigers when Li Mo stopped him.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Saber-toothed tigers are particrly loyal to theirrades, so you shouldn¡¯t kill them unless they¡¯re on their own,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°If you keep going like this, they¡¯re going to take revenge on you.¡±


    Although Zhuo Yifeng was a rtively skilled hunter, he wasn¡¯t very familiar with such high-rank beasts, and he hadn¡¯t heard of such a thing before.


    As expected, just as Li Mo had predicted, the saber-toothed tigers right in front of the fallen one all stopped and surrounded the one that had been injured by Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s arrow. One of therger tigers raised its head, ncing at the tree in which the trio were hiding.


    Zhuo Yifeng once again raised his bow, then pointed it at the tiger looking toward them. However, Li Mo grasped his hand firmly, then looked directly at the golden eyes of the tiger as he sketched aplicated diagram with his other hand.


    That diagram, infused with a bright red spiritual energy, hovered in mid-air. Upon seeing the diagram, the saber-toothed tiger blinked a few times, then lowered its head toward Li Mo before bringing the other tigers away and leaving the injured one behind.


    Only when thest of the tigers left did the three of them jump down from the tree, surrounding the injured saber-toothed tiger.


    ¡°Li Mo, what did you do just now to make them leave so suddenly?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked curiously.


    ¡°I sketched the diagram for a beastmaster¡¯s pact,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°I infused the spiritual energy of a sword saint into it, and the saber-toothed tiger left after being deterred by that force.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had almost forgotten that Li Mo was a beastmaster. The first time she had seen him showcasing his talents and contracting a beast was with a soul-stealing bird in the forest of giant trees, Mo¡¯er. This was the second time that she had seen his beastmaster talents in action.


    ¡°If only Mo¡¯er could havee with us,¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed. Its voice was particrly effective againstrge groups of magical beasts. However, Yun Ruoyan had barely seen it at all after leaving the forest of giant trees, as though Li Mo had simply let it go. After all, Li Mo¡¯s cultivation was high enough that he wouldn¡¯t usually need its help, so he had almost entirely forgotten about it.


    ¡°Given that these saber-toothed tigers are high-rank beasts, Mo¡¯er wouldn¡¯t be able to handle them very well with its current cultivation,¡± Li Mo replied. He extended his hand and unsheathed a sword bathed with a green glow. The green aura extended the reach of the de by about half again its length, and he thrust it into the tiger¡¯s heart to end its pain.


    Zhuo Yifeng took out his own spiritual sword, which he used to slice off the saber-toothed tiger¡¯s two canines, then ced them in his bag of holding.


    Subsequently, the three of them began walking back where they hade from, following the beasts¡¯ path. The way back was quite clear: the ground was rough and pitted, strewn with tree trunks and all manner of sticks, boughs, and leaves that had fallen prey to the beast stampede.


    The destructive power of a beast horde, evenposed entirely of low-rank beasts, wasn¡¯t to be underestimated.


    ¡°Where did these beastse from, and where are they headed?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked, looking at Li Mo and waiting for his response.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll investigate tomorrow.¡±


    The three of them rested for the night. The next morning, after Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng prepared sufficient drinking water for themselves, they headed back into the forest. This time, there were no beast stampedes, but they still encountered arge variety of beasts, bothrge and small.


    Based on their current cultivation, as long as they didn¡¯t encounter a legendary sage-grade beast, they would be able to deal with any beast in istion.


    Li Mo was a little worried by the beast stampedes that they had observed the prior day: if the students and instructors from the beastmaster institution had encountered such an event, many of them would likely have been injured or killed.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone ahead!¡± Li Mo suddenly sensed an unfamiliar aura in his vicinity, and all three of them stopped moving. Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng could sense the aura¡ªin fact, multiple auras¡ªas well.


    Suddenly, with a whoosh, an arrow flew toward Li Mo¡¯s head. Li Mo reached out and grabbed it in his hand. It was a spiritsteel arrow, onemonly employed by those from the beastmaster institution.


    Before Li Mo could speak, a volley of arrows flew in their direction. Li Mo stayed put, shielding Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng from the attack. His spiritual membrane glimmered in the sunlight, deflecting most of the arrows heading in their direction, and Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng could easily handle the rest.


    ¡°Are you from the beastmaster institution? I¡¯m Li Mo! Is Qin Feng, Master Qin with you?!¡± Li Mo yelled out, his voice infused with spiritual energy and echoing through the entire forest.


    Arrows stopped flying toward them, and a booming male voice replied, ¡°Li Mo! I¡¯m Qin Feng.¡±


    A tall, toned man, dressed entirely in beast hide, walked out from behind one of the trees in front of them, followed by about a dozen male and female students.


    ¡°Master Mo, Master Mo! It really is him!¡± one of the students shouted.


    ¡°Kongming Academy has finally sent people over to rescue us! Thank goodness!¡±


    ¡°I thought I might never be able to go home again¡­¡±


    Qin Feng and the gathered students were all extremely agitated upon seeing Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, and Zhuo Yifeng, and some of the girls even began to cry incessantly. Qin Feng walked over to Li Mo¡¯s side, seeming almost like he was in shock¡ªand then heughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three years, Li Mo.¡± The tall, muscr man looked at Li Mo, almost tearing up as he choked on hisughter. ¡°I¡¯ve been with this group of students in this damned ce for three years before someone finally came for us.¡±


    After a short conversation, Li Mo followed Qin Feng and his students to their current home: a simple, unadorned cave by a mountain. There were only a few beast hidesid on the barren ground, a few simple weapons, some firepits, and nothing more.


    Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and Li Mo were all somewhat surprised¡ªgiven that they had been living in this utopia-like realm for so long, why were their living conditions so ascetic?


    The students from the beastmaster institution surrounded the trio as they entered the cave.


    ¡°What¡¯s Kongming Academy like now?¡±


    ¡°Is everyone else from the beastmaster institution alright?¡±


    ¡°What were our parents told about our disappearance?¡±


    ¡°Master Mo, when can you bring us back to Kongming Academy?¡±


    Li Mo replied, ¡°The all-seeing mirror¡¯s currently scrying a certain valley in this realm, the one densest in spiritual energy. We need to find that valley and head there to make contact with the first elder.¡±


    ¡°The valley densest in spiritual energy¡­ the Beast Spirit Valley?!¡± a female student eximed.


    The moment she brought it up, the others¡¯ faces all turned pale.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there something wrong with that valley?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°The Beast Spirit Valley is¡­ well, we don¡¯t even dare step foot into it anymore,¡± Master Qin began.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng asked simultaneously


    The students all nced at each other in worry and fright, none daring to speak up until Master Qin finally cleared his throat. ¡°There¡¯s a portal over there, and we don¡¯t know where it leads. However, from time to time, things emerge from it.¡±


    ¡°Things? What things?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed.


    ¡°Sometimes, huge waves of beasts, like the ones from yesterday. Whenever they appear, these beasts run amok and trample whatever they encounter,¡± a student exined.


    ¡°And sometimes, there are people, people from an alternate dimension,¡± the girl who had spoken up earlier continued, her voice trembling. ¡°They¡¯re all very strong, and theye here to kill magical beasts. If they catch sight of us, however, they¡¯ll kill the men on the spot and take the women away¡­¡±

 Chapter 316: Beast Spirit Valley

    <h4>Chapter 316: Beast Spirit Valley</h4>


    Upon hearing the students¡¯ and Master Qin¡¯s exnations, Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and even Li Mo were all extremely shocked¡ªnone of them had expected that there would be a portal here leading to the alternate dimension.


    ¡°Qin Feng, what exactly happened during the three years in which you are here?¡± Li Mo nced at the gathered students. ¡°I remember that there were 33 of you who participated in the initial expedition, but now there are only 16 students left! Are the rest all dead?¡±


    Qin Feng sighed, then began to recount everything that had passed in thest three years. When the 33 members of the expedition teleported to this realm through a teleportation array that had been set up with the help of the all-seeing mirror, they had encountered a beast horde almost immediately.


    The beast horde consisted of a few types of high-ranking beasts. Although none of the expedition team were weaklings, they were entirely unprepared for such a situation, and they quickly became separated during the initialmotion.


    ¡°I brought seven students with me as we went off in search of the missing students. After three days, we only managed to find eleven of them. The others all seemed to have vanished in the initial beast onught, and we don¡¯t know their whereabouts to this day,¡± Qin Feng continued glumly.


    ¡°I remember clearly that there were a few blood-sucking lions amidst that beast horde, and I saw one of them swallow up my senior sister with my own eyes! Most of my missing senior brothers and sisters were likely eaten by them,¡± a lean but muscr youth eximed. Yun Ruoyan noted that others called him Tian.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected that our expedition would encounter such danger the moment we got here, and given how many students had gone missing, we lost all intention of hunting these beasts. Instead, we nned to return to Kongming Academy right after finding the missing students,¡± Qin Feng continued. ¡°But, five dayster, when we returned to the site of the teleportation array as nned, we found that it had vanished entirely, and we had lost all connection with the academy.¡±


    Bewildered, confused, and frustrated, Qin Feng and the students tried all sorts of methods to get in contact with Kongming Academy, but none of them were sessful. In the end, they had lost all hope of ever returning to the Chenyuan continent again.


    Forced to explore their surroundings to fend for themselves, they soon discovered that this seeming utopia was a breeding ground for all sorts of dangers. Beast hordes would roam the forests at indeterminate intervals, sudden gales of wind would catch them unawares, and, most frighteningly, they discovered other humans in the Beast Spirit Valley.


    ¡°Initially, we were very happy to see them. We thought they were also from the Chenyuan continent, and that they would bring us home. However, a-after realizing our circumstances, they immediately re, revealed their cruel nature!¡± a young woman, Hai Yan, added, still seeming traumatized by the experience.


    ¡°Of our three instructors, the two male ones were killed on the spot, and they abducted the lone female one. Allegedly, they were bringing her to some ce called ¡®Peak Darkness¡¯ to sell her off,¡± Tian continued.


    The students collectively took a deep breath, as if reliving their worst nightmare.


    ¡°How did all of you manage to escape?¡± Yun Ruoyan finally asked.


    Qin Feng chuckled bitterly. ¡°We didn¡¯t. These people were so cruel and malicious that they thought killing us all would be too boring, so they designed a game to y with us. Every time they showed up, one of us would have to participate in this game, and the loser would be killed. All seven of my students were killed in this game of theirs, and I was the only one who made it out.¡±


    ¡°What sort of game?¡± Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng asked simultaneously. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fists were clenched so hard that they were red, and Zhuo Yifeng gripped his bow so hard his knuckles were turning white.


    Qin Feng exined that those from the alternate dimension called this the ¡®groundhog game¡¯. They thought themselves grander than those from the Chenyuan continent, so they referred to Qin Feng and his students as ¡®groundhogs¡¯.


    The groundhog game required a designated territory. One of Qin Feng¡¯s group would enter this territory to serve as prey, and those from the alternate dimension would hunt them over the course of three days. Within these three days, if the prey were able to sessfully evade capture and not be eaten by magical beasts, then they would win.


    ¡°I was the first to participate in this game,¡± Qin Feng said. ¡°I almost died, and I barely escaped with my life, but my students weren¡¯t as lucky.¡±


    When Qin Feng brought up this game, the remaining students¡¯ faces all turned pale. Thest of the seven instructors had died in the previous game, and the remaining games would involve the students themselves.


    ¡°If the instructors weren¡¯t able to win, then we¡¯re surely dead meat¡­¡± one student moaned.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Tianforted everyone. ¡°I remember that thest game urred three months ago. Those demons might already have forgotten about us! As long as we can make it back to the Chenyuan continent, we¡¯ll be saved!¡±


    ¡°We do have a chance of returning now¡­¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t have to take part in that damned game, do i? We won¡¯t have to die?¡±


    Tian¡¯s words pulled everyone out of their stupor.


    ¡°The Beast Spirit Valley¡¯s still a dangerous ce to be,¡± Qin Feng muttered, a worried expression still on his face. ¡°Those cultivators warned us against entering the valley, and they even set up a barrier around it. If we enter, they¡¯ll find out immediately. Isn¡¯t there an alternative? Must we head to that valley?¡± Qin Feng asked Li Mo.


    Li Mo knew that Qin Feng wasn¡¯t a cowardly man, so those men truly had to be quite frightening for Qin Feng to have such reservations. However, it was exactly this that had sparked Li Mo¡¯s interest in checking out the matter for himself.


    Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng felt the same way. They knew thating to this realm might require that they face considerable danger, and the Beast Spirit Valley was their only way out. Upon entering the realm, they had lostmunication with the first elder, so they would have to make it to the valley to have the teleportation array be readied from the other side.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be entering the alternate dimension in half a year,¡± Li Mo exined to Qin Feng. ¡°This will be a good opportunity to learn about what those cultivators are like.¡±


    Li Mo had learned quite a few things about this alternate dimension from the first elder, the most important being that the average advancement of cultivation was extremely high. Even an unassuming civilian on the street might be an eighth-rank demaster.


    Apparently, this alternate dimension also had no semnce ofw and order, and right and wrong was decided by the power of one¡¯s fists. There were no kingdoms or countries, and all the resources were hogged by a few dominant powers.


    Qin Feng and the students¡¯ descriptions of these outworlders matched his opinion of them quite closely: they were cruel, cold-blooded, and utterly inhumane.


    ¡°It¡¯s dark now, so let¡¯s rest for the night. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll head straight for the Beast Spirit Valley,¡± Li Mo instructed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you over there tomorrow,¡± Qin Feng replied.


    After a quick meal, they all went to sleep. Tired from the day¡¯s events and buoyed with no small amount of hope, the students began to dream almost as soon as theyy down, but Yun Ruoyan found that she couldn¡¯t lie still. Beside her was Hai Yan, who was also repeatedly tossing and turning.


    ¡°Hai Yan?¡± she called out.


    Hai Yan turned around to look at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sister Ruoyan?¡±


    Hai Yan was even younger than Yun Ruoyan, only a girl of fourteen.


    ¡°How did you enter the beastmaster institute at such a young age? I¡¯d have expected students of the three institutions to be older and to have a more advanced cultivation overall,¡± Yun Ruoyan asked curiously.


    Based on her current experience, the students who were able to advance through the five colleges into the three institutions were all talented in cultivation and at least adept in their respective fields. However, none of the sixteen students present had a higher cultivation than she did.


    ¡°Beastmasters are distinct from pillmasters, forgemasters, and demasters,¡± Hai Yan exined. Talented beastmasters were obvious from a young age, and they would have to begin their trainingmensurately early. The students remaining had entered the beastmaster institute almost immediately after joining Kongming Academy.


    Hai Yan¡¯s father was an instructor of the beastmaster institution, so she had essentially grown up in it.


    ¡°We used to have a few amazing senior brothers and sisters, but they all died in that cruel game. My father died in the game three months ago, and the next one to die might be me.¡± Hai Yan¡¯s voice grew smaller and smaller as she spoke, and she began to tremble so hard she curled up into a little ball.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yun Ruoyan consoled her. ¡°We¡¯ll bring all of you back to Kongming Academy! I promise.¡±


    Hai Yan turned to Yun Ruoyan, her eyes glimmering with hope and tears. She nodded her head firmly.


    ¡°Hai Yan, may I ask you another question?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s ake not far away from here with a wooden cottage right by its side. Was that something that you students constructed?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Hai Yan replied. ¡°That house had already been deserted by the time we entered the realm. Based on its interior, Master Qin hypothesized that a couple used to live there, but that they had left for some reason.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brows furrowed in thought. She had found that cottage familiar the moment she looked at it, as though she had surely seen it somewhere before, but she couldn¡¯t remember where. In the end, however, she couldn¡¯t dredge up her memories. She looked at the entrance of the cave, where Li Mo and Qin Feng were keeping watch, turned over, and finally sumbed to sleep.


    The next day, Qin Feng instructed the remaining students to remain in the cave as he brought Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, and Zhuo Yifeng toward the Beast Spirit Valley. They had intended on flying there on their swords when Qin Feng stopped them, telling them that swordflight would summon the strange, howling gales that they had already encountered once before.


    Instead, they would have to walk. Given their advanced cultivation, they were all able to proceed at a rtively rapid pace, and it took them only a day before they arrived at that supposedly frightening but outwardly idyllic valley...

 Chapter 317: Strangers From a Strange Land

    <h4>Chapter 317: Strangers From a Strange Land</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s trio entered the Beast Spirit Valley under Qin Feng¡¯s guidance. Qin Feng visibly tensed up as they crossed a threshold, and he told everyone to try to move quickly and restrain their aura as much as possible.


    Yun Ruoyan nced around the beautiful valley, at the trees and grass in bright and deep shades of green, at the colorful birds chirping as they darted among the leaves, flowers speckling thendscape in all sorts of shapes and colors, and even at the herbivorous beasts casually roaming thend. If not for Qin Feng¡¯s tension, she really would have found this ce a paradise.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the entrance from which the beast hordes and those outworlders emerge? I¡¯d like to have a look,¡± Yun Ruoyan asked Qin Feng.


    Qin Feng frowned. ¡°I think we should find where the spiritual energy density is highest first.¡±


    In order to do so, they would need to release some of their aura to determine from which direction there was the strongest resonance. Li Mo infused spiritual energy into his eyes and immediately noticed a spot by the far side of the valley that glowed brightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s right over there.¡± Li Mo pointed at the spot shing white in his vision. ¡°That¡¯s the best spot for constructing the teleportation array.¡±


    Qin Feng frowned deeper and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s exactly where the entrance is.¡±


    Although they knew that it could be exceedingly dangerous, the four of them carefully headed in that direction. After about a fifteen minutes¡¯ walk, a giant, ancient tree emerged before them, one sorge that their entire group wouldn¡¯t be able to encircle the tree while holding hands. The mysterious portal was a hole on the surface of the tree, its edges bordered by a thick, engorged vine that obscured whatevery behind it.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the portal. Three years ago, when we discovered this tree, three of my instructors entered the portal to investigate. In the end, they were all caught and tied up by three outworlders, who killed the two men in front of us and abducted the lone woman.¡±


    The four of them were hiding behind a tree not too far from the portal.


    ¡°Based on what you¡¯ve said, this portal will lead us to that alternate dimension,¡± Zhuo Yifeng summarized. ¡°If we were to enter it from here, we might be able to rescue that female instructor.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± Qin Feng interrupted him before he could speak any further. He nced at the fearless youth warily. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen their true capabilities, so you might not be afraid of them, but I promise you there¡¯s nothing waiting for you but death.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t deny Qin Feng¡¯s words, but he continued staring obstinately at the portal.


    Yun Ruoyan turned toward Qin Feng and Li Mo. ¡°But surely we can¡¯t stay here and hide? If we want to set upmunications with the first elder, we must construct a teleportation array, and it would surely cause amotion.¡±


    ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll head over and have a look,¡± Li Mo suggested, then walked out from behind the tree.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you there.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up. Li Mo nced back at her before extending a hand, and the two of them walked out together.


    As they left, Zhuo Yifeng also stood up.


    ¡°The three of you¡­ bah!¡± Qin Feng could only follow suit.


    As Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo walked toward the portal, they could feel the steadily increasing spiritual energy density in the air. When they infused spiritual energy into their eyes, they saw a haze of white spiritual energy continuously spraying into the dimension from the portal.


    ¡°As expected, this is the source of the spiritual energy in this realm,¡± Li Mo murmured.


    Awoooo!


    Just as he and Yun Ruoyan continued walking toward the portal, a high-pitched beast howl came from deep within the portal.


    Awoooo! Awoooo!


    The howls were quickly followed by a session of other howls in varying pitches and intensity, but they allbined to cause a monumental vibration that could even cause the earth to tremble.


    ¡°Not good!¡± Qin Feng shouted. ¡°A beast horde¡¯sing!¡±


    Three leopard-like beasts leaped out of the portal, moving so quickly and with such an imposing aura that all four of them froze momentarily¡ªthis wasn¡¯t a beast they had ever encountered on the Chenyuan continent.


    Disregarding Qin Feng¡¯s warning against swordflight, they immediately rose up into the air, Li Mo with Yun Ruoyan, and Zhuo Yifeng with Qin Feng. In a matter of moments, over a hundred leopard-like beasts had emerged from the portal, followed by another group of sharp-horned antelopes. The portal iid in the tree seemed to have grown evenrger.


    The seemingly endless hordes of beasts rushed out of the portal and devastated the surroundings, causing as much damage as a mid-scale earthquake. The original beasts grazing in the valley were dead or wounded or fleeing, and the howls and cries of beasts echoed throughout the entire valley.


    However, this realm was really quiterge, so much so that even the influx of so many beasts only caused damage in a rather localized area around the portal.


    When the flow of beasts finally diminished, Li Mo asked Qin Feng, ¡°Where¡¯s your spiritual sword?¡±


    Qin Feng was an earth-type cultivator, and his spiritual sword was imbued with a yellow aura. Strangely, he didn¡¯t use it despite the urgency of the situation.


    ¡°An otherworlder called Pi Hun stole it,¡± Qin Feng replied.


    Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan both looked at him in shock. A spiritual sword was vital to a demaster, and its use and effects would only magnify as one¡¯s cultivation improved. Because many advanced arts and abilities had to be used in conjunction with one¡¯s de, it was vital that a spiritual sword be reced quickly if it was destroyed or stolen.


    ¡°I suggest we leave immediately.¡± Despite Qin Feng¡¯s tall, muscr form, his incessant cowering left Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng both somewhat annoyed, and even Li Mo began to frown.


    But when a ck hound and a long-armed monkey emerged from the portal, Qin Feng¡¯s face turned even paler. ¡°It¡¯s toote to leave now¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯sing!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, seeing two humanoid figures following the ck hound out.


    ¡°They¡¯re the outworlders!¡± Qin Feng cried.


    The two figures who walked out from the portal, one male and one female, were both youths slightly younger than Yun Ruoyan. The young girl was dressed in red, her hair slightly tinged with red and tied up behind her in a ponytail. Her face was youthful and eye-catching.


    The young boy¡¯s hair was short-cropped and as red as fire, tufted and pointing every which way. He was dressed in ck, exposing his muscr arms, and had a huge broadsword strapped to his back.


    Despite their apparent youth, neither outworlder had the levity of a child.


    ¡°Ah?¡± The young girl raised her head to see the four cultivators in the sky, then grinned. ¡°Pi Yang, it looks like we¡¯ve found three new faces!¡±


    ¡°Three new pleasures, you say? Hunting humans is far more interesting than hunting these beasts, and I love the scent of human blood.¡±


    ¡°And two of them can fly on their swords, so they must be at least eighth-rank demasters,¡± the girl continued.


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s rare. I heard those groundhogs needed to get to twenty or thirty before they even had a chance to be eighth-rank demasters, but they look pretty young, don¡¯t they?¡±


    The youth felt a gaze staring directly at him as he talked, and he nced in that direction to see Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bright eyes. Both their gazes were sharp and intense, so much so that it seemed sparks would fly at any moment.


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Interesting, to be so arrogant with such pitiful cultivation.¡± Turning to his ck hound, hemanded, ¡°Pi Li, grab me that youth with the bow!¡±


    ¡°No, Pi Li, bring me that girl in red!¡± the girlmanded.


    The ck hound Pi Li, having received two conflicting orders at the same time, gave up on carrying either of them out and ended up running around in circles, chasing its wagging tail.


    Pi Yang nced at Yun Ruoyan and found a girl of such beauty that it would be hard to find her like even in their world. He turned to the girl beside him, then back again to Yun Ruoyan. With a crooked smile, he said, ¡°That girl isn¡¯t too bad. If we bring her to Peak Darkness, we should be able to sell her for quite a few spiritual crystals. To Pi Li, hemanded, ¡°Bring that girl over, and I¡¯ll give you a blood mushroom as a treat.¡±


    The ck hound woofed twice, and stood up. It nced at Yun Ruoyan, kicked off with its back feet, and dashed toward her like a bolt of lightning.


    At the same time, Zhuo Yifeng shot an arrow at the ck hound. He possessed incredible skill at archery, one that even Li Mo could find no fault with. When he became an eighth-rank demaster, the power of his arrows had more than doubled. Even if he couldn¡¯t kill the hound directly, he should at least have been able to give it a significant wound.


    However, the ck hound suddenly seemed to freeze in mid-air for a few moments before dashing forward again. This strange dy caused the arrow to whizz by, leaving the hound unscathed. It opened its jaws filled with sharp teeth and pounced at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Ah, Pi Li! Don¡¯t break her skin, or she¡¯ll be worthless!¡± the youth hurriedly called out, but he suddenly stopped speaking.


    Li Mo had grabbed the hound by its neck. His hand was slowly frosting over with ice, and on that ice were the imprints of a bite mark...

 Chapter 318: The Youth Pi Yang

    <h4>Chapter 318: The Youth Pi Yang</h4>


    ¡°Pi Li!¡± the youth shouted, his eyes glinting murderously at Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    The ck hound, still in Li Mo¡¯s grasp, was bleeding from its mouth. It opened its mouth wide and lolled out its tongue, and blood continued to pulse out of a hole in its chest.


    When that hound had pounced toward Yun Ruoyan like a bolt of lightning, Li Mo tried to grab it with his hand. Incredibly, the hound had agilely twisted its body in mid-air, then bit down on Li Mo¡¯s wrist.


    Because Li Mo was a sword saint, potent spiritual energy seeped out of his body, and his bitten wrist instantly frosted over in ice. The ck hound didn¡¯t look like anything out of the ordinary, but its teeth were so sharp that it was even able to make deep impressions on the ice surrounding Li Mio¡¯s skin.


    At the same time, Yun Ruoyan thrust her Scarlet Eye, now in the shape of a dagger, through the hound¡¯s chest and into its heart.


    ¡°You!¡± The youth pointed at Li Mo with a trembling finger. ¡°You actually dared kill my cloud-swallowing glutton! I¡¯ll kill all of you!¡±


    ¡°You groundhogs are really getting quite feral, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lie Yun called out. ¡°How dare you retaliate against us!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Should we quietly lie down and await death instead?¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied.


    As Li Mo held onto Yun Ruoyan with one hand and continued squeezing the neck of the ck hound with the other, he nced disdainfully at the two youths who had stepped out of the portal. ¡°Where did the two of youe from?¡±


    ¡°You think groundhogs like you deserve to know who we are?¡± the youth called back.


    Li Mo smirked, dropping the ck hound¡¯s body from where he stood. As it fell, it began to transform into the body of a massive ck beast, one which waspletely and utterly dead.


    ¡°You¡ªjust you wait!¡± The youth unsheathed the broadsword strapped to his back and soared to the skies, right in front of where Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were standing.


    Li Mo¡¯s gaze turned to the youth¡¯s sword. ¡°Qin Feng, is this brat¡¯s sword yours?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. Li Mo, thisd¡¯s called Pi Yang. He¡¯s not all that hard to deal with; the troublesome one is his brother, Pi Batian! He¡¯s a sword saint, an extremely strong one at that, and heid down many of the formations in this area.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s eyes narrowed before he curled a few fingers at Pi Yang, motioning for him to attack. Furious at the loss of his beast and now taunted by Li Mo, Pi Yang immediately yelled out and charged toward Li Mo with another de.


    Li Mo and the others had been restraining their aura and hiding their true capabilities. In the eyes of the two youths, they were at most eighth-rank demasters, but when the hotheaded Pi Yang dashed toward Li Mo, he suddenly released the full brunt of his sword saint¡¯s aura.


    The gust of spiritual energy surrounding him blocked the momentum of the youth¡¯s dash. Despite the youth¡¯s best efforts, he couldn¡¯t advance any closer to Li Mo.


    On the ground, Lie Yun suddenly shouted to the youth, ¡°Pi Yang,e back! That man¡¯s hidden his true abilities, and you¡¯re not his match!¡±


    Pi Yang reacted toote. Li Mo reached out with a frosted hand, a small vortex whirling about his palm and slowly sucking the youth toward him. Panicking, the girl threw a throwing knife toward Li Mo, but Yun Ruoyan blocked it with a fireball.


    She was hiding her true skills too! Lie Yun was very shocked. Yun Ruoyan had kept her aura at the level of a fifth-rank demaster, but she had suddenly revealed herself as a peak eighth-rank one instead. Who are they? Aren¡¯t these groundhogs supposed to be weaklings? How did they end up with a sword saint?!


    By then, Pi Yang had been caught in Li Mo¡¯s hand, just like that ck hound from before, and Qin Feng had regained his spiritual sword.


    ¡°Tell Pi Batian toe with the female instructor that he abducted if he wants his brother back!¡± Li Mo called out to Lie Yun. ¡°If he¡¯s not here by tomorrow, I¡¯ll send his brother¡¯s corpse through this portal!¡±


    The young girl inclined her head to look at Li Mo, retreating as she spoke. ¡°Just you wait! If you dare hurt even a hair on his head¡­!¡±


    She vanished through the portal. Because Li Mo and the others were wary of a sneak attack at night, they didn¡¯t stay in the Beast Spirit Valley. Instead, they returned to the mountain cave that was their new residence.


    In order to reduce the travel time, they flew back on their swords. Li Mo tied up the youth with vines and held him close to his body. He squirmed, scolded, and threatened them as they flew, and ultimately proved himself such a nuisance that Zhuo Yifeng grabbed some grass off the ground and stuffed it into his mouth.


    Along the way, they were attacked once more by the strange, howling wind and razor-sharp leaves. However, Li Mo shielded the entire party with his spiritual barrier.


    Yun Ruoyan discovered something unusual: even while the leaves attacked everyone in their group, it seemed to avoid the youth in Li Mo¡¯s hands. She prodded him with a foot. ¡°Hey, why aren¡¯t these leaves attacking you?¡±


    The youth turned to her, his mouth still gagged by a bundle of grass. His eyes widenedically before furrowing in an angry frown, and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t need much of an imagination to guess what sort of invectives he would have shouted at her.


    Yun Ruoyan kicked him with her foot, inciting another furious nce from the youth, then turned away.


    After about two hours, they returned to the mountain cave, where the students were all very shocked to find that Li Mo had taken an outworlder captive.


    The youth was thrown to a side of the cave. The students had all suffered at the hands of the outworlders, and they couldn¡¯t hold back their impulse to beat him up. As they did so, the grass keeping his mouth shut was knocked loose, and he began yelling and screaming again.


    ¡°You inferior creatures from a lower dimension, nothing more than smelly groundrats! I¡¯ll have all of your bones pulverized to smithereens for daring to treat the second young master of the Pi household in this manner!¡±


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll kill you first as revenge for our seniors and instructors, you little bastard!¡± Tian gritted out, kicking him in time with each word that he spoke. Very quickly, the youth¡¯s eyes swelled up, and blood began to drip down his nose.


    ¡°Alright, alright, that¡¯s enough!¡± Yun Ruoyan walked over, calming the indignant students. ¡°We still have to trade him for your instructor tomorrow, so you can¡¯t beat him to death.¡±


    Only then did the students relent. Yun Ruoyan crossed her arms as she looked at the bruised, dishevelled youth slumped against the floor of the cave.


    ¡°Peh!¡± The youth spat out saliva flecked with blood and soft grass. ¡°You bitch, don¡¯t think I¡¯ll thank you! When my brother¡¯s here, I¡¯m going to sell you off¡ª¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stuffed the grass back into his mouth before he could finish.


    That night, as they ate dinner together, the students asked what had happened in the Beast Spirit Valley. In order to raise the students¡¯ morale, Qin Feng described how Li Mo had caught the youth in detail, visibly weakening the specter of fear that still loomed over their heads and threatened to overwhelm them at any moment.


    If they fought together, there was still a chance at victory!


    ¡°I¡¯ll go over and have a look at him,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered into Li Mo¡¯s ear, then brought a chicken drumstick and a sk of water to the youth¡¯s side. She kicked him, and he blearily opened his eyes. Yun Ruoyan stooped down and removed the grass from his mouth, then held the sk of water by his lips.


    The youth looked stonily at Yun Ruoyan, and she stared expressionlessly back. ¡°Drink it or not, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Only then did the youth reluctantly take a sip. He gurgled and spat out the remnants of the blood and grass left, then took a few long swallows. After that, Yun Ruoyan handed him the chicken drumstick before turning to leave.


    ¡°Wait!¡± the youth called out. ¡°I don¡¯t want to owe you a favor, because I¡¯m going to kill you tomorrow!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned and smiled at the youth, waiting for him to continue.


    ¡°The reason those leaves didn¡¯t attack me was because I have a talisman,¡± the youth began. ¡°My brother was the one who set up the formation against swordflight, and he handed me the talisman as well.¡±


    ¡°Where is it?¡± Yun Ruoyan stooped down again and looked at the youth withrge, expressive eyes. ¡°Can you show me that talisman?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in my robes. I¡¯ll hand it to you if you untie me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan blinked, then stuck her hand into his robes and rummaged through them.


    ¡°Ah, you¡ª!¡± The youth opened his eyes wide and nced at Yun Ruoyan, bare inches from his body.


    ¡°I found it!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed happily, then took her hand out of his robes. In her fingers was a square talisman, made with yellow paper.


    ¡°You¡­ you groundhog!¡± The youth¡¯s eyes were wide open, and his face was flushed a bright red, almost the same color as his hair.


    Yun Ruoyan folded up the talisman and peered at the youth. ¡°You little brat, you do realize we¡¯re your captors? If you keep calling us groundhogs, the students here will skin you alive after we rescue our instructor!¡±

 Chapter 319: The Alternate Dimension

    <h4>Chapter 319: The Alternate Dimension</h4>


    ¡°What? You¡¯ll skin me alive after your instructor¡¯s rescued?¡± The youth seemed to have heard a marvellous joke. ¡°Dream on, you groundhog! All of you will die once my brother strikes!¡±


    ¡°Is everyone from this alternate dimension such a braggart?¡± Yun Ruoyanughed at the youth. ¡°Who was the one who was beaten to a pulp today?¡±


    The youth snorted. ¡°I¡¯m only thirteen, and I¡¯m already a peak seventh-rank demaster. I¡¯m naturally no match for that ck-robed male, but my brother¡¯s already a second-rank sword saint! That ck robe¡¯s at most a first-rank sword saint, and he¡¯s trashpared to my brother. Do you know howrge the difference between ranks is as a sword saint? It¡¯s the difference between heaven and earth! If he fights my brother, that ck robe has no chance of living.¡±


    The youth¡¯s words were arrogant, but Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t think he was boasting this time. After all, they still knew far too little of this alternate dimension. Those who had made the trip there and survived the ordeal, including the first elder and Yun Lan, seemed to find it necessary to keep their experiences a secret, but Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t understand why.


    However, it might be possible to learn more about the ce from this youth, Pi Yang, who didn¡¯t seem to harbor the same reservations. As such, Yun Ruoyan let the youth continue speaking, peppering him with questions as he did so. The youth was rather irked after his capture, and boasting about his experiences was making him feel much better.


    Based on the youth¡¯s description, Yun Ruoyan found out that this supposed alternate dimension was just an extradimensional spaceposed of many smaller realms, each one a continent. The Chenyuan continent was one such realm, one of the myriad minute, low-grade ones that existed in this space, and its inhabitants were supposedly base and inferior. The youth belonged to the Mingyuan continent, a mid-grade realm. Allegedly, there was also a high-grade realm, the Jiyuan continent.


    The reason cultivators from low-grade realms were called groundhogs was firstly because they werergely inferior to cultivators from high- and even mid-grade realms, and secondly because, upon entering the Mingyuan continent, they would be given an identification token with the logo of a groundhog.


    Every year, there would berge quantities of cultivators from low-grade realms swarming to the Mingyuan continent, where they would be responsible for the most menial of tasks. On the Mingyuan continent, most such low-grade cultivators lived no better lives than dogs.


    ¡°Many groundhogs perish on the Mingyuan continent. Some manage to survive and gain the opportunity to return to their realm, but that¡¯s extremely umon.¡±


    The youth¡¯s words left Yun Ruoyan mired in deep thought. She had thought at length about what this alternate dimension, this extradimensional space, would be like, but she had never expected that it would be like this.


    To think that the Chenyuan continent was nothingpared to therger realms of this extradimensional space, and that they were no better than groundhogs! The world was far more vast andplicated than she could imagine.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Struck dumb by your insignificance?¡± Pi Yang jeered. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, you¡¯d better behave like ves tomorrow in front of my brother, and he might even let you live. He¡¯s especially fond of hunting you groundhogs, so if you can survive the hunt, then you¡¯ll be able to stay in our hunting grounds and continue living out your miserable existences.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the miserable existence!¡± Yun Ruoyan thumped the youth¡¯s head with her palm, then turned to leave.


    Yun Ruoyan returned to Li Mo¡¯s side and told him all that she had managed to weasel out of the youth, then handed him the square amulet that allegedly kept him safe from the strange gales that gued this realm.


    Just like Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo was deeply disturbed by the nature of this extradimensional space.


    ¡°Has the first elder never mentioned these things to you?¡±


    ¡°He did, but only a very small part of it,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Never in such a detailed fashion.¡±


    ¡°In that case, what about your mother? Hasn¡¯t she told you anything?¡± Yun Ruoyan knew that she hade from another continent, but not which one.


    ¡°Mother came from the Jiyuan continent that you mentioned. As the holy maiden of the silver dragon n, her movements were severely restricted, and she isn¡¯t familiar with the Mingyuan continent. The Jiyuan continent is a high-grade realm, and Mother told me that there were few cultivators there. It wasn¡¯t as interesting as these lower realms, which was why she had snuck down to the Chenyuan continent as soon as she found an opportunity.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan leaned her head against Li Mo¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes. Most of the students had already gone to rest, and there were only a rare few that remained by the firepit to talk. Just as Li Mo thought that Yun Ruoyan had fallen asleep, she murmured, ¡°Li Mo, I¡¯m worried about tomorrow. If that Pi Batian is truly as strong as Pi Yang described, a second-rank sword saint, we won¡¯t be a match for him.¡±


    Li Mo rubbed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back. ¡°Immediately use the teleportation scroll if you feel like you¡¯re in danger.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Li Mo held onto Yun Ruoyan with one hand, then began to investigate the square amulet that Yun Ruoyan had retrieved from Pi Yang with the other.


    Yun Ruoyan had heard from the first elder and Empress Xue Tong that amulets and arrays were ssified as advanced studies,rgely the domain of a sword saint. Because sword saints were so rare on the Chenyuan continent, these studies were all but forgotten on it.


    Based on the yellow square in his hands, Li Mo could tell that the two arts were likely quite prevalent in the extradimensional space. Instead of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s professed worry, he greatly anticipated the duel tomorrow.


    It had been far too long since he had managed to face off against a strong foe. A few days before he married Yun Ruoyan, he once again went to the cave in the Minghuang Mountains, where he defeated the elder of the silver dragon n trapped there without any difficulty at all.


    At that point, Li Mo hadn¡¯t even been a sword saint! Now that he was one, he urgently wanted a strong opponent to test his mettle against, to expend all his skills and energy in pursuit of greater growth.


    The next day, as Li Mo, Qin Feng, Yun Ruoyan, and Zhuo Yifeng returned to the portal to the alternate dimension with Pi Yang in tow, they did not find Pi Batian waiting for them. Four cultivators walked out from the portal, Lie Yun in front, followed by three massive hulks, likely bodyguards of some sort. Given their aura, they were all peak ninth-rank demasters.


    Lie Yun imed that Pi Batian had gone to attend a very important martial artspetition, and he would only return after three days. She had already sent her men to investigate the whereabouts of the female instructor who had been taken as a ve and was then sold off.


    The two parties agreed to meet back by the portal in three days to exchange hostages. Within these three days, Li Mo had to guarantee the safety of Pi Yang, and Lie Yun would promise not to send anyone into the Beast Spirit Valley.


    Yun Ruoyan was very pleased by this development: they would be able tomunicate with the first elder again within two days. If they were lucky, they would even be able to finish constructing the teleportation array to send the sixteen students back before the exchange of hostages.


    On the other hand, Pi Yang was distraught by the news. The sixteen remaining students of the beastmaster institute hated him so deeply that, if not for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s presence, he would long have been beaten to within an inch of his life.


    When the students saw that Yun Ruoyan was defending the youth, they described to her the atrocities that he hadmitted over the years, such as how he¡¯d allowed his hound to run rampant and corral the wild beast hordes through the home that they¡¯d built with painstaking effort.


    He had shot quite a few students with a bow, then taunted and mocked them even as they fought for their lives during one of his brother¡¯s games. Yet as the students described crime after crime, the youth only snickered, without any inkling of remorse.


    To him, the students in front of him were nothing more than groundhogs, no better than the beasts that he reared at home. Given Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stern warning, however, the youth didn¡¯t dare speak his thoughts aloud in fear of retribution.


    He was grateful for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s protection, but he didn¡¯t realize that she had approached him with a particr motive in mind. From interacting with him over these past two days, Yun Ruoyan had managed to extract a significant amount of information about the Mingyuan continent, to which they would travel no more than six monthster.


    The Mingyuan continent boasted no kingdoms, but rather a fewrger families that controlled the majority of thend. There were seven of them in all, the Pi, Lie, Wu, Feng, Zheng, Hua, and Chen families.


    The youth Pi Yang was the second young master of the Pi family, and his father, Pi Yan, was its head. The realm that they had entered was one of the hunting grounds of the Pi family, one designed specially for the scions of the noble family such as him.


    ording to him, if the cultivators from the Chenyuan continent had identally trespassed and found themselves trapped in the realm, then they should be treated as prey and hunted to thest.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t react as intensely as the students regarding this point. She listened cidly, no emotion showing on her face. What the youth was describing was what she had already known and personally experienced: a weakling would be bullied in a world where strength was the only deterrent.


    In both her past life and her present, Yun Ruoyan was intimately familiar with this creed. She didn¡¯t want to be weak, so she had to strive to grow.


    ¡°You¡¯re not like these groundhogs,¡± the youth said once.


    ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling, but you and that ck robe don¡¯t seem like low-grade cultivators.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo respectively possessed the demonic dragon and silver dragon bloodlines, so it wasn¡¯t strictly incorrect to im that they didn¡¯t belong to Chenyuan continent.


    Despite Pi Yang¡¯s bossy and domineering nature, and despite the fact that his cultivation wasn¡¯t particrly advanced, his eyes were surprisingly astute. However, Yun Ruoyan had no intention of revealing her true identity to him. Instead, she thumped the youth¡¯s head heavily. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.¡±

 Chapter 320: The Origin of the Silver Bracelet

    <h4>Chapter 320: The Origin of the Silver Bracelet</h4>


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty intimate with that ck robe, aren¡¯t you? What¡¯s your rtionship?¡± Pi Yang asked just as Yun Ruoyan turned to leave.


    ¡°He¡¯s my husband,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded, without turning back.


    In the deep of the night, when Yun Ruoyan slowly fell asleep in Li Mo¡¯sp, she thought she could hear somebody calling out to her.


    ¡°Ruoyan, Ruoyan!¡±


    This voice was extremely familiar, and one that she would never forget: the voice of her mother, Lin Yuemei. Yun Ruoyan slowly stood up and blearily began walking in the direction of the voice.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Yun Ruoyan wandered through a patch of white fog. ¡°Mother, where are you?¡±


    In the blink of an eye, she arrived at a valley. Under the moonlight, she could see a small cottage by the side of ake, the cottage that they had found and inspected not long after they arrived in this mysterious realm.


    Yun Ruoyan slowly walked toward the cottage, feeling an uncanny familiarity with every step she took. Yun Ruoyan thought that she had been to this ce before¡ªnot just when she first arrived in this realm, but even before that.


    A voice came from within the cottage. ¡°Long Yin, do you think they¡¯ll find this ce?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan identified this voice as her mother, Lin Yuemei. She hurriedly stepped forward. The door of the cottage wasn¡¯t closed, so Yun Ruoyan walked inside. She saw Lin Yuemei lying in bed, her face pale. The man whom she called Long Yin was slowly feeding her a bowl of porridge.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either,¡± Long Yin replied. ¡°This realm might be rather hidden, but it¡¯s not impossible to find it.¡±


    He put down the bowl of food. ¡°Yuemei, if you¡¯re scared, I can send you back to the Chenyuan continent. They wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to you there.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Lin Yuemei sat upright, her tone agitated. ¡°Long Yin, I want to stay with you! As long as I¡¯m with you, I wouldn¡¯t fear anything!¡±


    She held Long Yin¡¯s hand by her stomach. ¡°We¡¯ll have Yan¡¯er by our side as well. The three of us will stay together, forever and ever!¡±


    A cold wind blew by, and Yun Ruoyan felt a patch of coldness on her face. She touched the wet trail and found that she had begun to cry.


    ¡°Yuemei, this is for you.¡± Long Yin took out a silver bracelet from his robes and ced it on Lin Yuemei¡¯s palm.


    ¡°What a pretty bracelet.¡± Lin Yuemei marvelled at the bracelet, inspecting it from all angles and giving Yun Ruoyan a good view of it as well. In shock, shepared it to the silver bracelet on her own wrist and found that they were exactly the same.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t an ordinary bracelet,¡± Long Yin exined.


    ¡°What¡¯s special about it?¡±


    ¡°I found this bracelet in the Beast King¡¯s pce, and it contains an extradimensional space sealed by powerful spiritual energy. It took quite some effort for me to crack this protection,¡± Long Yin exined. ¡°I found that there was an ancient fire qilin sealed inside. It seemed to have suffered a grievous injury, and had reverted to its childhood form. Because I broke the seal, it should awaken not long from now, and you¡¯ll be able to contract with it after that. Then, it¡¯ll protect you and our child.¡±


    On Long Yin¡¯s request, Lin Yuemei cut her thumb and held her bloodied wound to the bracelet, binding it to her.


    So this bracelet was a gift from Father to Mother! Yun Ruoyan thought. But for some reason, Mother wasn¡¯t able to wait for Qiuqiu to wake up from its deep sleep, and I ended up with it¡­


    If she were able to find her mother, she would definitely be very pleased to know that Qiuqiu had woken up. Yun Ruoyan nced at the silver bracelet on her wrist again, two tracks of tears steadily trailing down her face. Although she had never met this Long Yin in person, Yun Ruoyan always felt an unusual sensation when she got close to him in her dreams.


    Perhaps this is kinship, she thought. Despite never having met him, she could clearly feel her father¡¯s love for her mother and for herself.


    ¡°Oh, and take this too.¡± Long Yin handed Lin Yuemei another object, a worn scroll.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Although Lin Yuemei didn¡¯t recognize the scroll, Yun Ruoyan did: it was a teleportation scroll, one that would bring her somewhere else as soon as she activated it.


    ¡°Just a preventive measure,¡± Long Yin said. ¡°If something unexpected happens, tear the scroll and it¡¯ll protect you from harm.¡±


    Lin Yuemei kept the scroll, then nodded seriously.


    The scene suddenly shifted from night to day. Lin Yuemei continued to lie in bed, and her face was still wan.


    ¡°Long Yin, I think our child¡¯s likely to be a boy.¡± Despite her pallor, her smile was radiant and full of motherly love. ¡°Otherwise, why would I have such a severe reaction to this pregnancy just two months in?¡±


    Long Yin was arranging a few logs by the side of the room, an arrangement that would eventually be a crib for a baby.


    ¡°No, no, it must be a precious girl!¡± Long Yin called back, mock-affronted. They nced at each other fondly, and Yun Ruoyan could clearly sense their love for each other in their eyes.


    Just then, however, a sudden tremor through the earth caused Lin Yuemei to scream in shock.


    ¡°Yuemei!¡± Long Yin hurriedly stepped forward tofort her.


    ¡°Master Long, you¡¯re truly quite easy to find.¡± When the surroundings had settled down, a male voice came from outside the cottage¡¯s door.


    Yun Ruoyan looked at the door and saw a red-haired man dressed in a blue robe, stunningly beautiful, with a few tall, muscr guards dressed like swordsmen behind him.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve found me even here?¡± Long Yin stood up, shielding his wife behind him. ¡°The person you¡¯re looking for is me, so don¡¯t harm my wife.¡±


    The red-haired man peered at Lin Yuemei, partially hidden behind Lin Yuemei. He narrowed his gaze, and a sinister smile appeared on his face. ¡°Oh, Master Long, I¡¯m afraid not. The silver dragon n¡¯s elder has tasked me with apprehending all who possess the demonic dragon¡¯s bloodline. You¡¯re not the only one who satisfies that criterion here.¡±


    The red-haired man nced at Lin Yuemei¡¯s abdomen, which she quickly covered with a hand.


    ¡°You won¡¯t even let my child go?¡± Long Yin¡¯s voice was low, his face tight.


    ¡°Any descendant of the demonic dragon n may hold the key to revitalizing the entire n. As the n elder of the silver dragon states, it¡¯s better to kill a thousand innocents than to let one of your kind live. But¡­¡± The man dragged thisst word out, and with it, any hope that Long Yin had for salvation. ¡°If you were to reveal the whereabouts of the demonic dragon grave, however, and allow us to exterminate all the souls there, your bloodline would be useless, and we wouldn¡¯t have to kill you. Well?¡±


    Long Yin snorted. ¡°I won¡¯t betray my ancestors. Dream on!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you already done so?¡± the red-haired man asked. ¡°For the woman behind you, you chose to give up on your entire n. Now, not only are the silver dragons after you, so are the demonic dragons. Only by exterminating the demonic dragon npletely will you ever find peace. Isn¡¯t that so?¡±


    ¡°None of your sophistry.¡± Long Yin¡¯s tone was resolute. ¡°If you want to kill me, now¡¯s your chance.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Noting that Long Yin showed no sign of giving in, the red-haired man stepped forward, folding his arms. ¡°In that case, don¡¯t me me for being brusque.¡± He gave the swordsmen behind him a hand signal, and they all drew their des and charged toward Long Yin.


    ¡°Yuemei, use the scroll!¡± Long Yin cried out, turning to face his wife for thest time in her life. ¡°Protect yourself!¡±


    Lin Yuemei nodded, then tore the teleportation scroll in her hands. A white light enveloped her, and as the light vanished, so did she.


    ¡°You bastard.¡± The red-haired man, suddenly ovee by anger, drew a long, red whip from his waist and snapped it at Long Yin. As a sudden crack struck her ear, Yun Ruoyan tensed and woke up from her dream.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Li Mo was jostled awake by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sudden movement, and he lowered his head to nce at Yun Ruoyan. Her face was pale, her forehead beaded with sweat, and she seemed to be crying.


    ¡°I had a dream,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered, burying her head firmly by Li Mo¡¯s chest. ¡°I dreamt of my mother and father.¡±


    Li Mo caressed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head, stroking her back as she continued to speak.


    ¡°Li Mo.¡± Yun Ruoyan finally raised her head to look at him. ¡°Please apany me somewhere, now.¡±


    And so it was that the two of them flew to thekeside cottage before dawn. This time, now that she knew of its history, the cottage feltpletely different. Her parents had once lived together there, until an uncertain fate befell them both.


    ¡°Li Mo, I was here in my dreams,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, caressing the dusty bedsheet. ¡°The moment I entered this house, I felt an uncanny sense of familiarity, but I couldn¡¯t remember where I had seen it. Now, I finally remember. I came here before in my dreams, and this was where my parents used to live.¡±


    ¡°Where your parents used to live?¡± Li Mo frowned. ¡°Why would Official Yun bring his wife over here?¡±


    ¡°Not Yun Lan,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined. ¡°My birth father.¡±

 Chapter 321: The Red-Haired Man

    <h4>Chapter 321: The Red-Haired Man</h4>


    Yun Ruoyany down on the simple, unadorned bed as she slowly revealed the entire truth behind her birth, but Li Mo wasn¡¯t as shocked as she had thought he would be. He told Yun Ruoyan that he had suspected that Yun Lan wasn¡¯t her birth father when he visited the demonic dragon grotto with her, but this was only a suspicion without proof.


    Now that Yun Ruoyan had rified matters herself, it finally cleared up thest of Li Mo¡¯s confusion. However, that Yun Ruoyan possessed the demonic dragon bloodline was still something that he hadn¡¯t expected.


    ¡°Li Mo, my father was being pursued by some men sent by the silver dragon n¡¯s elder, and I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s dead or alive. It¡¯s very likely that my mother¡¯s still alive, but it feels as though she vanished from the Chenyuan continent.¡± Yun Ruoyan then curled up in bed, hugging her knees. ¡°And I possess the demonic dragon bloodline. Once the silver dragon n discovers me, they won¡¯t let me go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here for you.¡± Li Mo held Yun Ruoyan tightly. ¡°Even if the gods descend from heaven, I¡¯ll defend you until I die. My mother¡¯s body is also in the hands of the silver dragon¡¯s n elder, and we¡¯ll get our revenge on him together.¡±


    Come daybreak, Li Mo, Qin Feng, Yun Ruoyan, and Zhuo Yifeng once again headed to the Beast Spirit Valley. Because they had Pi Yang as hostage, they weren¡¯t worried about a sneak attack from the outworlders. After spending two days by the entrance to the portal, the area in the realm densest in spiritual energy, Li Mo sessfully managed to contact the first elder.


    The first elder was naturally very excited to learn that Qin Feng and over a dozen students were still alive, and the two of them immediately set up a teleportation array using the all-seeing mirror as medium. After an entire day and night, they finally finished preparations for the array.


    Qin Feng rushed back to the mountain cave to fetch the sixteen students. By the time they rushed back to the array, it was already the afternoon of the third day, which was when Li Mo and Lie Yun were scheduled to meet.


    Li Mo and the others didn¡¯t dare to dy matters and immediately began sending the students off. They had been trapped in the realm for over three years, and were overjoyed to be able to return home.


    But just as the sixth student passed through the array, a sudden howling once again emerged from the portal to the alternate dimension. This time, however, the howl came only from a single beast, not a beast horde likest time.


    ¡°It¡¯s Pi Lie!¡± Pi Yang shouted excitedly.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Pi Lie?¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at the portal.


    ¡°Pi Lie is Pi Li¡¯s father, the cloud-swallowing glutton that you and that ck robe killed a few days ago. Pi Li¡¯s my magical beast, and Pi Lie¡¯s my brother¡¯s magical beast. My brother¡¯s here, so if you don¡¯t run off now, you won¡¯t have a chance to do soter on.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled, as though she weren¡¯t afraid at all. ¡°I¡¯m quite curious as to what this deity-like brother of yours is really like.¡±


    Awoooo!


    A ck hound, almost the exact double of the hound they had killed, ran out from the portal. Because Yun Ruoyan had seen the true form of the cloud-swallowing glutton after its death, she didn¡¯t dare underestimate this ck hound.


    Quickly following Pi Lie was Lie Yun, dressed entirely in red, then a surprisingly beautiful red-headed male, dressed in blue. He was followed by three swordsmen, dressed exactly the same as those she recalled from her dreams.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw that red-haired man, her heart thumped: this was the man who had threatened her father!


    ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly pointed at the man, her voice so loud that Li Mo, Zhuo Yifeng, and Pi Yang all looked at her.


    ¡°He¡¯s my brother, Pi Batian!¡± Pi Yang crowed. ¡°He¡¯s a second-rank sword saint! You¡¯d better release me now, or if my brother gets angry, all of you will die in an instant!¡±


    ¡°If we die, so will you.¡± Zhuo Yifeng red at Pi Yang.


    Eight students had gone through the array, and it would take another fifteen minutes for the remaining eight to leave as well.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Qin Feng asked Li Mo.


    ¡°Continue sending the students over and make sure that everyone returns safely. We¡¯ll dy the outworlders.¡± Li Mo stepped forward. Yun Ruoyan handed Pi Yang over to Zhuo Yifeng, then caught up to Li Mo and walked with him, followed quickly by Zhuo Yifeng with Pi Yang.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan stopped moving some distance from Lie Yun, and she too halted.


    ¡°Pi Yang, how are you?¡± Lie Yun called out.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo took two steps to the left to reveal Pi Yang, with Zhuo Yifeng restraining him from the back.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet,¡± Pi Yang called back.


    ¡°Where¡¯s our female instructor?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, her gazending not on Lie Yun, but on the blue-robed Pi Batian behind her.


    Pi Batian made a hand signal. Two of his swordsmen moved aside, and a third escorted a woman forward. Her wrist, ankles, and neck were all shackled, her face pale, waxy and emaciated, and the rags on her body barely covering her up.


    The swordsman pushed her, and she stumbled forward.


    ¡°Lan Ying!¡± Qin Feng¡¯s outraged voice came from behind. ¡°Li Mo, she¡¯s one of my female instructors! What did these bastards do to her?!¡±


    Li Mo, Zhuo Yifeng, Yun Ruoyan, and the remaining students were all enraged upon seeing Lan Ying¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°The woman you want is here,¡± Lie Yun said. ¡°Release Pi Yang.¡±


    ¡°Release the woman first!¡± Zhuo Yifeng shouted, wrenching Pi Yang¡¯s arm until he let out a muted groan.


    ¡°You dare!¡± Lie Yun shouted, taking a step forward.


    ¡°Given how badly you¡¯ve hurt our instructor, he deserves to have one of his arms wrenched offpletely,¡± Zhuo Yifeng shouted. ¡°Release our instructor now, or I¡¯ll kill him!¡±


    Pi Yang let out another groan, louder this time. His arm was so distorted that it might break at any moment, but he gritted his teeth and refused to scream.


    ¡°We¡¯ll release our hostage first,¡± Pi Batian finally spoke up. His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but everyone could hear him clearly.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The swordsman escorting Lan Ying released the shackles on her feet, then shoved her forward. Lan Ying stumbled, then slowly walked toward Zhuo Yifeng and the others.


    ¡°Master, those groundhogs are trying to escape using a teleportation array,¡± another swordsman whispered to Pi Batian.


    Pi Batian wiped his hands with an exquisite red handkerchief. ¡°Let them, they¡¯re useless. Pay special heed to the three cultivators in the front. I¡¯ll skin them¡ªno, leave me the girl.¡± Pi Batian pointed at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°She¡¯ll fetch a good price on the market.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were both ncing at Pi Batian, and they both saw him pointing at her.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, stay behind my back and don¡¯t make any sudden moves.¡± Li Mo could sense that Yun Ruoyan bore an unusual hatred toward Pi Batian, and he was afraid that she would act rashly.


    ¡°They¡¯ve all been sent away,¡± Qin Feng murmured from behind. He stepped forward, his hand on the scabbard of his sword.


    ¡°Master Qin!¡± Only then did Lan Ying spot Qin Feng. Her eyes, which were sunken and sallow, began to brim with tears.


    ¡°Lan Ying!¡± Qin Feng shouted. He stepped forward, shrugging out of his outer robes so she could cover herself up better. ¡°Lan Ying, I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t able to save you earlier.¡±


    But just as Qin Feng was about to make it to Lan Ying¡¯s side, the cloud-swallowing glutton behind her suddenly leapt forward like a bolt of lightning as it morphed into an enormous, pitch-ck, sharp-toothed beast.


    Qin Feng cried out as he flung aside the robes in his hands, unsheathed his sword, and made to strike at the beast.


    Because Zhuo Yifeng was still restraining Pi Yang, he couldn¡¯t attack. Green sword aura shone from underneath Li Mo¡¯s feet as he soared to the skies, intercepting the cloud-swallowing glutton. At the same time, the glutton breathed out a gust of fire toward Li Mo and Qin Feng, which Li Mo blocked with an icy shield conjured using spiritual energy.


    ¡°Split up and attack!¡± The swordsman behind Pi Batianmanded, and the three of them charged toward Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and Qin Feng, confident that they would be able to take all three of them down easily.


    Lie Yun stepped forward and was just about to enter the fray with her throwing knives when Pi Batian stopped her. ¡°Miss Yun, as a guest of the Pi family, I can hardly allow you to sully yourself fighting against these lowly groundhogs. Shall we watch the fight from here instead?¡±


    Lie Yun nced at Pi Batian, his hands sped behind his robes, with seemingly no intention of striking Li Mo¡¯s group directly. ¡°But Pi Yang¡¯s still in their hands!¡±

 Chapter 322: Power of the Talisman

    <h4>Chapter 322: Power of the Talisman</h4>


    ¡°Let him suffer a little, so he knows not to be so impetuous in the future,¡± Pi Batian replied coolly.


    He watched on as Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and Qin Feng began to fight with his three henchmen. Yun Ruoyan drew her Scarlet Eye, changing its length at will. Her movements were so agile and rapid, and her weapon so suited to both short- and mid-range attacks, that she was able to fight on equal footing with her opponent.


    By her side, Zhuo Yifeng held his bow against Pi Yang¡¯s neck, using him as a shield as he traded blows with another henchmen with his spiritual sword.


    The only one who seemed to be having some difficulty was Qin Feng. Over thest three years, his cultivation had essentially stalled, and he had only recently regained his spiritual sword. He wasn¡¯t able to use it as agilely as he used to, and the minor inefficiencies in his actions stacked up over the course of the fight.


    Li Mo was still trying to ovee the cloud-swallowing glutton, which was actually also at the level of a sword saint. It shot out breaths of spiritual me, so potent that only Li Mo¡¯s icy shields could block it¡ªand he had to block it, because it would likely incinerate any of the other three members of his team.


    ¡°Li Mo, Master Qin¡¯s unable to keep going!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, noticing Qin Feng¡¯s struggles from a corner of her eyes as she fought with her opponent.


    Li Mo also noticed this point. Just as he was looking toward Qin Feng, the swordsman fighting against him suddenly released five icicles that shot toward his body.


    Qin Feng was currently defending against one of his sword strikes, and he wasn¡¯t able to react to the icicles shooting toward him. His eyes widened fractionally, but it was toote.


    ¡°Back off!¡± Li Mo suddenly shouted, shoving the icy shield in front of him against the beast in a sudden burst of strength that pushed it back.


    As the beast howled in protest, Li Mo shot a gigantic fireball at the five icicles targeting Qin Feng. The fireball far dwarfed the icicles in size and easily enveloped all of them. Qin Feng¡¯s opponent was overwhelmed by the sudden fireball, and he turned to Li Mo only to find two long, thin icicles piercing through his eyes.


    Before he could scream, the swordsman crumpled to the floor, dead.


    In shock, Lie Yun murmured to Pi Batian, ¡°Aren¡¯t the groundhogs supposed to be weak and useless? Why are these ones so strong?!¡±


    Pi Batian narrowed his eyes and focused on Li Mo. ¡°There are big fish even in a small pond. For example, this cultivator¡¯s a first-rank sword saint. This sort of cultivation would be considered rather decent on the Mingyuan continent, but he¡¯s likely one of the peak existences in his home continent.¡±


    ¡°A peak existence?¡± Lie Yun queried. ¡°Have such advanced groundhogse to our Mingyuan continent before?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Pi Batian replied. ¡°The head of the Zheng household was originally from a low-grade continent, so no matter how long they¡¯ve been on the Mingyuan continent, they¡¯ll still be the lowest of existences. Groundhogs should stay where they came from¡ªfew of them would ever survive trying to findnd here!¡±


    ¡°In that case, why do they stille here?¡± Lie Yun asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to them,¡± Pi Batian replied.


    Lie Yun still had more questions, but Pi Batian forestalled them with a wave of his hand. The two continued to oversee the fight.


    After the cloud-swallowing glutton was pushed back by Li Mo, it quickly attacked him once more. This time, instead of breathing out fire, it used its sharp teeth and ws to repeatedly pounce on and bite him.


    Rather than face it head-on, Li Mo dodged and parried the blows, then rushed to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side. Although she was equally advanced in her cultivation as the swordsman she was facing, she stillcked the endurance to fight for extended periods of time. As the fight dragged out, it was no surprise that her stamina would g.


    Li Mo shot out a pulse of spiritual energy at her opponent as he neared Yun Ruoyan, but he reacted quickly and tried to block it with his sword. As the pulse hit the swordsman¡¯s de, however, it was actually knocked away from his hands due to the impact. Yun Ruoyan took the opportunity to direct the Scarlet Eye out of her hands and into his heart.


    Because of how hot the Scarlet Eye was, the wound cauterized in an instant and left a patch of smoking, charred flesh on his corpse.


    ¡°Go help Zhuo Yifeng,¡± Li Mo instructed.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yun Ruoyan rushed to his side and helped him against the ninth-rank demaster he was facing, while Qin Feng retreated with Lan Ying.


    With Yun Ruoyan¡¯s help, Zhuo Yifeng was far less encumbered than before. Despite his advantage in cultivation, the two eighth-rank demasters found that they were more than sufficient to deal with the enemy ninth-rank.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless,¡± Pi Yang called out, his face having turned somewhat green after being smacked around so many times during the fight. ¡°These swordsmen are just dogs raised by the Pi family. It¡¯s pointless even if you kill them all, because you¡¯ll all die once my brother makes his move!¡±


    ¡°Then why isn¡¯t he attacking?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s just enjoying the show! Once he¡¯s had enough, he¡¯ll strike¡ªand once that happens, you¡¯re all dead. If you stop fighting now, I might consider begging for mercy on your behalf for him to spare your lives,¡± Pi Yang replied. His voice was arrogant, but not umonly so, and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t suspect the veracity of his words.


    ¡°Worry about yourself!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted. She, Li Mo, Zhuo Yifeng, and Qin Feng all had teleportation scrolls, and they would be able to escape even if all hope seemed lost. However, there were only four such scrolls, and they couldn¡¯t bring Lan Ying along with them, so Qin Feng would have to escort her away through the teleportation array.


    ¡°That blockhead¡¯s running away with the woman!¡± Lie Yun eximed.


    Pi Batian nced toward Qin Feng and Lan Ying, as well as the shing array not too far from them. With a cruel smirk, he threw a paper talisman toward the array. It grew during its flight, speeding toward the array as though it were an eagle. Once it arrived, it shot out a bolt of lightning, causing the gathered spiritual energy in the array to dissipate. The array itself vanished from existence.


    Everyone was shocked by the power that Pi Batian had disyed, even Li Mo. He had heard from the first elder how strong such talismans and amulets could be. The amulet that Yun Ruoyan had given him was the first that he had ever seen, but he didn¡¯t realize that they had such strong destructive power as well¡ªa small piece of paper contained such potent spiritual energy that it could destroy in one shot an array that he and the first elder, both sword saints, had spent a whole day and night to construct!


    Qin Feng and Lan Ying both made identical expressions of shock, dismay, and despair as they froze midway toward the portal.


    ¡°Lan Ying, take this! It¡¯s a teleportation scroll!¡± Qin Feng removed the scroll from his robes and handed it to her. ¡°Tear it now, and you¡¯ll be sent back home.¡±


    ¡°A teleportation scroll?¡± Lan Ying took the scroll. ¡°We¡¯ll leave together.¡±


    ¡°It can only teleport one person at a time, so leave on your own first. I¡¯ll stay with Li Mo and the others. Leave!¡± Qin Feng urged.


    Lan Ying sensed Qin Feng¡¯s unusual urgency and was just about to press him further when she felt a throbbing in her chest, then the metallic tang of warm blood in her mouth.Her legs turned to jelly, and she slid to the ground as though she were a deted balloon.


    ¡°Lan Ying! What¡¯s wrong with you? Lan Ying!¡± Qin Feng shouted.


    Lan Ying continued to vomit out blood, and a purplish-ck handprint slowly revealed itself on her chest.


    ¡°Pi Batian!¡± Lan Ying turned toward the red-haired man, still watching the fight from above, in fury and indignity. It was thest sight she would ever see. Her eyes rolled back, her head slumped, and she died.


    ¡°Lan Ying, Lan Ying!¡± Qin Feng loudly shouted her name, but to no avail. He too turned to Pi Batian.


    ¡°Brother Tian, what happened to that woman?¡± Lie Yun asked, not understanding the situation.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead,¡± Pi Batian replied coolly. ¡°Anyone who dares threaten me in this world will die, let alone a bunch of lowly groundhogs.¡±


    He took out an exquisite silk handkerchief and began wiping down his fingers carefully. When Lan Ying had been brought through the portal, Pi Batian had touched her back lightly. She hadn¡¯t felt anything, but Pi Batian had actually infused his domineering spiritual energy into her body. Only now did it strike, ravaging her heart and giving her certain death.


    ¡°Pi Batian!¡± Qin Feng shouted at the red-haired man, his eyes bloodshot. All the indignity he had suffered over thest three years shed by his eyes¡ªthe deaths of the two other male instructors by his henchmen, of his senior students in his horrifying game of hunter and prey, and now Lan Ying!


    Qin Feng felt as though the hatred in his chest would explode out of his body and be given physical form. In the past, in order to protect his sixteen students, he had lived like a coward. Now that they had all been sent away, Qin Feng had no further obligations holding him back. Lan Ying¡¯s death was the catalyst for his transformation.


    Heid her lifeless body gently on the ground, then stood up. He pointed at Pi Batian with his broadsword, growling, ¡°If I don¡¯t kill you, I¡¯m not a man!¡±

 Chapter 323: Li Mo’s Injury

    <h4>Chapter 323: Li Mo¡¯s Injury</h4>


    ¡°Brother Tian, that big oaf¡¯s challenging you!¡± Lie Yun eximed, her voice equal parts mocking and disdainful, as though she were telling him a joke.


    They actually have teleportation scrolls?! Pi Batian thought to himself, ncing at the scroll in Lan Ying¡¯s hands. As far as he knew, about a millennium ago, the demonic dragon n and silver dragon n had a great war over the control of the high-grade Jiyuan continent. After the demonic dragons suffered a disastrous defeat at the hand of the silver dragons, they were expelled to the low-grade realms.


    Subsequently, the silver dragon ns made use of the groundhogs popting the lower realms to exterminate all the demonic dragons. Along with their downfall came the disappearance of the advanced cultivation arts.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that these groundhogs, barely of note at all to him, would both be able to construct a teleportation array as well as inscribe rather high-quality teleportation scrolls.


    His interest sufficiently piqued, Pi Batian kept his red handkerchief in his robes. ¡°It¡¯s time for the finale of the show. I have a banqueting up at night, and it wouldn¡¯t do to miss it,¡± he murmured almost to himself.


    Only then did he finally step forward.


    ¡°Brother Tian, be careful not to hurt Pi Yang!¡± Lie Yun instructed.


    Meanwhile, Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng had finally killed the ninth-rank demaster they were fighting, striking lethal wounds on his body at almost the same time.


    As they each pulled out their spiritual swords, the swordsman¡¯s body crumpled to the ground.


    ¡°Master Qin,e back!¡± the two of them shouted at Qin Feng, who was clutching his sword as he walked toward Pi Batian. He had tossed his teleportation scroll aside.


    With Qin Feng¡¯s ninth-rank demaster cultivation, going against Pi Batian¡¯s second-rank sword saint cultivation was nothing less than walking to his death! Pi Batian was slowly walking toward Qin Feng as well.


    ¡°Pi Batian, you¡¯d better stop, or I¡¯ll kill your brother!¡± Zhuo Yifeng called out. With the bowstring taut against his neck, Pi Yang¡¯s face had turned a garish purple.


    ¡°Brother, save me!¡± Pi Yang croaked out, and Pi Batian finally stopped moving.


    ¡°Pi Batian, you had no intention of exchanging hostages at all!¡± Yun Ruoyan remarked angrily.


    ¡°Why should I give any of you lowly groundhogs anything?¡± Pi Batian replied coolly. ¡°You¡¯re nothing more than corpses to my eyes. To trade with the dead would be the height of idiocy.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng snorted. ¡°Before we be corpses, it looks like your brother will be one first!¡± He pulled the bowstring even tighter around Pi Yang¡¯s neck, causing his veins to throb. It looked as though he would suffocate at any moment.


    ¡°You¡¯d best stop,¡± Pi Batian replied, his voice calm and even despite his brother¡¯s panicked expression. ¡°There are many ways to die. If you let my brother go now, I¡¯ll let you die a quick and painless death, but if you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll wish you were dead.¡±


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, loosen up!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, noticing that Pi Yang¡¯s eyes were bulging and his fingers scrabbling against Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bowstring.


    Zhuo Yifeng finally relented. Pi Yang gasped for breath and turned to Yun Ruoyan, a look of gratitude on his face. Yun Ruoyan only nced at him coolly before facing Pi Batian once more.


    Although Pi Batian had stopped, Qin Feng hadn¡¯t.


    When Li Mo saw Qin Feng¡¯s grief, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little anxious. He encased his arms in thick, cial ice, then tried to smash in the cloud-swallowing glutton¡¯s head. However, it was so sturdy that, despite Li Mo¡¯s best efforts, it was able to shake off his blows with only a momentary hesitation. Then, its eyes turned red and it spat out another ming breath at him.


    Rather than shield himself in ice, Li Mo unsheathed his sword. He blocked the beast¡¯s attack with one arm encased with ice, then struck at the heart of the mes with his other. The beast¡¯s howl instantly drew everyone¡¯s attention: the mes quickly dispersed, leaving Li Mo¡¯s arm totally within the pitch-ck beast¡¯s maw.


    From appearances alone, it seemed as though the beast had bitten Li Mo¡¯s arm off, but when Li Mo slowly extracted his arm from the beast¡¯s maw, the crowd saw that Li Mo¡¯ sde was dripping with blood.


    The beast hadn¡¯t died, but it slowly retreated, spitting out mouthfuls of me and blood as it did so. Clearly, Li Mo had given it a serious injury.


    ¡°Pi Lie, return,¡± Pi Batian called out to his beast, who transformed back into the size of a hound and fled through the portal.


    Instead of giving chase, Li Mo dashed toward Qin Feng. A sudden crack sounded in mid-air, and a sh of light, like a bolt of lightning, flew toward Li Mo. Li Mo had to drop to the ground to evade the attack. He nced at Pi Batian and noticed a long, red whip in his hand, and the sh of light just now had been from his whip.


    Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, and Zhuo Yifeng all focused on the whip. Pi Batian cracked it again; this time, his target was the man walking steadfastly toward him, Qin Feng.


    Qin Feng raised the broadsword in his hand and tried to swing it down at Pi Batian.


    ¡°Qin Feng, stop!¡± Li Mo shouted, but it was toote. The moment the broadsword in his hands made contact with Pi Batian¡¯s red whip, it was knocked away. With a flick of his wrist, Pi Batian then tangled Qin Feng up.


    ¡°Master Qin!¡± Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng both shouted simultaneously. Yun Ruoyan strode forward with her Scarlet Eye, but Pi Batian, whose whip had already trapped Qin Feng, somehow managed to make a copy of it that snapped at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head.


    Yun Ruoyan wouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge the attack at such close range, but she didn¡¯t feel any shred of pain¡ªbecause, right as it was about to hit her, Li Mo had rushed forward and took the blow for her.


    The moment that whip hit Li Mo, the ice on his arm cracked, and his arm was instantly yed open.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Li Mo replied, grimacing. ¡°I¡¯m not a match for this person, so we have to leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°Then what about Master Qin?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. He was still tangled up by Pi Batian¡¯s whip.


    ¡°We can¡¯t die trying to save him,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Tell Zhuo Yifeng to tear his scroll. We¡¯re leaving!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew that, despite the fact that they still had Pi Yang as a hostage, they wouldn¡¯t be able to rescue Master Qin. Leaving was the only rational strategy.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, we¡¯re going to leave!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted. Zhuo Yifeng frowned at Yun Ruoyan, and it was obvious that he was very reluctant to do so. He still had Pi Yang in his hands, and he thought that it was worth a gamble.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, listen to me!¡± She thought that Li Mo was about to give up on Qin Feng, but Li Mo suddenly said to Pi Batian, ¡°We can let your brother go, but you can¡¯t kill Qin Feng. In half a year¡¯s time, I¡¯ll find you in the Mingyuan continent, and I¡¯ll rescue Qin Feng from your hands then!¡±


    As Li Mo spoke, he tore his teleportation scroll apart. Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng mirrored his actions, and the three of them were all engulfed by a beam of white light.


    ¡°What insolence,¡± Pi Batian murmured, looking at them. ¡°If you want to court death so badly, I¡¯ll do as you wish. No harm killing him then, along with all of you.¡±


    ¡°You fool!¡± Pi Yang shouted toward Yun Ruoyan. Zhuo Yifeng had kicked him aside, and hey on the ground. ¡°If you daree back, you¡¯ll die for sure!¡±


    Their vision became obscured by the blinding white light, shining brighter and brighter. By the time the motes of light vanished, Yun Ruoyan and the others were back in the southern tower.


    They were surrounded by the sixteen students, and the first elder was right there with them.


    ¡°Master Mo, where¡¯s Master Qin?¡±


    ¡°And where¡¯s Master Lan? I was thest to leave, so I saw her! Where are they?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t know how to respond to their questions, and they both hung their heads in shame.


    ¡°Master Lan is dead, and Master Qin was captured,¡± Li Mo replied, his voice weary.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Master Lan¡¯s dead, and Master Qin¡­! Those damned outworlders, we can¡¯t forgive them!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll definitely rescue Master Qin,¡± Zhuo Yifeng promised. ¡°And we¡¯ll kill that Pi Batian!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan clutched Li Mo¡¯s arm. She could see that half his robes were drenched in fresh blood, and his face was unusually pale.


    ¡°First Elder,¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, ¡°Li Mo¡¯s hurt!¡±


    The first elder rushed over, sending the gathered students away. ¡°Have these students take some of the empty rooms in the central college for now,¡± he told Zhuo Yifeng.


    Zhuo Yifeng nodded, nced briefly at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s troubled and anxious expression, then left with the gathered crowd. She was so focused on Li Mo that she didn¡¯t notice his gaze.


    ¡°First Elder, how¡¯s Li Mo?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    The first elder frowned as he took Li Mo¡¯s pulse, his face severe. ¡°The wound itself isn¡¯t anything difficult to deal with, but the spiritual energy of the man who hurt Li Mo is particrly domineering. Although Li Mo managed to block most of the attack, his body¡¯s currently being ravaged by that foreign spiritual energy, and¡ª¡±


    Before the first elder could finish, Li Mo spat out a mouthful of blood.

 Chapter 324: Treatment

    <h4>Chapter 324: Treatment</h4>


    ¡°Li Mo, are you alright?¡± When she saw Li Mo spit out blood, even Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t remain calm.


    Li Mo weakly shook his head, then shut his eyes and fainted. Yun Ruoyan and the first elder carried him into the first elder¡¯s meditation chamber, where the first elder gave Li Mo a spiritual pill, then ced his palms on his chest and infused spiritual energy into him to help him treat his wounds. After one whole day and night, the first elder finally stopped the treatment.


    Yun Ruoyan checked on Li Mo, but his unhealthy pallor hadn¡¯t yet lifted.


    ¡°First Elder, what¡¯s wrong with Li Mo?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked the first elder, who had seemed to grow far older over the span of the day.


    ¡°I protected his heart with my spiritual energy, but his opponent¡¯s technique is exceedingly strange. His spiritual energy is still running rampant within Li Mo¡¯s body, and I can¡¯t seem to restrict its flow.¡± The first elder frowned and nced at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Protecting his heart is only a stopgap measure, and even I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen in the future. Ruoyan, just what kind of opponent did you two meet?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan forced herself to remain calm as she recounted her experience in the strange realm.


    ¡°Pi Batian¡ªyou actually encountered Pi Batian?!¡± The first elder seemed exceedingly shocked. Clearly, he was familiar with this Pi Batian.


    ¡°First Elder, can you tell me more about him?¡±


    ¡°I fought with him as well, and I barely escaped with my life!¡± Apparently, the first elder had encountered Pi Batian when he had gone into the otherworld, and he had suffered a significant defeat at his hands.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help inquiring about the incident further, and the first elder told her an ount he had never revealed to anyone before. He had arrived in the alternate dimension onnd owned by the Pi family. The outworlders had a very negative impression of these lowly groundhogs from lower realms, and the Pi household was one of the most outspoken against them.


    No matter their cultivation nor their status on the Chenyuan continent, the cultivators from the Chenyuan continent were nothing more than ves the moment they entered the Mingyuan continent. In their servitude, they had all done the most menial of tasks, and it was their pride that caused the first elder, Yun Lan, and the others who had gone to the Chenyuan continent to be so reluctant to reveal what awaited her there.


    After all, they were all among the top cultivators on the Chenyuan continent, so how could they reveal that there was a time when they had essentially been enved? Killing them would be more preferable!


    The first elder said that his first job was to tend for horses in the Pi family stables. One time, Pi Batian brought a young boy with him to the stables, seeking a horse to practice archery in the fields.


    Right after the boy had gotten on a horse, it suddenly reared up and knocked him down. Despite being young, the boy was already a cultivator, so he wasn¡¯t particrly injured. Since the child didn¡¯t look to be hurt, the first elder wasn¡¯t particrly concerned about his fall. He stepped forward and helped the child up.


    What he wasn¡¯t expecting was that, the moment he touched the child, a red whip shed by his head. At the time, the first elder was a peak ninth-rank demaster, just a small step from being a sword saint.


    As a result, he was able to dodge the sudden blow. When Pi Batian noticed that he actually managed to dodge his attack, he was so interested that he jumped off his horse and began to fight the first elder in earnest.


    As was to be expected, the first elder lost the battle. He was struck by Pi Batian¡¯s whip countless times, but because Pi Batian didn¡¯t have any killing intent, the first elder managed to survive his wounds.


    ¡°At the time, I was about the same age as Li Mo. A peak ninth-rank demaster might have been at the apex of cultivators on the Chenyuan continent, but Pi Batian was both younger and more advanced in cultivation than I was,¡± the first elder sighed.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°Elder, are you certain that Pi Batian was only a little younger than you were at the time?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What of it?¡±


    ¡°The Pi Batian that we saw didn¡¯t look much older than Li Mo. He still looked like a young male in his twenties or thirties, but shouldn¡¯t he be about my father¡¯s age by now?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± The first elder took a seat and continued, ¡°When you be a sword saint, your body¡¯s natural aging process will be elongated, and ten years to a regr human might only be a year or two for you. Pi Batian became a sword saint earlier than I did, and it makes sense that he also looks much younger. His actual age is probably no different from your father¡¯s.¡±


    He then told Yun Ruoyan that Pi Batian¡¯s blow this time was certainly designed to kill. Hoping against hope, Yun Ruoyan asked the first elder if he knew of a potential remedy to Li Mo¡¯s ails, but he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve tried my best. Li Mo¡¯s been heavily injured in the past as well, but he¡¯s always survived his injuries on his own. This time, he¡¯ll have to count on himself as well.¡±


    Because the first elder had expended so much spiritual energy to help Li Mo, he had to go into secluded cultivation, leaving Yun Ruoyan as the only one by Li Mo¡¯s side.


    Li Moy silently on the futon, his beautiful eyes closed. Except for the slow, steady rise and fall of his chest, he could have passed for a corpse.


    Yun Ruoyan took Li Mo by the hand, only to find that it was colder than she could ever recall. Fear and despair warred in her heart, as though she were about to lose the most vital, important part of her life.


    ¡°Li Mo, you have to be alright! You can¡¯t leave me alone, you can¡¯t!¡± Yun Ruoyan clutched Li Mo¡¯s face, stood up, then leaned down and kissed his lips. Just as her lips touched his, Yun Ruoyan suddenly thought that she felt him react.


    ¡°Li Mo, are you awake? Have you woken up? If you have, won¡¯t you open your eyes and look at me?¡±


    She gazed unblinkingly at Li Mo, certain that she had seen him open his eyes at least a little. Now, however, his eyes were tightly shut once more. Thinking that she had been seeing things, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but tear up. Her tears rolled down her face and impinged on Li Mo¡¯s lips, and Yun Ruoyan leaned down to kiss him again.


    This time, Yun Ruoyan clearly saw Li Mo opening his eyes for real¡ªonly a little, but she was certain that he had indeed reacted. When she kissed Li Mo, she could feel a slight suction from his lips: Li Mo was kissing her back!


    Not daring to let go, Yun Ruoyan continued kissing him, and Li Mo¡¯s eyes finally widened to their usual size. He slowly raised an arm and tightly hugged Yun Ruoyan¡¯s small body, his icy hands skimming over her cheeks. They were initially quite cold, but slowly regained their usual temperature.


    ¡°Li Mo, you¡ª¡± Yun Ruoyan was shocked and surprised that Li Mo had woken up, and it didn¡¯t seem as though his body was greatly affected.


    She was just about to inform the first elder of the good news when Li Mo caught her, keeping her body flush against his. ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t go. I need you to help treat me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced at Li Mo¡¯s face. His cheeks were a healthy red, but it seemed as though they were being overtaken by white once more, and his body¡¯s temperature was in sharp decline. ¡°Li Mo, what do I have to do?¡±


    Li Mo hugged Yun Ruoyan tightly, his voice weak. ¡°I need to make love to you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes wide, incredulous. ¡°You¡­ How would that help?! Your current condition¡­¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, please believe me. It¡¯ll help,¡± Li Mo replied weakly but surely. As their gazes met, she nodded at Li Mo. She would certainly ask him to exin himself in the future, but as long as she could save Li Mo¡­ It didn¡¯t seem like a big deal; after all, they were already husband and wife.


    She drew the curtains around the bed, then slowly undressed herself, revealing her jade-white skin and supple, lithe body. With her deft hands, she removed Li Mo¡¯s outer garments to expose his cold, firm chest. His damaged arm had been bandaged, and Yun Ruoyan was very careful to avoid it.


    Just as she did so, Li Mo pulled her into an embrace with his unhurt arm. It was only then that she really believed his words: as they remained in each other¡¯s grasp, coupling with each other, Yun Ruoyan could sense his vitality and energy slowly recovering.


    She was rather confused and disconcerted by the fact. ¡°Li Mo, what on earth¡ª¡±


    Li Mo interrupted her words with a kiss. ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t ask me anything for the moment. I promise I¡¯ll reveal everything to you, but not now.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan gradually sank into a warm ocean¡¯s embrace, the same feeling she had experienced during the night of her wedding with Li Mo. It was warm andfortable, sofortable that she found herself rxing...

 Chapter 325: It Was You!

    <h4>Chapter 325: It Was You!</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan woke up in the crook of Li Mo¡¯s arm. When she did so, Li Mo was still sound asleep, his silver-white hair tangled against her ck. His skin was as pale as snow, almost translucent, but his lips so red they looked like they might bleed at any moment.


    Despite this not being her first time seeing Li Mo¡¯s true appearance, Yun Ruoyan was still shocked that such a beautiful man could exist. She found that his appearance was more and more stunning each time, as though his beauty was only deepening.


    Finally sensing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ardent gaze, Li Mo slowly opened his eyes to reveal icy blue pupils, likekes reflecting the starry sky.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Li Mo murmured, a tiny smile dancing by his lips.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m awake.¡± The man in front of her was a man she was entirely familiar with, but her heart couldn¡¯t help galloping at a fric pace, as though she were seeing her sweetheart for the first time.


    Li Mo sat upright. The nket slid off his upper half-body, revealing his firm muscles and snowy-white skin. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help thinking back to how it had looked the night prior, glistening with sweat, and her face blushed even redder.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,e over here.¡± Li Mo stretched a hand out toward her, pulling her into his embrace. It was only then that Yun Ruoyan remembered that he was still injured, but he didn¡¯t look anything like it from his expression.


    ¡°Li Mo, aren¡¯t you hurt?¡± Yun Ruoyan nced skeptically at him, her voice quavering. ¡°The first elder said that you received a grievous wound. That Pi Batian was trying to kill you!¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m really alright now.¡± Li Mo hugged her even more tightly. ¡°Here, look!¡±


    Li Mo showed her his bandaged arm, glowing with a cool blue light. Ice encased his bandage, then cracked apart and splintered to reveal an unblemished arm.


    ¡°You¡ªyou¡¯re really alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes wide, almost unable to believe what she was seeing. ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming, am I? All we did was¡­ sleep together!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan asionally did dream, and her dream visions were so realistic it would be easy to mistake them from reality. When this incredulous sight unfolded in front of her, she couldn¡¯t help wondering if she had fallen into one of her episodes.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not a dream.¡± Li Mo lowered his head and gave her a kiss, one whose warmth she could clearly feel.


    ¡°Li Mo, you¡¯re really better now! I was frightened half to death!¡± Yun Ruoyany against his chest, a tiny bit of fear and trepidation still lingering in her voice. She had always thought of Li Mo as near-invincible; except for the first time they met, when she had seen him quite seriously injured, this was the first time she had seen any other injury on his body.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, I do have to give thanks to you, or I might really not have recovered.¡±


    ¡°Me? What did I do?¡± Li Mo had asked for her help, then had sex with her. Could this be what he had been referring to? The moment she had that errant thought, she shook her head. No, that¡¯s impossible!


    Li Mo spoke before she could overthink matters any further. ¡°Yan¡¯er, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wanting to tell you, but I¡¯ve never found a good opportunity to do so¡ªno, that¡¯s not right. There¡¯ve been a few opportunities, but I don¡¯t know how to bring it up to you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why don¡¯t you know how to bring it up?¡± Li Mo¡¯s words had sparked Yun Ruoyan¡¯s curiosity, and she sat up all of a sudden.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m afraid,¡± Li Mo replied truthfully. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be angry once you know the truth, then leave me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t know you were scared of anything!¡±


    ¡°I never was, until now,¡± Li Mo replied seriously.


    Yun Ruoyan leaned down again, right next to him. ¡°I¡¯m yours now, so what¡¯re you afraid of?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mine now,¡± Li Mo sighed, repeating her words as though freed from some great burden. ¡°You once said that you didn¡¯t want there to be any secrets between us. You¡¯ve already told me all your secrets, so I shouldn¡¯t hide anything from you either. Even if you¡¯ll get mad, I can¡¯t bring myself to hide this any longer. But¡ªYan¡¯er, please promise me not to leave me. You can get angry and beat and scold me, you can attack me in any manner you want, but please don¡¯t leave.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. What matter could there be to make Li Mo so serious? Could he have been keeping a mistress on the side? That surely wasn¡¯t something that could be resolved by a simple fight.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, I first approached you with an ulterior motive.¡±


    The confession broke Yun Ruoyan¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Motive? What motive?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan clearly remembered the first time she had seen Li Mo, back when she was still the ugly second miss of the Yun family. She was neither favored by her family nor had a maiden¡¯s good looks, so what could Li Mo have approached her for?


    ¡°Because I wanted your body.¡± Li Mo looked at Yun Ruoyan, his palmnding on her shoulder, his pale blue eyes glowing as though fire burned within an icy prison.


    Li Mo¡¯s words and current appearance caused Yun Ruoyan to blush again, but his subsequent words were something she could never have expected. ¡°The reason I wanted your body wasn¡¯t because I fell in love with you at first sight. In fact, I didn¡¯t like you at the beginning,¡± Li Mo continued. ¡°The reason I wanted your body was because of your unique constitution, which would be very helpful for my cultivation.¡±


    ¡°My¡­ constitution? What constitution?¡±


    Li Mo exined to her that she was a human furnace. ¡°Those born with this unique constitution always turn out to be immensely talented demasters, one with a natural advantage no other cultivator can best: experiencing no bottlenecks during their cultivation. Furthermore, this constitution is unusually resistant to poison, and this exins how you were able to survive despite being poisoned with the carmine embrace.¡±


    Li M outlook a deep breath. ¡°Not only that, coupling with someone who possesses this unique cultivation would greatly aid me in breaking through my own bottlenecks.¡±


    Li Mo told Yun Ruoyan that, before he knew that she was a human furnace, he had been stuck as a ninth-rank demaster for over two years, never able to find a chance to break through. When he found out about her unique constitution, he couldn¡¯t help wanting to couple with her.


    His arms looped around her body tightly after his admission, the first time in his life that the ughtering King had felt such fear. His heart thumped as he stared into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes for any sign of a reaction.


    ¡°You mena, it was when we consummated our wedding that you broke through to the ranks of a sword saint?¡± Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t jump up nor be furious; her words were unusually calm.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°After almost three years as a ninth-rank demaster, unable to break through, my spiritual energy frothed the moment Iid with you, and my bottleneck disappeared as though it had never been present.¡±


    ¡°And the reason you were able to recover from your life-threatening injury so quickly was also because of my constitution?¡± she continued.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Li Mo responded. ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected that your constitution would also confer such a benefit. Pi Batian¡¯s spiritual energy is unusually domineering, and I was battling against its invasion while unconscious. I tried to force it out of my body, but I was no match for it. However, the moment you kissed me, the moment your body got close to mine, my spiritual energy seemed boundlessly vigorous once more.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s initial shock had turned into her usual cool, contemtive mask, but it was thisck of reaction that most frightened Li Mo. If she were angrier, if she had interrogated him about her deception or used him of malicious intent, he would have felt quite a bit better.


    But since Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t volunteer any questions, Li Mo could only continue pleading his case. ¡°Initially, I was worried that doing so might hurt your body. I would have stopped immediately the moment you showed any sign of difort, but you seemed to be rather¡­ enjoying the process.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned her head aside.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, I¡¯ve hidden this from you, and it¡¯s entirely my fault. As long as you¡¯re willing to forgive me, I¡¯ll do whatever I can to make it up to you, but I won¡¯t let you leave! No matter what, you¡¯re already my consort, in life and in death!¡±


    When Li Mo was finished, he nced hopefully at Yun Ruoyan, but her face was still turned away. In the end, she finally broke the pregnant silence. ¡°Li Mo, when did you first start liking me?¡±


    Almost without thinking, Li Mo replied, ¡°It was during the empress¡¯ flower-viewing banquet. You wore a ridiculously ugly birthmark, but your grace and confidence spoke of so much more. It was then that I thought you were far more than you seemed at first nce. Then, in the pool hidden deep within the de of phoenix orchids, I saw your true appearance, and I almost had my way with you then¡­¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s words suddenly triggered one of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s memories. When Li Mo brought up the flower-viewing banquet and the pond hidden deep within the de, a man¡¯s face, d in otherworldly beauty, appeared in her mind¡¯s eye.


    Yun Ruoyan broke free from Li Mo¡¯s grasp. ¡°So that man was you!¡±

 Chapter 326: A Candid Confession

    <h4>Chapter 326: A Candid Confession</h4>


    Back in the phoenix-orchid de at the empress¡¯ flower-viewing party, Yun Ruoyan had been drugged with an aphrodisiac, and her mind was all muddled up. As she ran away from her assant, she found that she had lost almost all impression of the man who was about to take advantage of her. All she remembered was that Qiuqiu had helped her out in the nick of time.


    But now that Li Mo brought the matter up, she suddenly seemed to be able to recognize her assant clearly¡ªit was Li Mo himself!


    ¡°No wonder! At the time, I was just an ugly girl, shunned by the scions of the other noble families. There was nothing exceptional about me, so why would the ughtering King himself pay me so much attention?¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed. Whenever she had needed any assistance, Li Mo had always been there for her.


    At the time, she had been very concerned about Li Mo¡¯s unusual interest in her, but now she understood everything. The reason Li Mo had saved her and treated her so well was because her cultivation was of use to him.


    It was this line of reasoning that caused her facade to crumble. Howlughable she was! Given her looks, how could she have believed that Li Mo was interested in her for herself?


    When Li Mo saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bitterness and self-derision, he became anxious. ¡°Yan¡¯er, wait, hear me out! Do you remember that time when you were snatched away by a centipede demon during your grandmother¡¯s birthday celebration?¡±


    Of course she did. Li Mo had suddenly appeared out of nowhere to save her, and the two of them spent a long night in the forest of dead souls. That was when Yun Ruoyan had first seen Li Mo¡¯s true body.


    ¡°I remember. What of it?¡±


    ¡°I was hurt and fell into the depths of theke. Although I was powerless, my consciousness didn¡¯t leave me, and I had full awareness of what was going on,¡± Li Mo replied rapidly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t surprised when you pushed me away; at that time, I was still trying to take advantage of you. But while Iy on thekebed waiting to recover, I saw you reappear in my vision.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head was buried between her knees, and Li Mo reached out to direct her vision upwards. From his eyes, Yun Ruoyan could sense his deep-seated affection for her, something that couldn¡¯t be made up.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, do you still remember the story of the little boy that I once told you?¡± Li Mo said. ¡°I was that boy. From a young age, I learned not to trust others, because they would always discard me when I most needed help. Contrary to my expectations, however, you risked your life toe back for me. From then on, I swore I would take care of you if you stayed by my side.¡±


    Li Mo breathed out. He didn¡¯t think he had ever said so much in one go, even as a naive, innocent child. By the time he was finished, he felt more tired than he would have been if he had ughtered ten magical beasts in a row, but his heart was lighter than ever.


    Li Mo was an excellent liar, one who could lie to anyone on the continent. Even the Empress Xue Tong couldn¡¯t fully detect his inner feelings. But when he was faced against Yun Ruoyan, the woman that he cherished with his life, it suddenly became far harder to lie to her, but also far harder to tell her the truth.


    Li Mo looked at Yun Ruoyan, as though awaiting her final judgment. Yun Ruoyan looked back at her husband, the man to whom she had given her body, whom she loved and was facing nude. He looked at her with the eyes of an innocent child, baring his deepest thoughts to her as his inhibitions wrought of age and maturity fell away.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart softened. In her past life, she had learned what she cherished most. Inparison to events of the past, she would rather focus on the present and future.


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± she finally said.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Li Mo drew closer to her, his icy-blue eyes staring unblinkingly at her, waiting for her to continue.


    ¡°Once, I told you that if you were to betray me, I would leave you and never be with you again, in this or any future life. Do you remember that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Li Mo¡¯s heart sank, and panic overwhelmed him.


    ¡°In that case, let me revise my words. Li Mo, from now on, if you ever dare betray me, I¡¯ll leave you and never be with you again, in this or any future life!¡± Yun Ruoyan enunciated each and every word carefully.


    Li Mo gaped. It took him some time to react, and he finally ced his palms gently on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Yan¡¯er, do you mean that you don¡¯t me me for hiding your constitution from you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded her head, then shook it. Eventually, she sighed. ¡°When I learned of the deception, I was really very angry. No girl wants to be treated like a tool, but if I were in your shoes, I would probably have done the same thing. I don¡¯t think I can me your desire to be strong. As for the fact that you didn¡¯t reveal it to me beforehand, well, it¡¯s lucky you only did it after I developed deep feelings for you, or I really might have left you behind in a fit of impulse. But what can I do now? I like you so much that I can¡¯t even bear to get mad at you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had to admit that it was far more difficult than she had anticipated to get mad at Li Mo, especially when she was looking at his inhuman beauty.


    She sighed exasperatedly. ¡°Li Mo, if you don¡¯t betray me, I suspect I¡¯ll stick to you forever.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, those are my thoughts exactly.¡± Li Mo finally rxed, once again leaning in for an embrace. It was only then that they had truly bared their hearts to each other, for once and for all.


    Deep in her heart, Yun Ruoyan felt rather lucky that she had such a unique constitution, or Li Mo wouldn¡¯t have paid any attention to her. And if she didn¡¯t possess such a constitution, then she could have done nothing for Li Mo despite his grievous injuries.


    What if the reason the heavens had seen fit to impart her with this constitution was so she could meet Li Mo? Why had the heavens chosen to revive her, and not anyone else?


    The first elder had judged that Li Mo¡¯s injury would keep him at death¡¯s door, so it was extremely shocking to see him hale and hearty after just two days of secluded cultivation. But when he recalled that Yun Ruoyan was a human furnace, he quickly understood what had happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re healed.¡± The first elder patted Li Mo¡¯s shoulders. He had been worrying about how to reveal the news to the empress, but now that problem had resolved itself without his doing anything.


    Yun Ruoyan was initially worried that the first elder would question his sudden recovery, but he didn¡¯t seem particrly interested in the subject. Yun Ruoyan let out a breath, thinking that she had dodged a bullet.


    ¡°Ah, Ruoyan,¡± the first elder suddenly began. ¡°Will you leave us for a moment? I¡¯d like to have a few words with Li Mo.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, nced at Li Mo, then walked out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Master?¡± Li Mo asked. If the first elder was going as far as to send Ruoyan away, then he surely had something important to tell him that needed to remain secret.


    ¡°I have something that I need to discuss with you.¡± The first elder¡¯s tone suddenly turned mysterious. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide it from Ruoyan, but it¡¯s more appropriate for you to be talking to her about it personally.¡±


    After about ten minutes, Li Mo finally left the first elder¡¯s meditation chambers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan out of the southern tower.


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°To your cottage by the cliffside.¡± A green light shed by Li Mo¡¯s feet, and he soared there with Yun Ruoyan in tow.


    Yun Ruoyan saw quite a few students below her, realizing that her vacation had passed in the blink of an eye. Before her, there were about a dozen sword auras hovering above Kongming Academy¡¯s main za¡ªthe senior students of Kongming Academy were transporting the junior students, who didn¡¯t yet have ess to swordflight, up the mountain.


    Yun Ruoyan noted quite a few familiar faces, Zhuo Yifeng, Lin Qingxue, and Lin Qingchen among them. Lin Qingchen was being brought up the mountain by a senior student, whereas Lin Qingxue rode with Zhuo Yifeng.


    She wouldn¡¯t have had a problem with Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue being together beforehand, but ever since Zhuo Yifeng revealed that he didn¡¯t actually like Lin Qingxue, Yun Ruoyan became very upset at seeing them together.


    She thought that, if they really didn¡¯t have feelings for each other, that it would be better for them to stay farther apart. If they continued behaving in such an ambiguous manner, it was almost certain that one of them would be hurt, and that person would surely be Lin Qingxue.


    I need to talk to Lin Qingxue one of these days¡­ no, it might be better to approach Zhuo Yifeng instead.


    Although Lin Qingxue seemed carefree and easygoing, she knew quite well how stubborn she could be. Trying to convince her of something wouldn¡¯t be an easy task, and she would have to approach the problem by appealing to Zhuo Yifeng.


    She was very distracted during the rest of the flight back to her cottage. Once Li Monded, he pulled her into the cottage and sat her down.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Li Mo?¡± Yun Ruoyan nced curiously at him. ¡°What did the first elder tell you?¡±


    Li Mo sat down opposite her. ¡°Yan¡¯er, the first elder just imparted me with a spiritual technique.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yun Ruoyan seemed to have a revtion. ¡°No wonder the first elder asked me to step aside. It was a secret technique, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Li Mo affirmed. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a secret technique. More specifically, it¡¯s half a secret technique; the other half is thought to have been lost. Master just realized that he had seen the missing half within his vaults, and then he handed that missing half to me.¡±


    ¡°What technique is it? You make it sound so mysterious.¡±


    Li Mo retrieved a jade slip from his robes, which he handed to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°That technique is contained within this jade slip. Take it in your hands, then infuse spiritual energy into it to see its contents.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hesitated. ¡°The first elder handed this to you?¡±


    ¡°To both of us. It¡¯s not a technique that I can learn on my own, but rather something we¡¯ll have to do together.¡± His lips curled up in azy smile.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°A technique that requires two cultivators? What sort of strange technique is this?¡± She finally followed Li Mo¡¯s directives to infuse spiritual energy into the slip and review its contents for herself. Four words appeared, along with some graphic images that turned her face bright red, then dark red: Yin Yang Dual Cultivation¡­


    <hr>


    1. Imagine something like the Kama Sutra.

 Chapter 327: Reopening the Beastmaster Institute

    <h4>Chapter 327: Reopening the Beastmaster Institute</h4>


    Yin referred to the female body, and yang to the male body. Putting them together¡­


    When Li Mo saw Yun Ruoyan blush a deeper red than he had ever seen her, his smile widened. He sidled up to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife, aren¡¯t we? Yan¡¯er, there¡¯s no need to be so embarrassed.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan cleared her throat and pretended to be calm. ¡°I, I¡¯m not embarrassed, it¡¯s just that¡­ I heard that dual cultivation techniques weren¡¯t mainstream and were considered to be the domain of evil cultivators, and¡­¡± Actually, she was just finding excuses for her embarrassment. Faced with Li Mo¡¯s burning gaze and reminded of what had transpired just the night before, Yun Ruoyan blushed deeply again as she lowered her head.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo took her hand in his and said seriously, ¡°Evil is a matter of principle more than anything else. As long as we don¡¯t do anything wicked, we won¡¯t be considered evil.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan agreed with this sentiment: the artificial divide between good and evil was just a matter of morality and ethics.


    ¡°Your unique constitution is a great help to me, but my presence doesn¡¯t help you very much. This dual-cultivation technique will allow us to support each other, raising both our cultivation.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was still mulling things over, so Li Mo continued, ¡°There are only about two months left before we head into the otherworld, and the first thing we have to do is to go to the Pi manor and rescue Qin Feng. Trying to contest the Pi household won¡¯t be an easy feat, and we need the strength to seed¡ªnot one person¡¯s strength, but ourbined strength.¡±


    Initially, Li Mo had only wanted to raise Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation for his own purposes, because he needed her to be at least an eighth-rank demaster to have her constitution be effective on him. Later on, when Li Mo fell in love with Yun Ruoyan, he no longer had much of a drive to keep advancing her cultivation, because he was confident that he would be able to protect and support her.


    However, what happenedst night, as well as their experience against Pi Batian, had caused Li Mo to change his mind yet again. He knew that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t a woman who would be content to live under his wings, even if he were her husband.


    Furthermore, as their enemies grew even stronger, Li Mo had a premonition that Yun Ruoyan would be able to undergo a metamorphosis and gain strength that would rival and awe even him.


    As for Yun Ruoyan, she distinctly recalled Li Mo telling her multiple times to rely on him, to not work as hard, but she didn¡¯t think he had ever encouraged her to be strong so directly before.


    Yun Ruoyan finally looked at her husband, the embarrassment in her heart morphing into seriousness. Bing strong was a goal she had sought to achieve from the very beginning, and she would surely continue to work hard to achieve that goal.


    ¡°When will we start practicing this technique?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, looking straight at Li Mo. By then, her embarrassment had all but faded away, reced by an iron will.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sudden solemnity made Li Mo grin. ¡°Yan¡¯er, if you¡¯re anxious, we can start immediately.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Li Mo had ruined her anticipation with a single sentence! She stared angrily at him, who behaved as seriously as an ice cube to everyone else¡ªeveryone but her!


    ¡°Haha.¡± Li Mo rapped Yun Ruoyan on the head. ¡°It¡¯s the first day of term, so we all have to head to the za in a few moments. Afterwards, there¡¯ll be another meeting convened by the elders to discuss the training ns for the next two months, as well as what to look out for when heading to the alternate dimension, so all students participating in that expedition have to attend. At night, your two cousins will likely seek you out, given how long it¡¯s been since theyst saw you.¡± Li Mo rattled off a list of obligations and events that they had to attend. ¡°We¡¯ll likely be busy all the way until nighttime. When it¡¯s dark and everyone¡¯s asleep, Yan¡¯er, I¡¯lle find you in bed.¡±


    Although they were husband and wife, they were still master and disciple within Kongming Academy. Yun Ruoyan believed that Kongming Academy was a ce for cultivation, not for romance, so she had proposed that they not behave as a couple at least on academy grounds.


    Li Mo didn¡¯t agree with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s beliefs. After all, why should he have to hide his consort, whom he¡¯d spent so much time chasing after? They didn¡¯t have to care what anyone else thought, neither in the capital nor in Kongming Academy! But since Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t prepared to disclose their rtionship to one and all, he eded to her request.


    It was then that a bell by the za began to toll, summoning all students and staff to attendance. By the time they got to the za, almost all the students had already gathered. Yun Ruoyan headed to join her friends in the southern college, whereas Li Mo stepped up on stage and took the only open seat left there.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen both cried out, excited to see her again.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, Sister Qingchen and I went looking for you after your wedding, but you were already gone!¡± Lin Qingxue grumbled. ¡°Have you forgotten about the two of us now? You didn¡¯t even tell us that you were leaving! Oh, I¡¯m so upset!¡±


    Lin Qingchen didn¡¯t say anything, but she couldn¡¯t hide the wide smile on her face. Yun Ruoyan rapped Lin Qingxue on the head.


    ¡°Ouch! Sister Ruoyan, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m greeting you, aren¡¯t I? I can¡¯t let my dear cousin be upset, so I¡¯ll greet you like that every day.¡±


    ¡°Ah! In that case, there¡¯s no need,¡± Lin Qingxue quickly backpedaled.


    Yun Ruoyan greeted her peers nearby, then noticed a contingent of sixteen students nearby, forming a group right in front of everyone¡¯s eyes. Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t the only student to have noticed; Lin Qingxue, Lin Qingchen, and quite a lot of other new students had also sensed something amiss, and many of them were pointing at and murmuring about them.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan!¡± Just then, Zong Yang called out to her.


    ¡°Senior Brother Zong Yang,¡± Yun Ruoyan greeted.


    ¡°Who are these sixteen students? Do you know where they¡¯re from?¡± he asked, and all the southern college students perked up as they waited for her answer. Few of the students knew that Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had gotten married, but since Yun Ruoyan was Li Mo¡¯s disciple, she was likely privy to the most up-to-date information.


    As such, they would always seek her out whenever something unexpected happened in Kongming Academy. As long as it wasn¡¯t a big secret, Yun Ruoyan would answer their questions, so she was well-respected by all.


    ¡°Senior Zong Yang, do you remember the students from the beastmaster institute that you told me about once? The ones that disappeared?¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, turning to Guan Ruliu.


    Zong Yang and Guan Ruliu nced at each other before they both nodded. Then, Guan Ruliu¡¯s eyes turned wide. ¡°You mean¡ªthey¡¯re those students?!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded.


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    ¡°The students from the beastmaster institute are back!¡±


    The gathered students all cried out in surprise. Zong Yang in particr was so agitated that he was starting to tremble. ¡°In that case, is the beastmaster institute reopening? I¡¯ve always felt that I have sometent talent in bing a beastmaster, and it¡¯s finally time for my star to shine!¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly shushed the students around her, then pointed at the stage. The provost of the southern college, Cang Song, had stood up from his chair. He bowed to the elders seated behind him, then stepped up to the podium and began to give a speech.


    His opening remarks was the basic spiel on working hard now that the holidays were over, but then he cleared his throat, and his expression turned serious. His gaze swept over the gathered crowd, thennded on the sixteen students standing by themselves.


    ¡°Today, I have important news to announce. I¡¯m sure everyone has already noticed that we have sixteen additional students with us today.¡± Cang Song¡¯s voice was infused with spiritual energy, and his words rang through the za.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on those sixteen.


    ¡°Our older students are undoubtedly familiar with the fact that we used to have four specialized institutions and four colleges. Three years ago, however, the provost of the beastmaster institute, Qin Feng, led his students into a certain training ground, from which they never returned. This was a huge blow to the beastmaster institute, and it has remained closed for the intervening three years.¡±


    Cang Song¡¯s voice grew louder. ¡°But, not long ago, those students from the beastmaster institute returned! These sixteen students are all from the institute, and the elders have decided that the beastmaster institute shall be reopened once more.¡±


    ¡°Provost Cang, where¡¯s Provost Qin?¡± one of the instructors of the central college called out. That instructor had once been part of the beastmaster institute, and had only moved to the central college after its closure.


    ¡°Right, where¡¯s Provost Qin?¡± some of the older students also called out.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ll be discussing next.¡± Cang Song gestured for silence, then continued, ¡°Certain matters have prevented Provost Qin from resuming his post at present, so I and the northern college¡¯s Master Rong will be taking over the position for the moment as we await Master Qin¡¯s return.¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, do you know what¡¯s going on? Why didn¡¯t Master Qin return with the other students? And far more than sixteen students from the beastmaster institute went on that expedition!¡± As a senior student of Kongming Academy, Zong Yang knew far more than most of the other gathered students, so he had particrly incisive questions.


    ¡°It¡¯s aplicated situation, so I¡¯ll talk to you about the specificster,¡± Yun Ruoyan finally answered.


    After Cang Song¡¯s announcement was the usual roll call and advancement routine. Kongming Academy¡¯s identification tokens were divided into five ranks: red, yellow, green, blue, and violet. This time, their advancement was primarily dictated by their cultivation. As one of the only students to have be an eighth-rank demaster after a single term, her token skipped over the yellow and green ranks and went straight to blue.

 Chapter 328: Start of the Term

    <h4>Chapter 328: Start of the Term</h4>


    When the identification token on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s waist lit up in blue, the students all around her gasped. Blue was essentially the highest rank most students would ever achieve; the only higher rank was violet, one that was rare even among the students of the beastmaster institute and the instructors.


    ¡°Allegedly, blue-rank students don¡¯t have to pay for food and drink when dining in the capital,¡± a bystander murmured.


    ¡°Oh, there are far more privileges involved! Do you know about the immortal suites in Yuelu Vi? There are rooms specifically designated for blue-rank members of Kongming Academy, an honor that even the royalty of the various kingdoms can¡¯t aspire to!¡± another student added. ¡°And with a blue-rank identification token, you¡¯ll be treated as an honored guest and VIP wherever you go. Oh, when will I ever advance to blue rank?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t dream of it! For people like us, it¡¯s almost an impossibility!¡±


    At first, it was only those from the southern college who let out an exmation, but it then spread to the northern, western, and central colleges. When Pei Ziao and Rong Yueshan saw the blinding blue light emerging from Yun Ruoyan, they looked at her in shocked disbelief, then embittered resentment.


    Both of them were among the more talented of the students from noble families, and they were both very hardworking. Pei Ziao had spent almost his entire holiday cultivating daily under the guidance of his father, and he had managed to reach the peak of seventh-rank.


    He thought that his progress would have been sufficient to catch up to Yun Ruoyan, but he didn¡¯t know that she had already broken through to eighth rank by the end of the expedition in the gigantic forest!


    And although Rong Yueshan didn¡¯t work as hard as Pei Ziao did, the second elder thought well of her, and Master Rong was rted to her by blood. Both her instructors had spent significant efforts to help her advance, so Rong Yueshan had reached the peak of seventh-rank even before Pei Ziao did.


    However, there was a rather significant bottleneck gating the progress between seventh- and eighth-rank, one that wasn¡¯t so easy to ovee. This was well-known among cultivators, and both Rong Yueshan and Pei Ziao knew that Yun Ruoyan had spent a significant amount of time as a seventh-rank demaster. They thought that she would be stuck for another two or three years, so they would have ample time to catch up.


    Unexpectedly, however, she had broken through during the holidays.


    ¡°How could this be?! How could she have broken through so quickly?!¡± Rong Yueshan¡¯s face was filled with consternation.


    Pei Ziao didn¡¯t know what to say. Unlike Rong Yueshan, Pei Ziao had known Yun Ruoyan for far longer, and he understood her more thoroughly. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s transformation over the past year was nothing short of extraordinary, so much so that even her rapid breakthrough to eighth-rank paled inparison.


    He thought back to the shy, bullied girl that she had been over a year ago, the girl who would blush if his gaze lingered on her for mere moments. He suddenly felt as though she was a different person entirely, a sudden feeling of vertigo that he¡¯d experienced many times when thinking about her. Yun Ruoyan had brought him so many surprises that he couldn¡¯t count them all on his fingers.


    Another feeling became more and more apparent to him: that he might never be able to catch up to her. Rong Yueshan experienced much the same thought, but she quickly found a reason to expel it from her mind: the ughtering King Li Mo.


    As far as Rong Yueshan was aware, the changes in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s behavior had only happened after she met Li Mo. It must be because the ughtering King fed her some miraculous pill to make her cultivation grow so rapidly! This excuse was more than sufficient to exin her rapid growth; having a cultivation propped up solely by pills and spiritual treasures was nothing to be proud of.


    Rong Yueshan decided that she too would start supplementing her cultivation with pills. With the help of her two masters and arge quantity of spiritual pills, she was certain she would be able to catch up with Yun Ruoyan!


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s another blue-rank student over there!¡±


    While the crowd was shocked by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s increased rank, one student suddenly pointed toward the central college, and everyone turned in that direction instead.


    ¡°It¡¯s Brother Zhuo, Brother Zhuo!¡± Lin Qingxue was the first to shout out excitedly. Clearly, the student who had advanced to blue-rank was none other than Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°He¡­ Even that beastkin¡¯sd already an eighth-rank demaster?! How can this be?¡± Pei Ziao was even more shocked than before.


    Rong Yueshan felt the same way. If Yun Ruoyan had progressed to eighth-rank under Li Mo¡¯s guidance, she had to have done it with the help of some spiritual pill. But in that case, how would she exin Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s advancement? No, no. They had to have found some miraculous spiritual treasure that helped them advance!


    Rong Yueshan wasn¡¯t wrong: Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng had managed to break through to eighth-rank because they had consumed a heavenly spirit fruit¡ªbut it was highly unlikely that she would be lucky enough to obtain the same opportunity.


    ¡°Hahaha, my central college¡¯s finally going to have a true demaster, hahaha!¡± The sixth elder threw back his head andughed. He had found out quite a while ago that Zhuo Yifeng had be an eighth-rank demaster, but he had been keeping the news a secret in order to brag about his student with all the other elders gathered.


    The sixth elder stood up excitedly from his seat. ¡°Gathered elders, I¡¯ve finally managed to cultivate a gem from one of the students you¡¯ve overlooked! Even I¡¯m impressed by my own talent!¡±


    The sixth elder was known for being unconventional, and he was particrly thick-skinned. He thought of all sorts of ploys and excuses to help raise the rank of his students, but he now finally had a student who had earned his rank! That was surely deserving of praise, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Sixth Elder, you seem to have forgotten something.¡± The third elder couldn¡¯t bear the sixth elder¡¯s cockiness any longer. ¡°This Zhuo Yifeng wasn¡¯t someone that we discarded, was it? No¡ªhe chose to leave the southern college to join the central college of his own ord! His meteoric rise can only be ascribed to his own talents, not yours!¡±


    ¡°Third Elder, that¡¯s a harsh im! Why did my disciple choose to join the central college? He must have thought favorably of my skills as his master!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± The third elder suddenly smiled. ¡°You mean that the southern college is worse than the central college, and that you¡¯re better than the first elder, Sixth Elder?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªThat¡¯s not what I said!¡± The sixth elder red at the third elder. ¡°What do you mean, Third Elder?¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± The first elder finally stood up. ¡°That there would be two new students who broke through to eighth-rank in their first term here is worthy of celebration no matter what college they¡¯re in. Cang Song,¡± he called out. ¡°When the elders¡¯ meeting is over, have Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng stay behind. Since they¡¯re eighth-rank demasters, let them follow me to my secret vaults to pick out a spiritual sword suitable for them.¡±


    After all students were ounted for and their ranks updated, the start-of-term ceremony was over. The Lin sisters had both advanced to seventh-rank, with Lin Qingchen slightly higher as a mid-seventh-rank cultivator, and Lin Qingxue an early seventh-rank cultivator.


    Pei Ziao and Rong Yueshan, just like the Lin sisters, had their tokens turn green, while most of the newer students still had red or yellow tokens. After all, it was only the start of the second term, and only the most advanced students would have risen up the ranks so quickly.


    After Cang Song announced the end of the ceremony, the students headed back to their respective colleges under the guidance of their respective provosts. Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, Pei Ziao, Rong Yueshan, and about twenty other students followed the provosts and elders to the meeting for those students participating in the expedition to the otherworld.


    Yun Ruoyan naturally walked by Li Mo¡¯s side. As they walked to the meeting, she could feel a number of stares focused on her, but she couldn¡¯t see anyone looking at her when she turned her head. She frowned as she turned to Li Mo, but Li Mo¡¯s gaze hadnded on the second elder.


    Ever since the death of the second elder¡¯s grandson, Guan Tianyu, the second elder had be far more reserved, but his gloomy expression had turned even more downcast.


    Li Mo¡¯s gaze was a hint that the person who had been looking at her was the second elder. Although the second elder had failed to pin the me of Guan Tianyu¡¯s death on Yun Ruoyan, he med her for the loss of his bloodline.


    Li Mo nodded slightly at Yun Ruoyan, informing her not to worry. She shook her head,municating that she wasn¡¯t worried at all; the second elder¡¯s distaste wasn¡¯t something she would spend time worrying over.


    Because of the impending expedition to the alternate dimension, it would be far better for her to work hard on bing strong than to live with a specter of fear hovering over her. Once she was strong enough, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about anyone.


    Li Mo smiled at her carefree manner.


    Once they arrived at a conference room in the southern tower, the first elder motioned for everyone to sit. ¡°During thest training expedition, nine of our thirty students died,¡± the first elder began, his voice solemn.


    ¡°First Elder, can you discuss matters with those outworlders and have us send fewer students through this time?¡± the fifth elder asked, his request quickly mirrored by the other elders.


    The first elder shook his head. ¡°The higher realms requested that we send at least thirty students over. Thirty is already the minimum they will ept.¡±


    ¡°In that case, do you mean that we still have to fill the spots of these nine deceased students?¡± the second elder suddenly eximed, his aura filling the room like a sudden bout of frost.

 Chapter 329: Armory

    <h4>Chapter 329: Armory</h4>


    The first elder nodded solemnly.


    ¡°But if we fill up these nine spots now, won¡¯t we still lose some students during this training and the next? In that case, shall we have to fill those spots with ever more talented students again?¡± the second elder pressed, his tone clearly interrogatory.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± The first elder met the second elder¡¯s gaze head-on. ¡°This has been our policy for this otherworld expedition every three years. You should all be familiar with this by now.¡±


    ¡°We are, but why have we had to send more and more students each year? It was originally ten, then twenty, and now thirty? First Elder, haven¡¯t you ever questioned those outworlders as to their motives?¡± the second elder pressed.


    Most of the students that had died during the expedition at the gigantic forest came from the northern college, and the second elder had even lost his dear grandson. ording to custom, the dead students would have to be reced by students from the same college. Under these circumstances, the second elder had to be concerned, and the other elders quickly jumped on the bandwagon after him.


    ¡°Right, right! The talents that we spent so long picking out from all over the Chenyuan continent are about to be carted off into this alternate dimension to be killed!¡± the fifth elder sighed.


    ¡°Most of the students we send over to the alternate dimension will die. It¡¯s true that those with a more advanced cultivation have a greater chance of making it back alive, and all those with inferior cultivations will likely perish without a doubt, but I still can¡¯t bear to send my college¡¯s elites over!¡± the third elder added.


    This consideration was why they were only sending over students from the five colleges, not the three specialized institutes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, First Elder. Can¡¯t you try to negotiate terms with those outworlders? Send twenty students this time, and thirty students the next.¡± Even the sixth elder sided with the others.


    The students participating in the expedition were all rather confused upon hearing the elders¡¯ discussion. Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be an honor to be chosen to participate? Why did those elders seem so reluctant to choose more students?


    The elders said that the expedition would be particrly dangerous, but was there anything safe on the path of cultivation? Many students had died during the initial trial to enter Kongming Academy, and some of their friends had passed away in the expedition to the gigantic forest. Risking their lives to enter the otherworld didn¡¯t seem like an extravagant risk, as long as there weremensurate rewards to be had for doing so. As such, the students were even more confused.


    Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng could understand the elders¡¯ qualms after having interacted with outworlders. Kongming Academy¡¯s students were undoubtedly the elites of the continent, but they would be the lowliest of existences upon entering the Mingyuan continent. For these elites, honor was frequently more important than their lives, but in the Mingyuan continent, strength wasw.


    Even if cultivators from the Chenyuan continent managed to be strong enough to gain a foothold on the Mingyuan continent, they would be forever considered groundhogs, forever discriminated against simply because of the location of their birth.


    ¡°Elders and students,¡± the first elder finally spoke up, his gaze sweeping over all gathered. ¡°The expedition to the otherworld is a tradition that has persisted for millennia, and isn¡¯t something that I have the power to control. Elders, you should all be aware of this. All of you have taken part in this expedition, and you understand the importance and necessity of this rite to refine our elites further. Trying to negotiate with outworlders, like trying to defer a heavenly punishment, is useless and impossible. Unless you be stronger than those outworlders, trying to disobey theirmand will only invite unnecessary punishment.¡±


    The first elder¡¯s solemn words caused the elders to quiet down. He then turned to the students sitting a distance away from the elders. ¡°Students, you haven¡¯t been fully informed about what the alternate dimension is like. There are only two more months left before your expedition there, so I and your fellow elders will try to describe the situation in as much detail as we can, so you¡¯ll all be mentally prepared.¡±


    Helped by the other elders, the first elder then began to describe his own experiences in the otherworld, as well as their perception of those who had ascended from lower realms like the Chenyuan continent. His description wasrgely identical to Pi Yang¡¯s summary: the Mingyuan continent had no kingdoms, and was essentially governed by a few strong families.


    However, the elders had still hidden some details: the fact that those from lower realms were called groundhogs, that to survive in the otherworld, they would need to find a job, and these jobs tended to involve bing a servant or ve of one of the families there.


    None of the elders mentioned this fact; instead, they emphasized the danger of the Mingyuan continent and the importance of challenging their own limits, so as to encourage the students to face this challenge without backing down.


    After this, the discussion then shifted to the problem of filling the dead students¡¯ positions.


    ¡°This time, the northern college will only send one student,¡± the second elder dered. In that case, the other four colleges would have to send eight studentsbined.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, you all know about the situation here in the central college. Except for Zhuo Yifeng, the rest of my students would perish without a doubt, and I won¡¯t send any more of my students to their deaths,¡± the sixth elder stated grimly.


    The other elders refused to look the first elder in the eyes, and an uneasy silence descended on the room. In the end, the first elder said, ¡°In that case, the southern college shall send four more students. Each of your colleges will send one more student.¡±


    The other elders all looked at each other, unable to object considering that the southern college was taking on the lion¡¯s share of the burden.


    After the meeting, Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng followed the first elder to the armory in the southern tower¡¯s secret vault, and Li Mo also apanied them there.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve both reached eighth rank, you may take your pick of the spiritual swords avable here,¡± he told them both, smiling.


    ¡°First Elder, actually, Zhuo Yifeng and I both already have a spiritual sword,¡± Yun Ruoyan responded honestly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to reject the first elder¡¯s offer.¡± Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°That might be so, but you¡¯ll understand why it¡¯s useful to have more spiritual weapons once you enter the Mingyuan continent,¡± the first elder replied. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual sword hade from Empress Xue Tong herself, and the first elder was naturally aware of that gift. However, he didn¡¯t realize that Zhuo Yifeng also had a spiritual sword of his own.


    ¡°May I inspect your swords?¡± he asked them both.


    Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng both retrieved their swords. The first elder wasn¡¯t surprised upon seeing Yun Ruoyan''s Scarlet Eye, but when his gazended on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s sword, he seemed somewhat startled, then nced sharply at Li Mo.


    Li Mo nodded, almost imperceptibly.


    ¡°They¡¯re both good swords,¡± the first elder proimed, then had them sheath their swords once more. ¡°The swords I have here are lower in quality, but far better than what¡¯s avable outside. They¡¯re excellent mid-grade swords, and will greatly increase yourbat power.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng began searching for a secondary weapon that might supplement their weaknesses andplement their strengths. Li Mo followed behind Yun Ruoyan, giving her suggestions from time to time.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡¯re quick and agile. Your spiritual offense and stamina aren¡¯t particrly strong, but you have explosive power. You want a weapon that¡¯s flexible and durable, like the spiritsteel dagger I handed you. Unfortunately, it¡¯s very difficult to make a spiritual spiritsteel weapon.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brows furrowed in thought. ¡°In that case, Li Mo, how¡¯s this shortsword?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan handed Li Mo a simple, nondescript sword whose de was covered in frost. Although its aura wasn¡¯t as domineering or obvious as the Scarlet Eye or Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s sword, it was still a masterwork.


    ¡°Not bad. You have a good eye for quality, Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo handed the sword back to her, validating her choice.


    Meanwhile, Zhuo Yifeng passed over all manner of spiritual weapons, not finding any that particrlypelled him. His eyes suddenly brightened as he found two objects by a dusty corner: a shield, and a ck whip that looked like a hibernating snake.


    When he saw the whip, Zhuo Yifeng couldn¡¯t help but think back to Pi Batian and his scarlet whip, which sent what looked like bolts of lightning at his target.


    Zhuo Yifeng walked toward the corner and cleared away the dust that had gathered on the shield. It was made of a material that was pitch ck, but he couldn¡¯t tell exactly what the material was, and he couldn¡¯t feel any spiritual perturbations from it, either. However, the fact that it was within this armory meant that it was likely a spiritual weapon.


    The first elder walked over and exined, ¡°This shield is made from the horn of a giant rhinoceros, and it¡¯s a particrly rare spiritual weapon toe by. However, because of how heavy and unwieldy it is, it¡¯s never found a suitable owner. The spiritual energy left in the shield has more or less dissipated over the course of decades, but it¡¯ll naturally replenish once it¡¯s been used for a time.¡±


    Given Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s tall and wiry but muscr stature and his appreciation for the shield, which the first elder could sense in his eyes, he rmended the shield to Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°The whip is designed to go with the shield, and I have a cultivation technique based on a whip as well. If you choose this set of spiritual weapons, I¡¯ll impart you with that technique.¡±


    ¡°In that case, this is my choice.¡± Zhuo Yifeng took the whip and shield. The shield was dense and heavy, but Zhuo Yifeng was able to handle it without much difficulty. After he managed to attune himself to the shield, he would be able to change its size at will, so carrying it around wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem either.


    After they had both chosen a new weapon, they were about to leave the southern tower when the first elder called Li Mo back. Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan walked out of the tower together. Because he knew that Yun Ruoyan would wait for Li Mo before leaving with him, he waved to her. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go back to my cottage first.¡±


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, wait! I need to talk to you.¡± Before he could walk off, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice rang out behind him.

 Chapter 330: The New Expedition Members

    <h4>Chapter 330: The New Expedition Members</h4>


    Zhuo Yifeng was just about to return to the central college when Yun Ruoyan called him back. He turned around. Yun Ruoyan was just about to speak when someone interrupted her.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, Sister Ruoyan!¡±


    The two of them both turned to the source of the voice: Lin Qingxue, along with Lin Qingchen, Zong Yang, and a male student neither of them were particrly familiar with, were walking toward them.


    ¡°Qingxue, Qingchen, Senior Zong Yang, what are all of you doing here?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, your new shield¡¯s beautiful!¡± Lin Qingxuemented.


    ¡°I just received it, and it really is a work of art,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied coolly.


    ¡°May I touch it?¡± Lin Qingxue walked past Yun Ruoyan and approached Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s side. Zhuo Yifeng lowered the shield in his hands and allowed her to admire it, as though the two of them were in their own little bubble.


    Yun Ruoyan became more worried about Lin Qingxue, and Lin Qingchen also shook her head at her sister¡¯s naivete. ¡°Provost Cang was the one who sent us here, saying that the first elder wants to speak with us.¡±


    ¡°The first elder wants to speak with you?¡± Yun Ruoyan had an uneasy premonition. During the elders¡¯ meeting, the first elder had stated that the southern college would supply four more students for the otherworld expedition. Did these four students include the Lin sisters and Zong Yang?!


    ¡°Junior Sister Yun, Junior Brother Zhuo, we¡¯re going to head in now. It wouldn¡¯t do to make the first elder wait for too long.¡± Zong Yang waved.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, we¡¯ll head in now!¡± Lin Qingchen firmly pulled Lin Qingxue away from Zhuo Yifeng, then followed Zong Yang and the other male student into the southern tower.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, Sister Ruoyan!¡± Lin Qingxue called back. ¡°When I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll go find both of you to y!¡±


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, joining their group. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you in.¡±


    She turned to Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°I¡¯ll find you some other day in the central college.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng nodded, then turned and left. Meanwhile, Yun Ruoyan followed the Lin sisters and Zong Yang into the southern tower.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here.¡± The first elder was just stepping out of the tower with Li Mo, and he met the group of five at the door.


    ¡°You four,e with me.¡± The first elder turned and walked inside. The Lin sisters, Zong Yang, and the other male student all followed behind him. Yun Ruoyan nced at Li Mo and walked inside with the group, and Li Mo naturally followed.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, do you know why the first elder wants to talk with us?¡± Lin Qingchen asked. She saw that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was very serious, and that she was ncing at the two of them worriedly.


    Rather than answer Lin Qingchen¡¯s question directly, Yun Ruoyan mumbled, ¡°I just hope it¡¯s not what I think it is¡­¡±


    As they headed into the conference room, Yun Ruoyan subconsciously walked in front of the Lin sisters, stepping forward and shielding them from the first elder. The first elder nced at her for a moment, then motioned for everyone to sit.


    The southern tower was where Li Mo and the first elder resided, and the Lin sisters had never been inside it before. They were both a little excited and somewhat nervous; their backs were straight against the seats of their chairs, and their expressions, though serious, were inteced with curiosity and anticipation. There had to be some exceptional reason for them to be sent here.


    ¡°Today, I¡¯ve sent for all of you because I have something to announce.¡± The first elder looked at everyone gathered with a solemn expression. ¡°Nine of the students chosen to participate in the expedition to the alternate dimension have passed away during training, so these slots will be replenished from the various colleges. I¡¯ve chosen you four to fill the four vacant seats left for the southern college.¡±


    ¡°First Elder!¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly stood up, but he signalled for her to sit down and remain silent.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, sit. Let the first elder finish.¡± Li Mo patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back; despite her anxiety and misgivings, she sat back down in her chair.


    In sharp contrast to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s misgivings, the Lin sisters, Zong Yang, and that other male student were all excited and honored to be chosen for something so important.


    ¡°This expedition will be particrly dangerous,¡± the first elder continued. ¡°You may choose not to participate¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll go!¡± Before the first elder could finish, Lin Qingxue stood up excitedly.


    Yun Ruoyan was sitting right by Lin Qingxue¡¯s side, and she hurriedly tugged on her hand. ¡°Qingxue, going to the otherworld isn¡¯t going to be a fun excursion. I rmend that neither you nor Qingchen go.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± the Lin sisters asked simultaneously.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°We know! The first elder mentioned it himself.¡± Lin Qingxue replied, a bright smile still on her face. ¡°But as long as we stay with you and Brother Zhuo, I believe we can ovee any danger!¡±


    ¡°Right, Sister Ruoyan. We¡¯ve been together through the imperial realm and the iing students¡¯ training, haven¡¯t we? Qingxue and I believe that, as long as we¡¯re with you, we¡¯ll be able to ovee whatever dangeres our way.¡± Lin Qingchen also seemed set on participating in the expedition.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand¡ªin those cases, the danger came from the beasts we faced, as well as students with about the same cultivation as us. This time, however, we¡¯re going against beasts and cultivators from another dimension, and the dangers and difficulties involved will be far greater.¡±


    ¡°Junior Sister Ruoyan, as cultivators, how can we back down from adversity? Only with adversityes opportunity and growth.¡± Even Zong Yang disagreed with her. ¡°As a senior student of Kongming Academy, I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about the otherworld, and particrly about how only one-tenth of students will ever make it back. Allegedly, most of the others will die, and a rare few will choose to make that alternate dimension their new home. However, everyone that returns bes a person of note on the Mingyuan continent, so this is both a challenge and an opportunity. I thought that I¡¯d missed my chance, but now¡­!¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Yun Ruoyan wanted to persuade them against the idea further, but Lin Qingxue broke her off.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, Sister Qingchen and I have both grown up, and we have the ability to protect ourselves. Won¡¯t you let us go with you?¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan,¡± Lin Qingchen murmured, ¡°of the new students in Kongming Academy, Qingxue and I have the most advanced cultivation. If we don¡¯t go, these other students will have to go instead. Won¡¯t they be in greater danger than we are?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t deny that they had valid points, but she had another cause for reservation: all students had to be eighth-rank of above to enter the otherworld, and all those who didn¡¯t meet this criterion would be forced to raise their cultivation by ingesting a particr spiritual pill. However, doing so implied that they would forever remain eighth-rank demasters.


    ¡°I have eight gathering-spirit pills, which are particrly efficacious in helping you gather spiritual energy and break through a bottleneck in your cultivation. These were made from four heavenly spirit fruits which I obtained during my own excursions into the otherworld,¡± the first elder began. ¡°Take these four pills for now¡ªthey¡¯ll help you reach the peak of seventh rank quickly. Zong Yang¡¯s already an eighth-rank demaster, and the rest of you are all seventh rank. With two pills each and the next two months¡¯ training, it¡¯s not impossible that you¡¯ll make it to eighth-rank by the date of the expedition.¡±


    The Lin sisters and Zong Yang were all overjoyed to be able to receive such a precious spiritual pill. In general, it took between three and four years for an average cultivator to break through from seventh to eighth rank, and those who weren¡¯t talented would be stuck at seventh rank for the rest of their lives. However, now that they had an opportunity to progress so quickly¡­


    When Yun Ruoyan saw that the first elder was even willing to hand them such precious pills for the expedition, she couldn¡¯t object to their participation despite her reservations. Zong Yang and the male student eagerly epted the pills that the first elder handed them, then consumed them without a second thought.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan¡­¡± The Lin siblings both looked anxiously and expectantly at Yun Ruoyan, and she finally nodded.


    The Lin sisters immediately epted the pills from the first elder and downed one each.


    ¡°The medicinal effects of the pills will be apparent within the hour. Head back to your cottages now and prepare to cultivate,¡± the first elder instructed.


    As they left the southern tower, Zong Yang and the male student walked back together towards the male housingplex, whereas Yun Ruoyan had Lin Qingxue apany Lin Qingchen to her bamboo garden to cultivate. She would keep guard over them both.


    Because Li Mo had something to say to her, Yun Ruoyan had the Lin siblings leave first.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked Li Mo.


    Li Mo sighed. ¡°I had intended on cultivating with you tonight, Yan¡¯er, but my mother bade me talk to her urgently. It looks like our ns will have to be dyed until tomorrow.¡±


    His tone and indecent,scivious expression caused Yun Ruoyan tough, letting her temporarily ignore the burdens that were guing her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, my dear consort, you should keep smiling like that.¡± Li Mo cupped her cheeks and promised, ¡°The outerworld might be dangerous, but it is a ce filled with opportunities. With both of us present, I¡¯m sure we can guarantee the safety of your cousins.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, cing her petite hands in hisrger ones, feeling the warmth that radiated from him. ¡°When you return, I¡¯ll be waiting for you in my cottage. Please pay my respects to your mother on my behalf as well.¡±

 Chapter 331: Whitey, Catfish, and the Gathering-Spirit Pill

    <h4>Chapter 331: Whitey, Catfish, and the Gathering-Spirit Pill</h4>


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave early ande back early. I won¡¯t make you wait too long for me, my dear consort.¡± Li Mo gave Yun Ruoyan a quick peck on the lips.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes widened. When she regained her senses, she quickly checked her surroundings¡ªthis was the southern tower, and it would hardly be appropriate for them to be caught out here!


    But Li Mo only cackled like a mischievous child. A green aura appeared by his feet, and he flew off into the horizon.


    Yun Ruoyan watched his silhouette until he was swallowed up by the sea of clouds surrounding Kongming Academy. Only then did she head to Lin Qingchen¡¯s small bamboo garden. When she arrived, the Lin sisters were talking. They both waved at her when they saw her, as though they had something to talk to her about.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Ruoyan walked toward them. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the two of you be preparing to meditate?¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan,¡± Lin Qingxue began, ¡°Sister Qingchen brought Whitey over here, but I suppose calling it Big White might be more appropriate now¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed. ¡°You brought Whitey over? Where is it?¡± She nced all around the bamboo garden, but she didn¡¯t see any spot suitable for Whitey.


    ¡°It¡¯s over here.¡± Lin Qingchen raised a hand, showing two rings. Yun Ruoyan recognized one of them as a simple extradimensional storage ring. The other one was far more ancient, but it too looked familiar. After a few moments of thought, she finally recognized it as a ring she had seen on Lin Zainan¡¯s finger before.


    ¡°Is this from Grandfather?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a family heirloom,¡± Lin Qingchen replied. ¡°Grandfather passed it on to me.¡±


    The Lin family was an established family of pillmakers, and sourcing ingredients for their pills would require significant interaction with magical beasts. This ring, which possessed an extradimensional space suitable even for living creatures, was something that an ancestor of the Lins had obtained with great effort.


    ¡°Whitey¡¯s currently inside this ring,¡± Lin Qingxue exined. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, it¡¯s been a long time since you¡¯vest seen Whitey, hasn¡¯t it? It¡¯s grown so big now!¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡± Yun Ruoyan touched Lin Qingchen¡¯s ring with a finger, then infused a shred of mental energy within it, transporting her into the extradimensional space. Just like Yun Ruoyan¡¯s silver bracelet, the interior of the space was vague and indistinct at the edges. Yun Ruoyan turned around in a circle, trying to find Whitey¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡°Qingchen, why don¡¯t I see Whitey?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked mentally. Only after a while did Lin Qingchen reply, ¡°I don¡¯t know where it is, either. My mental energy isn¡¯t sufficient to enter the interior of the ring, but Whitey¡¯s in there for sure. Try calling out its name.¡±


    Just as Yun Ruoyan was about to do so, a huge ssh filled the room, and what seemed to be a gigantic, snowy-white dragon appeared in front of Yun Ruoyan. Not three steps away from her was a deep pool, and Whitey had been hiding within it.


    Yun Ruoyan remembered that, thest time she had seen Whitey, it had already assumed the shape of a giant serpent. Now, it had grown evenrger. Given how dim the space was, if Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know that it was a magical serpent, she would surely have thought it a silver dragon.


    More shocking than its size was Whitey¡¯s two expressive eyes. They had always beenrge; as a little serpent, they were adorable, but now, they were the size of two brass cymbals, pitch-ck but also with a reflective coating. It was staring at Yun Ruoyan, giving her a curious sensation that she didn¡¯t quite know how to exin.


    ¡°Whitey, do you still remember me?¡± Yun Ruoyan extended a hand to Whitey, who hesitated for a moment before moving toward her.


    Just as Whitey touched Yun Ruoyan, the demonic eye hidden deep within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s soul suddenly opened. As though electrocuted, Whitey immediately ducked back from her, then stared at Yun Ruoyan even more suspiciously.


    ¡°Whitey, don¡¯t you recognize me?¡± Yun Ruoyan seemed rather disappointed. ¡°But it¡¯s only been a few months! I suppose it¡¯s true that snake-type beasts don¡¯t have good long-term memory, but you have to remember to protect your mistress, you hear me?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan extracted her mental energy from the ring as she returned to the real world.


    ¡°Well? Isn¡¯t Whitey more like Big White by now?¡± Lin Qingxue asked. ¡°It used to be so small it could fit in my palm¡ªand now it¡¯s growingrger andrger, day by day! It¡¯s only been a year, but it can¡¯t even fit in the pond that Sister Qingchen specially constructed for it anymore. My catfish trembles every time it sees it.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned as she looked toward Lin Qingxue. ¡°You brought that strange catfish over here as well?¡± That catfish had been Lin Qingchen¡¯s, but because it was so afraid of Whitey, Lin Qingxue had kept it in her own cottage instead.


    ¡°Heh heh.¡± Lin Qingxue smiled somewhat embarrassedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend on bringing it initially, but it seemed so lonely all by itself in the Lin manor. By the time I checked up on it over New Year¡¯s, it had stoppedughing entirely! I was worried that it had gotten depressed, so I decided to keep it by my side.¡±


    Initially, Lin Qingxue had hated and was deathly afraid of that catfish, but for some reason, she had had a change of heart. Now, she had even brought it over to Kongming Academy.


    ¡°You¡¯re not intending on bringing it with you to the otherworld, are you? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be even more depressed there,¡± Yun Ruoyan asked skeptically.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t! It only knows how to cry andugh, and it won¡¯t be any help to me there! I¡¯ve entrusted it to one of my friends,¡± Lin Qingxue replied.


    She frowned, then clutched her abdomen. ¡°I feel a sudden pulse of heat from my stomach¡­¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Lin Qingchen added.


    ¡°The gathering-spirit pill must be activating. Quick, hurry into your rooms and begin to cultivate. I¡¯ll guard you both,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied anxiously.


    The three of them rushed into the cottage, where the Lin siblings sat cross-legged on Lin Qingchen¡¯s bed. Because she had experienced eating the heavenly spirit fruit for herself, she knew that failing to absorb the spiritual energy it released had potentially disastrous consequences.


    Although this heavenly spirit fruit had already been made into a pill, and the spiritual energy it could provide was simrly limited, it took the Lin sisters their entire concentration and effort to absorb and refine the spiritual energy it granted them. In the end, under Yun Ruoyan¡¯s guidance and assistance, they managed to absorb the entire pill¡¯s worth of energy during the night. As dawn broke, Lin Qingchen was the first to open her eyes.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I feel like I¡¯m right at the cusp of bing an eighth-rank demaster!¡± Lin Qingchen eximed in excitement. She had been a peak seventh-rank demaster, and now she felt like she could break through at any moment.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± Lin Qingxue woke up not too long after. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m at the peak of seventh rank!¡±


    Lin Qingxue was excited, but also in disbelief: in the past, it had always taken months, even years, of concerted effort to raise her cultivation even a little, but she had gone from early seventh-rank to peak seventh-rank in a single night!


    ¡°This is the potency of sage-grade spiritual pills,¡± Yun Ruoyan remarked. She had been stalled at the peak of seventh-rank for quite a few months, and a single heavenly spirit fruit had allowed her to break through, so she knew of the potency of such spiritual pills and treasures for herself.


    It had taken her and Li Mo a week of careful, coordinated nning to obtain just a single heavenly spirit fruit, but the first elder had obtained four in the otherworld seemingly without much effort. Clearly, the otherworld was filled with as much danger as treasures and opportunities,


    It seemed that there were potential upsides to bringing the Lin sisters to the otherworld with her, after all.


    After the entire night¡¯s worth of cultivation, the three girls were all somewhat tired. Lin Qingxuey down in Lin Qingchen¡¯s bed and began to sleep, while Yun Ruoyan returned to her own cottage by the cliff. What she most wanted to do was to take a hot bath, but she didn¡¯t know where to get warm water in the middle of the day. She was so tired that, the moment shey down in bed, she fell asleep.


    Yun Ruoyan woke up to find herself wrapped up in a warm embrace. She turned her head, only toe into contact with Li Mo¡¯s lower jaw.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Li Mo murmured.


    ¡°When did you return? I didn¡¯t even notice!¡± Yun Ruoyan buried her head in Li Mo¡¯sp,and then her stomach began to growl. She had done so so many times in front of Li Mo that her initial embarrassment had turned to calm indifference. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so hungry!¡±


    ¡°Guarding someone is truly taxing work.¡± Li Mo smiled. ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll have some food brought to you from the cafeteria.¡±


    ¡°Meat, all sorts of meat!¡±


    ¡°Alright, give me a moment.¡± Li Mo got up, a green aura shed by his feet, and his shadow vanished from sight.


    ¡°Ah, get some for Qingchen and Qinxue as well!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, but she didn¡¯t know if Li Mo had heard her. Momentster, Li Mo once again appeared in front of Yun Ruoyan, pulling her up from her sleep.


    ¡°Let me sleep a little more, a little more,¡± Yun Ruoyan mumbled.


    ¡°Get up first¡ªI have something to show you. Once you¡¯ve seen it, I promise you¡¯ll be so excited you won¡¯t want to sleep anymore¡­¡±

 Chapter 332: Dual Cultivation Technique

    <h4>Chapter 332: Dual Cultivation Technique</h4>


    ¡°What is it?¡± Li Mo¡¯s promise of excitement sessfully lured Yun Ruoyan out of bed, and her sleepiness dissipated almost immediately. She dragged herself out of bed, and Li Mo tossed her a robe.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo sat opposite each other by her table. Amidst Yun Ruoyan¡¯s curious gaze, Li Mo retrieved a worn manual from his robes and handed it to Yun Ruoyan. Its pages were yellowed with age and wear, and it looked positively ancient. She nced at its cover and was surprised to find that it seemed familiar.


    When she flipped through its pages, she remembered why: she had found a strange, wordless book in the wild vine spirit¡¯s nest during the expedition to the imperial realm, and the manual she now held in her hands was exactly the same as that one in appearance. However, this one actually had text in it.


    ¡°¡®The Dragon¡¯s Art¡¯!¡± Yun Ruoyan read the title of the manual, then turned her inquisitive gaze to Li Mo.


    ¡°My mother handed this to me,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°After she learned that you possessed the demonic dragon bloodline, she¡¯s been searching for an appropriate technique for you. This manual was one that she obtained at great expense.¡±


    ¡°What does this art have to do with dragons?¡±


    ¡°ording to my mother, this is a cultivation technique left by the demonic dragon n, one suitable only to those with the demonic dragon bloodline. It can awaken the power of the demonic dragonstent in your body, allowing your cultivation to increase by leaps and bounds. We silver dragons also have a simr cultivation technique, but ess to it was only granted to dragons who had reached maturity. Because Mother came to the Chenyuan continent in her youth, she isn¡¯t familiar with its specifics.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan quickly flipped through the manual, only to find it abstruse and almost unintelligible.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied truthfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Li Mo encouraged her. ¡°For a high-ranking technique like this, it¡¯s natural that you wouldn¡¯t be able to understand it on a first read. You¡¯ll have to make slow, incremental progress; even if you don¡¯t understand the details, the gist of the ideas alone will be of some help to you.¡±


    A sudden knock interrupted their conversation.


    ¡°Senior Sister Yun, your lunch is ready!¡± an outer disciple called out.


    ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Yun Ruoyan was just about to stand when Li Mo did so first. After all, they were husband and wife; it might not have been appropriate to have public disys of affection, but it was entirely reasonable to enjoy a meal together in private. Thinking this, Yun Ruoyan sat back down again.


    Yun Ruoyan was rather conservative at heart. Although she didn¡¯t care too much about what others said, she still wasn¡¯t at the level of Li Mo¡¯s casual indifference.


    ¡°Mas¡­ Master Mo, this¡­ this is the food you ordered for Senior Sister Yun,¡± the outer disciple stammered as he handed the food to Li Mo. ¡°Have you brought food for the two girls in that cottage over there as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± the disciple hurriedly replied. ¡°As you requested, I brought it over there first, but the two senior sisters seemed to have been asleep, so it took me quite a while to wake them up.¡±


    Li Mo had arranged for them to get food so they wouldn¡¯t disturb him and Yun Ruoyan if they woke up hungry. By the time he returned with the box of food, Yun Ruoyan was already burying her head in ¡®The Dragon¡¯s Art¡¯.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo called out, setting the table. ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat first before studying the book? Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t raise her head. ¡°How strange. The first time I tried skimming through the book, I couldn¡¯t understand it at all. However, I¡¯m finding that some passages are more or lessprehensible now, as though my mind has suddenly cleared up¡­¡±


    It was so unique, so marvellous a sensation that Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t describe it in words. She was entirely immersed in the manual, and even the table full of her favorite food couldn¡¯t entice her away from her reading.


    Although Li Mo couldn¡¯t feel what she did, he knew that it would be best to leave her be for the moment. He sat by one side of the room, took out a sk of wine, and slowly sipped it as he watched her read.


    When he was halfway finished with his wine, Yun Ruoyan suddenly lifted her head.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°I can understand about one-tenth of the book¡¯s contents,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. When she flipped to the start of the book and began re-reading from the start, Li Mo stopped her.


    ¡°Have something to eat while it¡¯s still warm,¡± Li Mo said.


    Under Li Mo¡¯s beckoning, Yun Ruoyan ate her fill, although she didn¡¯t have her usual excitement or anticipation at eating. Once she finished the food, she turned raptly to her manual once more. This time, she read until sundown.


    After it turned dark, she simply infused spiritual energy into her eyes and continued reading, not even remembering to light hermp.


    When Li Mo came back with dinner and saw Yun Ruoyan staring unblinkingly at the manual like she was bewitched, he suddenly felt a vague sense of unease.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, it¡¯s time for dinner,¡± he called out, lighting hermp.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t answer him. Since she was already nearing thest few pages of the manual, Li Mo didn¡¯t rush her. Instead, he patiently waited for her to finish, but these few pages took her almost two hours.


    When she was done with thest page, Yun Ruoyan closed the manual and shut her eyes, her expression calm and serene. After a pregnant moment, Yun Ruoyan slowly opened her eyes, an almost imperceptible sh of red darting through her eyes. Li Mo was fiddling with hermp, and he didn¡¯t notice this unusual sight.


    He turned to find Yun Ruoyan staring at him with vacant eyes.


    ¡°What happened this time?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°I understood about one-eighth of it,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, ¡°But it¡¯s very strange. I just tried to recall what I understood, but I found that my mind was nk. I seem to have forgotten all that I read¡­¡±


    ¡°You must be tired out, so you should eat some dinner and sleep.¡± Li Mo took the manual in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands before she could reach out for it. ¡°Eat something, and then we¡¯ll start our dual cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± It was that final statement that broke her out of her reverie. She opened her eyes wide. ¡°Today¡¯s not suitable, I don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    Naturally, Li Mo couldn¡¯t bear to cultivate with her when she was so weary, and he was only teasing her.


    After dinner, Li Mo prepared a hot bath for her. As Yun Ruoyan sat in front of her table, propping her head up with her arms as she stared at Li Mo¡¯s back, she suddenly felt that her life seemed like a mirage. Who couldpel the ughtering King himself to draw a bath for them? None other than Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan stood up and walked over to the bathroom. Li Mo turned back when he heard her footsteps, and her petite frame fell against his chest. She palmed his body like a little cat searching for snacks, as though Li Mo was hiding something good from her.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, if you keep this up¡­¡± Li Mo warned, grabbing her wrists. His threat failed: her nose twitched as she buried her head in his chest, causing his lower body to stiffen.


    The steam that drifted out of the heated bathtub enveloped both of them, and Yun Ruoyan finally lifted her head up. The steam had covered up Li Mo¡¯s face, making everything seem detached from reality, so Yun Ruoyan reached out and touched his face with her hands.


    ¡°If I keep this up, you¡¯ll do what?¡± she mumbled, still caressing his face. Her voice was like silk, her eyes bright and clear despite the steam, as though they were reflecting Li Mo¡¯s darkest desires.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, I¡¯m worried of tiring you out.¡± His voice was starting to be hoarse.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but my brain¡¯s feeling a little fogged up,¡± Yun Ruoyan began, her voice soft. ¡°As though I¡¯m living in a dream, but my body¡¯s perfectly fine. I feel like nothing around me is real, even you, so I want to do something that I can really feel¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Mo only had time to say a single word before his pent-up emotions and the rising heat got the better of him. He leaned down and kissed Yun Ruoyan, softly at first, worried that he would hurt her. Quite unlike her usual shy self, Yun Ruoyan stood on her tiptoes and gave Li Mo a deep, soul-stealing kiss, as though she were a vine curled up against his body.


    With a ssh, their intertwined bodies fell into the bathtub behind him. Li Mo couldn¡¯t help thinking of the time he had first seen her true appearance in theke by the phoenix-orchid de, and how her radiant beauty had struck even him.


    Her wet, luscious hair and blushing cheeks, her petite body even more tender than a phoenix orchid¡¯s petals, her supple limbs and dainty figure like a flower bud to be plucked.


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured, her arms wrapped around his body, wholly immersed in their passion.


    Li Mo forced himself to remain cool-headed as he activated the dual cultivation technique. Spiritual energy seeped out of his body and clung to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s, wrapping and cocooning the two of them up together.


    In Empress Xue Tong¡¯s vault, the first elder was standing in front of her statue.


    ¡°Both the dual cultivation technique and the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Art¡¯ have been handed to Xun Mo, and naturally passed to Yun Ruoyan.¡± Empress Xue Tong¡¯s cold voice reverberated through the vault. ¡°The first step of our n is done.¡±


    ¡°The dual cultivation technique can indeed improve their cultivation, but what¡¯s this ¡®Dragon¡¯s Art¡¯?¡± the first elder asked.

 Chapter 333: A Mysterious Shadow

    <h4>Chapter 333: A Mysterious Shadow</h4>


    Empress Xue Tong didn¡¯t hide the truth from the first elder. ¡°The demonic dragon n¡¯s revival requires that their bloodline sessor cultivate a demonic dragon¡¯s true form. That manual was provided for this express purpose by the demonic dragon elder himself.¡±


    When Empress Xue Tong spoke with the demonic dragon elder, he had set up a barrier to prevent important secrets of the n from leaking out. The first elder had seen Empress Xue Tong receive this manual from the dragon¡¯s hands, but he didn¡¯t know what it did.


    ¡°Allegedly, she needs to be a sword saint before being able to cultivate this technique,¡± Empress Xue Tong continued. ¡°I looked into this manual further and found it abstruse even for me. To understand, learn, and prepare to cultivate a true dragon¡¯s form would take great lengths of time and massive amounts of spiritual energy on her part¡ªso I needed to give her a boost.¡±


    Empress Xue Tong had waited over a decade to exact her revenge, and she was growing more impatient. Coincidentally, she knew of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unique constitution as a human furnace, and she had a manual for an art suitable for her that would greatly increase her cultivation: the dual cultivation technique.


    After a little investigation, she theorized that the dual cultivation technique and the Dragon¡¯s Art could be cultivated in conjunction even before she became a sword saint.


    ¡°There¡¯s something curious about this technique,¡± Empress Xue Tongmented. ¡°If she isn¡¯t resolute in heart and mind, it¡¯ll be very easy for her to be addled in the process of mastering her dragon form. However, she¡¯ll still be able to obediently carry out her duty as the sole bloodline sessor of the demonic dragons¡ªand that¡¯s really all they care about, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Empress¡­¡± The first elder frowned. ¡°The demonic dragon elder must clearly be aware of the shorings of this technique, and how perilous it might be. Wouldn¡¯t he have a good reason for stipting that it only be handed to her as a sword saint?¡±


    The empress mulled it over for a moment. ¡°No. That girl¡¯s mental strength is more than sufficient to handle the technique as she is.¡±


    ¡°Empress,¡± the first elder began again. ¡°Yun Ruoyan is an irreceable part of our ns. If her mental acuity deteriorates too quickly, Xun Mo will surely be suspicious. If that were to happen, things will only get more tricky from there.¡±


    The empress went silent again for a longer period than before. ¡°I¡­ admit I may have been a little anxious,¡± she finally relented. ¡°Tell Xun Mo that this technique requires particr mental resilience to cultivate, and he can take it from there.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan awoke, she found herself nude and ensconced in Li Mo¡¯s embrace, as was he. The light of dawn filtered in through the windows and dyed their bodies in gold. When Yun Ruoyan lowered her head to see bite marks and hickeys around her chest, she seemed to freeze in shock until Li Mo opened his eyes.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡¯re awake.¡± Li Mo extended an arm and draped a nket over their nude bodies. When he saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dazed expression, he reached a hand out and tapped her head. ¡°Are you alright? Still tired from yesterday?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan curled into Li Mo¡¯s embrace. ¡°No, I¡¯m not tired at all. My body feels veryfortable, but my head seems to be stuffed with cotton.¡±


    Li Mo smiled. ¡°Yan¡¯er, your passionst night was a sight to behold. Under your lead, we¡¯ve begun practicing the dual cultivation technique.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan logically knew what had happenedst night when she woke up to find herself undressed and with the marks on her chest, but the strange thing was that she couldn¡¯t remember it at all. She had no impression of the passion or the dual cultivation technique that Li Mo spoke of.


    Her memory was wiped clean, as though she had fallen into a drunken stupor.


    ¡°Li Mo, why don¡¯t I remember what happenedst night?¡± Distressed, Yun Ruoyan ced a hand on her forehead.


    By this time, Li Mo had also detected Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unease and difort. His thoughts immediately turned to the Dragon¡¯s Art manual: it had only been after Yun Ruoyan began to read it that she had experienced all these unusual symptoms.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, do you remember the contents of the manual I handed youst night?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head. ¡°No, nothing. But I have a feeling that, if I read it again now, I can understand at least half of it.¡±


    Li Mo had also given the manual a cursory read, only to find it as iprehensible as Yun Ruoyan found on her first reading. However, he had experienced no mental difort or memory loss. Because his mother had emphasized that this was a manual from the demonic dragon n, he wasn¡¯t too surprisedst night that Yun Ruoyan, who possessed the demonic dragon bloodline, had had such an extreme reaction to it.


    However, the symptoms she was experiencing seemed too severe to be worth the risk. ¡°This technique might simply be too advanced for you at present,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°Let¡¯s ignore it for the moment and focus on the dual cultivation technique instead.¡±


    In the past, it had always been Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unique constitution that had nourished his body and spiritual vortex, but this time, it felt as though their cultivations were intermingling and supporting each other. Even Li Mo, used to asceticism and restraint, couldn¡¯t resist wanting to experience the sensation again.


    He kissed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, his full, red lips imprinting on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s skin, so white as to be almost translucent, and then left a trail of kisses all the way up her arm.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, let¡¯s try to delve further into this dual cultivation technique today,¡± he murmured, his husky voice sending frissons of desire up her body.


    Li Mo pinned her down and began activating the technique, and a white film of spiritual energy cocooned them both. Because Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have any memory of the process from yesterday, and because she had lost her boldness from yesterday, Li Mo had to slowly coax her into the act. Eventually, a film of spiritual energy covered her body as well.


    As both of them circted the technique, the two films of energy merged together, and the two of them began to cultivate once more¡­


    Yun Ruoyan spent the entire day in cultivation with Li Mo in her cottage by the cliff. The Lin sisters came to find her during the day, but when nobody responded to their knocks, they left. Yun Ruoyan had often vanished in the past, so the Lin sisters had grown ustomed to being unable to find her.


    As they entered the southern college, they heard Zong Yang and Guan Ruliu talking, and the two Lin sisters walked up to them.


    ¡°Guess who I saw today?¡± Zong Yang tried to exude an aura of mystery.


    ¡°Who?¡± Lin Qingxue replied, ying along with him.


    ¡°I bet you won¡¯t believe me. I saw that girl from the northern college, Yi Qianying!¡±


    ¡°What? Yi Qianying?!¡± The Lin sisters both jumped in shock. ¡°Are you certain? Hasn¡¯t she been imprisoned in the hall of penitence?¡±


    Yi Qianying had been imprisoned after it was revealed that she was directly responsible for Guan Tianyu¡¯s death, a fact known to one and all within Kongming Academy. The punishment for such a severe crime was almost always lifelong imprisonment, so how could she have been let out?!


    ¡°No, I¡¯m certain I saw her! There¡¯s no one I don¡¯t recognize in Kongming Academy, students from the four institutes or the outer disciples alike!¡± Zong Yang affirmed. ¡°When I saw her, she was dressed in a prisoner¡¯s clothing, and Master Rong was leading her from the hall of penitence to the northern college.¡±


    At the start of Yi Qianying¡¯s imprisonment, Empress Rong had sent the second elder a symbolic letter requesting her release, but after the second elder rejected her appeal, the crown prince Li Qianxiao had divorced her. Her release could have nothing to do with the royalty of the Li kingdom, so who could have helped her?


    The Lin sisters stared at each other, unable to think of a reason for her sudden release.


    In the northern tower of the northern college, Yi Qianying stood outside the second elder¡¯s door, with Master Rong by her side. She was dressed in drab grey clothes, and had wasted away during her imprisonment that she was nothing but skin and bones.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve brought Yi Qianying here,¡± Master Rong called out.


    After a moment, the second elder¡¯s voice coldly announced, ¡°Bring her away and make her presentable. There¡¯s no need for her to participate in the training; send her directly into the otherworld two monthster.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Master Rong replied.


    Yi Qianying knelt on the ground, her body bowed like a little shrimp. With a quavering voice, she said, ¡°Second Elder, thank you for your gratitude!¡±


    Yi Qianying had imagined that she would have been left to rot and die in the hall of penitence, but the heavens had seen fit to grant her a second chance at life. Of course, to the second elder, she was just a substitute to be sent to death in ce of one of his college¡¯s students.


    Master Rong brought Yi Qianying to a secluded cottage in the northern college, telling her to remain in those quarters to rest. Someone would bring her food daily, and she simply had to wait for the Second Elder¡¯s summons.


    When Master Rong left, Yi Qianying stood alone in the quiet cottage. The pitiful, subservient gaze she had shown to Rong Tianhai and the second elder instantly vanished, reced by a mask of ice. Her body was thin and frail, her face ash-gray, but her bowed spine slowly straightened as she walked into the cottage.


    She opened the door, went inside, and locked it shut. The cottage was dark and cold, but it was far better than the hell she had experienced in the hall of penitence.


    Yi Qianying sat down in a chair, coughed, and muttered, ¡°You cane out now.¡±


    A near-transparent shadow mysteriously appeared from behind Yi Qianying, passed through her body, and drifted to its front...

 Chapter 334: No Regrets

    <h4>Chapter 334: No Regrets</h4>


    Yi Qianying continued to cough more and more intensely. She felt a sudden iron tang in her throat, and she began to spit out blood. With blood dripping down a corner of her lip and seeping through the cracks in her fingers, a face as pale as snow, she looked like a ghost out for vengeance.


    ¡°How long do I have left?¡± she asked the shadow before her.


    ¡°About a month,¡± came its reply. Its voice was hoarse and pitched just too low forfort, sounding neither like a man nor a woman.


    ¡°This is the price I have to pay?¡± Yi Qianying was regretful and bitter. ¡°If I had known the second elder would let me out, I wouldn¡¯t have made such an exchange with you!¡±


    ¡°Do you think the second elder let you out because he had a change of heart? You killed his grandson, and there¡¯s no way he would let you go. You¡¯re only being made use of.¡±


    ¡°Made use of? For what?¡±


    ¡°For you to enter the otherworld instead of another student from the southern college,¡± the shadow replied. ¡°All of you think that the otherworld¡¯s a treasure trove, but it¡¯ll be hell for a weakling like you! Given your current state, you¡¯re sure to die in the otherworld, and perhaps in a worse manner than if you¡¯d stayed here.¡±


    Yi Qianying sat in silence and darkness. The shadow remained silent, as if it didn¡¯t actually exist. It was a phantom that had been drawn out of a set of skeletal remains in the prison of the hall of penitence. When she met the shadow, Yi Qianying was almost going mad from her imprisonment.


    The shadow quickly formed a pact with her: it would take Yi Qianying¡¯s yang energy for its own cultivation, then help her break out once it managed to refine a physical body. In trade, it promised Yi Qianying to kill a few people¡ªYun Ruoyan, Pei Ziao, and the crown prince Li Qianxiao. Yun Ruoyan was naturally the target of Yi Qianying¡¯s hatred, but Pei Ziao was a close second. Meanwhile, Li Qianxiao had sullied her purity.


    Now that almost all of Yi Qianying¡¯s yang energy had been consumed by the shadow, her yin energy wouldn¡¯t be able to support her life for long.


    ¡°Regardless of your im, it¡¯s all pointless to me now. Our pact remains valid,¡± Yi Qianying stated, as though resigned to her fate. A sudden viciousness imed her face. ¡°Since I have another month of life left, I want to see these three dead before me by then. Can you aplish that?¡±


    The shadow thought for a moment. ¡°With my current strength, it¡¯ll be very difficult to kill anyone in Kongming Academy, and I¡¯ll die if anyone finds out. I don¡¯t want to take this risk, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°But if you¡¯re willing to pay the price, I¡¯ll risk it,¡± the shadow finished.


    ¡°I¡¯m already near death. What else can I provide?¡± Yi Qianying seemed shocked.


    ¡°Your body,¡± the shadow replied. ¡°There¡¯s still a long while before I can maintain my own physical form, so I¡¯ll need a body with which to act before that.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Qianying didn¡¯t hesitate at all: what use was a body to her, when she was about to die?


    ¡°I¡¯ll act tonight,¡± the shadow promised.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to return to this hateful ce,¡± the crown prince Li Qianxiao grumbled, pushing open the door to his manor. To the other students, Kongming Academy was a cultivator¡¯s heaven, but for Li Qianxiao? His amodations weren¡¯t asvish as in the pce, and there weren¡¯t any restaurants or brothels near him. What fun could he have in such an ascetic ce?


    His status as the crown prince had afforded him the privilege to arrivete, but he still wasn¡¯t satisfied. I¡¯ll report that I¡¯m back, then find an opportunity to get off this dumb mountain, he thought to himself. Instead of returning to the capital immediately, I¡¯ll head to Yuelu Vi, since Fourth Brother¡¯s there, then head back to the capital a few days afterwards. As long as Father doesn¡¯t find out, everything will go smoothly¡­


    Following behind Li Qianxiao were two outer disciples, each carrying a number of bags. Within the bags were all sorts of toys and gadgets that he brought with him from the pce. The two disciples dropped the bags off in his manor, then left, leaving Li Qianxiao alone.


    I¡¯ll have a night¡¯s rest, then report in early next morning, Li Qianxiao thought.


    The moment he entered the manor, he sensed the unusual coldness in the air. He didn¡¯t worry too much about it, thinking that it was because nobody had inhabited the manor over the holidays. Hey in bed and quickly fell asleep after the weary day of travelling, dreaming that he was in a brothel with a courtesan he had recently gotten very acquainted with. Her soft, seemingly boneless bodyy beside him, her face beautiful and beckoning. However, just as he was about to reach his climax, that figure suddenly morphed into a skeleton, and two beady eyes prated his body.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Li Qianxiao yelled out, waking up drenched in sweat. Only then did he find that night had fallen, that it was dark all over the manor and that he was very, very alone.


    Li Qianxiao wasn¡¯t particrly timid, and he had never found himself ill at ease because he was upying such arge manor alone, but that dream had left him shaken. As he stood up in an attempt to light themp on his bedside table, he suddenly found himself missing Yi Qianying. Although the two of them didn¡¯t talk very much, she was still a living person.


    Li Qianxiao lit a match, which gradually brightened up the room. Just as he was about to light up themp on his bedside table, he suddenly found a shadow by the corner of his room.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± he called out, but that shadow had vanished.


    Li Qianxiao wiped the sweat on his forehead with a sleeve, then lit themp, mumbling to himself, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me today? Where did that nightmaree from, and why¡¯s my sight failing me now, too?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m right here, right behind you¡­¡± a dark, sinister voice whispered into his ear.


    Li Qianxiao¡¯s ear went numb, as though someone had blown a freezing jet of wind along it, followed by his face, then his entire body.


    He forced his neck to rotate, only to see a ck shadow floating toward him.


    ¡°Ghost¡ª!¡± Li Qianxiao opened his mouth wide. He was about to scream when the shade clenched his neck with a w, cutting off his airflow. Li Qianxiao found himself gasping for breath, his eyesight blurring. The fear of death overwhelmed his senses, and he reached out, grabbed an ornamental dagger from his waist, and tried to stab it into the shade¡¯s body.


    But the shade was immaterial, and Li Qianxiao¡¯s resistance was fruitless.


    ¡°Remember this,¡± the shade murmured, as Li Qianxiao¡¯s face turned a purplish-red. ¡°The person who wants you dead is Yi Qianying, for all the wrongs that you¡¯ve done her!¡±


    With a snap, Li Qianxiao¡¯s neck broke, and he exhaled hisst.


    The shade released him, and Li Qianxiao¡¯s corpse fell to the ground. The ck shadow picked up the ornamental dagger from the ground, snuffed out themp, and vanished into the darkness.


    Yi Qianying stood in her own cottage, looking in the direction of Li Qianxiao¡¯s manor with an expressionless face, until it lit up in mes. The fires roared and zed, turning the sky itself a ming red.


    A cold smile slowly appeared on Yi Qianying¡¯s face, one that widened and widened. Yi Qianyingughed so hard she began to cry.


    The ck shade appeared in front of Yi Qianying, and it handed her the dagger.


    ¡°Keep it for yourself.¡± Yi Qianying didn¡¯t ept the proffered dagger. ¡°Next, use this dagger to kill Yun Ruoyan and Pei Ziao.¡±


    ¡°I just headed to the cottage by the cliff that you mentioned,¡± the shade replied. ¡°There were two auras within, one so strong that I¡¯m no match for it. The other wasn¡¯t weak, but it was something I could handle.¡±


    ¡°That strong aura undoubtedly belongs to the ughtering King. He¡¯s an instructor of Kongming Academy, as well as Yun Ruoyan¡¯s master. That weaker aura is likely Yun Ruoyan, so you just have to avoid the ughtering King until you can find an opportunity to get rid of her.¡±


    ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a training session for all those entering the otherworld tomorrow. I¡¯ll sneak into it and try to find a chance.¡±


    The next day marked the start of the next training session. This time, Li Mo was still the instructor in charge. With him in the lead, the students entered an isted ind. There were a few beasts on the ind, but they were so weak that even the weakest seventh-rank demasters among the students could handle them. The elders had chosen rtively safe training grounds to prevent any egregious loss of students so close to entering the alternate dimension.


    ¡°These beasts don¡¯t have great offensive capabilities,¡± Li Mo shouted. ¡°We¡¯ll split up into small groups and hunt them today. Your goal is to try to get at least ten low-grade and three mid-grade beast cores. Once you¡¯re done, gather back here.¡±


    Because of the enmity between various students of different colleges, Li Mo had opted to have the students self-assemble into teams. Very quickly, the twenty-nine students grouped up into eight teams, each setting off in a different direction through the ind...

 Chapter 335: Observing the Fight

    <h4>Chapter 335: Observing the Fight</h4>


    Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, the Lin sisters, and Zhuo Yifeng formed a team. Guan Ruliu, Zong Yang, and that senior whose name was Zhou Lin formed a team. Pei Ziao, Rong Yueshan, and another northern-college student formed a team.


    The other students all formed teams of three or four as they set off in different directions toward the interior of the ind. Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan walked in the front, and the Lin sisters and Zhuo Yifeng in the back. Lin Qingxue stayed close to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s side.


    ¡°Did you see the fire at the crown prince¡¯s manorst night? It was so frightening, and the crown prince himself died there!¡± Lin Qingxue whispered. ¡°Brother Zhuo, how could such a strange fire have happened in Kongming Academy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied coolly.


    Kongming Academy was located above the clouds, and it was temperate all year round. Ever since the academy¡¯s construction, there had been almost no recorded cases of fires, but a huge fire had somehow erupted in the crown prince¡¯s manortest night.


    The fire burned particrly violently. When the crowd discovered it and ran over to extinguish it, the crown prince¡¯s manor had been utterly consumed. By the time an instructor rushed into the sea of mes to rescue the crown prince, his body had been charred to a crisp.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, what do you think?¡± Zhuo Yifeng had been unable to satiate Lin Qingxue¡¯s curiosity, so she turned to Yun Ruoyan instead.


    ¡°This fire is indeed quite suspicious,¡± Yun Ruoyan imed. Her cottage by the cliff was somewhat far from the crown prince¡¯s manor, and she and Li Mo had been practicing their dual cultivation technique at night, so neither Yun Ruoyan nor Li Mo had noticed the fire during the night.


    Come morning, however, the first elder had urgently sent for Li Mo, and Yun Ruoyan went to the scene of the fire with him. They examined Li Qianxiao¡¯s body, so charred that none of his features were visible. It was impossible to confirm whether or not he had received a lethal injury before his death, but Li Mo and the first elder had both noticed an unusual aura clinging to it.


    ¡°Li Qianxiao¡¯s the crown prince of the Li kingdom, so neither the Li emperor nor the empress will let the matter go so easily,¡± Lin Qingchen sighed.


    ¡°It looks like the elders will have a headache on their tes,¡± Lin Qingxue added.


    Everyone turned to Li Mo, waiting for him to speak. Except for Yun Ruoyan, everyone else thought that Li Mo was truly a member of the Li royalty. In their eyes, Li Mo was Li Qianxiao¡¯s uncle, but he seemed wholly unaffected by the death of his nephew. However, because Li Mo was generally cold and aloof, this sort of response wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary.


    He didn¡¯t originally intend on expressing his own opinion on the matter, but when Yun Ruoyan also looked toward him curiously, he began coolly, ¡°We¡¯ll certainly investigate the cause behind his death and bring the truth to light. This is all Kongming Academy can do; after all, given that it has authority surpassing that of the four kingdoms, even the Li emperor himself can¡¯t do much to the academy.¡±


    As they talked, they walked deeper into the ind¡¯s forests.


    ¡°Look, there are beast trails over there!¡± Lin Qingxue pointed at a nearby bush, which clearly showed signs of beast activity. Amotion urred ahead of them, and they could all hear the howling of beasts from the front.


    ¡°Based on the noise, it¡¯s likely a pack of low-ranked beasts and a mid-rank beast,¡± Zhuo Yifeng stated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a look,¡± Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue said simultaneously.


    Li Mo¡¯s stated goal was for them to obtain three mid-rank beast cores as well as ten low-rank beast cores. For such a simple task, neither Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, nor Zhuo Yifeng needed to participate. Indeed, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had no need to participate in such a simple training exercise, but Li Mo had to be there as the instructor, and Yun Ruoyan wanted to apany Li Mo and take the opportunity to train her two cousins.


    Their group quickly encountered about a dozen low-rank demon-eyed wolves surrounding a crimsonme tiger. In general, low-rank beasts wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke mid-rank beasts unless they had absolute numerical superiority.


    No matter how strong their bodies were, neither low- nor mid-rank magical beasts were able to use spiritual attacks. As a result, their battles were restricted to physical brawls. Quite a few of the demon-eyed wolves had been killed by the crimsonme tiger, their bodies tossed far afield. The remaining wolves were all growling as they swarmed toward the tiger, biting him until he was bloody all over.


    The Lin sisters saw the tiger lower its head and break the neck of one of the wolves with its jaws. The other wolves, seeing theirrade killed in the blink of an eye, attacked the tiger even more ferociously.


    ¡°It looks like neither of us will have to do anything to get these beast cores,¡± Lin Qingxue murmured, smiling. ¡°Once they both wear each other down, we¡¯ll swoop in and snatch everything up.¡±


    However, Zhuo Yifeng had just aimed and shot at the crimsonme tiger¡¯s head with an arrow. The snowy-white arrowhead sparked as it came in contact with the eye, shooting directly into the tiger¡¯s forehead. The tiger only had time to howl, its amber eyes staring despairingly in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s direction, before its massive frame fell to the ground.


    The wolves all stilled, then turned toward Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group. The strength of the aura that they released immediately caused the wolves to tremble; they began dashing toward the other end of the forest, clearly wanting to avoid any confrontation.


    Zhuo Yifeng shot out one more arrow, thudding into the ground right where the wolf pack was headed. With another two arrows, he blocked off their movement to the left and to the right, cutting off any hope the wolves had for escaping.


    Having finished his preparations, he then turned toward Lin Qingxue. Although he hadn¡¯t spoken, his gestures and eyes were both telling Lin Qingxue that she wouldn¡¯t be able to sit back and do nothing.


    ¡°Qingchen, Qingxue,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out. ¡°The whole point of the training is to increase ourbat experience. These wolves are rtively strong for low-rank beasts, so they¡¯ll be the perfect targets for you.¡±


    The Lin sisters both took out their weapons and began walking toward the dozen wolves.


    ¡°I want to act on my own, so I¡¯ll leave Qingchen and Qingxue for you to handle,¡± Zhuo Yifeng said to Yun Ruoyan. The spiritual energy within this realm was denser than it was outside, and Zhuo Yifeng intended on finding a quiet, secluded spot to begin working with the spiritual shield and whip that he had just received from the first elder.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded at him, and Zhuo Yifeng turned to leave.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo stood by the side as they watched Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen handle the dozen-odd wolves. As seventh-rank demasters, fighting a dozen such low-ranked beasts at the same time was still a rtively challenging exercise, and Yun Ruoyan had to be careful not to let either of them get injured.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, there¡¯s no need to be so worried.¡± Li Mo patted her on the back. ¡°If you¡¯re too protective of them, you¡¯ll stunt their growth.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t help bing anxious. They¡¯re both family to me, and I don¡¯t want either of them to get hurt at all.¡±


    ¡°Sister, be careful!¡± Right then, a demon-eyed wolf pounced on Lin Qingchen from the back. Lin Qingxue reacted quickly enough to toss the sword in her hands at it. Because of how close the wolf was to her sister, and because Lin Qingxue had used the entirety of her strength, that sword easily slid into its eye.


    Lin Qingchen also reacted rtively quickly; the moment Lin Qingxue tossed her sword at the wolf, she turned around, grabbed the sword that had flown into its eye, and tugged it out. The demon-eyed wolf fell to the ground with a howl, spasming a few times before turning lifeless.


    Before one of the other wolves that had been closing in on them could pounce on her, Lin Qingchen rushed toward it with her sword in hand. Infusing her spiritual energy into the sword, her charge was imposing enough to cause the wolf to immediately slump to the ground, begging for mercy.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Lin Qingxue couldn¡¯t helpugh at theical sight. ¡°For a demon-eyed wolf to be begging like a dog, haha!¡±


    While Lin Qingxueughed, Lin Qingchen¡¯s sword unerringly thrust into the wolf¡¯s head. She turned to her sister, and her eyes widened. ¡°Qingxue, be careful!¡±


    A demon-eyed wolf had stealthily crept up behind Lin Qingxue, and it leapt toward her back. Lin Qingxue couldn¡¯t react quickly enough to dodge the blow, and Lin Qingchen wouldn¡¯t be able to reach her sister in time.


    Yun Ruoyan soared into the air, a red aura shing by her feet, and rushed to Lin Qingxue¡¯s side. A white beam of spiritual energy traced an arc in mid-air and severed the wolf¡¯s head from its body.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± Lin Qingxue called out in shock. ¡°My goodness!¡±


    ¡°While in battle, you can¡¯t be distracted,¡± Yun Ruoyan lectured seriously. ¡°The moment you lose focus could be the moment you lose your life. Don¡¯t let this happen again.¡±


    Lin Qingchen frowned at her sister, and Lin Qingxue stuck out her tongue in response.


    Yun Ruoyan flew back to Li Mo¡¯s side as she kept guard over her cousins.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, your swordflight¡¯s vastly improved,¡± Li Momented.


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan process what she had done. In her rush to get to Lin Qingxue in time, she had summoned her Scarlet Eye and soared on it in a single fluid gesture, without any of the stiff and ungainly motions that she had disyed in the past.


    ¡°To think this was all it took¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan was equally excited by her aplishment: from now on, she would be able to wander where she pleased, a dream that she had long held but only now achieved.

 Chapter 336: Zhou Lin’s Sudden Insanity

    <h4>Chapter 336: Zhou Lin¡¯s Sudden Insanity</h4>


    The other wolves knew that their deaths were approaching. Theypletely gave up on running away and instead charged at the two Lin sisters with the goal of inflicting as much damage to her as they could before they died.


    Not daring to continue taking the situation lightly, Lin Qingxue coordinated with Lin Qingchen to ughter the rest of the wolves one by one.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan,¡± she eximed, once she and Lin Qingchen had taken care of them all.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Yun Ruoyan critiqued. ¡°But it won¡¯t do for you to be proud. These are only low-rank beasts, and if even half of them were mid-rank beasts, then it wouldn¡¯t have been as easy.¡±


    ¡°Yourbat capabilities are still far from your cousin¡¯s,¡± Li Mo added. ¡°At your cultivation, Ruoyan was able to handle a high-rank beast on her own.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan¡¯s our role model,¡± Lin Qingxue replied, smiling.


    There were about a dozen low-rank beasts and one mid-rank beast carcass here, so they had finished more than half of Li Mo¡¯s task.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan,¡± Lin Qingchen said, after they finished extracting the beast cores from their carcasses, ¡°we still need two more mid-rank beast cores, and I¡¯d like to collect them with Qingxue alone.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned and was just about to object when Li Mo interjected, ¡°That¡¯s fine. Meet us back by the shore when you¡¯re done. We¡¯ll be waiting there for you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced at Li Mo, who shook his head. When Yun Ruoyan turned to see both Lin sisters staring firmly at her, she decided not to object. ¡°Be careful,¡± she finally added.


    ¡°We¡¯ll definitely finish the rest of the task quickly!¡± Both girls headed deeper into the forest, excited at being granted the freedom to work alone.


    ¡°Only if you leave them be can they grow,¡± Li Momented. ¡°There¡¯s nothing particrly dangerous in this realm, and the only reason we¡¯re bringing them here is to improve their self-confidence and to diminish their fears regarding the otherworld. Yan¡¯er, there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    After hearing the elders¡¯ conversation, it was inevitable that the students would be fearful of what awaited them in the alternate dimension. Furthermore, given how many students had died in the expedition to the giant forest, some of the more weak-willed students had begun entertaining thoughts of retreating. This training was meant to relieve these students¡¯ concerns.


    Yun Ruoyan finally lowered her guard after hearing Li Mo¡¯s exnation. None of the beasts on this ind would pose any sort of challenge to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, so the two of them flew back to the shore, where the students would gather. Basking in her newfound skill, Yun Ruoyan flew in front of Li Mo on her own sword, making him yearn for the feeling of flying together with her.


    ¡°There are already students who are back!¡± Yun Ruoyan spied about a dozen students already gathered by the shore in surprise. Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue had dispatched the wolves rather efficiently, so she hadn¡¯t expected that there would already be teams who had finished their assigned task¡ªand apparently far earlier.


    When Yun Ruoyan got closer, she saw that these students included the northern college¡¯s Rong Yueshan and the southern college¡¯s Guan Ruliu and Zong Yang.


    The moment Yun Ruoyannded, she noticed something amiss. Everyone looked toward her and Li Mo anxiously, but also as though a great burden had been relieved from them. Even Rong Yueshan, who hated Yun Ruoyan, seemed to turn excited upon seeing her presence.


    ¡°Master Mo, Junior Sister Ruoyan, something¡¯s wrong!¡± Zong Yang and Guan Ruliu hurried to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Not long after we entered the forest, Junior Brother Zhou Lin suddenly went crazy!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked all around and noted that Zhou Lin was absent.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°After he went crazy, he ran into the depths of the forest and vanished,¡± Zong Yang replied.


    ¡°What happened? How did he suddenly go crazy?¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this,¡± Guan Ruliu exined. ¡°Junior Brother Zhou Lin started behaving erratically this morning.¡±


    Guan Ruliu imed that Zhou Lin was usually a reticent youth, but he had suddenly be a lot more talkative this morning. He had asked her all sorts of questions about cultivation, as well as what was going on between Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    Zhou Lin and Zong Yang were bothte additions to the roster of new students, who weren¡¯t particrly familiar with the training that the other students had experienced. In this sense, it wasn¡¯t unusual for them to have questions about the training, so Guan Ruliu hadn¡¯t found the sudden spate of questions concerning. However, the rtionship between Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo was essentially an open secret within the academy; even if no one would speak directly of it, they all knew about what was going on.


    The students from the other colleges would often gossip about Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, but this never happened in the southern college. At the time, Guan Ruliu had lectured Zhou Lin for his indiscretion. Because Zhou Lin had epted the reprimand gracefully and had promised not to repeat his mistake, Guan Ruliu thought nothing of the affair. After Zhou Lin¡¯s sudden craziness, however, she realized how suspicious that interaction had been.


    ¡°Things were progressing very smoothly. We stayed together in the forest hunting a pack of low-rank beasts, but Zhou Lin suddenly began attacking me and Zong Yang,¡± Guan Ruliu continued, frowning. ¡°Luckily, Zong Yang and I reacted quickly, and neither of us were injured. When he realized that we were now both on guard against him, he turned and ran deeper into the forest. Zong Yang and I followed his footsteps only to find a series of dead beasts along the way, both low- and mid-rank ones. They all died in a horrifying, macabre manner.¡±


    Guan Ruliu stilled for a moment, and Zong Yang continued. ¡°All the beasts had their head and body sliced open. Strangely enough, instead of taking the beasts¡¯ cores, their brains and hearts had vanished.¡±


    ¡°Do you suspect Zhou Lin of killing those beasts?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re the only thirty people on this ind, aren¡¯t we? Except for Zhou Lin, I can¡¯t imagine anyone else responsible for killing those beasts,¡± Zong Yang replied.


    The bodies of high-rank beasts could be rare treasures, but low- and mid-rank beasts were primarily only sought after for their beast cores.


    ¡°It¡¯s Zhou Lin!¡± Rong Yueshan imed as she walked over. ¡°Your southern college¡¯s Zhou Lin has really gone crazy! He suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked us, wounding Pei Ziao and dragging him away!¡±


    ¡°Zhou Lin dragged Pei Ziao away?¡± Only then did Yun Ruoyan notice that Pei Ziao wasn¡¯t within the gathered crowd.


    ¡°Zhou Lin never talks, so I always thought of him as a recluse, but he was a maniac!¡± another student added. ¡°We were killing beasts on our own when he suddenly appeared and attacked us. Luckily, we were able to fend off his attacks, but a few students still suffered injuries.¡±


    One of the wounded students extended an arm, revealing bloodied scratch marks.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s eyes both narrowed: they noticed a few skeins of dark energy surrounding the wound, the same energy that had been on Li Qianxiao¡¯s corpse.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both nced at each other, their gazes serious. The¡­ thing that had killed Li Qianxiao seemed to have snuck into this realm with them. Zhou Lin had likely been controlled or possessed by that mysterious entity, and this was why he had suddenly gone crazy.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly eximed. ¡°Qingchen and Qingxue are still in the forest, and they¡¯ll be in danger if they encounter Zhou Lin!¡±


    A red aura shed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s feet as she soared up into the air, so quickly no one else could react in time.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± By the time Li Mo called out Yun Ruoyan¡¯s name, she had already flown off into the distance. A green aura shed by Li Mo¡¯s feet, and he was just about to give chase when someone suddenly pulled on his sleeve.


    ¡°Master Mo, you can¡¯t go!¡± Rong Yueshan called out, tightly clutching onto his sleeve. With a pitiful tone that she had never used before, she eximed, ¡°Master Mo, Zhou Lin brought Pei Ziao toward the south! Please save him quickly!¡±


    Rong Yueshan pointed toward the south, but Yun Ruoyan had already vanished in the forest by the north.


    Li Mo cast an icy nce at Rong Yueshan. She gulped, but continued clutching onto Li Mo for dear life. He swung his arm back with enough force that Rong Yueshan was blown into the air and flung about thirty feet back. After getting rid of her, Li Mo began flying in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s direction, but he could see no sight of her.


    ¡°This damned woman,¡± Li Mo huffed. She was normally so mature and intelligent, but it seemed as though she would lose all her wits when it came to her family.


    Despitending in a heap, Rong Yueshan wasn¡¯t injured. She slowly got up on her feet, then nced at the direction in which Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had vanished, a sinister smile by her face...

 Chapter 337: I’m Not a Ghost!

    <h4>Chapter 337: I¡¯m Not a Ghost!</h4>


    Rong Yueshan slowly stood up amidst the gathered students¡¯ careful nces. She brushed away the dirt on her clothes and returned to standing among the northern college students, as though she wasn¡¯t scared of offending Li Mo at all.


    She thought back to what had happenedst night, and her lips curled up in a vindictive smile.


    Last night, when Rong Yueshan had returned to her cottage, she found another person inside: Yi Qianying. Rong Yueshan had thought Yi Qianying all but dead after having been dragged off into the hall of penitence, so when she appeared once more, Rong Yueshan jumped back in fright. Her first thought was that Yi Qianying had died, and what had appeared in front of her was simply her specter.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid,¡± Yi Qianying slowly began. ¡°I¡¯m not a ghost yet, but a human.¡± She lit up themp in the cottage, and Rong Yueshan finally breathed out in relief when she saw Yi Qianying¡¯s shadow cast by the light.


    Yi Qianying sat down by her table. Her body was as thin and skeletal as a piece of paper, and her pale face was bloodless. She wore the drab, gray clothes of a convict of the hall of penitence.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you locked up in the hall of penitence? Why are you in my cottage?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no surprise that you would be so shocked,¡± Yi Qianying sighed. ¡°I also thought that I would die within the hall of penitence, but yesterday, Master Rong suddenly brought me out with the approval of the second elder! I was even given the right to go to the otherworld, and I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes!¡±


    By then, Rong Yueshan had calmed down. She slowly sat down in front of Yi Qianying. After hearing her words, her heart sank. It looks as though the elders were telling the truth about it being uninhabitable, if Yi Qianying¡¯s being sent there. Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason the second elder would have agreed to let her out¡­


    Yi Qianying smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°My life isn¡¯t mine to control any longer.¡± Her tone suddenly turned vicious. ¡°But even if I have to die, there¡¯s someone I have to bring down with me!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Rong Yueshan asked, though she could guess the answer.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan,¡± Yi Qianying gritted out. ¡°If not for her, there¡¯s no way I would be in such a sorry state! She¡¯s plotted against me at every step along the way, and if I have to die, she will too!¡±


    Yi Qianying turned to Rong Yueshan, a vengeful ze lighting up her eyes. ¡°Yueshan, will you help me?¡±


    ¡°You hate Yun Ruoyan, but do you think I don¡¯t? I want her to die as much as you do,¡± Rong Yueshan sighed. ¡°But Yun Ruoyan¡¯s no longer the girl she once was. With the ughtering King protecting her, and with her own cultivation as an eighth-rank demaster, I¡¯m no match for her even if I team up with Pei Ziao. How would we kill her?¡±


    ¡°Yueshan, as long as you¡¯re willing to help, I can kill Yun Ruoyan. You don¡¯t have to sully your own hands.¡± Yi Qianying immediately dispelled Rong Yueshan¡¯s worries.


    ¡°You can kill Yun Ruoyan? How?¡± Rong Yueshan clearly didn¡¯t believe her.


    Yi Qianying smiled. ¡°Shade,e out.¡±


    A ck shade detached from Yi Qianying¡¯s body and began moving autonomously. As Rong Yueshan looked at the shade in shock, Yi Qianying briefly exined the shade¡¯s existence to her. It would be able to possess someone and mix into a crowd, but this short-term possession would cause extreme, longsting damage to the possessed body, so Rong Yueshan would have to find it a good target. Furthermore, to increase the chance of sess, the victim couldn¡¯t have too high a cultivation.


    After a moment¡¯s consideration, Rong Yueshan suggested Zhou Lin. During her few encounters with him, she noticed that Zhou Lin was weaker than the other students participating in the expedition to the alternate dimension. Because he was also a recluse, questionable behavior on his part wouldn¡¯t arouse too much suspicion.


    With Rong Yueshan¡¯s guidance, the shade sessfully infiltrated Zhou Lin¡¯s rooms and possessed his body. During the first twelve to sixteen hours of possession, the victim¡¯s body would be rtively easy to control, but after a set duration, the shade would lose control of its new body. In grave circumstances, the victim might even die immediately.


    The shade, using Zhou Lin¡¯s body, sessfully entered the deserted ind with the other expedition members. However, killing Yun Ruoyan proved to be a difficult task, so its first goal was to lure Yun Ruoyan away from Li Mo so that it could kill her in a one-to-one fight.


    As a result, the shade forced Zhou Lin to begin attacking any student it could find. Furthermore, when Zhou Lin¡¯s body began to retaliate against the possession, it killed Zhou Lin, hurt Pei Ziao, and began possessing him instead.


    From Rong Yueshan, the shade found out that Yun Ruoyan was particrly protective of her two cousins, so it rushed in her party¡¯s direction in an attempt to split them up and find an opportunity to kill Yun Ruoyan.


    On her Scarlet Eye, Yun Ruoyan arrived at the edge of the northern forest in an instant. Although the forests on the ind didn¡¯t have trees as tall as those in the gigantic forest she had been in a few months ago, they grew in such vast quantities that the undergrowth was all but blocked from sight. Yun Ruoyan could only head to where she had split off from the Lin sisters, then began running in the direction where she had seen themst.


    ¡°Qingxue, Qingchen!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    No matter how much Yun Ruoyan called, however, there was no response. Growing more and more anxious, Yun Ruoyan began running faster and faster. About fifteen minutester, she encountered a mid-rank beast, a bear of some sort.


    Yun Ruoyan inspected the bear¡¯s wound and found that it had been caused by a sharp sword, and its head had been split open by the same weapon. Its beast core had already been removed.


    Qingxue and Qingchen probably killed this bear. Yun Ruoyan nced all around her and found that there was a scrap of green clothing by a tree branch to the east, which Yun Ruoyan hurriedly retrieved.


    She recognized the make of the fabric: it was from Lin Qingchen¡¯s attire! She hurriedly continued toward the east as she kept an eye out for her two cousins.


    After another fruitless hour of searching, Yun Ruoyan began to panic. She was initially able to see her cousins¡¯ tracks, but as she walked farther and farther from the shore, those tracks vanished.


    ¡°Qingchen, Qingxue, where are you?!¡± she shouted all around her.


    Awoooo!


    By the east came the howling of a pack of low-rank beasts, and Yun Ruoyan dashed toward themotion. Eight red-eyed boarsy on the ground, their carcasses mangled. Their stomachs had been sliced open, and their blood and intestines were leaking out. Their brains and hearts had vanished, but their beast cores had been left behind.


    The scene before her was so much like what Zong Yang and Guan Ruliu had described that these beasts had to have been killed by Zhou Lin.


    Yun Ruoyan nced cautiously around her before seeing another scrap of green cloth. No, not good¡ªQingchen and Qingxue did encounter him after all!


    That patch of green cloth was, just like thest, caught on a tree lying eastward. In her anxiety, Yun Ruoyan continued proceeding east in search of her cousins. She felt so pressed for time that she didn¡¯t even bother grabbing the scrap from the tree.


    After she left, a strange gust of wind blew the patch of green fabric onto a branch pointing toward the west.


    As Yun Ruoyan kept walking, she suddenly found herself trapped within a suspicious gray fog. It covered up the sun, and her surroundings were so hazy that she couldn¡¯t see more than twenty feet from her in any direction.


    ¡°Qingchen, Qingxue?¡± Yun Ruoyan continued calling out. Then, she heard rapid footfalls all around her, apanied by the scraping of a body against the dense foliage.


    ¡°Zhou Lin? Zhou Lin, is that you?¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately raised her guard as she tried to discern the direction the sound wasing from. ¡°Zhou Lin,e out here and face me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t dare to stop. Your spiritual sword¡¯s a dangerous match for me,¡± a hoarse, chilling voice emerged from nowhere. ¡°If that sword pierces me, I¡¯ll lose all the cultivation that I¡¯ve gathered after all this time.¡±


    ¡°What manner of demon are you? Are my cousins with you?!¡±


    ¡°Ha, haha.¡± The shadeughed coldly. ¡°Yes, I have your cousins.¡±


    ¡°What do you intend on doing?¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my goal has never been your cousins. My goal is you, and those cousins of yours are just bait. If you¡¯ll ept your death gracefully, I won¡¯t hurt your cousins. How about that? Trading your life for theirs isn¡¯t a losing prospect, surely.¡±


    ¡°What grudge do I have with you? Why do you want my life?¡± she called out, infusing spiritual energy into her ears to better sense where the voice wasing from.


    Strangely, Yun Ruoyan discovered that the voice wasing from a different direction than the trees¡¯ rustling. The voice sounded as though it was speaking from above, but the rustling was clearlying from the forest all around her. In this situation, there was only one possibility: Yun Ruoyan was facing not one, but rather two enemies...

 Chapter 338: Not a Puppet

    <h4>Chapter 338: Not a Puppet</h4>


    ¡°I have no grudge against you,¡± the shade replied. ¡°It¡¯s an enemy of yours that wants your life.¡± The shade hovered in midair, following Yun Ruoyan wherever she went. Running circles around her in the forest was Pei Ziao, whom the shade was controlling in an attempt to break Yun Ruoyan¡¯s concentration.


    If Yun Ruoyan was even a little distracted, it would kill her immediately, then hand Yi Qianying her heart. However, despite the prolonged conversation, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t seem to rx at all. Because the shade had to be cautious of her Scarlet Eye, it didn¡¯t dare attack her recklessly.


    ¡°Who¡¯s trying to kill me?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that, unless you¡¯re dead,¡± the shade replied.


    Yun Ruoyan suddenly remembered that the Lin sisters had told her that Zong Yang had seen Yi Qianying in Kongming Academy, but she hadn¡¯t made a public appearance. What could be going on?


    Of the students of Kongming Academy, the only ones that had really tried to kill her were Rong Yueshan and Yi Qianying. Yun Ruoyan had just seen Rong Yueshan, and her intuition told her that Rong Yueshan was at most an aplice. In that case, there was only one possibility for the mastermind: the recently released Yi Qianying.


    ¡°Did you kill the crown prince Li Qianxiao as well?¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly asked. If Yi Qianying was somehow able to send an assassin against her, then she could naturally have done so against Li Qianxiao as well.


    Yun Ruoyan firmly believed that Yi Qianying hated Li Qianxiao at least as much as she hated her. Li Qianxiao¡¯s death had been rather unusual, and there had been a strange, ck aura about his corpse. It seemed very simr to the substance that made up this incorporeal shade.


    Combining these pieces of information, Yun Ruoyan was almost certain that Li Qianxiao had been killed by this monster in front of her, and the mastermind behind this entire ploy was none other than Yi Qianying.


    ¡°Is your mistress Yi Qianying?¡± Yun Ruoyan continued.


    ¡°Since you already know everything, you can¡¯t live any longer,¡± the ck shade suddenly croaked. ¡°Pei Ziao, kill Yun Ruoyan!¡±


    The rustling noise that had surrounded Yun Ruoyan suddenly stopped. In the blink of an eye, a spear suddenly shot toward her.


    His heirloom spear! Yun Ruoyan thought, hurriedly shielding herself with her Scarlet Eye, which she transformed into the shape of a dagger.


    As Yun Ruoyan blocked the attack, sparks flew into the air. Pei Ziao¡¯s cultivation was below that of Yun Ruoyan, so he had to retreat quite a few steps in order to stand steady. It was only then that Yun Ruoyan saw Pei Ziao¡¯s appearance. His face was expressionless, his eyes dazed¡ªclearly, he was being controlled by some sort of demonic technique.


    ¡°Your cultivation¡¯s really quite advanced,¡± the ck shademented greedily. ¡°I wonder how your heart will taste? Hearts rich in spiritual energy are the best nourishment for me, far more than those unsightly beasts. Of course, cultivator cores would be even better, but I doubt they¡¯d appear in such a low-grade realm¡­¡±


    The voice continued trying to distract Yun Ruoyan, but she was able to split her focus. She nced warily at Pei Ziao even as she listened to the shade. When the shade realized that its distraction wasn¡¯t working, itmanded Pei Ziao, ¡°What are you waiting for? Kill her!¡±


    Like a puppet, Pei Ziao didn¡¯t hesitate before tossing the spear in his hand toward Yun Ruoyan. Thanks to her past life, Yun Ruoyan was very familiar with Pei Ziao¡¯s spear technique; he was about to control the spear with his mental energy so that he could attack her from a distance. Since his cultivation was below hers, this would be far safer than attacking her in close range.


    It seemed as though his possession hadn¡¯t sapped his understanding of his spear techniques.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s Scarlet Eye had transformed into the shape of a sword, ready to defend against Pei Ziao¡¯s spear¡¯s attack. Suddenly, however, her vision turned dark, and she couldn¡¯t even see her fingers ahead of her.


    While Yun Ruoyan had been focusing on Pei Ziao¡¯s spear, the shade had suddenly enveloped her with a gust of ck fog. This scenario was beyond Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expectations; before she could react to the sudden darkness, she sensed that Pei Ziao¡¯s spear was rapidly approaching her. Without any rational thought, Yun Ruoyan subconsciously held her sword in front of her in an attempt to ward it off.


    With a nk, the Scarlet Eye did hit the spear¡ªbut only its haft. The spearhead, which she had failed to block, struck her neck. Luckily, her spiritual membrane had instinctively formed in front of her. Although the spearhead was able to prate the membrane and scratch her skin, it wasn¡¯t a serious injury.


    Yun Ruoyan gingerly touched the neck on her wound: it wasn¡¯t bleeding profusely, and wouldn¡¯t interfere with her fighting ability for the moment.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± the ck shade cackled. ¡°What fragrant blood! You, you¡¯re a human furnace, aren¡¯t you? Your heart will be more nourishing for me than a peak first-rank sword saint¡¯s cultivation core! Pei Ziao, kill her now, now!¡± the shademanded Pei Ziao frantically, and his spear began a rapid-fire attack against Yun Ruoyan amidst the darkness.


    With her intuition alone, Yun Ruoyan tried to ward off its blows. While she had the advantage in terms of cultivation, the spear was relentless and never seemed to g. In mere minutes, she had been cut on her arms, wrists, and legs.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, Qiuqiu! Wake up, I need your help!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out mentally as she continued to dodge. However, ever since Yun Ruoyan became an eighth-rank demaster, Qiuqiu had fallen into longer and longer periods of sleep. There were even times when it wouldn¡¯t wake for days or weeks on end. ording to Li Mo, these extended periods of cultivation were particrly important to Qiuqiu, so Yun Ruoyan tried not to summon it unless the situation were urgent.


    Now that the situation had indeed devolved to such a state, she had no choice but to wake Qiuqiu up.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, Mistress?¡± But before Yun Ruoyan could exin, Qiuqiu sensed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s plight. ¡°Wait, where¡¯s Li Mo?¡±


    ¡°I left too quickly for him to catch up,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined.


    ¡°Let me try contacting him.¡±


    After a period of cultivation, Qiuqiu¡¯s mental energy was now stronger than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s. Not only was it able to pass through the bracelet¡¯s seal, it could evenmunicate with Li Mo, whose mental energy was equally well developed, over short distances.


    Li Mo was currently rushing through the forest. He had also seen the green scrap of cloth that Yun Ruoyan did, but it was in a direction opposite that which Yun Ruoyan had gone in. After a long, fruitless chase, Li Mo finally realized that he had been tricked. He rushed back to where he had seen the scrap of cloth when Qiuqiu suddenly contacted him, ¡°Li Mo,e quickly! My mistress is in danger!¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s speed almost doubled the moment he heard Qiuqiu¡¯s cry. His spiritual membrane couldn¡¯t form fast enough to keep up. A few errant branches scraped Li Mo¡¯s face, drawing blood, but Li Mo couldn¡¯t care less.


    ¡°Mistress, you have to hold out for a few more moments. Li Mo¡¯s almost here!¡± Qiuqiu shouted.


    By this point, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body was full of wounds¡ªnone of which were life-threatening on their own, the same way that ant bites were rtively minor, but if there were tens or even hundreds of such wounds¡­


    Yun Ruoyan gritted her teeth and continued to fight with Pei Ziao, but she suddenly noticed something amiss. The wounds all over her body began giving off an unusual sensation of cold, followed by a persistent itchiness that seeped all the way to her bones.


    ¡°Mistress, this fog¡¯s poisonous!¡± Qiuqiu shouted. ¡°This is a corpse poison of sorts, one that can spread through the bloodstream and turn an infected cultivator into a puppet!¡±


    ¡°Is there an antidote?¡± Yun Ruoyan thought she could feel the poison extending to her heart and brain.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡±


    Before Qiuqiu could respond, Li Mo¡¯s voice came from afar.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan wanted to call out to Li Mo, only to find that her tongue had gone numb and her four limbs no longer responsive. A sharp pain struck her chest, and the ck fog in front of her slowly dissipated. Li Mo¡¯s silhouette appeared in front of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes.


    In front of Li Mo was arge ze of fire, one in which a ck shade was struggling. It screamed, its voice hoarse and difficult to bear. Pei Ziao was slumped over in front of Li Mo, and Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t tell if he were dead or alive.


    Yun Ruoyan lowered her head to see Pei Ziao¡¯s spear thrust into her chest, but she couldn¡¯t feel any sensation of pain. Her body had turned wooden all over, and it seemed to float up as she slumped over to the ground, unable to control or move her limbs at all. Before she could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught her in their embrace.


    Yun Ruoyan saw Li Mo staring at her in agony, and she slowly forced a sentence out of leaden lips. ¡°Li Mo, don¡¯t let me be a puppet¡­¡±

 Chapter 339: Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 339: Awakening</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan drifted through a long patch of darkness, but she remained conscious all the while. In the darkness, she was initially numb and unable to move. Then came the pain: pain that pricked her body, as though she were being burned alive. She wanted to scream, but she couldn¡¯t even open her mouth.


    The piercing pain seemed to go on for days and weeks, months and years¡ªuntil one day, the fire that was burning her alive was snuffed out. The pain slowly diminished, and Yun Ruoyan felt herself enveloped by a warmth that seemed toe from nowhere.


    In thatfortable warmth, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s consciousness finally found rest. She dreamt of returning to her past life, when she had defied her family, both her families¡¯ wishes, to marry Pei Ziao. Then, Pei Ziao and Yi Qianying had locked her in a small, dirty log storehouse, and Pei Ziao had force-fed her poison himself.


    With poison thrumming through her veins, she was tossed out of the Pei manor. Amidst the torrential downpour, shey in silence as she waited to die.


    Dream and consciousness melded, and Yun Ruoyan found that she could no longer distinguish truth from reality. Was she in a dream? Or had she been in a dream all along, and was it only now that she had woken up?


    Someone held an umbre above her head. Yun Ruoyan struggled to open her eyes to find a man in a rich, gold brocade standing over her. A cold male voice spoke, ¡°Scion of the Yun family, I had thought you wiser than this.¡±


    The voice was so familiar that Yun Ruoyan would recognize it in her sleep.


    ¡°Li Mo, is that you?¡± Yun Ruoyan called out. She tried to raise her head to see his face clearly, but her damp hair blinded her eyes. She could only see the indistinct figure of the man slowly stoop down and part her hair, allowing Yun Ruoyan to see his ck hair, draped over his shoulders, his dark hair and thin lips, his clear, bright eyes looking back at her.


    ¡°Li Mo, it really is you,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured, but Li Mo didn¡¯t seem to hear her voice.


    ¡°The weak don¡¯t have the right to live,¡± the man finally said. He stood up and turned to leave.


    The downpour resumed, covering up Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body. She no longer had the strength to shout; all she could do was stretch out a weak hand toward him, as though trying to grasp at something she didn¡¯t know she had lost.


    ¡°Li Mo, don¡¯t leave! Li Mo, you can¡¯t leave me behind!¡±


    On the second floor of the southern tower of Kongming Academy, on a futon in Li Mo¡¯s room,y Yun Ruoyan, over two months unconscious¡ªuntil now. She mumbled in her sleep, her hands dancing in mid-air, as though she was trying to catch something but always failing, helpless and in despair.


    Li Mo was talking to the first elder when he suddenly heard her indistinct mumbling. He rushed into his room and caught Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Yan¡¯er, you¡¯re awake, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Li Mo shouted.


    Yun Ruoyan slowly opened her eyes to see Li Mo¡¯s face. ¡°Li Mo, don¡¯t leave, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave. I¡¯ve always been here, apanying you.¡± Li Mo cupped Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palms, then ced them on his face. His normally cold voice was trembling with excitement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go, stay¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips curled up into a weak smile before the darkness overwhelmed her again.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo called out, trying to wake her again.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine as long as she¡¯s awoken,¡± the first elder consoled. ¡°The only reason she¡¯s asleep again is because she doesn¡¯t have sufficient mental energy. If you give her another tonic, she should awaken shortly.¡±


    ¡°Master, it¡¯ll be time to head to the otherworld in a few days. I¡¯ll stay here and apany Yan¡¯er, but you should start the preparations for the process,¡± Li Mo advised.


    The first elder nodded. ¡°It may have taken two whole months, but you brought her back. You need to rest as well¡ªyou¡¯ve never had a good night¡¯s sleep thesest two months, and even an immortal¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the strain, let alone your mortal self.¡±


    Saying this, the first elder left and began to prepare for the expedition to the alternate dimension.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Li Mo caressed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, as though he couldn¡¯t believe it himself. His heart, which had been so tense for two whole months, could finally rx. He didn¡¯t dare think back to that day two months ago, when he saw Yun Ruoyan, her body pitted with wounds, slumping before him. It felt as though his heart had been smashed to pieces, and whenever he dredged up the memory, his heart would throb in phantom pain.


    He retrieved a small jade bottle, poured out a jade-colored pill, then tossed it into his own mouth. When the spiritual pill dissolved and released its contents, he leaned down and kissed Yun Ruoyan, slowly transferring the contents of the pill into her body.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pale face slowly colored with red. During her two months¡¯ convalescence, Li Mo had fed her like this daily.


    When Yun Ruoyan woke up once more, Li Mo was lying by her side, embracing her entire body. She nced at his face for an inordinate period of time before she finally confirmed that what she was seeing was indeed reality, that her dreams were of a past long gone.


    When Li Mo felt the warmth of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fingers, his eyes suddenly shot open and met hers, he looking at her, and she looking at him, as though their souls had spent millennia together.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo tightly embraced Yun Ruoyan as though she were a long-lost treasure, one that he didn¡¯t know if he would ever be able to find again. ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡¯re finally awake! You scared me half to death¡­¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s voice was almost quavering with excitement.


    Instead of speaking, Yun Ruoyan hugged Li Mo tightly, tears involuntarily leaking out of her eyes.


    When Li Mo told her that she had beenatose for almost two months, Yun Ruoyan reared back in shock. ¡°Almost two months?!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed. Then, as though she had suddenly thought of something, she pressed, ¡°Did I miss the expedition to the otherworld?¡±


    ¡°No. We¡¯ll be heading there next morning, and I hadn¡¯t thought that you would be able to make it, but here you are. However, given the state of your body, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll be too weak to handle the trip. I¡¯ve told the first elder that you won¡¯t be able to participate in the expedition this time.¡±


    ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°I have to return to save Qin Feng. If I don¡¯t, he won¡¯t let him go.¡±


    ¡°Then I have toe with you,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, sitting upright. ¡°I¡¯m alright! I just haven¡¯t eaten in two months, or I wouldn¡¯t be so weak.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t be anxious. Listen to me. Do you know why an eighth-rank demaster¡¯s cultivation is needed to enter the alternate dimension?¡±


    ¡°Is it because only such demasters are capable of swordflight?¡± Yun Ruoyan responded. She had been very curious as to this restriction, one so strict that the academy was even willing to give students a pill that would stunt their future growth to meet it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Li Mo shook his head. ¡°Rather, only eighth-rank demasters can generate a spiritual membrane and protect themselves.¡±


    Li Mo told Yun Ruoyan that the passageway to the alternate dimension was fraught with eddies and whorls of broken space and warped time, one that regr cultivators¡¯ bodies wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand.


    ¡°We still have one day before the expedition. I¡¯ll help you get better, and if you can generate a spiritual membrane by then, you can go. Otherwise, Yan¡¯er, listen to me and stay here and recuperate.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked at Li Mo, her eyes conflicted, before she finally squeezed her eyes shut and nodded unwillingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± she murmured, rubbing her empty stomach. Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t eaten for two months, and it had only been Li Mo¡¯s nourishing her with spiritual pills that her body was still functioning. Now that she was conscious again, she felt as though she was little more than a walking skeleton.


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t expected much of the request: it was night, so she could only bear with her hunger and wait till the morning. However, Li Mo stood up without a second thought. ¡°Yan¡¯er, wait here. I¡¯ll get you something good to eat.¡±


    Li Mo flew out through the window of the second-floor room. When Yun Ruoyan saw him heading toward the cafeteria, she was rather apologetic: it seemed as though one of the outer disciples in charge of the cafeteria would be rudely awoken in the middle of the night and forced to make her something.


    After about fifteen minutes, Li Mo returned with a tray of food. Yun Ruoyan was just about to get up when Li Mo motioned for her to stay where she was. He ced the tray of food on the futon right beside her.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so fragrant! What is it?¡± The aroma seemed to tug at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s soul.


    ¡°Your favorite.¡± Li Mo smiled, revealing a te of braised pork belly and roasted chicken. The scent seemed to fill the entire room.


    Li Mo handed Yun Ruoyan a pair of chopsticks, and she immediately dug in. The braised pork belly melted on her mouth, and it felt as though her whole body was screaming for her to swallow.


    ¡°This is too tasty,¡± Yun Ruoyan praised. ¡°Who made this? And in so short a period of time too!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right by your side.¡± Li Mo smiled.

 Chapter 340: Apprehension

    <h4>Chapter 340: Apprehension</h4>


    ¡°You made this?¡± Yun Ruoyan questioned, shocked.


    Li Mo smiled and nodded, then wiped at the grease by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mouth with a handkerchief. ¡°Over thest two months, I kept thinking that you would definitely be hungry when you woke up, so I honed my skills at preparing your two favorite dishes.¡±


    As if revealing an exceptional secret, he then whispered, ¡°I discovered that cooking these dishes with a spiritual fire would improve both their taste and the rate at which they cooked.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced at the two tes of food in front of her, impable in both taste and appearance. Her heart warmed, she smiled and said, ¡°No wonder it tastes so good. If anyone knew that these dishes had been cooked using a sword saint¡¯s spiritual me, they would be so shocked that they¡¯d bite off their tongue.¡±


    Li Mo felt a deep sense of satisfaction as he watched Yun Ruoyan smile while eating the food that he had prepared himself. This was a sight that he had hoped to see for thest two months, and he couldn¡¯t help reaching out and pushing aside a strand of her stray hair.


    When Li Mo¡¯s warm fingers touched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead, she stilled. The scene in front of her seemed to ovep with what she had experienced in her dream, of Li Mo parting her hair during the downpour as shey dying on the streets.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Li Mo asked, seeing Yun Ruoyan freeze up. ¡°Does the scar on your chest hurt?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s chest had been struck by Pei Ziao¡¯s spear. Luckily, the tip of the spear had barely missed her heart, or even Li Mo and the first elder working together wouldn¡¯t have been able to save her.


    Yun Ruoyan reached out and caressed the wound on her chest. Through her thin blouse, she could feel the slight protrusion of a scar, but it didn¡¯t seem to hurt at all.


    ¡°I treated the wound with a high-grade spiritual pill. It¡¯s all but recovered now, and the scar will vanish after a few days as well,¡± Li Mo replied as he felt her forehead.


    ¡°Li Mo.¡± Yun Ruoyan raised her head and looked at him, her gaze somewhatplicated.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yan¡¯er? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Li Mo couldn¡¯t help getting nervous.


    ¡°Li Mo, I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°Of what? With me around, you don¡¯t have to fear anything!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared that you¡¯re just a dream,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, curling up in hisp, her arms tightly clinging onto his waist. ¡°While I wasatose, I had an unusual dream.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice was piteous. ¡°I dreamt that you were still that cold-hearted highness, and I had been thrown out onto the streets, about to die. You nced at me coldly, then spoke a few heartless words to me. I wanted to call out to you, but I couldn¡¯t let out a single sound. I could only extend my hand, trying to grab you, but I was so weak I could only watch as you walked away. Li Mo, I don¡¯t want that dream to be a reality, and I¡¯m so worried that what I¡¯m going through now is just a dream and nothing more¡­¡±


    Li Mo could empathize with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fear, the fear of losing a loved one that had gued him for thest two months.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, look at me.¡± Li Mo cupped Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face and forced her to look up. Their eyes met; his were like the starry sky. ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream.¡± He took Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palm and held it up to his own face. ¡°I¡¯m real.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan finally smiled. ¡°Li Mo, I hope you¡¯ll never leave me, forever and ever. I hadn¡¯t realized how much separation would hurt¡ªso much that it pains me just to think about the memory.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Li Mo leaned forward and kissed Yun Ruoyan, their intertwined bodies quickly beginning to ze with heat. tes crashed onto the floor: Li Mo had pushed Yun Ruoyan down, and she had identally knocked the tray over.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, your body¡ª¡± Li Mo forcefully restrained himself. Yun Ruoyany underneath him, her cheeks blushing a furious red.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yun Ruoyan pulled Li Mo¡¯s neck down and gave him a kiss. Slightly panting, she murmured, ¡°Li Mo, I need you to help me heal my injury.¡±


    Faced with such temptation, Li Mo could no longer suppress his needs. A white glow radiated from his body, cocooning them both.


    In the dark of the night, by a corner of the southern tower, Zhuo Yifeng stood still. In his hands was a wild rabbit that he had roasted with painstaking effort. For two whole months, he had stood by the wall every night.


    Yun Ruoyan loved his roast meat. Thinking that she would be famished when she first woke up, he had begun a daily routine of hunting some wild game, preparing it, then standing by the wall of the southern tower and waiting for any sign of her emergence. He and the Lin sisters had only seen her once after she had returned from the training, critically injured. From then on, Li Mo had forbidden anyone from getting close to her save the first elder himself.


    Nevertheless, Zhuo Yifeng had persisted in his daily routine, day after day, week after week, until two whole months had passed. Deep in his heart, he knew that it was useless¡ªeven if Yun Ruoyan woke up, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see her, but that didn¡¯t stop him from showing up. He appeared every night, as though only by doing so would he feel marginally better.


    Whenever Zhuo Yifeng recalled how Li Mo had carried Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bloodied body back to the ind¡¯s shore, he couldn¡¯t help ming himself. Why had he separated from Yun Ruoyan? Why had he just left her to Li Mo? If he had been around her as always, she wouldn¡¯t have received such a heavy injury!


    When Zhuo Yifeng saw Li Mo bringing a tray of food back to the southern tower, he was so agitated that he took a step forward: Yun Ruoyan had finally woken up.


    Zhuo Yifeng nced up to the second floor of the southern tower and breathed out. ¡°Ruoyan, I, Zhuo Yifeng, swear that I¡¯ll defend you with my life!¡±


    Only when the light streaming from the second-floor window vanished did he finally leave. Instead of returning to the central college, he headed to the cliffside, where he began heating up the roast meat that had long since cooled down.


    A ck shadow appeared before him.


    ¡°Master,¡± Zhuo Yifeng turned and called out.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? I¡¯m not your master!¡± The shadow sat down beside Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Whether or not you recognize me as your disciple, Master, you¡¯ve taught me several cultivation techniques already.¡± Zhuo Yifeng handed the re-heated meat to the ck-d man, who began to eat.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading to the alternate dimension tomorrow,¡± Zhuo Yifeng said.


    The ck-d man paused, took out a sk of wine, had a swig, then handed the sk to Zhuo Yifeng. Zhuo Yifeng took a long draught; the liquid burned his throat as though it were fire.


    ¡°Refreshing,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°I specially purchased this alcohol from the capital for our farewell,¡± the ck-d man exined. ¡°Be ambitious. The alternate dimension might be a cruel ce, but with your cultivation and mindset, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for you to survive there.¡±


    ¡°Master, have you been there too?¡±


    ¡°No, never.¡± Surprisingly, the ck-d man answered in the negative. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard tell of many people who have, so I know a little about the realm.¡± He began exining what he knew. ¡°The most important lesson you have to learn is forbearance. If your cultivation isn¡¯t high enough, learn to endure.¡±


    The ck-d man sighed. ¡°Entering the otherworld has been a dream of mine, and you¡¯ll be fulfilling it for me vicariously.¡±


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s not as difficult as I¡¯d expected to gain ess,¡± Zhuo Yifeng hurriedly mentioned. ¡°We lost two further students during thest training, so all the colleges are trying to foist the responsibility for providing two more students on each other. If you¡¯d like to go¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± he immediately refused. ¡°I have my own goals and tasks now.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng naturally understood that everyone had their own duties, their own calling. Neither of them continued talking; instead, they took turns draining the alcohol from the sk.


    When the sk was almost emptied, Zhuo Yifeng, fuelled by alcohol, asked, ¡°Master, if I return safely from the otherworld, will you reveal your face to me?¡±


    As though he had predicted that Zhuo Yifeng would ask such a question, the ck-d man drained thest of the alcohol. With clear, bright eyes, he looked straight at Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°If you see my face, our fates will be intertwined.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to take you as my master, to listen to your orders and respect you as though you were my father,¡± Zhuo Yifeng hurriedly replied. ¡°I lost my father at a young age, but I feel an unusual sense of kinship with you, Master. If you would allow it, I¡¯d like for you to be my godfather.¡±


    The ck-d man stilled, and his resolute expression shifted under his hood. Of course he would want to reunite with his two children, but given his current role...

 Chapter 341: You Can’t Go

    <h4>Chapter 341: You Can¡¯t Go</h4>


    Su Bei quashed the growing anticipation in his heart. ¡°My burdens are heavy. As my disciple, you¡¯ll have to take on my duty and calling, my responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied resolutely.


    ¡°You ept this despite knowing nothing of them?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush,¡± Su Bei advised. ¡°You¡¯re a free man, a student of Kongming Academy. With your talent and potential, you could easily make a name for yourself, so why saddle yourself with my burdens?¡±


    ¡°No matter my aplishment, what¡¯s the point if there¡¯s no one to share it with?¡± Zhuo Yifengughed bitterly. ¡°My sister¡¯s my only living kin, but she doesn¡¯t care about my being aplished. What she dreams of is having her parents back, having me around, having a warm, stable family. This is a goal I¡¯ll never be able to fulfill, and I think she¡¯d be very happy if I found a godfather.¡±


    When Su Bei heard Zhuo Yifeng bring up Zhuo Lin¡¯er, he couldn¡¯t help think of a thin, almost emaciated girl. Su Bei had been away when Zhuo Lin¡¯er was born, and he had only seen her once when she was small. Zhuo Lin¡¯er¡¯s impression of him was only through Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s recounting.


    As a result, when Su Bei appeared before Zhuo Lin¡¯er, she didn¡¯t recognize him. She walked past him carrying a basket of vegetables, not having realized that the tall, ck-robed man was actually her father.


    Su Bei followed Zhuo Lin¡¯er all the way back to the Lin manor, only turning to leave when he saw him enter its front doors.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this once you return from the alternate dimension,¡± Su Bei finally imed. He stood up. ¡°Since you¡¯re leaving in two days, you¡¯d better work hard before then. How¡¯s the progress on your advanced wood-attuned spiritual technique?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng tossed the empty sk of alcohol down the cliff before standing up. As his arms swept a circle around him, countless vines appeared from mid-air. Following Zhuo Yifeng¡¯smand, they twisted together to form a giant whip. One crack was sufficient to smash arge boulder into powder.


    As the boulder vanished, however, so did the whole tangle of vines.


    ¡°Your technique¡¯s not bad, but your spiritual energy reserves arecking,¡± Su Beimented, tossing a small ck bottle at Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°This is a spiritual pill that can expand your spiritual vortex. Consume it and cultivate, and you should see results within two days.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng nced at the bottle in his hands. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡±


    By the time he raised his head, the ck-d man had vanished.


    After a full day and night of dual cultivation, Yun Ruoyan was feeling much better. However, her cultivation had regressed because of her injury, and she wasn¡¯t able to make it back to eighth-rank.


    Li Mo consoled her, noting her anxiety. ¡°Yan¡¯er, it¡¯s already very impressive that you were able to regain so much of your cultivation so quickly after such a serious injury.¡±


    ¡°But the portal to the otherworld opens tomorrow morning! I have to make it to eighth rank by then,¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, rushing won¡¯t do you any good.¡± Li Mo¡¯s face was unusually severe. ¡°Even if it¡¯s dual cultivation, your body won¡¯t be able to take much of it while you¡¯re still so weak. Tonight, you have to rest.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°No buts!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face fell. Li Mo pulled her into an embrace. ¡°Yan¡¯er, listen to me. Sleep now, and maybe your cultivation will be back by tomorrow morning.¡±


    As Li Mo coaxed her, he slowly slid his palm to the back of her neck, where he hit a nerve that would cause her to fall asleep.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to coax me! That possibility is far too low,¡± Yun Ruoyan mumbled. ¡°No matter what, I have to¡­ I have to¡­ go with you¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan closed her eyes and drifted into a dark, deep sleep. Her night passed dreamlessly, and by the time she awoke again, it was bright in the morning.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted as she awoke. No one was by her side, so she immediately stepped out of bed. Because she had spent so long in bed, however, her legs were weak and powerless, and she immediately stumbled and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Li Mo, where are you?! You promised not to leave me alone! You liar!¡± Yun Ruoyan hollered, tears streaming from her face. ¡°Li Mo, you bastard! I¡¯ll never trust you again!¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, who are you scolding?¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice suddenly rang out from the back.


    Yun Ruoyan stilled. She turned around to where the sound hade from and saw Li Mo walking into the bedroom, a tray of food in his hands.


    ¡°Li Mo, you didn¡¯t go?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at Li Mo, smiling with tears still in her eyes. ¡°I thought that¡ª¡±


    ¡°You thought that I left for the otherworld without even telling you?¡± Li Mo put down the tray of food and carried Yun Ruoyan back into bed. ¡°I did think about it, but I wouldn¡¯t dare actually do so. Otherwise, my dear consort would never trust me again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Yun Ruoyan emphasized.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I promise. I won¡¯t even entertain such notions any longer.¡± Li Mo smiled helplessly as he passed her breakfast.


    After breakfast, Yun Ruoyan tried to condense her spiritual barrier again. Unfortunately, no miracle appeared, and she remained unable to do so.


    ¡°What am I going to do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already assigned someone to rece you,¡± Li Mo said. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. Since your cultivation hasn¡¯t recovered, just wait here for me, alright? I¡¯ll return immediately after saving Qin Feng.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a n against Pi Batian?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t challenge him directly,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°I might not be his match in a straight fight, but I still have my wits. There¡¯ll be a way out, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright, Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo broke her off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯lle back safe and sound.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan pursed her lips, not saying anything. Li Mo flicked her forehead, prompting a pained ¡®Ouch!¡¯ as she caressed her forehead while puffing up her cheeks.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, if you keep going on like this, I¡¯ll not be able to make it to the otherworld in time.¡±


    ¡°I want to at least see you go through the portal,¡± Yun Ruoyan finally suggested apromise.


    The portal to the alternate dimension would be opened up through the all-seeing mirror around noon, in about two hours. Yun Ruoyan gingerly stepped off the bed and tried to walk a few times before finally managing to do so without Li Mo¡¯s help.


    ¡°Li Mo, I heard Qiuqiu say that I was poisoned with some sort of corpse poison.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Luckily, Kongming Academy possesses the antidote to this type of poison, but I didn¡¯t have it with me. By the time we brought you back to Kongming Academy, the poison had ingrained itself within your body, which made it far more dangerous.¡±


    The spear that had prated Yun Ruoyan¡¯s chest looked frightening, but it wasn¡¯t particrly dangerous to her. When Yun Ruoyan thought back to what had happened, she seemed to recall that spear shifting slightly right before it struck her.


    She didn¡¯t know whether her eyes were ying tricks on her, but it didn¡¯t matter: Pei Ziao had died to the corpse poison.


    ¡°Where did the shade that poisoned mee from?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. Before she fell unconscious, she saw Li Mo burn it to death with his spiritual fire, and she was curious about its origins.


    ¡°It¡¯s a demon,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°As for its origins, I haven¡¯t had time to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Have you investigated whether it¡¯s rted to Yi Qianying, then?¡±


    ¡°Yi Qianying? Wasn¡¯t she locked up by the second elder?¡±


    ¡°She was, but Zong Yang said that he saw her in the academy not long before the training. I suspect that the second elder freed her to participate in the otherworld expedition,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined. ¡°And the shade told me that the person who instigated it to kill me was her!¡±


    Li Mo frowned. ¡°If it was truly Yi Qianying, I¡¯ll make her pay.¡±


    Two hours seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. The students participating in the expedition gathered by the top of the southern tower, where the all-seeing mirror was ced, following their respective colleges¡¯ elders.


    Yun Ruoyan also arrived at the top of the tower with Li Mo.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯ve awoken! Thank goodness!¡± Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue crowded around her the moment they saw her. ¡°You frightened us half to death!¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan awoke, Li Mo told her that the Lin sisters had encountered the shade-controlled Pei Ziao, but managed to run away safely. By the time Li Mo carried the heavily wounded Yun Ruoyan back to the shore, they were already there waiting for her. Only then did Yun Ruoyan finally feel secure in sending them to the otherworld.


    Zhuo Yifeng stood behind Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen. Ever since arriving at the southern tower, he had only nced at Yun Ruoyan once.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    Zhuo Yifeng finally turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Please take care of Qingxue and Qingchen on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going?¡±


    ¡°My cultivation hasn¡¯t recovered yet, so I can¡¯t go.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng suddenly smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely protect Qingchen and Qingxue on your behalf.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time!¡± the first elder announced, and the all-seeing mirror slowly came to life in front of the crowd. Its pitch-ck surface suddenly exploded in brilliant white light...

 Chapter 342: Reappearance of the Shade

    <h4>Chapter 342: Reappearance of the Shade</h4>


    ¡°The second elder isn¡¯t here yet,¡± Yun Ruoyan remarked, surprised. He must be doing this deliberately¡ªhe¡¯ll only show up once everyone else has entered the alternate dimension, so no one would question him even if he were sending Yi Qianying in! What a wily fox!


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s guess was exactly what the second elder was nning. After all, Yi Qianying was a convict, and having her take the ce of one of the students would definitely be frowned upon by the other elders. In that case, he might as well show upte and send her in before anyone could stop him.


    The first elder frowned at the second elder¡¯sck of appearance. He turned to Cang Song, murmuring for him to head to the northern college to determine what was going on. Then, he announced to the gathered crowd, ¡°The all-seeing mirror¡¯s already been activated. Everyone, get ready to enter the portal.¡±


    The students began whispering furiously to each other. One of the students pointed toward the all-seeing mirror. ¡°Look!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan raised her head and looked toward the mirror. The blinding light was starting to revolve as it took on the form of a whirlpool. The whirlpool flew out of the mirror andnded on the ground.


    ¡°Everyone, step back. The southern college¡¯s students will proceed through the portal first. Stand in line and prepare for entrance.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, we¡¯ll be leaving now. Wait for us to return!¡± Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen tugged on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, reluctant to part with her after seeing her again for the first time in months. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s gaze swept over Yun Ruoyan as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, stay safe.¡± Li Mo cupped her cheek. ¡°You¡¯re still weak, and the cottage by the cliff might be a little cold, so stay in the southern tower instead. The first elder will take care of you, alright? Now, I¡¯ll be going.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan tugged on his hand.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er¡­¡±


    ¡°You promised me never to turn your back on me.¡± Yun Ruoyan lowered her head. Her small, piteous voice brushed by Li Mo¡¯s ear. ¡°Won¡¯t you at least let me send you in?¡±


    Li Mo was unable to resist her voice, and he walked her toward the portal.


    ¡°This is as far as you can go. If you keep walking forward, you¡¯ll be affected by the portal¡¯s suction,¡± Li Mo exined to Yun Ruoyan, then stopped.


    ¡°Li Mo, it¡¯s almost time for you to enter!¡± the first elder called out.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both looked toward the portal as Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue stood by its front. They both turned around to face her; Zhuo Yifeng had entered before they did. Despite being shielded by a spiritual membrane, the current through the portal felt as though it were whipping at their hair and clothes.


    Both the Lin sisters waved at Yun Ruoyan. Lin Qingchen took Lin Qingxue¡¯s hand, and they walked into the portal together.


    The first elder frowned at the scene, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Next!¡± he called out, and thest of the southern college¡¯s students walked up. This student was a recement for Zhou Lin, who had been killed by the shade. His cultivation had been insufficient, so he was forced to ingest a pill to be an eighth-rank demaster.


    He seemed to panic as he stepped in front of the portal, slowly and gingerly walking forward. When a spiritual membrane condensed on his body, it scared even himself. Only when he realized that it would protect him did he finally rx and walk boldly through the portal.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, listen to me.¡± Li Mo leaned down and kissed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead, then pulled her hand away. He turned around to face her, then began walking backwards to the portal.


    Yun Ruoyan took a step forward, and the first elder yelled out, ¡°Ruoyan, stay where you are!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stopped moving. She watched on as Li Mo stepped toward the portal, the air currents causing his long, ck hair and expansive robe to billow around him.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, wait for me to return!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan gave Li Mo a splendid smile, then began running forward.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan!¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡±


    Ignoring the first elder and Li Mo¡¯s shocked cries, she rushed into Li Mo¡¯sp, knocking them both into the portal.


    Yun Ruoyan felt her whole body twinging with pain, almost as much pain as she had experienced while unconscious with the corpse poison flowing through her veins. The only difference was that this time, the pain was caused by the des of wind surrounding the portal.


    The moment she entered the portal, her back, wrists, and ankles were cut dozens of times. Luckily, her face was buried in Li Mo¡¯s chest, and it hadn¡¯t been injured.


    Li Mo¡¯s spiritual membrane quickly enveloped Yun Ruoyan before she could suffer any further injury.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re mad, Li Mo, but this was important to me.¡± Yun Ruoyan lifted her head and nced at him. ¡°Li Mo, I believed that you wouldn¡¯t push me away.¡±


    ¡°How could I bear to do so?¡± Li Mo sighed, tightly embracing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s petite body. The currents roiling through the tunnel grew stronger and more intense, and Li Mo had to focus his entire attention on congealing the spiritual membrane around them to shield them from the wind.


    Yun Ruoyan nced all around her to see other students drifting through the portal, wobbling and unsteady, just like kites cut loose from their strings. She was searching for the Lin sisters, whom she finally found not far away. They were still holding each other¡¯s hands firmly, but their bodies were wobbling rather violently, and they would turn head-over-heels from time to time.


    Zhuo Yifeng was right by their side. Despite the current, he didn¡¯t seem to be having much difficulty at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s easiest to maintain your stability if you¡¯re alone,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°Therger the volume, the more impact the current will have on you, and the easier it is to be attacked by the des of wind.¡±


    It was only after hearing Li Mo¡¯s exnation that Yun Ruoyan understood why the first elder had told them to enter one by one, instead of as a big group. The Lin sisters didn¡¯t realize this point, but Zhuo Yifeng did. Yun Ruoyan watched as he valiantly got close to the two sisters, then motioned for them to release each other¡¯s hands.


    As soon as they did so, they found themselves much more stabilized. Yun Ruoyan released a breath she had been holding, then burrowed deeper into Li Mo¡¯s robes and tried to minimize her presence. Her body was rather petitepared to Li Mo¡¯s, and she had grown far thinner during hera. When she burrowed into his robes, it was almost as if she had vanished entirely.


    They had just gotten past the most turbulent part of the passage when Qiuqiu called out, ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s danger ahead!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan tried to poke her head out of Li Mo¡¯s robes, but Li Mo pushed her back inside. Yun Ruoyan heard a strange, hoarse voiceing from before them. ¡°ughtering King, have you been well?¡±


    The shade that hurt me! Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes widened. Hadn¡¯t Li Mo burned it to death with his spiritual me?!


    Yun Ruoyan poked her head out of Li Mo¡¯s robes to see a ck shade hovering about ten feet away from them.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t died?¡± Li Mo asked, his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°I¡¯m already dead,¡± the shade replied. ¡°Trying to kill the dead¡¯s a difficult task. If you had burned me for another two hours or so with your spiritual me, Your Highness, you might have caused even my soul to disperse. Unfortunately for you, you didn¡¯t have the time, and I managed to survive.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°In the past, I was a nameless spirit, a shade forged from a vengeful ghost,¡± the shade replied. ¡°But now, Your Highness, you may call me Yi Qianying.¡±


    The ck shade floated to the side, allowing Li Mo to see a human behind it, wrapped up in a spiritual membrane. Her face was thin and emaciated, her hair hung limply by her head, and she continued wearing a prisoner¡¯s outfit: Yi Qianying!


    Yi Qianying¡¯s eyes were wide open, but Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t feel any spark of life from the girl¡¯s body.


    ¡°You turned her into your puppet?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°She volunteered for it. I found her in the hall of penitence and discovered that she had a rare full yin constitution, able to bear my possession without dying too rapidly. I enticed her to form an agreement with me: if I killed Li Qianxiao, Pei Ziao, and Yun Ruoyan on her behalf, she would give me her body.¡±


    ¡°So it was you who killed Li Qianxiao!¡± Li Mo used.


    ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯ve killed Li Qianxiao and Pei Ziao, so the only one left is Yun Ruoyan. Once I kill her, I¡¯ll be able to fulfill this body¡¯s wishes.¡±


    ¡°Try me if you dare.¡±


    The shadeughed. ¡°In some other location, I wouldn¡¯t dream of getting close to you, Your Highness, but here in this passageway, I¡¯m the only one who can move freely.¡±


    As an incorporeal entity, it was entirely unaffected by the currents that everyone else had to defend themselves against.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯m just like a god!¡± the shade shouted, then pounced toward Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan...

 Chapter 343: Entering the Otherworld

    <h4>Chapter 343: Entering the Otherworld</h4>


    The incorporeal shade pounced at Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, but its body simply passed through them. Yun Ruoyan felt the cold permeate her entire body; Li Mo¡¯s spiritual membrane immediately became clouded with dark, smoky aura.


    ¡°Corpse aura? You¡¯re far too arrogant to think that you can deal with me just with this!¡± Ayer of spiritual fire appeared over Li Mo¡¯s body. After he became a sword saint, he could near-effortlessly transform his spiritual energy into its elemental forms. Fire-attuned spiritual energy would appear as spirit fire, water-attuned as ice, wood-attuned as vines, leaves, or barks, and earth-attuned as rocks. As a dual cultivator of fire and ice, Li Mo¡¯s spiritual energy could take a number of different forms.


    The corpse aura that the shade spread was quickly burnt to nothingness by Li Mo¡¯s spiritual fire, prompting the shade to respond, ¡°ughtering King, your title isn¡¯t in vain. To have reached the level of a sword saint in this lowly realm¡­ but I was just testing you. What follows will be my real attack.¡±


    The shade pounced at Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan again, and then at Yi Qianying, possessing it. Her dull, dazed eyes immediately brightened with a cold, calcting gleam. She unsheathed a steel sword and thrust toward Li Mo as he was distracted with the corpse aura.


    With a thonk, an arrow suddenly struck Yi Qianying¡¯s de and deflected her blow¡ªone of Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s newly crafted tiger-canine arrows.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡± Yi Qianying turned to Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°And you¡¯re not even a sword saint yet.¡±


    The shade emerged from Yi Qianying¡¯s body and leapt toward Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, be careful!¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out. Beside her were the Lin siblings. If Zhuo Yifeng were in danger, the two of them would undoubtedly be dragged into the affair as well.


    Just then, however, the passageway became turbulent once more. An eddy had formed ahead of them, and all the students were uncontrobly drifting toward the center of the eddy. Although the shade wasn¡¯t affected, Yi Qianying¡¯s physical body was being swept away as well. When it saw her body heading toward the eddy, it immediately dashed back toward her instead of pursuing Zhuo Yifeng.


    During this process, the shade passed through two unfortunate students, whose spiritual membranes immediately turned dark.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost about to enter the otherworld,¡± Li Mo announced, clutching Yun Ruoyan tightly. At the moment, she was very concerned that the eddies and turbulence would split her and the Lin sisters apart.


    She closed her eyes as they whirled and whirled. After a seemingly interminable period of time, blinding white light filtered through Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyelids, then suddenly vanished. She felt her whole body settle down.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan slowly opened her eyes to see Li Mo soaring through the air. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived?¡± She was still a little dizzy from the whirling motion and disoriented for the sudden sh of light before they were deposited out the portal.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, look over there.¡± Li Mo pointed behind them to find a few white, swirling portals in mid-air, from which cultivators were slowly emerging. ¡°We came from the second-tost portal.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced at that portal to see a familiar person emerging, another student from Kongming Academy. However, she didn¡¯t recognize anyone else from the other portals, and their appearance and attire looked quite unusual to her.


    Some wore gorgeous clothing, with glowing and finely crafted devices for flight. Others looked so breathtaking they might have walked out of some painting or another. Others were dressed in beast pelts and had a wild air about them. They flew on all sorts of spiritual objects: the massive bone of a beast, a m shell, and even a pair of chopsticks¡­


    ¡°Are these the cultivators from the other low-grade realms?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Li Mo was staring intently at those foreign cultivators. Although he had learned quite a few things about the otherworld from the first elder and Empress Xue Tong, it was his first time exploring it for himself.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Qingchen, Qingxue, and Zhuo Yifeng?¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly cried out. She poked her head out from Li Mo¡¯s cloak and looked all around her.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± Lin Qingchen called to her from her back, and Yun Ruoyan hurriedly turned around. Behind her, Lin Qingchen was slowly heading in their direction with a green sword aura. Her skill at swordflight wasn¡¯t particrly honed, but she remained in control of her sword.


    Li Mo slowed down and allowed Lin Qingchen to catch up.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, have you seen Qingxue?¡± Lin Qingchen asked anxiously.


    ¡°No, I was looking for everyone just now. Is Zhuo Yifeng gone too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We were separated by the current. I saw Brother Zhuo and Qingxuee out on the other side first. As I exited the portal, a sh of white light blinded my senses. By the time I recovered, I couldn¡¯t see either of them anymore.¡±


    ¡°If Qingxue¡¯s with Zhuo Yifeng, then they won¡¯t be in danger,¡± Yun Ruoyan consoled. But what if Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t catch up to Qingxue? She had never left on a journey herself, let alone a journey to an entirely new world!


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep searching,¡± Yun Ruoyan suggested, and the three of them began flying in loops through the portals. The cultivators who had juste out of the various portals began gathering in the air. Most of them were warily inspecting the people all around them, clearly unfamiliar with this new world and the cultivators that had arrived alongside them.


    ¡°Senior Sister Guan¡¯s up in front!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out. Li Mo and Lin Qingchen both nced in her direction. He sped up to try to get to her, and Lin Qingchen followed suit.


    Li Mo tried to fly past the cultivator in front of them, but that man seemed deliberately intent on blocking Li Mo¡¯s path. As Li Mo swerved left, so did he; when Li Mo then veered right, so did he. Up, down, left, right¡ªno matter which direction Li Mo tried to maneuver in, the cultivator continued blocking his path.


    The cultivator was tall and fat, built like a small mountain. He flew on a pair of thin chopsticks that somehow managed to support his weight and allowed him to move agilely besides.


    ¡°Qingchen!¡± Yun Ruoyan made a hand gesture at Lin Qingchen, who nodded. While the fatso veered right to block Li Mo off, Lin Qingchen rushed left and squeezed past the fatso.


    ¡°Ah, damn!¡± The fatso¡¯s voice was as deep and loud as a bull¡¯s. He rushed forward and sped toward Lin Qingchen.


    Li Mo likewise sped up, surpassing the fatso from above, and nted himself between the fatso and Lin Qingchen. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t identify the fatso¡¯s cultivation, so she guessed that it was more advanced than her own. Since his top speed couldn¡¯t seem to exceed Li Mo¡¯s, however, she pegged him as a mid-ninth-rank demaster.


    ¡°Where did you bastardse from? Aren¡¯t you familiar with traffic rules around here?!¡± the bull-like voice shouted at them. ¡°Watch me ram your ass with my chopsticks!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both frowned at hisnguage. Li Mo turned back and waved a hand, revealing a sparrow that shot toward the fatso¡¯s face like a throwing knife.


    ¡°What the hell¡¯s this?¡± The sparrow moved so quickly that the fatso didn¡¯t get a good look at it, and he instinctively held up a hand to ward it off. It agilely flew past the fatso¡¯s defenses, then skewered the fatso¡¯s nose with its long, sharp beak.


    ¡°Ah, shit! You¡ª¡± The fatso began to cry out in pain. He clutched his nose in one hand and made to catch the bird with the other, but it simply fluttered around him and flew back to Li Mo. ¡°Just you wait! I¡¯ll choke you to death with my own hands!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t chase it, Fatty.¡± A buxom woman caught up to him from behind, dressed scantily and provocatively in a few beast pelts. ¡°That¡¯s a soul-stealing bird. One caw from it would leave you unconscious, and none of us would be strong enough to catch you if you were to fall¡ªyou¡¯d have died from the impact!¡±


    ¡°Ah! In that case¡­¡±


    ¡°His cultivation¡¯s more advanced than yours! This isn¡¯t our old Liyuan continent, so you need to stop being so rash! Now,e with me and help me search for our missing teammates,¡± the womanmanded, then turned her beastlike eyes to Li Mo¡¯s back.


    Li Mo felt a pair of eyes focused on him, but he didn¡¯t turn around. Before he developed a good understanding of the strength of the cultivators on this continent, it would be best not to interact with any strangers.


    ¡°Good work, Mo¡¯er,¡± Yun Ruoyan praised. Mo¡¯er fluttered its two wings, chirped, then began to fly by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side.


    ¡°This little glutton¡¯s gotten used to the wild,¡± Li Momented. The moment Li Mo had brought Mo¡¯er back to the Chenyuan continent from the forest of giant trees, it had vanished. A few days before the trip to the alternate dimension, it suddenly returned and had been hiding in Li Mo¡¯s robe until it was awakened by the turbulence during the passage to the otherworld.


    In front of them, Lin Qingchen had already caught up to Guan Ruliu, and Li Mo sped up until he was right behind them.


    ¡°Have any of you seen Zong Yang?¡± Guan Ruliu asked. She had followed Zong Yang into the portal, but they had been separated by a sudden current.


    The group left in search of the missing students, but Zhuo Yifeng, Lin Qingxue, and Zong Yang seemed nowhere to be found. Just as they were about to panic, a cry sounded from their left, causing amotion.


    The four of them all turned in the direction of the shout, only to see a person mming into people left and right, a yellow aura by his feet.


    ¡°Where did this demone from?¡±


    ¡°Kill him! That demon bit me!¡±


    ncing at the scene, their hearts sank: the person who was being surrounded by a group of enraged cultivators was none other than Zong Yang...

 Chapter 344: Like a Turtle in a Jar

    <h4>Chapter 344: Like a Turtle in a Jar</h4>


    Zong Yang¡¯s eyes were dull, his hair in disarray, his mouth red and bloodied, his white uniform bloodstained. A dull yellow aura shone by his feet, but his body was tilted in such a fashion that it looked as though he would fall off his sword at any moment.


    He was surrounded by seven cultivators, two of whom were clutching their own necks. Fresh blood continued to drip out from the cracks between their fingers.


    When Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo saw this sight, they both eximed simultaneously, ¡°Corpse poison!¡±


    Of the two students the shade had passed through, one was Zong Yang.


    ¡°Who cares where he came from? We¡¯ll kill him first!¡± one victim, a burly hulk draped in beast pelts, shouted.


    ¡°This cultivator¡­ seems to be poisoned. Might it spread?¡± The other victim was a handsome young master dressed in silk.


    ¡°If he really is poisoned, then that¡¯s all the more reason to kill him!¡± The other cultivators grew even more concerned that they would be the next victim. They unsheathed their weapons and made as if to swarm Zong Yang together.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± A white-robed woman was swiftly approaching the scene, green sword aura by her feet. Guan Ruliu stopped right in front of Zong Yang. ¡°Zong Yang, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Zong Yang looked toward Guan Ruliu, his eyes ncing nkly at her as he bared his bloody teeth.


    ¡°Good, good, we¡¯ve finally found apanion of his!¡± the hulk shouted. ¡°Yourpanion bit me, and I¡¯m going to take his life in rpense! Now, make way or suffer the same fate!¡±


    Guan Ruliu whirled and stood between Zong Yang and the injured man. ¡°If you want to kill him, you¡¯ll have to get past me first.¡± She unsheathed her own spiritual sword, the color of jade.


    ¡°Miss, be careful!¡± a fair maiden shouted. Guan Ruliu dodged the attack from her back: Zong Yang had pounced on her, and he would likely have bitten her if not for her quick reflexes.


    Zong Yang tried attacking her again, but Guan Ruliu¡¯s cultivation was more advanced than his. She was a practitioner of the wood arts. With an outstretched finger, a vine sprouted from nowhere and bound Zong Yang up. Exerting her will with the vine as her medium, she dragged his bound body onto her own sword.


    Guan Ruliu¡¯s gestures appeared so graceful and practised that most of the gathered cultivators gaped at her.


    ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Miss.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The maiden who spoke was likewise dressed in silk, and she was standing by the other youth who had been bitten.


    ¡°Miss, I won¡¯t ask for his death, but can the poison coursing through his body spread through these bites? If so, do you have an antidote? I¡¯d prefer not to die so young,¡± the youth d in silk began, his voice measured and steady.


    ¡°I advise that you all not be so hasty,¡± a cool voice announced to the gathered cultivators. Li Mo had arrived, along with Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen. His gaze swept over the two victims of Zong Yang¡¯s attack. ¡°Your assant isn¡¯t a demon, but rather a regr cultivator poisoned with corpse poison. Naturally, those he attacks will also suffer the same fate: to turn into mindless, blood-craving puppets.¡±


    The two injured cultivators¡¯ faces turned to horror.


    ¡°If I die, I¡¯ll drag all of you down with me!¡± the hulk hollered.


    On the other hand, the silk-d youth asked, ¡°Sir, might you have an antidote to this poison? If so, I won¡¯t pursue this matter further.¡±


    This was the concession that Li Mo was waiting for. ¡°As long as you¡¯ll uphold that promise.¡±


    ¡°A gentleman stays true to his word,¡± the youth replied.


    Li Mo tossed the youth a dark-green bottle. Clearly cautious, the youth uncorked it and carefully inspected the lone green pill within before ingesting it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to meditate immediately upon consuming the pill,¡± Li Mo reminded him.


    The youth nced at the sea below them. He cupped his fists at Li Mo, then turned to leave on a sword shining with multicolored light. The maiden followed at his back.


    ¡°A¡ªAnd my antidote?¡± the hulk asked, his voice no longer as belligerent as before. He could feel his wound turning numb, and even speaking was starting to grow difficult. ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t pursue this matter further either.¡±


    ¡°Catch.¡± Li Mo tossed another bottle at the hulk, who turned to leave as soon as he caught it. The other gathered cultivators also began to leave.


    Just then, Yun Ruoyan thought of something. ¡°Everyone, please wait! Be careful of a young female around my age. She looks petite and frail, and her name¡¯s Yi Qianying. She¡¯s been possessed by a malicious shade who can emit corpse poison, the source of this incident. If you encounter her, proceed with utmost care.¡±


    The cultivators nodded and turned to leave.


    ¡°Master Mo, please hand me a bottle of the antidote!¡± Guan Ruliu hurriedly rushed to Li Mo¡¯s side.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± Li Mo¡¯s tone was one of helplessness. ¡°He¡¯s been poisoned for too long, and the conventional antidote won¡¯t be useful anymore.¡± Judging from Zong Yang¡¯s behavior, the corpse poison had clearly permeated his body, and it would instinctively reject the antidote by this point.


    ¡°In that case, what can we do?¡± Guan Ruliu asked. Zong Yang was straining to break out of her vines, his face a rictus of malice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head tond first,¡± Yun Ruoyan suggested.


    The portal to the otherworld had spat them all out above a glittering ocean, and they would have to find a patch ofnd if they wanted to descend. For some reason, all the cultivators were flying in the same direction. As a young girl flew by, they gged her down and asked her why.


    ¡°Because we can¡¯t fly out from any of the other directions,¡± the girl replied.


    ¡°Can¡¯t fly out?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group looked all around them: the sea seemed to expand in every direction, with no hint ofnd on the horizon. Was there some sort of restriction that wasn¡¯t visible?


    The young girl didn¡¯t seem to want to exin. ¡°Just follow everyone else.¡± She elerated and left Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group behind.


    Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, Guan Ruliu, and Lin Qingchen nced at each other before starting to follow the crowd.


    ¡°Li Mo, look at the fatso in front!¡± Not long after they joined the other cultivators, Yun Ruoyan noticed a fatty on a pair of chopsticks. Given his size and his unique flying implement, she judged that he was none other than the vulgar fellow they had spoken with earlier.


    Li Mo whistled, causing Mo¡¯er to fly out from somewhere within his robes andnd on Li Mo¡¯s shoulder. Then, Li Mo caught up to the fatso.


    ¡°Hey, fatty!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    The fatso turned to Yun Ruoyan. His face was broad and round, his earsrge, his eyes as small as raisins, his mouthically wide, and his protruding nose swollen and red.


    Despite the burdens guing her, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t helpughing.


    ¡°What do you want?!¡± When the fatty saw Mo¡¯er, he immediately covered up his nose with a palm the size of a palm leaf, his raisin-like eyes filled with wariness.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Yun Ruoyan stifled herughter. ¡°We just have a question for you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why does everyone fly in this direction? Where does it lead?¡±


    The fatty nced at Mo¡¯er again before answering, ¡°There are seals blocking flight in the other directions. I tried flying east and south, but an invisible barrier blocked me. One of my teammates tried heading north, but it failed as well. The only way out is west.¡±


    ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± It seemed as though the cultivators from the lower realms were just birds in a cage, fish in a basket, turtles in a jar: trapped by a formless hand, forced to follow the will of those above them.


    ¡°Look, there¡¯snd ahead!¡± someone called out loudly from the front.


    When Yun Ruoyan infused spiritual energy into her eyes, she indeed saw a yellowing patch ofnd appear near the horizon.


    ¡°Thank goodness! If we had to fly for another two hours, I¡¯d probably fall into the sea,¡± someone murmured.


    Sevennding parties were waiting on that patch ofnd, corresponding to the seven great families of the Mingyuan continent: the Pi, Lie, Wu, Feng, Zheng, Hua, and Chen families. The head of one delegation was a youth dressed in ck. He seemed to be no more than thirteen or fourteen, but he had already entered his growth spurt. His body was lean, his red hair short-cropped.


    The youth was none other than the second young master of the Pi n, Pi Yang.


    ¡°Second Young Master, we¡¯ve already arranged things with the Lie, Hua, and Wu families so they won¡¯t contest us for these two cultivators,¡± a middle-aged man, seemingly a housekeeper, exined to him. He was dressed richly, but his attitude was nothing short of obsequious. He held two portraits in his hands, those of Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    ¡°And the other three families?¡± Pi Yang asked.


    The housekeeper hesitated before replying, ¡°The Chen, Feng, and Zheng families want to follow the old rules, to have the cultivators decide for themselves.


    Pi Yang snorted. ¡°We have three of their people. They¡¯d be idiots not to choose us!¡± He nced at the five prisoners standing behind them, kept under close supervision by the Pi household¡¯s muscled henchmen. The five prisoners were all hurt to some extent, their wrists and ankles manacled. Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue stood among them...

 Chapter 345: The Impetuous Fatso

    <h4>Chapter 345: The Impetuous Fatso</h4>


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, are you alright?¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s eyes were tearful as she looked toward Zhuo Yifeng. One of his wrists had been shed open, and fresh blood had stained half his clothes a macabre red.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not as deep as it looks,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied calmly. Because of the severe bleeding, his face was quite pale.


    The moment he and Lin Qingxue had emerged from the portal, they were surrounded by a group of hostile cultivators, all of whom had rtively advanced cultivation. Lin Qingxue, Zhuo Yifeng, and a few other cultivators from the lower realms who had been surrounded were no match for these men and had all been taken as ves. Zhuo Yifeng had suffered his wrist injury trying to protect Lin Qingxue, and the man who had given him the wound was now standing right by his side.


    Zhuo Yifeng nced askance at that man, a long-faced swordsman who was particrly malicious-looking. With a surreptitious nce, Zhuo Yifeng memorized the man¡¯s face for the future.


    ¡°You brat, what are you looking at?¡± His eyes, like those of a dead fish, suddenly turned to Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°You want your wrist to be chopped off entirely?¡±


    Lin Qingxue immediately stepped in front of Zhuo Yifeng and red at the odious man.


    ¡°Oh!¡± He smiled sickeningly at Lin Qingxue and reached out toward her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to harm such a cute, pretty girl like you.¡±


    Sensing that Lin Qingxue was about to explode, Zhuo Yifeng pulled her behind him and faked a bright smile at the swordsman. ¡°Your cultivation¡¯s amazing! If you really wanted to chop off my hand, I¡¯m sure you would already have done so. I heard that you¡¯ll be taking us to work in the mines, and if I¡¯m missing one of my hands, then I certainly wouldn¡¯t be an effective miner.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯d better not try anything funny!¡± the man shouted, then shot ascivious nce at Lin Qingxue¡¯s body.


    With a smile still stered on his face, Zhuo Yifeng pushed Lin Qingxue toward the side. ¡°Qingxue, rub some dirt onto your faceter.¡±


    At the head of the party, Pi Yang¡¯s eyes shone as he nced at the approaching cultivators. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯re finally here!¡±


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan flew toward the maind along with hundreds of other cultivators from the lower realms, and they were soon able to make out the various delegations waiting for them.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°Likely the inhabitants of this world,¡± someone else responded.


    ¡°They all feel so strong!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re they doing here?¡±


    These cultivators clearly weren¡¯t aware of how the Mingyuan continent operated. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo could also sense how strong the cultivators awaiting them were. Given their understanding of the continent, they couldn¡¯t help being wary of what awaited them.


    ¡°Li Mo, should we make contact with these delegations?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s avoid them for the moment and find a ce to set Zong Yang down first,¡± Li Mo replied, then motioned to Lin Qingchen and Guan Ruliu to slow down. Together, they drifted toward the back of the crowd of cultivators. Others clearly had the same idea, including the fatso they had previously seen.


    Yun Ruoyan was pleasantly surprised by his intelligence when she noticed a buxom woman by his side. Upon sensing her nce, the woman turned and nodded to her, and Yun Ruoyan mirrored the gesture.


    The flying cultivators quickly separated into two groups: one that headed straight fornd, and another which continued flying west. As the first group of cultivatorsnded, they were quickly surrounded by the gathered cultivators. Sensing danger, they tried to rise back into the air, but a beam of white light suddenly shone on them, sucking away the cultivators¡¯ spiritual swords.


    ¡°Ah, my sword!¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s good that we were wary!¡± The fatso by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side began tough.


    Upon seeing this sight, the cultivators in the air were thankful for their caution as they continued flying westward, with the fatso taking the lead. Not a hundred feet further, however, he seemed to crash into an immaterial barrier of some sort. With a scream, he fell off his chopsticks.


    The chopsticks zoomed downward to lift him back up, and the crowd of flying cultivators all stopped moving.


    ¡°What happened, Fatty?¡± the buxom woman shouted.


    The fatty wiped away the blood streaming down his nose. ¡°Xue Ji, there¡¯s a barrier ahead sealing the path forward! Damn it, we¡¯re trapped here!¡±


    ¡°All you flying cultivators, you¡¯d bettere down now! Otherwise, if this mirror sucks away your spiritual swords, you¡¯ll all drop into the sea and die!¡± a youth¡¯s voice rang out, infused with spiritual energy.


    Yun Ruoyan found the voice surprisingly familiar. Isn¡¯t this Pi Yang? He¡¯s here too?!


    The cultivators nced at each other. Again, the fatso took the lead, flying down toward the gathered cultivators. ¡°They almost killed me with that barrier! I¡¯ll teach them a lesson or two!¡±


    Xue Ji followed him down. Without any other choice, the rest of the cultivators followed suit, and the beam of light from the mirror quickly enveloped them all.


    ¡°Who are you? What exactly do you want?¡± the fatso shouted as soon as hended.


    A richly dressed, middle-aged man walked out from the central delegation. Raising his voice, he shouted at the gathered cultivators, ¡°All you groundhogs, listen up! I¡¯m the manager in charge of assigning each of you a role. ording to custom, you¡¯ll all serve as ves for the seven major families of the continent. You¡¯ll only be freed when your owner deems it fit to grant you freedom.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± the fatty yelled. ¡°Your grandmother¡¯s a groundhog! I¡¯m not about to be anyone¡¯s ve!¡±


    ¡°Right, right! What makes you think you can tell us what to do?!¡±


    Another cultivator cracked his knuckles. ¡°You must be tired of living!¡±


    The other cultivators all began making a fuss. Although they weren¡¯t at the peak of their respective realms, eighth-rank demasters were far superior to the majority of the popce, and they had all grown somewhatcent and prideful.


    The middle-aged man seemed used to their behavior, so much so that he didn¡¯t even get angry. He waved a hand and seven swordsmen stepped forward, one from each delegation. ¡°Teach that fatty a lesson,¡± hemanded.


    The seven swordsmen walked past the middle-aged man and stood in a row in front of the gathered cultivators.


    ¡°You,e here.¡± One of the swordsmen pointed at the fatty.


    ¡°What, you think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡± The fatso stepped forward, swinging his arms.


    ¡°Fatty, be careful. I can¡¯t see through their cultivation,¡± Xue Ji whispered from behind.


    The fatso had noticed the same thing. He couldn¡¯t discern the cultivation of any of the seven swordsmen, which implied one of two things: either all of the seven were more advanced cultivators than he was, or they had all hidden their capabilities.


    He was an early ninth-rank demaster himself, and he didn¡¯t believe that all seven swordsmen, who had seemed to be randomly chosen from each of the seven delegations, would surpass him in strength. If that were truly the case, then he would ept his beating.


    ¡°You, I¡¯ll choose you!¡± The fatty pointed at one of the bulkiest swordsmen. He stepped forward expressionlessly, the word ¡®Pi¡¯ printed on his outfit.


    ¡°Li Mo, I can¡¯t identify how strong either of them are. Who¡¯s stronger?¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered.


    ¡°The fatty¡¯s an early ninth-rank demaster, and that swordsman¡¯s a peak ninth-rank. That fatty¡¯s no match for him.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. For a seemingly ordinary swordsman to have reached the peak of ninth-rank¡­ How frightening would the top cultivators of this continent be?


    The fatty took out a cleaver. ¡°What¡¯s your weapon?¡±


    The swordsman sneered disdainfully.


    ¡°You bastard, you¡¯re looking down on me, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll slice you up!¡± the fatty shouted, then began charging at the swordsman with his cleaver. He snapped his fingers, and orange mes immediately surrounded the de.


    Despite the fatso¡¯s imposing manner, the swordsman didn¡¯t seem to pay his theatrics any mind. He showed no sign of dodging, and allowed the fatty to swing his cleaver at his forehead.


    As the two cultivators collided, the crowd heard the sound of metal striking metal. Just as the fatty¡¯s cleaver was about to strike the man¡¯s forehead, he caught the cleaver with his bare hands, pping the de between his palms and blocking the blow with nothing but brute strength. His palms glowed golden, revealing him to be a practitioner specialized in gold.


    There were five types of spiritual attunement: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. Gold and earth were the rarest of the five; Yun Ruoyan had seen a few earth-based spiritual techniques, but never a gold-based one.

 Chapter 346: Reported

    <h4>Chapter 346: Reported</h4>


    The cleaver in the fatty¡¯s hand must have been a spiritual weapon of some caliber to be able to withstand his spiritual fire, but it couldn¡¯t even take a single blow from that swordsman. With a sudden ng, the fatty¡¯s cleaver was split in two.


    The fatty took a few steps back, his eyes clearly expressing his shock and fear. Their exchange had been sufficient to demonstrate that the swordsman¡¯s cultivation truly was beyond his own.


    ¡°I, I admit defeat!¡± Now certain that he wouldn¡¯t be able to beat the swordsman, the fatso immediately admitted defeat. However, as though he hadn¡¯t said anything, the swordsman charged toward the fatty and kicked him in the stomach. The kick was so powerful that it sent the fatso¡¯s humongous body up into the air. He struck the invisible wall sealing the space andnded with such force that it sent the dust on the ground flying up.


    The gathered cultivators were silent, stunned by the disy of power. Their eyes turned to the motionless fatso: when he finally raised his head, he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°You groundhogs are getting more and more useless,¡± the swordsmanmented idly, putting one foot on the fatty¡¯s prone body. He took the fatty by the wrist and dragged him away as though he were dragging a bup sack, all the way to the Pi delegation. Immediately, someone stepped forward and chained his wrists and ankles.


    ¡°Are there any other challengers?¡± the middle-aged man asked again.


    ¡°I shall ept the challenge.¡± The buxom woman and the fatty¡¯s teammate, Xue Ji, stepped forward.


    ¡°Heh, who do you want to challenge?¡± The middle-aged man looked her up and down, his gaze invariably drawn to her chest. The seven swordsmen standing all looked at her, their serious expressions turning lewd in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Come fight with me! I won¡¯t be too rough on you,¡± a dark, burly man grinned.


    ¡°And I won¡¯t hit your face,¡± the man next to him added.


    ¡°As long as you admit defeat, I promise I won¡¯t attack you.¡±


    Xue Ji ignored the men¡¯s remarks. ¡°I was with that fatty. I¡¯ll challenge the opponent he faced!¡± Xue Ji pointed at the swordsman who had defeated him.


    The man smirked at Xue Ji. ¡°The women from lower realms are all so frail and delicate, and it¡¯s rare that we ever get such a¡­ ttering specimen. Unfortunately for you, I don¡¯t go easy on women!¡±


    ¡°Come at me,¡± Xue Ji taunted.


    ¡°Li Mo, how¡¯s that woman¡¯s cultivation?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°About on par with the man. It¡¯s usible that she might win.¡±


    The crowd saw Xue Ji stretch her hands out and grab twin crystal knives from mid-air. Her opponent was stationary; Xue Ji struck the first blow. With her long, powerful legs, she leapt toward the man and shed her knives at his skull.


    Once again, a golden glow radiated out from the man¡¯s palms, and the icy knives struck his palms with a metallic clink.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± the manmented, his eyes like an eagle¡¯s. ¡°Much stronger than that fatty!¡±


    The golden glow on the man¡¯s palms turned brighter and brighter.


    Not good! Yun Ruoyan thought. That fellow¡¯s going to repeat the same trick he used!


    With two sharp cracks, the man broke Xue Ji¡¯s twin knives and crushed them into crystalline shards with his bare hands.


    ¡°You dumb woman, it¡¯s no use even if you surrender now!¡± he shouted, then kicked at her waist. Thinking that Xue Ji had been disarmed, the swordsman didn¡¯t even imbue any spiritual energy into his kick.


    Xue Ji smiled. She somersaulted in the air, conjuring a massive de which she wielded with both hands. With a graceful flip, she sliced at the swordsman¡¯s calf. He grunted, and fresh blood stained the ground.


    Xue Ji¡¯s strength should have been sufficient to chop off the swordsman¡¯s leg entirely, but he reacted quickly enough to infuse spiritual energy into his calf and temporarily harden it. As a result, Xue Ji¡¯s attack was only sufficient to inflict a deep injury.


    He then strengthened his uninjured leg and kicked at Xue Ji¡¯s shoulder, sending her flying into the invisible wall. Although her cultivation was at about the same level as the man, as a woman, she was physically weaker in terms of strength.


    The swordsman seemed particrly enraged that Xue Ji¡¯s sneak attack had seeded. As though he couldn¡¯t feel his wound, he dashed toward Xue Ji like a streak of lightning. Xue Ji tried to jump up and dodge his attack, but the man was faster than she had predicted and more experienced in fighting.


    He leapt into the air and caught Xue Ji¡¯s ankle mid-jump, then smashed her body against the ground. A spiritual membrane formed around her body, but the enraged man, as if possessed, continued swinging her body up and down, left and right, until even her spiritual membrane popped from the force.


    Xue Ji had been disoriented since the initial blow, and she was unable to retaliate at all afterwards. Despite the fact that she was bleeding from her head, face, nose, and mouth, the man continued swinging her around like an uncontroble beast or a raging child.


    The cultivators d in beast pelts began to make a fuss: clearly, Xue Ji was rather high up their hierarchy.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± one of those cultivators shouted, then rushed toward Xue Ji and the raging man. The other cultivators in beast pelts looked ready to do the same. However, the white pir of light that surrounded them had somehow be a cage, trapping all the cultivators within. They could only watch on in despair as Xue Ji¡¯s face was mutted beyond recognition.


    ¡°Enough!¡± a youth finally shouted. ¡°Pi Yan, cease!¡±


    The man called Pi Yan finally stopped beating Xue Ji. He released her ankle, and she slumped to the ground in a heap of battered limbs.


    Pi Yang walked over, clicking his tongue. He kicked Xue Ji¡¯s body, but she didn¡¯t seem to react at all. Only her back, quivering in pain, suggested that she was still alive.


    Pi Yang turned around to Pi Yan, who was raring to continue beating her up. ¡°My father¡¯s beencking a maid to serve tea and drinks. This is exactly the physique he looks for in a serving girl, but now¡­ what a waste.¡±


    Pi Yan only cracked his neck in response. On the Mingyuan continent, might was right. Although Pi Yan was just a servant for the Pi family, his advanced cultivation and impressive fighting abilities meant that even Pi Yang would show him some amount of favor.


    ¡°Get some treatment for your leg,¡± Pi Yang finally said.


    Pi Yan dragged Xue Ji with him back to the Pi delegation, at which point she was chained up and tossed together with the fatty.


    The remaining cultivators, caught in the pir of light, grew more and more anxious: clearly, what had happened to Xue Ji and the fatty would also happen to them.


    ¡°Pi Yang, the Pi family has already taken two of the best cultivators from this crowd. Shouldn¡¯t you be giving us an opportunity as well?¡± the young master of the Feng n, Feng Mian, began.


    Pi Yang snorted. ¡°We¡¯re just ying by the rules, aren¡¯t we? They chose their opponents themselves. See those cultivators dressed up in beast pelts? They all want to kill Pi Yan, I bet.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair!¡± the scion of the Zheng family used. ¡°Do you intend for everyone to challenge your henchmen and have the Pi family im all these groundhogs?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted to follow the old customs?¡± Pi Yang replied coolly. ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to give me those two cultivators whose portraits I showed you, you can have the rest of them.¡±


    ¡°Which cultivators? I didn¡¯t have a close look,¡± Feng Mian replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Pi Yang motioned for a servant to approach with the two portraits. ¡°These two cultivators are all we want. I don¡¯t care what happens to the rest.¡±


    What¡¯s so special about them to make the Pi family single them out? No one responded to Pi Yang; the other delegations were all deep in thought.


    ¡°All of you, take a look at these portraits too!¡± While the other families were distracted, Pi Yang called out to the cultivators gathered within the beam of light. ¡°The male¡¯s name is unknown, but others address him as Master Mo. The female¡¯s Yun Ruoyan. Both of them are hiding among you. If any of you can point them out, I promise that you¡¯ll pass this selection process unhurt.¡±


    Li Mo shielded Yun Ruoyan with his body, then calmly looked forward even as he expanded his senses to keep track of the cultivators around him.


    Pi Yang then turned back to the other delegations. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand¡ªthere¡¯s nothing special about these two cultivators. Not long ago, they barged into one of the Pi family¡¯s hunting grounds and killed a number of my henchmen, so I simply want to settle the score.¡±


    ¡°Qingchen, Senior Sister Guan,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered. ¡°If someone reveals where I am, don¡¯t get agitated. Prioritize your own safety over anything else.¡±


    Before Lin Qingchen and Guan Ruliu could speak, a young woman shouted, ¡°There they are! The people you¡¯re looking for are over there!¡±

 Chapter 347: Li Mo Breaks Through

    <h4>Chapter 347: Li Mo Breaks Through</h4>


    The person who had reported them was none other than Rong Yueshan, who had been stealthily observing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group from the crowd.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, don¡¯t you dare hide!¡± Rong Yueshan squeezed past a group of cultivators and made her way to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, then pointed at them.


    Pi Yang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Where are they? Where¡¯s Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    The other cultivators immediately stepped aside, clearing out a circle around them. However, except for Rong Yueshan and a few other students from the northern college, the remaining students of Kongming Academy rapidly pushed past the other cultivators and gathered by Li Mo¡¯s side.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you really are here! Come out and let me take a good look at you!¡±


    ¡°Damn it, we should have dug out his eyes back then,¡± Yun Ruoyan cursed. She tried to step out from behind Li Mo, but he held her tightly.


    ¡°Hey, you, dark robe!¡± Pi Yang could see Li Mo holding Yun Ruoyan back. ¡°Do you dare challenge my family¡¯s warriors?¡±


    ¡°What if I do, and what if I don¡¯t?¡± Li Mo replied coolly.


    Pi Yang sneered. ¡°Regardless of the oue, you¡¯ll be beaten half to death, then enved in the Pi family.¡±


    ¡°Kid, aren¡¯t you forgetting something? You were equally arrogant when we first met, and it was you who suffered a thrashing at my hands.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Pi Yang pointed at Li Mo, his face furious. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t forgotten at all! I¡¯ll get back what you owe me, with interest!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Li Mo raised a brow. ¡°By yourself? Or are you going to get your dogs to do it for you?¡±


    Li Mo was trying to infuriate Pi Yang in order to shift his attention from Yun Ruoyan to himself. Pi Yang had suffered quite a great deal at Li Mo¡¯s hands, and he did want to challenge Li Mo by himself, but he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to beat the man just yet. Instead, he could only stare at him angrily.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo whispered to her mentally. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you out with me, then find an opportunity to crack the barrier open. Fly off on my sword.¡±


    ¡°And what about you?¡± Yun Ruoyan grabbed Li Mo¡¯s robe tightly.


    ¡°I can feel where my sword is. When I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll go find you.¡±


    ¡°And how about Qingchen and Senior Sister Guan?¡± Yun Ruoyan was very confident in Li Mo. She firmly believed that, once she wasn¡¯t around to burden him, Li Mo would be able to escape on his own¡ªbut what about Lin Qingchen, Guan Ruliu, and the still-poisoned Zong Yang?


    ¡°We¡¯re the only two who have fought with the Pi family before. If we stay here, we might even implicate them,¡± Li Mo responded. ¡°On the other hand, if we can escape, we can try to save them.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she finally agreed.


    Li Mo rxed, then continued questioning Pi Yang. ¡°Well? Have you decided how you¡¯re going to collect this debt?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Pi, one of these groundhogs is challenging you. Do you dare ept?¡± Young Master Feng asked, smiling.


    ¡°At least give him a response! Even if you don¡¯t dare, no one could force the second young master of the Pi family to do anything, right?¡± the Zheng scion added.


    Although the young miss of the Chen family didn¡¯t say anything, her expression was clearly one of derision.


    ¡°What a bold groundhog!¡± Just as Pi Yang¡¯s face was turning red, the middle-aged man stepped out and began scolding Li Mo. ¡°Do you, a lowly groundhog, really think that you¡¯re fit to duel with my Young Master Pi? Dream on!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not for a dog like you to decide,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°If your young master doesn¡¯t dare to fight, then send a few dogs over.¡± He began walking out of the pir of light along with Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± Lin Qingchen caught Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sleeve and began following behind them. She had seen the horrendous treatment of the fatty and Xue Ji at the outworlders¡¯ hands, and she couldn¡¯t help being worried for Yun Ruoyan. After all, she still hadn¡¯t recovered her eighth-rank cultivation and couldn¡¯t even summon a spiritual membrane to protect herself.


    ¡°Qingchen, find Qingxue and Zhuo Yifeng. We¡¯lle back to save you,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered in her ear.


    Lin Qingchen immediately understood Yun Ruoyan¡¯s meaning, let go of her sleeve, and watched hopefully as Li Mo stepped out of the pir of light with her. Yun Ruoyan nced all around her as she stepped through the light. The boundary of the pir was at times as hard as steel and at times immaterial, and there had to be someone controlling the mirror emitting the light. Despite looking all around, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t find that controller.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, long time no see!¡± Pi Yang smiled and walked closer to her.


    Yun Ruoyan stared back coldly. ¡°I wish I had never encountered you.¡±


    Pi Yang clearly anticipated this sort of response, so he wasn¡¯t mad. ¡°If you agree to join the Pi n, I¡¯ll save you from injury and humiliation during this trial, then protect you afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your intentions, but I decline!¡± Yun Ruoyan turned away and refused to face him any longer.


    Pi Yang sighed. ¡°You took care of me in my time of need, so I won¡¯t make things hard for you. On the other hand, that Mo fellow will have to be punished.¡±


    ¡°Well? I¡¯m waiting right here for you!¡± Li Mo continued to provoke Pi Yang. ¡°Show me what kind of dogs your family breeds!¡±


    ¡°You punk!¡± Pi Yan, who had clearly demonstrated a tendency for violence and brashness, was the first to respond, but the other swordsmen guarding the ves also seemed to be itching for a fight.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, I don¡¯t think Sister Ruoyan and the ughtering King can recognize us like this.¡± By this time, Lin Qingxue had turned her face drab and gray by liberally applying mud and dirt to her face. Zhuo Yifeng had consumed a pill he had on hand, stemming his bleeding, and had likewise covered up his face with dirt.


    ¡°Better if they don¡¯t. They¡¯re in some trouble of their own, and we can¡¯t keep dragging them down,¡± Zhuo Yifeng whispered back. He stooped down amidst the ves and kept his gaze firmly nted on the ground.


    One of the swordsmen, Pi Li, used water-attuned techniques. He froze ayer of ice on top of Pi Yan¡¯s wound, temporarily sealing the injury. Pi Yan stood up and brandished a fist at Li Mo.


    Li Mo had carefully hidden his cultivation ever since he saw Pi Yan thrashing Xue Ji to within an inch of her life. As a result, none of those gathered, even the sword saints if there were any, would be able to detect the true depths of Li Mo¡¯s cultivation without concerted effort. In that case, he would have a chance to win the uing battle.


    He situated Yun Ruoyan right against the pir, then curled a finger toward Pi Yan. It was a gesture that transcended realms, used to beckon a dog over.


    ¡°Pi Yan, you¡¯re no match for him!¡± By the time Pi Yang spoke, however, it was already toote. He had intended for all the guards to attack Li Mo at once, but after Li Mo¡¯s provocation, he couldn¡¯t find a good way of doing so without losing face. In the meantime, Pi Yan had grown so incensed that he was leaping toward Li Mo on his own.


    His two hands glowed brightly in gold, transforming his fingers into ws. One w shed at Li Mo¡¯s heart, and the other at his neck. Li Mo swept an arm toward Pi Yan, shooting out dozens of icicles at once. As they struck Pi Yan, his entire body glowed in the same golden light, as though he had be wholly invulnerable to physical attacks.


    Although the icicles didn¡¯t hurt Pi Yan, they did slightly slow down his charge.


    Pi Yan smirked. ¡°And here I thought you would be strong, but you only have the offense of an early ninth-rank demaster!¡±


    Pi Yang frowned. ¡°Pi Yan, don¡¯t getcent.¡±


    However, Pi Yan¡¯s prideful and arrogant nature meant that he paid no attention to anyone else¡¯s remarks, even his supposed master¡¯s. When he next attacked Li Mo, he sacrificed his defense and focused on attack, confident that his armor would be more than sufficient against a weakling like Li Mo.


    Pi Yan¡¯s ws seized Li Mo¡¯s chest and neck, but he suddenly discovered that Li Mo¡¯s body seemed to be even tougher than Xue Ji¡¯s crystalline knives. Even with his golden ws at full power, he was unable to scratch the surface of Li Mo¡¯s skin.


    Except for Li Mo, no one knew that his entire body had been encased in a thinyer of transparent ice, almost impossible to detect with the naked eye. This was a sign that Li Mo had broken through to a second-rank sword saint.


    As a first-rank sword saint, Li Mo had been able to freely manifest spiritual energy outside his body. As a second-rank, he was able topress and multiply the effect of this manifestation. Ever since Li Mo had begun dual cultivation with Yun Ruoyan, his innate spiritual energy had only be more and more refined in quality.


    In the few days that he spent treating Yun Ruoyan after her grave injury using the dual cultivation technique, Li Mo had used up almost all his spiritual energy. The dual cultivation technique worked on a system of banked power, which would be released all at once upon facing an overwhelming crisis. It was this explosion of spiritual energy that had suddenly brought Li Mo from a first-rank to second-rank sword saint...

 Chapter 348: Breaking the Barrier

    <h4>Chapter 348: Breaking the Barrier</h4>


    Li Mo¡¯s cultivation was already more advanced than Pi Yan¡¯s. After this breakthrough, he was confident he could take on dozens of cultivators like him at the same time.


    On the other hand, Pi Yan felt as though he were wing an imprable hunk of steel, whose hardness far exceeded what his spiritually reinforced hands could emte. However, the other observers couldn¡¯t detect this point. Because Li Mo had restricted his own cultivation at an early ninth-rank demaster¡¯s level, they all thought that Li Mo was about to lose.


    Pi Yan was the only one who knew the truth.


    ¡°Are the little pups of the Pi household all this weak?¡± Li Mo sneered.


    Pi Yan faced Li Mo, the shock in his eyes almost the equal of the fatty¡¯s shock when he faced Pi Yan. ¡°You¡ªYou¡¯re beyond the realm of a first-rank sword saint!¡± When Pi Yan realized this, despite his pride and arrogance, he tried to turn tail and run.


    Then, Li Mo struck. The moment Pi Yan shrunk back, Li Mo¡¯s hands morphed into shadow. Faster than the crowd¡¯s eyes could follow, he had gripped Pi Yan¡¯s neck with a palm and raised him into the air.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Almost everyone in the crowd gasped, including the cultivators trapped within the pir of light and the delegations from the seven households.


    ¡°Feng Bo, how strong is this man?¡± Feng Mian, the young master of the Feng family, turned to ask a man by his side. The middle-aged man, who seemed to be in his fifties, was dressed well but not in a swordsman¡¯s garb.


    He scrutinized Li Mo carefully before finally answering, ¡°He¡¯s deliberately hiding his strength, and even I can¡¯t determine his true level of cultivation. However, the fact that he¡¯s able to defeat Pi Yan so easily is a sure sign that he¡¯s already a sword saint.


    Meanwhile, Pi Yan had grabbed a concealed dagger on his body and thrust it toward Li Mo¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted. She reached out for him, but nothing happened. The dagger struck Li Mo in the eye, but he didn¡¯t take any damage. Instead, another metallic nk rang out: the dagger was unharmed, as was Li Mo¡¯s eye.


    ¡°A second-rank sword saint!¡±


    ¡°Feng Bo, what did you say?¡± Feng Mian was focusing so intently on the fight that he hadn¡¯t heard his words.


    ¡°That ck-robed fellow¡¯s a second-rank sword saint!¡± Feng Bo repeated. ¡°As a second-rank sword saint, a durable, transparentyer of spiritual energy will encase your body, providing significant defense against physical trauma. It¡¯s rare enough to find a peak ninth-rank demaster from the lower realms, let alone a sword saint,¡± he continued. ¡°Young Master, if you can im this ve as your own, it will be a great boon to the family.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, Feng Bo! But that Pi Yan¡ª¡±


    A sudden crack resounded through the air: Li Mo was breaking apart the reinforced golden skin around Pi Yan¡¯s neck. As the skin visibly ruptured from Li Mo¡¯s force, red blood seeped out of the wound, in sharp contrast to the golden glow still surrounding Pi Yan. Everyone, even Pi Yang, was dumbstruck.


    ¡°Well, boy? You¡¯re not sending anyone else to help your dog?¡± Li Mo¡¯s ice-cold gaze sent shivers down Pi Yang¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Pi Qiu, Pi Huo, what are you doing?! Go help Pi Yan!¡± he hollered. ¡°I want him alive, no...¡± The moment Pi Yang said these words, he hesitated. ¡°...dead is fine too!¡±


    As soon as Pi Yang spoke, six swordsmen walked out from the Pi delegation and surrounded Li Mo. Li Mo turned to nce at Yun Ruoyan, who was watching him intently. She seemed calm and unperturbed, but she couldn¡¯t help worrying inside, no matter how strong she knew Li Mo was.


    ¡°That ck robe¡¯s cultivation has advanced again!¡± Pi Yang murmured, turning to Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°His name¡¯s Li Mo, and he¡¯s my husband,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied seriously. ¡°Kindly remember his name.¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, your husband?¡± Pi Yang asked, enunciating the words syble by syble, as though he couldn¡¯t process what she was saying.


    ¡°Yes. I married him even before I met you in the beast spirit valley, and we¡¯re husband and wife. You didn¡¯t notice?¡±


    Pi Yang¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°He looks so much older than you that he seemed more like a brother or uncle. Do all you groundhog women like marrying old men?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned away and ignored him.


    ¡°What a pity,¡± Pi Yang murmured, almost to himself. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll soon be a widow.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned back and stared at Pi Yang with a hostile gaze.


    Pi Yang didn¡¯t seem to mind; he was enthused just by being able to attract Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attention, regardless of whether it was for positive or negative reasons. ¡°No one who dares cross the Pi family will be able to survive on the Mingyuan continent. This fellow¡¯s marked for death, so I advise you steer clear from him.¡±


    ¡°I believe that remains to be seen,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied icily.


    Pi Yang scoffed. ¡°What are you all waiting for? Go on, attack! Kill that impudent groundhog!¡± he shouted to his henchmen.


    The reason the swordsmen didn¡¯t dare attack was because they feared what he might do to Pi Yan, who was still scrabbling for purchase in the air. The slightest amount of force from Li Mo would be able to kill him instantly.


    Because Li Mo wanted to send Yun Ruoyan out of the barrier that the seven families had created, he would have to cause arge disturbance. As a result, he raised an eyebrow, smirked, and broke Pi Yan¡¯s throat with a clean crunch. Pi Yan¡¯s head tilted, and fresh blood seeped out from his mouth. His eyes were open wide, as though he didn¡¯t even have the time to process what had happened.


    ¡°Nothing but trash,¡± Li Mo critiqued pleasantly, then threw his body onto the ground.


    ¡°Boss!¡± the swordsmen shouted in rm, then turned to Li Mo with eyes burning with hate.


    ¡°You groundhog, we¡¯ll skin you alive!¡± Pi Qiu hollered. ¡°Brothers, attack!¡±


    The swordsmen all drew their weapons and swarmed Li Mo. Some carried ming swords, others spears forged from ancient ice, and one a thick, stout vine brimming with life.


    Li Mo stood still in the middle of the circle, waiting for an opportunity. The moment before the weapons struck him, he leapt up into the air. He began to spin, doing so even as hended on the ground. Gradually, wisps of wind gathered around him, growingrger and wilder with every passing second. The cyclone sucked up dirt and grass from the ground, turning the air gritty with dust.


    Except for those cultivators within the pir of light, who were unaffected, the crowd hastily shielded their face with a sleeve.


    The screen of dust obscured Yun Ruoyan¡¯s vision, so she was a little startled to find someone grabbing her wrist. Thinking that it was Pi Yang, she brandished her dagger at the person only to hear Li Mo¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, it¡¯s me. We have to run, now!¡± He soared into the air with her.


    ¡°Li Mo¡¯s about to escape with Yun Ruoyan!¡± Rong Yueshan shouted from within the pir of light.


    Upon hearing this, the swordsmen ignored the wind and dust blinding them and immediately gave chase.


    ¡°Young Master, allow me to keep an eye on things,¡± Uncle Feng said to Feng Mian, then gave chase with a sword glowing with multicolored light.


    Li Mo quickly brought Yun Ruoyan to the edge of the barrier, the Pi swordsmen hot on his heels. He extended both fists and sent his entire body¡¯s spiritual energy surging toward his palms, charging up for one decisive blow.


    The punch containing the full power of a second-rank sword saint sent ripples reverberating through the barrier. With a second punch, Li Mo broke a huge hole where the barrier had just been weakened.


    ¡°You won¡¯t escape!¡± the swordsmen shouted from behind.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, leave now. My sword will bring you to safety,¡± Li Mo whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up once I deal with these other fellows.¡±


    ¡°Without your sword, how will you fly?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a solution somehow. Leave!¡± Li Mo leapt off the sword and kicked at one of the men behind him...

 Chapter 349: Li Mo, Enslaved

    <h4>Chapter 349: Li Mo, Enved</h4>


    The swordsmen of the Pi family, thinking that Li Mo was about to escape with Yun Ruoyan, were shocked to find Li Mo suddenly doubling back and attacking them instead. Leading them was the boisterous Pi Huo, whose temper was second only to Pi Yan. When Li Mo¡¯s foot struck his chest, he fell off his spiritual sword.


    ¡°Pi Huo!¡± Pi Qiu dove down toward Pi Huo¡¯s falling body.


    Pi Huo¡¯s sword morphed into a beam of light and shot toward its master, but Li Mo had already jumped off from it and kicked another swordsman off his sword. When he next jumped, the remaining swordsmen immediately steered clear of Li Mo.


    Just as it looked as though Li Mo would fall, a b of ice appeared from underneath his feet, which he used to boost himself up again. He repeated the process, proving that, even without his spiritual sword, Li Mo was able to prevent his body from falling.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a spiritual sword!¡± Pi Qiu hollered. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to escape if we surround him and attack!¡±


    Following Pi Qiu¡¯smand, all the swordsmen attacked Li Mo at once, the exact oue Li Mo was hoping for. Although he had lost his spiritual sword, his cultivation was more than sufficient to allow him to stay aloft. However, with his attention split from having to conjure up icy bs, it would be difficult for him to make the first move and attack.


    As the swordsmen gathered around him, ready to unleash attacks of their own, Li Mo extended both his arms and manifested hundreds of icicles in a sphere surrounding him. They gleamed and glinted in the sunlight, so sharp and icy cold that the swordsmen could feel the potency of the attack from where they stood.


    With a wave of his hand, Li Mo sent the icicles spearing through the swordsmen, generating a flurry of screams and howls. In the blink of an eye, two swordsmen fell from their swords. One of the swords began chasing its fallen master, but the other remained stationary¡ªone of the fallen swordsmen had been speared through the chest, and he had perished instantly. His spiritual sword was now ownerless and free to im, and the green glow that had been keeping it afloat slowly began to dissipate. Once it vanished, the sword would fall.


    Just then, Li Mo stepped on that ownerless sword. It trembled, seemed to struggle, but soon glowed brightly in green once more, clearly having decided to ept the powerful Li Mo as its new master.


    Pi Qiu and Pi Huo cursed, but before they could even blink, Li Mo had sped forward and kicked them both off their swords.


    ¡°Is this all there is to you otherworlders?¡± Li Mo¡¯s foot tapped his newly acquired sword as he prepared to leave.


    ¡°Save us, please!¡± a cultivator suddenly called out from below, and Li Mo looked down. The pir of light separating the cultivators from the seven delegations had vanished, and the other families¡¯ swordsmen rushed into the crowd of helpless cultivators.


    The swordsmen of the delegations were all at least ninth-rank demasters, and those cultivators from the lower realms were generally no more than eighth rank. These swordsmen, brandishing their weapons and with chains and handcuffs hanging on their waist, were like wolves among sheep.


    The air sparked with the crackling and sizzling of mes, the frost of ice; the ground was a thicket of vines pitted with clods of earth. Through themotion, Li Mo could see that Lin Qingchen, Guan Ruliu, and Zong Yang had all been taken by swordsmen from the Feng family.


    With Li Mo¡¯s current cultivation, it wouldn¡¯t have been impossible to save them all, but breaking the barrier had consumed much of his current reserves of spiritual energy, and he didn¡¯t know whether he would be able to bring them all away safely even after rescuing them.


    ¡°Young man, please wait.¡± Just as Li Mo was about to leave, the deep voice of a middle-aged man called out to him. Li Mo stilled, then turned back to find a man with a multicolored sword hovering behind him.


    Li Mo¡¯s eyes narrowed: he hadn¡¯t discovered the man¡¯s presence at all!


    ¡°May I assist you, Elder?¡± Judging that the man¡¯s cultivation must have been above his own, Li Mo¡¯s tone was far removed from his earlier arrogance.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare that the lower realms would produce as talented a cultivator as you, especially considering your age,¡± the man continued mildly. ¡°But on the Mingyuan continent, talented though you might be, you¡¯ll find that it¡¯s unwise to face certain forces alone. If you join the Feng household, we¡¯re willing to grant protection to you and yours.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the advice, Elder.¡± Li Mo¡¯s tone was as cool as ever. ¡°As used to solitude as I am, however, I¡¯m afraid I must decline.¡±


    Li Mo turned to leave, but a beam of spiritual energy shed past him and sealed up the hole he had broken in the barrier. He had no choice but to turn back, shooting an icy re at the other man.


    ¡°Rash youngsters have to be dealt with firmly.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s mild-mannered air had vanished as though it were a dream, and such a strong aura emanated from his body that even Li Mo was shocked.


    He spread his arms wide and mimicked the icicle technique Li Mo had used earlier. Li Mo rapidly defended with a wall of ice in front of him, only to see the man bring his arms together. The countless icicles that had been conjured clumped together to form one gigantic cone of ice, pointing straight at Li Mo.


    ¡°Young man, have you seen this extension of your technique?¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll let you off as long as you¡¯re able to handle this next blow.¡±


    The man shoved, and the gigantic icicle shot at Li Mo¡¯s shield. As shards of ice whizzed past his face, Li Mo sent thest of his spiritual energy to reinforce the shield.


    ¡°Oh? Not bad!¡± The man added another burst of spiritual energy to the icicle.


    Blood instantly trickled out of Li Mo¡¯s lip. He had already expended a significant fraction of spiritual energy while fighting the Pi swordsmen and blowing a hole in the barrier. Now that he was facing a cultivator leagues above his own, his reserves were quickly being emptied. If he were to continue drawing spiritual energy from his body, his spiritual vortex would undoubtedly be unable to support his body any longer.


    Seeing that Li Mo was at his limits, the man added another tiny shred of spiritual energy. Li Mo spat out a mouthful of blood, the shield in front of him dissipated, and the icicle pushed inexorably closer to his body.


    Li Mo shut his eyes.


    However, millimeters before impact, the icicle likewise vanished.


    Li Mo¡¯s consciousness wavered, and he fell from his spiritual sword. The man waved a hand, conjuring a gust of wind that brought his body to rest by the feet of the Feng delegation.


    By then, the hundreds of cultivators from the lower realms had all been caught. Chained and manacled, they nced at the unconscious Li Mo in despair, and some of the students from Kongming Academy even began to cry.


    They had known that the otherworld would be a ce of great danger and opportunity, but it beggared their belief to ever imagine that they would be enved almost as soon as they had arrived. Even the strongest among them, Li Mo, had been captured!


    ¡°Feng Bo, you¡¯re as skilled as ever,¡± Pi Yang praised, stepping out from his family¡¯s delegation.


    ¡°You tter me, Young Master Pi,¡± the man replied. ¡°Unfortunately, the girl got away.¡± He noted that Pi Yang seemed umonly interested in the girl.


    Pi Yang rubbed at his nose. ¡°Let her be.¡±


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll be leaving now,¡± Feng Mian announced, then made to leave. Two of his swordsmen stepped forward and began carrying Li Mo away.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± Pi Yang called out. ¡°This man has made an enemy of the Pi household, and I¡¯ve already imed him!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Feng Mian replied, smiling, ¡°but you failed to capture him. We didn¡¯t contest your im.¡±


    Pi Yang sputtered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Feng Mian deliberately raised his voice.


    Pi Yang gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll hand over the rights to a spirit crystal vein for this man!¡±


    Feng Mian turned back in shock. ¡°You mean it?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Pi Yang replied. ¡°But I want her as well.¡± He pointed at Lin Qingchen.


    Pi Yang had noticed Lin Qingchen talking to Yun Ruoyan in the past, and he could guess that there was some sort of rtionship between them. He firmly believed that, as long as he had Li Mo and Lin Qingchen in his hands, that Yun Ruoyan would find him sooner orter.


    ¡°Deal!¡± Feng Mian announced.


    Li Mo¡¯s sword brought Yun Ruoyan all the way to a small forest by the foot of some mountain range. Yun Ruoyan stayed put while waiting for Li Mo to catch up to her, but after four hours, as the skies gradually grew dark, her hope began to slip away.


    The glow of Li Mo¡¯s sword suddenly dimmed, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression turned severe. The fact that the glow had dimmed indicated that the sword¡¯s master was no longer able to provide the sword with sufficient spiritual energy. If the glow vanished entirely, that would indicate that its master had perished.


    ¡°Don¡¯t vanish, don¡¯t vanish, please don¡¯t vanish¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands clenched into fists as she stared at the sword. The glow steadily became dimmer and dimmer, but just as it flickered, about to vanish entirely, it stabilized.


    The pale green glow covered the sword like a veil, and the engraving of a dragon suddenly appeared on the de itself...

 Chapter 350: Shelter

    <h4>Chapter 350: Shelter</h4>


    This was the first time that Yun Ruoyan had seen the true form of Li Mo¡¯s spiritual sword, but she wasn¡¯t in the mood to inspect it carefully at the moment. She carefully stored the sword in her bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension, then called out to Qiuqiu. ¡°Wake up, Qiuqiu!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mistress? Is something wrong?¡± Qiuqiu responded rapidly, clearly having sensed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s anxiety.¡±


    ¡°Can you see if you can sense Li Mo? Is he injured?¡± Although it was clear from the state of his spiritual sword that Li Mo must have suffered a grave injury, she held out hope that Qiuqiu might notice something she had missed.


    When Qiuqiu replied that it couldn¡¯t sense Li Mo¡¯s aura at all, dashing Yun Ruoyan¡¯sst hope, she had no choice but to believe that Li Mo had been taken by the Pi family.


    ¡°Li Mo, I¡¯ll save you! Wait for me!¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes glowed with ferocious killing intent. ¡°Pi Yang, if you dare hurt Li Mo, I won¡¯t spare you!¡±


    She began inspecting her surroundings. Li Mo¡¯s sword had brought her to a small forest, likely not too far from civilization. Her first goal was to find a way out, enter the city governed by the Pi household, and think of a way to save Li Mo.


    After about fifteen minutes, she finally found a small path leading out of the forest. By then, the skies had darkened. She retrieved a beast core from her pocket dimension and used it for illumination.


    She was currently only at the level of a sixth-rank demaster, and her night vision was far weaker than it used to be. Under the dim light of the beast core, it took Yun Ruoyan two hours before she finally walked out of the forest. The moment she did so, she noted a few fires not too far in the distance: some people were making camp.


    Yun Ruoyan reflexively stooped down and hid behind a bush, retracting her weakened aura aspletely as she could. There were four fires not too far from her, which meant at least a group of twenty people. From the firelight, she could even make out the outlines of four rather ostentatious carriages.


    At least on the Chenyuan continent, suchrge parties were either cultivators out hunting or merchants who had employed bodyguards to protect them on a long journey. Generally, these cultivators were crude, rough men, and it would be dangerous for her to approach them.


    Although Yun Ruoyan was tired and hungry, she didn¡¯t dare risk it. She was just about to turn and leave when a shadow suddenly darted out from a bush before her.


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± the shadow whispered. A gleaming white sword shone in the light: the shadow had drawn a sword, revealing her to be a woman a few years older than she was.


    ¡°Sister, please spare me!¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately stooped down and begged for mercy.


    Back on the Chenyuan continent, she was rtively tall for her age, but on the Mingyuan continent, she would be considered petite. For example, the woman in front of her seemed more like a man from her body alone. Yun Ruoyan hugged her knees as she squatted on the ground, ying the part of a lost white rabbit.


    The tip of the woman¡¯s sword was almost jabbing at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead, but she had no intention of resisting. Finally, the woman sheathed her sword and brought Yun Ruoyan to the campfire without saying another word.


    Yun Ruoyan found that the people by the fire were all manner of women: some fair and delicate, others tall and broad-shouldered, yet others buxom and rotund.


    ¡°A Fei, weren¡¯t you going to thetrine? Where did you find this white rabbit?¡± a green-robed woman asked, smiling.


    Yun Ruoyan was still wearing her white Kongming Academy uniform, so the green-robed woman¡¯s description was rather apt. The twenty or so women all looked toward Yun Ruoyan; she slunk down, lowered her head, and made herself look even more like a tiny white rabbit.


    ¡°Who would have expected to find such a treasure on the way to the Pi city?¡± another girl added, inciting a chorus of giggles.


    ¡°Madam Hong, I found this girl by the edge of the forest.¡± Rather than respond to the other women, A Fei turned to a woman in a long, red dress, sitting by the fire.


    ¡°Raise your head,¡± Madam Hong instructed. Her voice was slightly hoarse but pleasant to the ear. Yun Ruoyan slowly raised her head and found herself staring at a beauty. ¡°Who are you, and what are you doing out in the forest in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes were wet and lustrous, as if she would cry at any moment.


    ¡°Speak!¡± A Feimanded impatiently.


    The woman in red raised a hand, motioning for A Fei to stop. Her gaze turned gentle as she spoke again to Yun Ruoyan, ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t be afraid. Take your time.¡±


    ¡°Sister,¡± Yun Ruoyan finally choked out. ¡°My brother and I were ves, and my master wanted to sell me off to some¡­ unclean establishment. My brother escaped with me in the dark. When my master¡¯s men gave chase, my brother hid me in the forest and left to lure them away, and then¡­ and then, my brother was caught again.¡±


    Tears streamed down Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face. She cried for Li Mo, heavily wounded and captured. She cried for her two cousins, who weren¡¯t so lucky as to escape the fate that awaited them. She cried for herself, hating that she didn¡¯t have the power to save one and all.


    ¡°Ah, you pitiful child!¡±


    ¡°We understand your plight. You¡¯re just like one of us¡­!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s confession caused a sympathetic resonance with the women gathered around the campfires, and the air turned mncholy and solemn. Yun Ruoyan had been able to guess their profession from the women¡¯s appearance and the ostentatious carriages around them, and had framed this half-truth in the manner that would produce the greatest impact.


    Madam Hong nced sharply at Yun Ruoyan. Rather than meet her gaze, however, Yun Ruoyan nced furtively at the ground, as if her master¡¯s men would find her at any moment. Madam Hong examined her closely, seemed to decide to believe her story, then began looking at her appraisingly.


    Yun Ruoyan knew that she was rtively pretty, and looks were particrly important in this line of work. ¡°Sister, won¡¯t you please allow me to remain with you? I¡¯ll be willing to do anything, even menialbor!¡±


    Madam Hong didn¡¯t immediately agree. She lowered her head and thought quietly for a moment. ¡°Which city are you from, and whose servant are you?¡±


    If Yun Ruoyan were a ve of the Pi family, taking her in would cause nothing but trouble for the group heading to the Pi city.


    Understanding this, Yun Ruoyan replied, ¡°I¡¯m from the Feng city, and I was a ve of the Feng family.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re headed for the Pi city. The Feng and Pi families don¡¯t get along, and the two cities interact only infrequently. She won¡¯t be a trouble, Madam Hong, so won¡¯t you take her in?¡± the green-clothed woman who had first remarked on her begged on her behalf.


    The other women murmured their agreement.


    ¡°Do you truly wish to stay with me?¡± Madam Hong asked.


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Are you aware what we do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it before in the Feng city, Madam. Isn¡¯t this a troupe of courtesans, women who sell their arts and talents but not their bodies?¡±


    Madam Hong nodded. ¡°You may travel with us temporarily. For the moment, before you¡¯re ready to demonstrate your talents, you can help A Fei out with misceneous tasks.¡±


    And, just like that, Yun Ruoyan sessfully joined a courtesan troupe.


    ¡°Come, white rabbit, sit by my side!¡± The woman in green, Xiao Qing, beckoned to Yun Ruoyan, and she gratefully walked over. ¡°Ah, aren¡¯t you pretty?¡± She rubbed at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Sister, you look beautiful as well.¡± Yun Ruoyan praised Xiao Qing, causing her to smile. ¡°Sister, I heard my brother mention how strong Lord Pi was. Are the rumors true? If the Pi city attacked the Feng city, which side would win?¡±


    ¡°Lord Pi is truly a talented cultivator,¡± Xiao Qing replied. ¡°His eldest son, Young Lord Pi, is likewise quite talented. If the two cities were to fight, I¡¯d hedge my bets on the Pi city¡­ ah, why are you asking about this?¡±


    ¡°If the Pi city were to defeat the Feng city, my brother might be saved!¡±


    ¡°That¡ªyou might as well give up hope.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t the two families not get along?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed.


    ¡°Profit trumps all, and they¡¯ll cooperate if they have to. Aren¡¯t you aware of the spirit crystal veins?¡±


    ¡°I was responsible for odd jobs and menialbor in the household, and I rarely left the manor¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll exin what you need to know.¡± ording to Xiao Qing, the Pi family was responsible for much of the spirit crystals avable on the Mingyuan continent, amodity necessary for improving one¡¯s cultivation that even served as a currency of sorts.


    The other families all depended on the Pis for spirit crystals, so no matter how fraught their rtionship, they couldn¡¯t simply cut off the Pi family entirely. It was their monopoly on the spirit crystal veins that allowed the Pi family to be a hegemonic existence on the Mingyuan continent.


    Is that how it is? Yun Ruoyan wondered. She very much wanted to ask Xiao Qing for a piece of spirit crystal to see what it looked like, but she was afraid of exposing her true identity.


    ¡°Alright, everyone, it¡¯s gettingte. Rest early, since we¡¯ll still be travelling for quite a while tomorrow,¡± Madam Hong announced, pping her hands for attention.


    The women retired to their amodations in the various carriages, and Yun Ruoyan squeezed into bed with Xiao Qing.

 Chapter 351: Li Mo’s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 351: Li Mo¡¯s Decision</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan tossed and turned that night in an uneasy repose. She dreamt that Li Mo and the Lin sisters had been trapped in a damp, dark prison. Li Mo was gravely injured, and no matter how she called out to him, he wouldn¡¯t wake up.


    ¡°Li Mo, Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured his name in her dreams.


    ¡°Hey, little rabbit, wake up!¡± Xiao Qing nudged Yun Ruoyan awake. She jolted up and nced around warily to find the sky dimly turning bright. Women all around her were getting out of their bedrolls. ¡°We¡¯re about to leave. Pack up; we have a long day of travelling ahead.¡±


    The carriage set off, and after an entire day¡¯s worth of rushing, the twenty-women, four-carriage team finally arrived at the Pi city during the evening.


    Yun Ruoyan drew the carriage¡¯s blinds and looked outside. Not a hundred feet from them were the tall gates and castle walls of the Pi city, spanning farther into the distance than her eyes could make out. Both the gates and walls were a deep, dark red, as if the building materials had been steeped in blood. In the evening light, they shone with an imposing, eerie light.


    The gates hadn¡¯t yet closed. There were still a few carriages and people entering and leaving the city, though far more were entering than the other way around.


    A Fei rode forward on a horse, had a short conversation with the guards, and hurried back. To Madam Hong, she reported, ¡°It¡¯ll cost a hundred spirit crystals to enter the city.¡±


    ¡°What? A hundred spirit crystals?! Wasn¡¯t it only fiftyst time?¡± Xiao Qing eximed. ¡°The Pi family already monopolizes the spirit crystal veins, so why won¡¯t they go easy on us?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan saw a woman¡¯s slender arm hand a dense cloth bag to A Fei, who rode back to the city gates and handed it to the guards. By the time the carriages sessfully made their way through the gate, it waste at night.


    Yun Ruoyan stared outside the carriage during the entire process, ncing at the architecture of the city and the travellers on the streets.


    ¡°Is this your first time in the Pi city?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sister Qing,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, not hiding her curiosity.


    ¡°The Pi city imposes a night curfew, so when it¡¯spletely dark, there won¡¯t be anyone outside,¡± Xiao Qing replied. ¡°On the other hand, it¡¯s very lively and crowded during the day. When you apany A Fei out to shop for food and misceneous items, you can visit the city¡¯s attractions as well.¡±


    Just then, the carriages turned past a corner and headed into an inn, one filled with all sorts of carriages.


    ¡°Alright, little rabbit, get ready to depart.¡±


    ¡°Sister Qing, how long will we be staying here?¡±


    ¡°Three or four days at the least. Maybe longer, if we can find business,¡± Xiao Qing replied.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan began to think about how she would sneak into the Pi household to find Li Mo and the Lin sisters in order to save them.


    Four streets away from the inn was arge, well-guardedpound¡ªthe Pi manor. Within the manor was a prison specially for keeping ves.


    ¡°Walk forward! Don¡¯t dawdle!¡± About a dozen cultivators were herded into the prison as though they were cattle. Zhuo Yifeng carried Li Mo on his back, while Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue held hands as they continued forward with trepidation. The other cultivators were all cultivators in beast pelts; one man was carrying Xue Ji, and two were holding the fatty up.


    There were already a few ves in the prison, and the already cramped surroundings grew even more crowded.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t try anything funny. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll provide all of you with tokens of your identity.¡± Saying that, the swordsmen responsible for guarding the prisoners turned to leave. The ves who were already imprisoned seemed particrly distant, not approaching, challenging, or even talking to them.


    The two groups of ves, old and new, split the prison down the middle, leaving a small gap of empty space between the two groups. After the entire day of battle, Zhuo Yifeng, the Lin sisters, and the other cultivators were all exceptionally weary. Zhuo Yifeng put Li Mo down. Lin Qingchen stepped forward, took his pulse, and fed him a spiritual pill.


    Lin Qingxue nced inquisitively at Li Mo¡¯s direction, but Lin Qingchen only shook her head. Li Mo¡¯s spiritual vortex had received a rather serious blow, and his spiritual energy reserves were all but exhausted. He was in a deepa¡ªnot life-threatening danger, but it wasn¡¯t clear when he would awaken.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Just then, a pained grunt broke the silence in the cell. ¡°Can¡¯t you be more gentle?¡±


    It was the fatty who spoke. The two men carrying him had unceremoniously dumped him on the ground, causing him to suck in a deep breath and to narrow his beady little eyes into slits.


    ¡°Pretending to be unconscious so we¡¯ll carry you? Scram!¡± one of the men carrying him hollered. There was a bite mark on his neck: he was one of the cultivators who had been bitten by Zong Yang while he was inflicted with the corpse poison.


    ¡°I just woke up,¡± the fatty imed, rubbing his buttocks. He turned to Xue Ji, who was still unconscious. ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve fed her some spiritual pills. Her body¡¯s injuries will naturally recover with time, but her face¡­¡± The moment the battle between the cultivators and seven delegations ensued, those cultivators draped in beast pelts had swarmed the Pi delegation as one in an attempt to protect Xue Ji.


    The other men were all infuriated upon hearing this, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    ¡°Let me have a look at her,¡± Lin Qingchen suddenly spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m a physician.¡±


    The hulks immediately made way for Lin Qingchen, who walked over and carefully inspected the wounds on her face. ¡°The injuries on her face are severe, but I coincidentally have some herbs that should be particrly effective at treating external injuries. It should at least improve her appearance, although I can¡¯t guarantee that it¡¯ll be fully restored.


    She then took Xue Ji¡¯s pulse and was amazed to find that her damaged spiritual vortex was rapidly recovering, and her spiritual energy reserves were likewise restoring themselves.


    ¡°Did you feed her some panacea? How is she recovering so quickly?¡± Lin Qingchen asked.


    The hulks were naturally grateful that she could help restore Xue Ji¡¯s appearance, but the sudden question caused them to hem and haw.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to hide? We¡¯re all ves now!¡± the fatty cried out, handing Lin Qingchen a stone that was snowy white all over. ¡°Here, girl, look at this.¡±


    Lin Qingchen took the stone and gasped. It was emanating spiritual energy, which was slowly seeping into her body.


    ¡°This is¡­?¡±


    ¡°A spirit crystal, able to help one cultivate and restore one¡¯s spiritual energy,¡± the fatty exined. ¡°One of my ancestors brought this back from the Mingyuan continent, but we only had two such crystals. One was with me, and the other with Xue Ji.¡±


    ¡°Something so miraculous¡­¡± Lin Qingchen murmured. ¡°There have been quite a few students from our academy who have entered the Mingyuan continent, but I¡¯ve never heard of the existence of such a stone.¡±


    Lin Qingchen handed the stone back to the fatty.


    ¡°No, take it.¡± The fatty refused the stone. ¡°You have an injured cultivator on your side too, don¡¯t you? Maybe this will help.¡±


    ¡°My gratitude.¡± Lin Qingchen applied a lightyer of ointment on Xue Ji¡¯s face, then brought the spirit crystal to Li Mo. ¡°Master Mo, please wake up quickly¡­¡±


    Lin Qingchen ced that spirit crystal within his robes. The moment it touched Li Mo¡¯s body, it began sending stream after stream of spiritual energy into Li Mo. Like rain falling on arid ground, the spiritual energy rushed into Li Mo¡¯s body, and he innately began to absorb and absorb as much of it as he could¡­


    The next day, Li Mo¡¯s spiritual vortex had mostly recovered; by that night, so had his spiritual energy reserves. Li Mo finally awoke to find himself alone in the prison cell, the other ves all having been taken away.


    He could feel the spirit crystal against his body, and he retrieved it where Lin Qingchen had put it against his robes. The snowy-white stone which had been glowing with spiritual energy had now turned a drab grayish-white, most of its energy having filled Li Mo instead.


    ¡°So this is a spirit crystal¡­¡± Li Mo held the small stone in front of his eyes, inspecting it carefully. He had heard both Empress Xue Tong and the first elder describe how miraculous it was, but not every shard of crystal contained such potent spiritual energy. Clearly, the shard in Li Mo¡¯s hands was of particrly high quality.


    Footsteps came from the distance. Li Mo hid the stone andy down, pretending to be unconscious. The footsteps stopped by the front of the jail cell.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he awake yet? He¡¯s not dead, is he?¡± the swordsman responsible for watching over the prisoners mumbled to himself. He opened the door to the cell and walked in toward Li Mo, who quickly thought of two options: first, to knock the man down and find Yun Ruoyan through the connection to his spiritual sword, and second, to stay and wait for an opportunity to strike. After all, he was now in the Pi household, and Qin Feng, the Lin sisters, and Zhuo Yifeng were all trapped here with him. If he left now, it would be far harder to return to save them.


    The guard kicked Li Mo¡¯s body, then felt his neck to ascertain that he still had a pulse. After doing so, he turned and walked out of the cell.


    After a short deliberation, Li Mo decided to stay. Although he wished Yun Ruoyan could be by his side, he believed that it would be safer to rescue everyone in one go.


    Only when he sensed that the guard had left did Li Mo slowly open his eyes.


    All the ves had been gathered by a training ground within the Pi manor. Standing over them all was a richly dressed youth, the second young master of the Pi family, Pi Yang.


    ¡°Young Master, all the ves are gathered here,¡± the middle-aged Pi housekeeper exined. ¡°Actually, for so minor a responsibility as dealing with the ves, there¡¯s no need for you to handle everything personally, Young Master. If you¡¯d rather hand the responsibility to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Father and Brother have gone to inspect the spiritual crystal veins and have tasked me with dealing with household matters, so I naturally have to try my best,¡± Pi Yang replied.


    ¡°Housekeeper Hu, you may begin.¡± I wonder whether Yun Ruoyan will appear to try and save that dark robe and her cousin?


    He nced at all the gathered ves, then noticed that Li Mo wasn¡¯t present.


    ¡°Housekeeper Hu,¡± he called out. ¡°Where¡¯s that dark robe?¡±

 Chapter 352: Recovered Cultivation

    <h4>Chapter 352: Recovered Cultivation</h4>


    ¡°Young Master,¡± the housekeeper replied, ¡°that man was gravely injured during the fight, and he hasn¡¯t yet awoken.¡±


    ¡°Oh? He¡¯s not going to die, is he?¡± Pi Yang straightened up and nced sharply at the housekeeper. He wanted to use Li Mo to lure Yun Ruoyan out. If Li Mo were to die, he would be useless! Furthermore, Pi Yang knew how strongly Yun Ruoyan felt about Li Mo. If he were to die, his rtionship with her would forever be marred.


    This wasn¡¯t an oue that Pi Yang would be happy with.


    ¡°No, no, he isn¡¯t dead! Don¡¯t worry, Young Master, he won¡¯t die so easily.¡±


    Pi Yang went back to leaning against his seat. ¡°If he still doesn¡¯t wake up, send for a physician on his behalf. Make sure you save his life, if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master. May I begin?¡±


    ¡°Begin.¡±


    The names and identities of each ve was recorded in a register, and each one was handed an identification token. ¡°This token is of utmost importance,¡± the housekeeper emphasized. ¡°This is a record of your identity as a ve of the Pi household.¡±


    He spoke as though it were an honor.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hand clenched around a ck wooden token, on which was engraved a groundhog with its four limbs crawling on the ground. On the Mingyuan continent, they were as weak and inept as groundhogs, and their tokens would forever remind them of their identity.


    ¡°Damn it, I¡ª¡± The man with a bite mark still on his neck raised a hand, about to fling his identification token on the ground, when the fatty pulled him back. ¡°ck, don¡¯t be rash!¡±


    ¡°Listen to Fatty, ck,¡± Xue Ji added from the side.


    Only then did the man called ck finally quash the rage simmering in his chest, barely restraining himself from tossing away his token. On the other hand, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s fist trembled with anger and rage. He squeezed the token so firmly that it looked as though he was trying to crush it with his bare hands.


    Su Bei¡¯s voice rang out in his mind, a memory of one of theirst conversations before he left. While you¡¯re weak, you have to learn restraint.


    Zhuo Yifeng slowly unclenched his fist. ¡°Restraint, restraint¡­¡±


    Yun Ruoyan spent the next two days with the troupe of courtesans. Madam Hong and A Fei spent almost the entire day outside, and Xiao Qing exined to Yun Ruoyan that they were trying to get business.


    ¡°What business?¡± Although Yun Ruoyan knew about the existence of such troupes, she wasn¡¯t sure exactly what they did. Xiao Qing grinned. The next day, she woke her up so early in the morning that the skies were still dark. Along with the other women, they all began practicing a certain talent: some yed music, woodwind and string, others sang, and even more danced.


    Xiao Qing was a dancer, so Yun Ruoyan naturally followed suit and learned to dance. Footwork had always been one of her strengths, and dancing came rtively easy to her. Xiao Qing marvelled at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s talent, iming that she would be able to perform on stage by their next show.


    Today, after finishing her practice, she was returning to her rooms when she noticed a white glow shining from underneath A Fei¡¯s room. She slowed down and walked over to the window, poking a hole through it and ncing in.


    A Fei was sitting cross-legged in bed and cultivating. Generally, cultivators tended to meditate in the morning, but A Fei¡¯s meditation technique was something that Yun Ruoyan had never seen before. A white, glowing stone was flying around her body, slowly looping around her as it spun and rotated.


    Yun Ruoyan could feel arge amount of spiritual energy emanate from the stone, which was immediately sucked into A Fei¡¯s body. After being absorbed through her skin, it gathered near her spiritual vortex. Spirit crystal, this is a spirit crystal!


    When she heard footsteps behind her, she immediately straightened up and walked away from A Fei¡¯s rooms.


    ¡°Little rabbit, what are you doing? It¡¯s time for breakfast!¡± Xiao Qing appeared by the corner of the corridor, calling out to Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ming!¡±


    After breakfast, Yun Ruoyan began to cultivate. She had been working hard ever since recovering from her injury, but the effects were marginal at best. Despite having entered the Mingyuan continent, she remained a sixth-rank cultivator.


    It¡¯d likely be a lot faster if Li Mo were here to cultivate with me¡­


    ¡°Mistress, Mistress, there¡¯s a reaction from Li Mo¡¯s spiritual sword!¡± Qiuqiu¡¯s voice chirped, almost as soon as she thought of Li Mo.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately closed her eyes and entered her bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension. Li Mo¡¯s sword, which had been glowing faintly only a few days ago, now blinded with its radiance.


    ¡°Thank goodness Li Mo¡¯s alright!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed.


    In the afternoon, A Fei came to talk to Yun Ruoyan, stating that a show had been arranged. As a result, she would need to buy a few ingredients and supplies, and wanted Yun Ruoyan to head out with her.


    Yun Ruoyan had been intending to get close to the Pi manor, and this would be a good chance to do so. The streets of the Pi city were as crowded as promised during the day. Crowds swarmed the market square, and Yun Ruoyan managed to ¡®identally¡¯ get shoved away from A Fei in the process. She squeezed through the crowd, asked for directions, and rushed toward the Pi manor.


    It took her only half an hour to walk to the front of the manor. It was guarded by four impressively advanced cultivators, and she would have almost no shot at entering on her own. She walked along the outer wall of the manor as she nudged Qiuqiu to try to send Li Mo a mental transmission.


    Qiuqiu managed totch onto Li Mo¡¯s signal rtively quickly, but because Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sixth-rank cultivation restricted Qiuqiu¡¯s abilities, it couldn¡¯tmunicate with Li Mo for very long. Li Mo only had time to send Qiuqiu one message before the signal cut off again.


    ¡°Well, Qiuqiu?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked anxiously.


    ¡°Mistress, I managed to speak with Li Mo, but the connection was cut off quickly. He told me he¡¯d send Mo¡¯er around and for us to wait patiently.¡±


    After about fifteen minutes, Mo¡¯er flew out of the Pi manor andnded on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulder. It opened his mouth, and a roll of parchmentnded on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palm. She opened it to find familiar handwriting, finally easing a burden in her heart.


    Li Mo wrote to Yun Ruoyan of his current situation in the Pi manor. He mentioned that the Lin sisters and Zhuo Yifeng were all with him and asked that Yun Ruoyan not worry and patiently wait for him to rescue them all. Once he managed to free Qin Feng and the others, he would meet up with her again.


    He also instructed Yun Ruoyan to temporarily take care of Mo¡¯er. After all, his opponents were at so advanced a level that Mo¡¯er wouldn¡¯t be able to aplish much for him.


    ¡°Well, you can follow me,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. ¡°I know exactly what to do with you.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan returned to the inn, Xiao Qing was anxiously calling out for people to search for her. The moment she saw Yun Ruoyan, she erupted in anger. ¡°Where were you? Your only responsibility was to stay with A Fei!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister Qing. There was such arge crowd that I was pushed away from Sister Fei in themotion.¡± Yun Ruoyan lowered her head and wrung her hands, as though she were sincerely apologizing for the incident.


    Xiao Qing¡¯s anger quickly dissipated. ¡°Are you hungry? How did you find your way back?¡±


    ¡°I asked bystanders for help,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied pitifully.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll leave it at that,¡± Madam Hong called out. She spoke to everyone from the second floor of thepound. ¡°Two days from now, we¡¯ll be performing at the Zhang manor, so n everything out with each other!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam Hong,¡± the women chorused.


    After lunch, Yun Ruoyan began choreographing a dance with Xiao Qing. They continued all through the afternoon and even during the evening, after taking a break for dinner. Only when they were both exhausted did they finally return to their quarters to rest.


    Despite Yun Ruoyan¡¯s weariness, she couldn¡¯t sleep. She sat by her bed as she waited for Mo¡¯er, who flew through a small crack she had left in the window mere momentster. In its beak was a small spirit crystal, glowing with energy.¡±


    ¡°Good job, Mo¡¯er!¡± Yun Ruoyan praised.


    Yun Ruoyan had tasked Mo¡¯er with sneaking into A Fei¡¯s rooms, knocking her unconscious with its caws, and then borrowing one of her spirit crystals¡ª¡®borrowing¡¯ because she intended on returning it after she was done.


    After checking that her door and window were tightly locked shut, and that there was no one around, she sat cross-legged in bed and began to cultivate. She had only managed to spy on A Fei for a moment, but wasn¡¯t familiar with her meditation technique. As a result, she could only experiment.


    Yun Ruoyan first ced the spirit crystal in front of her and tried to inject her own spiritual energy into it. However, that wasn¡¯t at all effective. Next, she sped the crystal between her palms and began circting spiritual energy through both palms and also the crystal between them. Two revolutionster, Yun Ruoyan felt a pure wave of spiritual energy emanating from the crystal. When she released her hand, that crystal began hovering and looping around her in the same manner as she had seen that morning.


    As it did so, it began to give off spiritual energy. So pure was this energy that Yun Ruoyan could directly absorb it into her body with only minor refinement, filling and nourishing her spiritual vortex once more.


    The small bottleneck that had gued Yun Ruoyan for days quickly gave way. Four hourster, when Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes, her spiritual vortex had been filled to the brim. She extended her hand. Scarlet Eye,e!


    A scarlet radiance appeared in her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m finally an eighth-rank demaster again!¡± Yun Ruoyan breathed out in relief. She could finally pull her own weight...

 Chapter 353: Killing the Two Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 353: Killing the Two Brothers</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan had Mo¡¯er return the spirit crystal, theny down and enjoyed her first pleasant night of sleep uponing to the Mingyuan continent.


    The next day, she woke up before dawn to practice dancing with Xiao Qing, then continued with the tasks that had quickly be routine. She spent the afternoon choreographing with Xiao Qing as well, then went to sleep exhausted.


    And the day after that, it was finally time for her first performance at the Zhang family. The troupe arrived by the back door of the Zhang manor in the morning. Regardless of which continent they were on, courtesans were considered lowly in status, and didn¡¯t have the right to enter through the front door.


    As the women entered through the back, they hurriedly began to put on makeup, dress in their costumes, and finish their preparations for the uing show. Yun Ruoyan emted Xiao Qing, who seemed like an ind of calm amidst the fuss.


    ¡°Is my lipstick applied well?¡± Xiao Qing asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°My rouge?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°My eyebrows?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    There weren¡¯t enough mirrors for all the women, so Yun Ruoyan served as Xiao Qing¡¯s mirror instead.


    ¡°Little rabbit, aren¡¯t you afraid or anxious?¡± Xiao Qing asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not scared of going on stage?¡± Xiao Qing was astonished by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s seeming indifference. ¡°It¡¯s your first show! You¡¯re not scared at all? You¡¯re not nervous?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know what to say. After all,pared to fighting with her life on the line, dancing in front of a crowd really wasn¡¯t anything much. Xiao Qing was only in her twenties, and her mental age was younger than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s. However, because she had treated Yun Ruoyan like her sister these few days, Yun Ruoyan was still very touched by her concern.


    ¡°Xiao Qing,¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly said.


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the matter, little rabbit?¡±


    ¡°My name is Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan,¡± Xiao Qing murmured, then smiled. ¡°What a good name. Alright, little rabbit, it¡¯s time for us to head on stage.¡±


    The next performers would be Yun Ruoyan and Xiao Qing. As they stepped on stage, Yun Ruoyan noticed a familiar face in the crowd: the housekeeper of the Pi family, who was currently seated with the head of the Zhang family. He was having an animated conversation and wasn¡¯t looking at the stage, but Yun Ruoyan made sure to avoid looking directly at the crowd.


    Xiao Qing thought that this was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stage fright finallying into effect. She is still small, after all¡­


    After the dance, which seemed to take an eternity, Yun Ruoyan left the stage, sessfully having evaded the housekeeper¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t scared, but look at how smudged your makeup is from sweat!¡± Xiao Qingughed, wiping at her face.


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan remember that she had a thickyer of makeup on, so the housekeeper probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to recognize her even if he saw her face.


    ¡°Ah, Sister Qing, my stomach hurts¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan clutched her stomach. ¡°I need to go to thetrine.¡±


    ¡°What? Go now!¡± Xiao Qing pushed her away, and Yun Ruoyan ran out from the backstage clutching her stomach.


    Once she was outside, Yun Ruoyan straightened up. A maid walked by, and Yun Ruoyan ran up to her. ¡°Miss, may I ask where thetrines are?¡±


    The maid pointed in a certain direction, but Yun Ruoyan pretended not to understand and insisted on the maid apanying her. As they reached a secluded corner, she lightly tapped the back of her neck, and her body crumpled.


    Yun Ruoyan put on the maid¡¯s attire and snuck into the audience, where she stood behind the housekeeper of the Pi family.


    ¡°Housekeeper Hu, the vein that I¡¯m in charge of is desperately in need of manpower. You have to hand me this batch of ves,¡± the head of the Zhang family insisted.


    Yun Ruoyan had overheard snatches of their conversation while dancing on stage.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy. There are quite a few promising ves in this batch, some of whom can be sent deep into the veins. Of course, the more talented the ves are, the harder they are to control, so I hope you¡¯ll be able to handle them.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, Housekeeper Hu! I have a whip and I¡¯m not afraid to use it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you a few ves tomorrow. They just came from one of the lower realms, and they¡¯re all tall and sturdy.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let me thank you in advance.¡± The head of the Zhang family smiled. ¡°Housekeeper Hu, what do you think of that singer? Shall I find you two simr courtesans to apany you tonight?¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯ll dly ept.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan slipped away. A batch of ves from the lower realms¡­ could it be Li Mo and the others? Looks like I¡¯ll have to head to the Pi manor tomorrow.


    Once she returned to the inn after the performance, she had Mo¡¯er send Li Mo a letter informing him of what she had overheard. However, Mo¡¯er wasn¡¯t able to find Li Mo, who was currently skulking through the Pi manor in order to try and find Qin Feng. Over thest few days, he had scoured the manor, but had found no trace of him.


    Using all sorts of tricks, he had managed to cajole, threaten, and hypnotize the various servants to tell him about the locations of all the prisons and dungeons in the manor, which he then looked through one by one. However, even after three whole days of searching, he hadn¡¯t found anything. There were only two more prisons that he knew of, and if Qin Feng hadn¡¯t been sent out of the manor, he would have to be in one of the two.


    Because Mo¡¯er didn¡¯t manage to find Li Mo, it wasn¡¯t able to deliver Yun Ruoyan¡¯s letter. More and more worried, Yun Ruoyan decided that she would head to the Pi manor tomorrow to have a look at what was going on.


    Li Mo and Lin Qingchen, on Pi Yang¡¯s special approval, were allowed to leave the prison and live in two small coal cers instead. Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue were still in the prison; in order to prevent Zhuo Yifeng from being recognized by Pi Yang, Lin Qingchen had given him a fake birthmark, much like Yun Ruoyan¡¯s original one, that covered up half his face.


    Pi Yang had nced at him a few times and hadn¡¯t recognized him. Otherwise, he would certainly have dragged Zhuo Yifeng out of the crowd and tortured him to death, given how Zhuo Yifeng had humiliated him by leading him along with a bowstring around his neck, as though he were some sort of farm animal.


    Before dawn the next day, a few swordsmen came into the prison, woke the gathered prisoners up, and rushed them outside their cell.


    ¡°Where are you bringing us?¡± ck asked.


    One of the swordsmen cracked his whip, and an ugly red welt appeared on ck¡¯s body. ¡°You¡¯ll go where we lead you!¡±


    Before the ves could react, they were herded out the back door of the Pi manor and into wagons framed by bars all around them. Zhuo Yifeng pulled Lin Qingxue into the same wagon that he was in. With another crack of the whip, the five wagons, each with about a dozen prisoners, began moving westward.


    Yun Ruoyan watched the proceedings carefully by a secluded corner of the streets near the back door of the Pi manor. Because she was afraid she would arrive toote, she had waited by the back door ever since midnight.


    In the second-tost wagon, she clearly saw Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s disguise was one that Yun Ruoyanmonly employed, and it naturally wasn¡¯t able to trick her. However, she didn¡¯t see Li Mo and Lin Qingchen, so she guessed that they still remained within the Pi manor.


    With Li Mo around, Yun Ruoyan wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Lin Qingchen, but she wasn¡¯t sure where Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue would be brought to. After thinking it through for a moment, she decided that she would have to save them first.


    She followed behind the wagons as they left the Pi city, preparing to find an opportunity to save the two prisoners during the journey.


    Neither Li Mo nor Lin Qingchen were aware of what had happened that morning. Li Mo had been trawling through the prisons all night long, and he only returned to the coal cer in the morning. The moment hey down, the door was kicked open, and two drunken hulks walked in: Pi Qiu and Pi Hou. Their leader and elder brother, Pi Yan, had been killed by Li Mo, so they had asked Pi Yang to be able to kill him in revenge.


    However, Pi Yang rejected their request instantly. Insultingly, he had even brought Li Mo out of the cell and sent for a physician on his behalf. This greatly stoked the two brothers¡¯ displeasure, so they were frequent visitors at Li Mo¡¯s cer. Although they didn¡¯t dare beat him to death, they were certainly able to inflict quite a bit of pain.


    In addition, because Li Mo was pretending that he hadn¡¯t recovered his cultivation, he couldn¡¯t retaliate against the blows, and neither could he protect himself with a spiritual membrane. After thest few days, his skin was mottled ck and blue all over.


    ¡°Oho? You¡¯re sleeping rather soundly, aren¡¯t you? Get the hell up!¡± Pi Huo upended the contents of his wine sk over Li Mo¡¯s sleeping form, then kicked him in the ribs.


    ¡°The scum who killed our brother¡¯s right in front of us, but we can¡¯t kill him,¡± Pi Qiu murmured, so drunk he was stumbling left and right.


    ¡°If we can¡¯t kill him, then we¡¯ll just beat him up until he begs for death!¡± Pi Huo shouted.


    The two men flung Li Mo onto the ground and began kicking him all over. Li Mo curled up into a ball, shielding the softer parts of his body. Hey still, his mouth mped shut.


    The two swordsmen felt as though they were beating a log and couldn¡¯t derive any sort of enjoyment from the beating. Once they got tired, they stopped.


    ¡°Not afraid of pain, are you? But I¡¯m sure there has to be something you care about in this world,¡± Pi Huo thundered.


    ¡°Oh, there is!¡± Pi Qiu replied.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A woman. Remember how this dumbass gave up his chance of escaping to save a woman? It has to be his lover or rtive, someone of great importance to him!¡±


    ¡°Right, right!¡± Pi Huo¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°She was standing there and coldly watching Brother¡¯s bout with this scum, wasn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Let me think¡­¡± Pi Qiu rapped his head. ¡°Ah, her name¡¯s Yun Ruoyan, isn¡¯t she? I even saw a portrait of her!¡±


    ¡°I remember it too,¡± Pi Huo added. ¡°Yun Ruoyan. Pretty, even by our standards. I wonder how shepares to the prostitutes of the Pi city?¡±


    Pi Huo¡¯s words caused Li Mo¡¯s eyes to glint murderously.


    ¡°Who cares? We¡¯ll catch her, bring her back, and kill her. Let this scum have a taste of having his loved ones die in front of him.¡±


    ¡°No, no, what a waste! We¡¯ll have a good time with her first¡ª¡± Pi Huo was interrupted halfway through his drunken tirade. Li Mo had stood up, one hand plunged into his back and sticking out of his chest, Pi Huo¡¯s bloody heart in his palm.


    Pi Qiu¡¯s eyes grew wide. By the time he reacted and opened his mouth, an icicle had speared his brain through his mouth...

 Chapter 354: The Chase

    <h4>Chapter 354: The Chase</h4>


    Despite following behind the prisoners¡¯ wagons for many days, Yun Ruoyan never found a chance to rescue Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingchen. The four swordsmen guarding the wagons were all ninth-rank demasters, and Yun Ruoyan was only at the level of an early eighth rank. Without any other choice, she could only doggedly pursue the wagons in hopes of an opportunity surfacing.


    As the wagons stopped for lunch, and one of the wagon drivers went to pee, Yun Ruoyan used one of her poisons to bewitch him. From him, Yun Ruoyan found out that they were heading to one of thergest spirit crystal mines owned by the Pi family, and they were only two days away from their destination.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help turning anxious: if the wagons sessfully made it to their destination, it was unlikely that she would have any further opportunity to save Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingchen.


    That night, Yun Ruoyan snuck a little closer to the wagons. In the past, for safety reasons, she had been following the wagons a fair distance back. Only asionally would she head closer to the wagons to check in on Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue.


    The wagons had stopped by a small road by a valley, and the wagon drivers and the swordsmen were gathered around a campfire as they ate meat and drank wine. Yun Ruoyan watched them, perched atop a small hill to the south, thinking that it would have been easy to deal with this situation if only her cultivation were more advanced than theirs.


    As she watched them eat and drink, she wondered if she would be able to find some opportunity to poison them. Over thest few nights, Yun Ruoyan had refined and concocted a wide variety of poisons, which were all currently stored in her silver bracelet. ording to Qiuqiu, poisoning those ninth-rank demasters to death wouldn¡¯t be difficult, as long as she could get them to ingest it.


    Yun Ruoyan had toyed with the idea of having Mo¡¯er do it, but the bird was so cowardly that it would always turn tail and run in a dangerous situation. Looks like I¡¯ll have to rely on myself, Yun Ruoyan sighed, casting her nce toward the swordsmen and wagon drivers again. Suddenly, a gaze met hers. Yun Ruoyan jumped up in fright, immediately retreating from her spot and flying away.


    The man who had shot her the gaze, a long-faced, somewhat creepy-looking man, immediately gave chase behind her. Ninth-rank demasters naturally flew far faster than eighth-rank ones, but the Scarlet Eye was so legendary a sword that it could make up for the difference. However, Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t able to shake the man off; she was barely able to maintain the distance between them.


    The swordsman followed Yun Ruoyan until midnight, when her reserves of spiritual energy began to g. Finally, her speed began to drop, and the swordsman behind her leered as he caught up.


    ¡°Miss, don¡¯t try to run,¡± he called out, his voice as creepy as his face. ¡°You¡¯ll never be able to escape my grasp, haha!¡±


    As the creepughed, Yun Ruoyan could feel the distance between them shrinking noticeably. As a red sword aura shed past her, Yun Ruoyan immediately slowed to a halt: the path in front of her had been blocked off by that long-faced swordsman.


    She descended to the ground, not seeing a path out of this situation. If she didn¡¯t fly, she would be able to conserve a little more of her spiritual energy.


    ¡°Well? I told you, didn¡¯t I? You won¡¯t be able to escape. Don¡¯t worry, I go easy on beautiful women like you.¡± Following Yun Ruoyan, the long-faced swordsman also descended. He stood not thirty feet from her, and was walking steadily closer.


    Yun Ruoyan stared at the man. This guard was particrly odious, because she had seen him shootscivious nces at Lin Qingxue more than once. When he got particrly handsy, Zhuo Yifeng had defended Lin Qingxue and received a beating for his troubles.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve already started keeping an eye on you a few days ago,¡± the swordsmen said. ¡°But you¡¯re quite alert, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve tried to get close to you a few times before, but you¡¯ve always escaped in time. This time, though¡­¡± The long-faced guard scanned Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body up and down. ¡°You female groundhogs are far cuter and more petite than women on the Mingyuan continent. I love women like you, so petite and small. You¡¯re far easier to digest when I eat you up.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yun Ruoyan chuckled coldly. ¡°Be careful that I don¡¯t break your teeth on the way down.¡±


    ¡°With a fiery temper, too! I¡¯ming for you, little darling!¡± The guard waved a hand at Yun Ruoyan, lobbing a dozen small fireballs in her direction. They spun rapidly in the air and were so hot that a warm gust of wind blew in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face far before the attacknded.


    Just like Yun Ruoyan, the long-faced guard was also a cultivator specialized in fire. Although he looked creepy, his attacks were surprisingly vicious, as though he had no intention of going easy on her.


    Yun Ruoyan was forced to retreat. With the Scarlet Eye in her hand, she barely blocked the fireballs that flew in her direction.


    ¡°Oh? Your reaction speed isn¡¯t too bad.¡± The guard darted forward. ¡°Then take this.¡±


    What next shot toward Yun Ruoyan were a dozenrger fireballs. Yun Ruoyan used her own fireball technique to counter the attack, but her fireballs were only at most half the size of the guard¡¯s. They were swallowed up almost instantaneously, even as Yun Ruoyan continued to back up to buy time for herself.


    She waved the Scarlet Eye in an arc around her, instantly forming a wall of fire. The Scarlet Eye was imbued with its own spiritual me, one that was far more potent than could be conjured up by standard techniques. As expected, the fireballs were consumed by the wall of fire created by the Scarlet Eye.


    ¡°What a powerful spiritual sword¡­¡± Greed was evident on the guard¡¯s features. Once he caught Yun Ruoyan and had his way with her, he would kill her and seize the Scarlet Eye for himself. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being vicious.¡±


    The guard curled his fingers, and a long spear appeared from thin air. He twirled the spear in an arc, igniting a me on its tip. Then, he struck at Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan tried to dodge with her Scarlet Eye, but the trajectory of the attack seemed like a fish darting through water, and her haphazard defenses clearly weren¡¯t up to par. Not only was this long-faced guard a ninth-rank demaster, he was also highly proficient with the spear.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s clothes caught on fire. As she retreated, she continued trying to use the Scarlet Eye to defend her vitals as she patted at the mes on her clothes to smother them.


    Although the long-faced guard was intending to kill Yun Ruoyan, he was greedy for her beauty, so he tried to avoid her face as much as possible. This was obvious to Yun Ruoyan from thescivious nces he was shooting her, so instead of dodging, she began tounch a counter-attack.


    As expected, the long-faced guard instantly drew back. Yun Ruoyan dodged his spear, found a gap in his defenses, and rapidly thrust the Scarlet Eye toward his chest.


    The long-faced guard leapt back even as he tried to use the butt of his spear to block Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wrist. She let go of the Scarlet Eye, then shot it forward with her other hand. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palm strike had been infused with much of her spiritual energy. The Scarlet Eye absorbed this energy and seemed to fly toward the long-faced guard like a shooting star.


    The guard¡¯s eyes opened wide as he tried to dodge toward the side, but not quickly enough for the Scarlet Eye to slice off his nose.


    ¡°Argh!¡± he yelled in pain, clutching his nose. When he removed his hand, half a charred nosey in his palm, and on his face was a cauterized stump. Without his nose, his already long face seemed at once sinister andical.


    ¡°You brat, you disfigured me! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± When the guard next turned to Yun Ruoyan, he was filled with bloodthirst.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s right hand was injured, and she couldn¡¯t wield her sword. The Scarlet Eye flew toward her left hand, and she held it horizontally in front of herself in a defensive stance.


    ¡°Die!¡± The long-faced guard thrust his spear straight at Yun Ruoyan. When she tried to defend with her de, he easily knocked it away. The spearhead struck Yun Ruoyan¡¯s chest¡ªand remained there.


    Luckily, the guard clearly didn¡¯t intend on killing Yun Ruoyan immediately, and he extinguished the fire on the spearhead in time. Yun Ruoyan was forced back by the attack, stumbling. Because the spearhead was still embedded in her chest, when the guard then twisted the spear so that it pointed straight up into the sky, she too became suspended in midair. Large quantities of blood streamed down the spear and dripped onto the guard¡¯s hand, causing him to be even more excited.


    The intense pain and loss of blood caused Yun Ruoyan to waver from consciousness. The guard mmed the spear against the ground, causing her to fall in an ungainly heap.


    The long-faced guard walked to her side and began kicking at her body. Yun Ruoyan curled up like a shrimp, the loss of blood turning her face a stark white but not seeming to affect any of her beauty. Her chest was dyed red with blood, and her appearance was almost beautiful in its tragedy.


    The long-faced guard seemed to turn more and more excited. He kicked at the wound on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s chest, sending spasms of pain throughout her body. Her brain turned white, her vision blurred; the wound on her chest, injured once and again, fountained with blood.


    ¡°Look at how much blood there is!¡± The long-faced guard¡¯s face was almost ecstatic in pleasure. ¡°I¡¯ll pierce your heart and watch you slowly bleed to death!¡± He held his spear right above her chest.


    ¡°Child, I¡¯m the only one who can save you now!¡± a voice suddenly rang out in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind, the demonic eye that Yun Ruoyan had been trying to suppress.


    ¡°The demonic dragon elder tasked me with remaining in your body and protecting your life, but as a shred of a soul, I can only do so thrice. You¡¯ve already expended my protection twice, and this will be your final lifeline. Child, recognize your mission and remember that you¡¯re a descendant of the demonic dragons!¡±


    ¡°Die!¡± the long-faced guard yelled, stabbing the spearhead directly toward her heart. Before it prated her flesh again, a blood-red aura pulsed from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body, blocking the blow...

 Chapter 355: The Final Protection

    <h4>Chapter 355: The Final Protection</h4>


    ¡°What?!¡± the long-faced guard shouted in shock. He found that the scarlet light emanating from Yun Ruoyan seemed to possess an unusual suction, one that prevented his spear from moving forward anding in contact with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body. When he tried to pull the spear away, it still remained immobile; even when he tried to let go of the spear and leave, he found that he couldn¡¯t remove his hands from the spear.


    He was trapped right against Yun Ruoyan¡¯s prone body, unable to take a single step.


    At the same time, Yun Ruoyan was experiencing a dramatic change in her body. A manual appeared in her mind¡¯s eye, the Dragon¡¯s Art technique that Li Mo had shown her. In her possession was another simr manual, but one without any words.


    That manual also appeared in her mind. It flipped open of its own ord, revealing a series of nk pages. Just as Yun Ruoyan looked at the book in confusion, the pages began to fill with words. Yun Ruoyan read them carefully to find that they were the contents of the Dragon¡¯s Art technique she had read, transcribed faithfully to thest stroke. The abstruse, almost iprehensible technique became crystal clear in a matter of moments.


    ¡°This is the highest-ranked technique of the demonic dragon n, and what you¡¯re seeing now is the portion of the manual that you¡¯ve read before, relevant for cultivating spiritual energy,¡± the demonic eye began. ¡°Initially, this technique would have been imparted to you only after you became a sword saint, but given your predicament, I¡¯ve left you a wisp of demonic dragon aura to help you understand it now.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt a warmth suffuse her entire body, and her numb body finally regained sensation.


    ¡°Child, live well,¡± the demonic eye murmured, then vanished for good.


    The long-faced guard was still desperately trying to pull out his spear. Suddenly, the scarlet light vanished just as he pulled, and he stumbled back from his own momentum.


    By the time he righted himself, Yun Ruoyan had already stood up. Her entire body was wrapped up in a faint red glow, and the demonic dragon aura was rapidly healing her injuries. Even the gruesome wound on her chest had scabbed over, and her mutted skin had been covered by small, smooth ck scales.


    Her face, forehead, wrists, and legs¡ªwhere she bled, these scales stemmed the bleeding.


    ¡°You¡­ what sort of wretched monster are you?!¡± the long-faced guard yelled out.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a monster.¡± Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes, which had likewise turned blood red. ¡°I¡¯m not a monster, but a human, a human who specializes in killing monsters like you!¡±


    ¡°Scarlet Eye! Return!¡± Yun Ruoyan extended her right hand. The Scarlet Eye, whichy on the ground in the distance, glowed with a scintiting light and flew back to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand like aet.


    ¡°No matter what sort of monster you are, I¡¯ll kill you today!¡± The long-faced guard thrust at Yun Ruoyan with his spear again.


    Yun Ruoyan flicked her wrist, conjuring a fiery-red whip from thin air. Like a snake, it wrapped around the guard¡¯s spear and turned it a bright red. The scorching heat forced the long-faced guard to drop the spear, at which time he immediately summoned his spiritual sword. A red light shed underneath his feet as he flew into the air, turning tail and running.


    Yun Ruoyan pointed a finger at the guard¡¯s back, and the whip in her handsunched the spear at the guard as though it were a javelin.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Yun Ruoyan watched the guard stumble, then fall. The spear had cleanly pierced his chest, and he had stopped breathing before he hit the ground.


    The red light slowly vanished from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body, and her pupils returned to their original color. She immediately sat down cross-legged and began to meditate ording to the manual in her mind¡¯s eye¡­


    After Li Mo killed Pi Qiu and Pi Huo, then tossed their corpses into a pond in the manor, he returned to the coal cer and went back to sleep. When the skies brightened, Lin Qingchen came to visit Li Mo and to help tend to his wounds. Over thest few days, Li Mo had been beaten daily, and the guards had gotten used to Lin Qingchen¡¯s walking to his shack with ointment and medicine. At the same time, she would also be able to pass vital information to him.


    ¡°Master Mo,¡± Lin Qingchen began, as she applied medicine on his face and arms. ¡°This morning, Qingxue and Zhuo Yifeng were taken away.¡±


    Li Mo frowned. ¡°Do you know where to?¡±


    ¡°ording to the servants of the manor, they were brought away to a spirit crystal vein, but I don¡¯t know which one.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Prepare to leave this manor; we¡¯ll be escaping within a few days.¡±


    That night, just like many previous nights, Li Mo darted out of the cer, dodged theyers of guards stationed around his cer and the manor atrge, and drifted toward the prisons that were his target for tonight¡¯s excursion. The first prison was empty, and, while the second prison contained someone, it wasn¡¯t Qin Feng.


    Could Qin Feng have been sent away from the Pi manor, perhaps also as aborer in a spirit crystal mine? Li Mo entertained this possibility and thought it more and more likely, so he decided to leave with Lin Qingchen on the spot. Because of his prior notice, Lin Qingchen wasn¡¯t surprised when he suddenly showed up at night, and they immediately made to leave.


    By this time, it was almost dawn. Li Mo and Lin Qingchen were walking toward the wall of the manor; although in principle Lin Qingchen could fly them both on her sword, the manor was filled with all sorts of talented cultivators, and they didn¡¯t dare take the risk.


    Just as they avoided a troop of patrolling guards and were about to approach the wall, the quiet manor began to bustle with activity. ¡°Lord Pi and Young Master Pi are returning, so make sure you¡¯re all alert and attentive!¡± the leader of the guards shouted. ¡°Even a mosquito won¡¯t be allowed to fly freely!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the guards chorused.


    Li Mo frowned. By then, the sky was already bright, and it would be extremely difficult for the two of them to escape under the watchful eye of so many guards.


    ¡°Master Mo, should we escape tonight instead?¡± Lin Qingchen suggested.


    Li Mo nodded. The moment he returned to the coal cer, a guard came by to escort him to a reception chamber, where three men were seated. On the right was Pi Yang, on the left was Pi Batian, and sitting in the middle, in the seat of honor, was undoubtedly the head of the Pi family, Lord Pi Yan.


    What surprised Li Mo was that Pi Yan and Pi Batian looked as though they had been carved from the same mold; the only difference between them was that Pi Batian was dressed in bright red, and Pi Yan in dark red.


    ¡°You¡¯re the groundhog who burrowed your way into my hunting grounds?¡± Pi Yan stared coolly at Li Mo, who hadpletely retracted his aura and hidden his cultivation on the way to the chamber. Pi Batian had spoken to him early that morning about Li Mo, iming that he was the most advanced of the groundhogs that he had ever seen.


    Even without ess to spirit crystals, he had already achieved the realm of a sword saint at such a young age. If spirit crystals were avable to him, his rate of advancement would undoubtedly advance precipitously. Li Mo possessed an incredible, frightening talent for cultivation¡ªso if the Pi family couldn¡¯t make him an asset, they would kill him before he could develop into an enemy.


    Li Mo didn¡¯t speak. He stared coldly at Pi Yan, unable to discern the true depths of his cultivation. Pi Batian¡¯s a second-rank sword saint, so this Pi Yan must be even farther along the path of cultivation than he is. At least a third-rank sword saint, maybe even higher¡­


    By this point, Lin Qingchen had also been brought into the great hall. She stood right by Li Mo¡¯s side.


    ¡°I heard you lost your cultivation?¡± Pi Yan stood up and walked to Li Mo¡¯s side.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± The moment he spoke, he punched at Li Mo¡¯s chest, causing him to stagger back and spit a mouthful of blood out of his chest. Before Li Mo could straighten up, Pi Yan strode forward with another fist, cocked at Li Mo¡¯s brain. A visible glow of spiritual energy surrounded the first; if itnded, Li Mo would likely die on the spot.


    However, Li Mo seemed to show no intention of fighting back, and Pi Yan¡¯s fist ultimately stopped mere centimeters from his head.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Pi Yan retracted his fist and turned to Lin Qingchen, then pointed at Li Mo. ¡°Who¡¯s he to you?¡±


    ¡°My instructor,¡± Lin Qingchen responded.


    Pi Yan caught her neck in a vice-like grip, slowly clenching his palm into a fist. Lin Qingchen¡¯s breathing grew strained and her face turned a shocking red, as though she would be choked to death on the spot.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± Li Mo bellowed.


    ¡°Save her, or she dies. After all, she¡¯s worthless to me,¡± Pi Yan replied coolly.


    Li Mo shot a row of icicles at Pi Yan.


    ¡°You really were faking it!¡± Pi Yang called out in shock, standing up.


    Li Mo knew that this was all a test, but he couldn¡¯t simply disregard Lin Qingchen. After all, she was one of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s most prized rtives.


    Pi Yan easily blocked the attack with a wave of his sleeve. Li Mo took the opportunity to dart to his side, conjured up a sword of ice, and thrust it toward his chest, one that Pi Yan somehow managed to catch, then break, with his bare hands. Before Li Mo could react, he had stabbed his shoulder with a broken-off fragment of the sword. Then, he mmed Li Mo in the chest, causing him to spit out another mouthful of blood. His legs turned unsteady, and he fell to the ground.


    All of this happened in the blink of an eye, and even Lin Qingchen, who was standing right by their side, couldn¡¯t clearly see what was going on.


    Pi Yan let go of Lin Qingchen and returned to his seat. Lin Qingchen slumped as she panted for breath.


    ¡°Not only is this groundhog sly and crafty, he seems rather firm and determined,¡± Pi Yan idlymented to his eldest son. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy to force him to submit to you.¡±


    ¡°Father, if it were easy, it wouldn¡¯t interest me.¡± Pi Batian nced at the heavily wounded Li Mo, a spark of interest shing in his eyes.


    <hr>


    1. Pi Yan is also the name of Pi Qiu and Pi Huo¡¯s brother, whom Li Mo killed. These names are homophones¡ªeasy enough to distinguish in Chinese but not, unfortunately, in the English trantion.

 Chapter 356: The Eldest Son of the Lin Family

    <h4>Chapter 356: The Eldest Son of the Lin Family</h4>


    ¡°In that case, his life is yours,¡± Pi Yan told Pi Batian.


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Pi Batian replied respectfully. Then, he motioned to his henchmen. ¡°Send him to the secret prison.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Pi Yang stood up, his arms crossed. ¡°I was the one who caught that dark robe! Why is he being given to Brother?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s too wild for you to tame,¡± Pi Yan replied. ¡°You can have the girl.¡±


    Two of Pi Batian¡¯s men escorted him to a secret prison, one whose location he hadn¡¯t discovered even after all his efforts.


    ¡°Li Mo, is that you?¡±


    He awoke to a familiar voice by his ear. When Li Mo opened his eyes, he saw that the man stooping by his side was none other than Qin Feng, whom he had been looking for for so long.


    ¡°Qin Feng,¡± Li Mo called out, then coughed twice.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve been hurt?¡± Qin Feng helped support Li Mo as he sat up and leaned by the wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a major injury,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°As expected, Pi Yan¡¯s cultivation is far more advanced than mine, and I wasn¡¯t even to give him a ncing blow. Luckily, he wasn¡¯t trying to kill me¡ª¡± Li Mo coughed again, and the iron tang of blood filled his mouth. Although Pi Yan wasn¡¯t trying to kill him, he had given Li Mo a serious injury. His spatial ring had been taken away, and without any spiritual pills, it would take him an extended period of time to recover from the injury.


    ¡°At least I¡¯ve found you. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to find an opportunity to escape,¡± Li Mo said. He nced all around him, inspecting his surroundings. As expected, this was a prison that Li Mo hadn¡¯t discovered during his time here.


    ¡°It¡¯s right underneath Pi Batian¡¯s rooms,¡± Qin Feng exined, ¡°but he rarelyes down here. In general, the only visitors we get are people bringing food over, and that only once every three or four days.¡±


    To Li Mo, who was able to nourish himself with spiritual energy, eating only once every three or four days wasn¡¯t a big deal. For Qin Feng, however, it meant that he would be hungry all the time, without even the energy to cultivate.


    Li Mo¡¯s gazended on the body of a man, so silent and so without presence that he seemed no more than a corpse.


    ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Qin Feng replied. ¡°I thought he was a corpse when I first saw him. He never moves unless there¡¯s food around, in which case he¡¯ll eat and then lie down again without saying a word. I expect he¡¯s also a prisoner like us.¡±


    Li Mo nodded and shifted his gaze away from the man.


    ¡°Li Mo, why are you alone?¡± Qin Feng asked. ¡°Where¡¯s Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng? Didn¡¯t theye with you?¡±


    ¡°They did. Thirty students came in all, but we were all separated,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°The two of us are the only ones in this manor, as well as a female student called Lin Qingchen.¡±


    Qin Feng sighed and was about to continue speaking when he heard a quiet mumbling from the distance. He nced at Li Mo; together, they turned to the source of the voice, the man who almost seemed to be dead.


    The mumbling grew louder and louder. Perhaps because the man hadn¡¯t spoken for so long, he sounded unusually hoarse, but Li Mo could still make out his words. ¡°Lin Qingchen, Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingchen, Yun Ruoyan¡­¡±


    Li Mo frowned. ¡°Do you know of Lin Qingchen and Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    It was quite a while before the voice responded. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡­ do¡­!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The seemingly dead man finally began to move. He arduously sat up against the wall. His face was covered by white, straggly hair, and it was impossible to make out his appearance.


    Qin Feng walked over and helped him up so he could face Li Mo, but even that seemed to take an inordinate amount of effort from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ the eldest son of the Lin family¡­ Lin Zainan¡¯s son¡­ Lin Tianming.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Lin Tianming?!¡± Li Mo eximed in shock. Li Mo had once sent people to investigate the Lin family, so he naturally knew about the unusual disappearance of Lin Zainan¡¯s two sons. However, he hadn¡¯t at all expected that they would suddenly reappear in this otherworld prison.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ me.¡± The man parted his hair and finally revealed his face. It was pale white and bloodless, but his features looked as though they were once handsome. He bore an uncanny resemnce to Lin Zainan. ¡°Lin Qingchen is¡­ my daughter,¡± Lin Tianming continued. ¡°Yun Ruoyan¡¯s my niece.¡±


    Lin Tianming leaned back against the wall, his face even paler than before. Long periods of imprisonment had turned this man into a shadow of his former self.


    ¡°Senior, you have a brother, don¡¯t you? Where is he?¡± Li Mo finally asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Lin Tianming¡¯s response validated Li Mo¡¯s guess. He pointed at the corner of the wall next to which he had been lying. ¡°He died right there, and his corpse remains buried there to this very day.¡±


    Lin Tianming closed his eyes, his breathing turning unusually weak, almost as though he had died.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone into a state of suspended animation,¡± Qin Feng eximed. ¡°This must be how he¡¯s survived the imprisonment for so long.¡±


    To force himself to survive under these circumstances required an unusually strong will: either he had a bone-deep desire for revenge, or he had an obligation to fulfill, one so important he had to dedicate his life to it. Was Lin Tianming the former, thetter, or both?


    Yun Ruoyan sat cross-legged and cultivated in the wilderness for an entire day and night. When she next opened her eyes, two sparks of light shed through her eyes. She closed them once more and felt at her spiritual vortex, which had grown half again in size, with shock and anticipation. In a single day, studying the demonic dragon¡¯s art had advanced her cultivation from early eighth rank to early ninth rank.


    Yun Ruoyan stood up and walked to the side of the long-faced guard, then began absorbing the spiritual energy that spilled out of his corpse. She took his fire-attuned sword, as well as his fire-attuned spear. Both of them were mid-grade spiritual weapons, unimpressivepared to the Scarlet Eye, but useful and powerful in their own right.


    Yun Ruoyan then retrieved the spatial ring that he possessed. There were quite a few spiritual pills inside, as well as a spirit crystal the size of an egg. However, this crystal was pale yellow in hue, and it contained far less spiritual energy than A Fei¡¯s pure white spirit crystal.


    As such, Yun Ruoyan judged that spirit crystals were likewise separated into grades, and A Fei¡¯s spirit crystal was certainly higher in quality.


    Yun Ruoyan also discovered a coin pouch in the ring, filled with all sorts of small, gray-white stones. Each of them shone weakly with spiritual energy; these were the lowest-grade spiritual crystals, often used as money.


    Yun Ruoyan burnt his corpse to cinders, then set off in the direction of the prisoners¡¯ wagons. She caught up to the procession about half a day before they arrived at their destination. Given the time constraints, she didn¡¯t have the luxury of waiting for an opportunity to strike; instead, she stood at the front of the path, blocking the wagons¡¯ way forward.


    ¡°Where did youe from, brat? You dare block the way of carriages from the Pi family?¡± one swordsman cried out threateningly as he walked out from the procession.


    Yun Ruoyan was wearing the long-faced guard¡¯s clothes; her own uniform was too bloodied to be presentable. His clothes were far toorge for her, causing Yun Ruoyan to look like a child inparison. It was little wonder that the guard would consider her a brat.


    Rather than responding, however, Yun Ruoyan flew over on her newly acquired spiritual sword as she attacked the man with the Scarlet Eye. The man¡¯s cultivation was about the same as her own, but Yun Ruoyan had the lead and the weapon advantage.


    The swordsman, unable to deal with the onught, finally made a critical mistake that allowed Yun Ruoyan to pierce his heart, killing him instantly. The remaining three swordsmen hadn¡¯t taken Yun Ruoyan seriously at first, but when one of theirrades died, they immediately surrounded her at once and attacked.


    With the Scarlet Eye, she believed that she stood a good chance even if she had to fight three demasters with the same cultivation at her at the same time.


    ¡°Are you going to attack me together or one by one?¡± Yun Ruoyan taunted.


    The three swordsmen nced at each other, somewhat confused. They could tell that Yun Ruoyan was, just like them, a ninth-rank demaster, so what was it that made her so confident? Because they had just seen arade die in front of their eyes, however, they didn¡¯t dare to belittle her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll charge together!¡± the three swordsmen bellowed at the same time. Yun Ruoyan blocked two of the attacks with her Scarlet Eye, but the third man¡¯s de left a shallow cut on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wrist. Rather surprisingly, the wound healed almost instantly.


    As I expected¡­ Yun Ruoyan thought. The demonic dragon aura that the demonic eye had left in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body would both allow her to advance in her study of the demonic dragon¡¯s art, empowering her attacks beyond those of a normal cultivator at her level, and provide rapid, near-instantaneous healing.


    Instead of prioritizing defense, she focused all her energy on attacking the three swordsmen. She allowed blows tond on her body; in turn, she attacked the men even more viciously. However, whereas Yun Ruoyan could heal rapidly, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the three men. After exchanging two blows with each man, the three men were all at least somewhat injured, whereas Yun Ruoyan quickly returned to perfect health. By the fourth blow, Yun Ruoyan had killed two of the swordsmen. Finally, during the fifth blow, the final swordsman died in despair.

 Chapter 357: Joining the Group

    <h4>Chapter 357: Joining the Group</h4>


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, is that you? You¡¯vee to save me!¡± The moment Yun Ruoyan unlocked the wagon containing Lin Qingxue, she leapt into her embrace. Yun Ruoyan patted her back, consoling her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Qingxue, we¡¯re safe. I¡¯ll take you away.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for saving our lives,¡± a female voice called out. Yun Ruoyan turned around to see Xue Ji, her face mostly restored.


    ¡°No problem. Where are all of you headed?¡±


    Xue Ji walked up to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°We have a big heist to pull off, and we¡¯d like your help. Would you be willing?¡±


    ¡°What sort of heist?¡±


    ¡°Stealing spirit crystals.¡± Xue Ji exined what she knew about spirit crystals, and how one of her ancestors had once brought back two high-grade spiritual crystals and given it to Xue Ji and the fatty. ¡°Cultivating with these spirit crystals will undoubtedly bring our cultivation to another level,¡± Xue Ji replied, and the fatty, ck, and the other cultivators in her group agreed. Lin Qingxue and Zhuo Yifeng were tempted to participate: although they hadn¡¯t ever cultivated using spirit crystals, hearing others talking about them had whetted their appetite.


    ¡°This is a rare opportunity,¡± Zhuo Yifeng began. ¡°Spirit crystals will definitely be important for our survival on the Mingyuan continent, and they¡¯ll be able to help us break through bottlenecks in our cultivation.¡±


    After thinking about it for a moment,pelled by the eagerness of the gazes staring at her, she finally nodded and agreed.


    ck, the fatty, and two other hulks dressed in beast pelts dressed in the dead swordsmen¡¯s clothing. Meanwhile, Yun Ruoyan entered the prisoners¡¯ wagon, and the procession continued toward its final destination. While in the wagon, Yun Ruoyan hurriedly wrote a letter to Li Mo, exining what had happened and what she was about to do. Then, she strapped it to Mo¡¯er¡¯s foot and had him fly back to Li Mo.


    Yun Ruoyan sat in the wagon as she watched Mo¡¯er¡¯s shadow vanish into the horizon. It was the first time she and Li Mo had been separated for so long ever since their marriage, and Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help thinking of him. I wonder if he¡¯s saved Master Qin yet? I hope he¡¯ll be able toe back to me soon...


    After Lin Tianming entered a state of suspended animation, he never woke up. Li Mo and Qin Feng didn¡¯t know how long they spent in the prison cell; the only urrence of note was that someone had brought them a single meal not too long ago.


    Li Mo handed his food to Qin Feng. Despite its being crude and coarse, Qin Feng seemed to treat it like a delicacy, savoring every bite. Neither of them touched Lin Tianming¡¯s food; Qin Feng told Li Mo that Lin Tianming would eat it once he woke.


    After another interminable period of time, Li Mo¡¯s superficial injuries healed, but not the damage to his heart. As Li Mo sat cross-legged and meditated quietly, footsteps could be heard approaching the cell.


    ¡°Oh? They¡¯re sending us food more often now,¡± Qin Feng replied happily.


    However, what awaited them wasn¡¯t food, but a swordsman. He opened the door to the cell and hollered to Li Mo, ¡°Come out!¡±


    Li Mo followed the swordsman to the scene of a banquet, one that the Pi household was hosting. The other six great families were all in attendance.


    ¡°This is an expert among my ves,¡± Pi Yan introduced, pointing to Li Mo as he spoke to the heads of the other families. ¡°Are all of you still interested in thepetition among our ves discussed earlier?¡±


    Apparently, the guests had been bored of more conventional entertainment like watching performers sing and dance, and one had proposed a fight between their ves.


    ¡°Of course!¡± the Wang family head eximed. ¡°They¡¯re just ves, so we can simply throw them away if they die. I¡¯ll send one up topete with him!¡±


    He made a hand signal, and a stout, sturdy middle-aged man walked out from behind him and stood by Li Mo¡¯s side. Just like Li Mo, he was hiding his cultivation, so neither man knew each other¡¯s strength.


    ¡°This fight is to the death. Begin!¡± Pi Yan announced.


    The short, stout man was clearly a seasoned ve in these matches, because the moment Pi Yan announced the start of the match, he darted straight toward Li Mo. A mud-yellow glow stained his hands, as he sent a rapid flurry of punches and kicks toward Li Mo.


    Li Mo easily dodged them all. ¡°You¡¯re no match for me. Admit defeat.¡±


    ¡°These fights are always to the death.¡± The man grit his teeth, then began attacking even more quickly without holding back at all. However, the difference between their cultivation was simply too immense. The moment he attacked, Li Mo could tell that he was only a peak eighth-rank demaster, and Li Mo could easily defeat him.


    Li Mo grabbed the man¡¯s fists, which were superficially fast but had no substantial strength behind them, and twisted them until his wrists broke.


    The stout man¡¯s face turned half-feral as he tried to bear with the pain, then switched to kicking Li Mo. Only when Li Mo smashed his kneecaps in did the other ve finally crumple to the ground.


    ¡°The Pi ve wins!¡± someone shouted, and two men stepped up to drag the stout man away.


    ¡°Useless piece of trash!¡± the head of the Wang family shouted. He drew a dagger and stabbed the man in the heart in front of everyone present. The defeated ve died instantly. ¡°Toss him in the forest and let the wild dogs feast on him.¡± The Wang family head dismissed the two men, waving his hand in annoyance.


    Li Mo frowned, and he stared coldly at the Wang family head. Noticing his impertinence, the Wang family head thundered, ¡°What are you looking at?! When you lose, this will be your oue too. Defeated ves are useless!¡±


    Li Mo easily won the next three bouts: his opponents were all from lower realms, and tended to either be eighth- or ninth-rank demasters at the most. Despite his injury, Li Mo was a second-rank sword saint, so how could hepare to any of them? Each of the defeated ves was killed in in sight.


    Thest bout was against a ve of the Feng family, and a handsome man in a silk robe walked up to Li Mo.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡± The man bowed slightly to Li Mo, who nodded back: the man had been one of the victims of Zong Yang¡¯s attack while he was suffering from the effects of the corpse poison.


    ¡°Fortunately, we¡¯re both alive, but you¡¯re no match for me either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem,¡± the man replied. ¡°My master is benevolent, and Feng Bo¡¯s my uncle. He¡¯ll take care of me, so feel free to attack.¡±


    Li Mo couldn¡¯t help turning to the head of the Feng family, an old man who nevertheless seemed to be hale and hearty. Feng Bo stood behind him, and Feng Mian by his side. Based on their ages, Feng Mian seemed to be the head¡¯s grandson.


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    Unlike the other ves, the man didn¡¯t rush at Li Mo. Instead, he stood where he was and began an incantation that sprouted vines from all around him. Half of the vines formed a woven shield in front of him, and the other half began attacking Li Mo like an octopus.


    Li Mo allowed the vines to entrap him and pull him toward the handsome man. As the vines wrapped around him, a near-invisibleyer of ice encased Li Mo¡¯s body. The vines began to wrap more and more tightly around him, growing ayer of spikes as they did so. If not for Li Mo¡¯s protectiveyer of ice, he might really have been pierced to death.


    However, the defense of a second-rank sword saint was extraordinary, and his offensive capabilities were far beyond what any ninth-rank demaster could aplish. With his bare hands, he tore one of the thickest vines away from him, then stepped out from the entrapment. Subsequently, he tore apart the shield of vines around the handsome man, as though he were saving him from an onught of vines. ¡°If your master won¡¯t kill you, why don¡¯t you surrender now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I couldn¡¯t. That would vite the spirit of these battles.¡±


    ¡°In that case, pardon my offense.¡± Li Mo dragged the man out from behind his shield and knocked him onto the ground. He raised a fist and was about to pummel him when the head of the Feng family interrupted the match.


    ¡°Hold it. My ve admits defeat.¡±


    The handsome man stepped behind the head of the Feng family, leaving Li Mo alone on stage.


    ¡°The Pi ve is the final victor!¡± someone announced.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Pi Yan praised, pleased that his ve had achieved total dominance in all five matches. As the victor, what prize do you desire?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like two people,¡± Li Mo volunteered.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The two ves kept in the prison with me.¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous! ves can¡¯t own ves,¡± the Wang family head retorted.


    ¡°I¡¯d like for them to be freed, along with me. Is that an eptable request?¡± Li Mo rified.


    ¡°Brother Pi, your ve¡¯s performance was indeed excellent,¡± the head of the Feng family murmured.


    Pi Yan nodded his head in approval.

 Chapter 358: The Feng Family’s Enticement

    <h4>Chapter 358: The Feng Family¡¯s Enticement</h4>


    Fatty, ck, and the two other hulks in beast pelts were dressed as swordsmen transporting the captured ves, while the wagon drivers were bewitched by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s poison. The wagons arrived at their destination only in the evening.


    The spirit crystal veins were enclosed in arge wall of stone, one that made the mines look like a steel bucket. Standing atop the stone walls were guards at whom ck waved. The gates to the front door slowly creaked open, and the five wagons carrying sixty or so prisoners trailed in.


    ¡°Ah, where are the usual guards?¡± The dark-skinned man who opened the gates was clearly quite familiar with the usual guards who transported ves over from the Pi manor. ck frowned and stared at the man, and the fatty quickly interrupted, ¡°They were assigned to a different set of tasks, so we¡¯ll be the ones responsible for transporting prisoners now.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± the man quickly replied. He had no ulterior motives for asking such a question; it was pure curiosity. On the Mingyuan continent, it wasn¡¯t unheard of for swordsmen to kill in a fit of anger, so the man didn¡¯t dare ask too many questions.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the supervisor?¡± ck asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s currently at the mine.¡± The guard directed them toward a series of stone houses, all secured with iron grilles, likely where the ves would be kept. The ves¡¯ wagons were brought to a series of empty rooms. The guard unlocked the grilles, and the ves were herded inside the rooms.


    Yun Ruoyan followed the other prisoners out of the wagons and noticed that the entire row of rooms seemed to be empty.


    ¡°Where are all the ves?¡± Fatty asked. ¡°Why are the rooms all empty?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all at the mine,¡± the guard replied. ¡°Yesterday, while prospecting, we discovered a tremendous outpouring of spiritual energy, and the supervisor suspected the presence of a sage-grade spirit crystal vein. Everyone was sent to that site for manpower.¡±


    ¡°A sage-grade spirit crystal!¡± Fatty and ck¡¯s eyes both lit up, and they nced surreptitiously at Yun Ruoyan and Xue Ji, who was standing alongside her. Yun Ruoyan noticed that Xue Ji¡¯s breathing seemed to have bebored.


    During the wagon ride, she had learned about the different grades of spirit crystals from Xue Ji. There existed low-, mid-, and high-grade crystals. Low-grade crystals were the weakest in terms of spiritual energy, and could be used as coins or currency. Mid-grade crystals contained a moderate amount of spiritual energy, and were decent for cultivation. High-grade crystals were filled with spiritual energy, and were most ideal for cultivation.


    A Fei¡¯s and Xue Ji¡¯s spirit crystals were both high-grade, as was the spirit crystal that Fatty gave Li Mo. In contrast, the spirit crystal that Yun Ruoyan had obtained from the long-faced guard was only mid-grade.


    Xue Ji told Yun Ruoyan that there also existed sage-grade spirit crystals, but they were immensely rare. Apparently, a piece of sage-grade spirit crystal the size of an egg would entirely obviate a cultivator¡¯s need for meditating and gathering spiritual energy from the heavens. Instead, it would be able to nourish one¡¯s spiritual vortex and replenish any spiritual energy that was consumed on its own.


    After Yun Ruoyan and the others entered the stone rooms, Fatty, ck, and the other two swordsmen left with the guard.


    At midnight, Fatty and ck entered the stone room that Yun Ruoyan was in and began discussing how to steal the spirit crystals and flee.


    ¡°We¡¯re damn lucky,¡± ck crowed. ¡°I thought we¡¯d only be able to get some high-grade spirit crystals at the most, but a sage-grade spiritual vein¡­!¡±


    ¡°Right, right?¡± Fatty seemed as excited as ck was. ¡°A piece of sage-grade spirit crystal would be enough to make me a sword saint!¡±


    Fatty¡¯s words and excitement were contagious, and everyone¡¯s eyes began to glow with greed. The main problem that they would have to resolve now was how to take over the vein without alerting anyone more powerful.


    ¡°The guards are all ninth-rank demasters and below,¡± Yun Ruoyan began, ¡°so my bewitching powder will work on them all.¡±


    Everyone had seen how efficacious her poison was when she used it against the wagon drivers, so they all nodded.


    ¡°As for dealing with the supervisor and those guards who are beyond ninth-rank, that¡¯ll be your job.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to ck and Fatty.


    ck and Fatty nced at each other, seemingly to goad each other into speaking. Eventually, Fatty replied, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m cowardly, but I don¡¯t think the two of us will be able to handle cultivators too much stronger than we are. ording to that guard from back there, the supervisor and his guards are at least mid-ninth-rank demasters, and we wouldn¡¯t be a match for them.¡±


    ¡°Use this.¡± Yun Ruoyan took out a ck porcin bottle from her robes. ¡°If we can¡¯t beat them in a straight fight, we¡¯ll just use poison. Put this in their food, and they¡¯ll be easy prey.¡±


    The poison in the ck porcin bottle was something that Qiuqiu had just taught Yun Ruoyan. Because of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s advancement, her poisons were far more toxic than ever.


    The supervisor and his guards only returned to the ves¡¯ residences the next day. If Yun Ruoyan were present, she would have recognized the supervisor as the head of the Zhang family, whom she had seen during the performance about a week ago.


    The Zhang family was actually a family of ves subordinate to the Pi family who had made a name for themselves managing the Pi spirit crystal veins. The Pi family had at least a dozen families like the Zhangs under their control. ck and Fatty took the initiative to get close to the head of the Zhang family, who was happy to make connections with some high-ranking swordsmen from the Pi family. That afternoon, the head of the Zhang family hosted a banquet to wee the swordsmen and thank them for bringing the ves over.


    ck, Fatty, and the two other pretend-swordsmen asked that the current guards of the mine also be invited over. Because the head of the Zhang family was so pleased at the recent discovery of the sage-grade spirit crystal vein, he eded to the request and made the banquet a rathervish affair for about twenty or so people.


    ¡°Allow me to offer you a toast.¡± Fatty drained a full bowl of wine, not even leaving a single drop behind.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± The head of the Zhang family patted Fatty¡¯s shoulder. While the crowd was distracted by his antics, ck took the opportunity to drop a few pills into the sks of wine nearby.


    Although Fatty looked rather dopey, he was surprisingly adept at social interaction. As he drank, he heaped praise upon praise on the head of the Zhang family, distracting him from noticing what ck and his two other teammates were doing.


    ¡°Have you reported the vein to Lord Pi yet?¡± Fatty asked.


    ¡°No, not yet.¡± The head of the Zhang family drank a bowl of wine that Fatty handed him. ¡°We have to verify and confirm its existence before doing so¡ªa sage-grade spiritual vein is so important that we wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the consequences of any sort of mistake.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± Fatty gave the man a thumbs-up.


    ¡°Heh, given what our master¡¯s like, you¡¯d better be astute if you don¡¯t want to die an early death¡ª¡± Before the head of the Zhang family could finish talking, he suddenly felt his throat constrict, as though something had blocked off the airflow through his nose and mouth at the same time. His face turned red, then white.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Fatty asked.


    The head of the Zhang family only had time to give Fatty a single nce before he slumped down against his seat, blood trickling down his nose. The other guards behaved simrly; some died instantly, and those that didn¡¯t were greatly weakened.


    ¡°Goodness, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s poison really did all this?¡± Fatty stood up and nced all around him. He, ck, and the two other pretend-swordsmen had all consumed an antidote ahead of time. All around them, cultivators more advanced than they werey unconscious, blood trickling out of their orifices.


    At the same time, Yun Ruoyan had finished bewitching a group of weaker guards in the vicinity. She directed them toward the stone houses, where she met up with Fatty, ck, and the others, then released Zhuo Yifeng, Lin Qingxue, and Xue Ji. Following the guards, they headed toward the mine and the sage-grade spirit crystal vein¡­


    Having won five consecutive bouts against the ves of the other great families, Li Mo requested that he, along with Qin Feng and Lin Tianming, be freed from the prison they were currently in. Pi Yan agreed, and they were moved to the coal cer where Li Mo had originally been kept.


    When Lin Qingchen saw Lin Tianming, she gaped, then stepped forward robotically as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she were seeing. After a heartfelt reunion, Lin Tianming fell back into a state of suspended animation, his body far too weak to sustain much physical exertion.


    Lin Qingchen wanted to treat him at once, but she didn¡¯t have her medical supplies with her. Her storage pouch and storage ring had been confiscated by the supervisor of the ves in the Pi household, and Whitey along with it. Thesest few days, Lin Qingchen had been working under him in a bid to find and reim what she had lost.


    That night, as Li Moy in his bed, he thought about how to bring Lin Qingchen, Qin Feng, and Lin Tianming all out of the Pi manor. Escaping with only Lin Qingchen wouldn¡¯t be a big issue, and adding Qin Feng to the mix wasn¡¯t too problematic. The cause of his struggle was Lin Tianming.


    While deep in thought, Li Mo suddenly sensed an aura approaching the coal cer, causing him to sit up straight and dart to the door.


    ¡°Brother Li, it¡¯s me,¡± the guest whispered the moment Li Mo¡¯s hand approached his neck.


    ¡°You?¡± Li Mo didn¡¯t retract his hand. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The guest was none other than the handsome, well-dressed ve from the Feng family whom he had fought.


    ¡°My master bade mee,¡± he replied. ¡°He and my uncle are both particrly appreciative of you, Brother Li, and they had me bring a few things over for you.¡± He handed Li Mo a ring that contained some precious, high-grade spiritual pills, as well as a piece of high-grade spirit crystal. ¡°My master could sense an injury to your heart, and these pills are meant to help you recover.¡±


    Only then did Li Mo remove his hand from the man¡¯s neck. ¡°If not for your uncle, I wouldn¡¯t be trapped here. What do they want from me?¡±


    ¡°My master hopes that you¡¯ll join the Feng family, Brother Li, then help us take down the Pis.¡±

 Chapter 359: The Lost Message

    <h4>Chapter 359: The Lost Message</h4>


    The richly dressed male was seeking out Li Mo as a representative of the Feng family.


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to work with you to defeat the Pi family, but not to join the Feng family to do so.¡±


    ¡°Brother Li,¡± the man continued. ¡°If you want to establish a foothold here on the Mingyuan continent, you¡¯ll need to belong to one of the seven families. The Pi and Feng families are the strongest among the seven; the Pi are ferocious and ruthless, the Feng benevolent and charitable. You¡¯ve caught the eye of the head of the Feng family, so if you join us, you¡¯ll be sure to rise up the ranks¡ª¡±


    ¡°I thank the Feng family for its generosity, but my mind is set. I have no intention of being a ve or servant,¡± Li Mo interrupted.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the man finally replied, regretfully. ¡°I¡¯ll let my master know of your intention.¡± He cupped his hands, then turned to leave.


    ¡°Hold it! Tell your young master to be careful of the girl by his side,¡± Li Mo called out. ¡°She¡¯s been possessed by a shade, and her body¡¯s filled with corpse poison. The man who bit you had been poisoned by the shade.¡±


    Last night, during the ve bouts, Li Mo noticed that one of the girls standing behind Feng Mian was Yi Qianying. That shade was clearly adept at manipting human emotions: in only a short period of time, it had made use of Yi Qianying¡¯s delicate, charming features to elevate herself from a lowly ve girl to one of Feng Mian¡¯s personal servants.


    Although she had lowered her head and hidden herself behind the crowd allst night, Li Mo had still caught sight of her.


    The man frowned and cupped his hands again. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Brother Li.¡±


    Proceeding from the ves¡¯ stone rooms to the mine was a four-hour-long trek. The vein was a mountain of pale white stone, on which not even a sprig of grass grew. Under the brilliant sunlight, the whiteness of the stone was blinding to the eye.


    By the foot of the mountain were hundreds of ves, all working ceaselessly to excavate the vein further. Behind them was a man shouting at them to work harder and whipping them when they tried to take a break.


    ¡°Work, all of you! Don¡¯t you dare ck off now! If you can¡¯t reach the heart of the vein today, none of you will sleep or eat!¡± He crossed his arms and punctuated his words with the crack of his whip.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan,¡± Lin Qingxue murmured. ¡°This is cruelty!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan patted her back.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the supervisor here?¡± Fatty called out, sitting down on arge boulder. Dressed in the attire of a Pi swordsman, Fatty perfectly mimicked their brutish appearance. The man immediately bowed and jogged over. ¡°Master Swordsman, I¡¯m one of the supervisors here. And you are¡ª¡±


    Before the supervisor could finish, Yun Ruoyan threw a pinch of bewitching powder in his face. ¡°Gather all the supervisors here,¡± shemanded.


    After about fifteen minutes, the dozen or so supervisors had all gathered. They were all ninth-rank demasters. While Yun Ruoyan could beat most of them in a straight fight, it would be difficult to deal with them together.


    ¡°Brothers!¡± Fatty called out. ¡°I¡¯m here on behalf of Lord Pi, who heard that a sage-grade spirit crystal vein had been found. I¡¯m here with a cask of good wine to reward everyone for your efforts; once the spirit crystals are mined, you¡¯ll surely be rewarded further.¡±


    ck poured out the wine into a dozenrge bowls and motioned for the supervisors to have their fill. The guards looked at each other, but no one stepped forward.


    ¡°My gratitude to Lord Pi!¡± The supervisor controlled by Yun Ruoyan stepped forward, took a bowl of wine, then downed it without hesitation. Only then did the other supervisors walk up and do the same.


    Yun Ruoyan counted to ten, at which point the guards slumped dead to the ground.


    They decided not to immediately free the ves, firstly because the Pi family was particrly brutal against ves who tried to escape, and secondly because they were frankly in no shape to run. Instead, Yun Ruoyan had all the ves sent back to the stone houses, where they could rest and have their wounds treated.


    In just two hours, the only ones left by the vein were Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingxue, Zhuo Yifeng, and the cultivators wearing beast pelts. They walked toward where the ves had been mining, the dense spiritual energy in the air a clear indicator that they were moments away from breaching the sage-grade spirit crystal vein.


    Mo¡¯er was just about to reach the Pi city when it suddenly noticed a sparklingke below it. It swooped down, intending to have a sip of the sparkling water, when a ck, dog-like creature suddenly leapt out of nowhere and pounced on Mo¡¯er.


    Caught by surprise, the cloud-swallowing glutton had Mo¡¯er¡¯s ws in its mouth by the time it finally reacted and took on its usual,rger form. Only then did it manage to save its ws, but it still received a rather serious bite in the process.


    Mo¡¯er¡¯s cultivation was the equivalent of a ninth-rank demaster¡¯s, whereas the cloud-swallowing glutton was at the level of a peak ninth-rank demaster. Judging that it wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the beast, Mo¡¯er tried to run off.


    The cloud-swallowing glutton leapt again in mid-air and caught Mo¡¯er¡¯s neck in its jaws. Mo¡¯er squirmed and tried to break free, at the cost of a chunk of meat being ripped away from its neck.


    Mo¡¯er turned back to the beast and cawed, causing the cloud-swallowing glutton to turn dizzy as it tumbled to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Mo¡¯er fled.


    The cloud-swallowing glutton took a few steps and shook its head to dispel the remnant effects of Mo¡¯er¡¯s caw. It wanted to continue giving chase, but Pi Batian stopped him. It could only howl at Mo¡¯er, barely a speck in the sky, before depositing a roll of paper by Pi Batian¡¯s side. One of Pi Batian¡¯s swordsmen picked it up and handed it to him.


    Pi Batian unrolled the parchment, then began to frown. ¡°Looks like these groundhogs don¡¯t want to live.¡±


    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Pi Yang asked.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, this is a note from that groundhog you keep bringing up, Yun Ruoyan.¡± Pi Batian tossed the piece of parchment to Pi Yang.


    Pi Yang nced at the note and confirmed his brother¡¯s hypothesis: who else would write to Li Mo and address herself as Yan¡¯er? ¡°This¡ªshe¡¯s out of her mind!¡± he shouted, once he had skimmed the contents of the message.


    ¡°She won¡¯t get away.¡± Pi Batian had his guards direct him to the spirit crystal vein that Yun Ruoyan referred to in her message, then galloped off with Pi Yang.


    Li Mo gave Lin Tianming the spiritual pills he had received from the Feng man, and the high-grade spirit crystal to Qin Feng. They slowly recovered: Lin Tianming no longer ended up in a state of suspended animation so frequently, and Qin Feng finally broke through to peak ninth-rank, able to stand a fighting chance against the Pi swordsmen on his own.


    Li Mo very much wanted to tell Yun Ruoyan about his sudden discovery of Lin Tianming. He¡¯d tried multiple times over thest few days to summon Mo¡¯er by whistling, but he never received a response. He then tried to contact Qiuqiu mentally, but again to no avail.


    Li Mo frowned, and he couldn¡¯t help turning anxious. That night, Li Mo again began to whistle. He was just about to give up when a small bird suddenly chirped back from high above. Its body waspletely soaked with blood, and it dropped into his hands weakly.


    ¡°Mo¡¯er,¡± Li Mo whispered. He saw that arge chunk of meat was missing from its neck, its arteries ruptured. Given how much blood it had lost, Li Mo doubted that it would survive the day. He then turned to Mo¡¯er¡¯s ws, which were likewise chewed to the bone. He guessed that Yun Ruoyan had sent him a message via Mo¡¯er, one that had been intercepted midway¡ªand the only creature he knew that could leave such severe wounds on Mo¡¯er¡¯s body was Pi Batian¡¯s cloud-swallowing glutton.


    Li Mo narrowed his eyes, more and more worried for Yun Ruoyan.


    That night, when the man in a brocade robe came searching for Li Mo once more, he decided to ept the offer to join the Feng family. However, he brought up a request of his own: that the Feng family would be responsible for finding and protecting Yun Ruoyan as well.


    Yun Ruoyan and the others had no clue that Pi Batian was honing in on their location. ording to n, they entered the mine shaft leading toward the sage-grade spiritual vein, one far deeper than they had originally expected, leading more than a thousand feet underground.


    The cultivators wearing beast pelts were allegedly well-versed in hunting and mining, and the ancestor who had brought a few spirit crystals back to them was himself a miner in the Pi crystal veins. Fatty, ck, and the others led the way, Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingxue, and Xue Ji walked in the middle, and Zhuo Yifeng guarded their back. Even before they reached the end of the shaft, they could see the milky-white glow of condensed spiritual energy.


    At the same time, the spiritual energy density in the air reached such extremes that they almost felt as though they were swimming in it.


    ¡°The vein¡¯s probably right ahead, everyone!¡± ck shouted. After turning a corner, a wall glowing with spiritual energy appeared in front of their eyes. ¡°It¡¯s right behind this wall!¡±


    Although they could already sense the spiritual energy emanating from the vein, it was still blocked off by a thickyer of low- and mid-grade spirit crystals¡ªthe wall ahead of them. It was pitted and pockmarked, clearly the efforts of the ves that had been working night and day for the excavation.


    The cultivators wearing beast pelts immediately grabbed pickaxes and began to work. In the darkness illuminated only by the glow of the spiritual energy, it was near-impossible to tell the time. Faced with the glowing allure of spiritual energy, the miners worked without rest, dumping out cart after cart of low-grade spirit crystals, then mid-grade, as the glow of spiritual energy got brighter and brighter.


    In the end, after thest cart of mid-grade spirit crystals had been emptied, a jade-white stone wall stood before the gathered cultivators...

 Chapter 360: Surrounded

    <h4>Chapter 360: Surrounded</h4>


    The wall shone with spiritual energy, so dense the light was almost blinding at first nce. After staring at it for a moment, however, the light seemed to resolve into a warm glow.


    ¡°Is this whole wall a sage-grade spirit crystal?¡± Lin Qingxue asked, her eyes round and wide.


    ¡°No,¡± Xue Ji replied. ¡°This outer rockyer is just a protective casing of sorts; the inner crystallineyer is the true form of the sage-grade spirit crystal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have at it!¡± ck raised the pickaxe in his hand and struck the wall. With a metallic nk, ck¡¯s pickaxe rebounded off the wall, and ck himself took a few steps back from the impact. ¡°Agh, it¡¯s harder than I anticipated.¡± ck shook his wrist: the rebound from the blow was so strong that it had jolted his wrist numb.


    ¡°Let me try.¡± Fatty frowned and struck the wall with his steel chisel, leaving not a single mark. ¡°What now? It¡¯s right in front of us, but we can¡¯t get to it!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng stepped forward and felt the wall with his palm. The chilling sensation of ice seeped into his skin, and he blinked. ¡°Ruoyan, try using your spiritual sword.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded and stepped forward with her sword. The moment the Scarlet Eye¡¯s radiant, fiery aura met the cold jade-like wall, it parted as though it were tofu. The crowd gaped in amazement as Yun Ruoyan cut away the outeryer of stone, leaving a small spirit crystal, the size of an egg, behind.


    Yun Ruoyan reached out for the crystal. It felt as though all the pores on her skin had opened wide, that she was sucking in spiritual energy at such a remarkable rate that her spiritual vortex would be refilled even without any conscious effort on her part.


    Just as Yun Ruoyan was enjoying the near-miraculous sensation, someone suddenly called out, ¡°Why¡¯s there smoke? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan broke out of her reverie. Arge quantity of smoke was headed their way from the mine shaft they had just passed through. As the smoke grew denser and denser, people began to cough.


    ¡°Not good¡ªI bet someone started a fire outside the mine shaft trying to smoke us all out!¡± Zhuo Yifeng eximed.


    The cultivators, unable to bear the smoke any longer, began running out of the mine shaft despite the possibility that they might be heading into an ambush.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng,¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, even as she ran. ¡°Later, no matter what happens, make sure you protect Qingxue well.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng looked back at Yun Ruoyan. Before he could reply, they heard a familiar male voiceing from the entrance to the shaft.


    ¡°All you groundhogs inside, prepare to die!¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan and the others rushed out of the shaft and kicked aside the burning kindling that had been ced outside the entrance to the shaft, they found a troop of ten riders staring viciously at them.


    ¡°You dare ughter my swordsmen and steal my family¡¯s spirit crystals? Prepare to die!¡± The man who spoke was dressed in a ming red robe, his smile malicious and full of killing intent. His aura was fully unleashed.


    There was only one situation in which cultivators would fully unleash their auras: when they were intent on fully decimating their foes!


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Fatty asked. ¡°His aura¡¯s surprisingly strong. He¡¯s a sword saint, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Pi Batian, the young master of the Pi family and a second-rank sword saint,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied.


    Everyone gasped. All of thembined would be no match for him.


    ¡°No, this can¡¯t be! I just filled up a whole bag of high-grade spirit crystals. I won¡¯t die before I use them all up!¡± Fatty cried.


    ¡°Now that it¡¯se to this, let¡¯s split up and try to protect ourselves,¡± Yun Ruoyan instructed. She turned to Lin Qingxue. ¡°Hide behind me when they approach.¡±


    Lin Qingxue nodded. She seemed particrly calm: although she was anxious, she wasn¡¯t debilitated by fear.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, if you surrender with your men, your life might yet be spared!¡± Pi Yang shouted.


    Pi Batian nced at Pi Yang. ¡°The crime for killing our swordsmen and trying to steal our spirit crystals is death.¡±


    ¡°Brother, you might not know this, but Yun Ruoyan¡¯s Li Mo¡¯s wife. Aren¡¯t you trying to get Li Mo to submit to you? With this woman in hand, you won¡¯t have to worry about his disobeying yourmand.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Pi Batian narrowed his eyes at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Men, leave only that girl in white alive. Kill all the other groundhogs!¡±


    The swordsmen rushed at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group with drawn weapons.


    ¡°Everyone, spread out!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, and the group instantly dispersed. Those cultivators who had had their weapons snatched away the moment they entered the otherworld fell to the swordsmen as easily as farmers reaping the harvest. A few minutes into the chase, over half the group had already perished.


    Those who were still able to fly immediately took to the skies, but some of the swordsmen followed them up.


    Fatty, on a pair of chopsticks, and ck, on arge cleaver, hovered in the path of a swordsman standing on a sword glowing with mud-yellow light.


    ¡°Xue Ji, leave first!¡± Fatty called out.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave together or die together!¡± Xue Ji called back. Instead of leaving, she formed a barrier with the two men. The swordsman they were facing was a peak ninth-rank demaster who had unleashed his aura in its entirety.


    ¡°I¡¯ll dly fulfill your wish!¡± He pulled out two hammers imbued with a mud-yellow aura and smashed them toward Fatty and ck. Both men tried to defend with the weapons in their hands, but those weapons were easily knocked aside.


    Xue Ji darted to the swordsman¡¯s back, conjured a sword of ice, and pierced the swordsman¡¯s back. ¡°You¡¯ll pay the price for underestimating us!¡± She then conjured an icy dagger and slit the man¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Xue Ji, we have to leave!¡± ck and Fatty grabbed Xue Ji and began to fly off. Not a hundred feet away, however, they heard what sounded like a crack of lightning and were forced to stop: Pi Batian was standing in front of them. He was dressed in red, with red sword aura glowing by his feet, and a scarlet whip dancing in his hands.


    He drew the whip, which crackled along its length and shone with a blood-red light. ¡°Die, groundhogs.¡± With a crack of his whip, faster than lightning, the three cultivators were encased in a red glow.


    Yun Ruoyan and the others nced warily at the scene. Xue Ji, Fatty, and ck could offer no shred of resistance: when the red glow vanished, their half-charred bodies fell from mid-air andnded right by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, Brother Zhuo, they¡¯re¡­¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s voice was quavering.


    ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied solemnly.¡±


    ¡°A frightening man with a frightening cultivation¡­ Zhuo Yifeng, I have the highest cultivation among us three. Let me stop him¡ªrun off with Qingxue!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue called out together.


    ¡°It¡¯s either that or having all three of us die!¡± Yun Ruoyan unsheathed her Scarlet Eye and flew toward Pi Batian.


    ¡°You foolish woman, are you courting death?!¡± Pi Yang shouted from below.


    ¡°I¡¯ll end this indiscriminate ughter of yours,¡± Yun Ruoyan challenged. However, Pi Batian didn¡¯t seem to register her words. His eyes were focused on the sword in her hands.


    ¡°What a beautiful sword,¡± Pi Batian murmured. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to kill you, but I do want the sword in your hands.¡± He cracked his whip. Yun Ruoyan swung her sword, but the difference in cultivation was apparent. The force of the whip, blunted though it might be by her swing, crashed against Yun Ruoyan. She plummeted to the ground and skidded before finally regaining her footing.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan!¡± Lin Qingxue shouted.


    When Yun Ruoyan turned to see Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue standing still, she shouted angrily, ¡°You fools, what are you doing?! Scram! Zhuo Yifeng, if Qingxue gets hurt, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡±


    Pi Batian cracked his whip at Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue.


    ¡°And you, don¡¯t you dare hurt my family!¡± Yun Ruoyan swung her Scarlet Eye and deflected much of the blow. Just as it seemed the residual force would strike Zhuo Yifeng, a shield suddenly appeared before him.


    Then, without further hesitation, Zhuo Yifeng dragged Lin Qingxue away on his sword.


    ¡°They really escaped¡­¡± Pi Yang opened his eyes wide as he stared at Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue¡¯s backs. As far as he could remember, he had never seen anyone escape from his brother¡¯s clutches. He prayed for Yun Ruoyan: she would have to bear the full brunt of his ire...

 Chapter 361: Pi Yan vs. Feng Bo

    <h4>Chapter 361: Pi Yan vs. Feng Bo</h4>


    Pi Batian turned toward Yun Ruoyan. He slowlynded on the ground, his eyes filled with killing intent.


    ¡°Scarlet Eye, return!¡± Yun Ruoyan extended a hand, and the sword flew back into it. By then, the cultivators in beast pelts had either run, been captured, or been ughtered, and the only one still standing was Yun Ruoyan.


    A swordsman suddenly ran up to report to Pi Batian, ¡°ording to one of the captured ves, they found a sage-grade spirit crystal within the vein, and it¡¯s in this woman¡¯s hands.¡±


    ¡°A sage-grade spirit crystal!¡± Pi Batian¡¯s gaze, already filled with killing intent, turned even darker. The swordsman¡¯s voice was so loud that everyone present had heard his words.


    Yun Ruoyan, Yun Ruoyan... no one can save you now! Pi Yang sighed.


    ¡°Hand over that spirit crystal.¡± Pi Batian¡¯s voice sounded calm, but it was brimming with killing intent.


    ¡°If I do, will you spare my life?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled.


    ¡°Of course not. The crimes you¡¯vemitted are enough for you to die ten times over. Killing you once is already a light punishment.¡±


    ¡°In that case, why should I do as you say?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just like your husband, aren¡¯t you? You don¡¯t know when to give up!¡± With another crack of his whip, a scarlet bolt of forked lightning darted toward Yun Ruoyan, so quickly that she couldn¡¯t even attempt to dodge it.


    Gritting her teeth, Yun Ruoyan held the Scarlet Eye in front of herself, ready to take the blow. The force of the lightning sent her flying into the white, rocky mountain that was the entrance to the mine. Arge piece of stone broke off, and dust smothered the air.


    Back in the Pi manor, Li Mo was sitting cross-legged in bed as the middle finger on his right hand trembled. Li Mo had once smeared a drop of blood over the qilin beads. Whenever Yun Ruoyan was in grave danger, the finger from which his blood came would tremble. Over short distances, Li Mo would be able to discern where the signal wasing from and travel there to help her, but she was currently too far away.


    Yan¡¯er, where in the world are you?


    When Yun Ruoyannded on the ground, her ankles trembled, and she was forced to her knees. She spat out a fresh mouthful of blood; before she could catch her breath, another crack of the whip resounded in the air. Though Yun Ruoyan defended with the Scarlet Eye, she was once again catapulted into the mountain. This time, when she fell, she didn¡¯t even have the energy to stand.


    Shey on the ground, her white attire drenched with fresh blood. Her spiritual vortex, recently healed, began to show signs of instability once more.


    ¡°To be able to withstand two of my blows at full strength as a ninth-rank demaster...¡± Pi Batian mumbled to himself. As a second-rank sword saint, he should have been able to kill her in one hit, but she hadn¡¯t died even after two! I bet it¡¯s that sword of hers.


    Despite knowing that she didn¡¯t have the strength to defend against yet another of Pi Batian¡¯s attacks, she forced herself to sit up, holding the Scarlet Eye as a crutch. She stared unflinchingly at Pi Batian.


    Pi Batian stared back at the petite yet obstinate woman. As their eyes met, he suddenly saw a red sh gleam in her eyes before she underwent a strange transformation. The wound on her forehead scabbed over with what seemed to be small scales.


    ¡°What sort of technique is this?¡± Pi Batian frowned and drew his whip once more. His philosophy was to simply annihte anything that he couldn¡¯t control.


    ¡°Brother, isn¡¯t it a pity for you to kill her just like this?¡± Pi Yang asked.


    ¡°Better a dead woman than an uncontroble one,¡± Pi Batian replied, then cracked his whip for the final time.


    Yun Ruoyan could clearly see the blowing toward her, and she was shocked to find that she didn¡¯t seem to be fearful at all. It felt as though her body was undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts, one that had numbed her sense of fear.


    The moment the whip was about to strike Yun Ruoyan, a ck shadow appeared out of nowhere and blocked the lethal blow for her.


    ¡°Well? Can you still stand?¡± Feng Bo, dressed entirely in ck, turned and asked Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan seemed to have gone into a daze, and she didn¡¯t respond to the question at all. Feng Bo frowned and had just lifted Yun Ruoyan up when he felt a blow to his back. With the swing of an arm, he neutralized the attack. A mud-yellow glow appeared underneath his feet as he soared to the skies, intending to leave.


    ¡°Who dares interfere in Pi family business?!¡± Another gold-colored sword aura shed by, and Feng Bo found Pi Yan blocking his path.


    ¡°Father!¡± Pi Yang and Pi Batian both cried out.


    Pi Batian had sent a message to Pi Yan before bringing his men to the spirit crystal vein. This was thergest of the Pi mines, and Pi Yan had evidently deemed it serious enough a matter to merit his own presence. Coincidentally, he arrived to find Feng Bo trying to leave with Yun Ruoyan in tow.


    ¡°Father, this woman has a sage-grade spirit crystal in her hands from the mine. We can¡¯t let her leave!¡± Pi Batian called out.


    Pi Yan frowned. He drew a gold broadsword as he stared warily at the man in ck, noting that his cultivation didn¡¯t seem inferior to his own.


    Feng Bo shifted his gaze. The only reason he had arrived to save Yun Ruoyan was because of Li Mo. However, he hadn¡¯t expected that Pi Yan himself would show up, and he¡¯d even entertained the idea of discarding Yun Ruoyan and fleeing. However, when Pi Batian mentioned that Yun Ruoyan had a sage-grade spirit crystal in her hands, he changed his mind. If the Pi family were to obtain this spirit crystal, their forces would surely receive a massive boost to their cultivation.


    Feng Bo streaked through the sky like a beam of yellow light, while Pi Yan followed in a golden glow. Zhuo Yifeng was rushing Lin Qingxue to safety when two sword auras whooshed by his head, then began to face off in an aerial battle. He could sense that their auras were far stronger than his own, so he shrewdly found a ce tond and hide both himself and Lin Qingxue.


    By then, the two sword auras had stopped moving. Zhuo Yifeng could see a woman in the hand of one of the cultivators. Before he could discern who she was, Lin Qingxue murmured, ¡°Brother Zhuo, that¡¯s Sister Ruoyan! The ck-robed man¡¯s taken Sister Ruoyan!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng immediately dropped to the ground, bringing Lin Qingxue with him. They were so close to these advanced cultivators that even the slightest movement could lead to discovery.


    However, both Feng Bo and Pi Yan were focused on Yun Ruoyan, or, more precisely, on the sage-grade spirit crystal in her possession. They were discussing how to deal with the matter: afraid that their blows might identally destroy Yun Ruoyan and the sage-grade spirit crystal in her hands, they agreed to leave her in a rtively safe location for the victor of the duel to im.


    Feng Bo dropped Yun Ruoyan off by a patch of grass, but she didn¡¯t seem to react. Instead, she continued to stare dazedly into the air.


    ¡°To think that there¡¯s someone else on this continent with as advanced a cultivation as I have...! It seems that my days of solitude at the peak are over.¡± Pi Yan morphed into a golden beam of light as he struck at Feng Bo, who did the same. Their cultivations were equally advanced, their techniques equally dazzling, and the sh of their attacks seemed to light up the entire night sky.


    Meanwhile, Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue rushed to where Yun Ruoyan had been dropped off. Zhuo Yifeng carried Yun Ruoyan on his back and began to run, while Lin Qingxue followed suit right beside her. It would have been faster to fly off on his sword, but the spiritual energy that would require would be like a beacon to the cultivators still fighting in the distance.


    Pi Yan and Feng Bo continued to fight. Pi Yan was a gold-attuned cultivator, famed for his tremendous offensive power, but Feng Bo was able to negate and deflect the brunt of his attacks. However, neither was able to defeat the other.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the woman?¡± In the heat of battle, Pi Yan suddenly discovered that Yun Ruoyan had gone missing.


    ¡°Who knows? Perhaps she woke up and fled on her own,¡± Feng Bo replied. As long as Yun Ruoyan escaped Pi Yan¡¯s grasp, his goal would be aplished.


    Pi Yan morphed into a beam of light and tried to fly off, but Feng Bo naturally blocked his path. Despite a few furious attempts, Pi Yan found himself unable to shake off his foe. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone steal what rightfully belongs to the Pis! You¡¯ve forced my hand,¡± Pi Yan shouted, then raised the golden broadsword in his hand and infused the entirety of his massive well of spiritual energy into it, until it shone brighter than the sun.


    A golden glow enveloped a patch ofnd about two or three miles wide. Even Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue, running harder than ever, were caught by the light. Then, a bolt of lightning struck Pi Yan¡¯s broadsword, and Pi Yan cleaved the air in Feng Bo¡¯s direction.


    Feng Bo transformed into a beam of light and fled. Pi Yan didn¡¯t give chase; instead, in the middle of the air, he began swinging his broadsword at different directions around the golden field. Whenever he did so, countless bolts of lightning would strike the ground.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s party of three ran for their lives, lightning sizzling all around them and cracking the ground. They were so consumed by terror that they ran down a precipitous slope without realizing it. Along with Yun Ruoyan, they stumbled and fell, rolling down the slope...

 Chapter 362: Friends, Not Enemies

    <h4>Chapter 362: Friends, Not Enemies</h4>


    As Zhuo Yifeng, Lin Qingxue, and Yun Ruoyan rolled down the steep hillside, lightning struck a boulder and caused a rockslide, one which enveloped their bodies and buried them in mud.


    Pi Yan and Feng Bo each scoured thend that had turned cracked and arid under the lightning storm for the entire night, but they never found Yun Ruoyan. Thinking that she had been blown apart by the lightning, they finally gave up and left.


    The moment they did so, it began to rain. The water washed away the mud and rocks, allowing Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and Lin Qingxue to surface once more. Zhuo Yifeng gasped for breath as he emerged from the mud, then began to check on Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue. Just like before, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes were still open, and she didn¡¯t react even when rain fell into her open eyes. On the other hand, Lin Qingxue¡¯s face was blue from asphyxiation, and it took a bout of spiritual energy from Zhuo Yifeng to revive her.


    Zhuo Yifeng stood up and was just about to pull Lin Qingxue up when a distant rumble made him jerk up in shock. Countless boulders were rolling down the steep slope. Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t have time to drag Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue away; instead, he shielded them both with his back...


    The next morning, four carriages passed by the ravagednd. The ground was charred and scorched, as though there had been a big fire¡ªbut there had been a downpour justst night! Where could such a fire havee from?


    ¡°Madam Hong, there must have been a duel between experts herest night,¡± A Fei said, her horse riding by the side of Madam Hong¡¯s carriage. Madam Hong drew the carriage¡¯s curtains and nced around her, motioning for the carriage to stop.


    Madam Hong stepped down from the carriage, picked up a sprinkling of earth, then let it fall from her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s an advanced variant of a lightning-summoning technique, only usable by fifth-rank sword saints.¡±


    ¡°Could it be the head of the Pi family, Pi Yan?¡± A Fei murmured.


    ¡°Except for him, I don¡¯t know of anyone else on the Mingyuan continent who could use such a technique,¡± Madam Hong replied, stepping back into her carriage.


    ¡°Wait, wait! There are people buried here!¡± Xiao Qing suddenly shouted.


    When Zhuo Yifeng awoke, he found himself lying in a strange room. His head had been bandaged by a roll of gauze: a boulder had struck his head and knocked him unconscious.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The moment Zhuo Yifeng tried to get off the bed, Xiao Qing walked in.


    ¡°Who are you? Where am I? What happened to my colleagues?¡± Zhuo Yifeng stared at Xiao Qing warily.


    Xiao Qing frowned. Despite her loquacious nature, her words were clipped and terse. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng left his room to find themselves in an inn. The woman he¡¯d just seen had likely saved him, Lin Qingchen, and Yun Ruoyan, but he couldn¡¯t help being wary of her.


    Xiao Qing brought Zhuo Yifeng into another room, where two unfamiliar women were seated. Two prone femalesy in bed: Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue.


    ¡°Ruoyan, Qingxue!¡± Zhuo Yifeng rushed forward to check on both of them. Just like him, Lin Qingxue had a bandaged head. There were traces of blood on the bandage, but her breathing was even. Though she hadn¡¯t yet woken up, she wasn¡¯t in life-threatening danger.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, head, and body were full of blood, but, surprisingly, there was no open wound on her body. More curiously, she was still staring straight up unblinkingly.


    ¡°Who are these females to you? Which one¡¯s Qingxue, and which one¡¯s Ruoyan?¡± Madam Hong asked.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Zhuo Yifeng countered, ncing at Madam Hong.


    ¡°We¡¯re your saviors,¡± Xiao Qing replied angrily. She turned to Madam Hong. ¡°Madam Hong, that little rabbit¡¯s Yun Ruoyan, so the girl beside her must be Qingxue.¡±


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± A Fei raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°The little rabbit told me her name before, but I didn¡¯t pay it much attention,¡± Xiao Qing replied, somewhat angrily. ¡°I thought she was just a regr child, but clearly...¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan had suddenly gone missing, Xiao Qing was the one who was most worried for her. She had scoured the Pi city for a few days before finally giving up and leaving with the rest of the troupe.


    It was from Xiao Qing that Zhuo Yifeng learned about Yun Ruoyan¡¯s short stay in the courtesan troupe. Only then did he finally rx, but he still didn¡¯t divulge their identities to the women. Who knew whether they would report them to the Pi family out of greed?


    Madam Hong and the others stopped asking him questions and instead waited for Yun Ruoyan to wake up.


    When they returned to the Pi city, Pi Batian told Pi Yan about the curious phenomenon he had observed on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body right before he was about to kill her. ¡°Father, what sort of technique could that be? Scales appeared on her wounds and instantly healed her!¡±


    Pi Yan frowned, deep in thought. After moments of silence, he suddenly stood up from his seat and rushed off into his chambers, leaving the bewildered Pi Batian behind. He entered his secret chamber and sat in front of an ancient mirror, the same one which had trapped the cultivators from the lower realms in a beam of light.


    Pi Yan waved his hand over the surface of the mirror, and it began to ripple. When the ripples cleared, a hooded, silver-robed shadow appeared in front of it.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Elder,¡± Pi Yan began respectfully. ¡°Last night, I encountered a girl who was able to recover from her wounds near-instantaneously. Scales appeared over her wounds, so I suspect she possesses the bloodline of the demonic dragons. When I captured Long Yin years ago, his wife managed to escape to safety. She was pregnant at the time, and I suspect that the girl is Long Yin¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± the elder of the silver dragon n asked.


    ¡°I killed her!¡± Pi Yan eximed. ¡°Last night, I summoned a field of lightning that annihted all that stood within.¡±


    ¡°If she truly is Long Yin¡¯s child, your lightning field wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill her,¡± the elder replied. ¡°Find her and bring her to me.¡±


    It was noon on the third day when Yun Ruoyan finally closed her eyes. She went straight into meditation, and, with the help of the sage-grade spirit crystal, broke through to the peak of ninth rank after two whole days and nights.


    Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue guarded her during the entire process, not letting any of the women step closer to her.


    ¡°Who on earth is this little rabbit?! Despite being so badly hurt, she was able to recover all on her own, then dive straight back into cultivation the moment she regained consciousness!¡± A Fei eximed, a look of disbelief on her face.


    ¡°A friend, not an enemy. That¡¯s sufficient,¡± Madam Hong replied.


    Yun Ruoyan finally opened her eyes, two streaks of red shing by her pupils.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, are you awake now?¡± Lin Qingxue looked at her in worry.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re finally conscious now! You scared me half to death!¡± Lin Qingxue was almost weeping in joy.


    Zhuo Yifeng hurried to her bedside. When he saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spirited eyes, his serious expression finally gave way to a smile. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head. As a peak ninth-rank demaster, she no longer had to consume food, and could take in spiritual energy as nourishment. From now on, she would no longer be beholden to her unusual hunger.


    ¡°Qingxue, please call Madam Hong, A Fei, and Xiao Qing over. Tell them I¡¯m awake and have something that I need to inform them.¡±


    The three women quickly gathered by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s room.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Madam Hong asked Yun Ruoyan politely.


    ¡°I¡¯ve recoveredpletely,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°My gratitude for saving me twice over, Madam Hong.¡± She turned to Xiao Qing. ¡°Sister Qing, I¡¯m sorry for leaving all of a sudden. I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you about my true identity, but I had to protect myself.¡±


    Xiao Qing sighed. The deception had left her furious, but that anger had slowly dissipated over the course of thest few days. ¡°I took you in and treated you like a true sister, so would you at least reveal your true identity to me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re actually¡ª¡± Yun Ruoyan replied without any hesitation, but Zhuo Yifeng broke her off.


    ¡°Ruoyan, no!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°These three women are my saviors and trusted sisters.¡± Then, she told the three women about how she, Lin Qingchen, and Zhuo Yifeng had arrived at the Mingyuan continent from a lower realm.


    ¡°You¡¯re all ves from the Pi family?¡± Xiao Qing asked in shock.


    ¡°That¡¯s what they want to think! It¡¯s not as if we sold ourselves off to them,¡± Lin Qingxue replied, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± A Fei pped the table. ¡°Why should you have to be their ves just because you can¡¯t beat them in a fight? That¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    It was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s turn to stare at A Fei in shock, because all the natives on the Mingyuan continent that they had encountered had thought themselves better than any of the cultivators from the lower realms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so shocked,¡± A Fei replied. ¡°The cruelty of the Pi family isn¡¯t restricted to you cultivators, but also to the minor families on the Mingyuan continent that refuse to ept their rule.¡± A Fei¡¯s expression was visibly indignant and hateful.


    ¡°Sister Fei, have you had a run-in with the Pi family as well?¡±


    ¡°A run-in?¡± Madam Hong interrupted. ¡°They¡¯ve killed all our kin!¡±

 Chapter 363: Black Spiritual Energy

    <h4>Chapter 363: ck Spiritual Energy</h4>


    Madam Hong¡¯s shocking words caused Yun Ruoyan and the others to turn toward her.


    ¡°I, A Fei, and Xiao Qing, along with the other courtesans of the troupe, were all women from respected families,¡± Madam Hong continued. Her gaze shifted slightly, but there was no other visible change on her face. This sort of control over her expression and emotion had only been achieved after long periods of training.


    ¡°But our families were destroyed to thest by the Pi family,¡± A Fei continued, trembling with rage. ¡°And from then on, we became homeless, powerless, and useless.¡±


    ording to Madam Hong and A Fei, the Pi family had followed an aggressive policy of suppression as they grew in power, and all the families which refused to submit to them suffered gravely and cruelly. Except for the children, none were spared. Boys were taken as ves, and girls as prostitutes. The women of the troupe were the young misses of the families that had refused to cede power and authority to the Pi family.


    ¡°We were sold off to different brothels to serve as prostitutes,¡± Xiao Qing added, her eyes lowered. ¡°It was only thanks to Madam Hong and A Fei that we¡¯re all gathered here today, freed from hell, with a ce to which we belong.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Madam Hong, whose emotions were perfectly hidden behind a mask. Her face was as calm as it had always been. Yun Ruoyan knew that ¡®Madam Hong¡¯ was just a name that the other women used to show respect to her; Madam Hong wasn¡¯t past her twenties, and she looked only a few years older than Xiao Qing. However, maturity seeped from her every pore, as though she had experienced trials and tribtions that had forced her to grow and adapt. Her natural appearance was demure and graceful, but it was made seductive by her red dress and rather borate makeup.


    ¡°I¡¯m Madam Hong¡¯s ve,¡± A Fei exined. ¡°We were both rather talented cultivators, so we managed to escape the fate of being sold as prostitutes.¡±


    After their escape, they retrieved a few possessions that had been hidden by Madam Hong¡¯s family and began wandering the Mingyuan continent. It was during this time that they saved Xiao Qing and the twenty or so other women in the troupe. In order to more easily free and disguise these prostitutes, Madam Hong started a courtesan troupe, one that had quicklye to life.


    ¡°The Pi family is truly evil,¡± Lin Qingxue muttered angrily. ¡°I thought they only treated us cultivators from lower realms poorly, but to think they would even prey on the original inhabitants of the Mingyuan continent!¡±


    ¡°They care only for power and profit,¡± A Fei replied. ¡°Anyone who dares run afoul of them in pursuit of these goals will face retribution.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the Pi family,¡± Xiao Qing snorted. ¡°The same can be said for all seven great families, but the Pis are the worst of the lot.¡±


    The troupe of courtesans had always harbored an intense grudge for the Pi family, but it was so strong, and the courtesans themselves so weak, that they could only bury their hatred and wait for an opportunity.


    ¡°Why not try to ally yourself with the other six great families? Surely at least one would be willing to go against the Pis?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    Madam Hong sighed. ¡°We considered that possibility, but the Pis control most of the spirit crystal veins on the continent. None of the other families are willing topletely sever rtions with them, and we don¡¯t dare to stake our lives on an uncertain oue. If we choose poorly, what¡¯s at stake isn¡¯t merely my life, but the extinction of thest descendants of over twenty families on the continent.¡±


    Madam Hong¡¯s words made Yun Ruoyan slump. It was already difficult enough to survive on the Mingyuan continent given theck of centralized power. If there were also a powerful enemy seeking to thwart your every move...


    ¡°Our hatred for the Pi family has never diminished. It¡¯ll only grow stronger and stronger with time,¡± Madam Hong continued. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to worry. We won¡¯t betray you to the Pi family.¡±


    Even Zhuo Yifeng had let down his guard, and the three of them began to stay with the troupe of courtesans. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wounds, both internal and external, had almostpletely healed, and her cultivation had advanced to peak ninth-rank. However, she also discovered a few peculiarities in her body that even she found inexplicable.


    The spiritual energy in her spiritual vortex had always been a pure white; when she converted it to fire-attuned spiritual energy, it was a deep red. Now, however, part of her spiritual energy had turned ck, a change that left Yun Ruoyan quite difited.


    In addition, she had discovered that she possessed self-healing capabilities, but when she deliberately cut herself with a dagger, the scales that she had seen before didn¡¯t appear.


    These changes left Yun Ruoyan quite ill at ease, and she sought answers from Qiuqiu. However, Qiuqiu only knew that they were rted to the demonic dragon bloodline that flowed within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body, and it couldn¡¯t exin the specifics. However, it was certain that the changes were closely tied to the dragon¡¯s art technique that Yun Ruoyan was cultivating.


    The demonic eye had left Yun Ruoyan with a small quantity of demonic dragon aura, which had allowed her to begin cultivating the dragon¡¯s art. It was this cultivation that had sparked the changes in her body.


    In the end, Yun Ruoyan and Qiuqiu concluded that they would have to find Li Mo as quickly as possible, so as to find the reason for the change from the manual that was still in Li Mo¡¯s hands.


    The troupe was temporarily staying in a small town between the Pi and Feng cities. The town was governed by the Pis, and the troupe¡¯s next location was the Feng city. However, Yun Ruoyan had to head to the Pi city in search of Li Mo, so she bade Madam Hong farewell and prepared to leave in two days¡¯ time.


    The next day, however, as she went out shopping with A Fei, she saw a few swordsmen putting up a wanted poster for an escaped ve: Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan and A Fei immediately returned to the inn, where they had another discussion with Madam Hong. It would be too dangerous for Yun Ruoyan to travel to the Pi city at the moment, so her n to return there would have to be dyed.


    It had been a few days since Li Mo had locked himself within his coal cer. Three nights ago, the richly dressed man had brought him a horrifying piece of news: that Yun Ruoyan had been wholly annihted by Pi Yan¡¯s lightning storm, that nothing remained of her body.


    Li Mo had spat out a mouthful of blood, but he quickly noticed an inconsistency: Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t be dead, because he could still sense his spiritual sword, weak though the connection was. His spiritual sword was with Yun Ruoyan, who had likely kept it in her silver bracelet. If Yun Ruoyan were to die, her silver bracelet would be ownerless and seal itself. In that case, Li Mo wouldn¡¯t be able to feel the presence of his spiritual sword at all until someone else managed to unlock the bracelet.


    Because Li Mo had been able to sense his spiritual sword this entire time, he judged that Yun Ruoyan was still alive, but simply too far away for him to gather more information about her. He had locked himself in the coal cer, concentrating his mental energy to the fullest, and then using it to try to sense the location of his spiritual sword, and hence Yun Ruoyan.


    It was only when Yun Ruoyan¡¯s portrait had been stered all over the Pi city that Feng Bo and the richly dressed man discovered that Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t died. That night, the man once again snuck into the Pi manor to inform Li Mo of the news, only to be told by Lin Qingchen that Li Mo was in secluded cultivation.


    The man couldn¡¯t help thinking back to the shocking sight of Li Mo spitting out a mouthful of blood from nowhere, and he had had to rethink Yun Ruoyan¡¯s importance to him. When he returned to the Feng manor, he had requested that the head of the Feng family help Li Mo search for Yun Ruoyan, a request that the head epted.


    After a few draining days, Li Mo finally narrowed down his spiritual sword¡¯s location. When he awoke, he left the Pi manor in the direction of his sword. At midnight, he appeared by the small town in which Yun Ruoyan and the others were currently staying.


    Yun Ruoyan was cultivating in her room. With the sage-grade spirit crystal buoying her reserves, she didn¡¯t have to spend time refining spiritual energy from the air into a form that she could use, but part of her spiritual energy would keep turning ck. In thest few days, Yun Ruoyan had been trying to experiment with this spiritual energy to determine how it was different from its white cousin.


    She was concentrating on the behavior of her spiritual vortex when Qiuqiu suddenly chirped, ¡°Mistress, Mistress, I can sense Li Mo¡¯s aura!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan immediately opened her eyes. She too could sense his aura, at a location not too far from hers. She got off the bed and opened the door. A red sword aura appeared underneath her feet, and she soared to the skies.


    When a familiar aura drew near, Li Mo instantly perked up and looked all around him, at a scarlet beam of light that was swiftly approaching.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo shouted hoarsely.


    Yun Ruoyan could sense his spiritual sword, still in her silver bracelet, trembling with excitement at being reunited with its owner once more. She retrieved it, and it immediately morphed into a green beam of light that flew toward Li Mo.


    When Li Mo touched the sword, he triggered a resonance that took the form of a dragon¡¯s howl. ¡°Thank you for helping me find Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo whispered, stroking his sword, then sheathed it.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Tears were beading in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes from their long, harrowing separation. Li Mo rushed toward her as she flew toward him; before her tears could fall, Li Mo had already embraced her in a warm, expansive hug.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Yan¡¯er, Yan¡¯er...¡± Li Mo¡¯s hoarse voice repeatedly called out Yun Ruoyan¡¯s name, as though he were afraid that she was just an illusion.


    Yun Ruoyan raised her head and looked into Li Mo¡¯s eyes, so filled with longing and affection that Yun Ruoyan was drawn into its depths. She couldn¡¯t help reaching out to stroke Li Mo¡¯s hair, and face. His skin, paler than usual, entuated his thin red lips.


    ¡°Li Mo, I missed you so!¡± Yun Ruoyan stood on tiptoes, then pressed her lips to his.

 Chapter 364: Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 364: Reunion</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s kiss was a spark that ignited Li Mo¡¯s longing and passion for her. He reached out, grabbed her waist, and pulled her body against his own. Her desire for Li Mo was as strong as his for her. Under theirbined will, the dual cultivation technique manifested in earnest. White spiritual energy emanated from Li Mo¡¯s spiritual vortex and enveloped them both.


    ¡°Li Mo... we can¡¯t... not here.¡± Li Mo¡¯s kisses were electrifying, and she was reluctant to detach from his body. Nevertheless, she still maintained some shred of rationality.


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with this ce. Yan¡¯er, where¡¯s a secure location?¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice was husky and hoarse.


    Returning to the inn now would surely create amotion, so Yun Ruoyan suggested, ¡°There¡¯s a forest by the west¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, Li Mo had brought them both up into the air as they flew toward the west. This was the forest where Li Mo¡¯s spiritual sword had first brought her when she escaped from the barrier that trapped all the cultivators from the lower realms.


    In the quiet, secluded forest, amidst hoots and howls, on a rtively t stretch ofnd, two bodiesy intertwined. They were shrouded by a spiritual energy; just like a cocoon, it enveloped and protected them both.


    After their climax, Yun Ruoyan once again felt the familiar embrace of a warm ocean, one that she had only experienced using the dual cultivation technique. After an interminable amount of time, the ocean water suddenly began to heat up, turning hotter and hotter.


    ¡°It hurts, it hurts!¡± Yun Ruoyan moaned.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Li Mo had also noticed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s abnormal behavior. Her once-serene expression had turned into a frown, and her body was scalding hot. A thin sheen of sweat covered her body, as though she were being roasted over a spit.


    Just then, a strange phenomenon urred. Li Mo saw a ck fog seep out from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body, slowly swallowing up the white fog emanating from Li Mo¡¯s body. The couple was quickly enveloped by this ck fog.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo repeatedly called out Yun Ruoyan¡¯s name. When she finally opened her eyes, her pupils were blood-red...


    When Yun Ruoyan woke up, the sun had just popped up over the horizon. Her senses were immediately assaulted with the concentrated aroma of meat. She sat up to find Li Mo by the fire pit. A pheasant was skewered over the fire, one that Li Mo was intently roasting.


    ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± Li Mo smiled at her.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, then walked to his side. He tore off a drumstick and handed it to her, and Yun Ruoyan slowly began to eat. It tasted amazing, but without her usual hunger, she no longer felt the impulse to gorge herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± After finishing the drumstick, she declined the next piece of meat that Li Mo handed her.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo put the meat back on the skewer and turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Do you remember what happened during our dual cultivationst night?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked back at him. She nodded, then shook her head. ¡°I can sense that something went amiss, but I don¡¯t know what exactly happened.¡±


    Li Mo described what had happenedst night to her. ¡°After I stopped the technique, the ck fog retreated back into your body. I investigated your spiritual vortex and found that you have a surprising fraction of an unusual ck spiritual energy. Do you know what it is?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s tone and expression dripped with concern.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you about this as well,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. She then described her experiences after leaving the Pi city to follow the ves¡¯ wagons that were headed to the Pi spirit crystal mines. She had fought and almost lost to the long-faced guard. At a critical juncture, the demonic eye blocked an attack for her, vanished, and left her with a little demonic dragon aura. Using that aura, she had begun cultivating the dragon¡¯s art, the source of the mysterious ck spiritual energy.


    ¡°After my battle with that guard, I became a ninth-rank demaster,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued. ¡°Then, I headed to the Pi spirit crystal mine and fought Pi Batian there.¡±


    Li Mo frowned, and his expression turned rmed. ¡°But you¡¯re no match for him!¡±


    He was very upset by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dangerous escapade. A ninth-rank demaster against a second-rank sword saint was no different from a child trying to fight against an adult, and Yun Ruoyan wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand even a single blow from him!


    ¡°I naturally wasn¡¯t his match,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°I thought I was going to die, but after receiving two blows from Pi Batian, I suddenly felt the dragon¡¯s art activate itself. Without my conscious input, it began to heal my body, internal and external injuries alike, as though my body and consciousness had been cleanly separated.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was frowning, and her gaze somewhat distant. During this process, she couldn¡¯t feel any pain or fear, as though she had been isted from the mortal world. ¡°While my body was recovering, a ck-d man stopped Pi Batian¡¯s finishing blow. Then, Pi Yan appeared, the ck-d man began to fight with him, and Zhuo Yifeng escaped with me and Qingxue. A lightning storm suddenly appeared, and we were buried by a rockslide. Finally, we were found by a troupe of courtesans who were passing by.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan lowered her head. ¡°I could see and hear what was going on, but it felt more like a y than reality. When my body had fully healed, my consciousness was transported into a dream.¡±


    ¡°What sort of dream?¡± Li Mo took Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palm as he looked into her eyes. ¡°Yan¡¯er, no matter what¡¯s going on, I hope you can count on me to share your burdens.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled, paused, then finally spoke. ¡°I saw an apocalyptic war between the demonic dragons and the silver dragons.


    The demonic dragon n and the silver dragon n were forces on the high-grade Jiyuan continent that bnced and countered one another. Both forces wanted to reign supreme over the Jiyuan continent, and that conflict had ultimately evolved into a full-scale war.


    The demonic dragon n turned out to be no match for the silver dragons. Through defeat after defeat, they were chased out of the Jiyuan continent and into the Mingyuan continent, then from the Mingyuan continent into the Chenyuan continent.


    The warsted centuries. With the help of the humans on the Chenyuan continent, the silver dragons sessfully vanquished the demonic dragons once and for all. Through the dream, Yun Ruoyan saw how the silver dragons had ughtered the demonic dragons to thest, then burned their draconic forms.


    Hulking ck dragons burnt to a crisp within a roaring inferno, but although the silver dragons could destroy their bodies, they weren¡¯t able to annihte their souls. Instead, they could only seal the demonic dragons within the Chenyuan continent.


    Because the seal was made to be evesting, after a millennium, both the humans and the silver dragons had almostpletely forgotten about the threat of the demonic dragons¡ªuntil a few centuries prior, when the demonic dragon souls suddenly regained consciousness and awakened thetent bloodline of their descendants on the Chenyuan continent.


    Through the dream, Yun Ruoyan found that many such descendants had been produced by rape, by demonic dragons who had forced themselves on human females. These descendants were initially half-human and half-dragon, but the bloodline thinned and diluted with every subsequent generation. In the end, only a rare few descendants still possessed a significant concentration of the demonic dragon bloodline, one of whom was Long Yin, and another of whom was Yun Ruoyan herself.


    ¡°Over thest few centuries, after the continued eradication of the demonic dragon bloodline by the silver dragon n, I might be thest descendant of the demonic dragons,¡± Yun Ruoyan finished, her eyes aged with solitude and despair.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you can always count on me. We¡¯re a married couple, and you¡¯re no longer alone. No matter what trials lie ahead of you, I¡¯ll share your burden.¡±


    Li Mo stared resolutely at Yun Ruoyan, and she nodded with firm resolve. ¡°Li Mo, no matter what challenges you face, I¡¯ll be there with you as well.¡±


    Based on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s recounting, Li Mo deduced that the ck spiritual energy in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body was a result of cultivating the dragon¡¯s art. As for whether this urrence was normal or not, beneficial or not, he couldn¡¯t tell. Because there was no such precedent, even Qiuqiu was unable to predict what would happen next.


    Li Mo retrieved the dragon¡¯s art manual which he kept on his body. The two of them tried to find an answer to their concerns in the manual, but when she flipped through it, she suddenly found that she could only understand the portions which she had already read.


    Qiuqiu exined that the dragon¡¯s art was intimately rted with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s demonic dragon bloodline. The demonic dragon aura that the demonic eye had left behind before it vanished was sufficient to awaken part of her bloodline. Because Yun Ruoyan had read the contents of the manual prior to this awakening, the bloodline caused her to start cultivating it immediately.


    However, the partial awakening was unable to support further cultivation of the technique, so Yun Ruoyan was unable to understand the contents of the rest of the manual.


    Li Mo handed her the manual for safekeeping, instructing Yun Ruoyan to keep reading it even if she weren¡¯t able to understand it. It was possible that her bloodline would suddenly reach another stage of awakening, at which point her prior study of the technique could well save her life.


    By the time they had decided on their course of action, the sun was hanging directly over them. They walked out of the forest in the west. Yun Ruoyan would head back to the town and leave with the troupe, whereas Li Mo prepared to return to the Pi manor...

 Chapter 365: The Feng Family

    <h4>Chapter 365: The Feng Family</h4>


    Lin Qingchen, Qin Feng, and Lin Tianming were still in the Pi manor. If Li Mo were to disappear, then the three of them would surely be implicated, so Li Mo had to return as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Li Mo, I¡¯d like you to meet several people before you leave,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    Given her serious tone, Li Mo agreed and headed to the inn with Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Madam Hong, A Fei, Sister Qing,¡± Yun Ruoyan began. ¡°This is my husband, Li Mo.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan said the word ¡®husband¡¯, Xiao Qing and A Fei both seemed shocked. Even Madam Hong, whose face was always an unreadable mask, nced twice more at Li Mo.


    ¡°Li Mo, they saved my life twice over,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined. ¡°Their families were destroyed by the Pi family, and they too seek revenge. You told me that you were working with the Feng family to go against the Pis together. In that case, do you think you could bring this troupe into your ns?¡±


    Madam Hong¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The women of our troupe will stop at nothing to exact revenge on the Pi family,¡± she stated firmly. ¡°We might not be much in terms of cultivation, but we¡¯ve travelled all across the Mingyuan continent thesest few years, and are familiar with each of the seven great families. If the Feng family is willing to take us in, I believe our knowledge will be invaluable.¡±


    Xiao Qing and A Fei were equally agitated: they had once thought that they would never be able to avenge their families, but an opportunity had just arisen!


    ¡°I¡¯ll rmend you to the Feng family,¡± Li Mo agreed.


    After the introductions, Yun Ruoyan sent Li Mo off. It was then that he told Yun Ruoyan about Lin Tianming, who was naturally shocked and excited that her uncle had been found alive. She couldn¡¯t wait to visit her long-lost uncle with Lin Qingxue.


    ¡°The reason I waited until now to tell you is because I¡¯m worried you would request to see your uncle,¡± Li Mo sighed.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you bring us along? We¡¯ll be careful, I promise!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Li Mo rejected. ¡°Not only is the Pi manor under heavy guard, your face is stered all over the Pi city! Don¡¯t you dare try something as dangerous as saving Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue on your own again! It¡¯ll be best if we can bring him out of the manor,¡± Li Mo continued. ¡°Our living conditions are too poor for a quick recovery, so it¡¯d be best if we can bring him out as soon as possible.¡±


    The two were deep in thought when Qiuqiu chirped, ¡°Isn¡¯t this an easy task?¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu, you have an idea?¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately asked.


    ¡°Naturally!¡±


    That night, the richly dressed man returned to visit Li Mo, and he told him about the courtesan troupe he had met that morning. Coincidentally, the man was also here to talk with Li Mo about the troupe. He had discovered their existence while investigating Yun Ruoyan¡¯s whereabouts, and he suspected that Yun Ruoyan was with the troupe. He had been just about to inform Li Mo of them when Li Mo brought it up first.


    ¡°Allies against the Pi family? No wonder! The Feng family is happy to ept all those who oppose the Pis, of course, but I have to discuss this with the head first.¡±


    After the man left, Li Mo closed his eyes and began to meditate. The ck spiritual energy in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body was domineering andbative. While engaged in dual cultivation, her ck energy and his white energy had temporarily shed with each other, and Li Mo had suffered a little bacsh as a result. However, the bacsh was temporary and not particrly strong, so he could easily restore himself after a little meditation.


    The next morning, Li Mo brought the ointment that the man had given him to Lin Qingchen, which she had requested to save Mo¡¯er. When Mo¡¯er had returned to Li Mo drenched in blood, he had thought it dead. However, Lin Qingchen somehow managed to pull the lucky bird from death¡¯s door.


    The ointment that the man had brought him was surprisingly effective, and Mo¡¯er recovered quickly. In three days¡¯ time, it was again able to fly for short stretches, and after another few days, it was as good as new.


    Li Mo wanted Mo¡¯er to send a message to Yun Ruoyan, but it had been so scared by the cloud-swallowing glutton that it refused to fly out of the Pi manor¡ªall the way until Pi Batian returned to the manor with his cloud-swallowing glutton.


    The message that Li Mo had Mo¡¯er sent was one written by Lin Tianming. Perhaps because he was so weak, he wrote in an extremely unsteady hand. The content of the message was simple, steeped with care and love. As Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue read the message, they could almost visualize Lin Tianming¡¯s haggard appearance through the words in front of them.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, we have to save Uncle!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yun Ruoyan patted Lin Qingxue¡¯s hand. ¡°We¡¯ll rescue Uncle from the prison soon.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had requested several herbs in her return message to Li Mo. The evening Li Mo received the message, the richly dressed man paid him a visit again.


    ¡°Good timing¡ªI have a favor to ask,¡± Li Mo began.


    ¡°Brother Li, please, ask away. We¡¯re on the same boat, after all. My name¡¯s Feng Yicheng, so please feel free to refer to me by name.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Brother Feng, how many of the herbs on this list can you acquire?¡± Li Mo passed him Yun Ruoyan¡¯s list.


    Feng Yicheng scanned the list, then folded it up and tucked it inside his robe. ¡°Some of the herbs on the list are rather umon, but the Feng family has more than enough clout to acquire them all. Don¡¯t worry, Brother Feng.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Li Mo rxed: no matter how troublesome it would be, he had to acquire those herbs for Yun Ruoyan, so having them all taken care of was a big relief.


    ¡°Brother Li, I¡¯m here today to talk about the courtesan troupe you brought up. The family head has agreed to take in the troupe, and he already has an important n for them. I¡¯m to be sent to train the troupe starting tomorrow, so I was hoping you could inform them that I¡¯ll being beforehand.¡±


    Li Mo nodded, then had Mo¡¯er send another message to Yun Ruoyan, mentioning that the Feng family would take care of her request and that Feng Yicheng would be heading her way. Three dayster, Feng Yicheng had secured the ingredients and travelled to the inn.


    After he handed her the herbs, Yun Ruoyan immediately began concocting a pill. Whether or not they would be able to rescue Lin Tianming sessfully would rest on her sess.


    Feng Yicheng was a handsome man, carefree and outgoing, so he was particrly well-liked by the courtesans. The goal of his visit was, under the orders of the Feng family head, to turn the troupe of courtesans into an information organization that could easily get into any of the seven great families.


    Feng Yicheng quickly discovered that the women were all exceptionally talented spies, and he hadn¡¯t needed to teach them very much. He suspected that they had received prior training; their previous instructor was Madam Hong.


    ¡°Miss Hong.¡± Feng Yicheng bowed when she walked in during a practice session. After learning about her and her aplishments, Feng Yicheng had been rather taken by the woman.


    ¡°No need for the courtesy, Young Master Feng.¡± Madam Hong¡¯s gazended on the gathered women. ¡°I heard Ruoyan mention that you would be the manager of our troupe.¡±


    ¡°No, no¡ªthat would be far too heavy a responsibility. I¡¯m more like a liaison between the Feng family head and you, Madam Hong, responsible for assigning tasks from the Feng family.¡± Given his attire, Feng Yicheng looked like a noble young master, but his words were more like those of a seasoned housekeeper. Madam Hong found the incongruity more than a little surprising.


    ¡°May I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Please, Miss Hong.¡±


    ¡°I asked Ruoyan about you when I heard that you wereing. Allegedly, you¡¯re a cultivator from a lower realm, just like she is, but how did you manage to obtain such a high-ranking position in the Feng family so quickly?¡±


    Actually, Madam Hong¡¯s question was one mirrored by Yun Ruoyan and even Li Mo. However, everyone had their own secrets, and neither Yun Ruoyan nor Li Mo wanted to pry too much into Feng Yicheng¡¯s background.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I was originally a member of the Feng family.¡± Feng Yicheng didn¡¯t seem intent on hiding this information. ¡°The first head of the Feng family was a cultivator who came from a lower realm and founded a ce for himself on the Mingyuan continent. In the lower realm from which I came, every ten years, our family would send a talented cultivator into the Mingyuan continent to aid the Feng family. My uncle, the head housekeeper of the Feng family, Feng Bo, arrived on the Mingyuan continent ten years ago, followed by me. In the future, there¡¯ll be even more scions of the Feng family arriving on the Mingyuan continent and strengthening our family further.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I hadn¡¯t imagined that a family would be able to straddle both a lower realm and the Mingyuan continent,¡± Madam Hong replied.


    ¡°Every head of the Feng family is wise and far-seeing, and we couldn¡¯t have elevated the Feng family to its current status without them,¡± Feng Yicheng replied, his chest puffing with pride.


    ¡°And when you be strong, do you intend on bing like the Pi family?¡± she suddenly asked.


    ¡°No, definitely not. The Feng family has never turned to violence, on this or any lower realm. We hope to minimize unnecessary ughter and to promote stability for all.¡±


    ¡°If you speak the truth, then I, Fu Xiaohong, am willing to offer my life in pursuit of this goal,¡± Madam Hong replied resolutely.

 Chapter 366: Pill of False Death

    <h4>Chapter 366: Pill of False Death</h4>


    After an entire day and night of cultivation, the pill in the furnace finally took shape: a purplish-red ball that gave off a bitter, astringent smell.


    ¡°Mistress, add in thest ingredient, and the pill will be finished,¡± Qiuqiu instructed.


    Yun Ruoyan picked up a ck sprig of herb and circted spiritual energy through her palm, generating a spiritual me and incinerating it. She tossed the ck powder into the furnace, instantly changing its color to a deep purple and causing the astringent odor to vanish entirely. She extended her hand toward the furnace, and the deep purple pillnded in her palm.


    ¡°Mistress, you¡¯ve seeded!¡± Qiuqiu chirped in excitement. ¡°This is a mid-grade pill, the pill of false death!¡±


    ¡°A pill of false death...¡± Yun Ruoyan nced at the pill on her palm in excitement. ¡°I¡¯ve finally seeded!¡±


    Over thest day and night, Yun Ruoyan had tried to refine the pill twice, only to fail at a critical juncture each time. Now, she had finally seeded on the third attempt, and her sess marked her as a fourth-rank pillmaster.


    ¡°Anyone who ingests this pill will show symptoms of death,¡± Qiuqiu exined. ¡°Over three days, the person will enter rigor mortis and behave no differently from a corpse, and no one will be able to tell the difference. After three days, the person will slowly recover from the corpse-like state and graduallye back to life. Thus, the effect of this pillsts six days from the moment of ingestion.


    ¡°Given how sly the Pi family is, are you certain even they wouldn¡¯t be able to discover it?¡± Yun Ruoyan had to be certain: after all, this concerned an important member of her family.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu added. ¡°Once the pill takes effect, the body will soon look as though it¡¯s dposing severely. No ordinary physician, let alone any member of the Pi family, would dare step close to the corpse.¡±


    Having learned her lesson from having her message intercepted by Pi Batian¡¯s cloud-swallowing glutton, Yun Ruoyan handed the pill of false death to Feng Yicheng and tasked him with bringing it to Li Mo.


    When Li Mo received the pill, he immediately had Lin Tianming consume it, then had Lin Qingchen call over the Pi housekeeper. Almost as soon as he arrived, Lin Tianming began to spasm, sweat, and then froth at the mouth. His eyes rolled up, and he slumped to the ground.


    Pi Batian wasn¡¯t in the Pi manor, so the housekeeper immediately went to report the matter to Pi Yan. He was the one who had caught Lin Tianming many years ago, but Lin Tianming had be useless as soon as Long Yin was caught. Like a piece of trash, Lin Tianming had been discarded in the prison cell. If not for Li Mo¡¯s reminder, Pi Yan wouldn¡¯t have remembered him at all.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead?¡± Pi Yan nced at a red invitation in his hand, not even sparing Housekeeper Hu a nce. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t breathing, Lord Pi,¡± Housekeeper Hu replied tentatively. ¡°He suddenly spasmed and died in front of me, before I could do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Deal with the corpse,¡± Pi Yan replied dismissively.


    ¡°Yes, milord.¡± Housekeeper Hu turned to leave. He was used to working under Pi Yang. Even Pi Batian was a little scary to him; as for this Lord Pi, who rarely stayed in the Pi manor for extended periods of time, even an errant nce from him scared him stiff.


    ¡°Hold it,¡± Pi Yan called out. Housekeeper Hu instantly stopped and turned around. Despite only exchanging a few words with Lord Pi, his back was already drenched with sweat.


    ¡°Yourmand, milord?¡± Housekeeper Hu volunteered with some trepidation.


    ¡°What¡¯s that Li Mo up to?¡± Pi Yan asked.


    ¡°He has left his coal cer, milord,¡± the housekeeper replied. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything strange about him.¡±


    ¡°Nothing strange about him...¡± Pi Yan mumbled to himself. ¡°Surely he now knows that Yun Ruoyan isn¡¯t dead. In that case, where could she be, and how can I find her?¡±


    As if he were doing it deliberately, the housekeeper waited two days before dealing with Lin Tianming¡¯s corpse. It had been left in the coal cer for two days and was slowly starting to dpose. The smell of rot permeated the coal cer and had spread even to the main cottage.


    Only then did the housekeeper call for servants to dump him outside the manor. ording to custom, he would be left as carrion for wild dogs.


    The servants who showed up all wore thick clothes, masks, and gloves.


    ¡°Move him quickly!¡± Housekeeper Humanded from a distance. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, hasn¡¯t it? Why does it smell so disgusting?! I hope it isn¡¯t some new strain of infectious disease!¡±


    Lin Qingchen frowned as she nced at the ring on the housekeeper¡¯s hand, the same ring that her grandfather had given her. Before she could reim it, it had somehow found its way onto his grubby little paws.


    ¡°This coal cer will have to be sealed for one month,¡± he dered. ¡°In case this death was caused by something virulent, everyone living in the coal cer must remain confined there.¡±


    He spun and turned to leave, pleased by his intelligence. If it truly were some sort of infectious disease, it would be best for all those groundhogs to die. What good did his master Pi Yang see in them to shield them so? Pi Huo and Pi Qiu had suddenly vanished, and the Pi swordsmen had started rumors that it was because they were dissatisfied with how Pi Yang was shielding those lowly groundhogs. Pi Yang¡¯s reputation among the Pi swordsmen had already been concerning, and his status had been weakened considerably as a result.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Don¡¯t make me dig out your eyeballs!¡± He suddenly noticed Lin Qingchen¡¯s gaze and stared back at her with beady little eyes.


    Lin Qingchen lowered her head, still thinking about how to reim her ring from him.


    Lin Tianming was finally loaded up in a pushcart and dumped unceremoniously by a clearing next to the forest, where wild dogs lounged in wait for the next corpse. The odor from the dposing Lin Tianming immediately caused them to salivate and run over, and wild wolves were even emerging from the forest. The Pi ves hurriedly dumped Lin Tianming¡¯s corpse out of the pushcart and rushed back to the safety of the Pi manor, and the wild dogs and wolves began swarming on Lin Tianming¡¯s corpse.


    Suddenly, they began to howl: the sh of a sword had killed half a dozen beasts in one strike, and the other dogs and wolves began to run away in panic.


    Feng Yicheng stepped out from behind a tombstone and walked to Lin Tianming¡¯s side. The revolting odor forced him to cover his nose with a sleeve. Lin Tianming¡¯s corpse was a blotchy gray all over, and his thin, emaciated form made him look like a corpse that hadin out in the open for weeks rather than days.


    Feng Yicheng really doubted that he could truly be revived once more, but he still leaned down, wrapped Lin Tianming¡¯s corpse up in a thick sack, then began flying toward the small town in which the courtesan troupe was staying.


    Lin Tianming had thought himself dead, but when he woke up, he saw two girls, as pretty as flowers, beaming at him. He thought that they were children from the underworld greeting him in death, but how could beings from the underworld look so pretty?


    ¡°Uncle!¡±


    ¡°Uncle!¡±


    Only when Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue called out his name did he suddenly realize that he wasn¡¯t dead, that he had even been saved!


    ¡°You¡¯re Ruoyan, and you... you¡¯re Qingxue!¡± His shrunken eyes filled with tears in his agitation. His many years of imprisonment and pain had left him numb and forlorn. Although he held out a meager amount of hope for his eventual salvation, he had all but given up on ever being saved.


    ¡°The heavens are truly kind to me,¡± Lin Tianming rasped, his voice hoarse. He swallowed a few spoonfuls of soup and tonic that Yun Ruoyan had prepared, then quickly fell back asleep.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Uncle¡¯s just too weak from his imprisonment, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll quickly recover now that his living conditions are far improved,¡± Yun Ruoyan consoled Lin Qingxue.


    Feng Yicheng stood by the side of the room. Ever since he had brought Lin Tianming¡¯s corpse to the little town, he had stayed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side. As a result, he had personally witnessed Lin Tianming slowlye alive.


    He couldn¡¯t help admiring Yun Ruoyan. Never had he seen a young woman so aplished as to be able to concoct such a miraculous pill, and he made up his mind to rmend Yun Ruoyan to the head of the Feng family as well¡ªshe might be as promising a catch as Li Mo.


    After a few days of recuperation, Lin Tianming¡¯s body slowly recovered. One day, he called Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue to his side, intent on telling the two girls about Yun Ruoyan¡¯s parents.


    ¡°Ruoyan, I heard from Li Mo a few days ago that you¡¯ve been searching for the whereabouts of your parents. I¡¯m going to tell you everything I know.¡± Then, he turned to Lin Qingxue. ¡°As for you, Qingxue, I need to tell you about your father, Lin Tianhai.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue both nodded silently, their eyes filled with anticipation and hope.


    ¡°I, Tianhai, Long Yin, and Yun Lan were four very good friends,¡± Lin Tianming began.


    He described how they had gone on all sorts of adventures together. Long Yin was supposedly the descendant of a faraway but regr household. Because of his impressive talent, he had been sent to the capital in hopes that he would be able to attend Kongming Academy. During this process, Long Yin had met and befriended Lin Tianming, Lin Tianhai, and Yun Lan, and had be good friends with them.


    Subsequently, he met Lin Yuemei and fell in love at first sight. Their courtship and subsequent rtionship had been witnessed by the Lin brothers and Yun Lan. Although Long Yin¡¯s parentage was a source of concern, his talent and appearance were Lin Yuemei¡¯s equal. Although Lin Zainan had initially been against the rtionship, he relented after the Lin brothers¡¯ continued badgering.


    But, just as everyone thought that Lin Yuemei and Long Yin would marry each other, Long Yin suddenly vanished...

 Chapter 367: Cooperation

    <h4>Chapter 367: Cooperation</h4>


    As for the rest of the story, Yun Ruoyan had already learned it from Qin Jianmei. Yun Lan, who had secretly loved Lin Yuemei all along, took advantage of Long Yin¡¯s presence to get together with her. The result of their marriage was Yun Moxiao.


    A few yearster, however, Long Yin suddenly appeared once more and took Lin Yuemei away. They vanished for a few months; during this period, Lin Yuemei became pregnant with Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Long Yin¡¯s sudden appearance was the prelude to strife,¡± Lin Tianming continued. ¡°He revealed his true identity as a descendant of the demonic dragons to us, then exined the reason for his disappearance: he had been summoned by the demonic dragon souls to revive them, as was his duty.¡±


    Reviving the demonic dragons was hardly a trifling task, and he would likely have died in the process of trying to do so. Long Yin didn¡¯t feel responsible for revitalizing the demonic dragon n, so he found an opportunity to sneak out.


    The Lin brothers knew that their sister deeply loved Long Yin. Despite being married to Yun Lan, she had never been as happy as she had been during those carefree days that she and Long Yin had spent together. Her doting brothers, persuaded both by their sister¡¯s glumness and Long Yin¡¯s earnest request, arranged for the two of them to meet.


    When Lin Yuemei understood the reason for Long Yin¡¯s disappearance, she forgave him. The couple then decided to elope. The Lin brothers were naturally shocked and upset by their sister¡¯s audacious n, but they finally relented when Lin Yuemei staked her life on it.


    Long Yin imed that the demonic dragon n would never let him go; as for Lin Yuemei, the Yun family would hardly be happy with such a scandal. The four of them put their heads together in an attempt to think of a secure, hidden location where they could temporarily stay until matters had died down.


    It was Lin Tianhai who had first thought of the far-seeing mirror in Kongming Academy. By then, the Lin brothers had entered Kongming Academy to augment their cultivation, and they had learned the formation for operating the all-seeing mirror.


    The group of four snuck up the Kongming Summit and set up the formation. With Lin Tianming and Lin Tianhai¡¯s cultivation, they were only able to send the star-crossed lovers into a random realm.


    ¡°We thought that that would be the end of Long Yin and Lin Yuemei¡¯s escapade, but someone somehow managed to find us,¡± Lin Tianming continued.


    ¡°The demonic dragon n?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Lin Tianming shook his head. ¡°Rather than the demonic dragon n, it was the silver dragon n who found us first¡ªmore precisely, a person working under the silver dragons, the current head of the Pi family, Pi Yan.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew of Pi Yan, having seen his face both in her dreams and in reality. Pi Batian and Pi Yan looked very much alike, so much so that Yun Ruoyan had confused the two of them initially.


    ¡°Pi Yan was unable to find Long Yin, so he threatened Tianhai and me with force. We swore not to divulge their locations, so he brought us here,¡± Lin Tianming continued.


    ¡°My father was brought here too?!¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Uncle, where is he?¡±


    Lin Tianming lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Qingxue, I couldn¡¯t protect your father.¡±


    He told Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue about how they were tortured for information in the Pi dungeon. In the end, Pi Yan threatened to kill Lin Tianming in front of Lin Tianhai. In order to protect Lin Tianming¡¯s life, Lin Tianhai finally revealed where Long Yin and Lin Yuemei had been sent. Soon afterwards, Lin Tianhai sumbed to the wounds he had received at the hands of Pi Yan.


    When she heard from her uncle that her father had died, Lin Qingxue¡¯s face visibly contorted with pain. She slunk down and cupped her face, unable to bear looking at anyone.


    Yun Ruoyan patted her on the back, trying her best to console her.


    ¡°Tianhai gave up his life for mine. Before he died, he had me promise to keep on living, no matter what. All these years, I¡¯ve focused on doing just that. I initially thought that I would die alone in Pi Yan¡¯s dungeon, but you saved my life,¡± Lin Tianming finished.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t know what happened after Pi Yan found out about Long Yin and Lin Yuemei¡¯s current location, but Yun Ruoyan did. In her dreams, she recalled seeing Pi Yan capture Long Yin. Lin Yuemei sessfully escaped with a teleportation scroll, returning to the Chenyuan continent and the Yun manor, where she gave birth to Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan told Lin Tianming the sorrowful conclusion to the tale.


    ¡°We all thought that my mother had passed away, but Grandfather coincidentally found that Mother¡¯s corpse wasn¡¯t actually hers. That¡¯s why he suspects that she might still be alive,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued. ¡°And as for my father... what could have happened after Pi Yan caught him? He¡¯s likely the only one on the Mingyuan continent who knows.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes zed with ardor. She might not be able to discover her mother¡¯s whereabouts at the moment, but Pi Yan would surely know of what had happened to her father! Before she left the Mingyuan continent, she had to extract the truth from him!


    When Li Mo received the news that Lin Tianming had been sessfully rescued and had met up with Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingxue, a burden lifted from his chest. The next step was for him to escape with Lin Qingxue and Qin Feng. Without Lin Tianming around, it would be far easier for the three of them to escape, but the Pi swordsmen had suddenly be far more vignt around them.


    Li Mo could sense at least five swordsmen hidden all around the Li manor surveilling them three. Li Mo¡¯s cultivation was advanced enough to be able toe and go at will, but it was far harder for him to do so when bringing Lin Qingchen and Qin Feng around.


    Just then, Feng Yicheng brought word from the head of the Feng family, stating that the head wanted to meet him. Li Mo had met the head of the Feng family during a banquet, a rather refined middle-aged man. In a crowd of bloodthirsty brutes, he was an existence that stood out from the rest.


    Li Mo agreed to the meeting. One night, he followed Feng Yicheng out of the manor and met the head of the Feng family, Feng Yanyang, in a restaurant.


    ¡°Please have a seat, Young Master Li,¡± Feng Yanyang began. In front of him was a teapot wreathed in a heady, fragrant mist. He poured both him and Li Mo a cup, then motioned for Li Mo to have a taste.


    Most cultivators on the Mingyuan continent were warriors at heart, ones whose notion of entertainment was for ves to have a fight to their deaths. It was rare to find those cultivators who had the sensibility for less martial pursuits.


    ¡°It¡¯s excellent tea,¡± Li Momented, then put down the teacup in his hand. ¡°Lord Feng, for what reason do I have the pleasure of meeting you today?¡±


    Feng Yanyang. ¡°There¡¯ll be a martial tournament for the seven great houses in the near future. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Pi Yan will send you out as his premierbatant.¡±


    ¡°A martial tournament for the seven great houses?¡± Li Mo frowned. This was the first he had ever heard of it; no one in the Pi manor had seemed privy of this.


    ¡°Lord Feng, how are you so confident that Pi Yan will send me out?¡±


    Feng Yanyang refilled Li Mo¡¯s cup of tea. ¡°This tournament is of particr importance to us of the seven. Thest time it was hosted, Pi Batian was sent out against Feng Bo, and Pi Batian lost.¡±


    Li Mo nced at Feng Bo, who was standing beside Feng Yanyang. Ever since Li Mo had entered the restaurant, Feng Bo had remained still and silent by his master¡¯s side, his aurapletely retracted. He looked exactly like an old servant of the family, with nothing outstanding except for his unusually rich robe.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a taste of Feng Bo¡¯s techniques for myself,¡± Li Mo murmured idly. He had just broken through to a second-rank sword saint when he fought Feng Bo, but he had been unable tost even ten blows. Conservatively, he would estimate Feng Bo as a fifth-rank sword saint.


    Such an advanced cultivation was undoubtedly past the peak of the Chenyuan continent. Li Mo wasn¡¯t familiar with what the true experts of the Mingyuan continent were like, so he couldn¡¯t judge where Feng Bo stood, but he was certainly one of the most impressive fighters in the seven families.


    ¡°If the Feng family were to send out Feng Bo again, I doubt any could be his match.¡±


    Feng Yanyang shook his head. ¡°The seven cities¡¯ tournament is hosted once every three years, and thepetitors must change from year to year.¡±


    Li Mo sipped his tea as Feng Yanyang continued. ¡°Given your cultivation as a second-rank sword saint, you¡¯re already well beyond most of the swordsmen of the seven families. Pi Yan won¡¯t waste your talent, and it¡¯s almost certain that he¡¯ll send you as apetitor.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Lord Feng, what would you have me do?¡±


    ¡°The Feng family will send Feng Yicheng as its representative. At that time, I hope the two of you will join hands to defeat the representatives of the other five families, then...¡± Feng Yanyang leaned forward and lowered his voice, whispering his n to Li Mo.


    ¡°That would surely be a blow to the Pi family,¡± Feng Yanyang concluded.


    ¡°If I do so, it will enrage Pi Yan,¡± Li Mo stated mildly. ¡°Lord Feng, I¡¯ll act ording to your wishes on one condition.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You must recover my two friends from the Pi family beforehand.¡±


    After Li Mo and Feng Yanyang had worked out the details of the ploy, Li Mo returned to his coal cer without anyone noticing. The next day, he received a summons from Pi Yan.


    Just like before, Li Mo stood calmly in front of Pi Yan, neither servile nor overbearing.


    ¡°Have you recovered?¡± Pi Yan asked.


    ¡°More or less. For what reason have you summoned me, Lord Pi?¡±


    Pi Yan raised his eyebrows. ¡°Has no one informed you of the propriety and bearing of a ve?¡±


    Li Mo followed suit. ¡°No one has ever enved me.¡±


    Pi Yan narrowed his eyes and thundered, ¡°What kind of ce do you think the Pi manor is? What other role could you possibly have?¡±


    Pi Yan was stubborn and domineering. He forbade any sort of disobedience or rebellious behavior, even from as useful a pawn as Li Mo.


    ¡°I naturally understand.¡± Ignoring Pi Yan¡¯s anger, Li Mo continued, ¡°The Pi family leads the seven great families, and I wish to work for the Pi family as one of its swordsmen. Lord Pi, will you ept my loyalty?¡±


    Pi Yan¡¯s anger slowly dissipated. ¡°Haven¡¯t you always refused to submit? Why the sudden change of heart?¡± He rightfully doubted that Li Mo had done so for no reason.


    Li Mo¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve been in search of a woman named Yun Ruoyan, Lord Pi. You¡¯ve undoubtedly learned from your son that she¡¯s my wife.¡±


    ¡°You dare try to negotiate terms?¡± A hint of anger asserted itself on Pi Yan¡¯s face once more...

 Chapter 368: In Search of Li Mo

    <h4>Chapter 368: In Search of Li Mo</h4>


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t a negotiation of terms,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°Lord Pi, if you ept my loyalty, my wife will naturally serve you as well. At that time, please be lenient on her.¡±


    Pi Yan mulled over Li Mo¡¯s words. The seven cities¡¯ tournament would soon begin. The Pi family had been defeated by the Feng family three years ago. Their defeat lost them the management rights for Peak Darkness, a special administrative region beyond the seven cities. As its name suggested, it was the location to find all sorts of vices, and it was filled to the brim with gambling dens, brothels, and entertainment facilities of one type or another.


    Furthermore, within Peak Darkness was a spirit crystal vein well-known for producing high-grade spirit crystals. In the past three years, the Feng family had grown dizzy with wealth based on their jurisdiction of Peak Darkness. The high-grade spirit crystals they had mined had greatly enhanced the family¡¯sbat strength, and they seemed to be trying to contest the Pi family¡¯s position on the Mingyuan continent.


    If the Pi family lost to the Feng family again, it was very likely that the Feng family would rece them. They had to win the seven cities¡¯ tournament at all costs!


    The Pi family had intended on sending Pi Yan as its representative, but he had died at Li Mo¡¯s hands. Now, except for Pi Yan himself and Pi Batian, Li Mo was the most advanced in terms of cultivation. Sending him to thepetition would be the best option.


    As for Yun Ruoyan, she was a person that the silver dragon n elder himself desired, and Pi Yan couldn¡¯t guarantee her safety. However, in order to assuage Li Mo, Pi Yan decided to agree to his request. After all, once Li Mo won the tournament on his behalf, he could easily renege on the promise then.


    As for Li Mo, the only reason he had brought Yun Ruoyan up was to cate Pi Yan¡¯s suspicions. As long as Pi Yan thought him rtively loyal, his ns with Feng Yanyang would be far more easily aplished.


    ¡°I shall grant your request. Over the next few days, train well in the manor. If you need anything, let Housekeeper Hu know. Once ites time for the seven cities¡¯ tournament, head to Peak Darkness. This year, the tournament will be hosted there.¡±


    When Li Mo left, Pi Batian walked out from a side chamber. ¡°Father, do you believe that he¡¯ll truly fight for the Pi family¡¯s best interests?¡± Pi Batian asked. He knew full well how stubborn Li Mo was, and even his woman, too.


    ¡°Tian¡¯er.¡± Pi Yan sat down in a gilded chair. ¡°Never trust or distrust anyone fully, even your most loyal servants. There will always be tasks that need to be delegated, but you simply have to supervise them closely.¡±


    Pi Batian nodded. ¡°I understand, Father. One of my assassins has recently reached a breakthrough in her study of the shadow arts, so I¡¯ll send her to watch over Li Mo.¡±


    Pi Yan nodded. ¡°Has that Yun Ruoyan been found?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s as if she evaporated off the face of the world.¡± Pi Batian frowned. ¡°Father, I doubt she was able to survive your lightning storm. May I ask why you¡¯re so certain that she¡¯s alive?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± Pi Yan exined, ¡°but a hignder. If we can¡¯t find Yun Ruoyan and the hignder presses us for her...¡±


    Pi Batian¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°I¡¯ll send more men to look for her, Father.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had been staying with the troupe all this time, but she had now disguised herself as an ugly matron working in the kitchen. Given her somewhat revolting disguise, she easily evaded the examination of men from the Pi household.


    After about two weeks, as instructed, Li Mo headed to Peak Darkness. Apanying him were Pi Yan, Pi Batian, and a ck-veiled woman, one of Pi Batian¡¯s assassins that he had assigned to Li Mo. Ever since they left the city grounds, the mute woman had been trailing his movements constantly.


    Li Mo could see that she was an early ninth-rank demaster. Her cultivation wasn¡¯t particrly advanced, but her footwork and stealth were extraordinary. She was clearly specialized in subterfuge, and her sudden appearances and disappearances were difficult to catch even with Li Mo¡¯s transcendent senses.


    The presence of the mute woman was a considerable disruption to Li Mo. Normally, he would be able tomunicate with her using Mo¡¯er, but ever since this mute woman had appeared, he had had to cut off all contact with Yun Ruoyan.


    It was from Feng Yicheng that Yun Ruoyan heard about the presence of the mute woman. After contemting the problem, she thought of a potential solution. ¡°Are you headed to Peak Darkness as well?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked Feng Yicheng, having learned about the uingpetition to be held there.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here to let all of you know that I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow,¡± Feng Yicheng stated.


    ¡°Let me go with you.¡±


    Feng Yicheng hesitated. Before he could reject her, Yun Ruoyan continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the shadow stalking Li Mo¡¯s particrly troublesome? I have a way to get rid of her.¡±


    Feng Yicheng reluctantly agreed. The next day, both of them set off on their journey. Lin Qingchen and Lin Tianming had been sent to the Feng family, whereas the troupe of courtesans began to start its intelligence-gathering activities starting from the small town in which they were based.


    All these towns belonged to the Pi family. Madam Hong knew that some of the smaller families had only ceded to Pi control because of threats and tyrannical behavior on their part, so the troupe¡¯s role was to get these families to join the Feng family instead.


    Yun Ruoyan first returned to the Feng manor with Feng Yicheng, where they met up with Feng Yanyang and Feng Bo. The day-to-day logistics were left for Feng Mian to handle on his own.


    Yun Ruoyan initially thought of the seven cities¡¯ tournament as a simple bout between the families, but given the Feng and Pi families¡¯ preparations, she was starting to be more and more concerned about the event, as well as for Li Mo¡¯s safety. As a result, she requested to join an advance delegation so that they could catch up to Li Mo¡¯s group.


    Feng Yanyang agreed to her request, then sent Feng Bo to apany her. Because they were travelling unencumbered, they managed to catch up to the Pi delegation the next evening.


    ¡°Feng Bo, I think it¡¯s best if I find Li Mo myself,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. ¡°That woman¡¯s cultivation isn¡¯t very advanced, is it? I believe I¡¯ll be able to deal with her.¡±


    ¡°That woman¡¯s strength isn¡¯t in her cultivation, but rather her stealth. Even I can¡¯t detect her very easily, let alone a ninth-rank demaster like you.¡± Feng Bo rarely spoke, but his words were devastating when he did. ¡°How about I send you a helper? He¡¯ll be a perfect counter to the woman.¡±


    Feng Bo waved a hand in mid-air, and a ck shade appeared in the air. Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes wide¡ªthe ck shade who had appeared was exactly the one that had almost killed her a few months ago!


    ¡°Feng Bo, what¡¯s it doing here?!¡± Yun Ruoyan got into a defensive posture.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry.¡± Feng Boughed. ¡°I have Li Mo to thank for this acquisition. This shade possessed a rather attractive young girl¡¯s body and tried to seduce my young master. Thanks to Li Mo¡¯s warning, I dealt with this thing in time and subverted it for my own purposes. I nned on giving it back to Li Mo, but giving it to you will serve the same effect.¡±


    Feng Bo removed a ring from his finger and handed it to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I¡¯ve restricted the shade¡¯s movement to within half a kilometer of this ring. It can¡¯t go past the boundary, or its soul will dissipate instantly.


    As Yun Ruoyan took over the ring, the shade floated to her side. Yun Ruoyan noticed that it seemed to have lost its original arrogant disposition, and she asked Feng Bo as to how and why.


    Feng Bo told Yun Ruoyan that the act of refinement was anathema to shades and evil spirits, and the intellect that the shade had demonstrated had been removed along with its personality. Now, it was nothing more than a puppet, able to be controlled by whoever wielded its ring.


    In the past, the shade had been unable to carry out any physical attacks and had to subdue its victims through poison. However, Feng Bo had augmented it with a spiritual technique allowing it to shoot out des of air from its ws, augmenting its capabilities as an assassin.


    ¡°It¡¯s not all that strong,¡± Feng Bo added, ¡°so it¡¯s only suitable for sneak attacks.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan put on the ring, and the shade darted back into it. She cupped her hands at Feng Bo, then leapt off the rooftop. Red sword aura red by her feet as she soared toward Li Mo¡¯s inn. In order to avoid drawing unnecessary attention, shended a few blocks away from the inn and began heading over on foot, where she hid behind a secluded corner of the inn.


    She then had Qiuqiu initiate contact with Li Mo. Li Mo was currently deep in cultivation, and when he found out that Yun Ruoyan was waiting for him outside the inn, he immediately became wide awake.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, what are you doing here? Didn¡¯t I tell you to remain at the Feng family with Qingxue and Lin Tianming? Return immediately!¡± Li Mo was upset and agitated¡ªhis Yan¡¯er was disobeying him at every juncture!


    ¡°Li Mo, do you think Mistress will listen to you?¡± Qiuqiu was as exasperated as he was: Yun Ruoyan¡¯s actions had been dangerous in the extreme, and Qiuqiu also hoped that she would stop putting herself in harm¡¯s way.


    ¡°No, she won¡¯t.¡± Li Mo thumped himself on the forehead. Yun Ruoyan never seemed to listen to him.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, can you ask if that woman¡¯s around at the moment?¡± Yun Ruoyan continued.


    ording to Li Mo, he was never able to sense her at night, but as soon as someone made a sudden gesture, she would appear out of thin air.


    Yun Ruoyan snorted.


    ¡°Mistress, why don¡¯t you let the shade do its work?¡± Qiuqiu suggested.


    ¡°Feng Bo said that the shade¡¯s cultivation isn¡¯t particrly advanced, and it¡¯s only suitable fore sneak attacks. I want to meet this shadow cultivator for myself.¡± Yun Ruoyan retracted her aura, then vaulted up to the third story of the inn, where Li Mo was staying.


    Although she wasn¡¯t confident that she would be able to subdue the woman, she didn¡¯t think it would be too hard to escape. The moment she stepped on the third floor balcony, a gust of wind seemed to strike her neck.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± a hoarse woman¡¯s voice called out.


    <hr>


    1. I¡¯m using hignder here to refer to those from the higher realms¡ªthat is, the silver dragon n.

 Chapter 369: The Mute Woman

    <h4>Chapter 369: The Mute Woman</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan revolved and blocked the woman¡¯s attack, then shed at her veil with a dagger. Strangely enough, the woman suddenly vanished in a wisp of smoke.


    ¡°Mistress, behind you!¡± Qiuqiu hurriedly informed her. Yun Ruoyan reacted surprisingly quickly: she turned back around, almost subconsciously, and the dagger in her hands, glowing with spiritual energy, traced an arc in the air.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dagger trembled slightly as it broke through the ck-veiled woman¡¯s guard, causing her to stumble back a few steps. When she finally stood steady, she held her dark de in front of her in a defensive posture.


    ¡°Who dares barge into the rooms of the Pi family?¡± The woman¡¯s voice was exceptionally low and hoarse. If not for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s good hearing, she would easily have failed to understand her.


    The woman¡¯s gaze turned to the ck dagger in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, a dagger Li Mo had retrieved from Pi Yan¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°That¡¯s Pi Yan¡¯s ck crystal dagger. If it¡¯s in your hands, you must know Li Mo.¡± Her tone was somewhat angry. The mute woman and Pi Yan had beenpanions growing up, and they often went on missions together. She knew that Pi Yan had died to Li Mo, but was forbidden from killing him. Now that she saw Yun Ruoyan with Pi Yan¡¯s dagger, her repressed fury was obvious.


    ¡°Your throat¡¯s too hoarse for you to call for help?¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly asked. She wasn¡¯t aware of her anger, but it was apparent that there was something wrong with her voice. In that case, she was the only enemy that Yun Ruoyan had to deal with.


    ¡°I alone am sufficient to kill you!¡± The mute woman vanished into the shadows once more.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for official business, not for ying around with you.¡± Yun Ruoyan twisted the ring that Feng Bo had given her, summoning the shade in a dark, hidden corner. After she had advanced to ninth rank, she had been itching for a fight. When she found out that a shadowy woman had appeared by Li Mo¡¯s side, she had felt an urge to fight against her. That, coupled with her longing for Li Mo, had led to her being where she was now.


    However, the woman was too sneaky and aware of her own capabilities to sh with Yun Ruoyan head-on, so she was now trying to get rid of her as quickly as possible to prevent anyplications.


    ¡°Mistress, that woman has retracted her aurapletely. I can¡¯t identify where she is,¡± Qiuqiu chirped.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to be a coward, I won¡¯t waste my time with you any longer,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered. She made as if to jump off the building, at which point a familiar, dangerous aura pricked the back of her neck.


    Already prepared, Yun Ruoyan thrust her dagger toward her back, but it seemed to hit nothing but air. Frowning, Yun Ruoyan dodged and darted to the corner where the shade was currently hidden.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you now and exact revenge for Pi Yan!¡± the woman croaked. Like a shadow, she darted toward Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan blocked her movements with her dagger, dodged her blows, and struck her multiple times, but the mute woman seemed to have taken on an incorporeal form, one that couldn¡¯t be damaged by physical blows.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead! I might not be able to kill the man inside, but killing you will at least satiate my thirst for revenge!¡± Her eyes brimmed with killing intent as she honed in on Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan curled her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want to y with you any longer.¡± She made a shing gesture with her hand. Apanying her gesture, the mute woman felt an ice-cold shiver travel from her head to her heels. Behind her, the shade¡¯s ghostly de had bisected her vertically.


    Her veil fell off to reveal a shrunken, dark face, as well as a pair of eyes filled with bitterness. ck fog poured out of her mouth, and her body vanished in a puff of smoke.


    ¡°So she wasn¡¯t a human to begin with? No wonder she was so strange!¡± Yun Ruoyan twisted her ring again, sending the shade back inside.


    ¡°She was a human who cultivated a shade¡¯s art,¡± Qiuqiu exined, ¡°butpared to a real shade, she¡¯s still quite a bit weaker.¡±


    Just then, the door slowly opened, and Li Mo appeared. He had been standing behind the door all along, ready to jump in if Yun Ruoyan was in danger. Luckily, his Yan¡¯er was an aplished demaster in her own right, and she was easily able to deal with the shadowy woman on her own.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡¯re bing more and more disobedient. Tell me, what should I do with you?¡± Li Mo clicked his tongue, his expression still a little angry. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s growing penchant for adventure and spur-of-the-moment decisions was getting more and more troubling, and he felt as though he needed to nip it in the bud.


    Yun Ruoyan walked into Li Mo¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Li Mo, I missed you. Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± With these sweet, gentle words whispered into his ear, Li Mo¡¯s thoughts seemed to evaporate. It had been over a month since they hadst seen each other. Over thest ten days or so, because of the shadowy woman¡¯s presence, they hadn¡¯t even been able to exchange any messages. Naturally, they were both pining for each other¡¯s touch.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, what should I do with you?¡± Li Mo sighed, carried her up, and closed the door. They entered his rooms and immediately began to tussle with each other. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s legs were tightly wrapped around Li Mo¡¯s slender waist, and her hands were running through his long hair. Li Mo hugged Yun Ruoyan so fiercely it seemed as though he was trying to merge their bodies into one, their lips filled with each other¡¯s breath.


    Li Mo¡¯s kiss passed from her lips to her chin and her neck.


    ¡°Li Mo, won¡¯t you let me stay with you?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, when she was finally able to draw breath. ¡°Don¡¯t chase me away.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Pi Batian and Pi Yan are both trying to capture you. Do you intend on sending yourself right to their doorstep?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°If I¡¯m a sheep, then you must be a tiger.¡±


    ¡°Shh! Someone¡¯sing.¡± Li Mo stered them against the wall, cutting off Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tinklingughter with his mouth.


    ¡°Sir Li Mo,¡± a servant¡¯s voice came nervously from outside. ¡°There was an unusual disturbance by your rooms, so Lord Pi sent me over to have a look.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯m taking my rest.¡±


    The servant didn¡¯t seem to have left. His shadow appeared by the windowsill, as though he was trying to look into the rooms. Yun Ruoyan twisted her ring, and the shade¡¯s silhouette suddenly appeared by the servant¡¯s side.


    He jumped up in fear, then bowed down respectfully to the shade. ¡°Madam Shade,¡± he called out.


    Yun Ruoyan mimicked the shadowy woman¡¯s ruined voice. ¡°It was a thief, one whom I¡¯ve dispatched. Tell the lord that nothing will happen to Li Mo when I¡¯m around.¡±


    After sending the servant away, Yun Ruoyan suddenly had a brilliant idea. She stated to Li Mo, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve killed the mute woman, Pi Yan will certainly be suspicious of you. Why don¡¯t I pretend to be the mute woman and see what information I can glean?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s brows drew close. He had personally experienced Pi Yan¡¯s temperamental and vicious behavior, and he didn¡¯t want to leave Yun Ruoyan where any harm coulde to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they say that the most dangerous ce is often the safest? I¡¯m sure Pi Yan wouldn¡¯t dream that I would be right under his very nose.¡± Yun Ruoyan leaned against Li Mo, her lips nuzzling his jaw, causing a tingling sensation to spread through Li Mo¡¯s body. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be right by your side. Don¡¯t you want that?¡±


    Li Mo huffed. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I really can¡¯t say no to you!¡± He sighed, tightly clutched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s soft, supple body, and pushed her down into bed.


    The next day, in ce of the mute woman, Yun Ruoyan appeared by Li Mo¡¯s side. Although he was one of Pi Batian¡¯s subordinates, her ck veil meant that no one ever saw her true appearance, not even Pi Yan or Pi Batian. They would only summon her when they had need for her talents, and she would frequently stay far away from the main Pi delegation.


    As a result, when Yun Ruoyan showed up dressed entirely in ck, her body smothered in the shade¡¯s aura, even Li Mo couldn¡¯t distinguish her from the shadowy woman, let alone Pi Yan or Pi Batian.


    A few dayster, when the Pi delegation entered Peak Darkness, Yun Ruoyan likewise followed suit. It was far more crowded and lively than the Pi city, and reminded her a little of the Yuelu Vi on the Chenyuan continent.


    It was a ce filled with restaurants, brothels, and gambling dens. On the streets were all manner of people, the most that she had seen in one ce on the Mingyuan continent.


    The Pi delegation was staying in a rathervish inn, and Li Mo¡¯s assigned room was considerably better than what the other swordsmen got. The moment Yun Ruoyan entered the room with Li Mo, she hurriedly shrugged off her ck clothes and kept the shade once more.


    ¡°It¡¯s far too stifling,¡± sheined, stretching her body. She had assured Li Mo that everything would be fine with her disguise, but she clearly still had to be cautious of the Pi family while she was right under their eyelids. Having kept up her guard for a few days on end was tiring in and of itself.


    When Li Moid down on the futon, he pulled Yun Ruoyan with her, kneading her shoulders and her back. ¡°Yan¡¯er, just bear it for a few more days. Once the seven cities¡¯ tournament is over, we¡¯ll leave the Pi family immediately.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, then pecked Li Mo on the lips. Being able to feel the other¡¯s existence and presence right by their side made this daring act worthwhile.


    ¡°Someone¡¯sing.¡± Suddenly, both of them noticed an unfamiliar aura drawing close to Li Mo¡¯s rooms, followed by a voice from outside.


    ¡°Sir Li Mo!¡± It was Pi Yan¡¯s servant again.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Lord Pi is sending for you.¡±

 Chapter 370: Pleasure Den

    <h4>Chapter 370: Pleasure Den</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯ll head over immediately,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°Is Madam Shade there as well?¡± the servant asked again.


    Yun Ruoyan was forced to manifest the shade to deal with the servant, whereupon he stated that Pi Yan had requested her presence as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely about the uingpetition,¡± Li Mo exined to Yun Ruoyan, after the servant had left. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯ve also been called to attend. Could they have noticed something amiss? Yan¡¯er, I don¡¯t think you should go.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s truly seen through my disguise, he wouldn¡¯t have been requesting my presence so politely.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up from Li Mo¡¯sp, put on her ck veil, and twisted the ring to summon her shade.


    They walked together to Pi Yan¡¯s guest chambers and found Pi Batian also present. Pi Yan sat in the seat of honor and Pi Batian by his side, both arrogantly ncing at Li Mo, standing in front of them.


    Both Pi Yan and his son wanted to tame as useful a wild pawn as Li Mo. They had failed, but needed to make use of him for the uing tournament, so they had had to give him a few concessions. Furthermore, given their domineering personalities, Li Mo¡¯s level stare and refusal to submit were particrly irksome to them.


    ¡°Why have you summoned me, Lord Pi?¡±


    ¡°The seven cities¡¯ tournament starts in three days. How are your preparations?¡± Pi Batian asked.


    ¡°Cultivation is umted over months and years, and a few days of effort won¡¯t amount to much,¡± Li Mo replied.


    Pi Batian raised an eyebrow. ¡°You sound confident of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I will give thepetition my all.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I look forward to seeing your performance in three days,¡± Pi Yan finally began. ¡°I¡¯ve called you here today to inform you of something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°In a small town by the boundary of the Feng and Pi cities, we¡¯ve found traces of your wife, Yun Ruoyan. Someone ims to have seen her on the streets.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Li Mo pretended to be concerned. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°By the time we received the news, she vanished. But as long as we know where she¡¯s been, it¡¯s only a matter of time before we apprehend her,¡± Pi Yan continued.


    Li Mo knew that Pi Yan was trying to threaten him with Yun Ruoyan. He inwardly smirked, but outwardly put on a serious expression. ¡°Lord Pi, you¡¯ve promised to go easy on her.¡±


    Pi Batian smiled arrogantly. ¡°That¡¯ll depend on your performance in three days, won¡¯t it? As long as you emerge the victor, your wife¡¯s crimes shall be annulled, but if you lose...¡±


    Li Mo narrowed his eyes. Even if Yun Ruoyan were safely by his side, he hated for others to try to manipte him with his loved ones¡¯ safety. To him, Pi Batian was an arrogant thorn that needed to be uprooted and quickly eradicated.


    ¡°Young Master Pi, you are well aware of my cultivation. None among the seven cities will be my match, as your spies have undoubtedly ascertained. I shall emerge the victor of this tournament.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡± Pi Yan smiled.


    Just as Li Mo was about to leave, Pi Yan suddenly motioned for Yun Ruoyan to stay behind. Li Mo hesitated, then walked out of the room.


    ¡°Has Li Mo been acting strangely these past few days?¡± Pi Batian asked.


    ¡°Nothing unusual, Young Master Pi,¡± Yun Ruoyan croaked. ¡°A thief tried to get into his rooms during the trip, one that I easily handled.¡±


    ¡°Continue keeping guard over him, but don¡¯t enrage him,¡± Pi Batian instructed. ¡°And there¡¯s another task for you...¡±


    After Pi Batian delineated her duties, Yun Ruoyan nodded solemnly and darted out of the room. However, she deliberately summoned the shade at her original location and had it slowly dissipate only after she had left, so as to give the impression that she had made use of her stealth.


    After Yun Ruoyan¡¯s departure, Pi Batian turned to Pi Yan. ¡°Why do I feel as though she¡¯s different from before?¡±


    ¡°Her shade¡¯s aura has grown more concentrated, but so has her human aura. It may be an artifact of the advancement in her technique.¡± Pi Yan¡¯s brows were unfurrowed, and he didn¡¯t seem to notice anything amiss.


    The moment Yun Ruoyan walked into the corridor, she saw Li Mo waiting for her against the railing. He looked leisurely, but Yun Ruoyan could see how worried he was for her.


    She smiled at him, and the two of them returned to his room. As he closed the door, Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan into his embrace.


    ¡°There, there, aren¡¯t I alright?¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo gritted out. ¡°I¡¯ve never feared for anything in my life, and I¡¯d once thought that there would never be anything that would leave me fearful or scared. Yan¡¯er, you¡¯ve be that something.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve almost forgotten about how cold you used to be, but I like the present you better.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so many tales about you growing up, and you always seemed to be a mythical creature with three heads and six arms, someone who could kill in the blink of an eye.¡±


    ¡°A mythical creature?¡± Li Mo frowned.


    ¡°Clearly, these tales are all lies used to trick children into behaving,¡± Yun Ruoyan added. ¡°My husband¡¯s no mythical creature, but a handsome, true-to-life, loving hero.¡±


    It was Li Mo¡¯s turn to smile.


    ¡°Right, Li Mo.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Pi Yan had me take on another task.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°He wants me to investigate Feng Yicheng.¡±


    Pi Yan had detailed records of all thepetitors who could show up at the seven cities¡¯ tournament, all but Feng Yicheng¡¯s. Feng Yicheng was also a cultivator from a lower realm, just like Li Mo and the others. However, unlike the other cultivators, he had joined the Feng family almost immediately, and his information was so well-guarded that Pi Yan had expended a great deal of effort to find out more about him, but to no avail.


    Pi Yan¡¯s only impression of Feng Yicheng was of what little he had demonstrated of his skills during the ve bouts at a banquet. He was a wood-attuned cultivator, one who looked to be beyond ninth rank. Pi Yan could clearly tell that, when he fought Li Mo, he didn¡¯t demonstrate his true strength.


    The other five cities¡¯ swordsmen were no match for Li Mo, and the only uncertain element was this Feng Yicheng. As such, he had assigned the mute woman to report back on him.


    ¡°Have Mo¡¯er send a message to Feng Yicheng asking for him to divulge some unimportant facts about himself, so I can turn in my mission without giving my disguise away,¡± Yun Ruoyan requested.


    Li Mo penned a message and sent Mo¡¯er away, then raised his head. ¡°Yan¡¯er, have you ever wanted to see what this Peak Darkness is really like?¡±


    In Peak Darkness, there was no night curfew, so cultivators who wished to do so could party all night long. They walked through the illuminated streets, filled with people and life. Everyone had smiles stered on their faces, and the mood was infectious. Her time in the Mingyuan continent had been one of trials and tribtions, but the sight in front of her made her feel as though she had returned to the Chenyuan continent once more.


    ¡°Li Mo.¡± Yun Ruoyan, dressed in ck, continued to stay a certain distance away from Li Mo. However, there were suchrge crowds present that, as long as the two of them didn¡¯t look directly at each other, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about surveince from afar. ¡°Why is this ce called Peak Darkness? Wouldn¡¯t something like Peak Enjoyment be more appropriate?¡±


    ¡°The darkness hides within the shadows,¡± Li Mo replied, not turning back.


    ¡°What sort of darkness is there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something that¡¯s visible to the naked eye at first nce, but it is present.¡± Li Mo slowed down slightly, as did Yun Ruoyan. ¡°This was something my father told me, and the reason why they decided to leave the mortal world behind to settle deep in the mountains. He had wanted to let his kin remain there in prosperous istion, but even he couldn¡¯t avoid being engulfed by strife and darkness.¡±


    ¡°So no matter how strong your enemies might be, no matter how deep the darkness that lies ahead, trying to escape it is never the answer,¡± Yun Ruoyan finished Li Mo¡¯s train of thought.


    ¡°From a young age, I learned that the only ones who can truly escape this all-epassing darkness are the truly strong, those at the apex of power.¡± Li Mo¡¯s tone slowly turned resolute. On the Chenyuan continent, he had stood at that apex, but only after entering the Mingyuan continent did he realize how much farther he had to go. Although his cultivation was still one of the more advanced among cultivators of this continent, he was yet far from the top. His bout with Feng Bo had made his weakness clear.


    This sort of feeling wasn¡¯t something he ever wanted to experience or to let his loved ones experience.


    Yun Ruoyan understood Li Mo¡¯s intent. She took a few hurried steps forward, then grabbed his hand almost imperceptibly before darting away again. ¡°Li Mo, you know that I don¡¯t want to be a bird in a gilded cage. I want to face your trials and burdens together, to grow strong with you, to stand side by side at the peak of power.¡±


    Li Mo stopped and nced at Yun Ruoyan, who stared back at him. Their resolute gazes met, and smiles blossomed on both their faces.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you an interesting ce and help finish your task.¡± The two of them continued walking through the crowded streets. After about another ten minutes, they entered a so-called pleasure den, a curious establishment thatbined both a brothel and a gambling den.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned.


    ¡°I arranged to meet Feng Yicheng here,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°If Pi Yan were to find out that Feng Yicheng was a stereotypical young master well-versed in earthly pleasures, he¡¯ll certainly rx.¡±


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression lighten. She followed Li Mo into the establishment...

 Chapter 371: Performance

    <h4>Chapter 371: Performance</h4>


    After Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan walked into the pleasure den, two swordsmen following far behind them stopped in front of the establishment and peered inside.


    ¡°They entered this ce?¡± One of the swordsmen rubbed his nose as he turned to the man beside him. ¡°Even if webined our spirit crystals, we wouldn¡¯t even be able to pay the entrance fee. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Stay here and keep guard over the entrance. I¡¯ll report back to the young master and see if I can get him to scrounge up some spirit crystals for us. If we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll be able to stay the night here...¡±


    ¡°Eh? Alright, but you¡¯d bettere back quick!¡±


    Swordflight was forbidden in Peak Darkness, so the swordsman began running back to the inn where the Pi delegation was staying. The two swordsmen had been sent by Pi Batian to keep watch over Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan. Although Pi Yan didn¡¯t find Yun Ruoyan¡¯s disguise suspicious, Pi Batian kept feeling as though something was amiss, so he had secretly dispatched the two men to keep an eye out for them.


    ¡°Young Master.¡± The swordsman found Pi Batian and reported back to him, ¡°Li Mo and Madam Shade entered a pleasure den together.¡±


    ¡°Was there anything suspicious about their behavior?¡± Pi Batian asked.


    ¡°They seemed to be walking through the streets normally, but they entered a pleasure den. We didn¡¯t have enough money to enter, so we could only wait outside and guard the entrance.¡±


    Pi Batian peered at the swordsman. Li Mo doesn¡¯t look like the type of person who would engage in such carnal pleasures, but... He was suddenly struck by interest. Standing up, he announced to the man, ¡°Lead the way. It¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve let loose.¡±


    ¡°Sir, this must be your first timeing here! I don¡¯t recognize your face.¡± The moment Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan entered the pleasure den, an old madam draped in a decadent robe stepped up to greet them. She smelled of an odd fragrance and was a little younger and more attractive than those in simr positions on the Chenyuan continent, but was otherwise the same.


    Without speaking, Li Mo retrieved a pouch from his hands and held it in front of the old madam, whose eyes gleamed as she took it over. ¡°Sir, please enter, ah, and this woman...¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my friend,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°Oh!¡± The old madam¡¯s lips stretched in a smile. ¡°Anyone with spirit crystals will find something for them here at our pleasure den. May I ask what sorts of pleasures you¡¯re interested in?¡±


    ¡°What choices are there?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re interested in carnal pleasures, we have a selection of beautiful women and handsomeds that you may both choose from, honored guests. If you¡¯re interested in gambling, please head to the right.¡± The old madam¡¯s eyes shifted from Li Mo to Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Gambling,¡± Li Mo gritted out.


    Yun Ruoyan had to stifle augh when she saw Li Mo trying to hide his awkwardness. They were directed toward a side hall: only a wall separated women in rouge from loud bellows as men gambled their fortunes away.


    One of the loudest voices was from Feng Yicheng. Yun Ruoyan noticed him immediately amidst a crowd of people; though he was still dressed as richly as ever, his warm and affable temperament had undergone a dramatic transformation.


    His upper half body was almost leading entirely on the gambling table, his sleeves rolled up high. One hand clutched a handful of dice, and the other supported his body against the table. His face was red as he hollered his bets.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    ¡°Well? I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what Pi Yan and Pi Batian are hoping to see.¡± It was Li Mo¡¯s turn to hide a smile.


    He walked around the various tables, Yun Ruoyan following a respectable distance behind him. Although the gambling den was crowded and full of drunken, rambunctious men, she noticed a number of Feng swordsmen keeping guard, their auras fully released. With these men keeping the peace, no one dared stray too far out of line.


    Feng Yicheng had noticed Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo the moment they entered the gambling den. His gaze swept past the two of them, slightly narrowed as he took in Li Mo¡¯s presence, then turned back to his dice.


    ¡°That man¡¯s won so much after just two hours? Isn¡¯t the manager of the gambling den going toe out and ¡°greet¡± him a little?¡± someone murmured from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side.


    Although Yun Ruoyan had never been in a gambling den, she had been Pei Ziao¡¯s wife in her previous life. The Pei family operated both an armory and a gambling den, so Yun Ruoyan had had to be at least superficially familiar with the logistics. Anyone who won toorge a fortune would be summarily dealt with by experts, until all those winnings were swept back into the house.


    ¡°You might not know,¡± someone else replied, ¡°but this young master¡¯s a rising star in the Feng family. Apparently, he¡¯ll be the representative of the Feng family in the seven cities¡¯ tournament. Peak Darkness is under the Feng family¡¯s jurisdiction, so he¡¯s just winning money from his own employer!¡±


    ¡°Ah, is that so? But to think that their representative would be so... invested in gambling...¡±


    Li Mo then headed back to the other side of the pleasure den with Yun Ruoyan, both of them following behind Feng Yicheng. At the same time, many of the original gamblers also followed Feng Yicheng over, and the brothel side of the pleasure den suddenly became far more crowded.


    Li Mo found the old madam, handed over another bag of spirit crystals, and was quickly escorted to a suite on the second floor, where Feng Yicheng was already present. A smiling woman was cradled in his arms, and even Yun Ruoyan was unable to reconcile his current image with that of the kind and courteous young master she recalled seeing.


    ¡°No wonder the Feng family sent him to train and manage the courtesan troupe,¡± she murmured. ¡°He¡¯s definitely up to the task.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s certainly someone worth keeping an eye on,¡± Li Momented.


    ¡°The ve auction shall nowmence!¡± With a shout, the crowd¡¯s murmurs and conversations instantly died down.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo whispered, ¡°you¡¯ll see the darkness in Peak Darkness now.¡±


    The crowd¡¯s gaze was quickly drawn to the stage, where wagon after wagon was being paraded out.


    ¡°There are male and female ves avable for auction today,¡± a pale, sticklike man with a reedy voice introduced. ¡°Customers, honored guests, please observe them well. These ves can be used either for sexual pleasure or menialbor, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find something to satisfy your every need.¡±


    His voice was infused with spiritual energy, and the reedy voice sent shivers down Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spine. He held a long pole in his hand, one which he used to unfurl the ck fabric that had been thrown over the first cage to obscure it. Within the cage were three women d in beast pelts. They seemed to have been kept in darkness for quite some time, because when the ck fabric was removed, they instinctively shielded their eyes from the bright light.


    ¡°Women from the beast tribes of the lower realms! A hundred spirit crystals for each one. Their bodies are to die for, and they¡¯ll surely give you boundless pleasure in bed.


    All sorts of lechers were gathered right by the stage, leering at the scantily d women in the cage. They were undoubtedly from the same group of cultivators as Xue Ji, but had clearly been separated during the tussle that had ensued shortly after the lower-realm cultivators had arrived on the Mingyuan continent. Xue Ji¡¯s group of twenty had all died at the Pi spirit crystal vein, and the sage-grade spirit crystal that they had given their lives to obtain was now in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s silver bracelet.


    She couldn¡¯t help wanting to save the three women.


    ¡°Li Mo, those cultivators in beast pelts have done me a significant favor. Is it possible for us to save the three women?¡±


    Li Mo frowned. ¡°We can¡¯t buy them outright, but after the auction¡¯s over, I¡¯ll try to work something out with the head of the Feng family. This is his territory, after all, so they should have some options for dealing with it.¡±


    The three women looked quite young. Who knew what would happen to them by the time Li Mo talked with the Feng family head? Yun Ruoyan could only sigh.


    In the end, they were all bought by a corpulent middle-aged man for five hundred spirit crystals.


    The second cage contained three men whom Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t recognize, and they were purchased by a rough-looking cultivator whose gender she couldn¡¯t determine.


    Feng Yicheng, who sat opposite them, had been flirting with the two prostitutes by his side for the entire duration of the auction. Li Mo sat with his spine straight, ncing on stage as seriously as if he were in court. Yun Ruoyan stood silently behind Li Mo, unable to pay attention to what was going on on stage.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, look at the suite on the left,¡± Li Mo suddenly whispered.


    Yun Ruoyan turned to the left, where she saw a familiar silhouette quickly hidden behind a folding screen. ¡°It¡¯s Pi Batian!¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Li Mo said. ¡°He¡¯ll be able to see Feng Yicheng¡¯s act for himself.¡±


    ¡°Next up, female ves from the Chenyuan continent, a lower realm! The women of the Chenyuan continent are known for being petite and gentle in temperament. They¡¯re excellent choices for warming your bed, and each one will start off with a price of one hundred and fifty spirit crystals!¡± the pale man yelled, unfurling the ck fabric covering the cage with his long pole.


    Li Mo¡¯s body turned rigid, and Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help taking a step forward. The ves that were revealed were people that Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan were intimately familiar with...

 Chapter 372: An Extortionate Price

    <h4>Chapter 372: An Extortionate Price</h4>


    Senior Sister Guan! Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body stiffened.


    The three women in the cage were all students from Kongming Academy, and Guan Ruliu was among them. They were still wearing their uniforms from the academy, which had been specially worked against damage. Nevertheless, they were now so stained that they had lost their original pure-white color.


    ¡°Three women from the Chenyuan continent, a hundred and fifty spiritual crystals apiece!¡±


    ¡°Six hundred for the trio!¡± arge man hollered.


    ¡°Eight hundred!¡± Another bid.


    The bids finally stalled as they approached a high of a thousand and five hundred spirit crystals.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan nudged him. ¡°We have to save Senior Sister Guan!¡±


    ¡°Two thousand spirit crystals.¡± Feng Yicheng, opposite Li Mo, ced the highest bid of tonight¡¯s auction.


    ¡°Two thousand, an honorable guest has bid two thousand spirit crystals!¡± The host of tonight¡¯s auction seemed so excited that his pale face was flushing slightly.


    Yun Ruoyan rxed: Feng Yicheng would surely free them.


    ¡°Are there any further bids? If not, then, for two thousand spirit crystals¡­¡±


    ¡°Two thousand five hundred.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled, because the person who had spoken was none other than Li Mo. However, she quickly realized why: the bidding war that would follow was likely all an act for Pi Batian.


    ¡°Three thousand.¡± Feng Yicheng replied, standing up.


    ¡°Three thousand five hundred.¡± Li Mo didn¡¯t even arch an eyebrow.


    ¡°Three thousand five hundred, three thousand five hundred!¡± The pale host of the auction was so agitated that he was almost incoherent.


    ¡°Four thousand,¡± Feng Yicheng continued.


    ¡°Four thousand five hundred.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Li, what are you trying to do? I was the one who first bid on these women. If you¡¯re a gentleman, shouldn¡¯t you leave them for me?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Feng, these women came from the Chenyuan continent as I did. I know of them, so I have to save them whatever the cost. If you¡¯d back down¡­?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Li, my mind is set. I suppose we¡¯ll just have to see which of us is wealthier.¡± Feng Yicheng¡¯s face was stered with the conceited smile characteristic of an arrogant young master.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that Young Master Li? He¡¯s willing to go against Young Master Feng? Doesn¡¯t he know that Peak Darkness is under the Feng family¡¯s jurisdiction?¡± someone murmured from the crowd.


    ¡°Probably not, if he¡¯s daring topete with Young Master Feng on Feng family grounds¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. Don¡¯t you know who that Young Master Li is?¡± a swordsman eximed.


    ¡°No, do you?¡±


    ¡°I saw him during one of the Pi family banquets. He was a ve for the Pi family who bested the ves of the other six families. The fact that he¡¯s here now likely means that he¡¯ll be the Pi representative for the seven cities¡¯ tournament.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s from the Pi family? No wonder he¡¯s willing to bid against the Feng family! Those two houses are the only ones that can restrain each other. Have they started fighting already, even before the tournament itself? This will be a sight to see!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can be so arrogant just because this is your territory. The Pi family¡¯s the true overlord of the Mingyuan continent!¡± Li Mo seemed to have gotten angry.


    ¡°The true overlord of the Mingyuan continent? What a joke!¡± Feng Yicheng sneered. ¡°Maybe three years ago, but everyone on the Mingyuan continent knows that the master of the continent is the one who controls Peak Darkness! Now that jurisdiction over the territory is in the Feng family¡¯s hands, don¡¯t expect us to cede control of it.¡±


    Behind the screen in a private suite, Pi Batian sat with one hand around a cup of wine and another hand on the armrest of his chair. He squeezed the cup so hard that it cracked and broke.


    ¡°Young Master,¡± one of the swordsmen beside him began, ¡°shall we punish that brazend from the Feng family?¡±


    Pi Batian waved a hand dismissively. He sat up straight and suppressed his emotions. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. Keep watching and see what happens.¡±


    ¡°Oh? If I recall correctly, I beat you in a bout during a banquet hosted by the Pi family,¡± Li Mo continued.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Feng Yicheng¡¯s face turned a bright red. ¡°I¡­ hadn¡¯t rested well that day, and the bout wasn¡¯t a nned event, so I only lost because of myck of preparation!¡±


    ¡°In that case, are you prepared today?¡±


    ¡°What, you n on attacking me here?¡± Feng Yicheng gaped in mock fury. ¡°Don¡¯t you forget what sort of ce this is! You think your slights will go unpunished in Feng territory, when you¡¯re just a ve?!¡±


    ¡°Sirs, please!¡± the host interrupted. ¡°This isn¡¯t a stage on which to show off your martial prowess. Instead, why don¡¯t you exhibit your financial means instead? As representatives of the Feng and Pi families, whoever bids the higher price and wins these three women shall be considered the victor in terms of financial power!¡±


    ¡°Not bad, not bad!¡±


    ¡°The seven cities¡¯ tournament will be in three days¡¯ time. Let this be a warm-up for the big show!¡±


    The crowd began to holler. Most of them had gathered at Peak Darkness for the tournament, and the fight between the Feng and Pi families was supposed to be the centerpiece of the entire affair. Being able to see the two families fight in advance, regardless of the manner in which they were fighting, was exciting in and of itself.


    ¡°Well?¡± Feng Yicheng taunted. ¡°Do you darepete with me? Ah¡ªperhaps the Pi family isn¡¯t in such great financial straits after having ceded Peak Darkness to the Feng family. If that¡¯s the case, Young Master Li, there¡¯s no need to force yourself topete. I¡¯ll happily take the three women, but I hope you won''t im that the Pis are superior to the Fengs in the future.¡±


    Behind the screen, Pi Batian¡¯s lips twitched. The hegemony of the Pi family over the Mingyuan continent was the most important task that Pi Yan and Pi Batian were working toward. How could they bear someone trying to sully the Pi family name in front of such arge crowd?


    Pi Batian motioned for a swordsman by his side to draw near. He whispered something into his ear, causing the swordsman to nod and walk out of the suite.


    When Li Mo nced at Pi Batian¡¯s suite and saw that there was one fewer shadow behind the screen, he smirked inwardly, but his voice took on a defeated tone. ¡°Unfortunately, I came to the auction in a rush, and I don¡¯t have sufficient spirit crystals to¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, a swordsman walked up to Li Mo and whispered a few words into his ear, causing Li Mo to smile.


    Yun Ruoyan drew closer and overheard the swordsman¡¯s words. ¡°Young Master Pi assures you that there¡¯s no need to worry about spirit crystals. You must win this auction, and you can¡¯t let the Pi family lose face.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely trounce that impudent Feng brat,¡± Li Mo replied.


    After the swordsman left, Li Mo turned to the host. ¡°What¡¯s the highest bid?¡±


    ¡°The highest bid is yours, Young Master Li, at four thousand five hundred spirit crystals.¡±


    ¡°Five thousand,¡± Feng Yicheng replied instantaneously.


    ¡°Five thousand five hundred.¡± Li Mo didn¡¯t much care; after all, the one who would have to pay for his bid wasn¡¯t him.


    ¡°Six thousand.¡±


    ¡°Six thousand five hundred.¡±


    Each new bid drew another gasp from the crowd. After all, five hundred spirit crystals was sufficient to feed a rather well off family for multiple years.


    By the time the bid got to eight thousand spirit crystals, Pi Batian¡¯s eye began to twitch.


    ¡°Young Master Pi¡­¡± The swordsman by his side felt that he needed to interject. ¡°Eight thousand spirit crystals is about a month¡¯s worth of production from all our mines at full capacity.¡±


    Pi Batian dismissed their concerns, judging that the reputation of the Pi family was well worth the cost.


    By the time the bid got to ten thousand spirit crystals, the swordsman wiped away the sweat on his forehead and advised again, ¡°Sir Li Mo and that Feng brat look as though they¡¯re pitching a drunken fit. There¡¯s no need for us to debase ourselves and respond to the provocation.¡±


    Pi Batian drained his cup of wine, about tomand Li Mo to stop bidding. Just then, however, Feng Yicheng spoke up. ¡°Young Master Li, if you¡¯re so invested in these three women, I¡¯ll grant your wish.¡±


    Pi Batian choked on his wine.


    ¡°In that case, I, Li Mo, shall purchase these ves on behalf of the Pi family.¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice, infused with spiritual energy, reverberated through the hall.


    ¡°The Pi family¡¯s really willing to spend this much?¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand spirit crystals for three lower-realm ves? They must have so much money they can¡¯t spend it all!¡±


    ¡°What do you know? Reputation¡¯s more important than money for the Pi family! They¡¯ve always been the head of the seven families governing the Mingyuan continent¡ªbut three years ago, during thest seven cities¡¯ tournament, the Feng family¡¯s Feng Bo popped out of nowhere, defeated the Pi family, and obtained the right to govern Peak Darkness. The Pi family certainly won¡¯t let a young upstart take their ce. Today, they¡¯ve won the contest of riches; in three days¡¯ time, they¡¯ll certainly win the tournament as well!¡±


    Pi Batian inhaled deeply. Buying the crowd¡¯s admiration with ten thousand spirit crystals didn¡¯t seem like such a bad investment.


    Feng Yicheng nced covertly at Li Mo, drained his sk of wine, then slumped in his seat, seemingly consumed by a drunken haze. The two swordsmen behind him carried him out of the hall...

 Chapter 373: Pi Yang’s Heart

    <h4>Chapter 373: Pi Yang¡¯s Heart</h4>


    The prisoners¡¯ wagon was sent straight to the inn where the Pi delegation was staying. Pi Batian had aplicated expression on his face upon seeing the three women that had been purchased with ten thousand spirit crystals. He felt as though he had made a bad mistake, but one that he had been forced to make. The three women, like three flies, buzzed around his throat, refusing to be spat out or swallowed.


    ¡°My thanks for your help, Young Master, for saving my three colleagues,¡± Li Mo replied respectfully. ¡°We¡¯ll all serve the Pi family loyally.¡±


    Pi Batian nodded, pleased that Li Mo finally seemed to be submitting to him. ¡°As I¡¯ve said, you can repay the Pi family with your performance in three days¡¯ time.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, Young Master. You¡¯ve seen what Feng Yicheng is like, and I¡¯m perfectly confident I¡¯ll be able to beat him.¡±


    ¡°After all, the Feng family dide from a lower realm.¡± Pi Batian recalled Feng Yicheng¡¯s arrogant disposition and began to sneer. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that they¡¯d be overconfident after having a taste of victory. It¡¯s time for the Pi family to teach them a lesson.¡±


    Avoiding the three women who had cost the Pi family a fortune, he turned and headed for his rooms.


    Because of Li Mo¡¯s assistance, Guan Ruliu and the two other women received excellent care after they were assigned to one of the rooms in the inn. Their wounds weren¡¯t particrly heavy, but they had been inflicted with a paralytic poison that would take some time to wash out of their system.


    Guan Ruliu woke up the next night to find Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan by her side.


    ¡°Ruoyan, Master Mo!¡± Guan Ruliu was so agitated upon seeing the two of them that she tried to sit up, but because of the paralytic poison still in her body, she didn¡¯t even have the strength to prop herself up. Yun Ruoyan hurriedly helped her up.


    ¡°Senior Sister Guan, what happened to Senior Brother Zong Yang¡­?¡± As soon as Yun Ruoyan asked that question, she saw two tracks of tears fall from Guan Ruliu¡¯s eyes. Apparently, she and Zong Yang had been caught by the Lie family. Zong Yang was insensate and uncontroble from the poison. He had somehow managed to bite and hurt the young miss of the Lie family, Lie Yun, and had been killed by the Lie swordsmen on the spot.


    Neither Yun Ruoyan nor Li Mo knew of this at all, but Yun Ruoyan did remember Lie Yun, the girl who had been with Pi Yang when they had first entered the Beast Spirit Valley.


    After Zong Yang¡¯s death, Guan Ruliu and about a dozen other students from the academy were all enved by the Lie family, including Rong Yueshan, who had betrayed Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. On the way to the Lie city, they had tried to escape. Rong Yueshan, who had been part of the escape, betrayed them too. Of the dozen or so students from Kongming Academy, only Guan Ruliu and her two junior sisters managed to escape.


    They fled into a wild forest, where they survived by foraging and hunting for almost two whole months. In the end, they were caught by a group of swordsmen who had entered the forest to hunt, and were then sold to Peak Darkness.


    This was what had happened to Guan Ruliu in the intervening three months since their separation.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Rong Yueshan?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s certainly still with the Lie family. After she foiled our escape, who knows what sort of rewards the Lie family has given her?¡± Guan Ruliu eximed bitterly.


    ¡°Rong Yueshan¡¯s a menace. She¡¯ll only bring us more and more trouble, and it¡¯s better if we can excise her as soon as possible.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was calm, but her words overflowed with killing intent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill her myself if I get the chance!¡± Guan Ruliu had seen her friends and peers surrounded and ughtered while Rong Yueshan stood with the swordsmen of the Lie family. Whenever she was reminded of the sight, she couldn¡¯t help wanting to tear Rong Yueshan apart with her bare hands.


    ¡°Senior Sister Guan, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll certainly find an opportunity to do so,¡± Yun Ruoyan consoled her. ¡°You need to rest well and take care of your two junior sisters for the moment.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo left Guan Ruliu¡¯s room and were heading back to Li Mo¡¯s room when someone suddenly called out from behind, ¡°Mute woman!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned around to see a youth staring at her with a brilliant smile on her face. The youth was fit and toned, with fine brows and clear eyes. His red hair was eye-catching and short-cropped. The second young master of the Pi family, Pi Yang, quickly walked up to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Mute woman, long time no see!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned and nodded.


    ¡°As for you¡­¡± Pi Yang turned to Li Mo and waved dismissively at him. ¡°I have something I need to talk to the mute woman about, so go do whatever you¡¯re supposed to instead.¡±


    Li Mo turned back and nced at Pi Yang. Although his body wasn¡¯t as muscr as some of the Pi swordsmen, he was tall and sturdy, and an entire head taller than Pi Yang, whose youthful features were entuated inparison to Li Mo.


    Pi Yang frowned and met Li Mo¡¯s gaze, and Yun Ruoyan thought she could hear the crackling of lightning where their gazes met. Before anyone could say anything else, she croaked, ¡°Master Mo, please.¡±


    Li Mo looked toward her, and Yun Ruoyan nodded almost imperceptibly. Only then did Li Mo finally turn around and leave.


    ¡°This man¡¯s really strange.¡± Pi Yang nced askance at Li Mo¡¯s back. ¡°You¡¯re here to oversee him, aren¡¯t you? Shouldn¡¯t he hate you? Why does it feel like he can¡¯t bear to leave you alone?¡±


    ¡°Second Young Master, you must be joking. He¡¯s sick of me being around him all day, and I suspect his adverse reaction was because he thinks we¡¯re plotting against him,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied coolly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what other reason there could be.¡± Pi Yang¡¯s suspicions seemedpletely ayed.


    ¡°Second Young Master, weren¡¯t you supposed to remain behind in the Pi manor? Why are you here now?¡± Yun Ruoyan changed the subject.


    ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s the seven cities¡¯ tournament, and Father allowed me toe watch. It¡¯s not daily that we get to see such cultivators fight, after all.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded and didn¡¯t speak in response. Given Pi Yang¡¯s casual tone and mannerisms, she suspected that he treated the mute woman like a friend, rather than a servant.


    ¡°That, mute woman¡­¡± Pi Yang scratched his head and asked somewhat unnaturally, ¡°Did you have any luck tracking down Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced at him in surprise. Had he tasked the mute woman with independently trying to find Yun Ruoyan? For what purpose?


    Pi Yang was a little younger than even Yun Ruoyan. Her mental age was well past her thirties, and he seemed like nothing more than a kid to her. Although they were members of opposing factions, Pi Yang hadn¡¯t truly hurt her directly, so she couldn¡¯t summon up the same sort of loathing against him as she would his brother or father.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve found nothing,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, without inflection.


    Pi Yang sighed. ¡°Mute woman, I just wanted to help her. The Mingyuan continent¡¯s dangerous for lower-realm cultivators, so that¡¯s why I wanted to offer some backing for her and that dark robe fellow who¡¯s with her. That dark robe might have offended the Pi family, but with his cultivation, he¡¯s certainly still useful. As for Yun Ruoyan, she wouldn¡¯t have had anything to worry about with my protection. But now that things havee to this¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have called attention to them at all.¡±


    Pi Yang sighed and looked out the window. ¡°I wonder how she¡¯s doing now, all alone? That ck robe doesn¡¯t seem worried for her at all¡ªand to think he¡¯s supposed to be her husband!¡± Pi Yang turned back to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Mute woman, why do you think such a beautiful girl like Yun Ruoyan¡¯s interested in such a cold man? Shouldn¡¯t she try to find someone as cute and caring as I am?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan suddenly began to cough, breaking Pi Yang off. She hadn¡¯t expected that Pi Yang would be interested in her, and was very shocked by the sudden confession.


    However, Pi Yang merely thought that there was something wrong with the mute woman¡¯s throat. ¡°Mute woman, are you alright? Is your throat feeling ufortable again?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded and pulled up the veil on her face, until it covered up even the bridge of her nose.


    ¡°Cultivating the shadow arts requires arge amount of corpse aura, in such quantities that it damages one¡¯s appearance and throat. ording to my brother, you¡¯ll eventually turn into an existence that¡¯s halfway between a human and a ghoul, trapped at the boundary of life and death.¡± Pi Yang¡¯s voice dripped with concern. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a friend beside you. I¡¯ve asked you repeatedly to give up this technique, and you¡¯ve refused me just as many times, but I¡¯m asking you again: as long as you¡¯re willing to give it up, I¡¯ll plead for mercy from my father.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need,¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately said. ¡°I¡¯m doing well enough¡ªahem, ahem!¡ªand there¡¯s no need to keep looking for Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Pi Yang opened his eyes wide. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supportive of me in the past? You told me that I had to bravely pursue who I love!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t want to see you after all your meddling. Furthermore, given that both Lord Pi and Young Master Pi are trying to capture her, what do you n on doing even if you do find her?¡± Yun Ruoyan looked away, avoiding Pi Yang¡¯s gaze. ¡°Second Young Master, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned and left, leaving Pi Yang alone in the corridor, clutching a railing as he looked dazedly at the sky.


    ¡°I heard you bought three women from the Chenyuan continent for ten thousand spirit crystalsst night,¡± Pi Yanmented to Pi Batian, whom he had summoned for an audience in his rooms.


    Rumors and gossip flowed easily in Peak Darkness. Given the magnitude of what had happenedst night, even the lowliest street rat had heard about the affair the next morning...

 Chapter 374: Entering the Dueling Arena

    <h4>Chapter 374: Entering the Dueling Arena</h4>


    Pi Yan had spoken in so uninflected a tone that it was difficult to discern whether he was upset by Pi Batian¡¯s reckless spending.


    ¡°Yes, Father. Last night, I sent my men to tail Li Mo and the mute woman. They reported back that the two of them had entered a pleasure den, so I went along.¡± Pi Batian then described what had happened that night to Pi Yan, who nodded. That morning, he had found out about the entire fiasco from one of his swordsmen, but Pi Batian¡¯s description was more detailed and precise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether I made the right decision,¡± Pi Batian confessed. ¡°I keep feeling as though I¡¯ve conducted a poor trade.¡±


    ¡°The three women are certainly not worth ten thousand spirit crystals,¡± Pi Yanmented, ¡°so it¡¯s only natural that you would feel that way. However, our reputation as the overlord of the Mingyuan continent is worth far more.¡±


    Only after obtaining his father¡¯s approval did Pi Batian finally rx. He added, ¡°Not only did it save our reputation, but Li Mo also seems to be thankful to the Pi family for the gesture, and I¡¯m feeling morefortable that he¡¯ll support us well.¡±


    It was quickly time for the seven cities¡¯ tournament to start. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, along with the Pi delegation, arrived at the arena that had been specially constructed for the event. It was grand and imposing, and the stone arch at its entrance was easily fifty or sixty feet tall. At the very top of the arch was the word ¡®battle¡¯, carved with a grand flourish. By the time Yun Ruoyan and the others arrived, there was already a long line outside the arch, as though half the crowd in Peak Darkness had gathered at the arena.


    There were guards standing in front of the arch, and all those who entered would have to pay arge sum of spirit crystals. Yun Ruoyan conservatively estimated it as no less than three hundred per person.


    Yun Ruoyan followed behind Li Mo and the rest of the Pi family as they entered the arena.


    ¡°The head of the Pi family, Lord Pi Yan, has arrived!¡± a loud voice announced as they walked.


    After ascending up a dozen flights of stairs, Yun Ruoyan turned around and looked down at the arena. It was sufficient to seat a thousand cultivators, and the center of the arena was a circr stage easily sixty feet wide from end to end. About thirty or forty feet away were row after row of seats for spectators.


    ¡°Please follow me, honored guests.¡± The guide directed them to an isted set of seats rtively close to the stage. There were seven such sets of seats in all, distributed around the edge of the stage. When Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and the others arrived, five of these sets had already been filled. The Pi family was the sixth to arrive; thest set of seats, pitched slightly higher than the rest, was for the family currently in charge of Peak Darkness, the Feng family.


    Pi Yan sat down in the middle seat, followed quickly by Pi Batian and Pi Yang on either side of him. Li Mo sat by Pi Yang, and Yun Ruoyan stood behind him. By then, the spectator stands were almost entirely filled, and all sorts of conversation peppered the arena.


    ¡°What arrogance! They intend on having all of us wait for them?¡± Pi Yan red distastefully at the empty seventh set of seats.


    ¡°Father, there¡¯s no need to be upset. After today, when the jurisdiction of Peak Darkness returns to the Pi family, the Feng family will have nothing to boast about,¡± Pi Batian replied.


    ¡°Hey, you, dark robe,¡± Pi Yang muttered, angling his body. ¡°You better not die on stage, or I bet Yun Ruoyan will me me for it!¡±


    Li Mo eyed him coldly.


    ¡°The head of the Feng family has arrived!¡± a voice announced, and the entire crowd¡¯s gaze turned toward the entrance to the arena, where Feng Yanyang was walking in with the Feng family in tow.


    The Feng family were all dressed richly in brocade, standing out amidst the more practically dressed swordsmen. Feng Yanyang wore a smile on his face and looked the part of a rich, jolly magnate. Feng Bo and Feng Yicheng walked by his sides.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one interesting in the Feng family except perhaps Feng Yicheng,¡± a youthmented. He was sitting with the Lie family, not too far from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s seat. He was dressed in purple robes, and his face looked somewhat sinister.


    ¡°Lie Sen, what do you mean?¡± Pi Yang turned to the youth, who was apparently the young master of the Lie family.


    ¡°Last night, I gambled with that Feng Yicheng all night long. Thanks to him, I walked away with a thousand spirit crystals!¡± Lie Sen smiled. ¡°Then we had some fun with prettydies all night long.¡±


    Pi Yang frowned. ¡°Your sister¡¯s on the verge of death, and you¡¯re still in the mood to enjoy yourself?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hope for my dear, pitiful sister.¡± Lie Sen sighed, but his tone sounded carefree. ¡°After she was bitten by that monster, she became a monster as well. If not for Father, I would have given her a quick, clean death. Why live in pain, when you know that there¡¯s no hope for you?¡±


    A few days ago, Yun Ruoyan had heard from Guan Ruliu that Lie Yun had been bitten by Zong Yang, so she was also likely infected by the shade¡¯s corpse poison. In general, those afflicted with the poison would die after a few hours, but she had managed to hold out for an entire two months! Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.


    What she didn¡¯t know was that, in order to protect Lie Yun¡¯s life, the Lie family had given her every spiritual treasure that seemed as though it could be effective against poison. The head of the Lie family, Lie Fenn, had even expended much of his own cultivation to prolong his daughter¡¯s life, so much so that he had had to miss this year¡¯s tournament.


    ¡°The matches you¡¯ve been waiting for will soon begin! Will the representatives of the seven families now step forward?¡± an announcer began, and the hubbub of the crowd instantly died down.


    ¡°I bet that the Pi family will win this year¡¯s fight. I saw the Pi representative defeat the other six families¡¯ ves by himself at a Pi banquet!¡± someone whispered from behind Yun Ruoyan.


    Quite a few gambling dens had set up bets for this year¡¯s tournament. There were almost a thousand cultivators in the stands, and almost all of them had ced some kind of bet or another.


    ¡°He might have beaten the seven families¡¯ ves, but this is an arena for their swordsmen! Who among the representatives isn¡¯t a peak fighter?¡± another man replied. ¡°I bet the Feng family will win. You all know how shrewd the head of the Feng family is!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± the original speaker retorted. ¡°You¡¯re in for a surprise, then! Last night, I saw that white-robed Feng representative enjoying himself in a pleasure den all night long. His body¡¯s likely drained dry¡ªI¡¯d be shocked if he had the stamina to fight!¡±


    His words caused a smattering ofughter from all around him.


    ¡°Why are the two of you so confident that it¡¯ll be either the Pi or Feng families?¡± a third cultivator added. ¡°The swordsmen from the other five families are also rather impressive this year, so what if one of them wins instead?¡±


    ¡°Representatives of the seven families, please step up on stage.¡± A ck-robed, middle-aged man had gotten onto the stage. His announcement was made with a spiritually infused voice, one that easily cut over the conversations of a thousand men.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t identify how advanced his cultivation was, but it was surely at least at the level of a first-rank sword saint. She overheard the final snatches of conversation between Pi Yan and Li Mo, detailing how thepetition would proceed.


    First, the one-on-one battles for the tournament were chosen at ¡°random¡±: Li Mo would face the Wu family, who would face the Zheng family, who would face the Hua family, who would face the Chen family, who would face the Lie family, and who would face the Feng family. Finally, the Feng family would face Li Mo.


    Although Pi Yan imed that the battles were chosen at random, the fact that he was able to provide Li Mo with the matchups beforehand made it clear that something was amiss. Apparently, the Pi and Feng families had joined hands to ¡°randomly¡± choose a tournament schedule that would be beneficial to both families.


    Then, Pi Yan described Li Mo¡¯s opponents to him in broad strokes, before Li Mo stood up and headed to the stage. As he stood up, so did an alluring woman from the Lie delegation. Yun Ruoyan saw her throw Li Mo a coquettish nce before she headed on stage.


    Only when that woman had left did Li Mo finally walk forward.


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± Pi Yang suddenly called out. ¡°That woman from the Lie family, Lie Qiao¡¯er, is particrly adept at charms and illusion. Be careful.¡±


    Li Mo stepped forward, making no indication that he had heard Pi Yang¡¯s warning.


    Pi Yang clicked his tongue and turned toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Mute woman, tell me, how can the woman I¡¯m interested in be interested in someone like him?¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Yun Ruoyan was very tempted to give Pi Yang a supercilious look. ¡°Second Young Master, it¡¯s almost time for the first match to begin. Shall we focus on the stage?¡±


    Feng Yicheng strode on stage, wearing robes of pure white. His handsome appearance and sunny disposition caught the eye of Lie Qiao¡¯er, who gave him a coquettish nce as well.


    Actually, she had nced in like manner to the six other representatives as they walked on stage. Except for Li Mo, who had ignored her advances, the other swordsmen all seemed to respond favorably, particrly Feng Yicheng. His face was beaming as he nced at Lie Qiao¡¯er, ying perfectly the role of a rich young master addled by beauty.


    Pi Yang scoffed.


    ¡°Brother Pi, what would you know about love and romance? I asked Qiao¡¯er to apany Young Master Fengst night, but he insisted on waiting till after the match, worried that neither of them would be able toy hands on the other during the tournament otherwise. Doesn¡¯t that speak volumes about his character?¡±


    Pi Yang scoffed again. He was about to respond when Pi Batian interrupted, ¡°Pi Yang, focus on the fight. Ignore useless people.¡±


    Lie Sen was known for being an arrogant young master, useless at cultivation but especially adept at spending his family¡¯s money. Pi Batian grossly detested the mediocrity that he represented, and usually forbade Pi Yang from interacting much with Lie Sen.

 Chapter 375: Victory to the Feng Family

    <h4>Chapter 375: Victory to the Feng Family</h4>


    Even the head of the Lie family, Lie Fenn, was extremely disappointed in his son. He had concentrated his efforts on his daughter Lie Yun, but her current condition left him with no choice but to send Lie Sen to represent the Lie family in his stead.


    ¡°Oh? You think you¡¯re all that?¡± Lie Sen sneered, ncing at Pi Batian.


    After the seven representatives got on stage, a character was taped to each of their backs¡ªthe name of the family whom they represented. Li Mo had the character for ¡®Pi¡¯, Feng Yicheng the character for ¡®Feng¡¯, and so on.


    ¡°As usual, the seven representatives will draw lots to determine theirpetitors,¡± the middle-aged judge announced. By the edge of the stage was a ck box embossed with gold, and the seven representatives stepped forward and drew from the box one by one.


    Li Mo didn¡¯t know how the Pi and Feng families had managed it, but when he opened the slip of paper in his hands and found the character for ¡®Wu¡¯ written there, he nced at the massive Wu representative, then exchanged a look with Feng Yicheng.


    The judge exined the rules to the representatives and the crowd. Rather than a one-on-one round-robin tournament, all seven representatives would be fighting in the arena at the same time: they would have to try to eliminate their target without being eliminated themselves.


    This was part of why the tournament was so exciting. Thepetitors each knew their own target, but they didn¡¯t know who would be targeting them. When they attacked, they had to defend against six cultivators, and the battle would test both the limits of their cultivation and the depths of theirbat experience.


    Of course, a sufficiently advanced cultivator could deal with all six otherpetitors at once.


    This exined why the arena was sorge¡ªotherwise, it could hardly support seven cultivators brawling at the same time.


    ¡°Competitors, identify your targets,¡± the judge announced. The seven representatives all looked warily at each other, waiting for the judge to signal the start of the match before attacking their target.


    ¡°The reason the seven cities¡¯ tournament is so interesting is that everyone knows who their target will be, but none of them know who¡¯s hunting them,¡± Pi Batian exined to Pi Yang. He had been the Pi representativest year, but had ultimately been defeated by Feng Bo at the conclusion of the match.


    Yun Ruoyan stared at the stage. All thepetitors had retracted their aura so as to hide their true cultivation. Although she knew that Li Mo possessed the highest cultivation amongst the gathered crowd, she couldn¡¯t help but worry. While the other houses¡¯ representatives were no match for Li Mo one-on-one, they were nothing to scoff at. Lie Qiao¡¯er¡¯s charm technique had been at the level of a peak ninth-rank demaster. The cultivators from the other five families were at least as strong as Lie Qiao¡¯er, and they would have a fighting chance against Li Mo and Feng Yicheng if they worked together.


    However, Li Mo had a n of his own. Thepetitor he had to defeat was from the Wu family, and thepetitor who had to defeat him was Feng Yicheng. He didn¡¯t have to be wary of Feng Yicheng¡¯s attacks; instead, he could focus solely on defeating his opponent, the Wu swordsman.


    ording to Pi Yan, the Wu swordsman trained in gold-attuned techniques, whereas the Wu swordsman¡¯s target, the Zheng swordsman, trained in earth-attuned techniques. Gold specialized in attack, and earth in defense; Li Mo nned to have them exhaust each other with their fighting before taking care of them both.


    ¡°Thepetition shall begin!¡± With the judge¡¯s announcement, the cheering of the crowd abruptly halted, and all eyes focused on center stage.


    The Wu swordsman was the first to react, drawing a golden broadsword from his back and chopping at the Zheng swordsman. The Zheng swordsman¡¯s weapon of choice was a pair of twin knives. He reacted surprisingly rapidly, defending against the chop with one knife and throwing the other toward his target, the Hua swordsman. As the knife flew out, the Zheng swordsman generated a field of dust that blinded his opponent before he could react.


    The Hua swordsman was a thin young man, who instantly conjured up a shield of ice to block the dust billowing toward him. Immediately afterwards, however, the Zheng swordsman¡¯s thrown knife splinted his barrier to pieces. He only managed to dodge the lethal blow by rolling on the ground, after which he stood up and saw the Chen swordsman battling with the alluring cultivator from the Lie family. The Hua swordsman wed the air and conjured a long spear of ice, which he raised high into the air and threw at the Chen warrior.


    The Chen warrior was fully invested in fighting the alluring Lie cultivator when he suddenly felt an icy breeze prick his neck. He nced back and tried to dodge, but the Lie cultivator instantly took the opportunity to tie the Chen swordsman down with her whip. He only stilled for a moment, but it was enough time for the spear of ice to pierce his chest.


    ¡°Thanks, Senior!¡± The Lie swordswoman threw a coquettish nce toward the Hua swordsman.


    The Hua swordsman was looking straight at the Lie swordswoman. When their gazes met, he felt a sudden sense of vertigo overwhelm him, followed by a sharp pain by his neck, and then nothingness.


    In the brief instant in which he was dazed, the Zheng swordsman had somehow crept behind him and slit his neck.


    The spattering of blood on stage drew wild cheers from the crowd. Most cultivators on the Mingyuan continent were eighth-rank demasters, and ninth-rank and up was considered above average.


    Most of the representatives on stage today were at the level of a sword saint, and were rare experts in the crowdposed ofmon cultivators. It was even rarer to see blood from such cultivators, and the fresh blood from two sword saints was more than sufficient to draw such cheers.


    With the Hua and Chen swordsmen down, there were five representatives remaining on stage. The Zheng and Wu swordsmen were still fighting hard against each other.


    Li Mo stood by the side of the arena, as though he had no intention of stepping in at all. Meanwhile, Feng Yicheng and Lie Qiao¡¯er finally confronted each other.


    ¡°Father, Lie Qiao¡¯er¡¯s target is Feng Yicheng, and Feng Yicheng¡¯s target is Li Mo. If Li Mo and Lie Qiao¡¯er work together, they can surely defeat Feng Yicheng,¡± Pi Batian muttered anxiously. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s going to attack at all!¡±


    Pi Yan nced at Li Mo, who was still in pristine condition. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t deign to work with Lie Qiao¡¯er. After all, as long as the cultivators don¡¯t team up on Li Mo, he has a strong chance of winning.¡±


    The moment Pi Yan spoke, Li Mo finally made his move. The Zheng swordsman had ultimately lost to the Wu swordsman, whose fist catapulted him at least thirty feet away. Hended on the ground with a st, severely injured but not quite dead.


    The Wu swordsman then surveyed the field to see Feng Yicheng and Lie Qiao¡¯er standing together. Although she wasn¡¯t attacking, Lie Qiao¡¯er was staring straight at Feng Yicheng, her eyes widened to their extremes and filled with a surfeit of spiritual energy. Feng Yicheng stared back, his body still. Someone who wasn¡¯t in the know might have thought that they were a pair of lovers staring at each other in rapt desire, but they were actually engaged in a mental fight to the death.


    Rather than face off against Lie Qiao¡¯er, the Wu swordsman decided toe at Li Mo. A golden broadsword, crackling with lightning, flew toward Li Mo¡¯s face. Based on the strength of the attack, Li Mo judged that the Wu representative was a first-rank sword saint, not at Li Mo¡¯s level but not too far off, either.


    Li Mo calmly deflected the attack, summoning his spiritual sword and using it to defend against the Wu representative¡¯s broadsword. Its golden-yellow glow shed with Li Mo¡¯s sword¡¯s blue-green glow so brilliantly that many spectators were blinded by the sh.


    At the same time, Lie Qiao¡¯er and Feng Yicheng¡¯s mental battle neared its apex. The charm that Lie Qiao¡¯er exuded would manifest as illusions in the target¡¯s mind, and if the target had a cultivation lower than hers, then she would gain control over the target.


    Because Feng Yicheng¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t far above Lie Qiao¡¯er¡¯s, he was only able to defend against her mental onught without being able to retaliate¡ªuntil the glow from Li Mo and the Wu swordsman¡¯s sh caused Lie Qiao¡¯er to blink involuntarily.


    Feng Yicheng seized the opportunity to step forward, unsheathing a shortsword and directing it to the side of Lie Qiao¡¯er¡¯s neck in a fluid motion. Lie Qiao¡¯er closed her eyes expecting an impending death, but Feng Yicheng whispered in her ear, ¡°Apologies, mdy.¡±


    Then, Lie Qiao¡¯er felt a pain in her abdomen as she flew up into the air, kicked off the stage by Feng Yicheng. With a thud, her bodynded out of bounds, and the judge announced her disqualification.


    There were now only three representatives remaining on stage: Li Mo, Feng Yicheng, and the Wu swordsman. Li Mo and the Wu swordsman were still fighting against each other, with Li Mo slowly gaining the upper hand; although the glow from their shes was still blinding, the crowd could sense that the blue-green light was slowly dominating the golden-yellow light.


    But just as Li Mo¡¯s blue-green light was about to swallow up the golden-yellow light entirely, both sword auras dimmed. Amidst the watchful eyes of a thousand cultivators, two bodies flew in a graceful arc up and over the stage, falling to the ground in two loud thuds.


    ¡°What? How could this be?!¡± Pi Batian stood up from his seat in shock, because one of those two bodies was Li Mo¡¯s! The only one on stage was Feng Yicheng!


    ¡°The Wu and Pi representatives are disqualified,¡± the judge eximed, his voice resounding through the arena. ¡°The Feng family is the victor of this year¡¯s seven cities¡¯ tournament!¡±

 Chapter 376: Yun Ruoyan’s Audacious Plan

    <h4>Chapter 376: Yun Ruoyan¡¯s Audacious n</h4>


    ¡°How could it be?!¡± Pi Batian and Pi Yan both nced at the arena with identical looks of shock on their faces. The only representative left in the arena was Feng Yicheng; Li Mo and the Wu swordsman had both been thrown out.


    Neither of them were badly hurt. Li Mo patted at the dust on his body and stood up, as did the Wu swordsman. The Wu swordsman had a confused look on his face, as though he hadnded on the ground before he could understand what was happening.


    ¡°The Feng family won, the Feng family won!¡± Apuse burst out from the crowd.


    ¡°But what exactly happened?¡± some sharp-eyed cultivators wondered. ¡°How did the Wu and Pi families end up losing, and how did the Feng family win just like that?¡±


    ¡°How could that Feng brat have won?¡± Pi Yan turned to Pi Batian, his tone steeped in disbelief and doubt at his son¡¯s information. ¡°Didn¡¯t you im that the Feng brat was useless? How did he win?¡±


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know, Father! Something must be amiss!¡± Pi Batian was as shocked as Pi Yan at the unexpected conclusion. When two sword saints fought, it was exceedingly difficult for a third party with a lower cultivation to make a move, because that third party would be hurt by the residual spiritual energy from the shes.


    As far as Pi Batian knew, Feng Yicheng¡¯s cultivation was below that of Li Mo and the Wu swordsman, so there was no way he could have kicked the two of them off the stage on his own. This was evident to both him and Pi Yan, so there could only be one exnation for the scenario: either Li Mo or the Wu swordsman had intentionally sent both men flying out!


    Pi Yan was very familiar with the Wu family and the Wu representative. The Wu family was on good terms with the Pi family, and Pi Yan was certain that the Wu family certainly wouldn¡¯t ruin the rtionship they had with the Pis. In that case, the culprit had to be Li Mo!


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Pi Yan gritted out, then turned to Pi Batian. ¡°Call him back.¡±


    ¡°Immediately, Father.¡± However, Pi Batian wasn¡¯t able to find Li Mo. After the tournament, in order to prevent chaos, those representatives who had been disqualified could leave through a separate exit of the arena. ording to n, Li Mo left the arena and met with servants from the Feng family, who were tasked with bringing him discreetly away from the Pi family.


    When Pi Batian failed to find Li Mo in the arena, he had an uneasy premonition. After hastily reporting back to Pi Yan, he brought his men away from the arena and began tracking Li Mo¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡°Silence!¡± The head of the Feng family, Feng Yanyang, stood up from his seat. His voice wasn¡¯t particrly loud or resounding, but it was infused with the power of his advanced cultivation. With a single breath, he quieted the thousand-strong crowd.


    In his hands was a sandalwood box. He strode to center stage and opened it, raising a ck jade seal high for all to see. ¡°ording to the rules of the seven cities¡¯ tournament, the family who emerges the victor will gain jurisdiction over Peak Darkness until the next tournament.¡± Feng Yanyang paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°By chance, the Feng family has emerged the victor again, and I shall remain the governor of the area for another three years¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, something¡¯s fishy!¡± a spectator suddenly shouted. ¡°The Feng representative clearly was no match for the Pi or Wu representatives. How could he have won just like that? He must have cheated!¡±


    ¡°Right, he had to have cheated! None of us spectators were able to see what was going on!¡±


    ¡°How could the Wu and Pi representatives have been thrown out of the stage so easily? They¡¯re clearly more skilled than the Feng representative!¡±


    Murmurs rippled through the crowd. There were quite a few advanced cultivators watching the tournament, and those cultivators, particrly those affiliated with the Wu and Pi families, began voicing their displeasure at the sudden end to the tournament.


    Naturally, those cultivators supporting the Feng family wouldn¡¯t remain silent.


    ¡°How dare you im the Feng family cheated!¡±


    ¡°Right! Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t see how the Pi and Wu swordsmen ended up off the stage? Doesn¡¯t that mean that no one saw the Feng family cheat? You¡¯re just ndering the Feng family!¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t it have been that the Wu and Pi swordsmen knocked each other off the stage? ording to the tournament¡¯s rules, no matter how they ended up off the stage, they¡¯ve both lost. The Feng family is the true victor!¡±


    As the crowd turned raucous, the guards in charge of security immediately perked up and headed to the stands where the dissenting voices seemed to be loudest.


    ¡°Everyone, please let me exin,¡± Feng Yanyang continued, his voice quashing the crowd¡¯s dissents once more. ¡°I won¡¯t deny that the Feng family¡¯s victory during this tournament was a fluke of luck. As a result, for the next three years, the Feng family will lower the management fees for all stores in Peak Darkness by ten percent!¡±


    Three years ago, the Feng family had lowered the fees by ten percent. To do so again was undoubtedly going to hurt their profits significantly. The crowd was initially silent at Feng Yanyang¡¯s promation, but it quickly broke out in a cheer. Even those who were against the Feng family had to admire Feng Yanyang¡¯s generosity.


    Compared to the Pi family¡¯s steep fees and harsh measures against those who failed to pay, the Feng family¡¯s policies were clearly more popr.


    ¡°We¡¯ll happily ept the Feng family¡¯s governance!¡±


    ¡°Three cheers for the Feng family!¡±


    In the face of the crowd¡¯s cheers, Pi Yan snorted. It¡¯s only weaklings like you who have to make use of these cheap tricks to win the crowd¡¯s favor!


    Yun Ruoyan was supposed to meet up with Li Mo ording to n, but even after waiting for half the day, she never showed up.


    Yan¡¯er must be in danger. Li Mo was currently in a suite within the pleasure den they had been in a few days ago, their designated meeting spot. He was very anxious at her disappearance. Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, he informed the Feng servant that he was heading to the Pi family to have a look at what was going on.


    He had just left his suite when Mo¡¯er dove toward him, a message clutched in its ws. Apparently, Yun Ruoyan had been trying to find an opportunity to leave, but Pi Yang had stuck to her like a piece of toffee, talking nonstop about what had happened during the tournament.


    When Yun Ruoyan finally found an excuse to slip away, Pi Yan called her back. Because the Pi family had lost the tournament, his face was frighteningly dark. He had stared at Yun Ruoyan for quite a while before asking her about Li Mo¡¯s actions these past days. His questions were very specific, and he seemed to focus in particr on what had happened at the pleasure den.


    Because of the shade aura that her shade was giving off, Pi Yan had never once suspected her identity. When Pi Yan finished his questioning, Yun Ruoyan was finally free to leave. However, she suddenly changed her mind¡ªshe had juste up with an audacious n.


    Since neither Pi Yan nor Pi Batian suspected that she was anyone but the mute woman, then couldn¡¯t she remain in the Pi family? By being here, she could both help spy on the Pi family on behalf of the Fengs, and, more importantly, she might be able to find out what had happened to her father Long Yin from Pi Yan.


    Pi Yan had personally arrested Long Yin, and he was likely the only one who would know of her father¡¯s whereabouts. If she were to leave the Pi manor just like that, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know whether she would have a chance to infiltrate the Pi family again. As a result, she had decided to follow through with her n, and had sent a message to Li Mo via Mo¡¯er to let him know.


    ¡°Telling me not to worry and daring to leave me on my own... Has she forgotten whose husband she is?¡± Li Mo pursed his lips, tamping down his desire to rush to the Pi family and drag Yun Ruoyan away. He was exasperated and worried about her newfound tendency to do things on her own without consulting anyone else. Yun Ruoyan knew how helpless he was against her, and she had been taking advantage of it all this time...!


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯d bettere back safe and sound, or otherwise...¡± Li Mo clutched her message tightly in his fist.


    Pi Batian scoured Peak Darkness with his men and found no trace of Li Mo. By then, he was certain that Li Mo had tricked both him and his father. As soon as he ascertained this, he immediately headed back to the inn and reported the results of his investigation to Pi Yan.


    ¡°Li Mo and that Feng brat, working in cahoots!¡± Pi Yan mmed a palm on the table as he listened to Pi Batian¡¯s report, so furious that his face turned red. He gritted his teeth and spat out, ¡°To think that I, Pi Yan, would be tricked by these two upstarts!¡±


    ¡°Father, I think something¡¯s amiss,¡± Pi Batian continued. ¡°How did Li Mo and Feng Yicheng manage to scheme together, with my assassin watching over Li Mo? They couldn¡¯t have had any chance to interact!¡±

 Chapter 377: Suspicion and Scrutiny

    <h4>Chapter 377: Suspicion and Scrutiny</h4>


    ¡°You mean that the problem lies with the mute woman?¡± Pi Yan furrowed his brows. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I was the one who sent her to study the shadow arts. I also questioned her carefully, and I didn¡¯t notice anything particrly suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Father, you only knew the mute woman well as a child. Ever since she was sent away for training, the two of you gradually drew apart. After her shadow arts improved, I¡¯ve never once seen her face. She¡¯s surrounded by shadow aura, so even Pi Yang, who¡¯s close to her, hasn¡¯t suspected anything, let alone the two of us. If the mute woman¡¯s a fake...¡±


    ¡°You believe that there¡¯s a third person on the Mingyuan continent who knows the shadow arts except for the mute woman and her master?¡± Pi Yan seriously doubted the veracity of his son¡¯s im.


    ¡°Father, wouldn¡¯t her master be able to confirm her identity? I think we¡¯d better find him,¡± Pi Batian suggested. ¡°Right now, we also need his help. He¡¯s skilled at finding people in hiding, and it¡¯ll only be a matter of time until we find Li Mo if he¡¯s here to help us.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Pi Yan nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    Unlike the other families, the Pi family remained in Peak Darkness even after the tournament. It had been four days since the conclusion of the tournament, but the Pi family showed no sign of leaving. Yun Ruoyan knew that Pi Batian had been intently focused on searching for Li Mo, but he had had no sess.


    ¡°That dark robe really wasn¡¯t to be trusted at all!¡± With Li Mo¡¯s betrayal still fresh in everyone¡¯s mind, Pi Yang¡¯s expression turned grim and dark whenever Li Mo was mentioned. ¡°To dare to conspire with the Feng family to lose our family the tournament, to lose the governing rights to Peak Darkness for another three years, and even to escape! Despicable!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stood behind Pi Yang, a smile dancing behind her veil. And don¡¯t forget how he had you spend ten thousand spirit crystals for three Kongming Academy students.


    ¡°Mute woman, you were responsible for watching over him, so now that he¡¯s run off, I¡¯m sure Father and Brother will me you.¡± Pi Yang¡¯s tone was concerned. ¡°You¡¯ve always been meticulous, so the fact that even you didn¡¯t notice anything unusual about him speaks volumes as to how sly he is.¡±


    ¡°He is sly, isn¡¯t he?¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, trying to suppress herughter. She could see that Pi Yang was truly concerned for her. In the past, she thought that although Pi Yang wasn¡¯t as vicious as his father or brother, he couldn¡¯t be a good person because of the negative environmental influences all around him. After getting to know him better over these few days, though, Yun Ruoyan found out that Pi Yang was actually still quite innocuous and kind-hearted.


    Nevertheless, she and he could never be friends.


    ¡°Second Young Master, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°Madam Shade.¡± A voice came from the other end of the corridor, interrupting Yun Ruoyan. She turned to see one of Pi Batian¡¯s swordsmen walking toward her, and her face turned serious under her veil.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Before Yun Ruoyan could speak, Pi Yang had already done so on her behalf.


    ¡°Lord Pi is summoning you,¡± the swordsman replied.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll head to his chambers immediately.¡±


    The swordsman didn¡¯t leave. Instead, he stood by the side waiting for Yun Ruoyan to move. She turned to nce at Pi Yang as she strode away.


    ¡°Let me follow you,¡± Pi Yang called out. ¡°If I¡¯m there, I may be able to ask for clemency on your behalf.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Pi Yang went to Pi Yan¡¯s rooms together.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Pi Yan frowned upon seeing Pi Yang. ¡°The tournament¡¯s over, so you should head back to the Pi city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father, I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow,¡± Pi Yang replied with a smile. Perhaps because Pi Yan didn¡¯t hold his younger son in high regard, he was rtively lenient to him. In contrast, he was exacting in his demands for Pi Batian.


    ¡°Mute woman, you¡¯ve been stuck to Li Mo like a shadow. Was there really nothing about him that struck you as unusual?¡± Pi Yan turned to Yun Ruoyan.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time that Pi Yan had asked a simr question. He had done so initially when Li Mo was all but confirmed to be a traitor. Yun Ruoyan had replied simply in the negative, but this time, she didn¡¯t feel as though Pi Yan would let her get away with just that.


    ¡°Lord Pi,¡± Yun Ruoyan began, bowing. ¡°I truly did not discover anything amiss. Li Mo is a stoic individual, one who rarely speaks or reveals much emotion on his face. All I can confirm is that he did not disy any suspicious behavior while I was assigned to him. As for the thoughts and ns that he might haveid out before then, I was unaware of them.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had prepared her response well in advance. Her delivery was natural and without hesitation or guilt.


    Pi Yan couldn¡¯t find fault with her response, but because he was already doubting her, he began to feel more and more suspicious.


    ¡°Mute woman, when have you ever been able to speak so fluidly?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled. She hadn¡¯t expected that speaking well would also cause suspicion, and she didn¡¯t know how to ay Pi Yan¡¯s concerns. Instead, she lowered her head and remained silent.


    ¡°Father!¡± Pi Yang could sense his father¡¯s suspicions toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°She¡¯s grown up with me, and I¡¯m the one who understands her most. She would never do anything against the Pi family, she¡ª¡±


    Pi Yan red at Pi Yang, causing him to stutter and stop entirely, before turning back to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°You used to have to break up a sentence into three parts, and you would never speak more than three sentences in one go. Why do you sound like a different person entirely?¡±


    Pi Yan released more and more of his aura, trying to terrify Yun Ruoyan with his strength. Against this demonstration, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t deliberately try to remain calm: her voice began to quaver, and her forehead was covered by a sheen of sweat.


    ¡°Master, I, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Pi Yang once again stepped up to save Yun Ruoyan. ¡°She was always fond of talking, and it was only after too much shadow aura ruined her voice that she became more and more reticent. Isn¡¯t it natural for her to want to speak to clear her name?¡±


    Pi Yan finally stopped pressuring Yun Ruoyan with his aura, and she exhaled in relief. Nevertheless, she forged forward with the next part of her nned response. ¡°Master, I am truly loyal to the Pi family. Not having detected Li Mo¡¯s betrayal was my failing, and I am willing to shoulder the me.¡±


    Pi Yan sat down, neither detailing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s punishment nor dismissing her. Instead, he looked at her as she stood in silence, her head lowered.


    Eventually, Pi Yang couldn¡¯t take it any longer. ¡°Father, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    ¡°You can go, but the mute woman remains,¡± Pi Yan replied, turning to her. ¡°Your master¡¯sing, so you should stay and greet him.¡±


    Master? Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart thumped. This woman had a master? She had no choice but to reply, ¡°Yes, Lord Pi.¡±


    ¡°Is Master Shadeing?¡± In contrast, Pi Yang looked very excited. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since Ist saw him!¡± He sat down, then motioned for Yun Ruoyan to follow suit. ¡°You should sit too. Isn¡¯t it tiring to keep standing?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Father.¡± Not longter, Pi Batian entered. He nced at Yun Ruoyan, who stood by the side of the room, and at Pi Batian, who was sitting leisurely. Then, he announced to Pi Yan, ¡°Master Shade is here.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, a formless shadow suddenly appeared by Pi Batian¡¯s side, gradually coalescing into the shape of a human. Yun Ruoyan saw only a manpletely shrouded in a ck robe, surrounded by a billowing field of shadow aura that rendered his features indistinct.


    ¡°Greetings, Lord Pi.¡± The master bowed to Pi Yan, his voice even lower and hoarser than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fake voice, as though there were something constricting his throat, that even the shortest word was a struggle for him. It turned her scalp numb.


    ¡°Master Shade, your disciple is here as well,¡± Pi Yan prompted.


    He turned around and faced Yun Ruoyan. She felt as though a cold re were prating her as she forced herself to remain steady and bow down. ¡°This disciple greets her master.¡±


    The master nced at her critically, and a strange silence took over the room. In the pregnant silence, Yun Ruoyan could distinctly hear everyone else¡¯s breathing.


    ¡°I hear you¡¯ve failed your mission,¡± the shrouded man finally said.


    ¡°Yes, Master. I failed to detect my target¡¯s motives in time, causing the Pi family to lose an important tournament. I will ept any punishment.¡±


    The man nodded. His body flickered as he seemed to teleport to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side, then made as if to strike her in the face with a gnarled, ckened w.


    ¡°Master Shade!¡± Pi Yang screamed, but he was too far away to stop him.


    Yun Ruoyan felt a strong force about to hit her face, so quick that she couldn¡¯t raise her defenses in time, and so strong that she couldn¡¯t block it even if she had the time to react. Knowing that resisting was useless, she stood rigid and closed her eyes...

 Chapter 378: Deciding to Leave

    <h4>Chapter 378: Deciding to Leave</h4>


    The gnarled ck w stopped a fraction of an inch away from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, and her master¡¯s billowing shadow aura pushed even hers aside. ¡°Your cultivation was hard-earned and required a tremendous effort, so it would be a pity to waste your talent,¡± he said, withdrawing his w. ¡°I¡¯ll petition Lord Pi for you to have a chance to redeem yourself.¡±


    Only then did Yun Ruoyan open her eyes. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, leave. I have something to discuss with Master Shade.¡± Pi Yan dismissed Yun Ruoyan, Pi Yang, and Pi Batian.


    ¡°Brother, have you found Li Mo?¡± Pi Yang asked.


    ¡°No, but I¡¯ve just received news as to where he might be, and I¡¯m heading over now to take a look. No matter where he¡¯s hiding, I¡¯ll ferret him out!¡± He turned and walked away.


    ¡°Mute woman, the only way to prove your innocence now is to find Li Mo,¡± Pi Yang murmured, ncing at his brother¡¯s back.


    When Pi Yan and Master Shade were alone, Pi Yan asked, ¡°Master Shade, is there something wrong with your disciple?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my disciple at all. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s likely dead.¡±


    Pi Yan had expected such a conclusion, but he couldn¡¯t help bing enraged. He squeezed his armrest with one hand so hard that it broke in two. ¡°So this is the Feng family¡¯s scheme?¡± His anger caused his voice to turn hoarse with fury. ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s a third cultivator on the Mingyuan continent who¡¯s familiar with the shadow arts, especially one that belongs to the Feng family!¡±


    Master Shade hesitated. ¡°The shadow arts are a secret technique passed down from the Jiyuan continent, and no records have leaked to the Mingyuan continent atrge. The silver dragon n elder himself told me this when he imparted the technique to me, and I¡¯m confident that no one else on the Mingyuan continent is familiar with these methods, let alone someone from the Feng family.¡±


    Although this Master Shade was purportedly one of Pi Yan¡¯s men, he was actually one of the informants trained by the silver dragon n elder himself. He was responsible for supporting Pi Yan; both men were loyal subordinates of the silver dragon n elder and equal in status.


    ¡°In that case, where did this impersonatore from?¡± Pi Yan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I heard that the daughter of the Lie family had been bitten by some monster and was poisoned by a so-called corpse poison, one of the secret techniques of the shadow arts. When I learned of this information, I paid the Lie family a visit. When I tested the impersonator just now, I found that her aura was very simr to that of the corpse poison flowing through Miss Lie¡¯s body. Since this monster purportedly came from the Chenyuan continent, I suspect that this impersonator is likewise a cultivator from that realm.¡±


    ¡°You mean to say that this cultivator arrived at the Mingyuan continent along with Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, then decided to work for the Feng family? She has to be excised immediately.¡±


    Master Shade nodded. ¡°That would be the most likely conclusion. Given how dangerous it is to impersonate someone like the mute woman, she must have an important task to aplish here at the Pi manor. The reason I didn¡¯t kill her outright was to test how she would respond. Perhaps it¡¯ll help you lure out the person you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite possible,¡± Pi Yan replied. ¡°Since she¡¯s in cahoots with Li Mo, she¡¯ll definitely try to contact him. As long as we pay close attention to this impersonator, we¡¯ll definitely be able to find that odious traitor! To dare betray the Pi family, I¡¯ll make his fate worse than death! Master Shade, I¡¯ll leave this impersonator to you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but I have a request.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I want her,¡± Master Shade replied. While probing Yun Ruoyan, he discovered that the shadow aura wrapped around her seemed to be different from his own. Surprisingly, it seemed to be even more concentrated.


    Master Shade, just like the mute woman, had originally been a mortal. Neither of them were able to produce shadow aura on their own; instead, they could only gather and refine shadow aura from their surroundings. However, this process was difficult, and the resulting aura wasn¡¯t particrly pure. Not only could it harm one¡¯s body, it might leave longsting problems with regards to cultivation. As a result, when he saw Yun Ruoyan, he was very excited: she represented a solution to a problem that had gued him all these years, and he very much wanted to examine her closely.


    Yun Ruoyan spent the night deep in cultivation. Over thest few days, she had been in close contact with the shade for long hours at a time, and she had discovered something unusual about her growing connection with the shade.


    When Yun Ruoyan wrapped herself up in the shade¡¯s shadow aura, she could feel a connection between that aura to a spot in her spiritual vortex, where her ck spiritual energy was gathered. The connection was initially so weak that she didn¡¯t notice it, but whenever she manipted the shade, that ck spiritual energy would react. After doing so repeatedly, Yun Ruoyan finally discovered the tenuous connection between the shade and her ck aura.


    Yun Ruoyan experimented with moving the ck spiritual energy into the shade¡¯s ring. To her surprise, she found that doing so would greatly augment the shade¡¯s potency. It was initially incorporeal, but after she had steeped it in her spiritual energy, it was gradually gaining a physical form, which would significantly enhance the strength of its attacks.


    At the moment, Yun Ruoyan was slowly extracting the ck energy from her spiritual vortex and transferring it to her ring. Within the ring, the shade was slowly being strengthened, and its shadow aura seemed darker and gloomier than before.


    Just then, Qiuqiu suddenly chirped, ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s a strange presence watching you from a corner.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart thumped. She opened her eyes and noticed a ck shadow darting across one corner of her room before quickly vanishing.


    ¡°It¡¯s Master Shade!¡± Yun Ruoyan could easily distinguish his aura after the close contact she had had with him earlier that day. She thought that she had passed whatever test had been thrown her way, but it seemed that she had been exposed!


    ¡°Qiuqiu, it looks like I¡¯ve been found out,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured, in a somewhat deted fashion.


    ¡°Mistress, you can¡¯t risk yourself at this critical juncture. You have to find some way to escape!¡± Qiuqiu advised immediately.


    Yun Ruoyan agreed, and she began to plot an escape on the spot. ¡°You¡¯re right, Qiuqiu. Since I¡¯ve been discovered, I can¡¯t just stay here and wait to be caught in a trap.¡±


    She had wanted to infiltrate the Pi family as a trusted retainer so as to obtain information about her father from Pi Yan. However, now that her identity had been discovered, not only would she not get any useful information, she would be a hindrance to Li Mo and the Feng family if she were caught.


    She immediately stopped meditating, drew the shadow aura in the air back into the shade¡¯s ring, and tumbled out of bed.


    ¡°Mistress, are you nning on leaving now? I can sense a number of advanced cultivators outside, each at least a ninth-rank demaster...¡±


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t sensed their auras, and she stilled when she heard Qiuqiu¡¯s words. Her original intention was to release the shade to distract Master Shade as she took the opportunity to run, but she had to change her n after hearing Qiuqiu¡¯s words.


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to get some help,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Help? From whom? Mistress, are there people from the Feng family around?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t answer Qiuqiu¡¯s question. Instead, she straightened up, patted down her clothes, and walked out of her room in a natural fashion. Since Pi Yan hadn¡¯t done anything to her despite knowing her identity, he had to have been waiting for her to do something. Yun Ruoyan predicted that, as long as she didn¡¯t look like she were running, those guards surveilling her wouldn¡¯t expose themselves.


    Yun Ruoyan began walking along the corridor outside her room, as though she were taking a walk because she couldn¡¯t sleep. She nced all around her, noticing the not-insignificant number of guards on patrol. The Pi family¡¯s draconic governing style had brought them quite a number of enemies, so their defenses had to be up to par.


    It looked as though there were nothing in the vicinity of the inn, but there was actually a near-invisible barrier that had been set up around it, preventing entry from swordflight. The only way out of the inn was through the front doors, but there were three patrols stationed around the courtyard night and day. Even a fly wouldn¡¯t have been able to get in and out unscathed.


    Yun Ruoyan began walking to Pi Yang¡¯s rooms.


    ¡°Pi Yang, are you asleep?¡± she called out.


    Cultivators were generally rather alert even in their sleep. Soon after her call, Pi Yang¡¯s room lit up.


    ¡°I just fell asleep. Give me a moment to dress.¡± Not longter, Pi Yang poked his head out the door in a ratherrge nightgown. He rubbed his eyes, not looking like he had just fallen asleep, but instead like he had been woken up in the middle of deep sleep. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He smiled wryly. ¡°Did you wait until the middle of the night to say your farewells to me?¡±


    Pi Yang had told Pi Yan earlier today that he would head back to the Pi city tomorrow.


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t thanked you for speaking up for me earlier today.¡± Yun Ruoyan threw out the first convenient excuse she found.


    ¡°Come in and we can talk.¡± Pi Yang smiled and held the door open for her.


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head. ¡°Why don¡¯t you step out and walk with me? It¡¯s too stuffy in our rooms.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Pi Yang stepped out of his rooms, following Yun Ruoyan¡¯s footsteps along the railing.


    ¡°Second Young Master,¡± Yun Ruoyan began. ¡°Do you think of me as a friend?¡±

 Chapter 379: Hostage

    <h4>Chapter 379: Hostage</h4>


    ¡°Of course!¡± Pi Yang replied. ¡°I¡¯ve always been treated like a young master by those around me, and you were the only one who thought of me as a regr person. You were the only person I could confide in.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan fell silent. Honestly, she hadn¡¯t expected that Pi Yang and the mute woman were actually good friends. From him, she had learned that the mute woman wasn¡¯t some evil, malicious cultivator, but rather a person in her own right.


    The memory of her body being bisected by her shade surfaced in her mind. Her veil had fallen away, revealing her parched, shrunken face, her two eyes like dark pits. She felt a sudden sense of irritation, of annoyance and revulsion toward fighting.


    However, that revulsion disappeared in an instant. In reality, when one raised a weapon toward her, she had no choice, no time to consider whether her opponent was good or evil, whether her opponent was worth killing. No, the thought that shed through her mind was far more primal: kill or be killed!


    ¡°It¡¯s a bright night, isn¡¯t it? Shall we walk around the courtyard?¡±


    They were on the second floor. There were corridors and stairs all around them, full of ces in which guards could be lying in wait for her. Yun Ruoyan nned to lure Pi Yang to a rtively open space so she could get some distance away from the guards that were undoubtedly surveilling her at this very moment.


    Pi Yang agreed. As they talked, they walked downstairs and into the courtyard.


    ¡°Mistress, that Master Shade person¡¯s following you down. I don¡¯t see any sign of the other guards just yet.¡± Qiuqiu was constantly rying information to Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan and Pi Yang walked into the courtyard. The entire inn had been taken over by the Pi family, and a number of guards walked by the two of them on patrol.


    ¡°Mute woman,¡± Pi Yang called out, stopping short.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Yun Ruoyan stopped and turned back to Pi Yang. Under the silver moonlight, his fiery hair looked like a ze in the night.


    ¡°You feel different from before, but I can¡¯t say why.¡± Pi Yang¡¯s clear eyes seemed a little zed over. ¡°Although it¡¯s been many years since Ist saw your face, you¡¯ve always been as kind to me as you were in my childhood. This time, however, I keep feeling like there¡¯s a barrier between us that¡¯s never been there before. You still sound like yourself, but your tone somehow reminds me of the woman I¡¯ve been pining after. I don¡¯t know why, but...¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that I sound like Yun Ruoyan? You must still be dreaming,¡± Yun Ruoyanmented.


    ¡°Right?¡± Pi Yangughed at himself. ¡°Is this what liking someone else feels like? Imagining that I can see traces of her in every woman around me? I must be addled and out of my mind, and yet...¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned away from Pi Yang. ¡°You¡¯ve only met her a few times, haven¡¯t you? Where did this attractione from? Wouldn¡¯t she hate you just because you¡¯re from the Pi family?¡±


    ¡°See? You sound just like her!¡± Pi Yang stopped and stared at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s petite frame. He hesitated for a moment, then suddenly asked, ¡°Will you show me your face?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stopped short and turned toward the youth, whose gaze seemed more and more bewildered. In order to hide her identity, Yun Ruoyan had deliberately chosen to avoid speaking in front of Pi Yang. Now, because she had decided to leave, she couldn¡¯t help but want to speak her fill. Unexpectedly, Pi Yang was surprisingly sensitive, and he had already noticed something amiss with just a short conversation.


    ¡°Mistress, that Master Shade¡¯s hiding in the crown of a nearby tree. The other guards have followed suit, and they¡¯re hiding in the rock garden by your left and the bush by your right. There¡¯s also one behind a tree ahead of you,¡± Qiuqiu reported again. It also didn¡¯t know how Yun Ruoyan nned to escape, surrounded by enemies as she was, but it did what it could to help.


    ¡°Will you let me see your face, mute woman?¡± Pi Yang stepped forward, his hand extended toward her.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at Pi Yang with eyes as bright as the moon. She remained silent for a few moments before finally saying, ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Then, she tore the ck veil from her face, revealing her true appearance. Her skin seemed to dazzle with moonlit radiance. Though she was expressionless as she looked toward him, it was sufficient for Pi Yang to turn breathless.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s you, Yun Ruoyan!¡± Pi Yang stared at the woman in front of him in shock. That the woman he had been dreaming of would show up so unexpectedly in front of him was something he didn¡¯t know how to respond to.


    Subconsciously, he stepped forward and tried to extend a hand toward her, as if to verify that she wasn¡¯t just an illusion. Yun Ruoyan leaned into his half-embrace and caught him in her arms, one hand against his waist, and the other by his chest.


    An outsider would think them a couple embracing intimately, but an outsider wouldn¡¯t see the ck dagger that Yun Ruoyan slid against his chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± she warned.


    ¡°I¡ªI won¡¯t.¡± Pi Yang was half a head taller than Yun Ruoyan. He nced at Yun Ruoyan, currently in his arms, and eximed in shock, ¡°How could you be the mute woman? When did you start impersonating her?¡±


    ¡°Since before you showed up,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered into his ear.


    Because she moved so quickly and Pi Yang didn¡¯t seem like he was struggling, Master Shade and the other guards surveilling Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t notice that Pi Yang was now her hostage. Furthermore, the fact that she had waited until Pi Yang extended a hand to her before darting close to his body made it seem as though Pi Yang had forcefully pulled Yun Ruoyan into his embrace.


    In the middle of the night, in a courtyard filled with moonlight, the second young master of the Pi family pulled a trusted aide and confidante into his arms... this sort of scene couldn¡¯t help but evoke a hint of forbidden romance.


    The patrolling guards ignored the duo as much as they could. Even the guards surveilling Yun Ruoyan looked away, and Master Shade was the only one who sensed the danger.


    ¡°Mistress, Master Shade is approaching you,¡± Qiuqiu reminded. Perhaps because it sensed how dangerous he was, even Qiuqiu¡¯s voice was quavering a little.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯ve got guts, I¡¯ll give you that.¡± Pi Yang didn¡¯t seem as though he had been taken hostage, and his words made it sound as though he were even faintly amused. ¡°Hiding in our midst all this time¡ªdon¡¯t you know what would happen to you if you were caught?¡±


    ¡°Nothing good, of course.¡± Yun Ruoyan inclined her head to look at Pi Yang, then smiled brilliantly. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll have you send me out, Second Young Master.¡±


    Beguiled by her smile, Pi Yang seemed as though he would nod when Yun Ruoyan waved her hand at him, releasing an intoxicating fog in the air. Pi Yang stared at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bright, bright eyes, his thoughts bing muddier and muddier...


    ¡°Mistress, be careful!¡± Qiuqiu chirped. From her back, Yun Ruoyan could feel an icy tingle of impending danger. Master Shade had detected the intoxicating fog in the air, confirmed that Yun Ruoyan was about to harm Pi Yang, andunched a sneak attack against her.


    He wed at her exposed back. Yun Ruoyan could have used Pi Yang as a shield, but she instead brought Pi Yang with her as she revolved in a graceful pirouette, dodging the blow and releasing the shade from her ring.


    Shadow aura emanated from the ring and coalesced into the shape of a shadow. It was then that Master Shade finally appeared. Three guards appeared on either side of Yun Ruoyan, and all four men surrounded her.


    ¡°A shadow puppet...¡± Master Shade seemed somewhat surprised by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shade. ¡°It¡¯s been refined, so no wonder it still possesses some shred of cultivation. But something so incorporeal could only be used for sneak attacks.¡±


    ¡°Shade, I¡¯ll leave Master Shade to you.¡± Yun Ruoyan ignored his words and continued infusing her ck spiritual energy into the ring, causing its body to instantly take on a more corporeal form, and even the de in its hands to sharpen.


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s gotten stronger all of a sudden!¡± Master Shade¡¯s face changed as he saw the shade appearing right next to him, the glint of its de silver in the moonlight. He instantly went incorporeal to avoid the attack, then appeared behind the shade. He raised a gnarled w, then thrust it into the shade¡¯s body.


    The shade instantly released a concentratedyer of corpse aura, which flowed up Master Shade¡¯s arm and toward his body. Although Master Shade had studied the shadow arts, he was ultimately still a human being, and this level of corpse aura was far more than a mortal form could handle. He immediately drew his hand back, but it didn¡¯t break the connection, and the corpse aura continued to flow.


    As the icy aura invaded Master Shade¡¯s body, he began to panic. This was something he had never seen in his twenty years of study, and he hurriedly retrieved a ck shortsword with which he cut at the aura, finally severing the connection.


    The corpse aura that remained on his wizened w entered his body, but Master Shade would be able to handle it. On the other hand, if he hadn¡¯t broken the connection in time and had taken in too much corpse aura...


    Without giving Master Shade any time to rx, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shade turned around and sliced at him again. Just like before, Master Shade turned incorporeal.

 Chapter 380: By Brute Force

    <h4>Chapter 380: By Brute Force</h4>


    Master Shade clearly underestimated the power of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shadow. Finally realizing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with it so easily, he switched to defense and began to position himself against the shade. Because both were practitioners of the shadow arts, they countered each other: despite its subtle and ethereal mode of movement, the shade found its attempts to kill the man blocked at every juncture.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw that her shade had been trapped in battle with Master Shade, she held her dagger against Pi Yang¡¯s neck and began walking them both out of the courtyard. The three guards moved with her, not daring to risk their second young master¡¯s life.


    The moment Yun Ruoyan was about to step through the front entrance of the inn, however, Pi Yan showed up with a troop of guards. ¡°We scoured the entire Pi city in search of you, only to find you right under our noses all along!¡± Pi Yan called out. ¡°At least it¡¯ll save us the trouble of having to capture you.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t intend to be captured. Your son¡¯s in my hands, so you¡¯d better not do anything rash.¡±


    ¡°Pi Yang,¡± Pi Yan called out, ncing at his younger son. ¡°Yun Ruoyan¡¯s capture is essential for our family¡¯s well-being. If she were to escape, it would be an immeasurable blow to the Pi family, one surpassing even our loss at the seven cities¡¯ tournament. For the Pi family, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to protect you this time.¡±


    Pi Yan had breathed in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intoxicating fog, and his eyes were zed over. Before he received anymands from Yun Ruoyan, he would be nothing more than a wooden puppet.


    I¡¯m that important? Yun Ruoyan narrowed her eyes. Her father had also been captured by Pi Yan¡ªcould it be that he was looking for those possessing the demonic dragon bloodline?


    Before she could think through the implications of that hypothesis, Pi Yanmanded his guards, ¡°Catch Yun Ruoyan alive!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could hardly have anticipated that Pi Yan would even sacrifice his own son for her, but she heard how Pi Yan had emphasized ¡®alive¡¯.


    ¡°You¡¯d better be careful,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered to Pi Yang, then pushed him away from her as she faced the three guards¡¯ attacks. They were all ninth-rank demasters, each about equal to Yun Ruoyan in terms of cultivation. If she had faced them one-on-one, it would be an easy win for her. With three of them surrounding her, however, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible that they could kill her. However, if they wanted to catch her alive, they would have to expend considerable effort to do so.


    If the guards were to charge forward with their weapons and attack Yun Ruoyan in close range, she would be hard-pressed to counter all their attacks. Since they wanted her alive, however, they couldn¡¯t risk identally killing her. Instead, their confrontation would be decided by spiritual techniques which could act from a distance.


    One of the guards was apparently a wood-attuned cultivator. He extended his hand and summoned a number of vines, which sprawled toward Yun Ruoyan in an attempt to tangle her up. Yun Ruoyan unsheathed her Scarlet Eye and sliced the vines apart.


    The next guard had lobbed a fireball in her direction, which she pierced with her sword. Instead of dissipating it, however, she infused spiritual energy into the Scarlet Eye and augmented the fireball instead.


    The final guard ran at Yun Ruoyan with a conjured sword of ice, which she deflected with the engorged fireball now attached to her sword. With a great explosion, the fireball detonated and melted the icy sword instantly, enveloping the final guard in mes.


    Yun Ruoyan began to counterattack. She summoned a dozen fireballs in front of her with the wave of a hand, which she sent flying at the crowd around her. As a peak ninth-rank demaster, her fireballs boasted considerable attack power, which were then augmented by her Scarlet Eye¡¯s mes.


    The enmed guard, desperately trying to put the mes on his body out, was struck again by another of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fireballs. The spiritual membrane surrounding his body cracked, as though it had reached its limit, and spiritual fire began scorching his skin. He roared in pain as his body was slowly consumed.


    Some less advanced guards, who were watching the fight, hurriedly tried to extinguish the spiritual mes on the guard¡¯s body with water, but the spiritual me persisted and even seemed to grow more intense. By the time they were finally extinguished, he had turned into a pile of ash.


    Yun Ruoyan summoned another volley of fireballs, which she sent flying with a wave of the Scarlet Eye. As soon as the sword touched the fireballs, they instantly zed even hotter than before.


    Quite a few of the fireballs smashed toward Pi Yan, but while he was able to deflect them easily, his personal guards and the guards patrolling the courtyard shouldered the brunt of the attack. Their bodies would catch on fire even if the slightest lick of me touched them, and soon the courtyard was filled with howling and the somewhat disturbing stench of cooked flesh.


    The sage-grade spirit crystal in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s silver bracelet provided her with an endless supply of spiritual energy as she flung out wave after wave of fireballs, setting anything they touched on fire. Soon, everything in sight was in mes. The attack, making up for itsck of finesse by pure, brute force, actually managed to keep all the guards away from Yun Ruoyan.


    Back in the pleasure den, Li Mo was currently looking toward the inn where the Pi delegation was staying, silently contemting what to do with Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Brother Li,¡± Feng Yicheng called out from behind. He walked up to him and nced toward the direction he was facing. ¡°Haven¡¯t you received any further news from Miss Yun?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No news might be good news,¡± Feng Yicheng replied. ¡°I admire Miss Yun¡¯s audacity. She bears significant credit for allowing us to sessfully carry out our n. When she returns, the head of the Feng family will reward her heavily.¡±


    Just then, Li Mo saw a ze of fire erupt from the distance, and his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°The Pi delegation¡¯s inn is on fire.¡± Feng Yicheng saw the fire illuminate the night sky, spreading impossibly quickly. ¡°It has to be spirit fire. Nothing else would spread so rapidly¡ª¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Li Mo had flown off toward the me like a shooting star.


    ¡°Brother Li, don¡¯t be rash!¡± Feng Yicheng called out, but Li Mo was already gone. Feng Yicheng hurriedly rushed back inside the inn to find Feng Bo, whom he immediately directed toward the Pi inn as well.


    After Yun Ruoyan had conjured over a hundred fireballs, she took a deep breath. The process had been exhausting, even if the reservoir of spiritual energy from the sage-grade spirit crystal was near-inexhaustible. When her surroundings were a ming sea, she finally stopped her attack.


    This was her secondary n for escape: if she weren¡¯t able to make it out on her own, she would summon help!


    Pi Yan could see that Yun Ruoyan was signalling for help, and he finally made his move, flying directly toward her. Afraid that he would identally kill Yun Ruoyan, he wasn¡¯t using a weapon.


    ¡°Mistress, be careful!¡± Qiuqiu chirped, sensing a tremendous aura approaching her.


    Yun Ruoyan stepped backward to avoid Pi Yan as she raised the sword in her hands to ward him off. Pi Yan tried to grab Yun Ruoyan, but the temperature of the Scarlet Eye was still far too high for him to bear with his bare skin. Instead, he began releasing his own spiritual energy in mid-air.


    Yun Ruoyan was only a ninth-rank demaster, and she could hardly expect to win in a contest of spiritual energy against a supposed third-rank sword saint. This difference in power was why Pi Yan had initially sent his guards against her rather than facing her himself. The silver dragon n elder had been very specific about wanting her alive, but Pi Yan hadn¡¯t expected how devastating her attacks could be.


    In the end, none of his subordinates were able to get close to her, and he would have to approach her on his own. If he misjudged his own power and killed her, then all his work would be for naught.


    ¡°Surrender,¡± Pi Yan called out.


    ¡°Never!¡± Despite being surrounded by the pressure from Pi Yan¡¯s spiritual energy from all sides, Yun Ruoyan refused to give in.


    ¡°Heh. You¡¯re a chip off the old block, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s what your father was like when I caught him, refusing to surrender even if his life depended on it. If not for a miscalction on my part that allowed your mother to escape, you wouldn¡¯t be around causing trouble for me now.¡±


    ¡°Where did you bring my father?¡± Yun Ruoyan gritted out.


    ¡°As long as you stop resisting, I¡¯ll send you to where your father is,¡± Pi Yan replied, then sent even more spiritual energy in her direction.


    Yun Ruoyan could feel that Pi Yan¡¯s domineering spiritual energy was slowly invading her body, and her own spiritual energy had been forced to retreat deep within her body. Her spiritual vortex was being expanded beyond its limits from the influx of Pi Yan¡¯s spiritual energy, growing more and more unstable.


    Even as blood dripped out of her mouth, she remained stubborn.


    ¡°Too willful for your own good!¡± Pi Yan increased the density of his spiritual energy once more, and Yun Ruoyan felt as though her whole body was about to explode from the pressure. The iron tang of blood filled her throat, but she forced it down. Gritting her teeth, she forced out, ¡°I... won¡¯t ever sumb... to the likes of you!¡±


    ¡°Mistress, no!¡± Qiuqiu suddenly shouted, realizing what Yun Ruoyan was about to do. The silver bracelet was able to augment her spiritual power, but if her physical form was insufficient to support that increase in power, she could very well explode and die as a consequence. To avoid this danger, Qiuqiu had sealed the bracelet¡¯s power when Yun Ruoyan broke through to seventh rank.

 Chapter 381: Breaking the Bracelet’s Seal

    <h4>Chapter 381: Breaking the Bracelet¡¯s Seal</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan was trying to forcibly break Qiuqiu¡¯s seal on the silver bracelet. She was a ninth-rank demaster, and the bracelet would allow her to step into the realm of a sword saint¡ªat a cost.


    Qiuqiu watched the seal break apart, powerless to stop it. ¡°Mistress, you won¡¯t be able to handle the bacsh!¡± With thatst chirp, the seal broke in its entirety, and Yun Ruoyan was once again able to draw from the power of the bracelet.


    Her spiritual energy, greatly augmented by the bracelet, exploded out of her body and began pushing Pi Yan back. Pi Yan, who was still constricting Yun Ruoyan with his oppressive aura, felt a sudden pulse of spiritual energy emanating from Yun Ruoyan, far stronger than anything she had previously disyed.


    What¡¯s going on? Pi Yan had never encountered such a situation. Yun Ruoyan was clearly only a ninth-rank demaster, but she was somehow exhibiting the spiritual energy of a sword saint. The sudden burst of energy grew stronger and stronger; Pi Yan, caught by surprise, spat out a mouthful of blood, the bacsh from his repelled attack.


    He instantly released more of his aura tobat Yun Ruoyan¡¯s rising strength. As the two cultivators¡¯ spiritual energy crashed into each other, Yun Ruoyan was finally unable to bear the burden of the rampant energy through her body and was knocked up into the air.


    Li Mo arrived just in time to see Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body falling toward the ground like a drifting feather.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± With a pained, half-crazed shout, Li Mo flew faster than ever before to catch Yun Ruoyan in hisp.


    ¡°Li Mo¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was sheet-white, but her smile was gentle and unforced. Against the ze of the burning inn, it was so dazzling that Li Mo couldn¡¯t help holding his breath. ¡°You¡¯vee for me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving, Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo turned to leave.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, I won¡¯t let you escape again!¡± Pi Yan flew in front of Li Mo.


    ¡°Screw off!¡± Li Mo shouted back, not even looking at him.


    Pi Yan wiped at the blood trickling down his lips. ¡°Make me.¡± His cultivation was far more advanced than Li Mo¡¯s. Even if Li Mo weren¡¯t saddled with Yun Ruoyan, he would have been no match for Pi Yan. Given that he had to bring Yun Ruoyan with him, it would be nearly impossible for him to escape unscathed.


    Just as Li Mo prepared himself for a fight to the death, a ck shadow suddenly appeared from the horizon. ¡°Young Master Li, quick, bring Miss Yun away.¡± The voice was deliberately artificial; immediately after speaking, the shadow began attacking Pi Yan fiercely.


    A huge icicle shot toward Pi Yan, who summoned a glowing greatsword. With both hands, he swung the sword down against the icicle¡¯s onught, causing shards of ice to scatter everywhere through the air like a miniature snowstorm.


    By the time his vision cleared, the ck-robed man, Li Mo, and Yun Ruoyan had disappeared without a trace.


    Pi Yan bellowed so fiercely that the entirety of Peak Darkness seemed to tremble.


    Li Mo hurriedly retreated back to the pleasure den with Yun Ruoyan in his arms. She was vomiting out a steady stream of blood, and her eyes struggled to remain open. She looked as though she were going into shock.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t! You can¡¯t sleep¡ªno, open your eyes, your eyes!¡± He tried to infuse spiritual energy into her body, only to find that her spiritual pathways were tattered and broken.


    ¡°Brother Li, I¡¯ve brought some medicine!¡± Feng Yicheng rushed up to him and handed over all manner of herbs and pills, which Li Mo began feeding Yun Ruoyan. However, her body rejected them and vomited them up, along with copious amounts of blood. Li Mo, who remained stoic even when the skies seemed poised to fall, was trembling visibly, his face as white as Yun Ruoyan¡¯s own. Fear, terror, and despair, the likes of which he had never before experienced, threatened to overwhelm him.


    ¡°Feng Bo¡¯s here!¡± Feng Yicheng pulled Feng Bo, who had just rushed back, to Li Mo¡¯s side. ¡°Quick, let Feng Bo have a look at Miss Yun.¡±


    Feng Bo nced at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s injuries and almost recoiled in shock. ¡°Her spiritual vortex is all but blown apart, her spiritual pathways have all snapped¡­ honestly, I¡¯ve never seen any cultivator suffer such grievous injuries and live to tell the tale.¡±


    ¡°No, Yan¡¯er will live.¡± Li Mo wrapped Yun Ruoyan tightly in an embrace. ¡°She has to.¡±


    ¡°Feng Bo, no matter what, let¡¯s try to treat her injuries. Can you stanch her bleeding?¡± Feng Yicheng asked.


    Feng Bo nodded, then used his spiritual energy to seal the damaged regions on her body. Finally, she stopped vomiting out blood.


    ¡°The rest will depend on heaven¡¯s will,¡± Feng Bo said solemnly.


    The next day, when Feng Yicheng got wind of the fact that the Pi family was about to leave Peak Darkness, he immediately brought a troop of guards with him to the inn that had been taken over by the Pi delegation, ready to cause some trouble.


    The inn had burned for the entire night before the fire was finally put out. Almost every room had been burned to cinders, and Feng Yicheng¡¯s mouth was agape at the destruction.


    ¡°Young Master Feng, please, you have to help me!¡± The innkeeper, having seen Feng Yicheng from the distance, rushed up to him and knelt down by his feet. ¡°I¡¯ve lived in Peak Darkness for over a decade, and I¡¯ve always paid all my fees and taxes on time. But now that my livelihood¡¯s been burned down¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Innkeeper, calm down.¡± Feng Yicheng helped the old man up. ¡°If this fire were an ident, the Feng family will definitely help you recoup your losses. If it was arson, I¡¯ll also make sure that you¡¯repensated by the perpetrator. Can you tell me about what happened?¡±


    As Feng Yicheng spoke, he nced slyly at Pi Batian, who was standing in the courtyard. Last night, Pi Batian had received news that someone had seen Li Mo in a small town close to Peak Darkness, and he had rushed over there with his men. In fact, that was a false report arranged by the Feng family to confuse him. When he returned the next morning to find the inn burned to cinders¡­


    ¡°It, it was arson!¡± The loss of his livelihood had strengthened his resolve. ¡°Last night, for some reason, there was an internal conflict within the Pi family. A female Pi servant suddenly rebelled. The head of the Pi family brought a number of his personal guards over to stop that woman from leaving, at which point the woman burned down the entire inn in an attempt to escape. Oh, my livelihood!¡± The sixty-year-old man leaned against Feng Yicheng¡¯s shoulder and began bawling away like a baby.


    Despite his entire life¡¯s efforts disintegrating within a single night, he didn¡¯t dare to ask forpensation directly from the Pi family. He hadin in wait until Feng Yicheng arrived before unloading his grievances in full.


    ¡°Innkeeper, don¡¯t you worry. As long as the Feng family still maintains oversight of Peak Darkness, the rules of the region will be strictly enforced.¡± He deliberately spoke loudly enough that Pi Batian whirled around and focused on him.


    Feng Yicheng raised his head to meet Pi Batian¡¯s gaze. ¡°Young Master Pi,¡± he called out, walking into the ruined courtyard toward Pi Batian, the bawling innkeeper still by his side. ¡°Please resolve your conflict with this innkeeper.¡±


    Pi Batian was having his guards preparing a few carriages for departure.


    ¡°What?¡± He turned and scowled irritably at the innkeeper, who shrank back in fear. The Pi family was well-known for being domineering, and they had been known topletely eradicate families who had slighted or were somehow hostile to them. If not for the fact that he had suffered such grave losses, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to beg the Feng family to intercede on his behalf.


    ¡°Young Master Pi, there¡¯s no honor in frightening the weak,¡± Feng Yicheng replied. ¡°An internal struggle within the Pi family caused this innkeeper¡¯s inn to burn down. Aren¡¯t you going to provide anything inpensation?¡±


    ¡°Internal struggle?¡± Pi Batian scoffed. ¡°You know full well what happenedst night. Why pretend that you don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Pi, what exactly do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the ones who saved Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    ¡°What Yun Ruoyan?¡± Feng Yicheng pretended to know nothing about the affair. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. All I know is that the Pi family caused this inn to be burned down. As part of the family that governs Peak Darkness, I must ask that youpensate this man in full before I¡¯ll allow you to leave.¡±


    Feng Yicheng¡¯s voice was loud and clear, and the guards that he¡¯d brought along with him quickly blocked the entrance to the inn.


    ¡°You want a fight?¡± Pi Batian spat out. After his fruitless searchst night, he had returned to the inn to find it destroyed by Yun Ruoyan, who had been impersonating the mute woman all along. He was in a vicious mood, and Feng Yicheng was deliberately prodding at him.


    Before they could get into a fight, however, Pi Yan called out from a carriage, ¡°Tian¡¯er, we¡¯ll pay this innkeeper.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to dally further. Time is of the essence,¡± Pi Yanmanded.


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Despite how unjust the whole situation seemed to him, he could only do as his fathermanded.


    ¡°Lord Pi is gracious,¡± Feng Yicheng praised, then smiled winningly.


    ¡°How much do you want?¡± Pi Batian barely resisted the urge to punch Feng Yicheng in the face.


    ¡°Building such a spacious, well-crafted inn would cost at least ten thousand spirit crystals,¡± Feng Yicheng counted. ¡°Rebuilding would take at least six months, and the innkeeper would have easily made five thousand spirit crystals during this time. Add in management fees and all sorts of other misceneous upkeep, and you¡¯re looking at a totalpensation of around twenty thousand spirit crystals.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely ridiculous,¡± Pi Batian gritted out.


    ¡°Young Master Pi, weren¡¯t you the one who spent ten thousand spirit crystals on three women at a pleasure den? Twenty thousand spirit crystals would only be the price of six women. What would other cultivators think if they knew you were so willing to spend money on women, but not onpensating a poor old innkeeper for damages?¡±

 Chapter 382: I’ll Listen to You From Now On

    <h4>Chapter 382: I¡¯ll Listen to You From Now On</h4>


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Pi Batian was momentarily at a loss as to Feng Yicheng¡¯s curious logic. ¡°I won¡¯t waste my breath arguing with the likes of you. This is a chit that you can redeem at any of the Pi businesses in the area. Go retrieve your twenty thousand spirit crystals,¡± Pi Batian hissed, tossing it into Feng Yicheng¡¯s hands.


    Feng Yicheng held it against the sun, as if trying to verify its authenticity.


    ¡°Well? Aren¡¯t you going to let your dogs make way?¡± Pi Batian continued hissing.


    ¡°Brothers, the Pi family¡¯s calling all of us dogs! What¡¯re we going to do about it?¡± one of the swordsmen at the inn entrance hollered.


    ¡°Feng Yicheng, if you keep messing with me, don¡¯t me me for striking back.¡±


    Sensing that Pi Batian was at his limits, Feng Yicheng relented. He didn¡¯t want to force them to fight just yet, so he motioned to the swordsmen, ¡°Everyone, make way! Young Master Pi and Lord Pi are homesick, so let¡¯s not dy them any further!¡±


    Only then did the Feng swordsmen grudgingly move away from the gate.


    Pi Batian leapt onto his horse. As the horse trotted by Feng Yicheng¡¯s side, Pi Batian pinned him with a look. ¡°The Pi family won¡¯t take this offense lying down.¡± He kicked his horse, sending it galloping toward the front of the carriages.


    ¡°Best of luck on your journey, Young Master Pi! I look forward to meeting you again!¡± Feng Yicheng shouted, his voice infused with spiritual energy.


    Yun Ruoyany motionless in bed for weeks on end. All the spiritual herbs and pills that the Feng family could obtain had all been tried on Yun Ruoyan to no obvious effect. However, unlike what Feng Bo had predicted, Yun Ruoyan was clinging onto life with a tenacity that shocked one and all.


    Unbelievably, her spiritual vortex, which had copsed from being overly distended, was slowly but steadily rebuilding itself, and it seemed as though it would recover stronger than before. Her spiritual pathways, once ravaged by opposing and overwhelming amounts of spiritual energy, were gradually snapping back in ce, bing stronger than ever before. All sorts of small changes were happening throughout Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body, coalescing into a massive strengthening of her constitution...


    Li Mo had spent those weeks right by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side. He watched on as her face gradually turned from an ashen gray to a stark white, then a pale white, and gradually a faint red. Her ragged breathing turned stable, and his heart finally seemed to settle.


    Feng Bo had paid Yun Ruoyan regr visits, and he was extremely shocked at what he saw. He had never seen a cultivator suffering such grave injuries live, let alone recover.


    ¡°Feng Bo, how¡¯s Ruoyan doing?¡± Li Mo knew the basics of medicine, but he felt that his feelings would get in the way of giving an urate diagnosis for Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to live, at the very least. I don¡¯t know when she¡¯ll wake up, but it looks like it¡¯s just a matter of time now.¡±


    The fifth day after Feng Bo¡¯s pronouncement, Yun Ruoyan finally opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Li Mo¡¯s haggard appearance. Li Mo was currently cleaning Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body with a damp cloth. He knew how much she liked to be clean and how she would wash up at least once daily, but that she hadn¡¯t had a chance to bathe ever since arriving on the Mingyuan continent.


    Li Mo had originally wanted to soak her in a bathtub, but Feng Bo dissuaded him from the idea, saying that it wouldn¡¯t be suitable to move her too much. Instead, Li Mo could only wipe down her body daily.


    When Li Mo¡¯s towel touched a sensitive spot of hers, Yun Ruoyan suddenly eximed, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s itchy!¡±


    Li Mo stopped moving and looked toward her serene face. Her lips were slightly open and somewhat parched, but she didn¡¯t look as though she had spoken.


    Thinking that he had misheard, Li Mo briefly sighed before continuing to clean her body. When his towel touched a sensitive spot of hers again, Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes. ¡°Li Mo, don¡¯t touch me there. It makes me itch!¡±


    Li Mo raised his head again and looked into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bright eyes. ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± His face, which had settled into an icy mask, finally showed some emotion.


    Two dayster, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body had recovered to such an extent that she could now walk, a rate of recovery so extreme that even Feng Bo marvelled at her constitution. Li Mo had been taking care of her attentively until she woke up, but once she did so, he began to treat her coldly.


    This time, Li Mo was truly angry at her, at how rash she had been to once again put herself in the midst of danger, at how he was always a moment toote to save her whenever she encountered any danger, at how useless and helpless he was when she was in a critical juncture...


    That night, Li Mo watched Yun Ruoyan finish her medicine and turned to leave. These few days, he and she had slept apart from each other.


    ¡°Li Mo, don¡¯t leave. Don¡¯t stay mad at me, alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan extended a hand to Li Mo, but he didn¡¯t react. He even turned away so that he wasn¡¯t looking at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°You lied to me. You promised me that you wouldn¡¯t put yourself in danger needlessly,¡± Li Mo used.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I know. I¡¯m sorry I caused you to worry again, and I¡¯ll happily ept any punishment from you, but please don¡¯t ignore me,¡± Yun Ruoyan held onto Li Mo¡¯s arm tightly, trying to drag him to her, but he remained unmoved.


    In the end, she had to resort to an underhanded trick. ¡°Argh!¡± She suddenly clutched her head. ¡°My head, it hurts!¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Li Mo immediately jumped to her side.


    Yun Ruoyan removed her hands from her head and smiled winningly at Li Mo, whose brows furrowed in anger. Before he could say anything, however, Yun Ruoyan grabbed him by the neck and pulled him close to her.


    ¡°Li Mo, will you forgive me? Aren¡¯t I alright?¡±


    ¡°And if you¡¯re not?¡± Li Mo replied coldly, then pried Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands away from his body. This time, he had set his mind on trying to change Yun Ruoyan¡¯s reckless behavior.


    Yun Ruoyan pulled on his arms with all her strength. When Li Mo still pushed her away, she pursed her lips, and her eyes began to water. ¡°Li Mo, please don¡¯t stay mad at me...¡±


    There was nothing more devastating to Li Mo than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tears, which fell from her face like a string of pearls. Nevertheless, he forced himself to quash his affection for her. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ve done wrong?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, sniffing.


    ¡°Are you going to be this disobedient in the future?¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Li Mo raised an eyebrow in disbelief.


    Yun Ruoyan extended an arm and pledged, ¡°I, Yun Ruoyan, swear never to fail to listen to my husband¡¯s objections and recklessly put myself in harm¡¯s way again. Otherwise, let me be struck by light¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, Li Mo¡¯s warm lips had covered hers up in a passionate kiss. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips, like a flower half-wilted from thirst, eagerly epted the kiss and drew him in deeper.


    No amount of kissing could dissolve the concern and worry that Li Mo had built up over thest few weeks. He wished that he could absorb Yun Ruoyan into his body, so that he could be by her side forever and ever...


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, forcing the words out from between their kisses. When Li Mo heard her weak voice, he broke the kiss and began suppressing his emotions again.


    The kiss had turned her cheeks a flushed red, and her dry lips were now a luscious pink. Her neck and shoulders had turned a rosy hue, as though she were a flower that had just budded.


    Li Mo carefully held the flower in his arms, then embraced her tightly. ¡°Oh, Yan¡¯er, what am I going to do with you?¡± Li Mo sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make you worry again.¡± She knew full well how devastating it had to have been for Li Mo.


    ¡°You shocked me half to death, again.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Yun Ruoyan rested her jaw on Li Mo¡¯s shoulder and nuzzled him, then gave him a kiss on the cheek. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll listen to you from now on.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare scare me again.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t, I promise. Now, don¡¯t move, I¡¯m... so sleepy that I¡¯d like to... just rest like this... for a while...¡±


    Li Mo could hear Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gentle, calm breathing right by his ear, the most pleasant music in the world. Finally rxed, Li Mo also drifted off to sleep...


    Back in the Pi manor, Pi Yan sat cross-legged in his secret chamber. His upper body was nude, and a ray of light from the mirror behind him was impinging on his back.


    Pi Yan¡¯s face went from blue to white, then red, and finally back to its normal color. He opened his mouth slightly, and a small trickle of dark red blood left his lips.


    Pi Yan opened his eyes, which gleamed with an icy blue light.


    ¡°Your wounds are healed, and I¡¯ve cleansed the impurities from your blood.¡± The light in the mirror behind him was reced by the image of a white-robed man, none other than the silver dragon n elder himself.

 Chapter 383: Ten-Day Deadline

    <h4>Chapter 383: Ten-Day Deadline</h4>


    ¡°My thanks, elder.¡± Pi Yan turned to face the silver dragon n elder and bowed to him. He had received a surprisingly severe injury during his bout with Yun Ruoyan. Although it hadn¡¯t seemed particrly serious at the time, it was an internal injury that was worsening at a noticeable rate, requiring him to hurry back to the Pi city to seek out the silver dragon n elder to help him recuperate.


    After more than ten days, over eight whole sessions, the wound was finally healed.


    ¡°It¡¯s shocking that this Yun Ruoyan was able to hurt you to this extent,¡± the first eldermented, and Pi Yan couldn¡¯t help flushing. After all, Yun Ruoyan was still a ninth-rank demaster, and he should have been able to crush her with just a modicum of effort, and yet...


    ¡°Elder, are you certain that Yun Ruoyan won¡¯t die from the injuries that I inflicted on her?¡± Pi Yan asked again. He had asked the same question thrice over. Each time, the silver dragon n elder had replied in the negative.


    ¡°Do you doubt my judgment?¡± The elder furrowed his brows.


    ¡°No, no!¡± Pi Yan hastily added. ¡°I¡¯m simply shocked that she would be able to survive such a grave injury given her cultivation. My wounds were far less serious than hers, and I still required help from you to recover, Elder! I simply can¡¯t imagine how she would be able to live.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because the demonic dragon bloodline runs through her body. Their greatest strength has always been their innate self-recovery. As long as she still breathes, she¡¯ll not die so easily.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Pi Yan seemed to havee to a revtion. ¡°I was afraid of killing her with my blows, so I had to restrain myself, but in the future---¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a future.¡± The silver dragon n elder¡¯s voice turned sharp. ¡°Pi Yan, you¡¯re one of my strongest subordinates, but your recent performance has been quite dissatisfactory. I¡¯ll give you ten days to bring Yun Ruoyan before me. Otherwise, you¡¯d better not show up in front of me again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Elder.¡± Pi Yan, who was a domineering figure on the Mingyuan continent, bowed deeply to the silver dragon n elder, his forehead covered in a light sheen of sweat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for your good news,¡± the elder added. The surface of the mirror rippled, and the elder¡¯s image faded.


    ¡°Elder, please wait!¡± Pi Yan suddenly shouted, having thought of something strange.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried to capture Yun Ruoyan twice, but a mysterious ck-robed man appeared both times to stop me. His cultivation isn¡¯t below mine,¡± Pi Yang continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ve infused a little silver dragon blood into your body, so your cultivation has broken through to mid-third-rank. Spend some time meditating, and you should be a fourth-rank sword saint within the next ten days. You¡¯ll be able to deal with your opponent then.¡±


    ¡°My gratitude, Elder.¡± Pi Yan bowed down to the blurring image in the mirror once more. After it vanished, Pi Yan straightened up and patted down his robes. The respectful look on his face had entirely vanished, reced by the tyrannical and domineering countenance of the lord of the Pi family.


    Pi Yan was the son of a concubine, and didn¡¯t initially have the right to be the next head of the Pi family. His talent for cultivation wasn¡¯t particrly high, so the young Pi Yan had been a rather average existence within the Pi family.


    When by some fortuitous stroke of luck, he obtained the mirror that now hung in his secret chambers. The mirror afforded him a connection with the silver dragon n elder on the Jiyuan continent, who was searching for spies and informants on the Mingyuan continent. The silver dragon n elder took in Pi Yan and infused draconic blood into his body to raise his affinity for cultivation, allowing him to raise his position within his family. Subsequently, he sent Master Shade to assist him.


    Pi Yan, ambitious and willing to use any means possible to get his way, advanced from a nameless member of the Pi family to its head within a mere decade. By cruel oppression and all sorts of vicious methods to suck wealth out of thends he governed, he had elevated the Pi family to their current position as a hegemon of the Mingyuan continent.


    Pi Yan walked out of his secret chambers. As he sat down in a throne-like chair in his room, a gust of cold wind blew in from the outside, and a ck shadow appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Master Shade, have you managed to find Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve tracked them back to a vi owned by the Feng family,¡± Master Shade replied, his voice as unpleasant and hoarse as ever. ¡°Yun Ruoyan is no ordinary mortal: despite the grave injuries she suffered, she¡¯s now mostly recovered after only a month.¡±


    ¡°After all, the demonic dragon n was once a part of the high-grade Jiyuan continent, and they surely have powers beyond the likes of us. Otherwise, why would the silver dragon n elder fail to eradicate thempletely after a whole millennium?¡± Pi Yan wasn¡¯t surprised after hearing the n elder¡¯s exnation. ¡°But now that we know her whereabouts, we can¡¯t give her another opportunity to run. This time, we need to make sure to snatch her back.¡±


    Pi Yan told Master Shade about the ten-day deadline that the silver dragon n elder had imposed.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo are now being backed by the Feng family, so we have to try to avoid them as much as possible,¡± Master Shade advised. ¡°The ck-robed man who helped Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan out was undoubtedly a hidden expert from the Feng family, so it would be best if we could avoid any direct confrontation with him. Ten days should be sufficient for us to act.¡±


    In one of the Feng family vis, Yun Ruoyan and the Lin sisters were seated next to Lin Tianming as they chatted. After a month of recuperation, Lin Tianming had gotten far better than before, but the years of neglect, akin to torture, had so severely withered his constitution that it would take him far longer to recoverpletely.


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m sure Grandfather will be very happy to know that you¡¯re safe and sound,¡± Lin Qingxue began. ¡°I just wish we could send him a letter...¡±


    It would be another three years before Kongming Academy once again activated the portal through the all-seeing mirror, so they would have to wait three more years before being able to return to the Chenyuan continent.


    Lin Qingxue nced at the withered leaves in the courtyard. ¡°We came in the heart of spring, and now it¡¯s fall. After this year, there¡¯ll be two more years to go before we can return. Oh, how I miss Grandfather! I wonder if his body¡¯s still alright.¡±


    Lin Qingxue leaned against Yun Ruoyan for support and constion. Yun Ruoyan patted her round face. ¡°I¡¯m sure Ling¡¯er will take good care of Grandfather. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    ¡°As a son, I¡¯ve truly failed my father, to cause him to worry and grieve for me and my brother¡¯s loss for the better part of two decades.¡± Lin Qingxue¡¯s words prompted Lin Tianming to voice his own concerns.


    Over this period of time, the Lin sisters and Yun Ruoyan had told Lin Tianming much of what had happened to the Lin family on the Chenyuan continent during his absence. Although they tried to focus on the positive aspects of the change, Lin Tianming was clearly quite distraught.


    ¡°Father, once you return home, we¡¯ll have another person in the Lin family.¡± Lin Qingchen draped a nket over Lin Tianming¡¯s feet.


    Lin Tianming smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need for the likes of me. With you three, the Lin family is sure to prosper.¡± His heart was full of hope as he nced at the three beautiful, talented girls by his side.


    Over the past few days, Feng Yicheng had dragged Li Mo all around the Feng city to show him the sights. He had even given Li Mo a rather imposing manor, allegedly as thanks from the Feng family for Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s contributions against the Pi family, but Li Mo had refused the gift.


    Neither he nor Yun Ruoyan were fond of crowds, and his manor back on the Chenyuan continent had been built in a rather secluded location. The manor that Feng Yicheng had shown him was located in the middle of a populous area, and he was clearly dissatisfied with the location. On the other hand, the manor that they were currently staying in was peaceful and serene. Both Yun Ruoyan and the Lin sisters were pleased with the location, so Li Mo asked if they could have it instead. Naturally, Feng Yicheng agreed: as long as Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan would stay in the Feng city, he would do his best to meet their demands.


    Over these few days, Li Mo had gotten a better idea of the Feng city. In contrast to the Pi city, there were far fewer restrictions on the general popce. Its citizens boasted a high level of satisfaction, and it appeared to be the wealthiest and highest in quality of life amongst the seven cities. If they nned on staying in the Mingyuan continent long-term, doing so in the Feng city was naturally an excellent choice.


    At noon, Feng Yicheng brought Li Mo to a certain restaurant. Although both of them had long since reached the point where they could sustain themselves on spiritual energy alone, they were still able to enjoy delicacies. Li Mo led an austere life, and he didn¡¯t much care about the amenities that the Feng city had to offer, but Feng Yicheng clearly did.


    ¡°Brother Li, the manor you¡¯re interested in is quiet and peaceful, but it¡¯s also extremely difficult to secure,¡± Feng Yicheng exined, pouring Li Mo a cup of wine. ¡°It¡¯s right by the mountainside and two bodies of water, and the natural conditions are ill-suited for arrays and formations. Furthermore, given how far it is from the center of the city, it¡¯ll take some time to reach the manor if you¡¯re ever in trouble.¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t respond, and Feng Yicheng finally relented, ¡°Alright, let me discuss things with the head of the Feng family and see if I can get him to send a few dozen swordsmen to guarantee your safety.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡± Li Mo tipped his cup of wine at Feng Yicheng. He drained the cup and turned his attention to the streets. There were quite a few pedestrians, and stalls peppered the sides of the road. It wasn¡¯t as crowded as Peak Darkness, but the area was clearly bustling with activity. Li Mo couldn¡¯t help smiling at the sight: once Yun Ruoyan was feeling a little better, they would be able to explore the streets of the Feng city together.


    Just then, two familiar men appeared on the streets: Zhuo Yifeng and Qin Feng, both of whom were following behind Feng Bo.


    Feng Yicheng nced in the direction of Li Mo¡¯s gaze and smiled. ¡°Feng Bo assists the head of the Feng family in securing the city, and your two friends have be his trusted aides, Brother Li.¡±

 Chapter 384: Temporary Stability

    <h4>Chapter 384: Temporary Stability</h4>


    While Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were in Peak Darkness for the seven cities¡¯ tournament, Zhuo Yifeng had, with the help of the Feng family, rescued Lin Qingchen and Qin Feng from the Pi manor. Afterwards, they had all been stationed at the Feng city, along with Lin Qingxue and Lin Tianming.


    While he waited for Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo to return, Zhuo Yifeng continued to cultivate and became fast friends with the guards of the Feng city. They were all at least ninth-rank demasters, and some were even sword saints. In order to raise his cultivation, Zhuo Yifeng had begun challenging these swordsmen to duels.


    His cultivation swiftly rose from somewhere near the bottom of the pack to somewhat above average, affording him some modicum of respect from the guards. Although he hadn¡¯t officially be a member of the city guards, he was permitted to go on patrols with them.


    Qin Feng had been a ninth-rank demaster for quite a few years, even while he was an instructor at Kongming Academy. However, his cultivation had stagnated, and he too decided to join the city guards like Zhuo Yifeng, hoping that it would finally push him toward the realm of a sword saint. By the time Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo arrived at the Feng city, they had already served as guards there for over a month. Unless something dramatic were to happen, they would soon be officially inducted into the ranks of the city guards.


    ¡°My uncle thinks very highly of Zhuo Yifeng,¡± Feng Yicheng began. ¡°He¡¯s both talented and hard-working, and my uncle wants to take him as a disciple. However, Zhuo Yifeng refused on the grounds that he already had a master.¡±


    Feng Yicheng shook his head in pity. ¡°My uncle¡¯s one of the top cultivators on the entire Mingyuan continent. I once wanted him to take me as a disciple, but he scoffed at the idea. It¡¯s too bad for Zhuo Yifeng.¡±


    Li Mo looked at Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back and thought of Su Bei. Before entering the Mingyuan continent, Su Bei had found Li Mo and requested that Li Mo take good care of his son, and that, if Zhuo Yifeng were to return to the Chenyuan continent safely, then he would likely reveal that he had been his father all along. Although Li Mo didn¡¯t much mind Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s enmity toward him, it would certainly be better if the misunderstanding could be resolved.


    Zhuo Yifeng and Qin Feng continued patrolling the grounds with Feng Bo. After Feng Bo warned them of certain activities and behavior to be on the guard for, they returned to the barracks. Qin Feng headed straight to the training grounds, whereas Zhuo Yifeng and Feng Bo headed to Feng Bo¡¯s cottage.


    ¡°How are the whip exercises that I taught you yesterday going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite familiar with the basic techniques now.¡± Zhuo Yifeng walked to the center of the small courtyard, flicking his wrist and conjuring a thick, ck whip, the weapon he had taken from the first elder¡¯s secret vaults in Kongming Academy. The first elder had also handed him a set of whip-based techniques, but because he had never found the time and opportunity to study them, they had remained in his storage ring.


    Not too long ago, while duelling with one of the city guards who employed a whip as his main weapon, Zhuo Yifeng was reminded of his whip and took it out of his storage ring. Despite never having trained with the whip, he mimicked the techniques that were being demonstrated to him on the spot and actually managed to fight the guard to a draw. Feng Bo, who was passing by, coincidentally saw this scene and volunteered to teach Zhuo Yifeng the intricacies of the whip.


    Zhuo Yifeng demonstrated his technique, exhibiting the various forms of the whip in a manner so graceful it was hard to believe that he had only learned them a day ago.


    Feng Bo nodded in satisfaction. ¡°You understand the essence of the technique. While going through the motions, try infusing spiritual energy into your body and whip. You¡¯ll find that doing so will dramatically increase the potency of your attacks.¡±


    Feng Bo then took out a whip, which he used to demonstrate the principles of which he spoke. As he infused wood-attuned spiritual energy into the whip, sharp spikes grew out of its tip. The wind whistled as the whip swung through the air, seemingly raising the attack of the whip to a whole new level.


    Zhuo Yifeng was rather amazed by the demonstration: infusing spiritual energy into your weapon to strengthen the attack wasn¡¯t a novel idea by any means, but it was the first time he had seen such a dramatic change in the weapon from doing so.


    ¡°You try,¡± Feng Bo motioned.


    Zhuo Yifeng nodded, then mimicked Feng Bo¡¯s actions. As soon as he struck the whip, a curious sensation overwhelmed him. It almost felt as though he were pouring spiritual energy into a bottomless pit: despite demonstrating the forms in their entirety, none of his attacks seemed to be particrly enhanced, but his spiritual energy had ended up quite drained.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± Feng Bo encouraged. ¡°Infusing your spiritual energy into your whip properly is a subtle technique that will take some time to master. You already have a very good foundation.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely practice hard. Thank you for your instruction, Feng Bo.¡± Zhuo Yifeng had stated very clearly that he couldn¡¯t take Feng Bo as his master, but Feng Bo still taught him more closely than he could have hoped. He was very grateful; if not for the fact that he already recognized Su Bei as his master, Feng Bo would have been an excellent option indeed.


    After almost six months of fighting and subterfuge, Yun Ruoyan and the others had finally managed toe together and begin a new chapter of their lives on the Mingyuan continent in the Feng city. At the same time, however, a n was underway to capture Yun Ruoyan alive¡­


    ¡°This time, Master Shade will be our scout, responsible for determining the defenses of the Feng city,¡± Pi Batian began. ¡°I¡¯ll personally lead fifty guards, masquerading as a merchant caravan, into the Feng city. Our informants in the Pi city have already arranged a ce for us to stay. After three days, during the celebration of the head of the Feng family¡¯s fortieth birthday, the entire city will be in a festive mood. Lords of the neighboring cities will also attend, which will surely require a considerable number of guards. The Feng family has overextended itself over thest few years, and they¡¯ll definitely find themselves short-staffed. As long as we can lure away Li Mo, we¡¯ll be able to catch Yun Ruoyan and the others while they¡¯re unguarded.¡±


    Pi Yan turned to Master Shade. ¡°Are you certain that Yun Ruoyan isn¡¯t fully healed?¡± He had personally fought with Yun Ruoyan and could attest to her strength. Not only did she have a rather advanced cultivation, her refusal to submit and mysterious sources of spiritual energy


    Were factors that made her tricky to deal with.


    ¡°I¡¯ve inspected her for a few days and can confirm that, although her body might be more or less recovered, her cultivation is still below what it once was.¡± The reason Master Shade could be so confident was because he had coincidentally observed Yun Ruoyan training. She was practicing a few external spiritual techniques, but she had failed several times in a row.


    Pi Yan found Master Shade¡¯s words easy to believe. After all, Yun Ruoyan had suffered a grave injury. Injuries to one¡¯s cultivation or spiritual vortex were far more serious than those to the body, and it would be ridiculous if her enhanced recovery extended that far.


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll proceed with Tian¡¯er¡¯s n,¡± Pi Yan finally concluded.


    Master Shade immediately headed off to the Feng city, while Pi Batian began choosing a number of trusted guards for the mission. They had six more days until the silver dragon n elder¡¯s ten-day deadline. They would leave in three days, the journey would take two further days, and their final day would be spent in the Feng city.


    Housekeeper Hu was chatting with Pi Yang when a swordsman suddenly knocked on the door, iming that the housekeeper had been summoned by Pi Batian. Pi Batian personally described to the housekeeper exactly what type of carriage, what sorts of horses, and what nature of goods he would need for the journey, then had the housekeeper prepare everything. Pi Batian was a particrly meticulous man, and he had been very careful in his preparations to ensure that they wouldn¡¯t arouse needless suspicion.


    The housekeeper dealt with this sort of thing on a regr basis, and he had finished assembling all the men and provisions that Pi Batian requested by nightfall. Afterwards, he brought a tray of food to Pi Yang¡¯s rooms. The night that Yun Ruoyan had staged her escapade, Pi Yang had been present when Yun Ruoyan and Pi Yan had had a sh of spiritual energy. When Yun Ruoyan was thrown up into the air due to the massive outpouring of spiritual energy from Pi Yan, Pi Yang, as a bystander, had been seriously injured in the aftermath. He had spent the subsequent few days recuperating in his rooms, almost never stepping out of them.


    ¡°Second Young Master, what are you doing out here?¡± Housekeeper Hu saw Pi Yang wearing only a thin nightgown as he sat on the stone bench in his small courtyard, his gaze far into the distance, and hurriedly walked up to him.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Pi Yang nced up at the housekeeper, still slightly dazed. Only then did he realize that the skies had turned dark without him realizing.


    ¡°Second Young Master, why don¡¯t you head inside with me? I¡¯ve had the kitchen staff prepare your favorite crystal dumplings.¡±


    Housekeeper Hu was an old, loyal servant of the Pi household, and he had watched Pi Yang grow into the youth that he was. Pi Yan and Pi Batian were frequently away from the manor, so the servants of the Pi family were all much morefortable around their beloved second young master. Pi Yang had elevated Housekeeper Hu into his current position, so the housekeeper was particrly grateful to him.


    ¡°Second Young Master, what happened to you during your trip to Peak Darkness? Not only did youe back injured, you seem like a different person entirely¡­¡±


    The old Pi Yang had been a stereotypical young master, naturally arrogant as a result of his upbringing. Now, however, he had begun expressing symptoms of depression, and would even spend long hours staring into the distance, just like how the housekeeper had found him.


    Neither Pi Yan nor Pi Batian had noticed Pi Yang¡¯s behavior, because all their attention was focused on capturing Yun Ruoyan alive. However, what no one realized was that the key to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s capturey with Pi Yang...

 Chapter 385: I Can’t Sleep Alone

    <h4>Chapter 385: I Can¡¯t Sleep Alone</h4>


    Clearly unwilling to answer Housekeeper Hu¡¯s question, Pi Yang instead changed the subject. ¡°Why did my brother ask for you in the afternoon?¡± The swordsman who hade in search of him was one of his brother¡¯s personal guards, whom Pi Yang obviously recognized.


    Housekeeper Hu told Pi Yang what Pi Batian had had him do. Furthermore, he had used his deductive abilities to hypothesize about Pi Yan and Pi Batian¡¯s ns. ¡°The young master had me prepare a number of carriages, ones which are specially designated for trade to and from the Feng city. Right now, he¡¯s picking out a retinue of swordsmen, so I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s going to head to the Feng city disguised as a merchant.¡±


    When Housekeeper Hu noted the interest on Pi Yang¡¯s face, he quickly continued, ¡°The swordsmen that the young master¡¯s picking out are all talented fighters, so it seems as though he¡¯s trying to catch someone.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that he¡¯s intending on capturing someone?¡± Pi Yang asked.


    Housekeeper Hu smiled. ¡°The swordsmen of this manor are all rtively specialized: some at tracking, some at sneak attacks, some at assassination, and some at fair duels. Over the years, I¡¯ve figured out the patterns behind what men the master and young master assign to specific missions. This time, the swordsmen participating in the mission are skilled in either tracking or sneak attacks, but none for assassination. Thus, it¡¯s very likely that they¡¯re trying to capture someone alive.¡±


    ¡°Capture someone... alive?!¡± Pi Yang almost jumped up in shock. After all, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to guess who their target would be. Going to the Feng city and amassing such arge group of soldiers¡ªthere was no one worthy of such attention from the Pi family but Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    Housekeeper Hu quickly reached out and supported Pi Yang, who turned to him. ¡°I have a task for you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Young Master? Your wish is mymand.¡±


    ¡°Help me investigate whom they¡¯re trying to capture, as well as where these targets are currently located.¡±


    Despite the fact that this information was a closely guarded secret, Housekeeper Hu managed to do exactly that. One of Pi Batian¡¯s personal guards had revealed the information to Housekeeper Hu after he got him drunk, and he was the only one beside Pi Yan, Pi Batian, and Master Shade to be privy to the information.


    Housekeeper Hu immediately told Pi Yang about the n. After a momentary silence, Pi Yang replied, ¡°There¡¯s another task I want you to help me aplish.¡±


    In her manor in the Feng city, Yun Ruoyan was again practicing her external spiritual techniques. After recovering from this injury, her spiritual vortex and spiritual pathways had both be stronger than ever, but perhaps because she was newly recovered, they needed to be fortified with vast amounts of spiritual energy. Despite having a sage-grade spirit crystal in her possession, the spiritual energy in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body hadn¡¯t yet recovered to her pre-injury norms, and even the ck spiritual energy that she had amassed had disappeared with the distension of her spiritual vortex.


    The hardest thing for Yun Ruoyan to bear was not having enough spiritual energy in her spiritual vortex, which caused her to feel a sense of insecurity. As a result, over the past few days, she had been constantly condensing spiritual energy, but her conversion ratio seemed to be far worse than usual. Li Mo and Feng Bo both told her to rx: her situation was somewhatplicated, and neither of them were able to identify the specifics of her constitution, so they could only rmend patience.


    Unable to bear the boredom of sitting down and doing nothing, however, Yun Ruoyan began using her limited reserve of spiritual energy to practice her external spiritual techniques. Since her reserves werecking, she naturally wasn¡¯t able to create much of an effect: the massive fireball she had once been able to conjure now ended up as small res that quickly fizzed out, which was what Master Shade had seen.


    Although practicing her techniques in her current condition was a rather painful experience, Yun Ruoyan grit her teeth and continued with her training. After a few days, she finally saw results. Every day, she would bottom out her reserves. She had found that doing so would increase the rate at which her body recovered spiritual energy, as well as the maximum amount she could store.


    Having found a way to progress further, Yun Ruoyan threw herself into her training.


    That day, after she was done cultivating, Li Mo brought her out exploring the Feng city. He had wanted to do so for quite some time, but Yun Ruoyan was so fixated on cultivation he was unable to drag her anywhere. This time, Li Mo had forced her to go with him under the pretext of getting her to rx.


    ¡°Li Mo, have you noticed that small child who¡¯s been following us?¡± Yun Ruoyan snuck a peek at her back.


    ¡°Yes, and he¡¯s been tailing us for quite some time now,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Let¡¯s see what he¡¯s really up to.¡±


    They walked hand-in-hand into a small alley, and the small beggar followed suit.


    ¡°Little boy, why are you following us?¡± Yun Ruoyan jumped out from the shadows, startling the child so much he almost cried out.


    ¡°I... An uncle told me to hand this to you while no one was paying attention, saying that you¡¯ll hand me a lot of spirit crystals as a reward...¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took the note he held in his hands, then turned to Li Mo. He pulled out a bag of spirit crystals and handed it to the child, whose eyes widened almostically in shock. He grabbed the bag and immediately ran off, as though he were worried that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo would renege on their words.


    Li Mo turned to Yun Ruoyan and noted her gaze turning more and more severe as she stared at the note in her hands. When he read it over her shoulder, his brows also began to furrow.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, let¡¯s return straight away.¡± Li Mo folded the note up and kept it in his robes. ¡°I¡¯ll need to inform Feng Yicheng and Feng Bo to discuss this matter with us.¡±


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan returned to their manor. Instead of summoning Feng Bo and Feng Yicheng over, they told the Lin sisters and Lin Tianming that they would be with Feng Yicheng. Once they found him, he informed Feng Bo, Zhuo Yifeng, and Qin Feng about the gathering.


    Everyone crowded into Feng Yicheng¡¯s study. Zhuo Yifeng had gone to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s manor daily while she remained unconscious, but ever since she recovered, he had stayed in the guards¡¯ barracks instead. It had been quite a few days since hest saw Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± he asked casually.


    ¡°Much better. I can finally start using spiritual techniques again,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°Good.¡± Zhuo Yifeng turned to Li Mo. ¡°Is there something important you need to inform us about?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Have a look.¡± Li Mo unfolded the slip of paper that the street urchin had handed him. ¡°It mentions that we¡¯re under surveince, which is why I arranged for everyone to meet here. Apparently, a group of cultivators are headed our way.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get this note?¡± Qin Feng asked. ¡°Is it reliable?¡±


    Li Mo exined the circumstances under which the child had approached them, and Yun Ruoyan added, ¡°This note wasn¡¯t signed, but the only ones so interested in us that they would send such arge troop to catch us would be the Pi family.¡±


    The others all agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather take the necessary precautions against this purported kidnapping than risk the consequences,¡± Feng Bo replied. ¡°I¡¯ll immediately increase the number of guards stationed at your manor. If necessary, I¡¯ll protect you myself. As long as you still remain in the Feng city, don¡¯t worry about any danger that mighte your way.¡±


    ¡°In addition, this might be a good opportunity to counterattack against these Pi forces,¡± Zhuo Yifeng mused. ¡°Only if we scare them off will they know our strength.¡±


    Feng Bo then nned a number of countermeasures against what had been revealed to them in the note, and they spent the rest of the afternoon hashing out the details. Zhuo Yifeng and Qin Feng followed Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan back to their manor, both having been assigned to guard duty. Because they knew that the manor was under surveince, Feng Bo refrained from sending arge group of guards over so as to leave the enemy unaware that the Feng family had found out about their ns.


    It had been quite a while since Lin Qingxue had seen Zhuo Yifeng, but she didn¡¯t seem to disy the same passion for him that she used to. This caused Yun Ruoyan to wonder if something had happened.


    That night, Li Mo was responsible for the first night shift, and Zhuo Yifeng and Qin Feng for the second. Yun Ruoyan was unable to sleep, so she went to the courtyard to chat with Li Mo. The fall night was surprisingly cold; despite the fact that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body had more or less recovered from her ordeal, Li Mo still wanted to keep an eye on her.


    When he saw her stepping outside in just a thin nightgown, he couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°I told you to rest in your rooms, didn¡¯t I?¡± he huffed.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled and strode up to his side, then darted into his robes. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep on my own, so I wanted to see how you were doing.


    While hugging her, Li Mo found himself unable to express any of his dissatisfaction.


    A light cough rang out from the distance, and Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan both turned to the source of the noise. Qin Feng and Zhuo Yifeng were walking toward the courtyard, ready to take over for Li Mo. Qin Feng was the one who coughed. Smiling, he said, ¡°Li Mo, why don¡¯t you bring Ruoyan back inside with you? She¡¯s just recovered, so it¡¯s best for her not to stay out too long in this chilly air.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave the second night shift to you,¡± Li Mo replied, then walked Yun Ruoyan back to their rooms...

 Chapter 386: Unbelievable

    <h4>Chapter 386: Unbelievable</h4>


    While passing by Zhuo Yifeng, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but feel a strange sensation. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had felt its like; the same, strange sensation arose whenever she saw Zhuo Yifeng. She couldn¡¯t quite exin it, but she kept feeling that her budding familiarity with Zhuo Yifeng had somehow been nipped off and reced with a growing sense of alienation.


    As they brushed by each other, Yun Ruoyan turned to nce at Zhuo Yifeng. His tall, thin stature seemed to be covered with a sheen of ck fog, one that furthered her sense of unease.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo walked past a patch of greenery on their way back to their rooms. In the shadow cast by the shrubbery, Yun Ruoyan was barely able to make out a girl¡¯s form. ¡°Qingxue,¡± she called out.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan,¡± the girl replied.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone to sleep thiste at night?¡± Yun Ruoyan walked up to Lin Qingxue, only to find her eyes red and puffy, as though she had just cried. Her heart fell, and she couldn¡¯t help being reminded of Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s presence. Her cousin had always been outgoing and affable, and the only one who could make her cry seemed to be Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Why are you crying? Did Zhuo Yifeng bully you?¡±


    ¡°No, no, he didn¡¯t,¡± Lin Qingxue hurriedly denied the allegation. ¡°It was just the wind. Sister Ruoyan, I¡¯m going back to sleep now. You and Li Mo should rest soon too.¡± Lin Qingxue ran off before Yun Ruoyan could call her back.


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan focused particr attention on Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue, only to discover that they no longer seemed to be on speaking terms, without any of the closeness that had previously tied them together. The main difference was Lin Qingxue: Zhuo Yifeng had always treated her somewhat coldly, as if wanting to dissuade her advances. In the past, Lin Qingxue had always been the one to initiate conversation; now that she was actively avoiding him, they had stopped talking entirely.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know what had happened between Lin Qingxue and Zhuo Yifeng while she was in Peak Darkness and while she had been unconscious, but she didn¡¯t think that Lin Qingxue would be petty enough to not want to speak to him even if he had rebuffed her advances.


    Instead, she turned to Lin Qingchen.


    ¡°I suspect it¡¯s because Brother Zhuo has made his feelings for Qingxue clear,¡± Lin Qingchen replied. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing, by any means. He¡¯s never harbored feelings for Qingxue, so it¡¯s good that she¡¯s finally gotten the message.¡±


    ¡°As for Zhuo Yifeng,¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°Lin Qingxue¡¯s such a wonderful girl. What isn¡¯t there to like about her?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s interested in someone else,¡± Lin Qingchen suddenly replied, her expression somewhat strange.


    Yun Ruoyan turned to her. ¡°Do you know something that you¡¯re not telling me? Has Zhuo Yifeng fallen in love with some woman from the Feng city?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just hazarding a guess.¡± Lin Qingchen was currently in her yard drying spiritual herbs that would help restore Lin Tianming¡¯s constitution, but after Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question, she dropped what she was doing and turned to her solemnly. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I think you should let Qingxue handle this on her own. I know her personality well, and nothing will go wrong.¡±


    Despite Yun Ruoyan¡¯s concern, she trusted that Lin Qingchen knew her sister better than she did. Furthermore, when it came to matters of love, there wasn¡¯t anything she could do for Lin Qingxue.


    That night, Li Mo was responsible for covering the second night shift. Yun Ruoyan woke up to an empty bed. Because she was gued by concerns for Lin Qingxue, she was unable to sleep no matter how hard she tried. Instead, she decided to get up and walk around the manor.


    Yun Ruoyan draped a nket over her body, one that Li Mo had just bought for her, then walked out of her rooms. Not a few steps away, she heard a familiar female voice. Frowning, she walked closer toward the source of the voice. It was the small patch of greenery in which she had found Lin Qingxue yesterday. Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue were standing in the shadows, talking. Although Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t see their faces, she was so familiar with their silhouettes that she could recognize them with a single nce.


    It seemed like an inopportune time to interrupt, but it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to listen in, either. Just as she was about to turn to leave, Lin Qingxue suddenly began to cry. ¡°Brother Zhuo, you¡¯ve told me that you¡¯ll never like me, and you¡¯ve told me to try not liking you any further. I¡¯ve tried, but I simply can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Lin Qingxue¡¯s quiet, repressed sobs struck a note in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart, and her anger toward Zhuo Yifeng rose in direct proportion to her pity for Lin Qingxue.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo, won¡¯t you try to like me instead?¡± Lin Qingxue asked. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t like about me, I¡¯ll try to change it, alright?¡±


    ¡°Qingxue,¡± Zhuo Yifeng finally spoke up. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with you. I just already have someone else I¡¯m interested in.¡±


    Lin Qingxue stilled. ¡°You¡¯ve already had someone else you¡¯re interested in¡ªno, that¡¯s impossible! Ever since I¡¯ve met you, I¡¯ve never seen you close to any other girl before. Even in Kongming Academy, there were no senior or junior sisters whom you were familiar with. Brother Zhuo, do you have to lie to me just because you dislike me?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan reflected on Lin Qingxue¡¯s im. She hadn¡¯t seen him close to any other girl before, and he rarely spoke to anyone outside of his small circle of friends. Zhuo Yifeng, you big dummy! Even if you¡¯re lying to Qingxue, can¡¯t you find a more believable lie?


    However, Zhuo Yifeng seemedpletely serious. ¡°Qingxue, I¡¯m not lying to you. I do have a girl that I like. It¡¯s true that I haven¡¯t interacted with other girls since meeting you, but you¡¯re not the only girl I¡¯m close to.¡±


    ¡°If not me, then...¡± Lin Qingxue hesitated. ¡°I suppose you also know my sister, but you don¡¯t seem all that close to her at all...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not her!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not my sister...¡± Lin Qingxue waspletely mystified. ¡°If not my sister, who else could it be? There¡¯s no one!¡± Lin Qingxue suddenly gasped. ¡°Unless... the girl you like is Sister Ruoyan?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t respond. His thin lips were tightly pursed, his face expressionless. It seemed as though he were tacitly agreeing with Lin Qingxue¡¯s guess.


    ¡°It really is Sister Ruoyan!¡± Lin Qingxue was bbergasted. She had never imagined that Zhuo Yifeng would like Yun Ruoyan. After all, Yun Ruoyan was Li Mo¡¯s wife, the consort of the ughtering King!


    Equally bbergasted was Yun Ruoyan, still some distance away. Her mind hadpletely nked out: Zhuo Yifeng liked her? She hadn¡¯t even noticed! She only thought of Zhuo Yifeng as a loyal friend andpanion, and had naively imagined that he viewed her in the same way. How could a rtionship have urred under those circumstances?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s word was a revtion that sent shock reverberating through the two females. ¡°I do like Yun Ruoyan, and I¡¯ve liked her from the very beginning. Unfortunately, this is something that I can only keep hidden in my heart.¡± Zhuo Yifeng turned to Lin Qingxue. ¡°It isn¡¯t so hard to pretend to not like someone. If I hadn¡¯t said anything, who would have known that I was in love with a woman who could never love me back? Qingxue, I believe you can do the same. If you pretend you don¡¯t like me, you¡¯ll slowly discover that I¡¯m not that important to your life after all.¡±


    Lin Qingxue cried, bawling in such a broken-hearted fashion that, despite her clutching her mouth with both hands, her cries still echoed throughout the yard.


    The next day, Lin Qingxue locked herself in her rooms and refused to step out. After having overheard Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue¡¯s conversationst night, Yun Ruoyan, who wasn¡¯tfortable dealing with her own emotions, didn¡¯t know what to think. She nced at Zhuo Yifeng somewhat evasively, but he looked as though nothing had happened. He ate when he was supposed to eat and cultivated as he usually did, as though he hadn¡¯t been affected by the revtion at all.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but be a little impressed. When she made eye contact with him, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t seem to contain any affection toward her; rather, she saw only a calm veneer. Was that also fake? Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help feel a chill saturate her body. If Zhuo Yifeng had been wearing a mask for so long, keeping his true self under lock and key...


    That afternoon, Feng Bo summoned them all to Feng Yicheng¡¯s residence. ¡°I¡¯ve had my men thoroughly investigate those seeking to enter the Feng city,¡± he began. ¡°I¡¯m highly suspicious of one particr merchant caravan, and my men are keeping it under close scrutiny.¡±


    ¡°Why not oust them?¡± Qin Feng asked.


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Feng Yicheng replied. ¡°The Feng family has always maintained an open trade policy, so we can¡¯t easily deal with these merchant caravans without sufficient evidence.¡±


    ¡°Brother Feng, you mean that we have to wait until they try to attack us before we can defend ourselves?¡± Li Mo asked archly. His tone was somewhat displeased: Yun Ruoyan had barely escaped herst trial with her life, and he didn¡¯t want to put her in any danger.


    ¡°Brother Li, I understand your concerns,¡± Feng Yicheng quickly replied. ¡°I¡¯ve already informed the head of the Feng family about this, and he¡¯s personally given the order that, as long as this troop of swordsmen dares to make amotion in the Feng city, they¡¯ll be defeated to thest. We¡¯re prepared to catch a few stragglers to direct the me to the Pi family, so our attack will be considered reasonable retaliation by any standards.¡±


    The Feng family heavily relied on their rtionship with other cities, and it was natural that they would prioritize it first and foremost. Although their main concern wasn¡¯t for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s safety, Li Mo couldn¡¯t find fault with what they had suggested.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with Feng Bo¡¯s n,¡± Yun Ruoyan said.

 Chapter 387: The Feng Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 387: The Feng Banquet</h4>


    Feng Bo nodded at Yun Ruoyan, then continued, ¡°The head of the Feng family¡¯s fortieth birthday will be in two days¡¯ time. I expect the Pis will make a move then.¡± He then outlined his n for guarding them on the day of the banquet, then refined it with their suggestions until everyone found it faultless.


    On the day of the banquet, the heads of the other six families all showed up for the celebration, each bringing massive quantities of gifts and men. The streets were quickly clogged up by carriages from the other six cities and by the gathered popce of the Feng city.


    The guards of the Feng city seemed to be needed everywhere to maintain order, and the city was quickly short-staffed.


    ¡°The head of the Pi family¡¯s here as well,¡± a nobleman eximed, extending his head out of his carriage and peering at the Pi family procession.


    ¡°Where?¡± Another noble hurriedly mimicked the first nobleman¡¯s gesture. ¡°Oh, I see it! They¡¯ve brought quite a big procession!¡±


    The Pi family had sent four full carriages. More than two dozen swordsmen paraded in front of the carriages, giving off the impression of a stately and prestigious procession.


    ¡°Are they here to celebrate or to show off?¡± the second noble scoffed. He was from the Chen family, which leaned more to the side of the Fengs than the Pis.


    ¡°Who cares?¡± someone else called out. ¡°Let them fight. We¡¯ll just watch from a distance.¡±


    ¡°If these two families really go to war with each other, none of us will emerge unscathed,¡± the noble replied.


    Pi Yan sat within thergest and most ostentatious of the Pi carriages, while Pi Batian rode a horse by its side. ¡°Father,¡± Pi Batian called out, turning toward the carriage.


    Pi Yan parted the carriage¡¯s curtains with his hand, then turned toward his son.


    ¡°Master Shade will be waiting for us in the inn.¡±


    Pi Yan nodded, then let the curtains fall again.


    The six families¡¯ carriages were all led by the Feng city guards to different inns. The Pi delegation was brought to a rather isted part of town. The moment Pi Yan left his carriage and entered his rooms, a cold wind blew past him, and Master Shade appeared within.


    ¡°Lord Pi,¡± he murmured, bowing.


    ¡°No need for the formalities, Master Shade.¡± Pi Yan removed his ck overcoat and handed it to Pi Batian, then sat down at the table. ¡°How¡¯s the situation with Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    ¡°As usual, there¡¯s been no peculiarities,¡± Master Shade replied. ¡°Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo are more valued in the Feng city than I thought, so if we¡¯re unable to capture both of them now, we may not have any chance of doing so in the future.¡±


    ¡°If all goes to n, we¡¯ll certainly capture at least Yun Ruoyan, and hopefully Li Mo as well.¡± Pi Batian eximed confidently. ¡°I brought more than two dozen swordsmen into the city in the guise of a merchant caravan, and another two dozen during this visit. These fifty swordsmen are all infinitesimally close to being sword saints. ording to my investigation, there aren¡¯t many guards here in the Feng city, and most of them are only ninth-rank demasters. Even if our n were exposed, we¡¯d still be able to snatch Yun Ruoyan by force easily.¡±


    Pi Yan and Master Shade smiled.


    ¡°Everyone in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s manor received an invitation to the Feng family head¡¯s festivities tonight. We can ost them as they¡¯re returning to their manor after the banquet,¡± Master Shade exined.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle Li Mo,¡± Pi Yan stated. ¡°Master Shade, you¡¯ll be responsible for capturing Yun Ruoyan. Tian¡¯er, you¡¯ll clear out our path with your swordsmen.¡±


    Once the three of them had nned out that night¡¯s activities, all they had to do was wait. Pi Yan and Pi Batian rested briefly within the inn. In the afternoon, a few swordsmen arrived to lead them toward the Feng manor for that evening¡¯s banquet.


    As they entered the manor, they saw Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan departing from a carriage. Pi Yan and Pi Batian stared at them, and Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan stared back. As their gazes met, tension and sparks of hostile rivalry filled the air.


    ¡°Lord Pi, Young Master Pi, pleasee this way.¡± Feng Yicheng stepped out of a side door of the Feng manor, nced at Li Mo, then stered a smile on his face as he greeted the Pi procession warmly.


    Pi Yan narrowed his eyes and turned away from Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan. Pi Batian snorted, then followed Feng Yicheng and his father through the side door.


    The front of the Feng manor was impressively crowded, and the heads of the six cities were all brought inside the Feng manor through a side door. However, the smaller families and less important guests all had to wait in line at the front of the Feng manor. ording to n, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo wouldn¡¯t be treated as special guests and therefore also had to wait in line with the crowd.


    ¡°Father,¡± Pi Batian murmured, turning toward Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo once again. ¡°Didn¡¯t Master Shade state that the two of them were important guests to the Feng family?¡±


    ¡°No matter what, they¡¯re still just two groundhogs from a lower realm,¡± Pi Yan scoffed. ¡°Giving them a manor to reside in is more than sufficient.¡±


    ¡°The Feng family must be deliberately provoking us if they¡¯re sheltering these escaped ves so openly,¡± Pi Batian murmured. ¡°It might not be that they think so highly of them.¡±


    ¡°Lord Pi, Young Master Pi, please.¡± Feng Yicheng motioned for the two Pis to enter the reception hall, where the other five families had already gathered.


    When Pi Yan and Pi Batian entered the hall, the Wu, Lie, and Chen family heads all rose and greeted them. On the other hand, the Hua and Zheng families only greeted them briefly after the other three families had done so.


    As the crowd settled down, Feng Yanyang walked in from outside the hall. Dressed in a rich brocade, he smiled and greeted each of the gathered guests, especially Pi Yan. ¡°Today¡¯s my fortieth birthday, and I¡¯m honored to have everyone gathered here,¡± he announced. ¡°I was bornte in the evening, so the evening banquet will be the main event of the party. Before that, please enjoy the afternoon tea to beid out for you shortly.¡±


    Despite how casual the afternoon tea was supposed to be, the Feng family had prepared extravagant delicacies. Almost all the gathered guests had already gone beyond the need for food for basic satiety, so they were particrly picky with regards to taste and presentation.


    Despite having lost her good appetite ever since reaching the point in her cultivation where she no longer needed to eat, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help salivate at the food that the Feng family had prepared.


    That evening, as Feng Yanyang¡¯s birth hour neared, the crowd gathered at the reception hall for the celebration. The Feng family had its roots in a lower realm. Their ceremonies were surprisingly simr to those of the Chenyuan continent, with unparalleled attention to detail and amensurate increase in the time required to execute them. By the time the extended ceremony was over and the banquet began, it was already nightfall.


    ¡°Lord Feng, at forty, you¡¯ve reached the pinnacle of power, and you¡¯ve brought your family to greater heights than ever before. I hope you¡¯ll continue maintaining good rtions with the Hua family in theing years!¡± Lord Hua, who was on good terms with Lord Feng, stood up from his seat and toasted Feng Yanyang.


    ¡°You¡¯ve overpraised me, Lord Hua.¡± Feng Yanyang drained his cup of wine, then smiled. ¡°The Feng family will always be happy to cooperate with other families. Together, we can all prosper and share in the profits.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of profits, the Feng family has really made a killing thesest few years,¡± Lord Chen muttered, not particrly happily. ¡°The spirit crystal veins in Peak Darkness have produced a considerable amount of high-grade and even sage-grade spirit crystals, sufficient for dozens of ninth-rank demasters to break through to the realm of a sword saint! At this rate, the Feng family will soon hold a monopoly on power!¡±


    The Chen family had always been a loyal retainer of the Pi family, and most of their trading ventures were with the Pis. After the Pis had lost jurisdiction over Peak Darkness, the three families most closely allied with the Pis had had their finances suffer.


    Feng Yanyang simply smiled, offering no further reply to Lord Chen¡¯s rather incendiaryments. Instead, with a stern look on his face, Lord Zheng criticized, ¡°Lord Chen, aren¡¯t you being a little too pessimistic? Fortune favors the bold. There¡¯s no reason it couldn¡¯t be one of our families who takes control of Peak Darkness next.¡±


    Before the Feng family¡¯s rapid ascension to power, the Pi family had governed Peak Darkness for nine consecutive years, amassing huge quantities of wealth and power. They had led the Mingyuan continent for many years, and if not for the sudden rise of the Feng family, their position as hegemon would only have been further and further entrenched, until the other six families were no more than token pawns.


    The Feng family¡¯s ascension was one ofmercial and economic power, rather than in strength and dominance. By pursuing a rtively peaceful path to power, the Feng family had neither suppressed nor threatened the other families with brute force, and they had been far kinder to the other families than the Pis when they were in power.


    Feng Yanyang suddenly smiled. He raised a cup of wine and toasted the crowd. ¡°Since it¡¯s my birthday, let¡¯s have a happy reunion and not speak of such sobering affairs.¡±


    ¡°Hear, hear!¡± Lord Wu stood up. ¡°How can there be no entertainment at Lord Feng¡¯s birthday banquet? My warriors are more than happy to provide some entertainment for the gathered crowd!¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± someone added. ¡°This feast feels like it¡¯s missing something without any sort of entertainment.¡±


    The cultivators of the Mingyuan continent particrly favored the martial arts; entertainment at such banquets consisted not of music or dance, but of duels, challenges, andpetitions. Watching swordsmen fight as they supped and dined was the foremost pleasure of the nobility of the Mingyuan continent.


    ¡°Let me be the first to get on stage!¡± a hulk shouted from behind Lord Wu. He had been the Wu representative during the seven cities¡¯ tournament, and was as massive as a mountain. He strode to center stage, gathering the crowd¡¯s attention, then suddenly pointed toward a guest. ¡°You, I challenge you to a fight!¡±


    The crowd turned in the direction he was pointing to find a ck-robed man, none other than Li Mo...

 Chapter 388: The Dead Cannot Speak

    <h4>Chapter 388: The Dead Cannot Speak</h4>


    The massive Wu swordsman¡¯s eyes were filled with hostile intent as he red at Li Mo. During his bout with him in the seven cities¡¯ tournament, they seemed to be fighting at about the same level. Then, somehow, a mysterious force knocked them both off the stage. He had been eliminated without being able to do anything about it. The matter weighed on his heart like a heavy burden, so when he saw Li Mo amidst the guests, he extended a challenge to him without any hesitation.


    ¡°Well? You don¡¯t dare to face me?¡± The swordsman taunted Li Mo, seeing that he was still seated and without any intention of stepping on stage.


    Many of the gathered guests had also attended the seven cities¡¯ tournament, and many were rather doubtful about what had happened near the climax. As a result, they were all very interested in seeing the continuation of their bout. ¡°Go on, go on! Finish the match that was interrupted!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, Young Master Li is a guest of the Feng family. He has the right to choose not to participate, and I hope you won¡¯t force or pressure him to do so,¡± Feng Yicheng said, standing up.


    ¡°In that case, Young Master Feng, why don¡¯t you challenge the Wu swordsman on his behalf?¡± Pi Batian called out. ¡°After all, you¡¯re the victor of the seven cities¡¯ tournament, and it would hardly be inappropriate to ask for a demonstration of your skills.


    ¡°Right! None of us could really see what was happening during the conclusion of the fight, and it was a waste of three hundred spirit crystals!¡± someone jeered.


    ¡°Now¡¯s a good chance to see who the true victor should be, isn¡¯t it? Otherwise, we¡¯ll all have to ask for a refund on our admission fees from the Feng family, haha!¡± another person called out jokingly.


    Feng Yicheng frowned at the swordsman on stage. He was already a first-rank sword saint, and Feng Yicheng would be no match for him. However, the guests present at the banquet seemed as though they wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until someone stepped up to face the man. He was trying to think of a strategy to deal with him when a man¡¯s voice interrupted the guests¡¯ shouts.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll ept your challenge.¡± Li Mo stood up, his gaze still focused on Yun Ruoyan. She had remained silent throughout the banquet, trying to speak as little as possible and to keep her head lowered. When Li Mo looked back, however, she raised her head and met his eyes with a smile.


    At the same time, the crowd¡¯s gazended on Yun Ruoyan. Two of the most pointed came from Pi Yan and Pi Batian. After a restful month, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s looks had returned to her original beauty. Her face and skin glowed a healthy pink, and her red dress entuated her petite frame. Because she had been trying to hide herself, this was the first time the crowd noticed the woman in earnest. Once their eyes found her, however, it was hard for them to turn away.


    Only when Li Mo had walked on stage did the crowd¡¯s attention turn back to center stage, but there were still quite a few nces focused on Yun Ruoyan.


    Pi Yan stared at Yun Ruoyan with some shock and incredulity. Despite having been told from the silver dragon n elder himself how strong the demonic dragon n¡¯s self-recovery ability was, he still harbored some doubts in his mind. However, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s current appearance had dismissed them entirely.


    Another ardent gaze directed her way came from Lie Sen, the young master of the Lie family. All sorts of beauties were gathered beside him, but his harem didn¡¯t consist of any so petite and sunny as Yun Ruoyan herself. Lie Sen, self-proimed connoisseur of women, had never seen Yun Ruoyan¡¯s like, and he found his gaze stuck to her body.


    Yun Ruoyan could sense the two men fixated on her. She lowered her head, waiting for them to turn away, but they clearly didn¡¯t seem to notice or care. Because of how focused they were on her, quite a few other guests began looking her way again, as though even the fighting going on on stage couldn¡¯t draw their attention away.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help feel a little annoyed. She raised her head again and stared archly at Pi Yan, whose gaze was the most malicious of all. As their eyes met, Yun Ruoyan refused to back down or show any weakness, just like when they fought each other.


    Yun Ruoyan was petite, but her aura was anything but. Even against a hegemon of the Mingyuan continent, her gaze didn¡¯t lose out.


    Pi Yan¡¯s eyes turned colder and colder, and a half-sneer formed on his face. He finally turned away from Yun Ruoyan to center stage, promising himself to capture that upstart woman tonight.


    Yun Ruoyan then turned to Lie Sen. He was still staring at her, besotted by her charming appearance, when Yun Ruoyan suddenly looked her way with the same eyes with which she had rebuffed Pi Yan. Cold sweat instantly beaded on Lie Sen¡¯s forehead, and his whole body trembled as he fell back in shock.


    ¡°Ah!¡± he gasped. If not for the swordsmen behind him reacting in time, he would have fallen off his seat.


    Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t expected to provoke such a strong reaction, and Lie Sen¡¯s sorry figure caused her to smile, thawing the coldness of her gaze and highlighting her sparkling gaze.


    Lie Sen righted himself with a look of embarrassment on his face. When he turned toward Yun Ruoyan again, her head was again lowered.


    Meanwhile, on stage, the match between the two men was just about to begin. Perhaps because the two cultivators had already fought each other and were more or less aware of each other¡¯s skills, they didn¡¯t spend too much time trying to test or prod each other.


    The Wu swordsman, with a loud shout, encased his body in the golden glow of his spiritual energy, a sign that he had raised his cultivation to his maximum capacity. Li Mo could see that the man was a first-rank sword saint, so he also released sufficient spiritual energy to reflect that level of cultivation. His ck robe, amidst his expulsion of spiritual energy, began to billow around him.


    A fight between two first-rank sword saints was shocking in terms of just their auras alone. Swordsmen from the seven families stepped forward to protect their young masters and young misses, preventing them from any incidental damage from the two fighters¡¯ auras.


    With another shout, the Wu swordsman pulled out a golden broadsword, which he shed in Li Mo¡¯s direction. A maximum-power strike from a gold-attuned first-rank sword saint had the power to split mountains, and the wind from the strike caused the cups and bowls on the guests¡¯ tables to rattle.


    The blinding glow from his attack made the guests wince, but after what had happened at the conclusion of the seven cities¡¯ tournament, they bore with the pain as they continued staring on center stage. The moment that golden broadsword, crackling with lightning, was about to hit Li Mo, a blue-green gleam appeared in Li Mo¡¯s hands. The two swords again shed with each other, casting off such bright sparks that the onlookers were forced to clutch their eyes in pain.


    This time, however, the conclusion of the match was visible in a matter of moments. After just a few breaths, the blue-green gleam of Li Mo¡¯s sword quickly eclipsed the Wu swordsman¡¯s golden-yellow glow, swallowing it up in its entirety.


    As the blinding light subsided, the guests hurriedly removed their hands from their eyes.


    ¡°That Li fellow¡¯s this powerful? He managed to gain the upper hand in just a few breaths!¡± The crowd was shocked: the standoff hadsted far longer during the seven cities¡¯ tournament. Memories of the fight resurfaced in the crowd¡¯s mind. Li Mo had seemed to have a hard time countering the man before, but this time, he suppressed him with barely any effort at all.


    ¡°Could he have broken through in this short period of time?!¡± someone wondered.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible! He¡¯s already a sword saint, so how could he have broken through again just like that?¡±


    ¡°In that case, how do you exin what¡¯s going on? Last time, he and the Wu swordsman clearly seemed to be equals, but now, he¡¯s dominating the fight!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one possible exnation: that Li fellow was hiding his true strength all along.¡±


    Actually, this wasn¡¯t difficult to guess; it was simply that the seven cities¡¯ tournament was so prestigious and important that none of the onlookers would ever imagine that someone would hide their true power even then.


    ¡°You... hid your true strength... thatst time?!¡± The Wu swordsman was the first to notice something amiss. He and Li Mo weren¡¯t anywhere close to being equals! ¡°Why? Could you have... been in cahoots with the Feng family... all this time?¡±


    The Wu swordsman¡¯s face was red from trying to resist the spiritual pressure of Li Mo¡¯s aura. Gritting his teeth, he forced out, ¡°The Feng family is truly treacherous. Was the reason you left the Pi family because you were guilty?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a secret that Li Mo had left the Pi family; the Pis had pursued him rather publicly. When this Wu swordsman heard about the news, he thought that Li Mo had only run off because he had lost the tournament. Now, however, he realized that Li Mo had been against the Pi family all along.


    Li Mo narrowed his eyes, killing intent shing through his eyes. He hadn¡¯t wanted to kill the man¡ªafter all, a first-rank sword saint was an impressive existence even among the seven families, and killing him would undoubtedly incur the wrath of the Wu family.


    Li Mo and the others would have to remain on the Mingyuan continent for at least two more years, so it wouldn¡¯t be wise to have too many enemies. However, if the man¡¯s words were to spread, not only would it affect the Feng family, it would severely impact his future actions and reputation on the Mingyuan continent.


    After thinking it over for a moment, Li Mo decided to kill the man. He immediately advanced his cultivation to that of a second-rank sword saint, and his sword gave off a dragon¡¯s roar. The blue-green gleam suddenly turned a startling white, blinding all in range.


    ¡°Argh! My eyes!¡± Some of the hardier guests in the crowd tried to open their eyes, only to feel as though a multitude of sharp needles were being thrust into their eyes. The intense pain forced them to shut their eyes and cover them with their hands once more.


    The incandescent light also forced the Wu swordsman¡¯s eyes closed. Just as he groaned in pain and shielded himself, his body was knocked off the stage by a massive force, followed by a dramatic thud, all sorts of tes and bowls cracking, and the panicked screaming of a number of guests.


    By the time the light vanished, the guests found the Wu swordsman sprawled over Pi Yan and Pi Batian¡¯s table, with a Pi swordsman¡¯s de piercing his chest.

 Chapter 389: The Planned Capture

    <h4>Chapter 389: The nned Capture</h4>


    Pi Yan¡¯s personal guard was standing right by the dead Wu swordsman with a dumbfounded look on his face, because the sword piercing through the Wu swordsman¡¯s chest belonged to him.


    ¡°That Pi swordsman killed the Wu swordsman!¡± Feng Yicheng eximed, pointing at the man before anyone else could react.


    The guests were all shocked. Everyone¡¯s vision had been obstructed by the bright light, and they were rather confused by Feng Yicheng¡¯s shout. After all, the Wu swordsman had been fighting with Li Mo, so how had he died to a Pi swordsman?


    Lord Wu¡¯s expression was pained. After all, the death of a sword saint represented a significant blow to his faction¡¯s power. He trembled as he stood up from his seat. ¡°What just happened?!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, it wasn¡¯t!¡± the Pi swordsman hurriedly defended himself. ¡°I only drew my sword to protect my master. Hended on my sword on his own!¡± He turned to his master, Pi Yan, for help.


    Pi Yan didn¡¯t speak. Instead, Pi Batian stood up and eyed Feng Yicheng. ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense. It was clearly Li Mo who knocked him onto my swordsman¡¯s sword, so the killer was Li Mo!¡±


    ¡°You must be mistaken,¡± Feng Yicheng retorted. ¡°Their duel was one of spiritual power. He was knocked aside because of hisck of skill, and then your swordsman drew his sword and killed him. How could you im the death to be unrted to the Pi family? Certainly we should at least share the burden.¡±


    ¡°It was an idental death. Lord Wu, I think you might as well drop the matter,¡± someone advised.


    ¡°A swordsman at the level of a sword saint isn¡¯t so easily reced. How can Lord Wu just drop the matter like that?¡± another guest eximed.


    ¡°My swordsman¡¯s only intention was to protect me. He didn¡¯t intend on killing anyone, and nor does he have the motive to do so,¡± Pi Yan finally began. ¡°If there¡¯s to be a culprit for the crime, I think the crowd knows who¡¯s to me. Lord Feng, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Pi Yan turned to Feng Yanyang, who murmured regretfully, ¡°I¡¯m sure the Pi swordsman didn¡¯t intentionally kill someone, let alone Li Mo. I would write this off as an ident.¡±


    ¡°Lord Feng, do you intend topensate me for my swordsman¡¯s death?¡± Lord Wu was naturally unwilling to drop the matter.


    ¡°Lord Wu, please let me finish,¡± Feng Yanyang consoled him. ¡°Since he died here in the Feng manor, and during my birthday banquet no less, I¡¯ll naturally provide suitablepensation. Does twenty thousand spirit crystals seem eptable to you?¡±


    The heads of the other five families didn¡¯t expect Feng Yanyang to be so generous and were momentarily at a loss for words. Twenty thousand spirit crystals was about two months¡¯ worth of earnings for a family---and although a sword saint was precious, twenty thousand spirit crystals could easily foster over a hundred peak ninth-rank demasters.


    ¡°That, twenty thousand spirit crystals, it¡¯s...¡± Lord Wu, sensing an opportunity for profit, said unembarrassedly, ¡°...it¡¯s a little insufficient.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll throw in a sage-grade spirit crystal,¡± Feng Yanyang added.


    This time, the heads of the other five families werepletely at a loss for words. No one family had more than ten sage-grade spirit crystals, a testament to their rarity. That Feng Yanyang was willing to give one away so easily left everyone shocked by his generosity.


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly enough.¡± Lord Wu immediately epted the offer, as though he thought Lord Feng would change his mind. ¡°Since you¡¯ve demonstrated such sincerity, Lord Feng, it would hardly be proper for me to press matters further.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s continue with the banquet. What just happened was only a small interlude; please don¡¯t let it affect your enjoyment of tonight¡¯s affair, everyone,¡± Feng Yanyang proimed. Feng Yicheng immediately directed some men to remove the Wu swordsman¡¯s body, and Li Mo returned to sit right next to Yun Ruoyan.


    The banquet continued uproariously. Duels between swordsmen was amon affair between the nobility, so it wasn¡¯t unusual to have an asional death or two. The only reason this death had been because it involved a first-rank sword saint.


    It was almost midnight by the time the banquet ended, and the six family heads each returned to their respective inns to rest. The heads of the smaller families then sessively bade farewell to Lord Feng.


    Pi Yan and Pi Batian entered the Pi carriage, which rushed toward their inn. ¡°Master Shade has already put the n in motion,¡± Pi Batian reported.


    Pi Yan nodded. His gaze was murderous and filled with killing intent; although the Pi family hadn¡¯t lost face during the banquet, Li Mo¡¯s act of framing them for the me of the Wu swordsman had drawn his ire. ¡°Tell Master Shade and all the swordsmen that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s to be left alive. Everyone else, I don¡¯t care. As for Li Mo, I¡¯ll handle him myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Pi Batian replied. He nced outside the carriage, and his gaze turned cold. ¡°Father, there¡¯s someone following us!¡±


    Pi Yan opened his eyes. Clearly, he could also feel the presence following behind their carriage. Not only was it strong, it was also somehow familiar to Pi Yan. ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± He clenched his fist tightly, noticing that the mysterious ck-robed man who had faced him twice before, but who had then quickly departed, had appeared right by his side.


    ¡°Father, do you know who¡¯s following us?¡± Pi Batian asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s that mysterious ck-robed man who¡¯s always ruining our ns.¡± Pi Yan narrowed his eyes. ¡°The fact that he¡¯s here again...¡±


    The carriage quickly entered the Pi inn. Both Pi Yan and Pi Batian changed into dark clothes. Pi Yan told his son, ¡°That ck-robed man¡¯s right outside, so I¡¯ll go see what he¡¯s up to. Li Mo¡¯s cultivation is about your equal, so I¡¯ll hand him to you.¡±


    After Pi Yan had assigned them each a role, they left through the front and back windows on their swords.


    Feng Bo pinpointed Pi Yan based on his aura and stopped him in his tracks.


    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± Pi Yan nced at the ck-robed man, whose face was hidden from sight. ¡°Why do you keep targeting me?¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± Feng Boughed coldly, then replied in a hoarse voice quite unlike his usual. ¡°Lord Pi, your goals are orthogonal to mine.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll just have to defeat you,¡± Pi Yan replied, equally coldly.


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Pi Yanunched an attack at him as he spoke. A duel between experts didn¡¯t involve the initial cautious back-and-forth somon in lower ranks, meant to identify the opponent¡¯s inclinations and types of attack. He instantly raised his spiritual energy output to that of a third-rank sword saint, encasing his fists in a mud-yellow aura.


    Earth- and gold-attuned spiritual techniques tended to involve encasing one¡¯s physical body in spiritual energy and then attacking in closebat. If any of his blows were tond, then even a more advanced cultivator would be quite severely injured. As a result, those facing earth- or gold-attuned cultivators had to avoid direct confrontation at all costs.


    Feng Bo retreated backwards as Pi Yanunched his onught. At the same time, he summoned vines from mid-air to hinder his opponent. Countless tendrils formed atticework shield in front of him, but Pi Yan¡¯s fist smashed it apart.


    Feng Bo was a little shocked: Pi Yan¡¯s blow had surpassed the level of a third-rank sword saint. Thest time Feng Bo had fought against him, he was still an early third-rank sword saint, but in just a single month, his cultivation had advanced by an immense amount. In terms of spiritual energy density alone, it looked as though he would break through to fourth-rank in a matter of time.


    Pi Yan¡¯s mud-yellow fists suddenly began zing with mes.


    Not only did his cultivation advance rapidly, he¡¯s even been polishing his spiritual techniques as well! Feng Bo thought.


    Pi Yan¡¯s mes quickly burned away the vines that Feng Bo had summoned. The ze roared in the air as it rushed toward Feng Bo, who discarded his shield of vines and turned to retreat. By the time he rushed around the mes in search of Pi Yan, Pi Yan had already vanished.


    ¡°How sly!¡± Feng Bo remarked, before rushing toward Yun Ruoyan¡¯s manor.


    Just as Yun Ruoyan¡¯s carriage was about to reach her manor, it was suddenly surrounded by a group of swordsmen that had popped out of nowhere.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± The captain of the guards that the Feng family had sent to escort Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo stepped forward, standing between the carriage and the swordsmen.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to kill you!¡± the leader of the swordsmen eximed. He flew into the air, unsheathed a frosted de, and cut away the roof of the carriage. As pieces of wood flew everywhere, a ck-robed man flew out of the carriage on a blue-green sword.


    ¡°Pi Batian, there¡¯s no need to hide. Reveal yourself!¡± Li Mo shouted.


    However, Pi Batian was looking toward the carriage. Noticing the patch of red in a corner of the carriage, he reached out toward that human figure, ignoring Li Mo¡¯s advances.


    Li Mo scoffed. As expected, you¡¯re here for Yan¡¯er.


    He thrust his sword at Pi Batian, preventing him from getting closer. Their cultivation was at about the same level, so Pi Batian didn¡¯t dare to let Li Mo¡¯s blownd. Instead, he had no choice but to fall back.


    ¡°Not only will you not take Yan¡¯er away, I¡¯ll have you leave your own body here!¡± Li Mo shouted, then thrust at him again.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan¡¯s in the carriage! Catch her!¡± Pi Batianmanded his twenty-odd swordsmen while tussling with Li Mo in mid-air.

 Chapter 390: Scheme

    <h4>Chapter 390: Scheme</h4>


    The Pi and Feng swordsmen were all fighting in one massive brawl. They were mostly ninth-rank demasters with a few eighth-rank ones mixed in, and the use of all sorts of spiritual techniques quickly turned the peaceful night into one colored with shes and explosions.


    The swordsmen that Pi Batian had brought with him were all excellent fighters. Despite the fact that the Feng swordsmen were well-trained, they still fell short. Half of the Feng guards had died within fifteen minutes, and the Pi swordsmen drew closer to the carriage.


    When Li Mo noticed what was going on beneath him, his face turned anxious. With a wild stab, he forced Pi Batian to retreat, then immediately rushed to the carriage to protect Yun Ruoyan.


    Pi Batian also descended to the ground, where he immediatelyunched a wide-range attack to kill another five Feng swordsmen. The already weakened Feng forces grew even more strained.


    ¡°Finish the fight, quickly!¡± Pi Batianmanded. The Pi swordsmen charged toward the carriage even more ferociously than before, forcing the Feng swordsmen right against it. Li Mo stood by the carriage, striking at any of the Pi swordsmen who dared to get closer.


    After Pi Batian killed another three Feng swordsmen, he cracked his whip directly at the carriage. The splintering wood finally gave out, and the carriage was obliterated by the strike.


    The red figure, still so eye-catching in the darkness of the night, was curled into a ball. She cradled her head with her arms, sitting still and trying to protect her body from the strikes that were beingunched every which way.


    When Pi Batian saw that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s entire body had been revealed, he was certain that his n was near fruition. Given how concerned Li Mo was for Yun Ruoyan, Pi Batian knew that, as long as he could capture Yun Ruoyan and use her as leverage, then Li Mo would give up fighting as well.


    ¡°Bind Li Mo,¡± Pi Batianmanded. Of the fifteen Pi swordsmen remaining, three continued to fight against thest five Feng swordsmen, while the others all struck at Li Mo at once. Fireballs, icicles, vines, and rocks all flew toward Li Mo. None of the techniques were potent enough to harm him, but they were sufficient to distract him while Pi Batian leaped over Li Mo¡¯s figure and triumphantly grabbed the red body behind him.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯re mine now!¡± Pi Batian crowed, revealing an arrogant smile on his face. He grabbed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wrist with such force that an ordinary cultivator¡¯s wrist would have broken, but the red figure didn¡¯t seem to exhibit any sign of pain. Instead, he found the wrist he was grabbing exceedingly hard and tough.


    The moment Pi Batian grabbed the wrist, a male voice spoke by his ear, ¡°Pi Batian, long time no see!¡±


    Along with the voice came a mud-yellow sh right by his side, followed by a deep, bone-wrenching pain in his left arm.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Pi Batian groaned in pain as the mud-yellow sword once again struck at his body. Pi Batian gritted his teeth and bore with the pain as he took to the skies. When he finally drew away from the carriage and looked down, he saw that the red figure, whom he had thought to be Yun Ruoyan, was actually a man.


    Qin Feng stood tall and sturdy on top of the splintered carriage. He threw off the red gown he was wearing, revealing a swordsman¡¯s attire. He held a great broadsword in one hand, and the remnant of Pi Batian¡¯s arm in the other, as he shouted to the air, ¡°Pi Batian, today, I¡¯ll exact revenge for the students and instructors of the beastmaster institution of Kongming Academy!¡±


    Then, he swung his sword and chopped Pi Batian¡¯s arm into mincemeat.


    Pi Batian¡¯s left arm remained mentally connected to his body through his spiritual energy. When Qin Feng chopped it up, the unbelievable pain overwhelmed his senses, driving him into a frenzy. The logical decision would have been to run, but in his fury, he instead began trying to strike Qin Feng with his whip.


    By then, Li Mo had already dealt with the remaining Pi swordsmen. When he saw Pi Batian attacking Qin Feng furiously, he immediately leapt up onto the remnants of the carriage and blocked Pi Batian¡¯s attack.


    The scarlet whip was blocked by Li Mo¡¯s blue-green sword as their gazes met.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost!¡± Li Mo shouted.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Pi Batian gritted out, his eyes turning red in pain and fury. ¡°Don¡¯t think this cheap trick will fool the others. Master Shade¡¯s headed her way with more than two dozen swordsmen. My father¡¯s dealing with the ck-robed man, and I¡¯ve trapped you here. Do you think Yun Ruoyan can escape from Master Shade¡¯s grasp?¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°In that case, it looks like I¡¯ll have to deal with you as quickly as possible!¡±


    Li Mo and the others had nned for Yun Ruoyan to hide while Qin Feng dressed up as her to lure Pi Batian and the others out. However, during his surveince, Master Shade had found out that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo would frequently visit Feng Yicheng¡¯s manor. Although he didn¡¯t know about their n, his many years of infiltration had caused him to suspect that something was amiss. As a result, he had proposed a backup n, which had received Pi Batian and Pi Yan¡¯s approval.


    He had Pi Yan and Pi Batian follow Li Mo¡¯s carriage. If nothing went wrong, they would easily be able to capture Yun Ruoyan. On the other hand, Master Shade would bring another troop of swordsmen toy an ambush around the outskirts of Feng Yicheng¡¯s manor, just in case.


    Not long after Master Shade began lying in wait, he saw Feng Yicheng escorting Yun Ruoyan into his manor. When they were all inside, Master Shade infiltrated the manor with his troop of swordsmen, easily killing all of Feng Yicheng¡¯s personal guard.


    Yun Ruoyan, Feng Yicheng, and Zhuo Yifeng, who had been assigned to protect Yun Ruoyan, were sitting in the guest room, waiting for Li Mo and the others to arrive, unaware of Master Shade¡¯s infiltration.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Feng Yicheng noticed that Yun Ruoyan was sitting straight up in her seat, her fingers tightly inteced and her thoughts clearly upied. ¡°My uncle will handle Pi Yan. As for Pi Batian, he¡¯s so obsessed with capturing you that your decoy¡¯s sure to work.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. This was a n she had proposed after long moments of thought, and it had met with everyone¡¯s approval. Her preference was to remain in the carriage and face the danger with Li Mo, but she knew that she would just be a burden at her level of cultivation. The farther she was from Li Mo, the safer he would be; simrly, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s safety was Li Mo¡¯s foremost priority.


    ¡°Shh,¡± Zhuo Yifeng suddenly whispered toward Yun Ruoyan and Feng Yicheng. He was standing by the doorframe and peering outside.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Qin Feng whispered back.


    ¡°Someone¡¯sing, and not just one.¡± Zhuo Yifeng marched to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side and turned to Feng Yicheng. ¡°Is there a secret cer or room in your manor? Go hide Ruoyan there.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. None of you will escape,¡± a hoarse voice suddenly called out from outside the door. A cold wind blew into the room, chilling the gathered trio. A shred of ck fog coalesced into human form.


    ¡°Master Shade!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    ¡°Mute woman, you¡¯re not going to call me your master anymore?¡± Master Shade chuckled.


    Feng Yicheng and Zhuo Yifeng both stood in front of Yun Ruoyan, blocking her from Master Shade¡¯s sight. With one shout, Master Shade summoned a dozen swordsmen who had infiltrated the mansion with him. Another dozen remained by the periphery of the manor, forming a second line of defense.


    ¡°Seize Yun Ruoyan and kill the other two!¡± Master Shademanded, and the dozen swordsmen all rushed toward Zhuo Yifeng and Feng Yicheng. Before they could get closer, however, Master Shade let out a pained scream and retreated a few steps, his gnarled w smoking.


    When Master Shade had tried to grab ahold of Yun Ruoyan, she rapidly drew her Scarlet Eye and blocked Master Shade¡¯s attack, causing him to hit the sword. The scorching heat of the Scarlet Eye, particrly effective against incorporeal creatures, severely burned Master Shade¡¯s w.


    ¡°My Scarlet Eye¡¯s the nemesis of creatures like you. It won¡¯t be so easy for you to catch me!¡± Yun Ruoyan held the Scarlet Eye in front of herself as she stared at Master Shade, not daring to let her guard down.


    Master Shade had witnessed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s surprising talent despite her cultivation. She had managed to injure Pi Yan and escape from his grasp even with a significant cultivation penalty. The fact that she had evaded capture from Pi Yan, Pi Batian, and even himself for so long marked her as an opponent to be wary of.


    When Master Shade thought carefully about these factors, he gave up on approaching her himself. Instead, he retrieved a ck bottle from his robes and uncorked it, released a ck gas into the air. Slowly, it coalesced into a humanoid figure in front of Yun Ruoyan¡ªit was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shade, which she had sent against Master Shade.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned as she saw her shade hovering in mid-air. It had disappeared ever since that fight, and she suspected that Master Shade had somehow captured it. Now that she was seeing it again, her heart sank.

 Chapter 391: Escape and Capture

    <h4>Chapter 391: Escape and Capture</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan twisted the shade ring on her hand to no avail. It had been crafted specifically to control the shade, but now the shade waspletely unresponsive to her.


    ¡°This shade¡¯s new master is me,¡± Master Shade announced triumphantly. ¡°Go, capture Yun Ruoyan for me!¡±


    Obeying its new master¡¯s order, the shade began chopping at Yun Ruoyan with its ghostly de, which she blocked with her Scarlet Eye. Unable to ovee the heat of the Scarlet Eye, the ghostly de dissipated, but the force behind the shade¡¯s attack knocked Yun Ruoyan quite a few steps back.


    Because the shade had previously been nourished by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ck spiritual energy, it had developed a corporeal form, massively enhancing its attack power. The de it held in its hands was particrly strong, and although it was still no match for the Scarlet Eye, the shade was able to put tremendous strength into its attacks. Yun Ruoyan was currently no match for it in terms of strength; if not for her Scarlet Eye, that blow would have taken her out.


    Master Shade clearly also noticed this point, because hemanded the shade, ¡°Keep attacking until she can¡¯t lift her sword.¡±


    The shade struck at Yun Ruoyan once more. Its de dissipated whenever it hit the Scarlet Eye, but the shade quickly condensed a new one each time. After five strikes, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands were numb from the shock.


    With a jolt, the de finally fell from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands. However, the shade didn¡¯t stop its attack. Its de swung down towards Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head...


    ¡°Stop!¡± Master Shade hurriedly called out, and the shade halted its attack with its de inches from her head. ¡°Miss Yun, you¡¯d better not try anything funny.¡± He noticed that Yun Ruoyan was ncing at the Scarlet Eye on the ground, then told the shade, ¡°Knock her out.¡±


    ¡°You...¡± Yun Ruoyan felt a sharp pain by her head before she fainted, and her Scarlet Eye morphed into a beam of light and darted into her body.


    ¡°All of you, stop fighting!¡± Master Shade held Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body up with a gnarled w, and the shade held its de against her neck.


    Zhuo Yifeng and Feng Yicheng, who were fighting with the Pi swordsmen, immediately stopped what they were doing.


    ¡°If you dare even hurt a hair on her body, I¡¯ll smite you into a pile of ashes,¡± Zhuo Yifeng spat out.


    ¡°Try me,¡± Master Shade replied coldly. His eyes suddenly gleamed as he looked toward Feng Yicheng and Zhuo Yifeng. ¡°I should kill the two of you, but since your bodies would be perfect for making shadow puppets...¡±


    Hemanded the swordsmen to tie both men up and cart them into the carriages, which then headed in the direction of the meeting spot that Master Shade had established with Pi Yan and Pi Batian beforehand.


    With one arm missing, Pi Batian was unable to defend himself adequately against Li Mo and Qin Feng¡¯sbined onught. Just as they were about to kill him, however, Pi Yan suddenly arrived.


    ¡°Tian¡¯er!¡± Pi Yan howled, seeing that Pi Batian was bloodied all over. Walled in by Li Mo and Qin Feng, he looked like a bound beast in its death throes. Pi Yan rushed over on his sword.


    ¡°Qin Feng, I¡¯m leaving Pi Batian to you.¡± Li Mo flew into the air to meet Pi Yan.


    ¡°Daring to hurt my Tian¡¯er... I¡¯ll have all of you pay your lives in rpense!¡± Pi Yan thundered. He encased his fists in a mud-yellow aura, which zed with spirit fire as he punched Li Mo.


    Li Mo drew his sword and thrust it as Pi Yan¡¯s fists, but Pi Yan was easily able to shoulder the blow with his advantage in cultivation.


    ¡°Now taste my fist!¡± Pi Yan smashed a fist toward Li Mo, who had to retreat in order to avoid being hit.


    Li Mo nced behind him at Qin Feng and Pi Batian. Pi Batian was already at death¡¯s door, and he was determined to pull Qin Feng down with him even if he had to die to do so. As a result of his reckless attacks, Qin Feng was temporarily unable to finish him off.


    ¡°Tian¡¯er!¡± Pi Yan tried to fly around Li Mo, but Li Mo blocked him whenever he tried to advance. ¡°Die, you impudent brat!¡±


    ¡°Pi Yan! You¡¯re the one who¡¯ll die here.¡± Li Mo nced behind Pi Yan¡¯s back.


    Pi Yan could also feel a strong aura appearing behind him, and he turned around to see Feng Bo about thirty feet away.


    ¡°Lord Pi, you ran off quite quickly,¡± Feng Bo murmured, lowering his voice, ¡°but I¡¯m no slouch myself.¡±


    Pi Yan nced at Pi Batian, who was fighting to the death with Qin Feng, then at Feng Bo and Li Mo, who were blocking him from front and back. He smiled bitterly. ¡°Will my son and I perish here? To think that I, Pi Yan, would have been defeated by a bunch of lowly groundhogs!¡±


    ¡°Those who are too ambitious and malicious rarely end up with a good oue,¡± Feng Bomented idly.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you at least let me know who you are before I die?¡± Pi Yan nced at the mysterious ck-robed man.


    The Pi and Feng families had never gotten along, especially after the Feng family¡¯s meteoric rise to power. Although the Fengs hadn¡¯t nned on killing Pi Yan outright, they naturally wouldn¡¯t turn down such an opportunity.


    ¡°Who I am is unimportant. Just know that I¡¯ll be doing my best to take your life today.¡± Feng Bo was an extremely cautious man, so even if he had decided to kill Pi Yan, he was still unwilling to reveal his true identity.


    ¡°In that case, do your worst.¡± Pi Yan drew a broadsword and pointed it toward the sky. A mud-yellow and fiery-red spiritual energy flew from Pi Yan¡¯s body, through his sword, and into the sky. In mere moments, dark clouds covered up the sun, and the roar of thunder rang out through the air.


    ¡°He¡¯s about to summon a field of lightning,¡± Feng Bo called out in warning. A gigantic bolt split the sky, and Pi Yan pointed at Li Mo with his sword.


    With an ear-splitting crack, the bolt of lightning struck not Li Mo, but a spot behind him. Li Mo turned back and saw Qin Feng, his broadsword in the air, facing off against Pi Batian. He had been struck by the bolt of lightning without realizing what was going on, and his charred body dropped to the ground.


    ¡°Qin Feng!¡± Li Mo called out, rushing toward him and clutching his unconscious body in his hands.


    ¡°Li Mo...¡± Qin Feng still maintained a shred of consciousness. ¡°You have to kill Pi Batian on my behalf, for the students and instructors of Kongming Academy!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely kill him,¡± Li Mo pledged. Qin Feng smiled in acknowledgement, then closed his eyes...


    Li Mo ced his prone body on the ground, then turned to Pi Batian, who was still in the air. Before he could fly in his direction, however, a bolt of lightning struck. In order to protect Qin Feng, Li Mo had to take the blow head-on with his sword. The bolt was so powerful that it turned Li Mo¡¯s body numb all over.


    Bolt after bolt of lightning split the air. Li Mo and Feng Bo both had their hands full trying to handle the lightning, and neither had the attention to spare to deal with Pi Batian, who was so heavily wounded he was about to die.


    By the time thest bolt of lightning struck, Pi Batian¡¯s body had vanished¡ªsomehow, he had managed to escape in the confusion. Meanwhile, Li Mo had been struck twice or thrice, and his body was starting to falter. Feng Bo hurriedly flew to Li Mo¡¯s side and began blocking the bolts on his behalf.


    After Pi Batian escaped, Pi Yan focused his attention on defeating both Feng Bo and Li Mo. Several thick bolts of lightning struck Feng Bo at once, which he bore with a grit of his teeth. That he was able to do so clearly shocked both Pi Yan and Li Mo.


    Another lightning strikended on his body, splitting his ck robe and revealing Feng Bo¡¯s face.


    ¡°Feng Bo, it¡¯s you!¡± Pi Yan recognized him at a nce. Feng Bo frequently attended activities with Feng Yanyang, and his face was rtively well-known on the Mingyuan continent.


    Furthermore, because Feng Bo had defeated Pi Batian in thest seven cities¡¯ tournament, Pi Yan had a very strong impression of him. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s someone from the Feng family,¡± Pi Yan forced out. ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll repay the humiliation I suffered today tenfold!¡±


    Then, he flew off on his sword. Feng Bo was just about to chase him when Li Mo eximed, ¡°Feng Bo, head to Feng Yicheng¡¯s manor! I suspect Ruoyan¡¯s in danger!¡±


    Although Li Mo wasn¡¯t too badly hurt by the bolts of lightning he had endured, he was unable to circte spiritual energy through his body for the time being. Instead, he jumped onto Feng Bo¡¯s sword as they flew toward Feng Yicheng¡¯s manor.


    Not long after they set off, they encountered a cultivator on his sword: Feng Yicheng.


    ¡°Brother Li, Uncle!¡± Feng Yicheng shouted. ¡°We need to save Zhuo Yifeng and Miss Yun!¡±


    ¡°Master Shade, Pi Yan¡¯s subordinate, broke into my manor and took Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan away. I had originally been caught as well, but Zhuo Yifeng managed to create amotion to allow me to escape.¡±


    ¡°How are they?¡± Li Mo hurriedly asked.


    ¡°Miss Yun was knocked unconscious, and Zhuo Yifeng was gravely injured.¡±


    With Feng Yicheng leading the way, the three of them flew in Master Shade¡¯s direction...

 Chapter 392: The Backer Behind the Pi Family

    <h4>Chapter 392: The Backer Behind the Pi Family</h4>


    Li Mo, Feng Bo, and Feng Yicheng flew in the direction in which Master Shade had departed with Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t rush off once I was freed,¡± Feng Yicheng exined. ¡°Instead, I saw Master Shade bring Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng toward the east. On the other hand, the other Pi swordsmen left in the opposite direction.¡±


    ¡°More people means more targets. They¡¯re trying to split up to make it harder for us to give chase,¡± Feng Bo stated. ¡°It¡¯s dark at night, and the city gates are closed. Master Shade and the others have no choice but to leave via swordflight. Toorge a group would arouse undue suspicion, so the Pi swordsmen won¡¯t leave the city tonight. Instead, they¡¯ll wait until Pi Yan, Pi Batian, and Master Shade are safely out first.¡±


    ¡°Feng Bo, Brother Feng, look!¡± Li Mo directed their attention at a roaring ze on the southern side of the Feng city.


    ¡°That must be a distraction caused by the Pi swordsmen,¡± Feng Yicheng guessed.


    The three of them stopped in mid-air. Feng Bo turned to Feng Yicheng. ¡°Yicheng, return to the city and help put out the fire. Make sure all the Pi swordsmen are captured. I¡¯ll chase Pi Batian and Pi Yan with Li Mo.¡±


    Feng Yicheng was still only a ninth-rank demaster, and his presence wouldn¡¯t be of much help. Nodding, he obeyed Feng Bo¡¯smand and began flying off toward the mes.


    ¡°Feng Bo, can you guess where the Pis might try to leave the Feng city?¡± Li Mo asked.


    The Feng city wasn¡¯t guarded as extravagantly as the Pi city, but after having lived here for a period of time, Li Mo could tell that the Feng city employed a strategy of allowing easy ess into the city, but not easy passage out.


    ¡°Except for the gates by the north, south, east and west, there are no fewer than ten sentries situated around the perimeter of the city,¡± Feng Bo replied. ¡°As long as there¡¯s anyone trying to leave the city at night, the sentries will spot them and send a re into the skies.¡±


    A purple re blossomed in the night sky as Feng Bo spoke.


    ¡°We¡¯d better hurry,¡± Li Mo shouted, and both of them whizzed off in the direction of the re. By the time they arrived, the sentries¡¯ outpost had been obliterated and the three sentries were lying on the ground, badly injured.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± Feng Bo asked one of the sentries who still seemed to be conscious, and he arduously pointed outside the wall.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t stop them, and they managed to escape.¡±


    Feng Bo and Li Mo continued to give chase for an entire day and night. Only when they arrived by the Pi city did they finally notice Pi Yan, Pi Batian, Master Shade, and Yun Ruoyan, but they were still more than two miles away and wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up by the time the group entered the Pi city.


    Feng Bo stopped outside the city grounds.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t catch up to them in time,¡± Feng Bo murmured. Beside him, Li Mo continued flying toward the Pi city on his own.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± Feng Bo hurriedly shouted, then gave chase. Feng Bo¡¯s maximum speed was far higher than Li Mo¡¯s, so he quickly caught up to him.


    ¡°Move aside! I need to save Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo had clearly seen Yun Ruoyan¡¯s figure behind Master Shade. To have his loved one be captured by the enemy made him feel as though a dagger was piercing his heart.


    ¡°If we¡¯d caught up to them outside the city, we would naturally have given chase, because there would still be hope of saving them then. Now, however, you have no hope of saving Yun Ruoyan on your own, and you might even be captured as a result.¡±


    ¡°Feng Bo, don¡¯t you think we can save one or two people from the Pis given our current level of strength?¡±


    Feng Bo was the strongest cultivator Li Mo had seen upon entering the Mingyuan continent, and his own cultivation wasn¡¯t too shabby either. Combined, they would be a force to contend with.


    ¡°You might not know, but behind the Pi family lies a powerful backer, one that neither of us will be able to resist,¡± Feng Bo sighed


    ¡°What power?¡±


    ¡°Except for the Pis, no one knows,¡± Feng Bo replied. ¡°I¡¯ve only been able to identify that this poweres from the high-grade Jiyuan continent. Do you remember how all you cultivators were trapped by a mirror upon entering the Mingyuan continent?¡±


    ¡°Of course I remember.¡± The cultivators who had experienced that event would likely be unable to forget it for the rest of their lives.


    ¡°And do you remember the mirror artifact that was the source of the barriers?¡±


    The mirror had shone with a strange, white light, one that seemed to be material or immaterial ording to its bearer¡¯s will. That day, however, faced with peril the likes of which he had never encountered before, Li Mo had focused most of his attention on the seven families rather than the mirror entrapping them. That being said, he did remember the mirror quite clearly.


    ¡°Does the mirror have some other power beyond creating barriers?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°It also provides a means ofmunication between the Mingyuan and Jiyuan continents,¡± Feng Bo replied. ¡°The Pi family has powerful backing, which is why they¡¯ve monopolized power on the Mingyuan continent for so long.¡±


    Li Mo knew far more than most people about this mysterious high-rank continent and the hignders that popted it. He wasn¡¯t too surprised that the mirror artifact was able to allowmunication between the Mingyuan and Jiyuan continents¡ªafter all, back on the Chenyuan continent, the first elder had used the all-seeing mirror tomunicate in the same way. The fact that cultivators were being sent from the Chenyuan to the Mingyuan continent was by the will of some hignders, and they also controlled the quantity of cultivators from lower realms to be sent.


    Empress Xue Tong had informed Li Mo that the hignders that were pulling the strings on the Mingyuan and Chenyuan continents were the silver dragon n elders. There were seven elders in the silver dragon n, and themittee formed by these seven elders controlled the n¡¯s power.


    A longstanding agreement that hadsted for millennia prevented the silver dragon n from directly interfering in the middle and lower realms, and even the first elder of the silver dragon n didn¡¯t dare break thismandment. Only under truly unusual circumstances would the elders head toward the lower realms with their true bodies.


    Instead, they preferred to interfere indirectly. The reason that Li Mo and the other lower-realm cultivators had arrived on the Mingyuan continent was due to their interference, but Li Mo didn¡¯t understand why they would set up such an borate scheme for advancing lower-realm cultivators.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, hignders aren¡¯t allowed to interact one-on-one with cultivators from the middle and lower realms, let alone offer support of any sort,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°You know this too?¡± Feng Bo was a little shocked by the breadth of Li Mo¡¯s knowledge.


    ¡°I learned of it from my master, one of the highest-ranked cultivators on the lower realm from which I came. Through an artifact known as the all-seeing mirror, he was able tomunicate with hignders.¡±


    ¡°No wonder,¡± Feng Bo eximed. ¡°More than twenty years ago, there used to be a mirror that served the same function within the seven cities, but one day, out of nowhere, it shattered. Ever since then, the seven cities lost contact with the hignders. Not longter, the Pi family revealed that they had possession of a different mirror artifact, the same one that was used on you. Many of the smaller families on the Mingyuan continent had been attacked by that very artifact, one of the reasons why the Pis are so feared today. Luckily, the Pis don¡¯t dare use that mirror to do whatever they want, but we absolutely can¡¯t attack the Pi city. If we anger the Pi family¡¯s backer, both you and I, as well as the Feng city, will be implicated.¡±


    Given Feng Bo¡¯s words of caution, Li Mo had no choice but to give up on rushing into the Pi city.


    ¡°Pi Yan knows who I am, so he certainly won¡¯t let matters go with the Feng family so easily,¡± Feng Bo continued. ¡°He¡¯s been searching for an opportunity to fight with the Feng family, and this is it. I have to return to the Feng city and prepare countermeasures with Lord Feng.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll stay here, infiltrate the Pi city, and try to find a way to rescue Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°It seems like we don¡¯t have any other choice,¡± Feng Bo murmured, a note of worry in his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, but I¡¯m well aware.¡±


    ¡°Tian¡¯er, Tian¡¯er? How are you?¡± The moment they entered the Pi city, Pi Yan stopped to inspect Pi Batian¡¯s body.


    Because they were being chased by Li Mo and Feng Bo, Pi Yan and Master Shade had flown at full speed without adequately tending to Pi Batian¡¯s wound. Although Pi Batian had stanched the wound and consumed a spiritual pill to stop the bleeding in his stump of an arm, his face was still deathly pale due to his loss of blood.


    ¡°Father, I...¡± Before Pi Batian could finish, his willpower gave out and he fainted.


    ¡°Tian¡¯er, Tian¡¯er!¡± Even Pi Yan seemed to be at a loss as to what to do.


    ¡°Lord Pi,¡± Master Shade suddenly jumped in. ¡°Bring the young master to the silver dragon n elder. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to revive him.¡±


    Pi Yan nodded and immediately flew toward the Pi manor, his son¡¯satose body in his hands...

 Chapter 393: The Claws of the Pi Family

    <h4>Chapter 393: The ws of the Pi Family</h4>


    As soon as he entered his manor, Pi Yan brought Pi Batian to the secret chamber in his rooms. Master Shade followed behind with Yun Ruoyan, whereas Zhuo Yifeng was locked up by one of the swordsmen.


    Pi Yan ced Pi Batian right in front of the mirror, then dripped a drop of his own blood on it. Under usual circumstances, Pi Yan would arrange a time to meet with the silver dragon n elder, or the elder would summon him for a meeting. If he had to meet with the elder outside of their scheduled meetings, he would have to smear his vital blood over the mirror in such a fashion.


    Pi Yan¡¯s blood was rapidly absorbed by the surface of the mirror. The pitch-ck surface began to ripple, and the silver dragon n elder¡¯s figure suddenly appeared within it.


    ¡°Pi Yan, what¡¯s the matter now?¡± The elder seemed to have been interrupted from something he was working on, and he wore a displeased expression on his face. ¡°Did you capture Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    Pi Yan knelt down even before he spoke. ¡°Honored elder, I¡¯ve caught Yun Ruoyan, but in the process of doing so, my son Pi Batian was grievously injured. Please, I beg you to save his life.¡±


    Master Shade dumped Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body onto the ground for the elder to see. The elder¡¯s snowy-white skin was stered against the mirror as he leaned it to get a closer look. He shot a blinding white light out of the mirror and onto Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body.


    ¡°This is indeed her.¡± His probe clearly revealed satisfactory results, because the elder¡¯s face suddenly lit up in a smile. ¡°She¡¯s thest of the descendants of the demonic dragon n, and her bloodline¡¯s somehow even more concentrated than her father¡¯s. Pi Yan, Master Shade, you¡¯ve done well this time.¡±


    ¡°Elder, as for my son...¡± Pi Yan continued kneeling on the ground, his voice quavering from anxiety.


    ¡°Since it was an injury obtained as a result of carrying out my tasks, I naturally won¡¯t leave it be,¡± the elder replied calmly. A beam of light shot out from the mirror andnded on Pi Batian¡¯s prone body.


    When Pi Yan saw his son¡¯s bloodless face slowly fill with color, he finally calmed down. Then, he turned toward Yun Ruoyan, his gaze suddenly filling with hatred, as though ripping her body apart wouldn¡¯t even be sufficient to satisfy one-thousandth of his anger and fury.


    ¡°His life¡¯s saved.¡± Not fifteen minutester, the elder had finished treating Pi Batian.


    ¡°My gratitude, Elder.¡± Pi Yan knelt on the ground and kowtowed. ¡°What should I do with Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    ¡°She was badly injured during her fight with you, and she still hasn¡¯t fully recovered,¡± the first elder said. ¡°Lock her up here and finish treating her internal injuries. Five dayster, I¡¯ll collect her myself.


    ¡°Need we treat her injuries?¡± Pi Yan asked carefully. As far as he knew, the silver and demonic dragon ns were sworn rivals. He thought that the silver dragon n elder would immediately dispose of her, so why was he asking them to treat her?


    More than ten years ago, when he had caught Long Yin, the silver dragon n elder had shown up the very next day to bring him away. Why did Yun Ruoyan require such special treatment?


    ¡°I need Yun Ruoyan in pristine condition,¡± the silver dragon elder emphasized. ¡°As for why, that¡¯s not something you need to know. Just remember that I want her in perfect condition within five days¡¯ time.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Elder. I¡¯ll personally make sure she¡¯s ready for you then,¡± Pi Yan replied. ¡°But she¡¯s quite a sly character, and her spiritual weapon¡¯s harder to deal with than I expected. If her cultivation is back to its prime, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to contain her.¡±


    ¡°Use this mirror to seal her,¡± the elder stated.


    When Yun Ruoyan woke up, she found herself lying within a pir of white light, one that emanated from a mirror not too far away from her. Yun Ruoyan blinked her eyes blearily, finding the light surprisingly familiar, then realized that it was because it was the same light that had trapped her and all the lower-realm cultivators when they had first arrived on the Mingyuan continent.


    Yun Ruoyan then nced all around her. Except for the light from the mirror, however, her surroundings were dark, and there was nothing else in the room. It looks like I¡¯ve been caught by Pi Yan, she guessed. Master Shade was Pi Yan¡¯s subordinate, and after her capture by Master Shade, it was only natural that she wouldnd in Pi Yan¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Pi Yan, Master Shade, Pi Batian!¡± Yun Ruoyan cupped her hands and shouted. However, she heard nothing but her own echoes.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu suddenly chirped. ¡°Look at that mirror.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned back to the mirror. ¡°What about it, Qiuqiu?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look like the all-seeing mirror?¡±


    Now that Qiuqiu had pointed it out, Yun Ruoyan did notice a few simrities. ¡°The all-seeing mirror can be used tomunicate with members of the silver dragon n from the Jiyuan continent, so wouldn¡¯t it make sense if this mirror could do the same? If so, then this Pi family might be subordinate to the silver dragon n, and they might be operating on its behalf.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s very likely that my father was captured by the silver dragons.¡± Yun Ruoyan followed Qiuqiu¡¯s line of reasoning.


    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely. The silver dragon n must be trying to stop you from reviving the demonic dragon n.¡±


    ¡°In that case, could my mother also have been abducted by them?¡±


    ¡°Unlikely,¡± Qiuqiumented. ¡°Your mother¡¯s just a mortal woman. By that time, she had already given birth to you, so if they did manage to get close to your mother, the person they should have captured was you, not her.¡±


    Qiuqiu then told Yun Ruoyan that all cultivators had to follow a set of continent-specific rules, and they couldn¡¯t simply do as they pleased on a lower-grade realm just because of their power disparity. For example, the cultivators on the Mingyuan continent weren¡¯t allowed to head to the Chenyuan continent to do as they please, and the silver dragons on the Jiyuan continent likely faced simr restrictions regarding heading to the Mingyuan and Chenyuan continents. This rule had been codified after the cultivators from the lower and medium realms helped the silver dragon n exterminate the demonic dragon n, and was enforced by a binding oath from both sides.


    ¡°It seems that the silver dragons are starting to meddle in the lower realms¡¯ business again. They don¡¯t daree to the realms themselves, so they instead train a retinue of cultivators to do their bidding,¡± Qiuqiu muttered.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, I just had an idea. Can you let me know if it¡¯s feasible?¡±


    ¡°What is it, Mistress?¡±


    ¡°If the silver dragon n wants me, then why don¡¯t I just go with them? My father might be right there, and Li Mo¡¯s been searching for a way to get to the silver dragon n¡¯s main hideout---¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not, Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu interrupted. ¡°Mistress, if you allow yourself to be captured by the silver dragons, you¡¯ll be like amb heading to your ughter. Do not take such a risk. Mistress, have you noticed how much more daring you¡¯ve be upon entering the Mingyuan continent? You tried to steal from the Pi crystal veins, you infiltrated the Pi delegation, you broke the seal on the silver bracelet, and now you¡¯re thinking of entering the Jiyuan continent? Mistress, is something the matter?¡±


    In the past, although Yun Ruoyan had had audacious ns, she was rtively confident that she would be able to carry them to fruition. Now, however, it seemed as though she were recklessly acting on her whims.


    ¡°It... Qiuqiu, you¡¯re not wrong.¡± Yun Ruoyan sat cross-legged as she mulled over Qiuqiu¡¯s words. ¡°I can¡¯t exin why, but I keep wanting to do something adventurous, and I never fear getting hurt. Every time I get hurt, it feels as though new life is being breathed into me.¡±


    ¡°That might not be an illusion, Mistress. It¡¯s very likely that your demonic dragon¡¯s blood is acting up.¡±


    ¡°My demonic dragon blood?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As far as I¡¯m aware, the demonic dragon n has always possessed an adventurous spirit, and it¡¯s likely that the effects of the bloodline make it more pronounced. Since your bloodline has been partially awakened, it¡¯s beginning to affect your personality and behavior. Mistress, with your current cultivation, you have to be cognizant of this at all times. If you do something rash now, you may not survive the consequences.¡±


    Qiuqiu had been rather shocked and concerned by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s recent spate of thoughtless behavior, and it was trying her best to dissuade her from such ideas now.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have a choice this time. How am I supposed to escape from this mess?¡± She reached out and touched the light enveloping her. Although it looked just like regr light, the boundary of the light was as hard as steel.


    ¡°Mistress, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure Li Mo will find his way here,¡± Qiuqiu consoled her. ¡°He¡¯ll be able to break this barrier with a blow at full power.¡±


    ¡°Can Li Mo really find this ce?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°How can you be so sure, Qiuqiu?¡±


    ¡°Because I can sense Li Mo¡¯s aura. Unfortunately, with this barrier, I can¡¯tmunicate with him.¡±


    ¡°You mean that Li Mo¡¯s nearby?¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up in excitement.


    Actually, not only was Li Mo nearby, he was already within the Pi manor. At dawn, he had assumed the guise of a farmer delivering produce and sessfully infiltrated the manor. He could sense the mental energy that Qiuqiu was giving off, but he was unable tomunicate with it or identify precisely where it wasing from. It had been over a day since Li Mo ahdst seen Yun Ruoyan unconscious and in Master Shade¡¯s grasp, and he was very anxious.


    He was quite familiar with the Pi manor and especially its secret prisons from his previous investigation while trying to find Qin Feng. Li Mo searched through each of them, but to no avail. In that case, there was only one location Li Mo knew about but hadn¡¯t checked: the secret prison beneath Pi Batian¡¯s rooms. Li Mo, Qin Feng, and Lin Tianming had all been trapped there once.


    Li Mo was hiding by a rock garden in Pi Batian¡¯s rooms, waiting quietly for night to descend so that he could investigate the prison there...

 Chapter 394: The Pi Alliance

    <h4>Chapter 394: The Pi Alliance</h4>


    Although Pi Batian was in no danger of losing his life after the silver dragon elder¡¯s treatment, the loss of an arm was a major injury. In addition, his overuse of spiritual energy had caused an instability to form in his spiritual vortex, and he had spent all his time recuperating in his rooms.


    His rooms were guarded very closely. Two swordsmen stood outside of Pi Batian¡¯s door, but this was no trouble for Li Mo.


    The skies finally darkened. Just as Li Mo was about to make use of the darkness to avoid the patrolling guards and to deal with the guards standing outside Pi Batian¡¯s door, someone walked in from outside.


    ¡°Second Young Master,¡± the guards bowed. It was Pi Yang who had appeared.


    ¡°Rise,¡± Pi Yang murmured. ¡°How¡¯s my brother?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not gravely injured, Young Master Pi, but there are still wounds that he has to deal with.¡± one of the guards, who was part of Pi Batian¡¯s personal retinue, replied.


    ¡°Let me have a look.¡± Pi Yang made his way into his brother¡¯s room.


    Li Mo made use of the opportunity to scale the wall and then the roof of Pi Batian¡¯s house. Once he was there, he propped himself against the roof, removed one of the y tiles, and began looking into the rooms.


    ¡°Brother, how are you?¡± Pi Yang asked, standing in front of Pi Batian¡¯s bed.


    ¡°My life is saved, but my arm¡­¡± Pi Batian¡¯s voice had a hint of resignation and defeat: after all, the loss of an arm would be a major blow for any cultivator¡¯s martial prowess. However, the main emotions he expressed were anger and hatred. ¡°I wonder if that Qin Feng was shocked to death by Father¡¯s lightning? I hope he hasn¡¯t, or it would have been far too easy and painless a death for him. I¡¯ll skin him alive, him and Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan! I won¡¯t spare any of them!¡±


    ¡°Those who hurt you to this extent surely have to be dealt with,¡± Pi Yang acquiesced. ¡°I heard that you brought two captives back this time. Were they Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan? If so, I¡¯ll talk to them now and make them pay for what they¡¯ve done to you.¡±


    At this point, Li Mo couldn¡¯t help peering more closely at the hole in the roof to more closely examine the conversation.


    ¡°I did bring two people back, but neither were Li Mo,¡± Pi Batian replied.


    ¡°If not Li Mo, then who was it?¡±


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng and Yun Ruoyan. It was because we were trying to catch Yun Ruoyan that I ended up in my current state. If you get the opportunity to do so, I¡¯m counting on you to deal with her on my behalf,¡± Pi Batian grit out.


    Pi Yang talked a little more with Pi Batian before turning to leave. From Pi Batian¡¯s tone, Li Mo could tell that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t with him, so he gave up on trying to infiltrate Pi Batian¡¯s secret prison. Instead, he skulked behind Pi Yang.


    ¡°Housekeeper Hu, you can leave me now,¡± Pi Yang instructed, then headed inside his rooms.


    ¡°Guard all entrances well. These next few days, make sure to increase security around the manor atrge,¡± Housekeeper Hu instructed the guards outside, then left.


    As Pi Yang lit up themp on his table, a ck shadow suddenly appeared opposite him. ¡°Who is it?¡± he wanted to call out, but a vice-like grip by his throat prevented him from speaking.


    Li Mo brought his face closer to the me. When Pi Yang saw Li Mo, he gaped, but was still unable to speak. His face turned redder and redder as Li Mo¡¯s grip constricted. ¡°Don¡¯t shout, or I¡¯ll kill you on the spot,¡± Li Mo whispered, then loosened his grip.


    ¡°Dark robe!¡± Pi Yang wheezed. ¡°Are you here to save Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    Li Mo peered at Pi Yang. ¡°Yes. Do you know where she¡¯s being kept?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯m sorry to have to inconvenience you to be my captive until I can get my Yan¡¯er back.¡± Li Mo was certain that Yun Ruoyan had been kept somewhere so secret that he wouldn¡¯t find her in time, so he suddenly decided to use Pi Yang as a hostage.


    However, Pi Yang only chuckled blithely.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m justughing at how you¡¯re about tomit the same mistake that Yun Ruoyan did.¡± Pi Yang then told Li Mo about what had happened when Yun Ruoyan tried to use him as a hostage to get out of Peak Darkness safely. ¡°I might be a young master of the Pi family, but I¡¯m nothingpared to my brother. My brother lost an arm trying to capture Yun Ruoyan, so there¡¯s no way Father would let her go for me. Give up.¡±


    In Peak Darkness, Yun Ruoyan had tried to bewitch Pi Yang with intoxicating fog, but what she didn¡¯t know was that scions of the seven families had been trained specifically against such poisons at a young age as a safety precaution. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s poison had been useless; the reason Pi Yang had pretended to be bewitched was to help Yun Ruoyan escape safely.


    What surprised him was that his father, who had always doted on him, was willing to sacrifice him to capture Yun Ruoyan. This was a traumatic blow to Pi Yang. Furthermore, when his father and brother had returned to the manor in haste, Pi Yang had seen how anxious his father had been. Even after the critical period, he had even stood guard over his bedside for an entire day and night until Pi Batian woke up.


    His father had been willing to sacrifice him, but clearly not his elder brother.


    ¡°However, I can help you save Yun Ruoyan,¡± Pi Yang finally stated, taking a deep breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re willing to help me?¡± Li Mo frowned. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because¡ª¡± Pi Yang was about to tell Li Mo the truth, that he loved her, when he saw Li Mo¡¯s icy stare. ¡°If I say it, you¡¯ll probably kill me right now. When we free Yun Ruoyan, you can ask her yourself. She knows why.¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t want to waste time on what he viewed to be a minor detail. Despite his distrust for Pi Yang, he didn¡¯t see any other way of saving Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°If you¡¯re lying to me, I¡¯ll kill you,¡± Li Mo threatened, before pulling his hand from Pi Yang¡¯s throat.


    Pi Yang rubbed his neck. ¡°I don¡¯t know where Yun Ruoyan¡¯s being imprisoned, but if it¡¯s not in my brother¡¯s prison, then it must be in my father¡¯s secret chambers.¡±


    ¡°A secret chamber in Pi Yan¡¯s rooms?¡± Li Mo¡¯s eyes gleamed.


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a secret chamber in my father¡¯s bedroom, but I only know of its existence, not how to get inside.¡± Pi Yang nced warily at Li Mo¡¯s shing eyes. ¡°We can¡¯t just head to my father¡¯s rooms now. If we don¡¯t find the secret chamber and get caught, it¡¯ll endanger both of us, as well as Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a strategy, then?¡±


    Pi Yang thought for a moment. ¡°I do. My brother hates you to the core now that he¡¯s lost an arm. Since he can¡¯t catch you, he¡¯ll try to take his anger out on someone else.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll prod at my brother over the next two days to try to rile him up. When he tries to take his anger out on Yun Ruoyan, we¡¯ll follow him,¡± Pi Yang proposed.


    Li Mo¡¯s time in the Pi family had allowed him to gain an understanding of Pi Batian¡¯s personality, and Pi Yang¡¯s suggestion would undoubtedly work on someone like him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do as you say,¡± Li Mo agreed.


    In his study, Pi Yan quickly wrote three letters, which he handed to three different swordsmen. ¡°Hand these to Lords Wu, Lie, and Chen as quickly as you can.¡±


    ¡°Lord Pi, are you sure you want to do this?¡± Master Shade asked from the side. Pi Yan¡¯s three letters asked for an alliance between the Pi family and each of the recipients of the letter; he was nning on waging war against the Feng family with the support of the three other noble families.


    On the other hand, the Hua and Zheng families were allies of the Fengs, so Pi Yan naturally treated them as his enemy. In his letters, he stated his n to eradicate the Feng, Hua, and Zheng families, and then to split the spoils of war between the four remaining families.


    Pi Yan had even emphasized that he was willing to take the smallest cut of the profit, as long as he was given the opportunity to kill Li Mo and Qin Feng, his sworn enemies who had dared toy a hand against his son, and wipe out the Fengs.


    ¡°The Feng family¡¯s trying to usurp my power. If I don¡¯t do anything about it, there won¡¯t be a foothold for the Pi family on the Mingyuan continent any longer,¡± Pi Yan eximed. The straw that broke the camel¡¯s neck was Pi Batian¡¯s dismemberment.


    ¡°There have been seven cities on the Mingyuan continent for centuries. If you wreak such havoc, won¡¯t the hignders be displeased?¡± Master Shade asked.


    ¡°Twenty years ago, when the all-seeing mirror broke, we lost contact with the hignders of the Jiyuan continent. The only one on the continent who can stillmunicate with the hignders is me.¡± Pi Yan didn¡¯t seem particrly worried. ¡°I established some merit for capturing Yun Ruoyan, so as long as I keep working loyally for the silver dragon n, I¡¯m sure the elders won¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s certainly a n worth pursuing,¡± Master Shade replied. He left Pi Yan and headed to a dungeon not far from his room, where Zhuo Yifeng was being kept. In the cold, damp cell, Zhuo Yifeng was strung up in the air by a series of metal chains. His skin was criss-crossed by whip marks, his body stained red by blood. His head was lolled in merciful unconsciousness.


    ¡°Well? Has he still not decided to submit?¡± Master Shade asked a mustached swordsman wielding a metal whip as he entered the dungeon.

 Chapter 395: Draconic Power

    <h4>Chapter 395: Draconic Power</h4>


    ¡°Master Shade, this man¡¯s personality is far more stubborn than his body.¡± The swordsman pointed at Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bloodied, battered body.


    ¡°Wake him up.¡± Master Shade narrowed his eyes at Zhuo Yifeng.


    The mustached swordsman picked up a bucket of icy water on the ground and poured it over Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s head. It was deep autumn, almost winter. When the near-frozen waternded on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body, it felt as though a thousand needles were piercing his body at once, and was far more shocking a pain than what he had experienced with the whip.


    Zhuo Yifeng frowned and woke up from unconsciousness, then furrowed his brows all the harder when he saw Master Shade in front of him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll sign a contract with you,¡± he murmured, his tone surprisingly triumphant.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen people who weren¡¯t afraid of death, but never anyone who wasn¡¯t afraid of pain.¡± Master Shade reached out with his gnarled w and pulled Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s head up by his hair, forcing him to look into his eyes. ¡°As long as you sign a contract with me, you won¡¯t have to suffer all this pain.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng spat at Master Shade. ¡°Even if I die, I¡¯ll be no one¡¯s ve. Dream on!¡±


    Master Shade wanted to make Zhuo Yifeng his puppet, but that required Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s consent to be his ve. Zhuo Yifeng was naturally unwilling to give up his freedom, and he was so tenacious and stubborn that he hadn¡¯t sumbed despite all manner of torture that Master Shade had inflicted on him.


    ¡°In that case, don¡¯t me me for this.¡± Master Shade removed a bright-red bottle from his robes. He uncorked it to reveal a squirming maggot the color of blood.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zhuo Yifeng sensed danger.


    ¡°If you want to change your mind, there¡¯s still time,¡± Master Shade whispered. ¡°Otherwise, once this soul-gnawing maggot enters your body, you¡¯ll feel pain that transcends anything you¡¯ve ever experienced.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng refused to give in. Master Shade clicked his tongue and drew a long trail of blood on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s arm with his long fingernails. Then, he held the soul-gnawing maggot right by the wound on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s arm.


    The maggot slid into his body through the wound. Zhuo Yifeng could clearly see a frighteninglyrge lump burrowing its way up Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s arm, until it reached his brain.


    ¡°Argh!¡± he moaned, as though the maggot was feeding on his soul itself. It was a pain that seeped into his bones, one so sharp and acute he couldn¡¯t escape it even in unconsciousness.


    ¡°Physical injuries might make you faint,¡± Master Shade¡¯s cold voice whispered into his ear, ¡°but this soul-gnawing maggot will inflict spiritual injuries on your very soul, making you feel the pain more and more clearly with every injury. Enjoy it while itsts, haha!¡±


    Master Shade¡¯s cackles seemed to drift farther and farther away, but the pain that Zhuo Yifeng felt in his mind was only getting clearer and clearer.


    Yun Ruoyan sat and cultivated within the secret chamber in Pi Yan¡¯s bedroom. The nameless book once again appeared in her mind. It automatically flipped to the second page, then began to fill with text: that part of the draconic arts that she had recentlye to understand.


    Those words seemed to possess a mysterious power. As long as Yun Ruoyan nced at them, her body would automatically assume a cultivating position. She stayed in a dream-like trance for an interminable amount of time. When she next opened her eyes, a red streak shed past her eyes.


    ¡°Mistress, how do you feel?¡± Qiuqiu chirped urgently.


    Before answering Qiuqiu¡¯s question, Yun Ruoyan nced at her spiritual vortex, where she could see part of her spiritual energy cken. The sage-grade spirit crystal in her silver bracelet again yed an important role in releasing spiritual energy and nourishing her spiritual vortex.


    Although most of the injuries on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body had healed, and her distended spiritual vortex had begun functioning again, her cultivation hadn¡¯t returned to that of a ninth-rank demaster, and her sage-grade spirit crystal wasn¡¯t able to show off its full effects.


    With the sage-grade spirit crystal fully operational again, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s spiritual vortex filled up after a night of cultivation.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, I feel like I¡¯m about to break through!¡±


    ¡°Again, Mistress?¡± Qiuqiu was quite shocked. ¡°Mistress, that means you¡¯re almost at the realm of a sword saint!¡± If Yun Ruoyan were to break through, then it could try to make use of her power to break out of the silver bracelet¡¯s seal.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, have you noticed that I seem to be growing stronger with every major injury I receive?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°Do you think this could be part of the demonic dragon¡¯s bloodline?¡±


    ¡°Mistress, now that you bring it up, that seems quite likely.¡±


    While they were deep in conversation, the door to the secret chamber was pushed open. The person who stepped inside was one of Pi Yan¡¯s personal guards; just like he had done previously, he ced a sandalwood box on the floor and slid it through the pir of light.


    Because Yun Ruoyan was already at the point where she could go without food, no one brought her any meals. Instead, inside the boxes were high-grade spiritual pills, particrly rare and potent ones that yed an important role in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s rapid recovery.


    ¡°What exactly do you want from me?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, as the swordsman pushed the box into the pir.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out in two days,¡± he replied.


    ¡°What will happen in two days?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed, but the swordsman turned and left. No matter what would happen, her goal now was to rest and cultivate. The more she was able to advance within the next two days, the greater her chance of eventual escape.


    While the Pi family set up an alliance against the Fengs, the Fengs also reached out to the Hua and Zheng families. Feng Bo returned to the Feng city and informed Feng Yanyang that Pi Yan had found out about his identity, and Feng Yanyang had then nned a series of countermeasures.


    Although the Hua and Zheng families were on good terms with the Fengs, they were still hesitant about supporting them against the Pis. Only after significant consideration did the head of the Zheng family agree, but the Hua family decided to support neither the Fengs nor the Pis.


    Meanwhile, Feng Yicheng had found out that the Wu, Lie, and Chen families had all allied themselves with the Pis, whereas the Fengs stood alone with the Zhengs. The disparity between their forces was notable and disheartening. Feng Yanyang was deep in thought when Feng Yicheng brought back a piece of good news: the courtesan troupe, which had begun carrying out operations in the Pi and other neighboring cities, had sessfully managed to garner the support of over a hundred of the smaller families that had been disced, ostracized, or otherwise poorly treated.


    Although the families might have been weak on their own, with over a hundred of them, they formed a force sufficient to go against even one of the seven great families.


    ¡°Lord Feng, there might be another of the seven families that we can convince to join us,¡± Feng Yicheng reported.


    ¡°Which of the seven?¡±


    ¡°The Lies. Lie Fenn was the previous head of the family, but ever since Miss Lie fell prey to corpse poison, Lie Fenn has been in secluded cultivation trying to maintain her life. Right now, the Lie family is being controlled by his son, Lie Sen. I¡¯m on rather good terms with him, and he¡¯s someone who can be bargained with.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll leave dealing with the Lies to you,¡± Feng Yanyang replied. Turning to Feng Bo, he said, ¡°If Li Mo does manage to rescue Yun Ruoyan, he¡¯ll need someone to help him escape the Pi city. Stay in the vicinity and offer your help where you can.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Feng.¡± Feng Bo nodded, but his tone was concerned. ¡°Lord Feng, if we really get into a feud with the Pi family, will we draw the ire of the hignder backing the Pi family?¡±


    There weren¡¯t many who knew of the backer behind the Pi family, but Feng Bo and Feng Yanyang were among the privileged few who did.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about this.¡± Feng Yanyang shook his head briefly. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t make toorge of amotion, hignders generally won¡¯t deign to deal with us cultivators from lower realms. There must be a reason that the Pi family¡¯s mysterious backer has hidden himself for so long, and the only help he can provide to the Pis is in terms of cultivation techniques. The Pis can hardlymand him to deal with us on their behalf.¡±


    Feng Bo sighed in relief. ¡°In that case, I can rest easily tonight.¡±


    The next morning, Pi Yang headed to Pi Batian¡¯s rooms again. The moment he arrived at the door, he could hear a basin of waternding on the ground.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you handle such a simple task? Sell her to Peak Darkness!¡± Pi Batian shouted furiously.


    Pi Yang only hesitated for a mere moment before he entered the room. The maid responsible for Pi Batian was cowering at his feet, a basin of water upended by her feet.


    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Pi Yang walked over.


    ¡°This maid can¡¯t even wash my body properly! The water she brings is either too hot or too cold,¡± Pi Batianined. His moods were mercurial, and even the slightest difort upset him given his recent loss of an arm.


    ¡°Young Master, I won¡¯t do it again! Please don¡¯t sell me to Peak Darkness,¡± the maid begged.


    Pi Yang nced at her. ¡°Brother, this maid has been with you for a while, hasn¡¯t she? If even she can¡¯t meet your stringent requirements, any other maid would be even worse off.¡±

 Chapter 396: Zhuo Yifeng and the Demonic Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 396: Zhuo Yifeng and the Demonic Spirit</h4>


    Pi Yang motioned for the servant girl to step back. Having dealt with Pi Batian for so long, she was very good at reading people, and immediately understood that the second young master was trying to save her. Silently, she crept up and left the room.


    Pi Yang continued, ¡°Brother, I think you need to vent your anger.¡±


    ¡°Vent? How?¡± Pi Batian was forced to remain in his rooms to recuperate, and his hatred toward Li Mo and Qin Feng was burgeoning.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it easy? Just inflict pain on someone else! Why haven¡¯t you thought of such a simple solution already?¡±


    Pi Batian¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°That¡¯s true. Why haven¡¯t I¡­?¡± Pi Batian mumbled to himself.


    ¡°Brother, let me arrange things for you. Do you want to hunt men or beasts?¡±


    Pi Batian shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired at the moment. We¡¯ll do it another day.¡± Then, hey back in bed and turned away from Pi Yang, as though he didn¡¯t want to talk with him any longer.


    ¡°In that case, Brother, rest well. I¡¯ll visit you again when I have time.¡± Pi Yang left Pi Batian¡¯s rooms and returned to his own.


    ¡°Well?¡± Li Mo asked, the moment Pi Yang entered.


    ¡°Everything went as expected. Tonight, snoop around my brother¡¯s house. I bet he¡¯ll head to where Yun Ruoyan¡¯s being kept.¡± Pi Yang sat down by the table. His face was expressionless, and even Li Mo couldn¡¯t tell whether he was happy or not.


    To lie to his brother, to betray his own family¡ªthese were actions so preposterous that he had never contemted their possibility.


    ¡°You¡¯re certain?¡± Li Mo asked, still somewhat worried. ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t? Do you have a backup n?¡±


    ¡°I should think I understand my own brother better than you do.¡± Pi Yang chuckled bitterly. ¡°When I was young, he brought me horseback riding. However, his own mount knocked him off, wounding his leg. When he returned to the manor, he was so angry that he rushed back and killed that horse before quelling the fury in his heart. This time, for his permanent loss of an arm, I¡¯m sure you can imagine how much angrier he is. Since he can¡¯t find you and hurt you, he¡¯ll definitely try to make your woman pay the price.¡±


    When he heard these words, Li Mo immediately stood up from his seat, his fists clenched tightly. ¡°I won¡¯t give him the opportunity to do so!¡±


    ¡°Well? Did he submit?¡± Master Shade asked the mustached swordsman from outside the dungeon.


    ¡°No, not yet.¡± The swordsman wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Master Shade, would you like to take a look at the situation for yourself?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. Once he submits to me, have someone send word.¡± Master Shade left as the mustached swordsman again began to sweat. He gritted his teeth, then walked back inside the dungeon.


    Zhuo Yifeng, still chained up, had been tortured to the brink of death. Initially, he would scream and thrash about in pain, but he seemed to have gotten used to it. Now, he would asionally open his eyes and stare at the swordsman. Frighteningly, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s eyes were almost pitch ck, as though his sclera had somehow been taken over by some form of darkness. His stare, like that of a malicious specter, made the swordsman shudder just thinking about it.


    ¡°Well? Do you still refuse to give in?¡± The swordsman slowly walked closer toward Zhuo Yifeng, then prodded his head with the whip in his hands. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s head was swollen and engorged; although his eyes were closed, it looked as though his eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets.


    Zhuo Yifeng was in a chaotic, muddled state of mind. His body was in pain, but his consciousness seemed to be slowly separating from his body. Was he about to die? No, he still had so much he needed to aplish!


    He hadn¡¯t yet killed Li Mo to avenge his family. Although he had multiple opportunities to do so, he hadn¡¯t taken advantage of them: what he wanted to do was to kill Li Mo with his own strength, or to make him submit and repent for his wrongdoings.


    He hadn¡¯t yet seen the true face of his mysterious master. His master had promised to take him in as an official disciple if he managed to survive entering the Mingyuan continent.


    He hadn¡¯t yet seen his sister, Zhuo Lin¡¯er, mature into a woman.


    The most pressing issue on his mind, however, was Yun Ruoyan. She had been caught alongside him, and if he was suffering such torture, then she couldn¡¯t have been in much better straits. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body ached, his brain ached, his spirit ached, and his heart ached.


    But alongside this pain came a malicious voice in his brain. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, I can save you, but you have to hand me control of your spirit and body.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the demonic spirit within your whip,¡± the malicious voice responded. ¡°You awoke me after infusing spiritual energy into the whip, and now, I¡¯m the only one who can save you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ how will you save me?¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to hand me your spirit and body?¡±


    ¡°No, not unless it¡¯s worth my doing so.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± The demonic spirit chuckled. ¡°I like people as obstinate and intelligent as you. I¡¯m willing to share this body with you, then merge with your spirit to raise your cultivation. Not only can I allow you to escape, I can even help you finish your lifelong goals.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhuo Yifeng was hesitant to believe the spirit¡¯s words. Was it a coincidence that the spirit was only speaking to him now? Zhuo Yifeng, who had been used to this sort of setback, refused to trust the spirit blindly.


    ¡°You¡¯re almost dead, aren¡¯t you? What do you have to lose? Rather than sell your body to your enemy, why not hand it to me? I¡¯m willing to share it with you, after all.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng mulled it over for a moment before finally deciding to agree. Rather than die a miserable death, having aplished nothing of note, he would stake his life on this gamble.


    ¡°I ept. What do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. Just imagine merging with my body, but make sure you¡¯re not having second thoughts when you do so,¡± the malicious voice replied impatiently. ¡°Once we¡¯re together, you¡¯ll possess my strength. You¡¯ll be able to raze this manor to the ground, let alone escape!¡±


    For Yun Ruoyan, for my unfinished responsibilities, for my life¡­! Zhuo Yifeng shut his eyes and signalled that he was ready.


    The swordsman stared at Zhuo Yifeng for quite some time. Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t react, so he drummed up his courage, raised a bucket of icy water from the ground, and was just about to upend it over his head.


    Just then, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s eyes opened wide as he stared at the mustached swordsman, his eyes so dark they were like the manifestation of void itself. The swordsman couldn¡¯t help being absorbed in the darkness of his pupils, until two beams of light emanated from them and seemed to scorch his soul itself.


    ¡°Argh!¡± the swordsman screamed, then stumbled a few steps back. The bucket he was holding fell on top of him, and the icy water drenched his body. As though he had turned to ice, the mustached swordsman stood as still as a statue.


    With a crack, the manacles on Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s wrists seemed to break of their own ord. He fell from mid-air, thennded gracefully on the ground.


    ¡°You!¡± Zhuo Yifeng pointed at the mustached swordsman, who immediately knelt on the ground. The malicious, evil auraing from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body manifested like a physical weight on the mustached swordsman¡¯s body.


    ¡°Please, Master, spare my life!¡± the swordsman begged. Zhuo Yifeng seemed to revel in his fear and begging, raising his head and starting to cackle.


    ¡°You want your life to be spared? Very well, I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± Zhuo Yifeng walked toward the swordsman and put his hand on his head. Then, he extracted what seemed to be an immaterial shadow from the swordsman¡¯s brain.


    The swordsman¡¯s eyes immediately lost any sign of life, and his expression turned wooden.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just take your soul away, how about that? You can be a walking corpse.¡± Zhuo Yifeng began to cackle again, but it was interrupted midway through.


    As though he were speaking to himself, Zhuo Yifeng said, ¡°This is only a weakling. The people I need to deal with are outside.¡± This time, his voice had returned to normal. ¡°I need to leave this dungeon immediately and raze this manor to the ground!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, hold on,¡± the malicious voice interjected. ¡°I¡¯ve just awoken, so I haven¡¯t yet recovered all my power.¡±


    ¡°In that case, then we¡¯ll kill Master Shade first.¡±


    ¡°Hold it!¡± the malicious voice shouted again. ¡°I can¡¯t waste what little power I¡¯ve recovered to date. There¡¯s a better way to go about this.¡±


    Master Shade was cultivating in his rooms when someone suddenly knocked on the door.


    ¡°Master Shade,¡± the mustached swordsman called out. ¡°He¡¯s willing to submit! Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s ready to sign the contract with you.¡±


    Master Shade¡¯s thin lips broke out into a gruesome smile. As expected, no one can hold out against the soul-gnawing maggot for long. He left his rooms and followed the mustached swordsman to the dungeon. Because he was overly excited, he didn¡¯t notice the swordsman¡¯s peculiar behavior...

 Chapter 397: Pi Yang’s Arm

    <h4>Chapter 397: Pi Yang¡¯s Arm</h4>


    Within the dungeon, Zhuo Yifeng remained suspended in mid-air, his head tilted and his body in tatters.


    ¡°Well? I heard that you¡¯ve thought things through.¡± Master Shade walked to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s side, where he dumbly nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll agree to sign a contract with you, so remove this maggot from my body.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Master Shadeughed. ¡°Trying to turn you into a puppet will require the use of the soul-gnawing maggot, but as long as you¡¯re willing to sign a contract with me, the procedure will be painless.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s weak voice morphed into something darker and more sinister as he opened his pitch-ck eyes and stared at Master Shade. He leapt down from mid-air, a length of steel chain still in his hands.


    Master Shade extended a gnarled w , but Zhuo Yifeng caught it with the chain in his hands. Master Shade¡¯s w suddenly grewrger and broke the chain. He tried to retreat, but Zhuo Yifeng was blocking the exit.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Master Shade asked hoarsely.


    ¡°I¡¯m your daddy.¡± Zhuo Yifeng drew a ck whip, with which he struck at Master Shade. Although Master Shade dodged, the whip banked sharply and caught him by his neck. The more Master Shade tried to resist, the tighter the whip¡¯s grip became. Just as he was about to be choked to death, Master Shade suddenly reached into his robes and removed the bottle containing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shade.


    However, Zhuo Yifeng raised his leg and kicked the bottle into mid-air, then took it for himself. ¡°This is Ruoyan¡¯s, so I¡¯ll return it to her on your behalf.¡±


    ¡°You¡ªdon¡¯t kill me!¡± Master Shade finally sensed howpletely their positions had reversed. ¡°If you promise not to kill me, I¡¯ll remove the soul-gnawing maggot in your body. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be forced to live with the spiritual torture forever!¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Zhuo Yifeng cackled again, and his pupils turned pitch ck. ¡°You think your maggot¡¯s something amazing? I¡¯ve already digested it.¡±


    Master Shade opened his eyes wide. ¡°You... digested it?¡±


    ¡°Heh heh.¡± The demonic spirit clearly enjoyed seeing others¡¯ pain, suffering, and despair, but his voice was quickly taken over by Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s.


    ¡°I can promise not to kill you, but you need to bring me to Yun Ruoyan. Once she¡¯s saved, I¡¯ll let you go,¡± Zhuo Yifeng proposed.


    ¡°Swear on it.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng did so without any hesitation, and Master Shade brought him to the secret chamber where she was currently being kept.


    In the evening, Li Mo once again diverted the guards¡¯ attention and entered Pi Batian¡¯s rooms, while Pi Yang sat in his garden in a daze, waiting for news. He expected that Li Mo would leave immediately with Yun Ruoyan after saving her, so he wouldn¡¯t get an opportunity to meet with her. If Yun Ruoyan were to be rescued, his father would certainly fall into a rage, but he had been circumspect enough that he wouldn¡¯t be implicated. As for his brother, Pi Batian... he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape responsibility.


    However, he knew that his elder brother surely wouldn¡¯t be punished. Ever since he lost his arm, he had be Pi Yan¡¯s precious child. Pi Yan was far less strict to him than before, and all he thought of seemed to be his elder son. Meanwhile, Pi Yang had been neglected.


    Ever since he was a child, Pi Yang had thought himself his father¡¯s favorite. No matter how poor his own cultivation, he wasn¡¯t reprimanded, and he didn¡¯t have to take part in many of the family ventures. His life was filled with enjoyment after enjoyment, and although his father wasn¡¯t particrly doting, he had also never hit or scolded him. On the other hand, his father was far stricter to his elder brother, Pi Batian.


    Pi Yang thought that his father¡¯s leniency was because Pi Yan was doting on him, but he only realized the truth while Yun Ruoyan was holding him hostage: his father, Pi Yan, didn¡¯t dote on him at all. Instead, he treated Pi Yang like a useless existence, one for whom he had no hopes.


    ¡°Lord Pi!¡± Housekeeper Hu¡¯s voice broke Pi Yang out of his reverie. ¡°Second Young Master, Lord Pi¡¯s here.¡±


    Pi Yang raised his head to see Pi Yan heading in his direction, and he immediately stood up and bowed. ¡°Father.¡±


    Pi Yan was rather surprised by the polite greeting. In front of his father, Pi Yan had always been a brash, thoughtless youth. Although he didn¡¯t disregard courtesy, he was never quite so polite.


    ¡°Rise,¡± Pi Yan said, then sat down beside Pi Yang.


    In the past, Pi Yang had always acted up because he thought he was his father¡¯s prized son, but now that he knew how little he was worth to Pi Yan, he didn¡¯t dare to behave poorly.


    ¡°Sit down.¡± Pi Yan nced at Pi Yang, who reluctantly sat on the bench opposite. ¡°Pi Yang, I came to discuss something with you.¡± He hesitated for a moment, but eventually spoke up.


    ¡°What is it, Father?¡± Pi Yang was a little surprised that Pi Yan had ventured into his cottage, the first time he could ever remember him doing so. Given his serious expression, Pi Yang suspected that he had an important matter to discuss.


    ¡°It took me a long time to make this decision, but I hope you¡¯ll be able to understand it,¡± Pi Yan began.


    Pi Yang frowned. His father had imed to be discussing a matter with him, but it looked as though he had already made up his mind.


    ¡°Father, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Pi Yan nced at Pi Yang¡¯s arm. ¡°I convened a meeting of physicians to discuss a treatment for your brother¡¯s missing arm, and they suggested that a new arm be grafted onto your brother¡¯s stump.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Pi Yang murmured, his facial muscles trembling. ¡°That... that¡¯s not a bad idea. We have so many swordsmen around, each strong and muscr, and their arms¡ª¡±


    ¡°The physicians said that a graft from someone rted by blood would be best,¡± Pi Yan interrupted.


    ¡°Father!¡± Pi Yang trembled as he suddenly raised his head to look at Pi Yan. ¡°Why do I have to be the sacrifice? I don¡¯t want to live with a stump either! Aren¡¯t I your son too?¡±


    Pi Yan frowned. ¡°Your brother will be the next head of the Pi family. If you lose an arm, I can still guarantee you a life of materialfort, but if your brother loses an arm, the whole Pi family is destined to ruin!¡±


    ¡°Why does my brother have to be the one to inherit the Pi family? Why can¡¯t I do it?¡± Pi Yang stood up and stared stubbornly at Pi Yan.


    With a great Peng!, Pi Yan mmed his palm against the stone table, cracking it into pieces. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I understand what you¡¯re like? To think I¡¯ve raised you all these years, only for you to deny my request when I need it most!¡± Pi Yan also stood up.


    ¡°Guards, watch over the second young master. From today onwards, he¡¯s to be ced under house arrest. If he takes half a step out of his yard, I¡¯ll kill all of you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Pi!¡± the dozen guards in the yard chorused.


    Pi Yang nced at Pi Yan¡¯s back, disappointment and pain evident in his features. His head cked out for a moment, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Second Young Master, you have to take care of your body!¡± Housekeeper Hu ran up to console him, then helped him back into his rooms.


    ¡°Housekeeper Hu,¡± Pi Yang whispered.


    ¡°Yes, Second Young Master?¡±


    ¡°See if Li Mo needs any help. You must help him save Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    Li Mo waited in Pi Batian¡¯s yard for almost two hours. The sky was turning dark, but Pi Batian hadn¡¯t shown any sign of leaving his rooms. Li Mo couldn¡¯t help bing a little anxious, and he was deciding whether or not to leave when Pi Yan appeared. He walked into Pi Batian¡¯s room and discussed something with him for over an hour before he emerged once again.


    Not long after, Pi Batian finally left his rooms, an unexpectedly happy look on his face.


    ¡°Young Master, where are you headed?¡± Pi Batian¡¯s personal guard asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a walk. Don¡¯t follow me,¡± Pi Batianmanded, then stepped outside. The guards all nced at each other, but they didn¡¯t dare disobey their master¡¯smand. Pi Batian was originally a vicious man, and his moods had turned mercurial after the loss of his arm. All his subordinates had had to walk on tenterhooks around him.


    Li Mo followed Pi Batian into Pi Yan¡¯s yard. Pi Yan¡¯s guards bowed down to him, not daring to ask what he was doing here; the only one in the Pi family who could enter or leave Pi Yan¡¯s rooms at will was Pi Batian himself.


    Pi Batian walked into Pi Yan¡¯s bedroom. The reason he was able to do so without fear of reprisal or getting caught was because Pi Yan had informed him that he would have to spend the whole night preparing a spiritual pill for the grafting operation.


    When Pi Batian realized that he could spend the entire night torturing Yun Ruoyan, he was so excited that he wanted to wave his arms about. With only one arm, however, he was unable toplete the motion. He nced at his empty sleeve, his repressed hatred again ring into full force. Even with a new arm, the pain of having lost an arm was something that he could never forget. Tonight, he would make Yun Ruoyan feel that exact pain tenfold, hundredfold!

 Chapter 398: Rescuing Yun Ruoyan

    <h4>Chapter 398: Rescuing Yun Ruoyan</h4>


    The moment Pi Batian entered Pi Yan¡¯s rooms, he retrieved his scarlet whip and removed a certain book from Pi Yan¡¯s bookshelf, unlocking a secret door behind it. Then, he strode into the secret chamber as though he were a ferocious beast ready to unleash carnage.


    Yun Ruoyan was deep in cultivation when Qiuqiu suddenly woke her up, telling her that there was an unfamiliar aura drawing close to her. When Pi Batian entered the chamber, what awaited him was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bright eyes staring directly at him.


    ¡°Someone atst.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up without breaking eye contact.


    ¡°Oh? Sounds like you¡¯ve been pretty lonely here.¡± Pi Batian chuckled at Yun Ruoyan, who eyed the whip in his hands in distaste.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°What do I want? Haha!¡± Pi Batian chuckled coldly, ncing at his empty sleeve. Do you see this? Your man, Li Mo, took away my arm, so you¡¯ll have to bear the punishment for his crime.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here to torture me?¡±


    ¡°Scared, aren¡¯t you?¡± Pi Batian cracked his whip experimentally, and the sound echoed through the small chamber.


    Yun Ruoyan snorted. ¡°Touch me and you¡¯ll lose your other arm as well.¡±


    The anger that Pi Batian was suppressing was instantly unleashed at these words. He drew his whip and struck at the pir of light encasing Yun Ruoyan. Although she was trapped from within, the light was only a one-sided barrier, and it didn¡¯t prevent any attacksing from the outside. The whip passed through the barrier of light, leaving ripples on its surface as it did so.


    Yun Ruoyan subconsciously shut her eyes. A spiritual membrane enveloped her body, shielding her from the brunt of the attack. Though the attacknded, it didn¡¯t seem to hurt¡ªas if the force of the attack had beenpletely wiped out by her spiritual membrane.


    Is my cultivation that strong now? Or was Pi Batian just a weakling? Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes in surprise, then saw a pair of familiar, twinkling back eyes.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, I¡¯m back,¡± Li Mo¡¯s maic voice began.


    ¡°I knew you woulde for me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand here and chat! Escape!¡± Qiuqiu interrupted the romantic moment.


    Li Mo was holding onto the handle of Pi Batian¡¯s whip, and he had dramatically reduced the force with which the attack hit Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re both here, you may as well stay.¡± Pi Batian¡¯s voice echoed throughout the chamber. He was only two steps from the door, and could easily leave, shut the entrance, and trap both Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan within. That was his n, but the moment he stepped outside, Li Mo followed suit and blocked the path in front of him.


    ¡°You as well.¡± Li Mo held his spirit sword against Pi Batian¡¯s neck.


    Just then, sounds of a scuffle came from outside the room. The sounds subsided quickly, and Zhuo Yifeng entered the chamber holding onto a person¡¯s neck.


    Zhuo Yifeng and Li Mo nced at each other, then simultaneously eximed, ¡°You¡¯re here too!¡±


    Despite their misunderstandings, both men had the same objective and had experience fighting together.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er¡¯s in the chamber, sealed within a pir of light,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°Themotion you caused will surely alert Pi Yan, so we have to rescue Yan¡¯er as quickly as possible.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng nodded and took Pi Batian over, leaving Li Mo to return to the chamber. Now that they had found Yun Ruoyan, Master Shade was no longer of any use. Zhuo Yifeng eyed him critically, then shut his eyes. The next moment, his pupils were pitch ck.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t! I¡¯m still useful, don¡¯t kill me!¡± Master Shade was so frightened that he was trembling.


    ¡°Oh, you are useful.¡± Out of Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s mouth came a voice even hoarser and colder than Master Shade¡¯s. ¡°As nourishment for me.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng opened his mouth and began sucking at Master Shade¡¯s face. ck skeins of corpse energy wafted toward Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s nose. A cold wind began to blow, causing Master Shade¡¯s hood to fall and revealing his face, which no one present had ever seen before. His skin was withered and barklike. His nose was sunken, his brain was sunken, his jaw was sunken, his cheeks¡ªhis face was so hollowed out that it didn¡¯t have cheeks.


    As Zhuo Yifeng sucked up the ck energy, the face seemed to wither even further, until all that was left of Master Shade was a skeleton wrapped up in a ck robe.


    Pi Batian saw this bone-chilling sight in its entirety. He was an experienced killer, and he had even witnessed scenes crueler and more extreme than this, but only ever as a bystander or perpetrator. Whatever fear had been manufactured had been directed at the victims, and he simply enjoyed their fearful expressions and pained howls.


    This time, however, the man who had just sucked Master Shade¡¯s life away was holding onto his neck. When he hadpletely drained the ck essence from Master Shade¡¯s body, Zhuo Yifeng tossed his corpse away as though he were discarding trash.


    Then, Zhuo Yifeng turned to stare at Pi Batian with his ck, void-like eyes, so inimical to life that Pi Batian felt that, at any moment, skeletal hands would reach out of those eyes and blind him.


    ¡°You¡ªwho are you? You¡¯re not Zhuo Yifeng!¡± Pi Batian screamed.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Zhuo Yifeng cackled evilly. ¡°I¡¯m him, but I¡¯m also not him. Whoever I am, it won¡¯t stop me from eating you alive.¡± He then opened his mouth toward Pi Batian, but just as Pi Batian¡¯s horror doubled, tripled, then increased tenfold, Zhuo Yifeng suddenly shut his mouth, and his pupils turned back to their usual color.


    A short struggle warred over his features before he blinked and turned to Master Shade¡¯s corpse on the ground. He felt a vile stink wash over his mouth, suppressed the disgust in his heart, and mumbled seemingly to himself, ¡°This person¡¯s still useful, so you can¡¯t eat him yet.¡±


    Pi Batian rxed and let out a breath, only to find Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s grip tighten around his neck. His face went from white to blue, to red, and then to purple as Zhuo Yifeng grit out, ¡°But once he¡¯s useless, he¡¯s all yours.¡±


    Back in the chamber, Li Mo infused all his spiritual energy into his fist as he prepared to strike at the mirror¡¯s barrier. ¡°Shield yourself, Yan¡¯er,¡± he called out.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. A spiritual membrane appeared over her body, and then Li Mo struck. The entire house seemed to tremble, and the pir of light rippled and turned transparent. Li Mo struck once more, and the quavering pir finally blinked out of existence.


    He grabbed Yun Ruoyan tightly and hugged her, caressing her cheek with a hand. There was a rather faint whip mark on it, evidence of Pi Batian¡¯s aborted blow from earlier.


    ¡°Hurry up and leave! There¡¯s a whole slew of people approaching from outside.¡± Zhuo Yifeng poked his head into the chamber.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan walked out of the chamber. The moment Yun Ruoyan stepped out, she made eye contact with Zhuo Yifeng. She tried to speak, but Zhuo Yifeng turned away.


    ¡°You groundhogs dare...!¡± Pi Yan¡¯s voice could be heard from a distance.


    Zhuo Yifeng walked out of Pi Yan¡¯s rooms, still holding Pi Batian hostage in front of him, and Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan followed behind him. Pi Yan had gathered dozens of guards by the courtyard, and more were streaming in every second.


    ¡°Young Master, why don¡¯t you greet Lord Pi?¡± Zhuo Yifeng twisted Pi Batian¡¯s neck in the direction of Pi Yan.


    ¡°Kill me, Father!¡± Pi Batian¡¯s face was purple, but he still stubbornly refused to give in.


    ¡°Let my son go, and I¡¯ll leave your corpses unmutted,¡± Pi Yan shouted.


    Li Mo stepped forward andughed coldly. ¡°Pi Yan, it sounds like you don¡¯t understand your current situation.¡± He drew his sword, stuck it underneath Pi Batian¡¯s right arm, and sliced it off.


    The sudden maiming shocked everyone present. Blood spurted on the ground as Pi Batian clenched his mouth, forcing himself to avoid screaming from the pain.


    ¡°Tian¡¯er!¡± Pi Yan¡¯s enraged shout shook the entire Pi manor.


    ¡°Pi Yan, I¡¯ll count to three. Let us go, or I¡¯ll chop Pi Batian up in front of you.¡± Li Mo ced his sword against Pi Batian¡¯s thigh.


    ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°Two.


    ¡°Th¡ª¡±


    Pi Yan finally spoke up. ¡°Stop! I¡¯ll let you go, but you can¡¯t hurt Tian¡¯er any further.¡±


    ¡°As long as you let us go, I promise I won¡¯t do anything to Pi Batian,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Otherwise...¡±


    Pi Yanmanded the surrounding guards to clear a path toward the entrance to the Pi manor, both those flying on their swords and those on the ground.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Zhuo Yifeng immediately flew to the skies with Pi Batian, racing toward the outskirts of the city...

 Chapter 399: Battle Above the Pi City

    <h4>Chapter 399: Battle Above the Pi City</h4>


    As Pi Yan watched Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, and Zhuo Yifeng fly away, the killing intent that he had been suppressing once again burst into full force. He followed them into the skies, and, from an extended distance, drew the sword that could conjure up a field of lightning, infused spiritual energy into it, and thrust the sword toward Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back.


    Sword aura was far harder to detect than a cultivator¡¯s aura. The sword drew closer and closer to Zhuo Yifeng without being discovered, and Pi Yan¡¯s murderous eyes filled with glee.


    Just then, however, warnings rang out in Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s killing intenting from the back, and it¡¯s directed at Zhuo Yifeng!¡± Qiuqiu chirped urgently.


    ¡°Brat, someone¡¯s trying to kill you from the back!¡± the demonic spirit warned.


    By then, the sword was nearing Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s back.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, be careful!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, but he had already turned around, holding Pi Batian in front of him.


    As the sword embedded itself deep within Pi Batian¡¯s chest, Pi Batian opened his eyes wide and stared disbelievingly at it.


    ¡°Tian¡¯er!¡± Pi Yan shrieked from a distance. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo¡ªI¡¯ll kill all of you!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng released Pi Batian¡¯s body, his face an expressionless mask. Pi Batian dropped toward the ground like a withered leaf.


    ¡°Run!¡± Li Mo urged. Now that Pi Batian had died, they had lost their insurance against Pi Yan. If the three of them were to tarry any longer, Pi Yan would kill them all.


    ¡°Kill those three cultivators at once!¡± Pi Yan hollered at the hundreds of swordsmen behind him, then morphed into a beam of light as he darted toward Pi Batian¡¯s falling body.


    Pi Yan had truly gone crazy, and his pain at losing his son had caused him topletely forget about the silver dragon n elder¡¯smand to not hurt Yun Ruoyan. The magnificent sight of hundreds of swordsmen taking to the skies seemed like a meteor shower happening in reverse.


    The beggars who had found a temporary repose by the darkened alleys of the Pi city opened their eyes blearily to see the heavens streaked with light, bearing witness to the grand chase that was happening above the Pi city.


    Yun Ruoyan, Zhuo Yifeng, and Li Mo flew so fast that the swordsmen behind them couldn¡¯t catch up, but more reinforcements appeared before them. Yun Ruoyan released a slew of fireballs, Li Mo conjured up countless icicles, and Zhuo Yifeng cracked a ck whip that Yun Ruoyan had never seen him use as they began tussling with the swordsmen from the front.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s ck whip could extend and elongate at will. As though it were alive, it struck whatever target Zhuo Yifeng willed with shocking strength.


    By the time they had dealt with the reinforcements ahead of them, those swordsmen flying from behind had caught up and surrounded the three cultivators. Most of the swordsmen were mid-ninth-rank cultivators, and some were barely a step from bing sword saints. Even though Li Mo was a second-rank sword saint, the fact that they were outnumbered at least fifty-to-one had their backs drenched in cold sweat.


    ¡°Given the situation, we should all split up and try to escape on our own!¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered. What she had proposed was indeed the best strategy when dealing with suchrge groups of enemies, but the two men beside her both ignored her words.


    ¡°Listen to me!¡± Yun Ruoyan hissed. ¡°If I get captured again, the two of you can still save me. But if we all get captured, it¡¯ll be hopeless!¡±


    ¡°Brat,¡± the demonic spirit spoke to Zhuo Yifeng, ¡°she¡¯s right. Let¡¯s run away now, and once my cultivation recovers, we¡¯ll raze this ce to the ground!¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo suddenly began. ¡°Why don¡¯t we escort Zhuo Yifeng out?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, but Zhuo Yifeng suddenly shouted, ¡°Nonsense!¡± Then, brandishing his whip, he rushed into the group of enemy cultivators.


    ¡°Kill them!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, following Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s lead. Li Mo stayed beside her, guarding her from harm.


    Zhuo Yifeng fought like a demon unleashed, a whip in one hand and a longsword in the other. He whirled and shed, felling half a dozen swordsmen in one sweep. The ck whip in his hand was exceedingly strange, seeming to knock enemies aside without even touching them.


    Yun Ruoyan flew on her Scarlet Eye, which radiated such heat that those swordsmen using ice- or earth-attuned spiritual techniques found the strength of those techniques drastically reduced. Many of the other swordsmen didn¡¯t possess a sufficiently advanced cultivation to be a challenge for Yun Ruoyan, and she ended up fighting against a few fire-attuned cultivators.


    Because she had a sage-grade spirit crystal, she had the advantage in terms of spiritual energy and spiritual energy recovery, so she was able to fight on even footing against three swordsmen of equal cultivation at once. Fireballs flew from her hands every which way, and the enemy swordsmen had cleared a wide berth around her to avoid getting hit by a stray fireball.


    As Li Mo dealt with his own targets, he continued watching over Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng, shocked by their explosive growth. They were now both peak ninth-rank demasters, and it seemed as though they would break through to the realm of a sword saint at any moment.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s rapid advancement could be attributed to her bloodline and the dual cultivation technique which she¡¯d pursued with Li Mo, but the fact that Zhuo Yifeng was also able to progress so quickly was quite a mystery.


    As the battle proceeded, night turned to day. The citizens of the Pi city woke up to the sound of shes overhead. Some of the more daring citizens began watching the fight in the open, whereas others peered at the skies from behind their windows. From time to time, swordsmen would fall from mid-air. The more fortunate ones wouldnd in roofs or trees, but others fell directly against the ground.


    None of these citizens knew what had provoked the battle, nor whom the two men and one woman fighting against the Pi swordsmen were, but their faces were imprinted in the citizens¡¯ memories.


    As the number of Pi swordsmen remaining in the air dwindled further and further, Pi Yan hadin Pi Batian to rest, returned to his rooms, and retrieved his mirror. Then, he flew back to the skies and thundered, ¡°To avenge my son, the three of you will all die here today!¡±


    ¡°Not good, it¡¯s the mirror!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted.


    The beam of light enveloped Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Zhuo Yifeng, then began to shrink in size. The other Pi swordsmen were all excluded from the beam, leaving only the trio stranded within.


    Li Mo raised his spiritual energy output to the maximum and punched at the barrier of light, which trembled. But when Li Mo tried to punch the barrier again, a hail of light des suddenly shot out from the mirror towards them.


    ¡°Li Mo, be careful!¡± Yun Ruoyan pulled him back and deftly avoided the wave of des, only to see a new wave shooting out from the mirror¡¯s surface. Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bodies were immediately enveloped in spiritual membranes, but the hail of des was sufficiently strong as to rip apart Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s membranes in a matter of moments. Li Mo¡¯s membrane began to ripple, as though even his membrane would be unable tost much longer.


    ¡°To think this mirror would be so strong...¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan against his robe, then beckoned Zhuo Yifeng over as well.


    Zhuo Yifeng nced coolly at Li Mo, refusing his offer. He tried blocking the des of light with his whip and spirit sword, but the des were too strong and far too concentrated for him to be sessful.


    ¡°Brat, use my shield!¡± the demonic spirit suddenly whispered. Only then did Zhuo Yifeng suddenly recall that, when he had first found the whip in the southern tower of Kongming Academy, it hade in a matched set with a ck shield. After forming a spiritual link with the whip and shield, Zhuo Yifeng had forgotten entirely about thetter.


    He conjured up the palm-sized shield, which instantly grew to half his height. Then, Zhuo Yifeng held it in front of his body. He didn¡¯t know what material the shield was made of, but it easily absorbed the des of light.


    ¡°I think the two of you had better join me instead.¡± Zhuo Yifeng turned to Li Mo, his lips curling up into an almost imperceptible smile...

 Chapter 400: Feng Bo’s Timely Assistance

    <h4>Chapter 400: Feng Bo¡¯s Timely Assistance</h4>


    To think that shield can block the des of light from the mirror! Pi Yan gaped at the sight. ¡°Try blocking this!¡± He had drawn his mythical, lightning-summoning sword out from Pi Batian¡¯s chest, the de still dripping with Pi Batian¡¯s blood. When he pointed the de at the heavens, the skies instantly turned dark. With an ear-splitting crash of thunder, Pi Yan¡¯s de began to crackle with lightning.


    ¡°Strike these three groundhogs into smithereens!¡± Pi Yanmanded. As Pi Yan pointed the sword at the mirror, the lightning leapt into it and shot out through the other end, twice as concentrated as before. It hit Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s shield with a massive rumble and blinding sh that turned their vision white and sent tremors through the earth.


    Zhuo Yifeng grit his teeth and forced himself to hold the shield steady. Both Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo supported him and the shield, and the three cultivators bore the blow together. Yun Ruoyan felt as though a scorching, piercing pain was travelling through the shield and up her arms, then from her arms to the rest of her body. She cried out in pain.


    Of the three cultivators, only Li Mo¡¯s face wasn¡¯t a stark white. Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s foreheads were beading with sweat, their faces haggard.


    ¡°That was only two-thirds of my strength! This time, I¡¯ll draw thergest bolt of lightning I can and vaporize your very existence!¡± Pi Yan shouted, once again raising his sword to the air. When the de turned a glowing white, the skies seemed to tremble. A massive bolt of lightning struck the sword, one that caused even Pi Yan to stumble as he tried to contain it.


    ¡°Li Mo, we¡¯vee so close to death time and time again. Will we escape it this time?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo. Her face was stark white, her forehead coated in a sheen of sweat, but her lips were curled up into a smile. Her beauty, so captivating despite her circumstances, made Li Mo¡¯s heart ache.


    ¡°Whether we live or die, what matters is that we¡¯re together.¡± Li Mo wanted to wipe away the sweat on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead, but he wasn¡¯t able to.


    Zhuo Yifeng turned toward Yun Ruoyan, his heart struck with a lingering heartache. Yun Ruoyan, I won¡¯t let you die! Zhuo Yifeng promised mentally.


    ¡°Brat, you should be thinking about how you¡¯re going to survive!¡± the malicious voice called out in his head. His tone was shockingly severe, a clear sign of the impending danger.


    ¡°Die, you groundhogs!¡± Pi Yan yelled out. He swung the de at the mirror, which concentrated and condensed the already-massive bolt of lightning and shot it toward the three cultivators.


    So great was the electrical discharge that Pi Yan stumbled as he shot out the bolt of lightning, the sword aura beneath his feet flickering as he barely regained his bnce.


    Yun Ruoyan and the others knew that, as long as they were able to ovee this blow, that Pi Yan would be powerless to stop them from escaping. They all infused their spiritual energy into the ck shield, hoping that theirbined efforts would be able to prevent the lethal blow.


    With a great crack, another bolt of lightning, at least twice the strength of the previous, struck the ck shield. A searing, scorching pain instantly filled their bodies, as though their spiritual pathways were burning and their spiritual vortices were evaporating.


    ¡°This is what you get for trying to go against the Pi family!¡± Pi Yan called out arrogantly, but none of the three had the attention to spare to rebuke him.


    Just then, however, the surface of the mirror suddenly rippled. A beam of gentle, white light shone through the mirror, impinging on the shield and dampening the force of the lightning until it vanished.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Zhuo Yifeng nced at each other, notprehending what had just happened. Together, they turned to the surface of the mirror. As their bodies bathed in the gentle light, they felt even the numbness of the lightning begin to dissipate.


    ¡°This... This...¡± Pi Yan stared open-mouthed at the sight in front of him, so shocked he was unable to form aplete sentence.


    ¡°Pi Yan, how dare you!¡± an indignant voice suddenly shouted mentally at Pi Yan. His body stilled: the voice came from none other than the first elder of the silver dragon n himself.


    ¡°El¡ªHonored Elder...¡± Pi Yan knelt down on both knees.


    The elder¡¯s irascible voice again rang out in Pi Yan¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ve told you once and again not to harm Yun Ruoyan¡¯s life, but what do I see? What use do I have for an underling that disobeys my orders?!¡±


    ¡°Honored Elder,¡± Pi Yan begged, ¡°my son¡¯s death was so traumatizing to me that I momentarily lost my rationality. Elder, please spare my life!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and the others saw Pi Yan kneeling on the ground and mumbling something incoherent, but none of them bothered to understand what he was doing. The pir of light that had trapped them dissolved under Li Mo¡¯s attacks. While Pi Yan was distracted, the three of them hurriedly flew off toward the border of the Pi city.


    ¡°You fool, chase them! If Yun Ruoyan escapes, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Pi Yan shuddered, then immediately organized a group of swordsmen to chase after them.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Zhuo Yifeng were all exhausted after being struck twice by lightning and fighting hundreds of swordsmen. However, they couldn¡¯t stop to rest. Even after escaping from the Pi city, Pi Yan was still chasing them desperately with a group of swordsmen.


    Yun Ruoyan turned around as she flew, ncing at the horde of cultivators still chasing after them.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t worry,¡± Li Mo consoled. ¡°Once we enter Feng territory, they won¡¯t be able to chase us any further.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simply worried that we won¡¯t be able to get that far,¡± Zhuo Yifengmented, his face pale. He had borne the brunt of the attack during the lightning strike, and although he looked fine from the outside, he had clearly suffered some internal injuries.


    ¡°Look!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly eximed. ¡°It¡¯s Feng Bo!¡±


    Indeed, there was a ck-robed man heading their way.


    ¡°Young Master Li, Zhuo Yifeng, Miss Yun,¡± Feng Bo called out from afar. ¡°Lord Feng had mee over to receive you all. Did I make it on time?¡±


    ¡°Feng Bo!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out. ¡°Excellent timing. We¡¯re being chased by a pack of wild dogs, and we can¡¯t outrun them all.¡±


    ¡°Leave them to me. Lord Feng¡¯s waiting for the three of you in the Feng city.¡±


    Feng Bo always appeared with impable timing. His presence seemed like a ray of light to the three exhausted cultivators, and his middle-aged face seemed to get cuter and cuter the closer he got.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Zhuo Yifeng were able to slow down and catch their breaths. Behind them came the wails and moans of the Pi swordsmen, followed by loud calls to retreat. Of the cultivators present, only Pi Yan was able to face off against Feng Bo. However, after calling down two strikes of lightning, Pi Yan was far too weak to do much of anything.


    Somehow, against all odds, Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Zhuo Yifeng finally made it back to the Feng city. They headed directly to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s manor¡ªto their surprise, Feng Yicheng and Feng Yanyang were waiting for them there.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re finally back!¡± With the Lin sisters¡¯ support, Lin Tianming slowly stood up and walked up to her.


    ¡°Uncle, please sit!¡±


    ¡°Let me see if you¡¯re hurt.¡± Lin Tianming inspected her all over before finally rxing.


    ¡°Quick, help Uncle sit,¡± Yun Ruoyan told the Lin sisters. She then turned to Feng Yanyang, who was currently speaking with Li Mo and Zhuo Yifeng.


    When he sensed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze, he turned to her and replied, ¡°Miss Yun, it¡¯s very fortunate to have you here with us.¡±


    ¡°Luckily, Feng Bo found us in time,¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°Otherwise, the three of us would likely have been captured again.¡±


    Feng Bo had, on Feng Yanyang¡¯s orders, sent his men into the Pi city to surveill the Pi manor. When a fight broke out, those spies hurriedly informed Feng Bo of the matter, allowing him to arrive on time.


    ¡°Now we¡¯ve thoroughly destroyed any semnce of a rtionship with the Pis, though...¡± Feng Yicheng murmured. ¡°The Pis have formed an alliance with the Wus, Lies, and Chens, and they¡¯ll likely be attacking us in a matter of days. I tried to head to the Lie city in hopes of forming an alliance with them instead, but I was rebuffed with every attempt. The future of the Feng family is looking bleak.¡±

 Chapter 401: Guess

    <h4>Chapter 401: Guess</h4>


    Feng Bo¡¯s quiet words left everyone¡¯s hearts heavy. Having been the main target of the Pi family, Yun Ruoyan was familiar with what power they possessed. Even without any time for preparations, they were able to gather hundreds of swordsmen in little more than a quarter of an hour. Given enough time to prepare, it was likely that the Pis could supply thousands, even tens of thousands of swordsmen. With the Lie, Wu, and Chen families to support them, their offensive capabilities would be immense.


    ¡°If we do end up fighting with the Pis, we won¡¯t have a good chance at victory,¡± Feng Yanyang affirmed. ¡°But a fight was inevitable, given the disagreements between the Pi and Feng families. The three of you were only the sparks that ignited the conflict.¡±


    Feng Yanyang¡¯s n was for Yun Ruoyan and the others to find safe shelter somewhere on the Mingyuan continent, then to return to the Chenyuan continent once it was time for the portal to open again.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t!¡± Lin Qingxue was the first to oppose the n. ¡°We might be from a lower-grade continent, but we¡¯re not cowards who would flee just because the opponent¡¯s stronger.¡±


    ¡°Sister Qingxue¡¯s right,¡± Yun Ruoyan added. ¡°No matter what, we yed a role in the conflict between the Fengs and the Pis, and I myself have a grudge to settle with them. We have to participate in this battle.¡±


    ¡°And if we lose?¡± Feng Yanyang eyed Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°I¡¯ve experienced countless failures and moments of despair in my life, but beyond every patch of darkness lies a beacon of shining light. Even if we¡¯re in dire straits, I firmly believe that we¡¯ll eventually find a way out. As long as we have a fighting chance, I won¡¯t give up.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt a warmth against her hand: Li Mo had sped it in his. ¡°My wife and I will face any challenge together.¡±


    ¡°We as well,¡± Lin Tianming added. ¡°We¡¯re a family, so we have to stick together no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Brat, let¡¯s find a ce to hide. Once my cultivation¡¯s back to its former glory, we¡¯ll raze everything to the ground!¡± the malicious voice cackled, but Zhuo Yifeng only looked up and said calmly, ¡°Count me in. We came to the Chenyuan continent together, and we¡¯ll be leaving together as well.¡±


    Feng Yanyang¡¯s gaze swept over the gathered crowd. ¡°In that case, the Feng family will definitely do its very best to prepare for this battle.¡±


    Just then, Feng Bo rushed back to the manor.


    ¡°Uncle, did you beat up those Pi swordsmen easily?¡± Feng Yicheng grinned.


    ¡°The swordsmen were greatly weakened after the fight and the chase, so I did dispatch of them with ease,¡± Feng Bo replied, bowing to Feng Yanyang.


    After the meeting was over and everyone dispersed, Feng Bo and Feng Yicheng stayed in the manor to have drinks with Li Mo and the others.


    ¡°May I ask how much stronger the Pis arepared to the Fengs? Don¡¯t we even have a slim chance of victory?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, pouring Feng Bo a cup of wine.


    ¡°The difference in our families¡¯ strength used to be even wider, and that¡¯s what everyone still thinks,¡± Feng Bo replied.


    ¡°What they think?¡± Yun Ruoyan leaned closer. ¡°Is the Feng family hiding some forces in reserve?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Feng Bo put down his cup, and Yun Ruoyan immediately refilled it. ¡°Three years ago, when the Feng family obtained jurisdiction over Peak Darkness, we obtained quite a few sage-grade spirit crystals from the spirit crystal veins in the area. Using these crystals, we were able to train a few hundred swordsmen at the realm of sword saints. These forces remain a well-kept secret, and we¡¯ve never revealed their existence to outsiders. Since all of you are working with us, however, we won¡¯t hide this from you.¡±


    ¡°We have secret troops?¡± Feng Yicheng widened his eyes almostically. ¡°No one told me!¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been with the Fengs for very long, and I hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to tell you,¡± Feng Bo replied, waving a hand.


    Feng Yicheng made a face, then gulped down three cups of wine in a row. ¡°In that case, aren¡¯t we guaranteed victory?¡±


    ¡°The Pi family has been in control of Peak Darkness for so long that they¡¯ve surely amassed considerable wealth of their own. We were able to cultivate a secret troop, but who¡¯s to say that they don¡¯t have a troop like this of their own? Furthermore,¡± Feng Bo continued, ¡°it¡¯s not just the Fengs and Pis fighting. If our forces are evenly matched with the Pis, then allies would be of particr importance.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and the others knew that the Pis had three families as allies, whereas the Fengs only had one. The final of the seven families had decided to stay neutral, at least for the moment.


    ¡°Yicheng, why weren¡¯t you sessful in bringing the Lie family to our side?¡± Feng Bo asked.


    Feng Yicheng sighed. ¡°I never had an opportunity to see Lord Lie at all. I¡¯d thought that Lie Sen would have some authority of his own, but he¡¯s just a puppet! Everything still remains in his father¡¯s control.¡±


    Every night, Lie Fenn would infuse spiritual energy into his eldest daughter, still at death¡¯s door, to prolong her life. In the day, however, he was still responsible for the governance of his city. He would only hand Lie Sen power if there were a task that required his being gone for an extended period of time. When he heard that Feng Yicheng had arrived at the Lie city to try to persuade the Lies to ally with the Fengs, he chose to ignore Feng Yicheng altogether.


    ¡°However, I heard Lie Sen mention that his father was at the brink of exhaustion. Working day and night like this... there¡¯s no way he canst for an extended period of time. He told me not to worry about his father, that he¡¯d ally with us Fengs as soon as he takes charge of the family.¡±


    ¡°Brother Feng,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°This Lie Sen doesn¡¯t sound like a reliable person at all, and even if they do ally with the Fengs, I wouldn¡¯t trust him with my life.¡±


    However, Yun Ruoyan visibly brightened up. ¡°Do you know how Miss Lie¡¯s doing now?¡±


    ¡°ording to Lie Sen, she¡¯s been kept in seclusion ever after she contracted the corpse poison. After expending countless spiritual herbs and pills, she¡¯s no longer beset by flights of lunacy, but the poison¡¯s still slowly corroding her body. That¡¯s why Lie Fenn has to infuse great deals of spiritual energy into her body daily in order to seal the poison off from the rest of her body.¡±


    ¡°In that case, it looks like we¡¯ll be able to pull the Lie family to our side.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Feng Yicheng widened his eyes. ¡°Miss Yun, what¡¯s your n?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Zhuo Yifeng, as did the rest of the gathered guests. Zhuo Yifeng blinked at the gazes directed his way.


    ¡°We¡¯ll use that!¡± Yun Ruoyan pointed at Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s chest. Zhuo Yifeng frowned, then revealed a ck bottle¡ªYun Ruoyan¡¯s shade, which Zhuo Yifeng had taken back from Master Shade. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to return it to Yun Ruoyan after seizing it, but Yun Ruoyan could sense the shade¡¯s aura.


    ¡°With that shade, I¡¯m confident that we¡¯ll be able to bring the Lie family to our side.¡± Yun Ruoyan took the bottle that Zhuo Yifeng handed her.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s proposal to head to the Lie family to win them over was quickly approved by Feng Yanyang. After resting in her manor for a few days, she and Li Mo then headed to the Lie city.


    This time, however, Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t request to tag along. Ever since Zhuo Yifeng had made his feelings clear to Lin Qingxue, their rtionship had been rather unusual. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s initial n was to bring her with them to the Lie city so as to split them up, but when she suddenly thought of how Zhuo Yifeng had confessed to Lin Qingxue that he was interested in Yun Ruoyan, she then thought that doing so wouldn¡¯t be appropriate, either. Not used to dealing with such problems, Yun Ruoyan was at a loss as to what to do.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yan¡¯er? Can¡¯t you sleep?¡± Li Mo noticed her tossing and turning.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Is something on your mind?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan wanted to reveal the truth, but she found that she couldn¡¯t tell Li Mo that Zhuo Yifeng liked her.


    Li Mo nced at the woman by his side, hemming and hawing as though she wanted to say something but was unable to do so, and couldn¡¯t help hiding augh. Ever since they had gotten married, it felt as though Yun Ruoyan was far more willing to expose her true self to him. Who else would be able to see her act so indecisively?


    Li Mo reached out and held Yun Ruoyan¡¯s petite body close to his own. ¡°Since you can¡¯t say it, why don¡¯t you let me have a guess?¡±


    ¡°A guess?¡± Yun Ruoyan raised her head and nced at Li Mo. ¡°You can certainly try, but I doubt you¡¯ll be able to guess what I¡¯m worried about.¡±


    ¡°Whether or not I¡¯m right, you¡¯ll soon find out. Is it something to do with feelings?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already my wife, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with our rtionship. Thus, you have to be concerned about someone else¡¯s feelings.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡± Yun Ruoyan continued, but then quickly shook her head. ¡°...but also not.¡± Since Zhuo Yifeng liked her, it was something that involved her as well.


    ¡°Alright, then.¡± Li Mo flipped them over, covering her body with his own. He nced down at her, her image reflected his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re worried about Zhuo Yifeng and Lin Qingxue. Lin Qingxue likes Zhuo Yifeng, but Zhuo Yifeng likes you. You want to help them resolve their dilemma. You don¡¯t want to see either of them hurt, but given that the person Zhuo Yifeng likes is you, there¡¯s nothing you feel like you can do.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You... really guessed it right?¡±

 Chapter 402: Meeting Lie Fenglan

    <h4>Chapter 402: Meeting Lie Fenn</h4>


    When Li Mo saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s dazed expression, he couldn¡¯t help kissing her forehead. ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡¯re so intelligent, except when ites to one¡¯s emotions¡ªbut I like that about you.¡±


    ¡°I am a little slow, aren¡¯t I?¡± Yun Ruoyan had to admit that she really was slow when it came to such matters. It was a w that had followed her from her past life and into the present: in the past, she had fallen head over heels in love with a trashy male like Pei Ziao; in the present, perhaps ovepensating for her previous mistakes, she was wholly oblivious to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s inclination towards her.


    When Li Mo was pursuing Yun Ruoyan, no matter how much he had tried to show his affection, no matter how forceful he had been, Yun Ruoyan refused to believe that he truly loved her. Instead, she believed that he was attracted to her ugliness.


    Even after the two of them became a couple, Yun Ruoyan was still somewhat reserved until the consummation of their marriage.


    Li Mo naturally didn¡¯t know of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s past life; instead, he thought that she was still too young to have a deep understanding of such affairs, and began analyzing the situation for her. ¡°Anyone who¡¯s had any experience with romance would be able to tell that Zhuo Yifeng likes you,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°Maybe someone as carefree like your cousin wouldn¡¯t, but you¡¯re so intelligent and meticulous, Yan¡¯er. Couldn¡¯t you tell?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªwell, you know how bad I am with emotions.¡± Yun Ruoyan pursed her lips. ¡°If you already knew everything, why didn¡¯t you tell me? What should I do now?¡±


    ¡°Do nothing.¡± Li Mo¡¯s eyes were perfectly serious. ¡°Simply be my wife. Zhuo Yifeng isn¡¯t someone who can¡¯t control his own emotions, and your two cousins need to grow up. You might be able to shield them from harm, but you can¡¯t grow up for them.¡±


    Li Mo¡¯s words finally freed the burden on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart. She bit her lip and nodded, then began pulling at Li Mo¡¯s cor. Li Mo smirked, then reached out and deftly parted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s robe¡­


    Zhuo Yifengy tossing and turning in his bed. Unable to fall asleep, he decided to sit up and cultivate. However, the moment he closed his eyes, his brain filled with an image of Yun Ruoyan looking at Li Mo with deep affection. Her eyes and smile weren¡¯t directed at him, but the sight was still burned into Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s mind, one that he couldn¡¯t seem to remove no matter what he did.


    Zhuo Yifeng, don¡¯t do this to yourself! She¡¯s someone else¡¯s wife, and her husband¡¯s your mortal enemy. You¡¯ll eventually have to fight with him, and she¡¯ll be your enemy as well.


    ¡°If you keep distracting yourself like this, your mental defenses are going to be far too easily ovee,¡± the malicious voice spoke disdainfully, interrupting his thoughts. ¡°If you like someone, chase her! Snatch her! What sort of man does nothing but pine?!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Zhuo Yifeng called out.


    The malicious voice snorted and continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t dare to chase her, I will. What a shame to miss out on such a cute, pretty girl!¡±


    ¡°I told you, shut up!¡± Zhuo Yifeng waspletely enraged. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare peek at my thoughts or think about doing anything to Yun Ruoyan, or I¡¯ll bring you down with me even if I have to sacrifice myself, too!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop!¡± The demonic spirit immediately acquiesced.


    The next day, before Yun Ruoyan could find Zhuo Yifeng, he announced that he would return to the barracks of the Feng city guards. Qin Feng had been struck by lightning during that monumental fight with Pi Yan, but his broadsword had taken the brunt of the attack. Although he was injured, it wasn¡¯t too debilitating, and he had returned to the Feng barracks soon after he was able to get back on his feet.


    When he found out about Li Mo and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s return, he hade back from the barracks. When he saw Zhuo Yifeng, he asked him if he wanted to go back with him. Zhuo Yifeng thought it a good idea, and he had just announced his intentions to everyone.


    Yun Ruoyan naturally had no objections, and she and Li Mo set off for the Lie city alone. Once they were there, they took Feng Yicheng¡¯s letter to the Lie manor and spent a hundred spirit crystals to have it delivered to Lord Lie. Only after a long wait did the servant to whom they¡¯d entrusted the letter step back out with a note for the two guests.


    There was a restaurant¡¯s name written on the note; Lie Sen had instructed the two guests to meet him there.


    ¡°It looks like this Lie Fenn doesn¡¯t think highly of the Feng family,¡± Li Mo murmured.


    ¡°After all, they¡¯re far closer to the Pi family. In such a sensitive period, it¡¯s not unexpected that they wouldn¡¯t treat representatives of the Feng family well,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go wait for this Young Master Lie.¡±


    The two of them headed to the Hongyun Restaurant that the note had specified, thergest restaurant and inn in the entire Lie family. They booked a room for themselves, then sat down by one of the most prominent spots of the restaurant, ordered some food and drinks, and waited.


    The wine was good, and the dishes were excellent in quality. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo sipped the wine slowly and asionally had a bite or two to eat.


    ¡°I used to be so hungry that everything tasted good, but now that I don¡¯t feel any sense of hunger, everything feels rather tasteless,¡± Yun Ruoyanmented.


    Not too long after she spoke, a waiter¡¯s eager voice piped up by the entrance to the restaurant, ¡°Ah, Young Master Lie! It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen youst. How may I help?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was sitting with her back to the entrance, and she immediately turned around as she heard the voice. Lie Sen¡¯s gaze was sweeping through the restaurant, and he noticed Yun Ruoyan immediately.


    In order to avoid attention, Yun Ruoyan was wearing an understated green dress. She wasn¡¯t as stunning as Lie Sen remembered seeing her at the Feng banquet, but her perfect smile was enough to make his heart twinge. His gaze fell ck once he found her face. When Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo stood up and walked toward him, Lie Sen finally reacted. Rather than directly greeting his two guests, he instructed the waiter, ¡°Send your best dishes to my personal suite.¡±


    The waiter nodded. Lie Sen motioned for Yun Ruoyan to follow him as he headed upstairs, and Li Mo followed suit.


    As they ascended, they found a Lie swordsman poking his head into the restaurant and noted that the Young Master Lie seemed to be under strict surveince. They followed Lie Sen into a private suite. Li Mo was just about to knock when the door was opened from within, and Lie Sen greeted Yun Ruoyan with a beaming smile.


    ¡°Miss Yun, please.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the courtesy, Young Master Lie.¡± Yun Ruoyan eyed Li Mo before stepping into the suite. Li Mo frowned and entered.


    After they were all settled, Lie Sen began, ¡°I¡¯ve read the letter that Brother Feng wrote me, and he said you were here as guests.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Young Master Lie, please introduce us to Lord Lie.¡±


    Only then did Lie Sen turn away from Yun Ruoyan and focus on Li Mo. Lie Sen had represented the Lie family at the seven cities¡¯ tournament, and he naturally recognized him. However, his first impression of Li Mo was exactly the same as that of Pi Batian: that they were both dull, boring men.


    ¡°Young Master Li, the situation is moreplex than you might imagine,¡± Lie Sen replied. ¡°The Lie family has been a longstanding ally of the Pi family, and it won¡¯t be so easy to get us to change sides. Last time, I rmended Feng Yicheng to my father, but not only did he refuse to meet him, he even put me under surveince to prevent me from interacting with the Feng and Hua families.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Lie,¡± Yun Ruoyan began. ¡°Is there a way for us to meet Lord Lie directly?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words immediately drew Lie Sen¡¯s attention, but when he processed them, his smile fell. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to help, but if I did so, I¡¯d likely be ced under house arrest, not just surveince.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned, and her features turned worried. This was clearly a big blow to Lie Sen, who immediately eximed, ¡°Let me think¡­ is there a way to bring you two into the Lie manor without having anyone realize that it was I who did so?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple.¡± Li Mo broke off Lie Sen¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Young Master Lie, you need only provide us with a blueprint of the manor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple,¡± Lie Sen replied. He asked for brush and parchment from a waiter, then detailed the inner workings of the Lie manor.


    That night, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo infiltrated the manor. ording to Lie Sen¡¯s ns, they entered Lie Fenn¡¯s backyard¡ªtheir sole objective was to find Lie Fenn and have him hear them out. After evading quite a few patrols, they finally arrived at his bedroom, only to find it perfectly silent.


    Lie Sen had mentioned that Lie Fenn would only be in two ces at night: his bedroom, resting, or the cultivation chamber, where Lie Yun was being held for treatment.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo immediately headed to the cultivation chamber. The area all around it was eerily quiet, apparently because Lie Yun needed to rest in solitude. If there were toorge amotion, her lunacy, which had been suppressed, might break out in full force once more.


    Before they could enter the chamber, however, a tall, middle-aged man walked out of the chamber. His gaze was sharp, his features resolute, although his hair was turning white.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo immediately judged that this was the head of the Lie family, Lie Fenn.


    ¡°On what grounds am I receiving this nighttime visit?¡± he asked, in a deep, sonorous voice.

 Chapter 403: The Corpselike Lie Yun

    <h4>Chapter 403: The Corpselike Lie Yun</h4>


    As Lie Fenn spoke, the rtively small courtyard quickly filled up with Lie swordsmen, surrounding Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. Another dozen swordsmen rose to the skies, blocking off any aerial escape route.


    All this happened so quickly and noiselessly that they seemed to have gotten into formation within the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Lord Lie,¡± Yun Ruoyan began. ¡°We don¡¯t bear you any ill will¡ª¡±


    ¡°Infiltrating my manor at night and still iming to bear me no ill will?¡± Lie Fenn¡¯s face was lined with anger. Before Yun Ruoyan could exin herself further, he continued, ¡°Lord Pi has sent me news that you¡¯re the traitors of the Pi family, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo! Men, catch these traitors!¡±


    With Lie Fenn¡¯smand, the two dozen swordsmen attacked Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo at once. The swordsmen in the air sent vines around them, weaving a that prevented any escape. Meanwhile, the swordsmen on the ground rushed up and began to tussle with the two cultivators.


    These swordsmen had evidently all received intense training, because their attacks and techniques all proceeded in a soundless manner.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo didn¡¯t want to offend the Lie family any further, so they focused solely on defense. Even though the swordsmen were using attacks designed to kill, the most that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo did was hurt them and force them to retreat, without any intention to kill.


    However, if they were to continue fighting with such a handicap, they would eventually run out of stamina first.


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered, ¡°it seems like it¡¯s true that Lie Yun can¡¯t be disturbed at all. In that case, I have an idea.¡±


    ¡°What idea?¡± Li Mo kicked away a swordsman running at him with a cleaver. He somersaulted a few times in the air but, somehow,nded stably on top of a wall. Rubbing his chest, he leapt off the wall and came running at Li Mo again.


    ¡°Make noise, as much noise as you can!¡±


    Li Mo immediately understood Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intentions. He nodded, then kicked at the running swordsman again. A number of the swordsman¡¯s ribs cracked, and he shot out toward the wall. When his back crashed against it, the impact knocked half the wall down.


    Lie Fenn¡¯s heavy brows furrowed in a frown. Toward his surroundings, he whispered, ¡°Be careful not to make any noise!¡±


    However, Yun Ruoyan ignored him, shouting out loud, ¡°Don¡¯t think a few vines will trap us here!¡±


    She raised her hands over her head and conjured up a number ofrge fireballs, which sheunched above her head using the Scarlet Eye. As a peak ninth-rank demaster, Yun Ruoyan could conjure iparably better fireballs than before. When further augmented by the Scarlet Eye, their strength was particrly shocking.


    The moment they struck the of vines, the vines began to burn. The spiritual fire quickly spread to the dozen cultivators in the air weaving the, who began to scream in pain.


    Despite their intense training, the scorching, bone-deep pain was near-impossible to bear. Li Mo also increased the severity of his attacks, sending the cultivators arrayed against him flying. Somended against a wall, others against a tree; in a matter of moments, all sorts of groans and thumps could be heard in the yard.


    ¡°You dare...!¡± Lie Fenn thundered, but even then his voice seemed muted. He jumped up into the air, his fingers spread like ws. A mud-yellow glow encased his hands as he swiped at Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    Lie Fenn¡¯s blow was particrly imposing. Concentrated spiritual energy enveloped his fists; despite the fact that he was using spiritual energy at nearly maximum output, Li Mo wasn¡¯t able to analyze his cultivation. Clearly, Lie Fenn was stronger than even Li Mo.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, move aside!¡± Li Mo grabbed Yun Ruoyan and flung her behind him, then encased his fists in pale-blue ice as he grappled with Lie Fenn.


    The two men collided with an ear-splitting crash. Li Mo stumbled back a few steps, half the ice encasing his fists already cracked and splintered.


    Lie Fenn looked at his own fists. The mud-yellow spiritual energy encasing them didn¡¯t seem to be affected, but it had begun to swirl and shake. He turned to Li Mo once more, his eyes more intense than ever. He hadn¡¯t attended the seven cities¡¯ tournament or the Feng banquet and was thus unfamiliar with Li Mo¡¯s strength. Now that they had exchanged blows, Lie Fenn was clearly surprised by how strong Li Mo seemed to be.


    To think you two ves would have such advanced cultivation! It looks like I¡¯ll have to keep both of you here, or you¡¯ll surely be strong rivals on the battlefield.


    ¡°Lord Lie, will you allow us to exin why we¡¯vee?¡± Li Mo asked again.


    However, Lie Fenn had already made up his mind. He raised his spiritual energy output to the maximum, and the quivering spiritual energy around his fists stabilized once more. Their mud-yellow light shone brighter than ever before.


    ¡°I was just wondering what sort of gift to hand the Pi family for our newly formed alliance, so it¡¯s quite opportune that you¡¯ve both shown up.¡± Lie Fenn raised his palms.


    Li Mo stepped forward,pletely shielding Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just mastered my thousand palms technique, and you¡¯ll have the honor of being the first cultivator I¡¯m testing it against!¡± Lie Fenn shouted, then dashed at Li Mo once more. Before his fistsnded, he had already generated a billowing wind that swept at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hair and clothes.


    Li Mo raised his spiritual energy output to the maximum and again congealed ayer of ice encasing his fists, prepared to defend against the blows.


    Right before the attacknded, a girl¡¯s furious cry came from behind Lie Fenn.


    ¡°A, aaaa, aaaaaah!¡± Her shrill scream, so filled with pain, caused goosebumps to rise on the skin of all present. Lie Fenn involuntarily turned behind him in the midst of his attack.


    Li Mo dragged Yun Ruoyan to one side and barely dodged the blow. With a great Peng!, Lie Fenn¡¯s blownded on the ground, which immediately split and cracked. The resulting noise provoked another scream, even shriller than before.


    ¡°Miss, no, please don¡¯t!¡± More female voices could be heard from the cultivation chamber within. Two servant girls hurriedly rushed out of the chamber. ¡°Lord Lie, Lord Lie, Miss Lie has gone crazy again!¡±


    Lie Fenn ignored Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo and immediately began sprinting toward the chamber.


    ¡°Li Mo, stop him!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted. She too rushed toward the chamber, while Li Mo blocked Lie Fenn¡¯s path.


    ¡°Move!¡± Lie Fenn thundered at Li Mo, seeing Yun Ruoyan enter the chamber.


    ¡°Lord Lie, my wife¡¯s here to help your daughter. If you rush in, Miss Lie will only suffer further.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve expended half my estate and my own resources to save my daughter. What makes you think that girl can do it? Stop speaking nonsense!¡± Lie Fenn cocked a fist and made to attack Li Mo again, but he continued blocking his way.


    After Yun Ruoyan entered the chamber, the first thing she saw was Lie Yun¡¯s hair in disarray. Her entire body was wrapped up in heavy steel chains, and her beautiful face had turned a purplish-ck from the corpse poison¡¯s corruption. Her eyes had turned blood-red, and her body was as skeletal as her shade.


    ¡°Kill me, kill me!¡± Lie Yun moaned in pain, the ck energy rushing toward her red eyes.


    ¡°Miss Lie, hold still. I¡¯ll save you immediately,¡± Yun Ruoyan began, then tried to uncork her shade from its bottle. However, before she was able to uncork it, Lie Yun had pulled her chains loose and struck Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wrists with them.


    Yun Ruoyan let out a pained gasp and dropped the bottle containing her shade, whichnded on the floor well behind Lie Yun.


    ¡°Miss, Miss, you can¡¯t go outside!¡±


    Her servants tried to prevent Lie Yun from struggling any further, but they were all knocked unconscious by her chains. Lie Yun had already lost her rationality, and if the poison couldn¡¯t be counteracted, she would quickly be nothing more than a mindless corpse. Not long after, the corpse poison would reach her heart, and not even the silver dragon n elder would be able to save her then.


    Instead of trying to prevent Lie Yun from struggling, Yun Ruoyan darted around her to pick up the bottle containing her shade.


    Back in the yard, Li Mo and Lie Fenn were still struggling with each other. In his desire to save his daughter, Lie Fenn had traded power for speed, and he sent a flurry of blows in Li Mo¡¯s direction. Despite their limited strength, Li Mo still found himself unable to fully defend against his attacks.


    Meanwhile, Lie Yun had run out of the chamber, dragging her chains behind her.


    ¡°Yun¡¯er!¡± When Lie Fenn saw Lie Yun¡¯s terrible appearance, he stumbled in shock. Loudly, hemanded, ¡°Don¡¯t let the young miss run out of this yard, but don¡¯t harm her!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Lie!¡± the swordsmen all chorused in unison.


    At the same time, additional reinforcements arrived from all around the manor. Even Lie Sen made an appearance, though he only dared hide behind the entrance to the facility without stepping inside. These guards, under Lord Lie¡¯smand, quickly surrounded Lie Yun.


    Lie Yun spread her fingers like ws, prepared to fight to break out of her encirclement.


    ¡°Stop her!¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly shouted, bursting out of the chamber. ¡°Don¡¯t let her use any attacks, or the corpse poison will spread even faster.¡±

 Chapter 404: Antidote

    <h4>Chapter 404: Antidote</h4>


    ¡°Ignore the girl. Seize the young miss!¡± Lie Fenn didn¡¯t even bother ncing at Yun Ruoyan. The gathered swordsmen threw down their weapons and ran up to Lie Yun waving their bare fists.


    Yun Ruoyan widened her eyes. Of all the swordsmen she had seen, the Lie swordsmen weren¡¯t the most powerful, but they were certainly the most well-trained. The swordsmeny in a heap on top of Lie Yun¡¯s body, trying to push and hold her down with theirbined weight, thinking that it would be enough to stymie her. However, under the effects of the corpse poison, Lie Yun was so strong that she knocked the swordsmen flying.


    By then, however, Yun Ruoyan had already uncorked the bottle in her hands. Her shade flew out of the bottle, then coalesced into human form. Yun Ruoyan immediately made aplicated series of hand gestures in the shade¡¯s direction as she mumbled a chant¡ªa means of controlling the shade that she had learnt from Feng Bo before setting out on this trip. After the shade was captured by Master Shade, it no longer obeyed hermands, and only the dead Master Shade knew how to control the shade through its bottle. The chant and hand gestures she was employing now would grant her temporary control, but nothing more.


    As a red formation shone in the space between Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palms, the shade trembled in fear. ¡°Shade, suck away the corpse poison on Lie Yun¡¯s body!¡± Yun Ruoyanmanded, and it flew toward Lie Yun.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hurt my daughter, shadow creature!¡± shouted Lie Fenn, upon seeing the shade flying toward his daughter.


    ¡°Lord Lie, only this shade can save your daughter now!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out. Lie Fenn hesitated, then shook his head in disbelief and made to stop the shade¡¯s progress.


    ¡°You stubborn fool!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted again. To Li Mo, she called out, ¡°Stop him!¡±


    Li Mo again began fighting Lie Fenn. Perhaps because Yun Ruoyan¡¯s im had left him uncertain, he was unable to concentrate, and his path was quickly blocked by Li Mo. As he saw the shade approach his daughter, his hands tightened into fists.


    When Lie Yun glimpsed the shade, an expression of terror flew across her face. She shrieked shrilly, then tried to run, but Yun Ruoyan stepped forward and firmly held down the chains still trailing from her body.


    Lie Yun stumbled and fell to the ground, only to have Yun Ruoyan pull on the chains shackled to her wrists, hoisting her upright. ¡°Shade, what¡¯re you waiting for?!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted.


    The shade didn¡¯t dare to hesitate any further. It floated to Lie Yun¡¯s side, opened its maw, and began to suck. Corpse aura flew out from Lie Yun¡¯s eyes, nose, and ears in what seemed to be a never-ending stream. Gradually, Lie Yun¡¯s face went from purplish-ck to blue, then to stark white. Her eyes slowly lost their blood-red tint, once again resolving into ck and white.


    ¡°Yun¡¯er¡ªLie Yun!¡± Lie Fenn called out in disbelief and immense joy. His palms, clenched so tightly they were almost dripping blood, finally unclenched. Only then did Li Mo remove the sword that he held by Lie Fenn¡¯s neck.


    The shade had spent six whole hours sucking out the corpse aura that had umted in Lie Yun¡¯s body for nearly one whole year. By the time it was finished, the skies were bright and clear, and Lie Yun had regained her usualplexion. Although her eyes still seemed rather dull and dazed, she was clearly back to normal.


    As Yun Ruoyan sealed the shade in its bottle, Lie Yun trembled, as though all the energy had drained out of her, and slumped to the ground in a heap.


    Lie Fenn ran forward and caressed her prone body. ¡°Yun¡¯er, how are you feeling now?¡±


    Lie Yun slowly opened her eyes and looked toward her father. With obvious effort, she said, ¡°Father, I¡¯m finally free of the poison¡­!¡± Then, closing her eyes, she fainted.


    ¡°Send for the physician!¡± Lie Fenn quickly called out.


    ¡°Quick, send for a physician, quickly!¡± Lie Sen finally stepped out from behind the entrance to the cultivation chamber.


    Lie Fenn paced outside of Lie Yun¡¯s bedroom while Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo sipped tea by a table. Lie Fenn nced askance at them, but only continued pacing without saying anything.


    ¡°Is my sister alright now?¡± Lie Sen asked Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°Of course!¡±


    Her smile seemed to be enough to leave Lie Sen in a daze. He thought back to how heroic Yun Ruoyan had looked while trying to save Lie Yun, then drew closer to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face¡ª


    Li Mo extended a long leg in front of Lie Sen. Not paying conscious attention to whaty before him, Lie Sen tripped and fell onto the floor. He stood back up and turned to Li Mo in rage.


    ¡°Sen¡¯er! Don¡¯t be impolite to our guests!¡± His father¡¯s words immediately caused Lie Sen to lower his head, bow, and stand to the side.


    Lie Fenn continued, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind my son¡¯s disrespect.¡± His severe face finally showed the barest traces of a smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s no harm, Lord Lie. If not for Young Master Lie providing us with a blueprint of the Lie manor, it would have been far harder for my wife and I to find Miss Lie¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you!¡± Lie Sen immediately fixed Li Mo with a pointed stare, aggrieved by the sudden betrayal.


    Lie Fennughed, his gaze sweeping over Lie Sen. ¡°My son¡¯s behavior is normally atrocious, but he was correct to do so. If my daughter is indeed hale and hearty, I will certainly reward you both.¡±


    ¡°We have no need for rewards,¡± Yun Ruoyan began. ¡°On the other hand, Lord Lie, please reconsider allying with the Feng family.¡±


    Lie Fenn¡¯s mouth snapped shut. He mulled it over and was just about to speak when a physician walked out of Lie Yun¡¯s rooms with a servant girl in tow.


    ¡°Physician Wang!¡± Lie Fenn immediately rushed forward. ¡°How¡¯s my daughter?¡±


    ¡°Congrattions are in order, Lord Lie,¡± the elderly man smiled. ¡°Young Miss Lie¡¯s poison has been removed from her body, and she¡¯ll be as good as new after some rest and recuperation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Lie Fenn beamed.


    ¡°Lord Lie,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, standing up. ¡°Since Miss Lie¡¯s recovered, our alliance¡ª¡±


    ¡°My daughter has just recovered, so please allow me to deal with her first. I¡¯ll be happy to discuss other matters with both of you afterwards,¡± Lie Fenn replied. ¡°Sen¡¯er, prepare rooms for our honored guests.¡±


    Lie Fenn then walked inside Lie Yun¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°Lord Lie!¡± Yun Ruoyan tried to follow behind him, but Li Mo pulled her back.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, rushing won¡¯t get us anywhere.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were assigned particrly luxurious suites and were fed with the choicest food and wine. However, even after two days, they still saw no sign of Lie Fenn. Instead, Lie Sen had personally served them, not minding the trouble or the fact that doing so was beneath his station.


    ¡°Young Master Lie, does Lord Lie still not have the time to meet with us today?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, finally unable to bear her impatience.


    ¡°My sister¡¯s body¡¯s still very weak, and Father has been infusing her with spiritual energy thesest two days,¡± Lie Sen replied. ¡°I assure you he¡¯s not deliberately trying to avoid you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had no choice but to continue waiting. Over the past few days, Mo¡¯er had brought two letters from Lin Qingchen, describing a few minor conflicts that had begun between the Feng and Pi cities. The two cities were now in direct conflict with each other; two days after Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had left, the Pi city had seized two small towns neighboring the Feng city, and then two more after that. The Pi swordsmen raped the townsfolk as they burned and piged the towns.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sense of urgency burgeoned after reading the letter. Although Li Mo didn¡¯t disy any of his anxiety, he was likewise concerned about how much further the situation would devolve before they could finally return.


    They had originally intended to force Lie Fenn¡¯s hand by withholding Lie Yun¡¯s cure until he acquiesced to an alliance, but given the urgency of the situation, Yun Ruoyan had had no choice but to give Lie Yun the treatment beforehand.


    Luckily, there was a piece of good news from Lie Sen: Lie Yun was no longer bedridden, and there would be a banquet that night to thank Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    Within Lie Yun¡¯s rooms, she and her father were discussing the proposed alliance. ¡°Father, we definitely can¡¯t agree to an alliance.¡± Lie Yun sat by the side of the bed. Although she had recovered to a considerable extent, her face was still pale, and she could only walk a few steps before feeling faint.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Lie Fenn replied, somewhat awkwardly. ¡°The Lies and Pis have been close allies for centuries, and you¡¯re even engaged to Pi Yang. How could I break off the alliance with the Pi family and aid the Fengs instead? But they did save your lives, and rejecting them outright will be a stain on the Lies¡¯ reputation.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let me deny them myself,¡± Lie Yun replied. ¡°They saved my life, so if we can¡¯t honor their request, then it should be my problem.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Lie Fenn replied. ¡°These two seem like rtively courteous people, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll make things hard for you.¡±


    ¡°Father?¡± Lie Yun then called out again.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°While I was afflicted with this poison, did anyone elsee to visit me? Please let me know so I can return their courtesy.¡±


    Lie Fenn snorted. ¡°You¡¯re asking about that Pi brat, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Lie Yun didn¡¯t respond verbally, but she lowered her head.


    Lie Fenn red up in anger. ¡°He¡¯s onlye to visit you twice near the start of your poisoning, but I¡¯ve not seen him since. When Sen¡¯er returned from Peak Darkness, he mentioned that he saw that brat during the seven cities¡¯ tournament¡ªso he has time to attend a tournament, but not to visit you?!¡±

 Chapter 405: What’s in the Carriage?

    <h4>Chapter 405: What¡¯s in the Carriage?</h4>


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because there¡¯s so much going on with the Pi family at the moment,¡± Lie Yun replied. ¡°Pi Yang treats me very well.¡±


    Lie Fenn sighed. ¡°What do you like about that brat? Isn¡¯t his brother far better than he is?¡±


    ¡°Father, please stop.¡± Lie Yun was getting a little vexed.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop. I¡¯ll go oversee how the preparations for the banquet are proceeding.¡±


    Than ight, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were invited to the banquet hall. After a grand feast and a slew of martial duels, Yun Ruoyan once again broached the topic of forming an alliance between the Fengs and the Lies.


    Lie Fenn listened to the request, but he didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Lord Lie,¡± Li Mo added, ¡°no matter what benefits the Pi family has given you, the Fengs can promise you at least the same level of treatment.¡±


    ¡°Honored guests,¡± Lie Yun began, from Lie Fenn¡¯s side. ¡°To be quite truthful, I was engaged with the second young master of the Pi family, Pi Yang, as a child. To betray the Pi family and form an alliance with the Feng family instead is something I can¡¯t agree to. However, I do owe my life to both of you, and it would be dishonorable to fight against you in battle. After discussing matters over with my father, we¡¯ve decided that the Lie family will be neutral in the uing conflict, helping neither the Fengs nor the Pis.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo looked at Lie Yun in shock, as did Lie Sen and Lie Fenn. Clearly, Lie Yun hadn¡¯t discussed this proposed neutrality with her father beforehand.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan both noticed the changes in Lie Fenn¡¯s expression. Li Mo pressed, ¡°Lord Lie, may I ask if you agree?¡±


    ¡°I... I feel the same way,¡± Lie Fenn replied, after a momentary hesitation.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo nced at each other. Given the arranged marriage, pulling the Lies to their side surely wasn¡¯t practical, and neutrality was already a goodpromise given the circumstances. In the end, they both nodded.


    ¡°Since both Lord Lie and Miss Lie are in agreement, then it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for me to force matters further. In that case, the two of us will leave tomorrow, and we bid you farewell now.¡± Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan toasted the Lie family.


    After the banquet, just as they returned to their guest rooms, they saw Mo¡¯er by the window. Its head was nested in its feathers, and it seemed to be sound asleep. Ever since Lin Qingchen had treated Mo¡¯er after its injury, it had remained with her except when it was needed for couriering messages, clearly very much enjoying her care and affection.


    Rather than wake Mo¡¯er, Yun Ruoyan walked to its side and removed the message from the little message-holder by its w. Li Mo unrolled the message and read it with her, his brows furrowing as he did so.


    The message was from Feng Yanyang, and it described how the Pis had attacked not only towns by the Feng city, but even Peak Darkness, in grant vition of the seven cities¡¯ agreement. They had sent men into the region to wrest control of its spirit crystal veins, and Feng Yicheng and Zhuo Yifeng were now bringing Feng swordsmen into the region to secure the veins once more. The Lie city wasn¡¯t too far from Peak Darkness, so Feng Yanyang instructed them to provide support.


    Li Mo scooped Mo¡¯er up and deposited it into his robe, and the two of them left for Peak Darkness immediately.


    The next day, when Lie Fenn and Lie Yun woke up to find Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo gone, they weren¡¯t particrly surprised. They had also received news of what the Pi family had done. Initially, the veins in Peak Darkness were long thought to have been emptied, but two years ago, when the Feng family obtained jurisdiction over the region, they discovered that the vacated mine still possessed a rich vein of spirit crystals, one that predominantly produced high-grade and even sage-grade material.


    The Pi family had been eyeing the vein for quite some time, and that had been their first target the moment they broke off rtions with the Fengs. The reason they had attacked one of the towns by the Feng city was only to distract the Fengs from their true goal.


    ¡°The Pis are very likely to win this fight. Yun¡¯er, did you make your decision in haste?¡± Lie Fenn asked his eldest daughter.


    Lie Yun shrugged. ¡°The Pis might have a good chance at victory, but it¡¯s certainly not set in stone.¡±


    ¡°If they had our assistance, they would be sure to win,¡± Lie Fenn countered.


    ¡°Father, do you remember what you told me that day?¡± Lie Yun suddenly asked.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°You said that Lie Yang had the time to spectate the seven cities¡¯ tournament, but not to visit me,¡± Lie Yun began. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t think highly of us Lies, then why do we have to be so eager to help the Pis out? Furthermore, even though the Pi family might have better odds at victory, everyone on the continent has witnessed their cruel and tyrannical behavior. They might be tyrants for a time, but there will surelye a time when their rule is overthrown. There¡¯s no need for us Lies to step in such muddied water.¡±


    Lie Fenn stroked his beard. ¡°Shrewd analysis, Yun¡¯er. Regardless of whether the Pis or Fengs win the conflict, we Lies will be the ultimate victors if we maintain our neutrality.¡±


    In the days toe, Lie Fenn would refuse whatever the Pis requested with the excuse that Lie Yun was still terribly ill, and that she needed his undivided attention.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo knew the route to Peak Darkness, but not where the spirit crystal veins were. After flying for two nights and a day, just as they were about to reach Peak Darkness, they found a procession of carriages andnded, hoping to ask for directions.


    Only when they reached the ground did they notice that the carriages were guarded by swordsmen of the Wu, Chen, and Pi families¡ªclearly, it was a troop consisting of the three families¡¯ swordsmen, and it was heading from Peak Darkness to the Pi city.


    ¡°Who are you? Make way, make way!¡± a Wu swordsman shouted at Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, who were blocking their path.


    ¡°What¡¯s in these carriages? If you want us to make way, show us what you have,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, sweeping her gaze over the carriages in interest. Each carriage was covered with a thickyer of cloth, one that even seemed to prevent spiritual energy leakage from whatever was within.


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you? Mind your own business!¡± The Wu swordsman red at Yun Ruoyan with a pair of bull-like eyes. ¡°Are the two of you highwaymen? Don¡¯t you know what families we represent? Leave now, or else!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shrugged. She had no intention of moving; after all, the opponents seemed to only be mid-ninth-rank demasters, and they were no match for her.


    When Li Mo noticed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intention to fight, he stood aside for her. ¡°Yan¡¯er, fight quickly.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re really not afraid of death, are you?¡± the swordsmanughed in anger. ¡°Go on, brothers! Let¡¯s capture that girl and have fun with her tonight!¡±


    ¡°Daring to rob carriages at such a young age, eh? Looks like we¡¯d better give her some punishment!¡± the other swordsmen called out, hooting. However, one thin swordsman said nothing. He nced at Yun Ruoyan, and then at Li Mo.


    Li Mo noticed his gaze and met it with a cold stare of his own. As their eyes met, they noticed that the other seemed to possess an advanced cultivation.


    The Wu swordsman walked out of the procession with an arrogant smile on his face, and he pointed at Yun Ruoyan with one fat finger. ¡°Littless, don¡¯t me me for not being merciful. You¡¯re asking for it!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled and dashed toward her unwary opponent, moving so quickly that it left him in shock. By the time he saw a red glow sh by his eyes, her sword was at his throat.


    ¡°You¡ªWho exactly are you?¡± The swordsman¡¯s voice was beginning to tremble. Yun Ruoyan had taken him down in a single breath, and the hairs on his neck were being singed by the heat radiating off her de.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± she replied. ¡°Just tell me: what¡¯s in these carriages?¡± As she spoke, she brought her Scarlet Eye closer and closer to the swordsman¡¯s neck, scorching a big patch of skin.


    ¡°Argh!¡± the swordsman moaned. ¡°No, no, stop! I¡¯ll speak! These carriages contain¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, a ck shadow emerged from the carriage and shot dozens of icicles toward Yun Ruoyan, who immediately defended with her Scarlet Eye. By her side, the Wu swordsman groaned in pain. Yun Ruoyan turned to him to find three icicles piercing his chest, killing him near-instantaneously.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, be careful!¡± Li Mo hurried to her side and blocked the remaining icicles that the thin Pi swordsman shot at them. After his attack, he leaped into the air, drew out arge sledge, and then struck it down at the icy shield in Li Mo¡¯s hand. Li Mo felt a pulse of spiritual energy spread from the shield to his hands¡ªnot enough to wound him, but enough to make him surprised.


    That such a small procession of carriages would need a first-rank sword saint¡¯s protection was beyond his expectations.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, retreat!¡± Li Mo instructed, then infused spiritual energy into his shield, which was swiftly restored to pristine condition. Then, Li Mo began his counterattack. The tall, thin swordsman was clearly no match for Li Mo. His face gradually turned white, then ashen, then devoid of life altogether.

 Chapter 406: Reclaiming the Spirit Crystal Vein

    <h4>Chapter 406: Reiming the Spirit Crystal Vein</h4>


    As Li Mo raised his spiritual energy output, the thin swordsman, unable to keep up with him, spat out a mouthful of blood. Only when Li Mo saw that he was no longer able to resist did he draw back, at which point the man slumped against the ground.


    ¡°Ah, even the Pi family¡¯s expert isn¡¯t a match for them!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯d be able to put up a fight! Quick, let¡¯s run!¡±


    The other swordsmen all began to flee.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately conjured up a dozen fireballs, which sheunched at the cultivators who had already begun to run. As their clothes caught on fire, they stumbled to the ground and began to roll around; others were caught unawares by Li Mo¡¯s icicles, which stabbed them in the legs.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t run, we won¡¯t kill you. Otherwise...¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, finally prompting the cultivators to stop running and wait for judgment.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan walked toward the thin swordsman, but before they could ask him anything, he spat out a mouthful of blood and closed his eyes for good¡ªhe hadmitted suicide by bursting his spiritual pathways.


    Compared to the Wu and Chen swordsmen, who fled at the first sign of danger and were scared stiff by a few fireballs and icicles, this was clearly a seasoned warrior from the Pi family.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan then walked toward the carriages, where Li Mo removed the thick fabric covering their contents. A concentrated wave of spiritual energy struck him in the face.


    ¡°Raw spirit crystals,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured.


    Li Mo nodded, then turned toward a Chen swordsman rtively close to him. ¡°Were these spirit crystals stolen from the vein in Peak Darkness?¡±


    ¡°Y¡ªYes,¡± the swordsman stammered. ording to him, the Pi family had already wrested control of the spirit crystal veins, and they were only a group of rtively weak swordsmen responsible for transporting it to the Pi city. The thin swordsman had been an expert from the Pi family sent to protect the shipment. There were ten such shipments in all, each with an expert protecting it, and they were thest of the ten.


    ¡°Every shipment with an expert of this caliber?¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but nce at the thin man¡¯s lifeless corpse. He was a first-rank sword saint, and if there were ten such swordsmen responsible for transporting the spirit crystals alone...


    Li Mo also frowned. Based on their understanding of the Pi family, the Pis didn¡¯t possess so many experts. The only possibility was that they had borrowed men from the Chen and Wu families, but this too seemed unlikely: after all, neither family could best the Pis in martial strength.


    ¡°ording to the information in the letter, Feng Yicheng and Zhuo Yifeng should have arrived at the mines by now,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out the exact situation once we get there.¡±


    The two of them had the captured swordsmen turn around and transport the carriage back to Peak Darkness. After almost the entire day, just as they were about to reach the mines, they sensed a battle taking ce from about two miles away.


    ¡°They¡¯re fighting again!¡± one swordsman shouted.


    ¡°Have there been many such fights?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. Neither she nor Li Mo had been particrly cruel to the captured swordsmen, and they had stopped fearing them so much. During the way, they had even begun chatting a little, allowing Yun Ruoyan to figure out that they weren¡¯t swordsmen at all, but rather porters who had been temporarily assigned to guarding the carriages on their way to the Pi city.


    ¡°These sorts of fights started two days ago. After the Pi swordsmen took over the mine, they began excavating it furiously. Two days ago, the Feng troops arrived, and there have been fights ever since.¡±


    ¡°In that case, how did all of you manage to send this shipment out?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a secret exit, of course!¡± Given how long the mines had been under Pi control, there were a few secret passages leading out of Peak Darkness that even the Feng family wasn¡¯t aware of.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Momanded the Chen and Wu porters to hide the carriages of spirit crystals in a secluded location. Then, Yun Ruoyan bewitched them all with intoxicating fog and let them go free. Immediately afterwards, they headed in the direction in which the sound of fighting and release of spiritual energy was the clearest: judging by how much spiritual energy they could sense, there had to be over a dozen men fighting at once.


    By the entrance of a valley surrounded by three white mountains was a tall fence, and a barrier had been cast over the top of the valley, preventing entrance by swordflight. Gathered outside the fence were a hundred cultivators engaged in battle.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng!¡± Yun Ruoyan spotted his figure amidst the crowd. His ck whip danced like a dragon, defending him against any attack, physical or spiritual, directed his way. His strength left Yun Ruoyan shocked: out of nowhere, Zhuo Yifeng had developed such incredible power, and it felt as though she were being left behind.


    Li Mo only nced coolly at Zhuo Yifeng before turning to Feng Yicheng, who was being surrounded by three swordsmen of more advanced cultivation. One of the three was attacking him with a wood-attuned external spiritual technique, summoning all sorts of vines to entrap him, which Feng Yicheng barely avoided. The two other swordsmen attacked him with ice-attuned techniques, and his wrists and ankles were starting to bleed quite severely.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan exchanged a nce with each other, then quickly flew toward the battlefield. In midair, Li Mo shot out a fireball at the three cultivators gathered around Feng Yicheng, burning the vines that threatened to entrap him to cinders. The spiritual fire spread to the enemy swordsman, giving him no chance to attack further.


    As for the two ice-attuned cultivators, they were directly set ame, and they began rolling on the ground in pain. Feng Yicheng stepped forward and unhesitatingly pierced the chest of the wood-attuned cultivator trying to smother the mes on his body.


    ¡°How¡¯re you?¡± Li Mo asked, ncing at his bleeding wounds.


    ¡°They¡¯re all superficial injuries,¡± Feng Yicheng replied. ¡°Excellent timing. We¡¯ve spent two whole days trying to get in. With your help, we¡¯ll take control of this valley by the end of the day.¡±


    Feng Yicheng struck at a Chen swordsman by his side, then pointed at a long-haired Pi swordsman embroiled in battle. ¡°That man¡¯s a demon. He killed over a dozen Feng swordsmen inbat, and it took me and Zhuo Yifeng working together to fight him to a draw. However, neither of us could kill him.¡±


    Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan, a circle of empty space forming around her¡ªno one dared brave the heat of her sword. Zhuo Yifeng seemed to also have seen her, because he was heading her way.


    Li Mo then turned to the long-haired swordsman, who was a first-rank sword saint. His greatsword swinging, he was chopping down any Feng swordsman who dared to get close to the entrance of the valley. Some were screaming in pain after having their hands chopped off, others had lost their necks, and some were even bisected in two through their waist. With his other hand, the swordsman was lobbing fireballs every which way, quickly setting any enemy swordsman unlucky enough to be hit ame.


    Based on his spiritual energy fluctuations, Li Mo judged that he was almost about to be a second-rank sword saint. Such an expert had to be taken down by someone even more advanced, or he would unleash wave after wave of devastation on the battlefield.


    Li Mo drew his sword and flew toward him, swiftly striking at his head. Despite the speed at which he attacked, the opponent responded in time, holding his sword in a defensive posture above his head. With a great ng, Li Mo¡¯s sword broke his opponent¡¯s in two, then bisected his head as easily as if he were slicing a block of tofu.


    With that swordsman¡¯s death, the Pi family¡¯s strength was dramatically weakened, and the Feng troops quickly took the upper hand. Li Mo turned back to Zhuo Yifeng, who had moved to guard Yun Ruoyan, and he was likewise looking back at Li Mo.


    Li Mo found his gaze uncharacteristically cold, and even a little sinister. He tried to get a closer look at Zhuo Yifeng, but he had already run off toward the fleeing Pi troops.


    The Feng swordsmen quickly knocked down the gates guarding the entrance to the valley and streamed toward the mines.


    ¡°Li Mo, let¡¯s go too.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to face Li Mo, but he was staring somewhere into the distance, his thoughts a mystery. ¡°Li Mo? Let¡¯s go in.¡± She tugged on his arm, then joined the rushing troops with him in tow.


    After almost three days of fighting, after losing over a hundred swordsmen, the Feng family had finally wrested control of the spirit crystal veins once more, only to find it all but fully excavated...

 Chapter 407: Secret Troops

    <h4>Chapter 407: Secret Troops</h4>


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Feng Yicheng punched a wall of the now-empty mines. A swordsman by his side had eyes so red he was almost tearing up. ¡°There were at least a hundred carriages¡¯ worth of raw spirit crystals remaining in the mine, enough for tens of thousands of refined crystals! Even hundreds of thousands, if we include the mid- and low-grade crystals as well!¡±


    This swordsman, a man named Zhang, had been responsible for guarding the spirit crystal veins. When the Pi family seized the mine, he had broken out of the encirclement and sent word to the Feng family.


    ¡°We sent troops as quickly as we could, so how did they still manage to get all those spirit crystals out? It would have taken at least a whole day to do so!¡± Feng Yicheng eximed, not understanding what tricks the Pi family had pulled.


    ¡°A hundred carriages¡¯ worth of spirit crystals...¡± Zhang murmured mournfully.


    ¡°We know how,¡± Yun Ruoyan began.


    ¡°You do?¡± Feng Yicheng and Zhang both turned to her.


    Li Mo nodded. ¡°While heading toward Peak Darkness, we saw a procession of carriages along the way, bringing spirit crystals from the mine.¡±


    ¡°There were ten such shipments in all, each full of spirit crystals,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued. ¡°From the guards responsible for the shipment, we found out that the crystals were being sent to the Pi family through secret tunnels that the Feng family isn¡¯t aware of.¡±


    The gathered men were so furious that many were sputtering¡ªthe Pis were thieves and hooligans, and they had even gotten away with their ploys!


    ¡°At the very least, we managed to secure one shipment. It¡¯s right below the mountain, so let¡¯s have it sent back to the Feng family immediately.¡±


    Although the Fengs had won this fight, it had cost them more than they had gained. Luckily, with Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s help, they were at least able to recover some of their losses.


    When they returned to the Feng city, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan reported what had happened during their visit to the Lie city to Feng Yanyang, who seemed pleased by the fact that the Lies were now a neutral party. Near the end of their discussion, Li Mo asked, ¡°When I fought with the Pi family, I found that they seemed to have a lot more sword saints. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Feng Yanyang and Feng Bo nced at each other. ¡°Feng Yicheng¡¯s already reported this to me,¡± Feng Bo began. ¡°You know about the Feng family¡¯s secret troops, and the other six families all have such swordsmen of their own, specially cultivated to serve each family in times of dire need.¡±


    In general, such troops were ast resort, and Feng Bo and Feng Yanyang had been shocked to realize that the Pi family was already bringing them out in full force.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that the Feng family has its own secret troops, but not where exactly they were¡ªwell, they¡¯re the guards responsible for maintaining order within the Feng city.¡±


    ¡°The Feng city guards?¡± Yun Ruoyan doubted her ears. Although she had never entered the barracks, Qin Feng and Zhuo Yifeng had told her that the guards were at most ninth-rank demasters, and there were no sword saints in their rank.


    Yun Ruoyan suspected that either she had misheard or that Feng Bo was joking with her. The Pi family might have been hegemons on the Mingyuan continent, but were the Fengs really so weak?


    Feng Bo smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve simply had them hide their strength.¡±


    All cultivators were able to suppress their cultivation, but ones who could do so sopletely, to such an extent that Qin Feng and Zhuo Yifeng, who had lived with them for quite some time, were still unaware...


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so shocked.¡± Feng Yanyang also began to smile. ¡°Feng Bo¡¯s particrly adept at hiding his true cultivation, so it¡¯s only natural that he¡¯s taught his subordinates to do the same.¡±


    Feng Yanyang wasn¡¯t wrong. Feng Bo looked like a richly dressed merchant, but as soon as he put on his ck robe, he was able to fight on equal terms with even Pi Yan himself. Furthermore, despite exchanging many a blow, Pi Yan hadn¡¯t realized his true identity until Feng Bo¡¯s hood had been cut apart by a miscalction.


    When Qin Feng and Zhuo Yifeng found out about the news, they were initially a little shocked, but soon began to nod in realization. Despite how well the swordsmen had hidden, Qin Feng and Zhuo Yifeng still noticed something amiss. However, they were only temporary members of the team, and none of the guards bore them any ill will. As guests, it would have been inappropriate to pry into their business.


    ¡°No wonder I felt as though Old Lin was holding back whenever he sparred with me!¡± Qin Feng eximed.


    Zhuo Yifeng thought back to his own duels with the guards. They had only ever sparred with their blows, not with spiritual energy. He doubted he would be able to beat any of them if it were so.


    Now that the Pis had pulled off a heist against the Fengs, the fighting between the two families finally abated. However, given what had happened, the Fengs were already preparing for the Pis¡¯ next sneak attack.


    During this rtively calm period of time, the courtesan troupe had also been recalled to the Feng city. Feng Yanyang himself greeted and praised their efforts: even before the battle had started, the troupe had already managed to gather hundreds of smaller families to the Feng family. Even now, they were still actively operating within Pi, Wu, and Chen territory to try to undermine their hold on power from within.


    Although the minor families didn¡¯t seem to have much use, they would be more and more critical as the Fengs and Pis weathered each other down. However, to be active so deep in enemy territory was a dangerous affair, and Feng Yanyang offered them the choice of staying with the Feng family and being protected for life.


    Madam Hong, A Fei, and Xiao Qing all rejected Feng Yanyang¡¯s offer. Yun Ruoyan tried to persuade them to stay, cognizant of the danger, but Madam Hong firmly refused, stating that she couldn¡¯t rest until the Pis were exterminated.


    And if the Feng family were to fall, then how would they be able to provide any shelter against the Pis? As a result, the troupe set off once again into the heart of enemy territory.


    Feng Yicheng apanied Madam Hong and the others as they departed. When he returned, his face seemed to be glowing with happiness.


    Yun Ruoyan asked what had happened to him, but Feng Yicheng only smiled and refused to answer. It waster that she found out from Li Mo that Feng Yicheng had proposed to Madam Hong, who had epted. As long as he didn¡¯t mind her birth, then she would happily be his bride the day the Pi family was exterminated.


    Yun Ruoyan had found this out from Li Mo while they were drinking in the garden. She smiled, then tipped her cup of wine toward Li Mo. ¡°For Madam Hong¡¯s happiness, we have to eradicate the Pis.¡± She drained her cup, then stumbled.


    Li Mo couldn¡¯t help hiding augh. He stood up and embraced her tightly, clutching her until she looked up at him. ¡°It¡¯s dark now, my little consort. We should rest.¡±


    A night tussling in the sheets, followed by sweet dreams for them both...


    The cool night air was agony for Zhuo Yifeng. As the demonic spirit in his soul grew stronger, he found himself less and less able to control it, particrly while fighting. Initially, he hadn¡¯t wanted to kill the enemy swordsmen, but the demonic spirit had suddenly wrested control of his body and done so for him.


    It wouldn¡¯t have been too much of a problem if the spirit only struck while he was fighting against a true enemy, but once, while Zhuo Yifeng was engaged in a duel with one of the city guards, as the battle grew more intense, Zhuo Yifeng found himself unable to control his body.


    Luckily, the guard had disyed his true strength and blocked the deadly blow. It was that close shave that had caused Zhuo Yifeng to be particrly cognizant of the danger that the malicious spirit represented. He thought up many ways of trying to remove the spirit from his body, but none seemed practical.


    ¡°When will you leave my body?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked. He¡¯d tried to expel him with his own spiritual energy, almost giving himself an internal injury but without budging the spirit one bit.


    ¡°We¡¯re destined to remain together ever since that day you epted me into your body,¡± the demonic spirit replied, cackling.


    ¡°And if I die?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked coldly. ¡°Will I be rid of you if I die?¡±


    When the demonic spirit heard Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s threat, he immediately quailed. ¡°Hey, hey! I was just joking with your friend! Weren¡¯t you always curious about their true level of cultivation? I was just testing them for you!¡±

 Chapter 408: Housekeeper Hu and Pi Yang

    <h4>Chapter 408: Housekeeper Hu and Pi Yang</h4>


    ¡°And if they hadn¡¯t demonstrated their true strength, would you have killed them by my hand?¡± Zhuo Yifeng interrogated the malicious spirit coldly.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± The spirit didn¡¯t hesitate at all. ¡°It would have been troublesome if you had killed any of those swordsmen. Why would I want to create trouble for both of us?¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re aware,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t force me to kill myself.¡±


    ¡°Got it, got it! I¡¯m not an idiot, after all,¡± that malicious voice replied. ¡°As for you, don¡¯t keep trying to threaten me by killing yourself. You must be weary of life, huh? Not daring to do what you want to do, not daring to kill whom you want to kill, not even daring to confess to the woman of your dreams¡ªyou might as well let me live out your life for you.¡±


    ¡°If you dare speak of that again¡ª!¡± Zhuo Yifeng thundered.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop!¡±


    Although Zhuo Yifeng had almost injured his opponent badly, nothing serious came out of the incident. Luckily, the Feng city guards weren¡¯t petty people, and Zhuo Yifeng quickly gained everyone¡¯s forgiveness. By the end of the fight, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s cultivation seemed to be nearing that of a first-rank sword saint, and although the gathered swordsmen were surprised, they weren¡¯t particrly suspicious.


    After all, Zhuo Yifeng was currently a peak ninth-rank demaster, and the advancement in his cultivation and spiritual energy made it seem as though he was nearing a breakthrough. Indeed, the gathered swordsmen all called out to him in congrattions.


    Old Lin, the head of the Feng troops, specially had a private conversation with Zhuo Yifeng, where he imparted to him a few words of wisdom regarding his preparations for advancing to the realm of a sword saint. Zhuo Yifeng was very thankful for the advice: his initial reason for joining the city guards was to find a ce that would elerate his rate of cultivation, but he had also gotten close to the guards themselves after a whole year of training with them.


    He was even contemting the idea of bringing Zhuo Lin¡¯er to the Feng city with him three yearster to settle down here, having finally found a ce that was suitable for permanent residence, where they wouldn¡¯t be discriminated against.


    But the peaceful days weren¡¯t tost. Not long after their heist, the Pi family started harassing the Feng family again, and troopsposed of Feng, Wu, and Chen swordsmen began to attack a few towns on the outskirts of the Feng and Hua families¡¯ purview.


    This time, however, both the Feng and Hua families were prepared. The Pis¡¯ sneak attacks failed, but they continued attacking so incessantly that a few dozen skirmishes had taken ce within a single month. Each family had begun sending out its secret troops, so almost each battle involved a fight between first-rank sword saints, and the fights would only grow more and more intense.


    After more than a month, swordsmen from all sides were beset by injuries and death. The Feng family was still slightly weaker in terms of manpower, and even with experts like Li Mo and Feng Bo overseeing the battles, the Pi family had still managed to take over five small towns. As spring dawned, the two families sued for a temporary ceasefire, one that wouldst half a month. After the spring festival was over, fights would resume once more.


    Despite the losses that the Feng city had incurred during the fighting, the citizens of the Feng city continued to celebrate the spring festival, decorating their homes withnterns and paper confetti. Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan out to the market to buy a few banners andnterns, and they returned with a full storage ring¡¯s worth of merchandise. Yun Ruoyan carried two bright rednterns in her two hands, and her mood quickly lifted from the weariness of war. Li Mo¡¯s mood improved as hers did.


    Just as they arrived at the manor, an old, shabby beggar suddenly began heading in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s direction. In general, anyone who behaved so suspiciously would have been stopped by Li Mo or the like, but this beggar seemed not to have a single shred of cultivation. He shambled up to Yun Ruoyan and knelt down in front of her.


    Yun Ruoyan blinked in surprise, and Li Mo stared warily at the old man.


    Given the current state of affairs, both the Feng and Pi families surely had spies in enemy territory, and the Pi family bore significant ill will toward Yun Ruoyan. It wasn¡¯t impossible to imagine that they would send someone to the Feng city to assassinate her.


    As a result, even though Li Mo hadn¡¯t drawn his weapon, he was still guarding her from the front. He handed a few spirit crystals to the beggar, who didn¡¯t reach out to take them. Instead, he raised his head in an impassioned plea, rubbing at the dirt on his face. ¡°Miss Yun, Master Li, don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan cocked her head at the beggar, finding his mustache uncannily familiar. Her eyes brightened as she pointed at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Housekeeper Hu?¡±


    Li Mo frowned. Although the beggar had gotten a little darker and a little thinner, he was clearly that high and mighty housekeeper from the Pi family.


    ¡°Miss Yun, you finally remember me!¡± The housekeeper stood up in excitement.


    ¡°Kneel!¡± Li Mo thundered, shocking the housekeeper so much that he immediately went back onto his knees. ¡°As the housekeeper of the Pi family, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± The housekeeper¡¯s expression crumpled. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Miss Yun, Master Li, it was my fault for being so arrogant in the past. I beg of you to save my poor young master, Pi Yang! He desperately needs help!¡± Tears began streaming down Housekeeper Hu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Pi Yang? What about him?¡± Yun Ruoyan walked out from behind Li Mo. ¡°Stand up and let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Housekeeper Hu stood up, then wiped his face with two dirty sleeves. ¡°Please, follow me. I¡¯m afraid that if we wait too long, he¡¯ll be gone.¡± He brought Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo down two streets, then into a deste temple in great need of restoration. By the corner of the templey a hooded youth.


    Before Yun Ruoyan could see his face, she noticed the fiery-red hair sticking out from underneath his hood, and her heart tightened. ¡°Pi Yang,¡± she called out, walking to his front.


    Lying amidst the rubble was none other than Pi Yang, but the youth thaty in front of her was hardly the same brash, arrogant youth she had seen the first time they had met. His face was worn and haggard, as if he had aged two decades since theirst encounter. His eyes were listless, and both his arms had been chopped off. He drew breath so infrequently that it seemed he was inches from death.


    When Pi Yang heard Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice, he slowly opened his eyes and looked toward her, a dash of life returning to his eyes. ¡°Yun... Yun Ruoyan.¡± Pi Yang began to wheeze after saying his name, as though his voice might fail at any moment.


    ¡°You¡ªwhat happened to you?!¡± Yun Ruoyan asked in disbelief, horror creeping into her features. Although Pi Yang was from the Pi family, and although he had once been her and Li Mo¡¯s enemy, he had never been as vitriolic toward her as Pi Yan or Pi Batian, and he had even helped her more than once. If nothing else, she was grateful to him for his help in her times of need.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be able to see you. I hadn¡¯t thought I¡¯d have a chance to see you again,¡± he finally forced out, after what seemed like an eternity of wheezing. His eyes shut, but the corners of his mouth curled up in a smile.


    ¡°Second Young Master, Second Young Master!¡± Housekeeper Hu rushed up to grab his falling body and began to bawl.


    ¡°Pi Yang, Pi Yang!¡± Yun Ruoyan also shouted.


    Li Mo walked to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side, then took Pi Yang¡¯s pulse. ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet. We should still have enough time to save him.¡±


    When Housekeeper Hu heard Li Mo¡¯s words, he immediately turned to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan. Kneeling once again, he began to kowtow repeatedly. ¡°Please, I beg of you, please save my young master! If Lord Pi hadn¡¯t discovered that he helped you save Miss Yun, Master Li, he wouldn¡¯t have hurt him so badly after chopping off his arms. I know how badly I¡¯ve treated both of you in the past, but surely my young master has provided both of you with assistance? Please, please, save him!¡±


    Housekeeper Hu was still snivelling against the ground when Yun Ruoyan called out from afar, ¡°Aren¡¯t youing?¡±


    He raised his head to find no one in front of him. Outside the temple, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were already quite a distance away, and Li Mo was carrying Pi Yang on his shoulders. Housekeeper Hu immediately mbered to his feet and chased after Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    They brought Pi Yang back to her manor, where Li Mo infused some spiritual energy into him to prolong his life. Then, he forced a high-grade life restoration pill down Pi Yang¡¯s throat, finally saving his life from the clutches of hell.


    However, his injuries were so serious that Feng Bo would be needed to treat his wounds. Because Feng Bo was off on an errand for Lord Feng, they could only hold Pi Yang in a form of stasis by continuously feeding him spiritual pills until Feng Bo returned.


    Pi Yang would only be conscious and coherent for small stretches at a time, and talking was so much of an exertion that Yun Ruoyan posed all her questions to Housekeeper Hu instead. ¡°What happened to Pi Yang¡¯s arms?¡±


    ¡°Lord Pi chopped them off,¡± Housekeeper Hu replied. He had exined it to Yun Ruoyan within the temple, but she was still in disbelief about the situation. As far as her impressions went, Pi Yang was quite pampered within the Pi family. Did Pi Yan chop off both his arms just because he had helped Li Mo out?


    ¡°To cripple his own son...¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. He might have chopped one arm off in anger, but two? How could Pi Yan do that to his own son?


    ¡°Ah, well, in the end, that¡¯s your fault,¡± Housekeeper Hu sighed. ¡°You chopped off both of Pi Batian¡¯s arms, so Lord Pi grafted my young master¡¯s arms onto his...¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yun Ruoyan recoiled in shock. ¡°Pi Batian¡¯s still not dead?!¡±

 Chapter 409: The Lost Spatial Ring

    <h4>Chapter 409: The Lost Spatial Ring</h4>


    Housekeeper Hu told Yun Ruoyan that, not only was Pi Batian not dead, his two chopped-off arms had been reced with Pi Yang¡¯s.


    ¡°How could it be?¡± Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were both stricken by the news. After all, they had seen Pi Yan¡¯s sword pierce Pi Batian¡¯s chest with their own eyes. With such an injury, how had Pi Batian still lived?


    ¡°That day, when I went to find the two of you on my young master¡¯s orders, I also saw Pi Batian getting stabbed. At the time, I thought that he would undoubtedly perish, and I reported what I saw to my young master,¡± Housekeeper Hu added. ¡°Not a few dayster, however, Lord Pi suddenly appeared outside his yard and chopped off my young master¡¯s arms. At the same time, he interrogated him about whether he was the one who revealed where Miss Yun was being kept captive.¡±


    In anger, Pi Yang had divulged how he had helped Li Mo set Pi Batian up. Pi Yan flew into a thunderous rage, beat Pi Yang to within inches of his life, and locked him up. If Pi Batian couldn¡¯t be saved, he threatened to kill Pi Yang.


    Three days after Pi Yang was locked up, Pi Yan sent some men to free him. Apparently, Pi Batian had been revived, and Pi Yang was to be exiled from the Pi city. Housekeeper Hu had grown up serving Pi Yang, and he couldn¡¯t bear to see Pi Yang leave the city on his own. As a result, he followed him into exile.


    They were chased out of all the towns under the Pi family¡¯s purview, none of which dared to host two refugees so disfavored by Lord Pi himself.


    ¡°With nowhere to go, and with my young master¡¯s body still crippled with pain,¡± Housekeeper Hu continued, peering at Yun Ruoyan, ¡°I suggested that we go to the Feng city, given how frequently he brings you up, hoping that the two of you would bear some goodwill toward him. I know my past actions have been offensive to you, Miss Yun, and also Master Li and your friends. I understand if you wish me to leave, but I beg you again to have clemency for my poor young master.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan saw Housekeeper Hu¡¯s pleading eyes, she relented. ¡°At least you¡¯re loyal. We¡¯ll let bygones be bygones, and we¡¯ll try our best to save Pi Yang. You should stay to take care of him.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo left Pi Yang¡¯s room to find Lin Qingchen outside.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Qingchen?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to reim a possession from Housekeeper Hu,¡± she replied.


    ¡°What possession?¡±


    Lin Qingchen showed Yun Ruoyan her bare hand. ¡°The spatial ring that Grandfather passed down to me.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin.¡± Housekeeper Hu had heard Lin Qingchen¡¯s voice. He hade outside and was staring at her in a mystified fashion.


    ¡°Good timing, Housekeeper Hu,¡± Lin Qingchen replied coldly. ¡°Kindly return my spatial ring to me now!¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, what¡¯s this ring?¡± Housekeeper Hu appeared rather dazed.


    Lin Qingchen frowned. She nced at Housekeeper Hu¡¯s hands, only to find his hands barren. She exined how her ring, which contained Whitey, had been snatched from her by a servant of the Pi family, and how she had seen it on Housekeeper Hu¡¯s hands.


    Housekeeper Hu had to think for quite some time before finally remembering its existence. ¡°Ah, I remember! One of my subordinates handed me that ring as a respectful gesture, but to think it belonged to you, Miss Lin¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you still remember it, then can you give it back now?¡± Lin Qingxue interrupted, holding out an open palm. Ever since she had lost the ring, she had wanted to get it back, but she never had a chance to do so. When Zhuo Yifeng came to save her and Qin Feng, she didn¡¯t want to dy their escape just to search for the ring.


    After arriving in the Feng city, she had refrained from informing Yun Ruoyan about her lost ring, not wanting to cause more trouble for her. When she heard that Housekeeper Hu had made his way to the manor, she could no longer wait any further. To her, the ring itself wasn¡¯t all that precious, heirloom though it might be¡ªwhat she cared most about was Whitey, still slumbering within.


    Faced with Lin Qingchen¡¯s request, Housekeeper Hu made an awkward expression. ¡°The ring... as for the ring, well...¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew how important Whitey was to Lin Qingchen. ¡°Housekeeper Hu, what happened to the ring? Tell us!¡±


    Housekeeper Hu knelt down once more. ¡°I really wasn¡¯t aware that it was Miss Lin¡¯s possession, only that it was a spatial ring. I was never able to open it up, and I handed it to my young master instead.¡±


    ¡°You mean Pi Yang? You handed the ring to Pi Yang?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed, while Lin Qingchen rushed into the room from which Housekeeper Hu had just left.


    ¡°Miss Lin, please wait! The ring isn¡¯t on my young master¡¯s hand now, either,¡± Housekeeper Hu called out. ¡°His arms were chopped off, along with the ring!¡±


    Lin Qingchen turned back around, her tone even colder. ¡°In that case, where exactly is my ring?¡±


    Before Housekeeper Hu could reply, Yun Ruoyan murmured, ¡°It seems like it¡¯d be on Pi Batian¡¯s hand...¡±


    Pi Yang¡¯s arms were grafted onto Pi Batian¡¯s body, so the ring had to be with him.


    Lin Qingchen was so agitated that she almost broke down. Yun Ruoyan could only console her and promise that she would find a way to reim it for her.


    Within the Pi manor, Pi Batian was ying around with a scarlet whip. Although his range of motion still wasn¡¯t great, his motions were rtively smooth. Gradually, as Pi Batian swung the whip faster and faster, the whip formed a miniature cyclone in mid-air¡ªuntil two jolts of pain left Pi Batian¡¯s arms ck.


    Pi Batian groaned in pain. On his forehead, either from his exertion or from the pain, was a light sheen of sweat. ¡°These arms still aren¡¯t under my full control!¡± He looked at his hands, so familiar yet so foreign. They once belonged to his brother, but were now his tomand. For that, he felt no guilt. ¡°Pi Yang, don¡¯t me me. If you hadn¡¯t set me up with Li Mo, I wouldn¡¯t have lost both my arms and my life,¡± he mumbled, then suddenly had his attention captured by an ancient ring on his left hand.


    Pi Batian had figured out that this was a spatial ring. He¡¯d tried a few techniques to open it, but just like Housekeeper Hu and Pi Yang, his attempts ended in failure. Ordinary spatial rings didn¡¯t have any such restriction at all, so this ring was of particr mystery and allure to him.


    ¡°Tian¡¯er.¡± Suddenly, Pi Yan walked into Pi Batian¡¯s yard.


    ¡°Father!¡± Pi Batian turned toward Pi Yan.


    When Pi Yan saw the sweat on his forehead, he noted that Pi Batian had likely been trying to train his arms again. ¡°Tian¡¯er, I know how agitated you are, but your arms won¡¯t heal so quickly. Even the silver dragon n elder has said that you¡¯ll need at least half a year before you can move them about as naturally as before.¡±


    ¡°Father, are we out of holy water? As long as we have enough holy water, I could even be resurrected once more, let alone have my arms heal immediately!¡±


    ¡°The elder only granted me one bottle, and I used it all to save you,¡± Pi Yan began. ¡°ording to the elder, it¡¯s a preciousmodity even for hignders, and the fact that he granted me one despite my failure was testament to his generosity.¡±


    ¡°Father, didn¡¯t the elder say that he could satisfy your wishes if you were able to capture Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo? In that case, you could easily ask for more bottles of holy water.¡±


    Pi Yan nodded. ¡°Both Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo are being protected by the Feng family, so we¡¯ll have to deal with the Fengs first. Once the Fengs have been eradicated, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo will have nowhere to hide.¡±


    ¡°Father, haven¡¯t we been winning all the skirmishes against the Fengs? Why agree to a temporary ceasefire now? Aren¡¯t we giving the Fengs time to recover? Why not ignore the ceasefire, attack the Feng city by night, and capture Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo?¡±


    Pi Yan shook his head in exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s not just the Fengs that need the time to rest. We Pis, along with the Wus and Chens, all need time to consolidate our forces. We¡¯ve hurt the Feng family greatly, but we also sustained losses of our own. Luckily, we have enough high-grade spirit crystals to boost the cultivation of our forces now.¡±


    ¡°Are the Lies still unwilling to join us?¡± Pi Batian continued asking. ¡°Father, why not promise them more spoils?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already proposed doing so, and I even wrote to Lie Fenn personally. However, he keeps using his daughter¡¯s illness as an excuse.¡± Pi Yan frowned, then continued, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s not an excuse, and his daughter¡¯s illness is truly getting more severe.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that, Father?¡±


    ¡°In one of his most recent letters, he requested for Lie Yun and Pi Yang to get married, saying that once the two families became one, he would surely help out. It looks like Lie Yun doesn¡¯t have long to live, so he¡¯s trying to fulfill herst wishes. If the letter hade two months earlier, it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem, but now that Pi Yang¡¯s missing and crippled¡ªeven if Lie Yun were about to die, she surely wouldn¡¯t be willing to marry a cripple!¡±

 Chapter 410: Marriage Plans

    <h4>Chapter 410: Marriage ns</h4>


    ¡°Father, do you know where Pi Yang is?¡± Pi Batian asked Pi Yan.


    Pi Yan shook his head, his words seething with rage. ¡°No. I beat him up severely, then exiled him from the Pi city. It¡¯s possible that he¡¯s already dead.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try to find him? After all, he¡¯s still your son, and your blood flows through his veins,¡± Pi Batian probed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a son like him,¡± Pi Yan emphasized, each word as hard as steel. I thought that it would be sufficient to let him live life doing whatever he wants. I¡¯ve ignored a few incidents that he caused in the past, but now that he almost caused your death¡ªno, I won¡¯t allow such a traitor to remain in the Pi family!¡±


    Pi Batian stopped talking, but the barest fraction of a smile touched his lips. Pi Yang and he were half-brothers. Pi Batian was born from Pi Yan¡¯s wife, whereas Pi Yang was a child his father had conceived after a drunken dalliance with a servant girl. Although Pi Yan¡¯s blood flowed through both of them, where one was his pride, the other was his shame.


    To Pi Batian, the future head of the Pi household, he had always been strict and rigorous. On the other hand, he cared little for Pi Yang, and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, however, it seemed as though he were pampering Pi Yang, and even Pi Yang himself thought that his father loved him more than Pi Batian.


    Over thest two years, when Pi Yang¡¯s cultivation showed signs of improvement, Pi Yan had yed around with the idea of making him a trusted and loyal aide to Pi Batian¡ªbut given the events that had just taken ce, his distaste toward his second son, which he had suppressed for all these years, finally overwhelmed his senses. He had beaten Pi Yang up with the intention of killing him, but he hadn¡¯t expected that Pi Yang would stubbornly survive until he reached the Feng city, where he was rescued by Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    Although preparations for the spring festival were underway, Feng Bo was already getting ready for the battles that would quickly resume after the celebrations. After installing barriers around the towns surrounding the Feng city, he finally returned to the Feng city itself. As soon as Yun Ruoyan received news that Feng Bo had returned, she immediately headed to the city guards¡¯ barracks to invite him to her manor to treat Pi Yang.


    With Feng Bo¡¯s help, Pi Yang finally, gradually recovered day by day. Although his physical health had greatly improved, his mind was mired in depression. The brash, arrogant youth of before had died with his father¡¯s beating, died in his exile from the Pi city.


    Yun Ruoyan was particrly sympathetic to what Pi Yang was going through. Though originally the young master of a hegemonic family of the Mingyuan continent, he was now a nobody. His own father had crippled and beaten him to the point of death.


    As a result, when she was otherwise unupied, Yun Ruoyan would frequently talk with Pi Yang, trying to understand him better and exin how her own feelings toward her situation had changed. Her death had been a catalyst, one that stripped the rose-tinted lenses from her own eyes.


    One day, Yun Ruoyan arrived while Feng Bo was treating Pi Yang.


    ¡°You¡¯re recovering well,¡± Feng Bomented. ¡°In the future, there won¡¯t be any need for further visits from me, Second Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Feng Bo, there¡¯s no need to address me like that. Just call me Pi Yang.¡± Pi Yang chuckled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m an exile from my family, and never again will I have anything to do with the Pi family.¡±


    Feng Bo sighed, nodded, and turned to leave. Seeing the look on his face, Yun Ruoyan stepped toward Feng Bo and asked, ¡°Feng Bo, is something the matter? Is it something to do with the Pi family?¡±


    Feng Bo stopped short and turned back. ¡°I just received news that the Pi family is hoping to form an alliance with the Lies by marriage. If the Pis seed, the outlook for the Fengs will just get worse and wrose.¡±


    ¡°The Pis are proposing a marriage with the Lies?!¡± Pi Yang appeared very shocked. Yun Ruoyan thought back to what Lie Fenn had told her back in the Lie manor: Lie Yun and Pi Yang had been engaged since childhood. Given his current condition, Pi Yang was certainly an ineligible groom, so what could the Pi family be nning? Unless...


    ¡°Feng Bo, who will the groom from the Pi family be?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Who else? The revived Pi Batian, of course!¡±


    As expected. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s uneasy premonition had been right.


    ¡°The Pi family¡¯s iming that the second young master, Pi Yang, died after a severe illness. In order to honor the betrothal, the Pis will have Pi Batian take his brother¡¯s ce in marriage,¡± Feng Bo added.


    ¡°How have the Lies responded?¡±


    They haven¡¯t, not yet.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Lie Yun will agree,¡± Pi Yang suddenly eximed. ¡°Lie Yun¡¯s never liked my brother, Pi Batian. She said that he¡¯s too intelligent and too powerful, so much that it scares her.¡±


    ¡°Will her word matter?¡± Feng Bo continued to worry. After all, everyone present knew the likely oue of an alliance between the Pis and the Lies. Although Lie Fenn had promised not to help either the Pi or Feng families, if the Pis and Lies were to be joined by marriage, it was natural to help one¡¯s extended family out.


    ¡°No, Lie Yun¡¯s word will matter. Uncle Lie has always thought highly of her, and has been grooming her as his next sessor,¡± Pi Yang said definitively. ¡°That¡¯s why Lie Yun¡¯s so stubborn. If she¡¯s unwilling to marry Pi Batian, no one would be able to force her to do so.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could understand Pi Yang¡¯s sentiments. During the banquet organized by the Lie family, she and Li Mo could see how much emphasis Lie Fenn ced on Lie Yun¡¯s words. When Lie Yun proposed that the Lie family would help neither the Pis or the Fengs, Lie Fenn had clearly hesitated¡ªa sure sign that Lie Yun hade up with that idea without informing him.


    The fact that Lie Fenn was willing to let his daughter make such an important decision, one that would govern the fate of the Lie family, meant that he surely would respect Lie Yun¡¯s decision with regards to marriage as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a little of Miss Lie¡¯s personality myself.¡± Feng Bo sat down and turned toward Pi Yang. ¡°And also that she¡¯s still interested in you, Young Master Pi. If you meet with Miss Lie yourself, you might be able to dissuade her from the marriage entirely.¡±


    ¡°Feng Bo, are you asking Pi Yang to persuade Lie Yun against the marriage?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°But, Pi Yang¡¯s...¡± Yun Ruoyan looked at Pi Yang, who was lying in bed. Although his physical body had recovered, his mind and spirit¡ªand more importantly, he was a cripple!


    ¡°I have a spiritual pill that will allow him to rapidly replenish his store of spiritual energy.¡± Feng Bo took out an ink-green bottle from his robes. ¡°If the Pis and Lies end up forming an alliance, the Feng family will have no chance of victory. If the Fengs are exterminated, all our lives will be far more difficult.¡±


    Silent, Yun Ruoyan turned toward Pi Yang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Pi Yang finally murmured. ¡°You¡¯ve saved my life, so no matter what, I should do my best to help the Feng family out. However, given my current condition, I¡¯m afraid Lie Yun will simply throw me out without wanting to speak to me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case,¡± Yun Ruoyan consoled Pi Yang, noting the defeat in his voice. ¡°Miss Lie didn¡¯t strike me as someone who would be so disdainful. I¡¯ll go with you, and even if you fail, at least we tried.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Pi Yang looked at Yun Ruoyan gratefully.


    Within the Lie manor, Lie Fenn and Lie Sen were both eagerly trying to persuade Lie Yun to agree to marriage with Pi Batian.


    ¡°Yun¡¯er, won¡¯t you listen to me just once?¡± Lie Fenn pleaded. ¡°Pi Batian¡¯s a far better match than Pi Yang, and Pi Yang¡¯s already dead! Isn¡¯t it natural for his brother to take his ce in marriage? Why are you still hesitating?¡±


    Lie Yun sat on her futon, her face a stark white. News of Pi Yang¡¯s death had been a great shock to her, one from which she had yet to recover. ¡°Pi Yang¡¯s Pi Yang, and Pi Batian¡¯s Pi Batian. They¡¯re two different people, so how can youpare them so easily?¡± Lie Yun replied in irritation. ¡°To think I had been ming Pi Yang for not visiting me when he too was stricken by illness! Why would the Pi family keep something so important from me? Why wouldn¡¯t they let me see him before his death?!¡±


    ¡°The Pis aren¡¯t to me,¡± Lie Fenn sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been hiding the fact that you¡¯ve recovered from the outside world, and I expect the Pi family has been hiding Pi Yang¡¯s illness on ount of your continued illness. But aren¡¯t the Pis more honorable than we had imagined? Even after Pi Yang¡¯s death, they¡¯re still willing to honor the betrothal.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so, Sister? Pi Yang surely wouldn¡¯t want to see you pining over him, either.¡± Lie Sen suddenly spoke up from the side, causing Lie Fenn to turn and re at him. ¡°No one will think you a mute even if you don¡¯t speak.¡±


    Lie Sen frowned, but he kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°Father, both you and I know why the Pi family¡¯s trying to proceed with the betrothal. I know how important this matter is to the Lie family, so I¡¯ll surely think carefully about it. Please give me some time.¡±


    Lie Fenn sighed, then stood up. He stared at his darling daughter, unable to bear criticizing her or forcing her into marriage against her will. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll give you some time to think. You know I¡¯ll respect your decision, Yun¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Father.¡± Lie Yun forced herself to smile.


    Lie Fenn patted her head, then eyed Lie Sen. Lie Sen shook, then hurriedly said, ¡°Sister, rest well. I¡¯ll be off now!¡±


    Father and son left Lie Yun¡¯s rooms together, leaving her alone, leaning against the futon, ncing at a plum blossom tree visible beyond the window. She had nted it together with Pi Yang on her tenth birthday. Every year afterwards, when Pi Yang came to visit the Lie family, he would always ask for her to brew him some plum blossom wine. The vat of wine fromst year was still buried underneath the plum blossom tree, and this year¡¯s plum blossoms were as beautiful as ever, but Pi Yang was already gone.

 Chapter 411: Pi Yang and Lie Yun

    <h4>Chapter 411: Pi Yang and Lie Yun</h4>


    As Lie Yun thought about Pi Yang¡¯s disappearance, her heart ached, and twin trails of tears marred her beautiful visage. As she cried, Lie Yun muttered to herself, ¡°Lie Yang, you once asked me what I liked about you. I didn¡¯t respond then, not knowing whence my feelings arose. Perhaps because of your sunny disposition but brashughter, or perhaps the extent to which you tried to please me while badgering me to make you some plum blossom wine, or perhaps just your zing red hair... Whatever the case may be, I fell in love, and I¡¯ve been thinking about our wedding day ever since. And yet, just like that, you¡ª¡±


    Lie Yun buried her face between her knees, her tears threatening to choke her. From where he was hiding by the edge of her window, Pi Yang heard it all: her deste tone, her muffled sobs.


    Beside Pi Yang were Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, who had brought Pi Yang to see Lie Yun.


    Upon hearing Lie Yun¡¯s words, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but feel touched. She turned to Pi Yang only to find his own tear-stricken face. Pi Yang had known of Lie Yun¡¯s affection for her ever since he was little, but the pride and reserve of the eldest miss of the Lie family had meant that Pi Yang had never known the depth of her affection.


    Having spent so much time together, Pi Yang had begun treating Lie Yun as a good friend, but thoughts of marrying her had never crossed his mind. Instead, he had even begun thinking about how to annul the betrothal between them.


    It was only today that Pi Yang realized the truth. Ever since his downfall, Lie Yun was the only other person who had shed tears for him.


    Yun Ruoyan nudged Pi Yang, mouthing to him, ¡°Go on, go talk to her! Do you need me to help you?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Lie Yun cried out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss?¡± Following Lie Yun¡¯s cry, two guardsmen quickly entered her chambers. Lie Yun pointed out the window and was just about to speak when a familiar voice spoke from outside the window.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Lie Yun.¡±


    Lie Yun stilled. Disbelievingly, she turned her head to find the youth on her mind, with a shocking head of zing hair, standing outside the window and looking in at her.


    ¡°Pi Yang, you¡¯re... alive!¡±


    Their tear-filled gazes met.


    ¡°Who dares sneak into the Lie manor?!¡± the two guardsmen shouted, striding toward Pi Yang.


    ¡°Halt!¡± Lie Yunmanded. ¡°He¡¯s my friend. Stand down.¡±


    The two guardsmen nced at each other, bowed to their mistress, and left her rooms again.


    As soon as the door shut behind them, Lie Yun rushed to the windowsill and extended her hand to caress Pi Yang¡¯s pale, sallow face.


    ¡°It really is you, Pi Yang, you¡¯re still alive!¡± Despite the tears still streaming down her face, she was all but beaming.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t die, Lie Yun,¡± Pi Yang choked out. ¡°But it was a close shave.¡±


    Judging from his words and expression, Lie Yun easily guessed that something had gone wrong. ¡°Why did the Pis spread news of your death?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because¡ª¡± Pi Yang suddenly remembered that his expulsion from the Pi family wasrgely because he had helped Yun Ruoyan escape twice. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to admit that now because of the feelings that Lie Yun harbored for him, but neither could he lie to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of his two arms,¡± Yun Ruoyan spoke up.¡±


    ¡°Miss Yun?¡± Lie Yun was startled to see Yun Ruoyan behind Pi Yang. ¡°How did the two of you end up together?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here as well.¡± Li Mo strode over to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Lie, Ruoyan and I are just here to send Young Master Pi to visit you.¡±


    Only then did Lie Yun rx. ¡°Come, all of you, let¡¯s talk inside. I¡¯m sure my father will be rushing over shortly upon hearing the news.¡±


    The moment Pi Yang leapt in through the window, Lie Yun noticed something amiss. Pi Yang was wearing a thick overcoat, one that covered both his shoulders. Just from his appearance alone, it was impossible for someone to discern his missing arms, but his movements gave him away.


    ¡°Pi Yang, what happened to your arms?¡± Lie Yun threw off his overcoat and clutched at his shirtsleeves.


    ¡°My father cut them off,¡± Pi Yang murmured.


    ¡°Why?!¡± Lie Yun¡¯s face was filled with confusion and disbelief. Although Pi Yan and Pi Yang had never seemed to be particrly close, Pi Yang had never been beaten in his childhood, even if he had made a mess of things. Lie Yun could hardly imagine that Pi Yan was cold-hearted enough to cut off his own son¡¯s arms.


    Pi Yang trembled as the memories of that fateful day came rushing back to him. Because they were to be attached to Pi Batian, Pi Yan had been extremely precise with his cuts, but because of the urgency, and because of Pi Yan¡¯s overwhelming anger, he had performed the operation while Pi Yang was fully conscious.


    His own father had cut off his arms, just like that, iming that he needed to have a taste of what happened to his brother. It was a recurring nightmare that would gue Pi Yang to the end of his days.


    ¡°Let me tell you why,¡± Yun Ruoyan interrupted, noting Pi Yang¡¯s agitation. ¡°When Pi Batian fought with us, we cut off both his arms, so Pi Yan needed two new arms for his beloved son. These two arms had toe from someone rted to Pi Batian by blood, and the only twopatible victims were Pi Yan himself... and Pi Yang.¡±


    ¡°You mean, Uncle Pi cut off Pi Yang¡¯s arms to attach them to Pi Batian?!¡± Lie Yun cried out in shock. ¡°But they¡¯re both his beloved children!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Pi Batian and Pi Yang are both Pi Yan¡¯s sons, but Pi Batian is clearly more important to Pi Yan than Pi Yang, especially given the fighting going on,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°Pi Yang,¡± Lie Yun asked, turning to him. ¡°Is what Miss Yun said indeed the case?¡±


    Pi Yang nodded, averting his eyes from Lie Yun¡¯s ardent gaze. ¡°My father told me that I was useless, whereas Brother was to be the future head of the Pi family, and it was time to give back to my family.¡±


    ¡°And after Pi Yan cut off Pi Yang¡¯s arms, he was worried that the event would be a stain on his reputation, so he tried to kill Pi Yang off entirely,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued. ¡°Luckily, Pi Yang had a loyal servant who escaped with Pi Yang in time upon learning of the news.¡±


    ¡°Then, given his prior dealings with us, Pi Yang fled to the Feng city,¡± Li Mo added.


    Lie Yun turned to Pi Yang again. ¡°Can you confirm their statements?¡±


    ¡°Father really did try to kill me,¡± Pi Yang replied. ¡°It was Housekeeper Hu who saved me and brought me to the Feng city, where Li Mo and Miss Yun gave me refuge.¡±


    Lie Yun mmed a palm on her table, cracking one of its legs in half. ¡°Pi Yan, you dare trick me?!¡± Lie Yun thundered.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is something wrong, Lie Yun?¡± Just then, Lie Fenn¡¯s voice came from outside Lie Yun¡¯s room. When he strode in to see Pi Yang, he pointed a finger at him in shock. ¡°Pi Yang, are¡ªdidn¡¯t you die?¡±


    Lie Fenn had been perusing documents in his study when a few guards came to report that an unfamiliar friend hade to visit his daughter. Lie Fenn had dropped everything he had been working on and hurried over, only to find that this ¡®unfamiliar friend¡¯ was actually Pi Yang, someone he thought had perished!


    ¡°And the two of you...¡± Lie Fenn then pointed at Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. ¡°What are all of you doing here?¡±


    The Pis and Fengs were in a bitter feud, and the fact that Pi Yang and Yun Ruoyan were travelling together left Lie Fenn in shock.


    ¡°Excellent timing, Father.¡± Lie Yun then repeated what Yun Ruoyan and the others had told her.


    When Lie Fenn had heard the entire story, his brows were deeply furrowed, and his prating stare was fixed at Pi Yang¡¯s empty shirtsleeves. He had known Pi Yan since they were both little, and he was clearly familiar with his temper and his true feelings toward Pi Yang.


    Pi Yan ced particr importance on status, and Pi Yang was a son that had onlye about as a result of a drunken dalliance. He hadn¡¯t wanted to keep him, but his father had found out and hadmanded that this son be kept to fortify the Pi bloodline.


    Pi Yan had had no other choice but to keep Pi Yang, but had never been enthused about him. In order to protect Pi Yang, Pi Yan¡¯s own father had set up a betrothal between Pi Yang and Lie Yun from their birth.


    At the time, Lie Fenn hadn¡¯t known of the identity of Pi Yang¡¯s mother, or he would have forbidden the betrothal. After all, how could Pi Yang¡¯s servant-born statuspare to that of the eldest daughter of the main branch of the Lie family? When he learned of the truth, Lie Fenn had been so incensed that he would have immediately broken the betrothal, save for the fact that Pi Yang and Lie Yun really did seem to enjoy each other¡¯spany.


    Given his understanding of Pi Yan, Lie Fenn was easily convinced of the veracity of what Lie Yun had told him. However, as the head of the Lie family, he had to be absolutely certain of the matter before making a pronouncement. ¡°I¡¯ll need to send Pi Yan a letter for confirmation.¡±


    ¡°Lord Lie,¡± Yun Ruoyan interrupted. ¡°Pi Yan will never admit to something so dishonorable.¡±


    ¡°Father, don¡¯t you believe Pi Yang?¡± Lie Yun added. ¡°At any rate, I do.¡±

 Chapter 412: Ends and Beginnings

    <h4>Chapter 412: Ends and Beginnings</h4>


    ¡°Lie Yun¡­¡± Pi Yang nced at Lie Yun, his heart filled with gratitude¡ªand a little guilt. After all, he was more or less lying to her.


    ¡°Miss Lie,¡± Yun Ruoyan began. ¡°Pi Yang was initially going to hide and live out the rest of his life in peace, but after finding out that Pi Batian had ns to marry you, he was afraid that you would be tricked by the Pi family.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Pi Yang,¡± Lie Yun replied sternly. ¡°Not only will I not marry Pi Batian, I¡¯ll make sure you get justice for what¡¯s been done to you.¡±


    ¡°Lie Yun, let¡¯s think this through some more,¡± Lie Fenn tried to interject.


    ¡°Father, this concerns the rest of my life. I need to be in control of at least this,¡± Lie Yun shot back. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind to reject the Pis¡¯ offer.¡±


    Pi Yang noticed that Lie Fenn seemed a little awkward and was shooting strange nces at him. Thinking momentarily, he realized what Lie Fenn was afraid of. ¡°Uncle Lie, I know I¡¯m a cripple now, one who isn¡¯t fit for Lie Yun at all. I came here only to inform her about the matter, and I¡¯ll leave immediately afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Pi Yang, I refuse to let you go!¡± Lie Yun shouted. ¡°We¡¯ve been betrothed, and what kind of person would I be if I annulled that betrothal just because you lost your arms?¡±


    ¡°But without my arms, I¡¯m a cripple! I can¡¯t protect you or make you happy, or¡ª¡± Pi Yang lowered his head.


    ¡°I want to marry you, not your two arms!¡± Lie Yun insisted. ¡°Furthermore, there¡¯s still a chance of getting your arms back, isn¡¯t there? If Pi Batian could take your arms away from you, why can¡¯t we snatch them back? Don¡¯t worry, Pi Yang. With me around, nobody will be able to bully you.¡±


    Lie Yun¡¯s impassioned words caused Pi Yang to turn away, forcing himself not to cry. In the end, on Lie Yun¡¯s insistence, Lie Fenn was forced to leave Pi Yang with her. Lie Yun herself penned a rejection letter to Pi Batian.


    ¡°Miss Lie, would you be willing to reconsider allying the Lie family with the Fengs?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked again. It was evident how important her opinion was to Lie Fenn, and if she could persuade Lie Yun to agree to the alliance, then Lie Fenn wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    What Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know was that Lie Fenn¡¯s trust in Lie Yun wasn¡¯t just because he pampered her, but also because Lie Yun had been so talented that no decision she had set her mind on, no matter how unfavorable it seemed to Lie Fenn, had turned out to be a mistake.


    ¡°I will form an alliance with the Feng family on one condition,¡± Lie Yun replied.


    ¡°Really? What condition?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked in surprise.


    ¡°When we defeat the Pis, I shall deal with Pi Batian personally. I want to reim Pi Yang¡¯s arms myself,¡± Lie Yun spat out, one word at a time.


    With Lie Yun¡¯s agreement to the proposal, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo rushed back to the Feng city to inform Feng Yanyang of the good news. Pi Yang sent both of them out of the city.


    ¡°Lie Yun¡¯s a good girl, and she harbors deep feelings toward you,¡± Yun Ruoyan told Pi Yang.


    ¡°She does, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Pi Yang sighed. ¡°Even as a kid, all I knew was that she liked to y and hunt with me, but I didn¡¯t expect her feelings toward me to be so strong. That¡¯s why I feel so guilty about tricking her like this.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes lies are better than the truth.¡±


    ¡°In that case, do you like telling lies?¡± Pi Yang turned to her.


    ¡°Of course not. No one likes lies, but if they don¡¯t realize that it¡¯s a lie¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan also turned to face Pi Yang. ¡°Lie Yun¡¯s worth protecting with your life.¡±


    Pi Yang pursed his lips, his eyes, directed at Yun Ruoyan, suddenly aching again. The ache quickly subsided, then extinguished itself. ¡°You¡¯re right. The fact that there¡¯s still someone who wants me despite my being a cripple is a gift from the heavens, one that I should cherish with my life. I swear I¡¯ll protect Lie Yun.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned away with a wan smile on her face. ¡°We¡¯re going to leave now, and you should head back to her too.¡±


    Li Mo, following behind them, strode up to Li Mo. Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t short, but she was still dwarfed by Li Mo. His expression was always calm, even serene; even the sky falling might not have been enough to perturb him. By his side, Yun Ruoyan smiled gently, leaning into his embrace, the two of them like a couple that had walked out of a painting.


    Perhaps only a man like him is worthy of Yun Ruoyan, Pi Yang thought.


    ¡°Pi Yang, take care of yourself. I¡¯ll send someone to bring Housekeeper Hu over,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, and then she and Li Mo took to the skies.


    Pi Yang nced at their vanishing backs. Parts of his heart felt as if they had been hollowed out, but other parts seemed to have been filled up in exchange.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo returned to the Feng city, where they immediately reported news of the pending alliance to Feng Yanyang, leading to jubtion all around. After a few months of losses to the Pis, the tables would finally turn with the addition of the Lie family to the Feng alliance.


    It was under this festive mood that the spring festivalmenced in earnest. On the eve of spring, Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, the Lin sisters, Zhuo Yifeng, and Qin Feng all gathered to celebrate theing of a new year. A year ago, none of the gathered crowd could have anticipated that they would all be gathered in a manor in another dimension, eagerly anticipating the dawn of spring.


    Lin Tianming nced at his rtives arrayed around him, his eyes slowly brimming with tears. No longer did he have to remain in that icy, damp prison, living like a chained beast.


    ¡°Uncle, please ept my toast.¡± When Yun Ruoyan saw Lin Tianming¡¯s watery eyes, she immediately tried to divert his attention.


    Lin Qingchen clicked her tongue. ¡°Uncle, you can¡¯t drink too much alcohol. It¡¯ll be bad for your legs¡¯ recovery.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Qingchen. Today¡¯s a day for celebration, and I want to have a cup with Ruoyan.¡± Lin Tianming epted the cup of alcohol in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands and downed it in a single gulp. He had Yun Ruoyan refill it, then handed it to Li Mo, who sat by her side. ¡°Your Highness, I wasn¡¯t able to be present for your wedding with Ruoyan. Please ept this cup of wine as a bted blessing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± Li Mo smiled and downed the cup of wine.


    ¡°Li Mo, Ruoyan.¡± Qin Feng also tipped a cup of wine at both of them. ¡°I wasn¡¯t present at your wedding either, so let me give you both a toast as well.¡±


    Lin Qingxue was the only one who noticed Zhuo Yifeng, sitting alone and drinking wine despite the festive cheer all around him. Zhuo Yifeng noticed Lin Qingxue¡¯s gaze, but he ignored it. Lin Qingxue was a good girl, but Zhuo Yifeng had only ever viewed her as a sister. He couldn¡¯t fall in love with her, and he didn¡¯t want to hurt her by trying.


    ¡°Ah, what a pitiful andmentable man you are!¡± Just as Zhuo Yifeng was downing another cup of bitter wine, the voice in his head spoke up. Zhuo Yifeng ignored it and continued to drink.


    The demonic spirit seemed to be particrly afraid of silence, and would often try to talk with Zhuo Yifeng about the most mundane of things. Zhuo Yifeng used to be quite patient with it, but after all this time, he had gotten far too tired of the spirit¡¯s ramblings to respond.


    ¡°The person you like doesn¡¯t like you back, and you don¡¯t like the person who does like you¡­ is there a morementable fate in this world? But if it were me, I could easily turn this fate around.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t exin it verbally. Instead, give me control of your body, and I¡¯ll resolve all your troubles within a day¡ªno, it won¡¯t even take a day!¡±


    ¡°Heh. You¡¯re just trying to trick me, but I won¡¯t fall for your lies.¡± Zhuo Yifeng had gulped down seven or eight cups of wine in a row, trying tobat his worsening mood, but he felt as though he was falling into even greater depression. ¡°I¡¯ve already given up on Yun Ruoyan,¡± he emphasized. ¡°She¡¯ll never be mine, so no matter how much I like her, I won¡¯t act on it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The demonic spirit chuckled in malice, then stopped talking.


    Despite his drunkenness, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hearing was as clear as ever. Those words of congrattions toward Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, as well as the blissful smile on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, stabbed his heart like shards of ice. Out of nowhere, Zhuo Yifeng suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to im Yun Ruoyan for himself.


    In his daze, he suddenly saw Li Mo¡¯s figure, smiling and chatting by her side, reced by his own. He looked at himself exchanging knowing, blissful nces with each other, thanking those who were congratting them.


    ¡°This is what your heart desires,¡± the malicious voice suddenly spoke, causing Zhuo Yifeng to jolt up in shock. He immediately shook his head, but Li Mo¡¯s face still seemed to be Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s own.


    In shock and fury, Zhuo Yifeng stood up from the table so suddenly that the other guests all quieted down and looked toward him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not feeling too well¡­ I don¡¯t think I can take the night shift, and I¡¯ll¡­ be in my rooms.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng rushed out of the garden. ¡°What trick are you trying to pull?¡± he thundered mentally as he stumbled back to his own rooms.


    ¡°Heh heh, I¡¯m just showing you your deepest desires. Face it¡ªyou won¡¯t be able to forget Yun Ruoyan, and there¡¯s nothing you want more than to rece Li Mo. In that case, go kill Li Mo and snatch Yun Ruoyan for yourself!¡±


    ¡°Kill Li Mo?¡±


    ¡°Right, kill him. He¡¯s the one who snatched away your precious woman, after all.¡±


    ¡°Snatch Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    ¡°Of course! You need to im your woman for yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll certainly kill Li Mo¡ªafter all, he¡¯s my enemy. But Yun Ruoyan doesn¡¯t like me at all, so what¡¯s the point of iming her?¡± Zhuo Yifengughed self-deprecatingly at himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never confessed to Yun Ruoyan, have you? How do you know she doesn¡¯t like you back?¡± the demonic spirit retorted anxiously.


    1. This refers to Chinese New Year.

 Chapter 413: Adulthood

    <h4>Chapter 413: Adulthood</h4>


    ¡°She just doesn¡¯t know that you like her too.¡± The demonic spirit¡¯s voice seemed to possess a maic, hypnotic rhythm. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Yun Ruoyan treat you differently from anyone else?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng recalled how, the first time he met Yun Ruoyan, she had given him more help than he had ever received from anyone before. She had helped him craft a set of tiger-canine arrows, then found him a ce to stay within the Lin family. Didn¡¯t Yun Ruoyan take care of him more than might have been expected?


    ¡°You¡¯re not a bad match for her,¡± the demonic spirit continued. ¡°Yun Ruoyan¡¯s had a good impression of you from the very beginning, but Li Mo got to her first.¡±


    ¡°Is that really the case?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the demonic spirit replied. ¡°What you need to do now is to snatch her back.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°First, make her aware of your intentions,¡± the demonic spirit said.¡±


    ¡°You mean, confess?¡±


    ¡°Yes, confess! Think about it¡ªif you lose your life in a fight, wouldn¡¯t you at least want the woman of your dreams to know that you loved her? Not doing so and dying would be the most tragic your life could get!¡±


    ¡°Confess, I have to confess, haha, I have to confess and let her know, I love her, before I die...¡± Zhuo Yifeng murmured, his mind in a drunken haze.


    As the new year began amidst a sky wreathed with fireworks, Yun Ruoyan turned sixteen. On both the Chenyuan and Mingyuan continents, one reached adulthood at fifteen and was truly an adult by sixteen.


    Amidst the festivities, Yun Ruoyan turned to nce at Li Mo, whose arms wrapped around her in an embrace. When Li Mo noticed her gaze, he too looked toward her.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo whispered. ¡°You¡¯re finally an adult now.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve long since grown up.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Li Mo raised his eyebrows. ¡°Yan¡¯er, why don¡¯t we have a baby?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cheeks and ears flushed a bright red. She didn¡¯t respond verbally, but her head inclined in what seemed like the barest fraction of a nod. Li Mo grinned, his smile as bright as the fireworks against the night sky, glowing with warmth.


    After the celebration, everyone returned to their own rooms.


    ¡°Sister, can I sleep with you tonight?¡± Lin Qingxue tugged on Lin Qingchen¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t afraid of the creatures by my house, you¡¯re wee to stop by,¡± Lin Qingchen replied. During this period of rtive peace, she had begun learning medicine from Feng Bo and to study all sorts of strange pills and the herbs, insects, and beasts that were relevant as ingredients for these pills. Except for sleeping, eating, and cultivating, all she would do was study and research these ingredients and beasts of hers.


    Lin Qingxue had originally found her sister¡¯s life to be boring and dull, but now, she was somewhat envious of her ability to concentrate on what mattered most to her. As far as she could recall, Lin Qingchen had never been too bothered about anything; after dedicating herself to the study of medicine and pillmaking, she seemed to have be immune to mortal woes.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not scared!¡± Lin Qingxue imed, puffing up her chest. ¡°I¡¯m not even scared of your catfish anymore, so what else is there that could scare me?¡±


    ¡°In that case, doe.¡± Lin Qingchen smiled.


    When Lin Qingxue stepped into her sister¡¯s yard, she sucked in a deep breath. ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± She was pointing at a big cage by the corner of the yard, in which a ck, indistinct creature was being kept. It was snoring so loudly that she could hear, and even feel, it from across the yard.


    ¡°It¡¯s a snoozebear,¡± Lin Qingchen exined. ¡°I asked for a remedy against sleeplessness from Feng Bo, and one of the essential ingredients is the blood of a snoozebear.¡±


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re wonderful!¡± Lin Qingchen tugged on her sleeve coyly. ¡°How did you know I was suffering from insomnia?¡±


    Lin Qingchen nced at her. ¡°This isn¡¯t for you, Qingxue.¡±


    ¡°Ah? In that case, who is it for?¡± Lin Qingxue seemed a little confused. ¡°Uncle isn¡¯t suffering from insomnia. In fact, he created his own technique to allow him to sleep whenever he wants.¡±


    ¡°Why not let Father teach it to you, then?¡±


    ¡°I tried asking, but Uncle told me that the technique¡¯s only suitable for him. If I tried to practice it, it would hurt my body,¡± Lin Qingxue replied wearily. ¡°So, if this isn¡¯t for me or for Uncle, who could it be for?¡±


    Lin Qingchen refused to tell her, but Lin Qingxue didn¡¯t back down. She asked again and again, not stopping until they were both tucked in bed and ready to sleep.


    ¡°It¡¯s for Madam Hong, from the courtesan troupe,¡± Lin Qingchen finally relented, unable to stand her sister¡¯s pestering. ¡°She¡¯s trying to find a way to bring the head of a small family to our side. He suffers from insomnia, so when Madam Hongst returned to the Feng city, she asked if I could make a cure for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? In that case, Sister, would you make me a little too?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Lin Qingxue pulled her sleeve away from her sister¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re not suffering from insomnia, but from an illness of the heart. Once that¡¯s resolved, your insomnia will go away on its own.¡±


    Lin Qingxue repeated her sister¡¯s words. ¡°An illness of the heart... in that case, what¡¯s my cure?¡±


    ¡°You like Zhuo Yifeng, but Zhuo Yifeng likes Sister Ruoyan.¡±


    When she heard these words from her sister¡¯s lips, Lin Qingxue pursed her lips, her eyes drooping. The room was dark, and she could barely make out her sister¡¯s features. She mped her mouth shut and refused to speak.


    ¡°First, you don¡¯t know how to let go of Zhuo Yifeng, how to stop thinking about him. Second, you¡¯ve developed feelings of jealousy toward Sister Ruoyan, because Zhuo Yifeng likes her but not you.¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t!¡± Lin Qingxue denied her sister¡¯s ims futilely. ¡°I¡¯m just, I¡¯m just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not jealousy,¡± Lin Qingchen corrected herself. ¡°But at least reproach, annoyance, irritation...¡±


    During this period of time, she could clearly see that Lin Qingxue was no longer as intimate with Yun Ruoyan as before, but this was understandable. However, there were quite a few times when Lin Qingchen caught her sister staring at Yun Ruoyan with something very close to jealousy in her eyes, which prompted her to have a discussion with Lin Qingxue.


    If Lin Qingxue hadn¡¯t shown up at Lin Qingchen¡¯s rooms, she would have gone out to find her herself.


    ¡°However, you know better than anyone else that Sister Ruoyan¡¯s heart is with the ughtering King. Whether or not Zhuo Yifeng likes you has nothing to do with Sister Ruoyan,¡± Lin Qingchen concluded. ¡°You just can¡¯t bear to admit it.¡±


    ¡°Sister, stop¡ª!¡± Lin Qingxue clutched her face in agony.


    Lin Qingchen had no intention to stop. ¡°Regardless of whether you want to hear it, I feel obligated to say this out loud. If you like Zhuo Yifeng, that¡¯s your own business. If Zhuo Yifeng doesn¡¯t like you back, that¡¯s his. Don¡¯t hate or begrudge anyone else for it. If you can do that, I promise you¡¯ll be able to sleep well at night.¡±


    Lin Qingxue began to cry, small sobs that turned into bawls. Tears flowed down her eyes through the cracks in her fingers, wetting her hair and Lin Qingchen¡¯s pillow.


    Lin Qingchen rubbed her sister¡¯s fleshy earlobes, just like she had done when she was scolded as a child. ¡°Cry, cry. Let your negative emotions flow out of you.¡±


    ¡°Sister, my heart feels like it¡¯s going to split in two¡ªit hurts, it hurts,¡± Lin Qingxue choked out.


    ¡°Let it out. Time will cure all wounds.¡± Lin Qingchen patted her sister¡¯s back. ¡°Better to let it out than let it corrupt your heart.¡±


    ¡°Sister, will I be able to forget about Brother Zhuo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a hard question,¡± Lin Qingchen replied truthfully. ¡°It¡¯ll be best if you can, but it¡¯s fine even if you can¡¯t. Just know that he¡¯s not obligated to like you back. Your heart might twinge when you think of him, but you¡¯ll still be able to lead a very happy life.¡±


    ¡°Is that really possible?¡± Lin Qingxue wiped her face with her hands, then looked piteously at her sister.


    ¡°Of course. When have I ever lied to you? Sleep well and wee the start of the new year.¡±


    In her sister¡¯s arms, Lin Qingxue finally fell into a deep sleep.


    The temporary ceasefire was ted to end about ten days after the new year. Feng Bo began busying himself training the Feng swordsmen, and Zhuo Yifeng and Qin Feng both returned to the Feng city guards. They were both inducted into their ranks, and would train, fight, and carry out difficult missions together.


    One day, Yun Ruoyan also received a mission, one that came from Lin Qingchen. She started by going to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, then Feng Bo. ¡°Madam Hong sent word saying that the families she¡¯s been recruiting have volunteered to send a few swordsmen to supplement the Feng troops.¡± Lin Qingchen handed the note in her hands to Feng Bo.


    Feng Bo took the note and read it carefully. ¡°Where did you get this news?¡±


    Lin Qingchen exined how Madam Hong had asked her to make a cure for insomnia. ¡°She told me to hand the cure to a travelling merchant called Huai Da in the eastern part of the Feng city. A few days ago, I finished the cure and handed it to him. Today, he found me and handed me this note, iming that Madam Hong wrote it herself.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan saw how serious Feng Bo seemed, she asked, ¡°Feng Bo, are you suspecting the veracity of this letter?¡±

 Chapter 414: I’ll Kill You!

    <h4>Chapter 414: I¡¯ll Kill You!</h4>


    ¡°The Feng family has established a securemunications channel with Madam Hong, so why would she send a message through a travelling merchant?¡± Feng Bo wondered.


    ¡°Perhaps the merchant would be able to get the news across faster,¡± Yun Ruoyan guessed. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Madam Hong¡¯s handwriting, and this is it.¡±


    As the head of a famous courtesan troupe, it was only to be expected that she would have her own means of sending messages, but Feng Bo still thought that something was amiss.


    ¡°The letter asks specifically for Miss Yun to receive these swordsmen. Why could this be?¡± Feng Bo continued.


    Lin Qingchen frowned. ¡°I feel like something¡¯s the matter as well, Sister Ruoyan. Please, don¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°I can send someone else to go in your stead,¡± Feng Bo volunteered.


    ¡°Even if something¡¯s amiss, I have to go personally,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°If not, how would we know what kind of trick they¡¯re trying to pull?¡±


    Lin Qingchen and Feng Bo both turned to Li Mo, standing behind Yun Ruoyan, hoping he would be able to persuade Yun Ruoyan against her foolhardy decision.


    ¡°Go if you wish,¡± Li Mo replied coolly. ¡°But you have to stay within a meter of me at all times.¡±


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo headed beyond the confines of the Feng city, waiting for the arrival of the swordsmen at the location stated on the note. A few minutes after they arrived, a few men on horseback appeared.


    ¡°There are only eight of them,¡± Yun Ruoyan remarked curiously. ¡°I had expected at least fifty.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s indeed something amiss,¡± Li Mo murmured.


    Regardless of whether the note was truly from Madam Hong, they had anticipated that they would be facing at least a group of fifty or so. If it were true, then two dozen families would be sending two or three swordsmen each; if it were false, then surely past experience would have taught the Pis that they stood no hope of capturing Yun Ruoyan with just eight men.


    The cultivators walked up to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, then stopped about thirty feet away. Each of the eight was wearing a ck robe, their heads masked and hooded.


    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Ha, haha.¡± The leader of the group stepped forward and began tough. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you really dide!¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan heard the familiar voice, she clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Rong Yueshan, it¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me! You didn¡¯t expect it, did you?!¡± Rong Yueshan flung aside the mask on her face. ¡°That I would still be alive and able to appear in front of you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned upon seeing her face. ¡°What happened to your face?¡±


    Rong Yueshan clutched her left cheek. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your senior sister, Guan Ruliu! If not for her trying to escape, I wouldn¡¯t have reported her to the Lie family, and neither would I have been forced to remain with the Lies as a ve. After I reported Guan Ruliu and the others, the young master of the Lie family, Lie Sen, not only failed to reward me, but even imed that I was a traitor! Hemanded his subordinates to carve a word on my cheek.¡±


    If Rong Yueshan hadn¡¯t mentioned it, Yun Ruoyan wouldn¡¯t have realized that the marks formed a damning word: traitor.


    ¡°You¡¯re really self-centered, aren¡¯t you? You always push the me onto others, with no understanding or contrition about what you¡¯ve done. It¡¯s because of you that a dozen of our peers are dead,¡± Yun Ruoyan retorted coolly. ¡°Lie Sen¡¯s not wrong: you are a traitor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no traitor!¡± Rong Yueshan immediately eximed. ¡°They were the ones who were foolish for seeking death, and they even tried to rope me with them! If I hadn¡¯t exposed their n, I would have been dead. Aren¡¯t I still alive? But Guan Ruliu and the others, haha, they¡¯re all dead!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart leapt. ¡°What did you say? What happened to Senior Sister Guan and the others?!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re dead!¡± Rong Yueshan repeated. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand me? Dead!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had saved Guan Ruliu and her two junior sisters from the pleasure den within Peak Darkness, then entrusted them to Feng Yicheng. Feng Yicheng had them escorted to the Feng city, where they remained until they recovered¡ªbut after they did so, they wrote a letter and left.


    In their letter, they imed that they had been unable to forget their peers¡¯ faces as they died. They swore vengeance and retribution against Rong Yueshan, and had left to take her life.


    Yun Ruoyan knew Guan Ruliu quite well. Although she appeared gentle, she was particrly stubborn when she had set her mind on a task. Because she was skilled and cool under pressure, Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t been too worried about her safety¡ªbut to think that she had perished!


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you? Have a nce with your very eyes!¡± Rong Yueshan¡¯s smile was warped and stretched beyond what seemed natural, but she was clearly very pleased by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shock.


    Three ck-d men stepped forward, each carrying a ck box in their hands.


    ¡°Open the boxes!¡± Rong Yueshanmanded.


    In the frosty winter air, under the unwee rity of the sun, Yun Ruoyan saw what the boxes contained: three heads, three female heads, hair draped haphazardly around their base. Their expressions were wretched, ferocious; their eyes were wide open, filled with resentment and disbelief.


    Yun Ruoyan closed her eyes, for she knew the three females: Guan Ruliu and her two junior sisters. ¡°Rong Yueshan,¡± she shrieked, her lungs trembling from the effort. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    A fierce red light shone under her feet as she soared to the skies, drawing her Scarlet Eye as she thrusted toward Rong Yueshan.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo called out, then followed her into the air.


    ¡°Quick, protect me!¡± Rong Yueshan shouted, her face finally turning flustered. She retreated quickly, and the swordsmen behind her stepped forward to shield her.


    Because of her rage, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s Scarlet Eye had turned the color of blood. None of the guards shielding Rong Yueshan were sword saints themselves; instead, their cultivation was about on par with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s. In front of Li Mo, they were nothing but cannon fodder.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s Scarlet Eye boasted exceptional attack power, and none of the ck-d men were able to withstand a blow from her amidst her rage.


    Li Mo noted, with some surprise, that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bloodthirsty behavior was a direct result of the partial awakening of her bloodline. Intense pain had provoked a reaction from the blood that rantent in her veins, and quashing this anger would require fresh blood.


    As Li Mo guarded Yun Ruoyan from the side and prevented the guards from escaping, Yun Ruoyan stabbed their bodies and tried to quell her rage and pain with their blood sacrifice.


    Rong Yueshan retreated further and further away, her face distorting in fear. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m a member of the Pi family now!¡±


    Given what Lie Sen had done to her, Rong Yueshan quickly realized that she wouldn¡¯t be able to make a name for herself in the Lie family. Since the Pi family had been searching everywhere for Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, Rong Yueshan had escaped from the Lie family and entered the Pi family.


    After Guan Ruliu and her two junior sisters arrived in the Lie city to find that Rong Yueshan had escaped, they followed her trail to the Pi city, where they infiltrated the Pi manor in an attempt to catch her. However, Rong Yueshan had set up countermeasures for this very scenario, and the three women had been caught and imprisoned in the same prison where Zhuo Yifeng had been tortured.


    That same prison would also be their grave.


    Yun Ruoyan cleaved at another helpless guard before focusing on Rong Yueshan once more. ¡°All the more reason you should die!¡± she gritted out. She chopped down another ck-d guard, then rushed to Rong Yueshan¡¯s side and held her sword by Rong Yueshan¡¯s nose.


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me,¡± Rong Yueshan cried out in fear. ¡°The Pi family has caught everyone in the courtesan troupe! I¡¯m here to tell you to surrender, or they¡¯re all dead!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand trembled almost imperceptibly. ¡°And why shouldn¡¯t I kill you first to avenge their deaths?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more! The Pi family has also caught Feng Mian, the young master of the Feng family, Feng Yanyang¡¯s only son! If you kill me, at least one member of the troupe will die. You know a woman called Xiao Qing, don¡¯t you? I heard that she was friendly to you, so I chose her as my safeguard. If I don¡¯t return in time, she¡¯ll die a horrendous death, just like Guan Ruliu and the others, haha!¡±


    Rong Yueshan pointed at the boxes that had fallen on the ground during themotion, her smile more warped than ever. Guan Ruliu¡¯s head had rolled out of her box, and her eyes stared straight at Rong Yueshan. Rong Yueshan¡¯sughter stopped abruptly; in a trembling voice, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me! You¡¯re the ones who asked for death, and I¡¯m not to me! I wasn¡¯t the one who killed you¡ªit was Pi Batian, me him if you must! And I didn¡¯t kill any of my peers either¡ªthose were the Lie swordsmen! I didn¡¯t want them to die, but I was forced to do so! You forced me to do so!¡±


    Rong Yueshan¡¯s smile morphed into a mask of fright. She began to cry, tears and snot filling her face, giving her an inhuman appearance.


    ¡°Leave!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, sheathing her sword. ¡°Before I find the members of the courtesan troupe and Young Master Feng, you¡¯d better find a ce to hide. If I see you again, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

 Chapter 415: Countermeasures

    <h4>Chapter 415: Countermeasures</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo immediately rushed back to the Feng city to report to Feng Yanyang regarding Feng Mian and the courtesan troupe¡¯s capture. Only when they met him did they find out that, not long after they had left the city, he and Feng Bo had received a missive from a nearby town.


    Feng Mian and the courtesan troupe were both taken hostagest night, almost at the exact same moment. It was likely that the courtesan troupe¡¯s identity had long been known to the Pi family, but that they were using them as bait and waiting for the most opportune time to strike. As they saw more and more of the smaller families shifting to the Feng family¡¯s side, however, they couldn¡¯t stand waiting any longer.


    As for Feng Mian, he was Feng Yanyang¡¯s only heir and the next lord of the Feng city. While he wasn¡¯t particrly impressive, he also never caused any trouble for Feng Yanyang. If he had a w, it was that he was a little prideful. During this period of time, Feng Yicheng had eked out a name for himself within the Feng city and received great praise from Feng Yanyang, who had directed Feng Mian to learn from him. This hurt Feng Mian¡¯s pride; in order to prove himself, he volunteered to stay in the small towns surrounding the Feng city with Feng Bo to set up barriers in the vicinity.


    Feng Mian had been working hard on this project, and he didn¡¯t even return for the spring festival. Instead, he sent word saying that he would remain by the border towns and celebrate the festival with the guards in the region instead. Feng Yanyang was impressed by this decision, but no one had expected that it would lead to Feng Mian¡¯s capture.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Feng Bo all looked at the frowning Feng Yanyang, waiting for his orders.


    ¡°We can¡¯t agree to their requests,¡± Feng Yanyang replied, his voice heavy. Although he had long since made up his mind, he found it exceptionally difficult to force the words out of his throat. His son¡¯s fate rested in his hands, but he was unable to save him...


    ¡°Lord Feng.¡± Feng Bo bowed deeply. ¡°Perhaps we can surrender for the moment and regain custody of Young Master Feng. In the future, we¡¯ll wait for another opportunity to reim justice from the Pi family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible.¡± Feng Yanyang shook his head, his face so forlorn it seemed as though he had aged a decade in an instant. He retrieved a letter from his robes and handed it to Feng Bo.


    As Feng Bo read it, his brows furrowed further. When he finished, he sighed and handed the letter to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, who read it from start to end. The contents of the letter were near-identical to what Rong Yueshan had described, but there was one final condition that she had failed to mention: Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were part of the ransom that the Feng family would have to pay to get Feng Mian and the courtesan troupe back.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw this use, anger filled her heart. How far will this father and son go to capture me? They¡¯repletely unscrupulous!


    ¡°Lord Feng, I¡ª¡± Yun Ruoyan was just about to volunteer to be exchanged for Feng Mian and the troupe when Li Mo pulled her back in time.


    ¡°Lord Feng, how do you n on resolving this situation?¡± Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan back behind him.


    Feng Yanyang stood up, his back perfectly straight. His gazended on Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, his voice resolute. ¡°I¡¯ve just received word of this, and I don¡¯t currently have a good n against this ransom. Do rest assured: I would never take you as hostage to random my son back.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were more than a little moved by Feng Yanyang¡¯s earnest deration.


    ¡°My gratitude, Lord Feng. If there¡¯s anything my wife and I can do for you, please let us know.¡±


    Feng Yanyang then sent for Feng Yicheng, with which they would discuss ns and countermeasures. It took the rest of the night before they finally came up with a workable strategy. Feng Yanyang himself wrote a document denouncing the Pi family¡¯s actions, emphasizing the fact that Pi Yan had taken his son hostage and was nothing but a sly, treacherous man.


    Feng Yicheng had the document copied and distributed all throughout the Mingyuan continent in an attempt to apply pressure on the Pi family. Although Pi Yan wasn¡¯t a gentleman by any means, he was particrly prideful and conscientious of his reputation. It was unlikely that these documents wouldpel Pi Yan to free Feng Mian, but he surely wouldn¡¯t dare harm him, either.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo rushed to the Lie city overnight, hoping for support from the Lie family. Although there were still a few days before the end of the ceasefire, Feng Yanyang had decided to strike against the Pi family first to show that he wouldn¡¯t be threatened by their actions.


    The next morning, Feng Yanyang and Feng Bo, along with the Feng family¡¯s secret troops, were sent to the border between the Feng and Pi families. Feng Bo himself would direct the uing battle, one of many in the war that had grown sorge in scale that it seemed to epass the entire Mingyuan continent.


    The secret troops were mobilized in their entirety, with Zhuo Yifeng and Qin Feng amongst them. After only a few days, they arrived at the primary battlefield between the two cities, Goldenrod Town.


    Meanwhile, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were put in charge of a battalion of swordsmen almost five hundred strong, the first of multiple sets of reinforcements that the Lie city nned on furnishing. The moment Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had left, Lie Yun had begun organizing the troops that she would send out to support the Feng city. The five hundred cultivators were all ninth-rank demasters, and they would surely be a force to contend with on the battlefield.


    In addition, Lie Yun pledged that she would provide at least two thousand cultivators in all, which she would send in waves toward the primary battlefield. Yun Ruoyan led these troops as she rushed toward Goldenrod Town, arriving not two dayster.


    Feng Yicheng had also arrived afterpleting his mission. He had spread Feng Yanyang¡¯s letter of censure far and wide across the Mingyuan continent. The Pi family¡¯s reputation had never been good, and thistest event had only exacerbated the charges against them.


    Given the magnitude of this war between the two families, it would surely decide the future hegemon of the Mingyuan continent. It was natural that the ordinary cultivators and townsfolk of the Mingyuan continent would prefer a more lenient ruler, so public sentiment quickly turned in favor of the Feng family, and the Pi family¡¯s reputation was brought to a new low.


    Within the Pi manor, Pi Yan clutched a copy of the offending letter in his hand and squeezed it into powder. What he had thought a masterstroke had turned around to bite him, and the damage to the Pi family¡¯s reputation had been so severe that he felt as though he had pped himself in the face by taking Feng Mian hostage.


    ¡°Father, who would have thought the Feng family so cunning?¡± Pi Batian sat by his side, ying with a seemingly ancient ring.


    Pi Yan snorted. ¡°Bring me that ugly woman, that traitor who escaped from the Lie family. She¡¯s the one who suggested the idea, and she will pay for this!¡±


    ¡°Father.¡± Pi Batian stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sure Rong Yueshan didn¡¯t expect that things would go this way either. It¡¯s partially my fault for not thinking matters through, so please don¡¯t heap the me entirely on her.¡±


    Pi Yan was a little surprised to see his prideful son defending the ugly ve girl. ¡°She must have some capability, if you¡¯re willing to defend her to this extent.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Pi Batian immediately shook his head. ¡°Father, don¡¯t misunderstand. Given the charges against us, harshly punishing those who¡¯vee to us for shelter will surely have severe repercussions. I suggest we let her redeem herself with her actions.¡±


    Pi Yan mulled his son¡¯s words over for a moment. ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say, but you¡¯d better be cautious around this woman, Tian¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Father.¡± Pi Batian bowed. When he saw that Pi Yan was looking less angry than before, he continued, ¡°Although the Fengs have turned this situation to their favor, we now have a number of useful ves. We can¡¯t kill them outright at the moment, of course, but they can y important roles in a crucial moment. Furthermore...¡± Pi Batian leaned in close to Pi Yan¡¯s ear. ¡°I have a few thoughts of my own as to how to use them properly. Father, here¡¯s what I think...¡±


    Pi Batian whispered for quite some time by Pi Yan¡¯s ear. Pi Yan nodded in agreement as he listened, and the anger on his face slowly morphed into a devious smile.


    When he was done speaking, Pi Batian sped his hands behind his back and smiled as he nced at his father¡¯s expression. Clearly, his father was very much in favor with his n.


    ¡°Not bad. Tian¡¯er, your aplishments will surely surpass mine in the future.¡±


    ¡°My goal is solely to help you conquer this continent, Father.¡± Pi Batian bowed once more.


    Pi Yan smiled at his prodigious son.


    ¡°Young Master, I¡ª¡± The moment Pi Batian walked into his bedroom, a veiled beauty stood up to wee him. However, Pi Batian only gave her a resounding p, knocking her onto the ground.

 Chapter 416: Instigation

    <h4>Chapter 416: Instigation</h4>


    The beauty¡¯s veil was knocked aside, revealing a series of criss-crossing marks on her left cheek. Rong Yueshan knelt on the ground, hurriedly covering up her disfigured cheek.


    ¡°Slut!¡± Pi Batian stepped on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve given my father and I the worst reputation of the nobles on the Mingyuan continent!¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI wouldn¡¯t dare, Young Master Pi,¡± Rong Yueshan replied pitifully. Her petite frame began to tremble because of her fear, revealing her pale flesh beneath her thin, diaphanous clothing.


    Pi Batian slowly moved his foot from Rong Yueshan¡¯s shoulder to her spine, rubbing her soft skin with the sole of his foot. In his mind¡¯s eye, the woman pinned underneath his foot was someone else entirely. She was equally petite and delicate, but her gaze was like fire. Unlike the woman beneath him, she wouldn¡¯t allow herself to be kneaded like a ball of dough.


    When Rong Yueshan sensed Pi Batian¡¯s gestures taking on a sexual undertone, she raised her veiled face and looked up at Pi Batian with wide, lustrous eyes. ¡°Young Master Pi!¡±


    Pi Batian bent down, pinched Rong Yueshan¡¯s lower jaw, then flung her over his shoulder as though he were hoisting a bup sack. He walked toward his bed and threw her down, then began venting his anger on her as though she were no more than a toy, a doll. Rong Yueshan clutched tightly onto the ck velvet sheets, pain and humiliation causing tears to well up in her eyes. She could only choke them back down, forcing her lips shut to prevent herself from screaming or grunting in pain.


    Deep in her mind, she repeatedly told herself, I must live. I¡¯ll live, and I¡¯ll make Yun Ruoyan suffer the same humiliation I did. She¡¯s the root cause behind all my suffering, and even if I have to die, I¡¯ll drag her down with me!¡±


    Under this ersatz hypnosis, Rong Yueshan¡¯s mind became wooden. She no longer felt the pain that radiated throughout her body, nor humiliation of any kind. She began to wee Pi Batian¡¯s bestial treatment of her body, smiling andughing wantonly, heart-wrenchingly...


    After a few rounds, when Pi Batian finally got tired of her body, it was already nighttime. Rong Yueshan woke up from her temporary daze. She lowered her head to find her body bruised all over, so sore it was as though she had been torn apart, bit by bit, then reassembled.


    In the darkness, a pair of beast-like eyes were staring at her. When she slowly made eye contact with Pi Batian, she shivered in aplex mix of shock, fear, and fright. She forced herself to remain calm, but her quavering voice betrayed her. ¡°Young Master Pi, are you... thirsty? Would you like me to prepare a pot of tea for you?¡±


    Pi Batian stared coldly at Rong Yueshan until she began to tremble all over. Just as she thought she would be unable to bear the silence any longer, he sat up, clothed himself, then began walking out of his rooms.


    As he approached the door, he suddenly turned back andmanded Rong Yueshan, ¡°You, follow me.¡±


    Rong Yueshan followed Pi Batian to a prison, one containing two cells. Therger one was the more ufortable, and over a dozen courtesans from the courtesan troupe were imprisoned within. Half the women inside were awake as Pi Batian and Rong Yueshan walked past the cell, and they stared at the two of them with hatred and loathing in their eyes.


    Rong Yueshan followed mutely behind Pi Batian, refusing to meet their eyes. In the past, she would have turned her nose up at these women, the lowest of the low, but the Rong Yueshan of the present was even dirtier and lowlier than they were. Although she was unwilling to admit it, she knew it to be fact. And, just like usual, she med her current predicament on Yun Ruoyan.


    Pi Batian¡¯s gaze swept coldly over these women. Most of them were of noble birth, but had lost their family and estates due to the Pi family. Some among them had had their clothes torn by the Pi swordsmen during their capture, and what scraps they had were insufficient to clothe their bodies.


    Amidst the group of women, however, one stood out. Her eyes were slightly narrowed as she looked toward Pi Batian. She wore the tattered, ruined clothes of multiple women, a curious outfit that nevertheless managed to cover her entire body. Beside her was a stoic woman taking a guarded stance around her


    A Fei stared at Pi Batian without any fear or reservation. If he dared hurt her mistress, she would fight him to the death, even if she knew she stood no chance of beating him.


    ¡°Young Master Pi, may I ask if you¡¯re here to interrogate the prisoners?¡± one swordsman, sleepily guarding the prisoners in the cell, ventured.


    ¡°Do such lowly prisoners deserve my attention?¡± Pi Batian retorted coldly.


    ¡°Of course not... of course not!¡± The swordsman looked particrly like a weasel. When Pi Batian rebuffed him, any desire to sleep instantly vanished from his face, and he suddenly seemed fearful. ¡°I misspoke, Young Master Pi, please don¡¯t me me...¡±


    Pi Batian cut the swordsman off. He¡¯d seen many jailers like him: they all acted high and mighty in front of the prisoners, but in front of Pi Batian, they grovelled like groundhogs. Pi Batian was disgusted by such jailers, but he would be perfect for his n.


    ¡°I have a task for you. If you perform well, I¡¯ll have more rewards for you yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything for you, Young Master Pi!¡± the swordsman immediately cried out.


    Pi Batian chuckled maliciously. ¡°Find a few swordsmen from around the mansion and rape these women. Make them beg for death, then hang them by the city gates. Parade them as vixens, spies sent by the Feng family, and let all those who pass by the city gates mock and jeer at them for who they are.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± the weaselly swordsman replied, his smile so wretched and vulgar one had to look away.


    Pi Batian turned away from the swordsman and prepared to enter the next cell before he suddenly remembered something. Turning back, he instructed the guard, ¡°Don¡¯t touch the red-clothed woman and the woman by her side just yet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± The swordsman bowed.


    Pi Batian nodded in satisfaction, then strode toward the next cell. Rong Yueshan strode behind Pi Batian. As they passed by a torture chamber, by all sorts of bloodied tools lying on the floor, she neither hesitated not stumbled, as though she were entirely inured to the sight. Pi Batian was somewhat pleased to see her so calm even in the face of such cruelty.


    Rong Yueshan was the only one who could feel how loudly her heart was thumping and how, if she weren¡¯t wearing a cloak, anyone walking behind her would see her back drenched with sweat.


    Beside that torture chamber was a smaller cell in which the young master of the Feng family, Feng Mian, was being imprisoned. Instead of sleeping, Feng Mian was resting against a hard wooden bench. A table stood beside the bench, and an oilmp on the table bathed the cell in a weak light, illuminating a bowl of cold porridge and two cold, hard buns thaty untouched.


    Although Feng Yanyang hardly pampered Feng Mian, the Feng family had extremely high standards for food and drink. Staying in a ce like this was undoubtedly a hellish proposition to Feng Mian, who had been draped in finery his entire life. That he was able to remain soposed was testament to his fortitude.


    ¡°My apologies, Young Master Feng, for housing you in such humble amodations despite your being a guest of the Pi family,¡± Pi Batian said from outside the cell.


    When Feng Mian heard Pi Batian¡¯s voice, he opened his eyes and sat up straight, clearly surprised by Pi Batian¡¯s sudden visit. ¡°Young Master Pi,¡± Feng Mian began, staring cautiously at him. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    It was already the second day of Feng Mian¡¯s imprisonment, but no one had approached him. The two cities were at war, and Feng Mian naturally understood the implications of his capture. He suspected that the Pi family would use him as a hostage for negotiations with his father. Now that Pi Batian was here, it seemed as though his fate was decided.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master Feng,¡± Pi Batian added. ¡°I¡¯m not here to kill you, but only to inform you of some unwee news.¡±


    ¡°What... unwee news?¡±


    Pi Batian noticed that Feng Mian¡¯s two wrists were trembling, and he began to smirk. ¡°You must have guessed that Lord Feng has refused our offer. Instead, he ns on revealing our negotiations to the public, besmirching the name of the Pi family. Do you think he¡¯s forcing us to get rid of you so he doesn¡¯t have to worry about the fact that you¡¯ve been taken captive?¡±


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be!¡± Feng Mian stood up in a rush. ¡°I¡¯m the only heir of the Feng family, my father¡¯s only son! Father will certainly save me!¡±

 Chapter 417: Disappointment

    <h4>Chapter 417: Disappointment</h4>


    ¡°Brother Feng, I don¡¯t want to hurt you, but what I¡¯m saying is the truth,¡± Pi Batian continued coldly. ¡°Your father likely sees you as his biggest stumbling block against his conquering the Mingyuan continent, so he¡¯s trying to get rid of you using the Pi family. If we do so, the reputation of the Pi family will forever be tarnished.¡±


    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be!¡± Feng Mian continued shaking his head. The fear of having been captured and the sudden appearance of Pi Batian at nighttime had dramatically affected Feng Mian¡¯s thoughts, and he was far more susceptible to Pi Batian¡¯s ploys under such a state.


    ¡°However, my father and I won¡¯t do as he wishes. No, we won¡¯t kill you!¡± Pi Batian turned to the outside of the cell and hollered, ¡°Guards!¡±


    Very quickly, a guard rushed to Pi Batian and bowed. ¡°Yes, Young Master Pi?¡±


    ¡°Unlock the cell. Prepare the best guest room for Young Master Feng and furnish it with whatever amenities we have.¡±


    ¡°Yes, at once, Young Master!¡± The guard rushed out of the prison.


    ¡°Yueshan, help Young Master Feng out.¡± Pi Batian motioned at Rong Yueshan, who quickly walked into the cell and helped Feng Mian, still a little dazed, out of the cell.


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to free me? Under what conditions?¡±


    Although Feng Mian wasn¡¯t particrly talented, he wasn¡¯t an idiot. There was no reason the Pi family would free him so easily, when they could certainly secure concessions from the Fengs instead. ¡°The Feng and Pi families have never been on good terms, and you and I have never been the best of friends, Young Master Pi.¡±


    In truth, Feng Mian and Pi Batian had shed with each other, both physically and verbally, more than once in their past previous encounters.


    ¡°Brother Feng.¡± Pi Batian only smiled coolly. ¡°I¡¯m surely not such a narrow-minded man that I can¡¯t forgive our past interactions. We certainly have ns for you, but what the Pi family wants isn¡¯t your life.¡±


    Pi Batian didn¡¯t reveal these ns of his, saying only that he would let Feng Mian know of them when the time was right. With wariness, Feng Mian allowed himself to be led out of the cell. As soon as he was out, he took a deep breath of the fresh night air. The rotting odors of the prison had nearly suffocated him with their stench, and the damp cell had left him intensely ufortable.


    Feng Mian didn¡¯t care what ns Pi Batian had in mind; he simply wanted a hot bath, a good night¡¯s sleep in afortable bed, and the best food and drinks to satiate his growling stomach.


    Under Pi Batian¡¯smands, all this turned into a reality. Pi Batian even assigned Rong Yueshan to Feng Mian¡¯s rooms to serve him; with her skilled massages, she quickly took care of Feng Mian¡¯s aches and pains from his imprisonment.


    Just like that, Feng Mian began staying in the Pi manor, wholly unaware that his father had been working day and night, even advancing his ns for the uing battle against the Pis, in order to rescue him.


    When Feng Yanyang found Feng Mian¡¯s guards and interrogated them as to Feng Mian¡¯s capture, they hemmed and hawed before finally revealing the truth. After they had finished all the preparations for securing the town, one of Feng Mian¡¯s personal guards entreated him to sponsor a night of partying at a nearby brothel. Initially, Feng Mian had rejected the man¡¯s appeal, only to be persuaded into doing so when more and more guards joined in the appeal.


    The group of six went to a brothel, one where Pi swordsmeny in an ambush for Feng Mian. While Feng Mian was in a drunken haze, they rushed into his suite and kidnapped him.


    ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Feng Yanyang mmed a palm down on his table, causing several pieces of his tea set to crack from the impact.


    ¡°To have the young master of the Feng family bringing his guards to that sort of ce¡ªridiculous to the extreme!¡±


    ¡°Please calm down, Lord Feng,¡± Feng Bo hurriedly stepped in, noting that Feng Yanyang was quaking with rage.


    ¡°Feng Bo.¡± Feng Yanyang turned to him. ¡°I entrusted Mian¡¯er to you so you could take care of him. Why did you allow him to partake in such ludicrous activities?!¡±


    ¡°Please, Lord Feng, calm down. Young Master Feng has been conscientious and meticulous with his work, and he would only visit such establishments infrequently to rx. Because I didn¡¯t judge it to be a big problem, I allowed him to do so, leading to this mishap. Please punish me for my oversight, Lord Feng.¡±


    Feng Yanyang let out a weary sigh. ¡°I know Mian¡¯er isn¡¯t particrly talented, so I had him focus on what he could do, believing that he would still be a good lord with the support of trusted advisors, but... no, no, there¡¯s no one else to me but him.¡±


    A momentter, he suddenly raised his head. ¡°What happened to the guard who goaded Young Master Feng into going to the brothel?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s gone missing,¡± Feng Bo stated. That was the first thing he had checked after arriving at the scene; of Feng Mian¡¯s five guards, four were killed on the spot. The missing guard was the ringleader of the entire affair.


    ¡°Lord Feng, Young Master Feng simply fell into a trap. It¡¯s clear that the Pis nned for this ambush, and it¡¯s only natural that Young Master Feng was caught by surprise.¡±


    ¡°Yicheng¡¯s three years younger than Mian¡¯er, but he¡¯s far more mature and responsible,¡± Feng Yanyang. ¡°I¡¯d be satisfied if Mian¡¯er had half the drive and talent!¡±


    ¡°Lord Feng, you honor me,¡± Feng Yicheng quickly bowed. ¡°I still have many deficiencies as yet.¡±


    ¡°Lord Feng,¡± Feng Bo added, ¡°what¡¯s most important now ising up with a n to rescue Young Master Feng. To avoid besmirching their reputation, the Pis won¡¯t dare kill him. We could try to infiltrate the Pi city in order to rescue him.¡±


    ¡°The Pi family will surely ce Mian¡¯er under heavy guard, so it won¡¯t be easy to extricate him,¡± Feng Yanyang reasoned.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo nced at each other. Then, Yun Ruoyan stepped forward. ¡°Lord Feng, my consort and I would be happy to take on the responsibility for saving Young Master Feng.¡±


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo escaped from the Pi manor in the past, and they¡¯re more familiar with the Pi manor and the Pi city than any of us here. It¡¯ll be most appropriate to leave it to them,¡± Feng Bo added.


    Feng Yanyang turned to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, the disappointment and helplessness in his gaze slowly being reced by hope. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll entrust this matter to the two of you. Please retrieve my son safely.¡±


    Feng Yanyang remembered how Li Mo had headed into the Pi city alone in a foolhardy attempt to rescue Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng. He knew how dangerous the endeavor had been, and he hadn¡¯t expected that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo would nevertheless be willing to brave such dangers for the Feng family, so he was quite touched by their proposal.


    Their n approved, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo decided that they would leave the very next day. That evening, Lin Qingchen came to talk with Yun Ruoyan, volunteering to head to the battlefield. Meanwhile, Lin Qingxue would stay behind to take care of Lin Tianming. Because of Lin Qingchen¡¯s excellent skill with medicine and pillmaking, Feng Bo had provisionally agreed to her request.


    Actually, Lin Qingchen had volunteered not just to help out the Feng family, but also to recover her heirloom ring. When she found out that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were heading into the Pi city once more, she asked Yun Ruoyan to help her keep an eye out for the whereabouts of the ring, and whether it was indeed with Pi Batian. Understanding how important the ring was to Lin Qingchen, Yun Ruoyan agreed without any hesitation.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Ruoyan,¡± Lin Qingchen replied, relieved.


    ¡°We¡¯re sisters, aren¡¯t we? There¡¯s nothing to thank me about.¡± Yun Ruoyan patted her on the shoulder. ¡°I still haven¡¯t thanked you for helping with Qingxue. Ever since you talked to her, she¡¯s not as reserved to me anymore. I think we¡¯ll be able to go back to how we were before after this trip.¡±


    Lin Qingchen nced at Yun Ruoyan, seemingly wanting to say more.


    ¡°Qingchen, what is it? Just tell me. I can¡¯t stand this game of charades, of hints and indirect clues. You know how much I loathed being in the Yun family because of this.¡±


    Lin Qingchen couldn¡¯t help being a little surprised by her im. In her impression, Yun Ruoyan had adroitly handled interacting with every member of the Yun family: its servants, her errant sisters and cousins, her father, Madam An, her grandmother...


    Even as a tender girl, she seemed like someone who had countless years of experience living in a noble family, and it was her surprising ability and aptitude at handling such affairs that had caused her to be Lin Qingchen¡¯s idol.


    However, ever since she married Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan had begun to change. It felt as though she were maturing in reverse: bing more and more impulsive, headstrong, and coquettish.


    Fortunately, no matter what kind of incident Yun Ruoyan caused, Li Mo had been able to smooth things over for her. Perhaps it was because of this that her sister had be so dangerously bold and daring.

 Chapter 418: The Price of Rashness

    <h4>Chapter 418: The Price of Rashness</h4>


    As she nced at her regressing cousin, Lin Qingchen couldn¡¯t help trying to analyze her own life: should she or should she not try to find a husband? Lin Qingxue¡¯s round face had turned thin after pining for Zhuo Yifeng for so long, and she had even ended up on bad terms with their beloved cousin.


    As for Yun Ruoyan, she seemed very happy after marrying the ughtering King, but her intellect and personality both seemed to have regressed.


    It was amon adage that women who gave birth to children would seem foolish for three years. Yun Ruoyan was of childbearing age, and Lin Qingchen couldn¡¯t help imagine Yun Ruoyan¡¯s appearance as she chased after a runaway toddler, her noble mien and bearing all but dissipated.


    Lin Qingchen vowed to herself that, even if she had to refrain from marriage altogether, she wouldn¡¯t let a man change her the way Li Mo had changed Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Qingchen, are you alright? What¡¯re you thinking about?¡± When Yun Ruoyan saw that Lin Qingchen was in a daze, she lightly prodded her.


    ¡°Ah, I¡ªI wasn¡¯t thinking about anything...¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t thinking about Old Lin, were you?¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly asked. Old Lin was the captain of the Feng city guards, and he had been a guard at the manor for a short period of time. Once, when he was injured, Lin Qingchen had treated his wounds.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, if you keep talking nonsense, I¡¯ll ignore you!¡± Lin Qingchen hurriedly said, then turned to leave.


    ¡°Cousin, if you¡¯re ever interested in a man, let me know. I¡¯ll help you nab him for sure!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out behind her. Her words, like a needle, stabbed into Lin Qingchen¡¯s back, causing her to speed up and vanish in an instant.


    ¡°Ah, teasing Qingchen¡¯s more fun than I thought,¡± Yun Ruoyan mumbled to herself as she headed back to her own cottage. Because she wanted to talk to Lin Qingchen, she had told Li Mo to head back to the cottage first. If she didn¡¯t head back promptly, Li Mo would surely rush out to find her, so she started to walk faster.


    As she passed by a small side path, a shadow darted out and gave Yun Ruoyan a big shock. ¡°Who is it?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Ruoyan,¡± the shadow replied.


    Yun Ruoyan instantly recognized the voice as Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s.


    ¡°You¡ªwhy did you drink so much?¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned, then pinched her nose in distaste. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body seemed to have been steeped in alcohol, and his words were slurred. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, you know how strict Lord Feng is with regards to drinking now that we¡¯re preparing to fight against the Pis, don¡¯t you? If you¡¯re found out, you¡¯ll be expelled from the troops and punished ording to martialw.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied carelessly.


    ¡°Then why do it? Quick, go take a cold shower. Don¡¯t let anyone else find out!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, are you concerned for me?¡± Zhuo Yifeng suddenlyughed. ¡°He told me you cared about me¡ªyou¡¯re worried I¡¯ll be chased out of the Feng troops, so you do care about me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°You¡¯re drunk, and I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± She tried to walk around Zhuo Yifeng, but Zhuo Yifeng blocked her whenever she tried to move. If Yun Ruoyan headed left, so did he; if she went right, so did he.


    Zhuo Yifeng had never behaved in such an inconsiderate manner, and Yun Ruoyan was very confused as to what was going on with him. If it were anyone else, Yun Ruoyan would have long since knocked them down, but she felt a strong sense of kinship andradeship with Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, move aside. I don¡¯t want to fight you.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s patience was quickly being exhausted.


    However, Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t seem to understand what Yun Ruoyan was saying at all. He stared at Yun Ruoyan with his bright, luminous eyes, then pointed at his brain. ¡°He told me to confess to you, but I didn¡¯t dare. He kept urging me on, goading me, from day to night, then night to day. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so I drank. When I¡¯m drunk, I can¡¯t hear his voice.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Haha.¡± Zhuo Yifeng began tough. ¡°He¡¯s me, another me, a truer me. He told me to tell you¡ª¡± Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s eyes seemed to glow even brighter, and he leaned in close to Yun Ruoyan with his tall, broad body. Yun Ruoyan had no choice but to step back. ¡°He told me to tell you, Yun Ruoyan, that I love you! That I want you!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes opened wide. Although she had known that Zhuo Yifeng liked her, she had never expected that he would suddenly confess to her under such circumstances. She was very shocked by the sudden confession: after all, she was a married woman, and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s behavior was inappropriate on both the Chenyuan and Mingyuan continents.


    ¡°You...¡± Yun Ruoyan was just about to shout at him when Zhuo Yifeng suddenly extended both his hands and clutched Yun Ruoyan tightly. His lips, still smothered with the stench of alcohol, met Yun Ruoyan¡¯s own.


    Yun Ruoyan was shocked and offended by Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s behavior. As far as she knew, he was a guarded, stoic man, one who refused to expose too much of himself to anyone. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep his affection for her a secret, and he wouldn¡¯t be so unmoved by Lin Qingxue¡¯s advances. But, tonight, he had done something so bold...!


    Yun Ruoyan finally reacted and began to struggle to break free from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s grip. In her anger, she neglected to use her Scarlet Eye against him, nor her fireball technique. Instead, she kicked and wed at Zhuo Yifeng, but he easily shrugged those attacks off.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forbidden taste was so captivating that he didn¡¯t want to break off the kiss.


    Just then, a ck shadow floated down from the skies, bringing a flurry of wind with him. In an instant, Zhuo Yifeng was knocked aside, and hended on the paved walkway with a thud.


    ¡°Li... Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan was a little lightheaded from the kiss. Because of how much she had struggled, her hair was a little unkempt, and her lips swollen. On her fair cheeks were clear imprints from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s fingers.


    When Li Mo saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s present state, his eyes glowed with an eerie green light, one that immediately caused Yun Ruoyan to grab ahold of Zhuo Yifeng. Instead of speaking, she slowly shook her head. Yun Ruoyan knew that Li Mo¡¯s eyes would only glow green when he was struck by some particrly strong emotion or when he was radiating with killing intent.


    Li Mo forcibly suppressed the anger and fury in his heart, as well as a sudden, indescribable feeling, as though the tastiest dessert that belonged solely to him had been stolen and consumed by someone else. In the end, he closed his eyes and quashed his anger. Pulling Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, he walked to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s front and dowsed him in a bubble of icy cold water.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Zhuo Yifeng screamed and sat up, wiping the water off his face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why am I here?¡± He seemed to have no recollection of what was going on.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng,¡± Li Mo said from above his head. ¡°If not for the fact that you¡¯re a beastkin, it¡¯d have been spirit fire that rained down upon your head. If there¡¯s a next time, I may not be able to control my anger.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng raised his head to look at Li Mo. His face was shrouded by a veil of hair, so Zhuo Yifeng couldn¡¯t see his expression, but his anger was evident in his tone.


    Zhuo Yifeng then turned to Yun Ruoyan, who stood beside Li Mo. Rather than avoiding his gaze, she was staring at him with wide, wide eyes, still filled with shock, incredulity, and chilling disappointment.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s brain buzzed. What he had done slowly floated to the top of his brain, the drunken words¡ªthe heartfelt words?¡ªhe¡¯d said, his offensive behavior toward Yun Ruoyan, even a forced kiss...


    Zhuo Yifeng could still feel the remnant of the kiss on his lips, causing his face to redden, his brain to buzz, and his heart to jump. ¡°Just what... just what did I do?¡± Zhuo Yifeng clutched his hair, his face crestfallen.


    ¡°Li Mo.¡± Yun Ruoyan saw that Zhuo Yifeng seemed to havee to his senses, but she didn¡¯t want to observe his regret and pain. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Li Mo turned back to Yun Ruoyan, nodded warmly, then pulled her away, avoiding Zhuo Yifeng.


    Zhuo Yifeng sat dejectedly on the ground. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s disappointed expression seemed to be engraved in his brain. He suddenly shook himself, leapt up, and chased after Yun Ruoyan, trying to apologize. However, Li Mo didn¡¯t give him the opportunity to do so. With a sweep of his sleeve, he knocked Zhuo Yifeng into the distance.


    Zhuo Yifeng cradled his head as hey on the ground, looking at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s retreating figure. In his mind, he chuckled bitterly to the demonic spirit. ¡°Are you satisfied now? You are, aren¡¯t you!¡±

 Chapter 419: I’m With Child

    <h4>Chapter 419: I¡¯m With Child</h4>


    Li Mo lightly caressed Yun Ruoyan in bed, his fingers trailing her face, her hair, her lips. They rubbed against her lips firmly, as though he was trying to remove the marks that Zhuo Yifeng had left behind.


    ¡°Li Mo, you¡¯re hurting me,¡± Yun Ruoyan mumbled, grasping his hand.


    Li Mo draped his body over hers, kissing her firmly on the lips. The image of Zhuo Yifeng kissing Yun Ruoyan kept reappearing in his mind, causing his heart to ache. In his displeasure, he began kissing Yun Ruoyan more and more aggressively, prompting her to struggle and try to break free.


    As Yun Ruoyan reached out to stop Li Mo, he grabbed her wrists and held them above her head. She kicked Li Mo with her legs, but he mped them down with his own. All the while, Li Mo continued to deepen the kiss, assaulting her in a manner that detested and shocked her.


    It had been a long time since she had recalled Li Mo behaving in this manner, a long time since she wasst so helpless. Yun Ruoyan had thought that such a feeling would never return to haunt her, but now, she couldn¡¯t help thinking back to her past life.


    When Zhuo Yifeng treated her in this manner, she was disappointed. When Li Mo treated her in this manner, Yun Ruoyan was deeply hurt and distressed. Tears fell uncontrobly from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks and smearing her lips¡ªno, their lips.


    So bitter were her tears that Yun Ruoyan could almost taste the sensation, as could Li Mo. He woke up from his stupor in a shock, immediately stopping what he was doing. He raised his head and looked toward Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tear-stained face, his heart suddenly seemed topress.


    The woman below him was his wife, the woman he loved most in the world. How could he treat her in such a rough, cruel manner?!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yan¡¯er, I¡¯m sorry. How can I make things up to you?¡± Li Mo slowly began to wipe away the tears on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, hoping for a response from her, but she simply shut her eyes. ¡°Yan¡¯er, please don¡¯t cry...¡± Li Mo was more than a little flustered. ¡°I¡¯ve once told you that your tears are the harshest punishment I could bear. I know what I did wrong¡ªdo you want to beat me to let out your frustrations?¡±


    He held Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palms against his face and struck his face with them, but Yun Ruoyan quickly clenched her palms tightly and wrested them free from Li Mo¡¯s grasp. Afraid that he would hurt her further, Li Mo took a different tact. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I was blinded by jealousy. When I saw how Zhuo Yifeng was treating you, I was about to go crazy. I didn¡¯t deal with my own emotions and ended up taking it out on you. Yan¡¯er, I swear, if I ever hurt you like this again, that a thousand swords shall pierce my heart, that¡ª¡±


    A warm hand blocked Li Mo¡¯s mouth. Li Mo kissed the heart of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palm. ¡°Yan¡¯er, does this mean you forgive me?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan wrenched her hand from Li Mo¡¯s mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve already done what you shouldn¡¯t have, so how will swearing now make a difference?¡±


    ¡°In that case, Yan¡¯er, what would you have me do? I¡¯ll do anything you ask!¡±


    ¡°You promise?¡± Yun Ruoyan finally opened her eyes to look at Li Mo.


    ¡°I do! Anything you request, Yan¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°I want you not to touch me for a whole year,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, staring into Li Mo¡¯s eyes all the while.


    Li Mo hesitated, evidently not having expected Yun Ruoyan to present him with such a request. ¡°But... what about our dual cultivation technique? We¡¯re already reached the third advancement in the technique, and we¡¯re nearing the fourth...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop, of course.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Yan¡¯er... won¡¯t you miss me?¡± Li Mo whispered into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ear. As his gentle breath hit Yun Ruoyan¡¯s earlobe, it sent frissons down her spine. They had been married for over a year, and Li Mo knew her body better than his own. Her earlobes were the most sensitive part of her body, and when he saw the shift in her expression, he kissed her again, as gently as the brush of a feather.


    Pleased with her reaction, he began to caress her again, but right before he could undress her fully, Yun Ruoyan grabbed her by the hand and stopped him.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yan¡¯er?¡± Li Mo gasped, panting.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t answer his question. Instead, she brought his hand to her stomach.


    Li Mo didn¡¯t understand her gesture. He continued looking at Yun Ruoyan in a dazed fashion. ¡°Are you ufortable? Does your stomach hurt? Do you want me to infuse you with some spiritual energy?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head, frustrated. ¡°I don¡¯t have a stomachache, and I¡¯m not feeling ufortable...¡±


    Li Mo waited patiently for her to continue.


    ¡°It¡¯s been two months since myst period,¡± Yun Ruoyan finished.


    ¡°Two months without a period...¡± Despite his ignorance with female biology, when Li Mo put her words in context... ¡°Yan¡¯er, do you mean that you¡¯re with child?¡± His eyes stared ardently at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stomach. His eyes gleamed blue, and his lips parted in a wide smile. He faced the sky and began tough, so loudly that she felt the reverberations through the bed.


    It was rare for Li Mo to express such emotion, and Yun Ruoyan had never before seen him so happy. In shock, she sat up and clutched his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t scare those around us.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, we have a child, a child!¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Wary that Li Mo would once again turn dramatic, Yun Ruoyan quickly continued, ¡°All I can say is that my period hasn¡¯t arrived for two months. It¡¯s likely that I¡¯m with child, but that¡¯s certainly not a guarantee. I¡¯ve been so busy that I haven¡¯t had the time to have it confirmed.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯ve been taught this as well,¡± Li Mo replied, internally cursing himself for having been so thoughtless. How had he not discovered that Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t had her period for two months? These past days, she¡¯d been running back and forth with him, and they had even taken part in arge-scale battle a few days ago!


    ¡°No, no.¡± Li Mo shook his head. ¡°Have Feng Bo take a look at you tomorrow, and Lin Qingchen! She¡¯s a female, after all, and she¡¯d be more suited to care for you. And you can¡¯te with me to the Pi city tomorrow¡ªit¡¯s too risky!¡±


    ¡°Li Mo.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face instantly turned serious. ¡°Remember well what you said to me.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What did I say?¡±


    ¡°You said that you¡¯d listen to whatever I said!¡±


    ¡°I will! Except when ites to our child,¡± Li Mo hastily corrected.


    ¡°Li Mo, the reason I didn¡¯t go to a physician was because I was afraid of startling you. I¡¯d intended on having Feng Bo and Qingchen check my body after I return from the Pi city with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s far too dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, I¡¯ve made up my mind,¡± Yun Ruoyan repeated. ¡°I told you, no one can force me to do anything, and no one can force me not to do anything¡ªnot my enemies, and not even my lover. My will is mine alone.¡±


    In the end, obstinate though he might be, Li Mo still gave in to Yun Ruoyan. The next day, the two of them travelled to the Pi city together. Along the way, his concern, care, and protection for her seemed to have trebled. His eyes would remain fixed on her body and his hands on hers, making Yun Ruoyan feel as though they were conjoined twins. Yun Ruoyan was both exasperated and touched by his gesture.


    After two nights and a day, they finally arrived at the Pi manor. Their n was to infiltrate the Pi manor that night, but Li Mo forced Yun Ruoyan to rest at an inn for a whole day before the next step of the n.


    It was at the inn that Yun Ruoyan learned of the cruel fate that had befallen the women of the courtesan troupe, who were being hung alive on the city gates. One new woman had been hung each day, and there were fifteen of them in all. With every passing day, more had died of thirst and dehydration. The more weak-willed among them, unable to bear the torment and suffering, bit off their tongue andmitted suicide. Apparently, only two among the fifteen still lived.

 Chapter 420: The Tragic End of the Courtesan Troupe

    <h4>Chapter 420: The Tragic End of the Courtesan Troupe</h4>


    The teacup in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands fell to the ground and cracked into smithereens.


    ¡°Ah, Miss, are you alright?¡± the waiter recounting the news to Yun Ruoyan immediately asked. By then, however, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes were brimming with tears as she looked toward Li Mo.


    ¡°We¡¯re alright.¡± Li Mo walked to her side and took her hands in his. ¡°Why didn¡¯t we see these women when we entered the city?¡±


    ¡°The women were sent by the Feng city, so they¡¯re being hung on the gates facing the Feng city. Honored guests, you must have entered through another gate.¡±


    Li Mo handed a spirit crystal to the waiter, who left happily.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you have to remain calm.¡± Li Mo rubbed her hands, which had turned cold and mmy the moment she had heard the news. Her body swiftly followed suit.


    Yun Ruoyan closed her eyes, and the faces of the courtesan troupe shed through her mind. A Fei, stoic and reserved; Xiao Qing, who treated her like her own sister; Madam Hong, resolute and unyielding despite what she had experienced, whose will shone like fire...


    Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath. When she next opened her eyes, her eyes were like iron. ¡°Li Mo, I want to go see them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go tonight,¡± Li Mo replied, still rubbing at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands.


    That night, as all things grew quiet and still, fifteen women still hung on the eastern gates of the Pi city. Their bodies, once representative of all sorts of beauty, were now parched and dry like the withered leaves of fall. A strong breeze was sufficient to shake them about.


    ¡°They were a sight to behold when they were first hung up, but now they¡¯re growing uglier and uglier by the day,¡± a guard murmured to hispanion. They were responsible for the night shift, and were chatting to each other as they drank alcohol for warmth.


    ¡°Young Master Pi didn¡¯t say when to cut them loose, did he? It¡¯s depressing to look at them,¡± hispanion replied. ¡°Once the weather warms, they¡¯re going to start rotting. By that time, they¡¯ll scorch our eyes and nose.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± The first guard took a big gulp of alcohol, then stood up and smirked, unfastening his belt. ¡°This morning, I heard one of them shout for water. I¡¯ll go give them something to drink.¡±


    Before he could take a single step, however, a shadow appeared before him. Yun Ruoyan tossed a handful of bewitching fog at him; Li Mo dealt with the guard behind her.


    ¡°Go to the side and drink it all yourself,¡± Yun Ruoyanmanded.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Obeying hermand, the swordsman walked to the side and began drinking his own piss.


    In her fury, Yun Ruoyan wanted to behead both the guards, but Li Mo stopped her. Sword aura shed underneath her feet as she flew to the women, ncing at their familiar faces. Sister Linghua was an excellent singer, Sister Qingluo skilled with the guqin, Sister Yaohua with the flute¡ªshe flew past each of the fifteen women, forcing herself to look at each one. Xiao Qing was thest, so thin she was naught but skin and bones, but a smile still seemed to dance by her lips. ¡°Xiao Qing,¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out, and tears flowed unbidden from her eyes.


    ¡°Little rabbit, you¡¯re finally here,¡± Xiao Qing suddenly opened her eyes and murmured weakly.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, you¡¯re still alive!¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled even as she sobbed, hurriedly trying to untie her from the gates. She was about to carry her away when Xiao Qing stopped her, motioning for Yun Ruoyan to put her down, saying that she had something very important to tell her.


    Yun Ruoyan brought Xiao Qing to the guard tower, hugging her as Li Mo removed his cape and draped it over the rags that failed to cover up her body.


    ¡°Can this wait until you¡¯re better, Sister Xiao Qing?¡±


    Xiao Qing shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no time. I forced myself to stay alive to wait for you. Thank the heavens that Isted this long.¡± She chuckled, but began to wheeze midway through. As her breathing turnedbored, Li Mo hurriedly infused spiritual energy into her body. ¡°You must save Madam Hong and A Fei.¡± With herst breath, Xiao Qing revealed where they were being imprisoned.


    ¡°I know where the ce you¡¯re referring to is. We¡¯ll save them for sure,¡± Li Mo promised.


    Xiao Qing rxed, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart. ¡°Little rabbit,¡± she called out.


    ¡°Yes, Sister Xiao Qing, I¡¯m here.¡± Yun Ruoyan tightly clutched Xiao Qing¡¯s emaciated, skeletal body.


    ¡°I¡¯m thirsty. Can you get me some wine?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Li Mo took out his sk of wine and handed it to Yun Ruoyan, who fed small mouthfuls to Xiao Qing. However, by then, Xiao Qing had already lost the ability to swallow, and the alcohol flowed down the side of her mouth.


    ¡°Sister Xiao Qing!¡± Once again, Yun Ruoyan was unable to hold back her tears.


    ¡°Little rabbit... don¡¯t cry. This is good alcohol, fragrant and... spicy, just like the alcohol... my mother brewed for my father. Little rabbit, I¡¯m... finally going to be able to see my parents again...¡±


    As the sun rose, Xiao Qing¡¯s head fell limply into Yun Ruoyan¡¯sp, a wan smile on her lips. As Li Mo stood guard over them both, Yun Ruoyan closed her eyes, her lips quivered, and mourned the loss of her first friend on this continent.


    When Li Moy a palm on her shoulder, Yun Ruoyan straightened up, wiped away her tears for thest time, and again hung Xiao Qing¡¯s body on the city gates. They would have to save Feng Mian, Madam Hong, and A Fei that night, so they couldn¡¯t do anything that would arouse suspicion.


    ¡°Sisters Xiao Qing, Qingluo, Linghua, Yaohua...¡± Yun Ruoyan called each of the fifteen women by name. ¡°On my honor, on my life, I swear I¡¯ll avenge all of you.¡±


    After Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo returned to the inn, the two guards woke up from their stupor, wholly unaware of what had happenedst night.


    The guard who had drunk his own piss retched and spat out whatever was in his mouth. ¡°What sort of alcohol was thatst night, dog piss?¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯ll have you know this wine cost me two whole spirit crystals! Here, try it again!¡±


    ¡°No, stay away from me! Peh!¡±


    The two guards walked down the tower, leaving fifteen departed spirits waiting for Yun Ruoyan to avenge them.


    That night, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo infiltrated the Pi manor. While it was just as heavily guarded as before, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had infiltrated the manor so many times that they might as well have been decorations. They first headed to the prison that Xiao Qing mentioned, drugged the prison guard, and found A Fei and Madam Hong within a cell. Luckily, they didn¡¯t seem to havee to any harm.


    Before they left, Feng Yicheng had paid a special visit to Yun Ruoyan hoping that she would be able to rescue Madam Hong as well. From his expression, it was apparent how much hope he had entrusted to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, and how real his affection for Madam Hong was.


    ¡°Thank goodness, Madam Hong, A Fei, you¡¯re both alright!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed.


    ¡°How did you find this ce?¡± they asked simultaneously.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression turned sorrowful. ¡°It was Xiao Qing who told me.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Qing¡ªwhere is she? Did you save her? And how about the rest of the troupe?¡± Madam Hong asked, agitated.


    ¡°They¡¯re¡ªthey¡¯re all gone now...¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words trailed off. ¡°Pi Batian killed them, and I won¡¯t let him go!¡±


    Madam Hong copsed, and her eyes lost their luster.


    ¡°Madam Hong, A Fei, we¡¯ll save you now.¡± Yun Ruoyan tried to lift Madam Hong up, but she refused to cooperate.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave,¡± Madam Hong replied. ¡°I need to stay here and apany my sisters.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Yun Ruoyan was stupefied. ¡°Xiao Qing tasked me with saving you with herst breath!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, listen to me. I¡¯m still useful to them, and they won¡¯t do anything to me. I can¡¯t let my sisters die in vain, and I need to expose the atrocities that have been done by the Pi family. I have to stay. Ruoyan, take A Fei with you.¡±


    ¡°Miss, if you don¡¯t leave, I won¡¯t leave either!¡± A Fei replied, tears staining her face.


    ¡°A Fei, listen to me. I have a task for you. Of the entire troupe, only you and I know the ancestry of each sister, their original names, and where their ancestral gravestones are. Once the Pis are eradicated, I need you to send each sister¡¯s remains where it belongs. As for those of them whose families¡¯ graves haven¡¯t been preserved¡ªbury them with me.¡±

 Chapter 421: Chance Encounter with Feng Mian

    <h4>Chapter 421: Chance Encounter with Feng Mian</h4>


    ¡°Miss, please, won¡¯t you leave with us?¡± A Fei knelt down in front of Madam Hong, begging her.


    ¡°A Fei.¡± Madam Hong lightly caressed A Fei¡¯s hair. ¡°If you still recognize me as your mistress, listen to me. Help me aplish the tasks I¡¯ve set out for you.¡±


    ¡°Madam Hong,¡± Yun Ruoyan interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see Feng Yicheng again?¡±


    Feng Yicheng and Madam Hong were nning to get married, and Yun Ruoyan hoped that Madam Hong¡¯s desire for self-preservation would win out.


    ¡°I swore to live and die with my sisters. If I leave them out of a selfish desire to live, I¡¯d feel guilty my entire life,¡± Madam Hong replied, smiling bitterly. ¡°Feng Yicheng and I... must not have been destined to be.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ve already made up your mind, we can¡¯t force you to leave,¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed, then blew a gust of bewitching fog in her direction.


    However, Madam Hong and A Fei both had safeguards against such substances. Madam Hong pinched her nose, then continued, ¡°Quick, save Young Master Feng and leave. Don¡¯t waste time on me.¡±


    A Fei, teary-eyed, had no choice but to desert her mistress and leave with Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. From A Fei, they learned that Feng Mian had been brought out of the prison by Pi Batian, but they were unaware of his whereabouts after that. The three of them began to scour the Pi manor for traces of Feng Mian, but given howrge it was, their search wasn¡¯t fruitful. Even after bewitching four guards, Yun Ruoyan still had no clue where he could be.


    As the skies brightened, the three of them left the Pi manor and returned to their inn, where they saw a letter from Mo¡¯er. It was penned by Feng Yanyang himself, asking the two of them about their search. The two cities had finished their preparations for war, and a battlerger than any before would soon descend on the Mingyuan continent.


    Li Mo wrote back to Feng Yanyang about how he had infiltrated the Pi manor but failed to find Feng Mian. Following Madam Hong¡¯s suggestion, he rmended that the Feng family expose how the Pis had killed the members of the courtesan troupe. They had spent a considerable amount of time in the Pi, Wu, and Chen cities, and had developed rather strong rtionships with many of the smaller families of the region. Their tragic fate would expose the Pi family¡¯s cruel, tyrannical nature, fomenting dissent.


    Once the war between the two families began in earnest, these small families, weak though they might be, would y an important role. If they were able to rebel from within, it would surely turn the tide in the Feng family¡¯s favor.


    ording to A Fei, after she and Madam Hong were imprisoned, no one would check up on them except for the guards who brought them food daily. Given Madam Hong¡¯s disguise, no one would find out that A Fei had escaped in the short term. Furthermore, given how useful Feng Mian was as a hostage, it was very unlikely that he would be in life-threatening danger before the war began in earnest. Given these reasons, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t feel a pressing need to enter the manor to rescue Feng Mian.


    Two dayster, Mo¡¯er brought back another letter from Feng Yanyang. The Feng family had spread news of the atrocities that the Pi city hadmitted against the courtesan troupe, and quite a number of smaller families had secretly contacted the Feng family to establish their willingness to subvert the Pi troops during the war. Furthermore, Feng Yanyang had decided that, regardless of whether or not Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were able to save Feng Mian, he would attack the Pi family within five days.


    News of the impending battle between the Pis and Fengs had spread, as had the formal alliance between the Lies and Fengs. With the Lie family¡¯s assistance, the Feng family¡¯s offensive ability dramatically increased. Some of the citizens of the Pi city, who were all but certain that the Pis would win, began to worry about the oue of the war, but most remained confident in a Pi victory.


    That evening, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both hid in a teahouse near the Pi manor, waiting for nightfall to infiltrate the Pi manor once more.


    ¡°So what if the Lie and Feng families are in alliance? The Pi family¡¯s been controlling the Mingyuan continent for all this time! Their power isn¡¯t something an upstart family like the Fengs can contest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. The Feng family¡¯s star has been rising these few years, and with the addition of another powerful family, it won¡¯t do to underestimate their strength. Otherwise, why would Lord Pi have kidnapped Young Master Feng? It must be because he¡¯s frightened of defeat!¡±


    ¡°I heard that too. Apparently, Lord Feng¡¯s been incensed by Lord Pi¡¯s move, which is why he¡¯s ignoring the ceasefire and amassing arge quantity of troops by a border town, ready to attack the Pi city at any moment.¡±


    Just as Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan were listening to the gossip all around the teahouse, a carriage stopped by its entrance. Li Mo frowned, then murmured to Yun Ruoyan, ¡°There¡¯s a familiar auraing from within the carriage. Let¡¯s hide for now.¡±


    As he pulled Yun Ruoyan further within the teahouse, three people stepped out of the carriage, two male and one female. The male at the front was someone everyone in the Pi city knew: the young master of the Pi family, Pi Batian.


    As Pi Batian¡¯s group walked into the teahouse, it immediately drew the attention of all present. The idle chatter and conversation, which had been so loud as to be overwhelming just a few moments ago, instantly ground to a halt, leaving the teahouse eerily silent. A richly dressed youth followed behind Pi Batian, apanied by a veiled woman.


    The owner of the teahouse immediately stepped out in fear and trepidation, ready to wee Pi Batian.


    ¡°Young Master Pi, my humble teahouse is honored to serve you today¡ª¡±


    ¡°I want the best suite you have to host my friends.¡± Before the teahouse owner could finish his introduction, Pi Batian interrupted him and headed to the second floor of the teahouse. The owner immediately rushed up behind him, ready for his every demand.


    From their vantage point at the back of the teahouse, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo could see everything clearly. The youth following behind Pi Batian was none other than their target, whom they hadn¡¯t found even after an extensive search: Feng Mian.


    As for the veiled woman beside Feng Mian, that was someone Yun Ruoyan would recognize even if she had turned into a pile of ashes: Rong Yueshan.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan were relieved to see Feng Mian safe and sound, but at the same time, they were rather confused as to why Pi Batian would bring him strolling around the Pi city, and especially into such a crowded teahouse.


    Li Mo hailed down a waiter, handed him a dozen spirit crystals, and whispered, ¡°My wife isn¡¯t feeling well, and she¡¯d like to rest in one of the suites in the teahouse. Could you help us out?¡±


    The waiter hesitated a little but ultimately sumbed to his greed. He took the spirit crystals in Li Mo¡¯s hands, then brought the two of them up the stairs. There were only two suites in the teahouse, one of which was upied by Pi Batian¡¯s group of three. As a result, the waiter assigned them the other suite directly opposite. After warning them once and again not to disturb the honored guests to their side, the waiter left.


    The suites were only separated by a thin wall. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both infused spiritual energy into their ears and listened in to the conversation next door.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite a few days since we¡¯ve brought you here to the Feng city, Brother Mian, but I¡¯ve never had the time to properly wee you. Would you like to explore the city today?¡± Pi Batian¡¯s voice boomed from the other room.


    ¡°I appreciate the honor, Young Master Pi,¡± Feng Mian replied coldly. ¡°It¡¯s certainly far better than being imprisoned.¡±


    ¡°That you were kept in a cell was a matter of necessity,¡± Pi Batian replied, smiling. ¡°If you promise to persuade Lord Feng to hand over Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, the Pis would be more than happy to resolve matters with the Fengs.¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve exined, knowing my father, any persuasion on my part would be useless,¡± Feng Mian replied. ¡°Furthermore, I¡¯m not so cowardly as to trade my life for those of trusted allies of the Feng family, so there¡¯s no need to y these sorts of mind games with me.¡±


    From the neighboring suite, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan heard the sound of a cup being smashed into smithereens, followed by Pi Batian¡¯s furious voice. ¡°Feng Mian, the reason I saved you from imprisonment was to give you a chance. This is the only chance you¡¯ll be given, so if you don¡¯t take advantage of it, I¡¯ll drag you over to the battlefront and strap you to the walls of the town. Let¡¯s see if Feng Yanyang¡¯s willing to kill you to invade the Pi city!¡±


    After a momentary silence, Feng Mian¡¯s voice could be heard once again. Heughed coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to scare me with idle threats.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Pi Batian¡¯s voice was dark and cold. ¡°In that case, don¡¯t me me for this, Brother Feng.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo could hear the sounds of battle erupting from the neighboring suite, followed by cries from Feng Mian. Both of them frowned and nced at each other, but they didn¡¯t n to intervene.


    The unnned encounter was so sudden, so abrupt, that Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t dare act in case it was all a trick to lure them out. It was evident from the sounds next door that Feng Mian was no match for Pi Batian. Pi Batian was fighting seriously, and Feng Mian¡¯s cries filled the room.


    But, regardless of how Pi Batian tried to wheedle, entice, or persuade Feng Mian, Feng Mian refused to budge. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were both impressed by his endurance: neither of them was all too familiar with Feng Mian, but they knew he wasn¡¯t particrly talented. However, under Feng Yanyang¡¯s guidance, he had still developed into a respectable young master.


    ¡°Young Master Pi,¡± Rong Yueshan suddenly called out. ¡°Young Master Feng is still useful to us, and beating him to death would be a waste of our efforts in capturing him.¡±

 Chapter 422: Rescuing Feng Mian

    <h4>Chapter 422: Rescuing Feng Mian</h4>


    Rong Yueshan begged for mercy on Feng Mian¡¯s behalf.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Pi Batian murmured. ¡°Killing him would be far too painless for father and son both. I¡¯ll cripple him and send him to the battlefront to serve as a meat shield.¡±


    ¡°You¡ªJust kill me!¡± Feng Mian called out in agitation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll cripple you first. I just learned a wonderful technique for causing internal injuries, and you¡¯ll be my first guinea pig.¡±


    Following Pi Batian¡¯s words came the particrly clear crack of bone, trailed almost immediately by a chilling scream of pain from Feng Mian.


    ¡°Now, now. That strike only broke your leg, and my next strike will distend your spiritual vortex, leaving you a cripple forever unable to cultivate.¡±


    Just as Pi Batian made to strike at Feng Mian¡¯s body, someone suddenly broke through the wall of the suite and defended against Pi Batian¡¯s blow.


    As his palm met Li Mo¡¯s, Pi Batian felt an immense wave of spiritual energy rushing toward him, one that forced him to stumble a few steps back before he stabilized himself.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo!¡± The two of them had appeared in front of Feng Mian.


    ¡°Long time no see, Pi Batian,¡± Li Mo greeted him.


    ¡°As they all say, good men don¡¯t live long, but bad men live forever,¡± Yun Ruoyan quipped. Although both she and Li Mo had learned that Pi Batian was still alive, it was still shocking to see him in person. After all, they had seen his arm being cut off with their own eyes, and Pi Yan¡¯s sword through his heart was a lethal blow.


    ¡°Ha, aren¡¯t the two of you still going strong? But it¡¯s only those who can survive until the end who will be the final victors.¡± Pi Batian¡¯s gaze swept over Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. ¡°Where¡¯s Zhuo Yifeng? Why didn¡¯t hee to die with you?¡±


    Pi Batian had suffered a few embarrassing losses to Zhuo Yifeng, and he was determined to kill all three of them.


    ¡°Come to die?¡± Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both began tough. Li Mo sneered at Pi Batian disdainfully. ¡°Die to whom? My wife and I can enter and leave the Pi city at our leisure.¡±


    Pi Batian shouted, ¡°Swordsmen, to me!¡±


    Eight swordsmen jumped into the suite from outside the teahouse, each with their aura fully exposed. None among them were below the level of a first-rank sword saint. The suite wasn¡¯t particrlyrge, and now it waspletely filled¡ªeight swordsmen surrounding Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Feng Mian, along with Pi Batian and Rong Yueshan, standing behind the swordsmen.


    ¡°As expected, it was a trap,¡± Li Mo murmured.


    Yun Ruoyan nced around her. ¡°A trap, but one we had to spring.¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t reply. He nced at Pi Batian with narrowed eyes. ¡°Was this all to lure us in?¡±


    Pi Batian snickered. ¡°The two of you are so adept at running away, so familiar with the Pi city and the Pi manor, that I had to devise a n to make you stay put. It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t know how or when you entered the Pi city, but I was quite certain that you would be here¡ªif not for Feng Mian, then at least for the women of the courtesan troupe.¡±


    ¡°So the reason you hung them up on the city gates was just to lure us here?!¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out.


    ¡°Exactly. I guessed that you would scale the guard tower and find out where their head was being kept, so I¡¯ve been keeping those two women under hidden surveince. From that, I discovered traces of your break-in and the fact that you saved one of them. Given the impending battle, I was certain that you would try to save Feng Mian, but I wasn¡¯t confident of capturing the two of you within the manor itself.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you used Young Master Feng to lure us out,¡± Li Mo added.


    ¡°Exactly. Now that the entire teahouse is swarming with Pi swordsmen, let¡¯s see how the three of you are going to escape.¡± Pi Batian¡¯s expression was cocky and conceited.


    If they didn¡¯t have to bring Feng Mian with them, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for the two of them to avoid capture. However, Feng Mian¡¯s legs were broken, and it would be difficult for him to even stand. Wouldn¡¯t it be great if she could keep him in her silver bracelet, just like Qiuqiu?


    The moment that thought shed through her mind, Qiuqiu chirped in her mind, ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s something that you haven¡¯t been using. I think it could y an important role in this fight.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze swept through the pocket dimension until she noticed what Qiuqiu was referring to, and she began to smile. Then, she had Qiuqiu inform Li Mo of the news. He turned to Yun Ruoyan, and she nodded briefly, almost imperceptibly.


    ¡°Leave me behind,¡± Feng Mian croaked. Hey behind Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, severely injured.


    Yun Ruoyan turned back to him. Blood trickled out of the corner of his lips, signifying a rather serious level of internal injury. She knelt down and handed him a pill for his wounds, as well as a small object. ¡°When we fight, tear this,¡± she whispered.


    Feng Mian took the object and nodded, and Yun Ruoyan once again stood up beside Li Mo.


    Li Mo nced askance at Yun Ruoyan, and she nodded. Only then did he turn to Pi Batian. ¡°You think this enough to entrap us? Young Master Pi, we came prepared.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I look forward to seeing how prepared you¡¯ve been.¡± He turned to his swordsmen andmanded, ¡°Capture these three cultivators!¡±


    The eight Pi swordsmen drew their weapons and began charging toward Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Now, Young Master Feng!¡± As Yun Ruoyan retrieved her Scarlet Eye, she called out to Feng Mian.


    Feng Mian tore apart the scroll that Yun Ruoyan handed him, causing a flurry of spiritual energy to cocoon him. In the blink of an eye, Feng Mian disappeared within a ball of light.


    ¡°A teleportation scroll!¡± Pi Batian clearly hadn¡¯t expected them to have such an ace up their sleeve.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled gently. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a good opportunity to use it until now.¡± The first elder of Kongming Academy had made the scroll back on the Chenyuan continent, and this was thest of the scrolls that she had left. She had kept it in her silver bracelet, and if not for Qiuqiu¡¯s reminder, she would have forgotten entirely about it.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, Young Master Pi, we¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Li Mo¡¯s sword traced a graceful arc in the air, and imposing sword aura instantly scattered the gathered cultivators. The furniture in the room cracked and splintered, and the walls came crashing down. As a path to the outside opened up, Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan up into the skies.


    ¡°Capture them!¡± Pi Batian pushed aside a beam that had almostnded on his head, then pointed at the fleeing Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan turned back to see an ancient ring on Pi Batian¡¯s hand, none other than Lin Qingchen¡¯s spatial ring. Given the present circumstances, however, it was almost impossible to retrieve it. She gritted her teeth, forced herself to look away from the ring, and focused on her enemies.


    The eight swordsmen all soared up into the air, chasing after Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan. Behind Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan continuously lobbed fireballs at the cultivators to get rid of them. None of them could rival Li Mo in terms of speed, and with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s harassment, the two of them soon broke free from the pursuit.


    Instead of immediately leaving the vicinity, however, they circled back to the Pi city once more, heading to a small alleyway near the teahouse, where a number of beggars gathered.


    ¡°Young Master Feng, we¡¯re here to fetch you,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m over here,¡± came a response from one corner of the alleyway. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo walked closer to see Feng Mian trying desperately to stand amidst a pile of beggars. Because of the injury to his legs, however, it was ultimately Li Mo who had to drag him out.


    Feng Mian was clothed in rags and looked particrly disheveled.


    ¡°Guardse by to check on the area in the evening, so I exchanged my attire with a beggar,¡± Feng Mian began. ¡°If not for your teleportation scroll, Miss Yun, it would have been near-impossible for me to escape. I¡¯ve only ever heard my father bring up the like, and I never thought I¡¯d see or use one for myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a low-level teleportation scroll with a range of about a hundred meters, Young Master Feng. We hadn¡¯t expected it toe in so handy either,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°We¡¯ll take you from the Pi city immediately.¡±


    Because of the short range of the teleportation scroll, it had nevere in handy¡ªuntil now.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, along with Feng Mian and A Fei, who was waiting for them by the outskirts of the Pi city, rushed out of the eastern gate and rapidly began flying toward the Feng city. A Fei followed behind them on a white sword. As she turned back and saw the fifteen corpses of her sisters, tears streamed uncontrobly from her eyes. Perhaps not too long from now, her mistress, the woman she respected and loved above anyone else in the world, would join their ranks...


    ¡°When we return, we¡¯ll send people over to take their corpses down,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured by A Fei¡¯s side, her eyes also tearing up. ¡°Madam Hong¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know what my mistress is like.¡± A Fei wiped at her tears. ¡°She would rather die than leave her sisters behind.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°I have the deepest respect for her, but as for Feng Yicheng...¡±


    <hr>


    1. Thought the Fei de was going to make a reappearance for a moment...

 Chapter 423: Plan Within a Plan

    <h4>Chapter 423: n Within a n</h4>


    After a day and night of flying, the four of them finally arrived by the border of the Feng city. Feng Yanyang was in the general¡¯s tent discussing the uing strategy for the fight with Feng Yicheng and Feng Bo when several scouts came to report that four cultivators were flying toward them from the Pi city.


    ¡°It must be Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan with Feng Mian!¡± Feng Yicheng shouted in agitation.


    Feng Yanyang and Feng Bo both stood up, and the three men left the tent together to watch for the iing cultivators.


    As the four-man partynded in front of the tent, Feng Yanyang, Feng Yicheng, and Feng Bo rushed forward to wee them.


    ¡°Mian¡¯er!¡± Feng Yanyang called out.


    ¡°Father!¡± Feng Mian replied, tearing up. He had had to remain guarded all throughout his stay at the Pi manor, and being reunited with his father again brought him no small measure of relief. He thought that his father would hug andfort him, but, unexpectedly, Feng Yanyang suddenly stopped in front of him, his face turning severe.


    Then, before Feng Mian could react, Feng Yanyang suddenly raised a palm and pped Feng Mian across the face. Given his injured legs, Feng Mian stumbled from the force of the p, and he only avoided a fall because Feng Yicheng, beside him, gave him a helping hand.


    ¡°Father!¡± Feng Mian clutched his face in disbelief. ¡°You¡ªwhy would you hit me?!¡±


    ¡°You good-for-nothing!¡± Feng Yanyang¡¯s worry had all but turned to fury. He pointed at Feng Mian¡¯s nose and scolded, ¡°You don¡¯t know why I¡¯m hitting you? What have I taught you in the past? To stay away from gambling dens, from brothels! But you, you¡ªyou went to those despicable areas with your own swordsmen! Not only have you destroyed any semnce of order and rank between you and your troops, you even fell into your opponent¡¯s trap! Don¡¯t you think you should be criticized?¡±


    Feng Mian clutched his face and pursed his lips. He didn¡¯t speak, but his resentful gaze spoke volumes.


    ¡°Lord Feng, Young Master Feng has just returned. He¡¯s still hurt, so please don¡¯t criticize him too much,¡± Feng Bo persuaded.


    ¡°Feng Bo!¡± Feng Yanyang thundered. ¡°I haven¡¯t dealt with you yet. I told you to be strict with him, but you¡¯ve always been lenient! How am I supposed to feel secure about handing the reins of the Feng family to him?!¡±


    ¡°Lord Feng, it¡¯s my fault.¡± Feng Bo bowed. ¡°I was the one who failed my obligations, so if there¡¯s anyone to me, it should be me.¡±


    Feng Yanyang nced at Feng Mian, then at Feng Bo, then finally sighed. ¡°Forget it. Take this experience as punishment. If there¡¯s a next time, I certainly won¡¯t send anyone to save you.¡±


    ¡°My thanks for saving my life, Father,¡± Feng Mian spat out. Before Feng Yanyang could reply, he shoved Feng Yicheng aside and began hobbling away.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± Feng Yanyang called out. ¡°What sort of attitude is this?!¡±


    ¡°Lord Feng, please calm down. Young Master Feng has just escaped from death, so please give him some time to collect himself,¡± Feng Yicheng persuaded.


    ¡°Yicheng, don¡¯t speak up for him. If he were half as capable as you, I wouldn¡¯t have to spend so much time on him!¡± Feng Yanyang¡¯s words stabbed into Feng Mian¡¯s back like a flurry of sharp knives. Feng Mian felt the iron tang of blood in his throat. He spat out a mouthful, then copsed.


    ¡°Young Master Feng!¡±


    ¡°Mian¡¯er!¡±


    Amidst the crowd¡¯s shocked cries, Feng Mian fell to the ground. His internal injury hadn¡¯t been treated, and his external injuries had only been exacerbated by the flight. The scolding he received from his father was thest straw, sending him into a state of unconsciousness.


    ¡°Tian¡¯er, how could you have been so rash?!¡± Within the Pi manor, after Pi Yan found out that Feng Mian had been saved, he harshly criticized Pi Batian. ¡°We spent so much effort to catch Feng Yanyang¡¯s only son, and you let him be saved just like that? The swordsmen reported that you intentionally took him out of the Pi manor with you! Why? Exin this to me, now!¡±


    ¡°Please calm down, Father.¡± Pi Batian hurriedly handed him a cup of tea, one that Pi Yan refused to ept. Clearly, he was incensed by Pi Batian¡¯s decision, which he had made without informing Pi Yan beforehand.


    Pi Batian put the teacup back on the table and began, ¡°I had a reason for doing so.¡±


    Pi Yan raised his eyebrows. ¡°What reason?¡±


    ¡°Father, what kind of man do you think Feng Yanyang is?¡± Pi Batian countered.


    ¡°What kind of man? An old, wily fox.¡±


    ¡°Not just that, but also a stubborn fool who would sacrifice anything for the sake of the Feng family,¡± Pi Batian added. ¡°Based on my understanding of him, he would never surrender to us just because of Feng Mian, and neither would he exchange Li Mo or Yun Ruoyan for his beloved son. If we were to treat Feng Mian like a meat shield to threaten Feng Yanyang, it would ruin and tarnish our reputation; if we were to kill Feng Mian directly, the Feng family would use that fact to turn public opinion against us. Feng Mian¡¯s nothing more than a hot potato, one we want to give away as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°So you brought him out for him to be rescued? Why capture him in the first ce, then?¡±


    ¡°Feng Mian¡¯s captureid the groundwork for my ns. If things go as predicted, the Feng family will fall without any additional work on our part. Even if they survive, the ordeal will surely weaken them beyond recovery.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Pi Yan finally revealed an expression of interest. ¡°Tell me more.¡±


    Pi Batian began whispering in Pi Yan¡¯s ear. When he was finished, Pi Yan turned to him. ¡°Are you confident that things will go ording to n?¡±


    ¡°Truthfully, my n only has about a fifty percent chance of sess. The crux of the n is Feng Mian. Based on my understanding of him and Feng Yanyang, as well as what I¡¯ve said to him over the past few days, I¡¯m confident of at least that much. And if it fails, we have nothing to lose.¡±


    ¡°Fifty percent,¡± Pi Yan murmured, looking appraisingly at Pi Batian. ¡°Such a result is certainly worth the gamble.¡±


    That night, as Feng Yicheng drained sk after sk of wine, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo walked up to his side.


    ¡°Brother Feng, we¡¯re here to join you in drinking. You won¡¯t mind, will you?¡± Li Mo ventured.


    Feng Yicheng¡¯s head drooped. He didn¡¯t speak, but he beckoned them forward with an arm.


    Li Mo sat down by his side, and Yun Ruoyan beside him.


    Feng Yicheng tipped his head back and drained the remaining wine in his sk, then tossed the sk aside with abandon. Li Mo handed him another sk of wine, which Feng Yicheng instantly started to drain.


    ¡°Brother Feng, the big battle¡¯s in two days. You have to take care of your body,¡± Li Mo advised.


    During the day, when Yun Ruoyan told Feng Yicheng about what had happened to Madam Hong, his face had crumbled. Nevertheless, he motioned for Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, and A Fei to continue describing what they had learned about the Pi city.


    The information that A Fei provided regarding the smaller families was particrly crucial. She suggested that the Feng family continue working on pulling some of the smaller families in the Pi city to the Feng family¡¯s side, and volunteered to be responsible for doing so. However, Feng Yanyang refused her. A Fei might soon be the only survivor of the courtesan troupe, and Feng Yanyang couldn¡¯t bear to have her take on so much risk.


    ¡°I thought that she would cherish her life more because of me, but she still chose to die with her sisters,¡± Feng Yicheng murmured brokenly. ¡°Would it be so difficult to live for me? Am I not worth her time?¡±


    No one could answer Feng Yicheng¡¯s questions, likely not even Madam Hong. After all, from what Yun Ruoyan could tell, she was simply acting ording to her feelings toward her sisters, not because she found him wanting.


    ¡°Madam Hong¡¯s not yet dead,¡± Yun Ruoyan emphasized. ¡°If you try to rescue her yourself, she might agree to go with you.¡±


    Feng Yicheng sat stock-still, and he gazed at Yun Ruoyan with eyes that suddenly filled with hope. ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth? If I rescue her personally, she¡¯ll leave with me?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be certain,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, ¡°but you¡¯ll have arger chance of sess than we do. Even if it¡¯s unlikely, I think you should still try it.¡±


    ¡°A little hope¡­¡± As Feng Yicheng mulled over Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words, the light drained from his eyes. ¡°The battle starts in two days, and I¡¯m the vanguard for the initial assault. I can¡¯t drop all my responsibilities for this hope.¡± He drained the wine that Li Mo had given him.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°If you think your responsibility more important than that little bit of hope, I¡¯d rmend that you not drink.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up, and Li Mo followed suit. ¡°I¡¯m tired, Li Mo, so let¡¯s go back,¡± she murmured, leaning against his side.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Li Mo replied, then left with her in tow.


    Two steps away, Yun Ruoyan stopped and turned back. ¡°If you don¡¯t save her, you should start thinking about how to avenge her.¡±


    Feng Yicheng finally stopped drinking, then tossed the sk in his hands to Li Mo. He caught it, kept it, and turned away. Behind him, Feng Yicheng yelled out, ¡°Hong¡¯er, I¡¯ll kill Pi Yan and Pi Batian for you!¡±

 Chapter 424: Assassination

    <h4>Chapter 424: Assassination</h4>


    Li Mo continued supporting Yun Ruoyan as they returned to their tent. Even if Yun Ruoyan wanted to walk just a little faster, Li Mo would suddenly turn anxious.


    ¡°Li Mo, I still haven¡¯t had Qingchen and Feng Bo inspect my body. It¡¯s quite possible that my periods are just dyed,¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly said. ¡°If I¡¯m not pregnant, will you be disappointed?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Li Mo replied instantly. ¡°Whatever wille wille. Shall I have them inspect your body tomorrow?¡± Despite his words, Li Mo still continued to support Yun Ruoyan carefully. ¡°Yan¡¯er, no matter what happens, make sure you live on.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°No matter when, no matter why, we¡¯ll put each other first and foremost.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Mo smiled and gripped Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand tightly.


    Within the darkness, Zhuo Yifeng nced at Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s retreating backs, aplicated expression marring his face. Thesest few days, while Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were away in the Pi city, Zhuo Yifeng had worried the entire day for Yun Ruoyan. When finally she returned safe and sound, he found that he didn¡¯t even have the courage to appear in front of her and apologize for his actions.


    Zhuo Yifeng hated that he had, somehow, in a drunken haze, vited Yun Ruoyan. He was certain that her impression of him was the absolute worst, that she wouldn¡¯t want to see him again for as long as she lived.


    ¡°Come, now.¡± A malicious voice spoke up in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯ve already helped you take the first step, so do you still not dare to take the second step?¡±


    The voice instantly turned Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s helplessness and shame into anger. He clutched a vine by his side, so angry that he didn¡¯t feel the sharp spikes on the vine prating his hand.


    Fresh bloodnded on the soil, trailing down his palm and arm.


    ¡°If not for me, you¡¯d never even have touched the hand of the woman you love in your entire life. But with my assistance, you¡¯ve even tasted her,¡± the demonic spirit whispered, his voice once again taking on a hypnotic lull. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it sweet, Zhuo Yifeng? Don¡¯t you crave more of that forbidden fruit? As long as you listen to me, I can promise that you¡¯ll obtain Yun Ruoyan all for yourself. What say you?¡±


    ¡°Dream on!¡± Zhuo Yifeng shouted. ¡°If therees a day when I can¡¯t control you, I¡¯ll definitelymit suicide. Look forward to that!¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± The demonic spirit hesitated, then seemed to shrug. ¡°Forget it. One day, you¡¯ll see how marvellous it is to simply follow your base desires.¡±


    ¡°That day will nevere,¡± Zhuo Yifeng swore. ¡°Even if I have to die, I won¡¯t harm those whom I love.¡±


    The next day, Li Mo called Lin Qingchen and Feng Bo to where he and Yun Ruoyan were staying. Lin Qingchen first took Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pulse; the moment her fingers touched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wrist, she gaped in surprise.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re expecting!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced toward Lin Qingchen, her beautiful eyes filled with delight and anxiety. ¡°Qingchen, are you certain?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± Lin Qingchen replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been training to be a physician, and the first thing I learned was how to test for pregnancy. I¡¯m sure of it: Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re pregnant!¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡­ you¡­ I won¡¯t let you fly on your own from now on,¡± Li Mo finally said. Although the two of them were prepared for the news, they couldn¡¯t help feeling a sense of eagerness and anticipation¡ªespecially Li Mo. His usual calm veneer had evaporated, and he seemed as frantic and excited as a child.


    Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen both smiled at his appearance.


    ¡°It looks like there¡¯s nothing for me to help with here, haha,¡± Feng Bo joked.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er¡¯s been running back and forth with me thesest few days, so I hope you¡¯ll be able to give her a checkup regardless,¡± Li Mo replied seriously.


    Lin Qingchen made way for Feng Bo to take Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pulse as well.


    ¡°She¡¯s in good health,¡± Feng Bo evaluated. ¡°Miss Yun¡ªno, Madam Yun, is perfectly healthy.¡±


    Because Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t seem like a married woman, everyone was still ustomed to calling her Miss Yun. Now that she was about to be a mother, however, it would be inappropriate to do so.


    Feng Bo stilled. As though he had discovered something amiss, he began to frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Feng Bo?¡± Li Mo hurriedly asked.


    ¡°Have you been practicing some sort of dual cultivation technique?¡± Feng Bo asked. ¡°You have to stop.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo nced at each other, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cheeks flushed a bright red.


    ¡°Of course, Feng Bo! Is there anything else we have to keep an eye out for?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°Not at the moment,¡± Feng Bo replied, then continued, ¡°I¡¯ll concoct a few spiritual pills to help stabilize the baby in case of an incident of some sort.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s the day of the attack. As the general, you must be busy, and there¡¯s no need to waste your time,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°Li Mo and I are both pillmasters, so if you¡¯d give us the recipe, we could concoct it on our own.¡±


    Li Mo nodded in assent.


    ¡°In that case, let me write out the recipe for you. Keep the pills with you in case of an emergency.¡± Feng Bo walked up to a table and began writing down the recipe. ¡°There¡¯s no need for either of you to participate tomorrow. We¡¯ll need to conserve your energy for when the Pi elites show up.¡±


    Just then, Feng Yicheng suddenly rushed in from outside. ¡°Feng Bo! Where¡¯s Feng Bo? Help!¡±


    It was rare to see Feng Yicheng lose his cool, and it was obvious that something serious had happened.


    ¡°Yicheng, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Feng Bo immediately asked.


    ¡°Quick, head to Lord Feng. He¡¯s just suffered an assassination attempt!¡±


    Assassination! Everyone gathered immediately followed Feng Yicheng toward Feng Yanyang¡¯s current residence.


    ¡°Lord Feng!¡± Feng Bo shouted, then began running into the rooms as soon as hended. Outside the door was a pool of blood, one that snaked all the way into the house.


    Feng Bo rushed in to see Feng Yanyang copsed in bed, fresh blood staining the bedsheets red. His face was pale, his eyes half-closed, clearly suffering from blood loss.


    Six guards stood by Feng Yanyang¡¯s bed, the swordsmen that Feng Bo had assigned to Feng Yanyang for his protection.


    Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, and Feng Yicheng quickly arrived at the scene. Both Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan were shocked to see Feng Yanyang so badly hurt. It wasn¡¯t unusual or even unexpected for an assassination attempt to take ce on Feng Yanyang, but for him to receive such a severe injury, under the protection of such skilled experts, in his own rooms?


    After a temporary period of shock, Feng Bo immediately stepped up and began to treat Feng Yanyang. He fed him a series of pills brimming with spiritual energy, then transferred spiritual energy from his body to Feng Yanyang¡¯s, finally restoring a hint of red in his bloodless face.


    However, fresh blood continued to seep out from Feng Yanyang¡¯s chest. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both offered up their own pills to counteract blood loss, but none of the high-grade, and even sage-grade, pills seemed to have any effect. Clearly, the wound was no light injury.


    ¡°What on earth happened?¡± Feng Bo finally thundered at the gathered guards, all of whom immediately knelt down. Their heads were hung, but no one dared speak.


    ¡°I know what happened,¡± Feng Yicheng said, kneeling by Feng Yanyang¡¯s bedside.


    ¡°Tell us! Who¡¯s the assassin, and where is he?¡± Feng Bo looked toward Feng Yicheng.


    ¡°The assassin was¡­ Young Master Feng,¡± Feng Yicheng replied.


    ¡°What? Who?¡± Feng Bo couldn¡¯t believe what he had heard.


    ¡°Uncle, Lord Feng was hurt by Young Master Feng,¡± Feng Yicheng repeated, staring Feng Bo in the face.


    ¡°How could it be? Why would he try to assassinate his father?!¡± Feng Bo¡¯s eyes went round in shock and disbelief.


    ¡°Feng Bo, it truly was Young Master Feng,¡± Old Lin said from the side. ¡°If the assassin were anyone but the young master, would we have allowed him to seed? None of us were expecting Young Master Feng to strike against Lord Feng, so we weren¡¯t guarded at all. I¡¯ve made a grave mistake. Please, punish me!¡±


    ¡°Punish us!¡± All the swordsmen shouted.


    ¡°The young master? But why¡­ why?¡± Feng Bo took a step back.


    ¡°Feng Bo,¡± Feng Yanyang called out weakly.


    ¡°What is it, Lord Feng?¡±


    ¡°Bring me my wayward son,¡± Feng Yanyang forced out.


    Feng Bo immediatelymanded the swordsmen beside him to catch Feng Mian. After stabbing Feng Yanyang, Feng Mian rushed out during themotion. Given his identity, no one stopped him, but his cultivation didn¡¯t allow him to rush too far.


    Feng Yanyang¡¯s wound was by his heart. When the dagger was drawn out, his heart had received a serious shock. However, with Feng Bo and arge supply of spiritual pills around, even that life-threatening injury shouldn¡¯t have been a problem. What no one had expected was that Feng Mian¡¯s dagger had been coated with a vicious poison, one that prevented wounds from healing and sped up the rate of blood loss. There was no antidote for this particr type of poison, and those struck by it had only one oue: death.

 Chapter 425: Lord Feng Yicheng

    <h4>Chapter 425: Lord Feng Yicheng</h4>


    As the Feng swordsmen were sent out to capture Feng Mian, Feng Yanyang slowly bled out. It was only with the assistance of spiritual pills and Feng Bo¡¯s transfusion of spiritual energy that his life could be prolonged just a little.


    ¡°Yicheng,e over here,¡± Feng Yanyang motioned to Feng Yicheng, still kneeling on the ground.


    Feng Yicheng walked up to Feng Yanyang¡¯s side, still on his knees.


    Feng Yanyang then turned to Feng Bo. ¡°Feng Bo, retrieve the box in the second drawer of my desk.¡± When he did so, Feng Yanyang thenmanded, ¡°Open it.¡±


    Feng Bo opened the box to find a sparkling, translucent seal lying within.


    ¡°This is a seal carved out of a piece of sage-grade spirit crystal,¡± Feng Yanyang began. ¡°As well as the insignia of the lord of the Feng family. This seal should have been passed down to my only son, Feng Mian, but his ignoble actions have denied him that right. Now, I pass this seal onto another descendant of the Feng family, Feng Yicheng.¡±


    ¡°Lord Feng!¡± Feng Yicheng raised his head in shock as he stared at Feng Yanyang. ¡°How could I be responsible for the Feng city? No, I can¡¯t!¡±


    Feng Bo was also shocked, and he knelt down with Feng Yicheng. ¡°This won¡¯t do, Lord Feng! Yicheng¡¯s young, and his status is lowly. How could he inherit the entire Feng city?¡±


    ¡°Yicheng¡¯s the best Feng descendant of his generation,¡± Feng Yanyang proimed. ¡°And I say that he has the right.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°No buts!¡± Feng Yanyang had clearly already made up his mind. ¡°Yicheng, may the Feng family prosper and flourish under your rule.¡±


    Feng Yicheng looked at Feng Bo, and then at Feng Yanyang, but he didn¡¯t dare ept the seal and the weight it represented.


    ¡°Yicheng, you¡¯ve always been a good child. Are you going to let me die without having myst wishes fulfilled?¡± Feng Yanyang pressed.


    ¡°Brother Feng,¡± Li Mo added. ¡°The Feng family has to be united against the Pis in this time of war.¡±


    Feng Bo sighed. ¡°Yicheng, take the seal!¡±


    Only then did Feng Yicheng reach out for the seal with quivering hands. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll remember your wisdom, Lord Feng.¡± He kowtowed to him, his forehead touching the ground.


    Just then, Old Lin came back from outside and reported, ¡°We¡¯ve caught Young Master Feng. How should we deal with him?¡±


    Everyone looked toward Feng Yanyang and waited for his judgment. He revealed aplicated, pained expression on his face¡ªhow could he find the words to describe the pain of having his only son be his killer?


    ¡°For now, imprison Young Master Feng,¡± Feng Bo stated, seeing Feng Yanyang¡¯s face, but Feng Yanyang overrode him. ¡°Bring my wayward son here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Feng.¡± Old Lin walked out, then returned with two guards and Feng Mian in tow. Feng Mian¡¯s clothes were disheveled, and it was clear that he had fought to avoid capture.


    ¡°Release me!¡± Feng Mian struggled free from the guards and stood in front of Feng Yanyang¡¯s bed, quietly observed by one and all.


    ¡°Kneel.¡± Feng Yanyang sat up, the sudden action causing more blood to seep out of his chest. Despite how close he was to death, his aura was as imposing as ever.


    Feng Mian knelt, his head touching the ground. ¡°Father, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Young Master Feng, why would youy hands on your father?¡± Feng Bo questioned.


    Feng Mian raised his head and looked at his father. ¡°He might be my father, but a father only in name. He¡¯s never cared or been concerned for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡ªyou¡¯re my son, my only son, and the future heir of the Feng family! Should I not be strict or severe with you? You aren¡¯t talented, so I tried to ensure you excelled at all other fields, but you couldn¡¯t handle even that¡ª¡±


    ¡°So you intended to strip me of my inheritance and pass the reins of the Feng family onto Feng Yicheng?¡± Feng Mian used, kneeling up straight and pointing to the Feng family seal in Feng Yicheng¡¯s hands. ¡°There were times when I¡¯ve suspected whether Feng Yicheng was your true son, and I just an imposter. Ever since he arrived on the Mingyuan continent, you¡¯ve been full of praise and satisfaction toward him, but never have you had a good word for me! Are you satisfied now? You can finally hand the Feng family to Feng Yicheng! Your dreams are now a reality!¡±


    ¡°Young Master Feng,¡± Feng Bo interrupted. ¡°From whom did you hear that Lord Feng intended on making Feng Yicheng the next lord of the Feng family? If he didn¡¯t intend on making you the next lord, he wouldn¡¯t have trained you so harshly. What could have caused you to misunderstand his intentions?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t misunderstand my father.¡± Feng Mian stood up and pointed at Feng Yanyang. ¡°Pi Batian stole a letter that he personally wrote, stating that he would recognize Feng Yicheng as his godson and rece me with him, that there was no need to worry about saving me. Apparently, even if I were saved, with my qualifications alone, I would be far too insufficient to be the next lord of the Feng family, so all of you were supposed to help and support Feng Yicheng instead.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you attacked Lord Feng?¡± Feng Bo asked.


    ¡°Yes. I was supposed to be the heir of the Feng family. Why should I give up my position to Feng Yicheng? He¡¯s only a lowly descendant of the Feng family who came from a lower realm. I reached an agreement with Pi Batian: as long as I killed my father and submitted to the Pi city, I would be allowed to inherit the Feng city and obtain everything that I deserve. I should be the next lord of the Feng family!¡±


    Feng Mian looked all around him, his expression a little crazed. But when his eyes again fell on his ailing father, bloodless and gasping for breath, his legs failed him, and he knelt down once more. Tears flowed down his eyes. ¡°Father, why? Why couldn¡¯t I fulfill any of your expectations no matter how hard I worked? Why have you always criticized me? Why didn¡¯t you care that I was captured as a hostage, that I suffered so much during my imprisonment? Why didn¡¯t you visit me when I was unconscious? You didn¡¯t visit me, so I had to visit you¡ªbut even then, you still treated me so poorly. You told me to leave, to stay in the Feng city and not create a mess for you. Have I only ever been a burden?¡±


    Feng Yanyang stilled. He had never thought about how his stringent requirements had hurt Feng Mian¡¯s mental well-being. He certainly hoped that Feng Mian could have been more talented, but Feng Mian was still his son. Was there a father alive who didn¡¯t love his children?


    It was just that Feng Yanyang had only disyed the strict side of himself to his son.


    ¡°Father, I didn¡¯t want to attack you. I just couldn¡¯t control myself after realizing that you were going to give up on me!¡±


    ¡°You were tricked. I never wrote that letter, and I never intended to give up on you. Before you attacked me, I was still treating you as my heir,¡± Feng Yanyang intoned. ¡°But it¡¯s true that you wouldn¡¯t be a good lord of the Feng family. I knew this, but because you were my son, I still tried to groom you for the position. How I hoped that you would prove yourself! It¡¯s clear now that I shouldn¡¯t have forced this burden on you, and this is my fault.¡±


    ¡°Lord Feng, you should rest. We can discuss Young Master Feng¡¯s actionster,¡± Feng Bo hurriedly said, sensing that Feng Yanyang¡¯s condition was taking a turn for the worse.


    Feng Yanyang shook his head wearily. He knew that he was about to die; given his blood loss, the pills and spiritual energy transfusion would only be enough to sustain him for another hour, at most two, so he had to make use of his remaining time to prepare for the future.


    ¡°Feng Mian shall be ced in house arrest in the Feng manor, never to leave for the rest of his life. Feng Yicheng shall be the next lord of the Feng family, and I expect your full support of him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Feng!¡± everyone shouted, even Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    ¡°Before the war between the Fengs and the Pis is over, do not reveal my death,¡± Feng Yanyang continued. ¡°You must eradicate the Pi family to avenge me!¡±


    An hourter, Feng Yanyang finally died of blood loss, still filled with regret over his wayward son. Subsequently, Feng Mian was escorted back to the Feng manor. Feng Yicheng, suddenly thrust into his new position as lord of the Feng family andmander of the battle to take ce within a day, assigned Zhuo Yifeng to take his ce as vanguard, then continued nning for tomorrow¡¯s battle with Feng Bo and Li Mo.


    Feng Yicheng¡¯s capabilities asmander asserted themselves within half a day. He took care of everything, barely less meticulous than Feng Yanyang himself. Even Feng Bo couldn¡¯t help admiring Feng Yicheng¡¯s talents further.


    The next day, before sunrise, Feng Yicheng himself led five hundred swordsmen out of the town of Yang, where they were currently situated, and into the town of Li. This town used to be governed by the Fengs, but had been seized by the Pi family.


    Only when his troops were by the foot of the gates did the Pi guards react. Although they were prepared for the invasion, Feng Yicheng¡¯s sneak attack took them by surprise, and half a day¡¯s effort was all it took for him to recover the town of Li once more.


    With barely any rest, Feng Yicheng continued onward toward the next town seized and upied by the Pis...

 Chapter 426: Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 426: Challenge</h4>


    In just three days, with only five hundred swordsmen and blistering speed, Feng Yicheng reimed the five Feng towns that had been seized by the Pis. The Pis responded quickly, establishing a strong defense around the town of Yan, on the outskirts of Pi territory. This was the first time that Feng Yicheng¡¯s swordsmen had encountered an active Pi defense in the vicinity.


    After rebuffing Feng Yicheng¡¯s advances twice over, Pi Batianmanded for the town gates to be opened. With five hundred swordsmen of his own, he challenged Feng Yicheng to a battle. Feng Yicheng¡¯s swordsmen had already been fighting continuously for three or four days, and they naturally were no match for Pi Batian¡¯s refreshed, invigorated troops. After just two skirmishes, they were showing signs of failing.


    As the vanguard, Zhuo Yifeng immediately rushed to Feng Yicheng¡¯s side. ¡°Lord Feng, we¡¯re no match for them as we currently are. Let¡¯s retreat!¡±


    Feng Yicheng nced at the Pi swordsmen, whose morale had soared after gaining the upper hand in the conflict. He swept an arm and announced, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng guarded Feng Yicheng as they began retreating from the town of Yan.


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to leave so easily!¡± Pi Batian immediately charged forward with his soldiers, all the way until they entered a narrow valley.


    ¡°Young Master Pi, the conditions here aren¡¯t favorable to us. We can¡¯t keep charging forward without more information about what lies ahead,¡± one of Pi Batian¡¯s aides called out.


    Pi Batian nced around him, agreeing with his aide¡¯s judgment. Even his warhorse seemed to share the same sentiment, and was trotting with unease.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± Pi Batianmanded.


    As he did so, an opposing cry rang out from above the valley. ¡°Charge!¡± Li Mo shouted, with over a hundred swordsmen in tow. Meanwhile, Feng Yicheng and Zhuo Yifeng turned their men back and began charging towards Pi Batian¡¯s men in a pincer-style attack.


    Fireballs, vines, icicles, boulders, and sand rained down on Pi Batian¡¯s swordsmen, blocking their means of retreat, as Feng Yicheng and Zhuo Yifengunched a counterattack.


    ¡°Retreat, retreat!¡± Pi Batian¡¯s swordsmen broke rank and tried to flee, their orderly formations degenerating into a rout. In an instant, they had gone from pursuer to pursued. Hundreds of Pi Batian¡¯s swordsmen surrounded him, protecting him to ensure that he returned to the Pi city at all costs, but only fifty survivors apanied him.


    All the Feng swordsmen that had participated in the battle were red-faced and excited, having won an overwhelming victory over the Pi troops and finally releasing some of their pent-up anger and vexation at them.


    Old Lin smiled as he rted the details of the battle to a few swordsmen who hadn¡¯t participated. ¡°Exhrating! Those scoundrels had to flee for their lives like the cowards they are. And Pi Batian¡ªif his men didn¡¯t protect him with their lives, we¡¯d have taken his head!¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve allowed me to participate as well, Old Lin!¡± a swordsman grumbled. He had been assigned to remain behind to defend the main camp, and was unable to participate in the battle.


    ¡°Right, and me!¡±


    ¡°I want to fight too! There¡¯s nothing to do back here!¡±


    ¡°This is only the start of the conflict. There¡¯ll be far more battles ahead, and everyone will have their opportunity,¡± Old Lin nced at Zhuo Yifeng, who was standing not too far from him. He couldn¡¯t help but think back to the scene of the battle. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s ck whip seemed like an evil dragon straight out of hell, its attacks so powerful that even Old Lin was shocked.


    Old Lin saw how his whip had been able to unseat a sword saint from his horse, then send him flying away. The only person he¡¯d seen with sufficient skill to instantly hurt a sword saint besides Feng Bo was Zhuo Yifeng.


    But¡­ Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s spiritual energy didn¡¯t seem like that of a sword saint.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng,¡± Old Lin said, walking up to him. ¡°What¡¯s your cultivation level?¡±


    ¡°Ninth-rank demaster. Why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a sword saint yet?¡± Old Lin pressed.


    ¡°No. Is there a problem?¡± Zhuo Yifeng frowned.


    ¡°On the battlefield, I saw you injure a sword saint with a crack of your whip. How did you do it?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng nced at Old Lin so coldly that he almost shivered. Just as he was about to speak, Zhuo Yifeng suddenlyughed. ¡°You must be kidding! How could I beat a sword saint? But I did knock aside quite a few swordsmen on my level. You must have seen wrongly.¡±


    ¡°Me, see wrongly? No, that¡¯s impossible¡ªah, Zhuo Yifeng, don¡¯t leave!¡±


    ¡°Old Lin, I need to cultivate and be a sword saint as soon as possible.¡±


    Old Lin still had more questions for him, but Zhuo Yifeng had already left the field. The malicious voice in his head spoke up again. ¡°Sooner orter, people will discover my existence, especially Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. Zhuo Yifeng, you¡¯d better n for that eventuality.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a method to allow me to break through to the realm of a sword saint?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked. In order to not let others find out that he was borrowing the demonic spirit¡¯s power, he could only raise his own cultivation.


    ¡°Naturally,¡± the demonic spirit replied. ¡°But if you want to make a transaction with me, you¡¯ll have to pay a price.¡±


    ¡°What price?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked.


    ¡°Fuse our souls together more deeply,¡± the demonic spirit replied. ¡°I¡¯m not taking advantage of you here. Going from the level of a ninth-rank demaster to that of a sword saint is a major bottleneck. In order to help you break past this bottleneck requires my demonic power, and that requires a moreplete merger.¡±


    A moreplete merger wasn¡¯t something that could be taken lightly. Zhuo Yifeng was barely able to suppress the demonic spirit as is, but once the connection between them deepened, it was obvious that the demonic spirit would try to counteract his control.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to risk it,¡± the demonic spirit suddenly said, understanding his concerns. ¡°If you don¡¯t want others to discover your secret, there¡¯s a better strategy: leave. Leave everyone and cultivate in seclusion. Once the portal to your original realm appears, return to whence you came¡ªor stay here for good, if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Leaving wasn¡¯t a viable strategy for Zhuo Yifeng, not with the war between the Feng and Pi families already having started. Yun Ruoyan was embroiled in this war, and Zhuo Yifeng had to stay to protect her, if nothing else.


    ¡°I agree to your price,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied, without any of the hesitation or caution he¡¯d previously shown.


    ¡°You¡¯re really willing to merge more deeply with me?¡± The demonic spirit was hardly able to believe what he¡¯d heard. ¡°You¡¯re willing to do so much for that Yun Ruoyan? Zhuo Yifeng, I really don¡¯t understand you. You like her but are unwilling to confess, and now that I¡¯ve helped you confess to her, you don¡¯t even dare show yourself in front of her! And even when she doesn¡¯t know anything, you¡¯re willing to make such a sacrifice¡ªare you crazy?¡±


    ¡°Crazy?¡± Zhuo Yifeng chuckled bitterly. ¡°Perhaps, but it¡¯s my choice.¡± To fall in love with someone who couldn¡¯t love him back¡­ sacrifice was unavoidable.


    With their morale through the roof, the Feng army paraded all the way to the outskirts of the town of Yan and set up camp there, ready to attack it at the slightest provocation.


    ¡°The Feng family¡¯s getting more and more arrogant,¡± Pi Yan murmured. He and Pi Yan were standing above the walls of the town, ncing at the Feng troops with distaste.


    ¡°Arrogant and sly,¡± Pi Batian added. Because he took his enemy too lightly, he fell into a trap and lost hundreds of swordsmen, even a few sword saints.


    ¡°We¡¯ll fight them tomorrow. Don¡¯t take them lightly, but if you see Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo again, make capturing them your top priority,¡± Pi Yan instructed Pi Batian. ¡°Even if we lose our city, we can reim it. As long as the silver dragon n elder is satisfied, there¡¯s nothing we need fear.¡±


    ¡°Father, is the silver dragon elder rushing you again?¡± Pi Batian asked.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s furious. I wasn¡¯t able to catch them within the promised five-day deadline, but the first elder still granted me holy water to save your life. Tian¡¯er, do you know what this means?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, Father.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re unable to catch Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo even during this uing conflict, the Pi family will vanish from the Mingyuan continent.¡± Pi Yan looked beyond the walls of the town of Yan. He knew that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had to be within the Feng encampment, but he wasn¡¯t able toy a finger on them. His hands clenched into fists. ¡°Tian¡¯er, remember this well. What matters isn¡¯t whether we win or lose, but whether we can catch Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Father.¡±


    The next day, the Pi family began sending seasoned swordsmen to sortie with the Feng family in a series of one-on-one duels. The Fengs responded in kind with their best swordsmen. After all, the Pis had suggested the challenge in order to recover the morale that they had lost from their disastrous defeat, and the Feng family naturally wasn¡¯t going to give them the opportunity to do so. The two families even agreed that the losing party would cede a town to the winner.


    There were eight duels from morning to noon, and both the Pis and Fengs had a few victories¡ªuntil the Pi family sent out a peak first-rank sword saint, who trounced each of his opponents and marked the start of a long string of defeats for the Fengs. The duels proceeded into the night, with neither side relenting. The peak first-rank sword saint seemed to grow stronger and stronger with each fight, with no sign of being worn out.


    The Feng family sent two swordsmen from their secret troops to participate. One returned with severe injuries, and the other was killed. Even an expert like Old Lin received serious injuries against the swordsman.


    Feng Yicheng, Yun Ruoyan and the others frowned deeply as they observed the swordsman¡¯s fight.

 Chapter 427: Zhuo Yifeng’s Fight

    <h4>Chapter 427: Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s Fight</h4>


    Above the town of Yan, Pi Yan and Pi Batian oversaw the battle unfolding below them, smiling in satisfaction.


    ¡°The Fengs¡¯ overall strength might have improved with the Lies¡¯ assistance, but the Pi family still has the highest concentration of seasoned swordsmen,¡± Pi Batian said. ¡°Ju Tian¡¯s a top-grade fighter that I nurtured with huge quantities of spirit crystals, and even the Fengs wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him so easily. Just one more victory, and he¡¯ll win this challenge.¡±


    ¡°The only ones who can defeat Ju Tian are Feng Bo and Li Mo,¡± Pi Yan replied. ¡°Feng Bo¡¯s a strong cultivator, and even I¡¯m barely a match for him. Feng Yanyang will surely leave him to deal with me, so thest challenger from the Feng family has to be Li Mo. Is your ambush ready?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. Everything is prepared, and I¡¯m just waiting for Li Mo to show up. Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan harbor deep feelings for one another, so as long as we catch just one of them, the other will naturally obey our everymand. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m only realizing this now.¡±


    ¡°In that case, we have to catch at least one of them,¡± Pi Yan said, staring straight at Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Feng Yicheng, who were watching the battle from the sidelines.


    Feng Yicheng was wearing an overcoat that Feng Yanyang frequently wore, and his head was covered by a hood. Pi Yan was unable to see his face clearly. ¡°Tian¡¯er, even after so many days, Feng Yanyang still seems to be hale and hearty. It seems as though Feng Mian didn¡¯t act ording to your n.¡±


    ¡°Father, have you noticed that Feng Mian isn¡¯t watching the duels?¡± Pi Batian asked.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Pi Yan sucked in a breath. ¡°Could it be that¡ª¡±


    ¡°There are three possibilities,¡± Pi Batian began. ¡°First, that Feng Mian didn¡¯t take action, but this possibility is limited. If he hadn¡¯t taken any action, he would surely be with his father watching the battle.¡±


    ¡°As for the other two possibilities?¡± Pi Yan asked.


    ¡°Second, Feng Mian tried to assassinate Feng Yanyang but failed, and is being imprisoned. Third, Feng Mian injured Feng Yanyang but failed to kill him, causing Feng Yanyang to cower and not dare to reveal his face.¡±


    ¡°Based on what we¡¯re seeing, the third possibility seems the most likely.¡± Pi Yan began to smile.


    However, neither Pi Yan nor Pi Batian were close to the truth: that Feng Yanyang had already perished, and Feng Yicheng was taking his ce.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan sat behind Feng Yicheng and Feng Bo as they watched the duels.


    ¡°It seems as though I¡¯ll have to be the final challenger,¡± Feng Bo murmured.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go,¡± Feng Yicheng quickly rejected the idea. ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re our trump card. If we send you out now, the Pi family might quickly establish countermeasures against you.¡± He turned to Li Mo. ¡°Brother Li, would you be willing to step in?¡±


    That Ju Tian was only a first-rank sword saint, but Li Mo was a second-rank sword saint. For Li Mo to beat Ju Tian wouldn¡¯t be a difficult task. He nced at Yun Ruoyan, about to ept, when murmurs came from the Feng soldiers.


    ¡°Someone else has gone to challenge Ju Tian!¡±


    ¡°Who? Even Old Lin lost to him!¡±


    ¡°It¡ªIt¡¯s Zhuo Yifeng!¡± someone eximed. ¡°Could he be stronger than Old Lin? That can¡¯t be right!¡±


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng... isn¡¯t he only a ninth-rank demaster?¡± Qin Feng murmured. He had been standing together with Zhuo Yifeng, who had suddenly stepped up before he could do anything about it. Qin Feng called him back from behind, but Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t respond.


    Worried, Qin Feng turned back to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng!¡± Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help standing up and looking toward him. As if detecting her gaze from afar, Zhuo Yifeng turned around to look toward her. Their eyes met. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression wasplex; after being confessed to and forcefully kissed by Zhuo Yifeng, this was Yun Ruoyn¡¯s first time seeing him again.


    Thesest few days, she had been thinking about the kiss. The whole encounter made her feel strange, as though the Zhuo Yifeng of that night wasn¡¯t the Zhuo Yifeng she used to know, but someone else entirely.


    ¡°What¡¯s Zhuo Yifeng doing now?!¡± Feng Yicheng¡¯s voice sounded irate. ¡°Given his cultivation, how could he be any match for that swordsman? Isn¡¯t he just asking for death?¡±


    Li Mo was equally confused: as far as he knew, Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t often act on impulse.


    ¡°I know a little of Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s personality,¡± Feng Bo began. ¡°He¡¯s not reckless, and he wouldn¡¯t act unless he was confident of his sess. Let¡¯s watch and see for now; if he can¡¯t handle his opponent, then we¡¯ll step in.¡±


    ¡°That brat...!¡± Pi Batian was equally surprised to see Zhuo Yifeng step up. ¡°If you want to die, I¡¯ll grant you your wish!¡±


    ¡°That trap¡¯s left for Li Mo, and if not Li Mo, then at least Yun Ruoyan,¡± Pi Yan reminded him. ¡°Ju Tian alone will be enough to deal with thisd.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Pi Batian replied. ¡°I¡¯ll have the trap removed.¡± As Pi Batian walked down the town walls, Zhuo Yifeng and Ju Tian got ready for their duel.


    ¡°My name is Zhuo Yifeng,¡± Zhuo Yifeng called out.


    ¡°Lad, you don¡¯t seem like an expert.¡± Zhuo Yifeng was tall and broad, but Ju Tian was half again as wide. Zhuo Yifeng seemed almost like a child by his side, and, more importantly, he¡¯d never heard of his name. ¡°Is there no one else in the Feng family? To send such a youngd to face me¡ªI rmend you back down and let Li Mo stand in your ce.¡±


    ¡°Say that after you beat me,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied archly, drawing a pitch-ck whip and cracking it at Ju Tian.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re an impatient brat, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ju Tianughed, then caught the whip with his bare hands. ¡°Heh, I¡¯ll teach you that there¡¯s a blood price to pay for your impertinence.¡±


    Ju Tian infused arge amount of spiritual energy into the whip, then wrenched it hard, expecting to send Zhuo Yifeng flying. However, he suddenly realized that the spiritual energy that he infused into the whip seemed to sink into an abyss.


    Just as he doubted what he¡¯d experienced, an equallyrge pulse of spiritual energy emanated from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hands, travelling toward Ju Tian through the whip that connected them both. The spiritual energy that Ju Tian sent out seemed to have been absorbed by axx mysterious power, but Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s spiritual energy struck him true.


    The massive outpouring of spiritual energy, along with an unusually eerie, cold presence, flooded Ju Tian¡¯s body. Despite how tough his physical body was, it was utterly incapable of resisting the spiritual onught.


    The crowd watched on with shock as Ju Tian staggered backwards. The moment before he could step out, Zhuo Yifeng extended his other hand at him, conjuring up a thick vine that wrapped around Ju Tian¡¯s neck like a venomous snake.


    The moment the vine touched Ju Tian¡¯s body, he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    No one could see how the whip had swallowed up Ju Tian¡¯s spiritual energy and allowed Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s to flow freely¡ªall they saw was that Zhuo Yifeng had bested Ju Tian in a contest of spiritual energy.


    ¡°You, you¡ªyou¡¯re cheating!¡± Ju Tian used, his eyes as wide as copper bells.


    Zhuo Yifeng smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you that there¡¯s a blood price to pay for underestimating me.¡± He flicked his hand, and, with a loud, resounding crack, broke Ju Tian¡¯s neck.


    ¡°How could this be?!¡± Pi Batian watched on in disbelief. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s cultivation has reached the level of a sword saint, and he even killed the peak first-rank sword saint Ju Tian?!¡±


    Pi Yan also frowned at the scene. Although he was as confused as his son at their enemies¡¯ incredible growth, his eyes wouldn¡¯t lie. ¡°They¡¯re growing stronger,¡± he murmured, almost to himself. ¡°It looks like this war won¡¯t be as easy as I first thought. Elder, you¡¯ll have to help us Pis...¡±

 Chapter 428: Preparing for a Sneak Attack

    <h4>Chapter 428: Preparing for a Sneak Attack</h4>


    ¡°We¡¯ve won, we¡¯ve won!¡±


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng actually beat that Pi swordsman!¡±


    ¡°Amazing! Now the Pi family knows that we¡¯re not to be trifled with, either!¡±


    The dubious looks that the Feng swordsmen cast at Zhuo Yifeng instantly turned to excitement and respect. When Zhuo Yifeng left the stage, he was lifted into the air by a throng of excited soldiers.


    ¡°You secretly advanced your cultivation this much without me realizing!¡± Qin Feng gave Zhuo Yifeng a light-hearted thump on his shoulder.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Zhuo Yifeng yelped, then clutched the area where Qin Feng had hit him in pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Qin Feng asked. He¡¯d used more strength than usual in his excitement, but given Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s cultivation, it shouldn¡¯t have had much of an effect at all. Why would he be shouting out in pain?


    ¡°To be quite honest, I only broke through to the realm of a sword saint within thest few days,¡± Zhuo Yifeng murmured, rubbing his shoulder. ¡°When I fought with that Pi swordsman just now, I only won because of pure chance. He took me too lightly, but even so, I still received an injury from the fight. That¡¯s why I was unable to take Brother Qin¡¯s blow.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you should¡¯ve mentioned it earlier! And here I thought... I didn¡¯t hurt you, did I?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯ll recover once I¡¯ve had some time to rest,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied.


    Zhuo Yifeng was about to head back to the military encampment when Feng Yicheng¡¯s personal guard stopped him. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, Lord Feng requests your presence,¡± the swordsman began respectfully. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s defeat of Ju Tian marked the Feng family¡¯s victory. As the swordsmen returned to their encampment, Zhuo Yifeng was escorted to Feng Yicheng¡¯s tent.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, Feng Yicheng, and Feng Bo were all in the tent. The moment Zhuo Yifeng walked in, he saw Feng Yicheng sitting in Feng Yanyang¡¯s usual seat. He frowned, then looked all around him. Li Mo, Yun Ruoyan, and Feng Bo were the only three people by Feng Yicheng¡¯s side. Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t detect either Feng Yanyang or Feng Mian, who had returned with Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    ¡°Feng¡ªYoung Master Feng, why are you sitting in Lord Feng¡¯s seat? Where¡¯s Lord Feng?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked, confused.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, I called you here today to reward you with a prize as well as to tell you something,¡± Feng Yicheng replied.


    ¡°May I ask what¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhuo Yifeng frowned. Because he didn¡¯t see Feng Yanyang, he simply stood in the center of the tent, without bowing.


    Feng Yicheng described to Zhuo Yifeng how Feng Yanyang had been assassinated by Feng Mian, who had secretly been sent back to the Feng manor. This information was kept under lock and key, and only those present, as well as a few elite members of the Feng secret troops, knew what had happened. Including Zhuo Yifeng, there were no more than ten people who knew.


    ¡°Lord Feng¡¯s... dead?¡± Zhuo Yifeng was shocked.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Feng Bo replied. ¡°Before he passed away, Lord Feng handed the position of lord of the Feng family to Feng Yicheng. Zhuo Yifeng, are you willing to be loyal to him?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng stilled, then subconsciously turned toward Yun Ruoyan. However, Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t looking at him. She was looking absent-mindedly to the side, as though the conversation wasn¡¯t particrly relevant to her. When Zhuo Yifeng turned aside, he noticed that Li Mo was casually holding her hand.


    He finally turned back to Feng Yicheng, a sudden ache suffusing his heart. ¡°I¡¯m not a citizen of the Feng city, nor even an inhabitant of the Mingyuan continent, so I don¡¯t think it appropriate to speak of loyalty and devotion.¡±


    Feng Bo and Feng Yicheng both frowned, but before they could say anything, Zhuo Yifeng continued, ¡°However, since I¡¯m currently being hosted by the Feng city, and because I harbor great enmity against the Pis, I¡¯m willing to help eradicate the Pi family with the troops of the Feng family.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Feng Yicheng stood up from his seat, clearly satisfied with Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s words. ¡°In that case, I have a mission for you. Would you be willing to participate?¡±


    ¡°What mission?¡±


    ¡°We want tounch a sneak attack against the town of Yan tonight. After the bout today, I¡¯m sure Pi Yan and Pi Batian won¡¯t expect us to engage. If we can, we¡¯ll take the entire town in one fell swoop.¡±


    Feng Yicheng had proposed the n after seeing Zhuo Yifeng fight against Ju Tian, and it had received unanimous approval from all gathered.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, we believe you¡¯d be the best leader for the attack. Feng Bo will infiltrate the town of Yan and open the town gates for you. With yourbat capabilities, you¡¯ll certainly take the Yan guards by storm.¡±


    ¡°I would be honored to participate.¡± With Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s approval, Feng Yicheng and Feng Bo ran over their n carefully with him, then left the tent and got ready for their own roles. Feng Bo headed straight to the town of Yan, whereas Zhuo Yifeng led over a hundred soldiers to the outskirts of Yan, where they would hide until nighttime, until Feng Bo sent out a signal for them to invade the town.


    After Zhuo Yifeng and Feng Bo left, Feng Yicheng headed to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. ¡°Brother Li, Miss Yun, please help me with Hong¡¯er.¡±


    ording to news that his informants had gathered, Madam Hong was currently within the town of Yan. After the sess of Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s sneak attack, Feng Yicheng was ted to immediately follow up with arger troop of swordsmen, so he couldn¡¯t rescue Madam Hong himself. Instead, he had requested a favor from Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    ¡°Madam Hong is as close as a sister to me, and I¡¯ll naturally do my best to save her,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°But given her personality, if she refuses to leave with me...¡±


    Pi Yan and Pi Batian didn¡¯t know of the rtionship between Madam Hong and Feng Yicheng, and neither did they know that Feng Yicheng was now the lord of the Feng family, so she wasn¡¯t a particrly useful hostage to them. What could be the reason for their having sent for Madam Hong from such a distance?


    No matter what their ns were, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t n on letting them get away with them. Even without Feng Yicheng¡¯s request, Yun Ruoyan would have gone to see her again, despite not being confident that Madam Hong would agree to be saved.


    ¡°Take this.¡± Feng Yicheng handed a bottle to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°These are special pills that I had Uncle concoct for me. They¡¯re particrly strong, and can even be used against sword saints.¡±


    ¡°Alright. With this, I¡¯ll have a greater chance of bringing Madam Hong back safely.¡± She headed out with Li Mo.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, I hope you¡¯ll agree to stay here and allow me to rescue Madam Hong myself,¡± Li Mo suddenly said, just as they were about to fly off. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body wasn¡¯t just her own anymore, and Li Mo didn¡¯t want her to take part in such a risky endeavor if he could help it. However, he knew Yun Ruoyan¡¯s personality, and he didn¡¯t forbid her participation outright.


    ¡°I¡¯m really not as fragile as you imagine,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. ¡°If you don¡¯t let me participate in something like this, I¡¯ll definitely worry. Qingchen said that I have to remain calm and collected, that I can¡¯t experience toorge a shift in my emotions, or it might have adverse effects on our baby.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan pulled on Li Mo¡¯s hand and ced it on her abdomen.


    Li Mo¡¯s eyes immediately turned gentle, but his face remained severe.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to fly on your own or to fight. You have to stay behind me at all times and not take even half a step away from me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°Can we take off now, Your Highness?¡±


    Li Mo sighed, clutched Yun Ruoyan tightly, and soared off into the skies in the direction of Yan. The manor of the governor of Yan was in the southernmost part of the city, and was where Madam Hong was being kept. Li Mo flew close to the manor, thennded. Given the tense situation, there were sentries posted everywhere within the town and on the walls surrounding the town. If they were caught flying, signals would immediately be sent out all throughout the town.


    Theynded, evaded a patrolling troop, and walked up to the walls surrounding the governor¡¯s manor.


    ¡°Climb up, Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo bent his waist and motioned to Yun Ruoyan. She mbered onto his back and Li Mo scaled the wall like a lizard, circting a technique to create suction from his palms. Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of a time when he had done this exact same thing to enter the Yuelu Vi.


    At the time, Yun Ruoyan was still somewhat dissatisfied and annoyed by Li Mo, but now they were husband and wife, and would even soon have a baby. Yun Ruoyan squeezed Li Mo¡¯s shoulders, whispering into his ear, ¡°We¡¯ll eradicate the Pi family during this war. If we can ferret out their mysterious backer, we¡¯ll be able to return to the Chenyuan continent without any further worry.¡±


    ¡°Once the Pi family¡¯s eradicated, its backer will definitely make a move. We¡¯ll have the support of the Feng family, as well as of Kongming Academy and the Li royalty when we return to the Chenyuan continent. If webine these three powers, we might have a fighting chance against that backer.¡±

 Chapter 429: Listening In

    <h4>Chapter 429: Listening In</h4>


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan headed into the manor. Following Feng Yicheng¡¯s intel, they quickly found the prison and snuck in, only to find the sole cell empty and without any trace of Madam Hong.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Was something wrong with Feng Yicheng¡¯s information?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo. If Feng Yicheng¡¯s sources had been misled, it was very likely that a trap had beenid for them.


    ¡°It¡¯s best that we not stay here. Let¡¯s go out.¡± Li Mo immediately left the prison with Yun Ruoyan. Instead of leaving, however, they hid near an unfrequented courtyard in the manor.


    ¡°It might not be the informant that¡¯s the problem,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. If that were the case, then the prison would have been the perfect ce toy a trap for them, and they wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave so easily.


    Li Mo nodded. ¡°I suspect that Pi Batian and Pi Yan are being careful to avoid leaking information about where Madam Hong is hidden.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed. Although the Yan governor¡¯s manor wasn¡¯t asrge as the Pi manor, it was far less familiar to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. Although they knew the generalyout of the manor, many secret prisons were hidden from the blueprints. With Madam Hong¡¯s whereabouts unknown, their search-and-rescue operation would be considerably dyed.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t get too emotional about this,¡± Li Mo reminded her. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do even if we worry. If Feng Bo and Feng Yicheng seed with the raid, we¡¯ll soon upy the town of Yan. At that point, Pi Batian and Pi Yan will surely run away, so we just need to make sure they don¡¯t hurt Madam Hong or bring her with them.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right! It would be far simpler to spy on them than to try to find Madam Hong given how things are.¡±


    Although neither Yun Ruoyan nor Li Mo knew where Pi Yan and Pi Batian were staying, they simply had to find the building which was most heavily guarded. Based on their observation, they were quite certain that the house to their east was currently hosting Pi Batian and Pi Yan. It wasn¡¯t a particrlyrge building, but there were no fewer than a hundred guards on patrol at any given time. They could even see quite a few shadows on the rooftop, and the guards boasted a sufficiently advanced cultivation that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s intoxicating fog might not have been able to control them.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan scaled the walls and crouched down by the shadows on the other side. Because there were so many sentries and guards, they didn¡¯t dare make any rash motions. Instead, they silently waited for about an hour until Li Mo suddenly saw a swordsman leave the house on his own. He whispered to Yun Ruoyan, ¡°Here¡¯s our chance.¡±


    They followed the swordsman into atrine by the corner.


    ¡°Wait here for me,¡± Li Mo instructed, then followed the man in. Mere momentster, Li Mo stepped back outside wearing the uniform of a Pi swordsman. He headed toward the center of the yard alone.


    Yun Ruoyan waited alone for about an hour until she saw another swordsman walking toward thetrine, with Li Mo following right behind him. When the swordsman turned around and spotted Li Mo, he frowned. ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t recognize your face.¡±


    The moment he spoke, a spear of ice prated his neck. The swordsman¡¯s eyes widened, as did his mouth, and he fell soundlessly to the ground.


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered, then walked out of her corner. Li Mo dragged the swordsman¡¯s corpse into the corner that Yun Ruoyan had just vacated, then had Yun Ruoyan put on his clothes.


    Now dressed like Pi swordsmen, they stood by two empty spots close to the front door of the house. If a fight were to break out, they would easily be able to spy on Pi Yan and Pi Batian¡¯s actions.


    The light that was visible through the windows never dimmed. Soon after she and Li Mo had assumed their new positions, Yun Ruoyan heard Pi Yan summoning guards from within his rooms, and one guard opposite Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°Send for Young Master Pi,¡± Pi Yan called out. The swordsman nodded, then turned to leave. Soon, he returned with Pi Batian.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both retracted their auras and silently took a step back, their bodies and faces shrouded by the shadows from the eaves.


    Pi Batian seemed to be in a hurry, so he didn¡¯t notice that Yun Ruoyan or Li Mo, two people whom he dreamt of killing, were right before his nose.


    ¡°Father,¡± Pi Batian called out from the entrance to the doors.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Pi Batian entered the house, then began to converse with his father. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both took another silent step back, stering themselves to the doors and windows. They infused spiritual energy into their ears in order to magnify their hearing and make out the conversation.


    There were a great deal of sentries and guards posted around the house, but perhaps because of this, the guards themselves were morex than they usually would be. The guards frequently took a few steps to the left and right, so Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s gestures didn¡¯t seem particrly out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Tian¡¯er, I¡¯ll introduce you to the elder today.¡± Pi Yan¡¯s words were clearly heard by Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Pi Batian replied. From within the house came a few strange noises, as though Pi Yan was preparing some chant or incantation, followed by a respectful, ¡°Elder, I¡¯ve brought my son, Pi Batian.¡±


    ¡°Rise,¡± an aged voice, brimming with authority, replied. Although this was the first time Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had heard the voice, their hearts went cold. They knew, without a doubt, that this had to be the mysterious backer sponsoring the Pi family, the first elder of the silver dragon n.


    To think that Pi Yan would carry around that mirror artefact with him! Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo couldn¡¯t help but recall what had happened that day at the Pi manor. He had used the mirror against them,bining his lightning summoning technique and the augmentation effect of the mirror. It was only the silver dragon elder¡¯s interference that had saved them and Zhuo Yifeng from dying.


    What if Pi Yan were to use the mirror against the Feng swordsmen? Yun Ruoyan dreaded the thought.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t caught Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo?!¡± the elder didn¡¯t shout, but his voice was chilly and severe. ¡°It¡¯s been over a year since they arrived on the Mingyuan continent. There are only seven great families on the continent, and not muchnd in which they can hide. Pi Yan, your failure and inability disappoint me.¡±


    ¡°Elder, please punish me for my inability.¡± Pi Yan bowed, his voice more deferential than they had ever heard it.


    ¡°You ought to be punished!¡± the silver dragon elder eximed. A beam of light shot out from the mirror andnded on Pi Yan¡¯s body. Although he instinctively summoned a spiritual membrane to protect himself, he still stumbled back a few steps before spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Honored Elder, please calm down.¡± Pi Batian immediately began to beg for mercy on his father¡¯s behalf. ¡°Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo are extraordinary cultivators, and their cultivation has grown tremendously since entering the Mingyuan continent. Even theirpanions from the Chenyuan continent have be sword saints. Not only has their own power grown, they¡¯re also under the protection of the Feng family, and trying to catch them both won¡¯t be an easy task.¡±


    ¡°And? That¡¯s nothing but an excuse.¡±


    Pi Batian was about to reply when Pi Yan stopped him. Bowing, he said, ¡°Being unable to finish the task you¡¯ve set out for me is a personal failing on my part, Elder, but given the impending war between the Pi and Feng families, please postpone the punishment so that I may defend myself against the Fengs.¡±


    ¡°I will remember this,¡± the first elder emphasized. ¡°The two of you shall have onest chance at capturing Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. If you fail, I don¡¯t see any need for either of you, or even the Pi family, to exist on the Mingyuan continent any longer!¡±


    The elder¡¯s words so shook Pi Yan that he again knelt on the ground. ¡°I understand, Elder.¡±


    Pi Batian immediately followed suit. Neither man dared to talk, but their expressions made it clear that they had more to say.


    ¡°Are there more news to report?¡± the silver dragon elder asked impatiently. ¡°There are many things that I have to deal with on the Jiyuan continent, and I don¡¯t have time to waste with you. If there¡¯s anything else, report it immediately!¡±


    ¡°Honored Elder, please permit my use of your mirror in the uing battle. The Feng family has allied with the Lies, and theirbat strength is a force to be reckoned with. With the mirror¡¯s power, we would easily be able to defeat the Feng family and capture Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo nced at each other, only then realizing that Pi Yan needed the silver dragon elder¡¯s permission to use the artefact. No wonder he used it so rarely despite its power! The two of them waited for the elder¡¯s reply with bated breath.


    ¡°eptable, but only for defense, not offense.¡±


    ¡°Honored Elder,¡± Pi Batian jumped in. ¡°May I ask why it may be used only for defense? The Fengs surely wouldn¡¯t be able to defend against it, and defeating the Fengs would make it far easier to capture Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.¡±


    ¡°You might not know, but doesn¡¯t your father?¡± the elder asked.


    Pi Yan appeared as confused as his son. ¡°Elder, I don¡¯t understand why either. Would you please exin?¡±

 Chapter 430: Ingredients for Producing Holy Water

    <h4>Chapter 430: Ingredients for Producing Holy Water</h4>


    ¡°You don¡¯t know this either?!¡± The silver dragon elder was flummoxed by Pi Yan¡¯s ignorance. ¡°Ah, but it¡¯s no wonder. Too much time has passed, and much of this information has been lost to time...¡±


    The first elder exined that three such mirror artefacts existed in this realm: the all-seeing mirror, the heaven-scrying mirror, and the Pi artefact, the heaven-transcending mirror. ¡°Are the two of you familiar with these three artefacts?¡±


    As Yun Ruoyan listened to the elder¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help thinking of what Feng Bo had mentioned. The heaven-scrying mirror that the elder had mentioned seemed to have been a means ofmunication between the Mingyuan and Jiyuan continents, just like the all-seeing mirror of the Chenyuan continent. However, for some unknown reason, the heaven-scrying mirror had shattered, and there were only two such mirror artefacts left.


    The all-seeing mirror had always been kept at Kongming Academy on the Chenyuan continent, and the heaven-transcending mirror had somehownded in Pi Yan¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Elder, I know of the heaven-scrying mirror, a spiritual artefact that allowed formunication between the Mingyuan and Jiyuan continents. However, for some reason, it shattered.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin why it shattered,¡± the first elder began, and Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both perked up.


    A thousand years ago, during the war between the silver and demonic dragons, the silver dragon n managed to eke out a victory against the demonic dragons with the help of three great mirror artefacts. However, over the course of the war, the heaven-scrying mirror had cracked, and the heaven-transcending mirror had lost its luster. Although all three mirrors were still preserved after the war, neither the heaven-scrying nor heaven-transcending mirrors could withstand severe blows. Otherwise, they could easily shatter.


    The elder cautioned Pi Yan, ¡°You have to use your own skills to capture Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan. Don¡¯t try to use the heaven-transcending mirror as a form of offense. If it shatters, your fate is death.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo finally rxed.


    ¡°Yes, Honored Elder¡ªahem, ahem!¡± As Pi Yan knelt down and kowtowed again, he couldn¡¯t help coughing. His back shook and trembled. He suddenly seemed to cut a sorry figure, showing none of the majesty or authority of the lord of the Pi family. When the silver dragon elder had punished him just now in a fit of anger, he had inflicted internal injuries on Pi Yan.


    ¡°Pi Yan, although you¡¯ve been woefully incapable of catching Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, you¡¯ve at least tried your best. Based on your many years of effort, I¡¯ll grant you a bottle of holy water. Restore your body and catch Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo for me.¡±


    ¡°My gratitude, Honored Elder,¡± Pi Yan¡¯s voice trembled in agitation. ¡°When my son¡¯s life was on the line, it was only thanks to your generosity that he could be saved and resurrected. Elder, I swear I¡¯ll repay your benevolence.¡±


    Holy water? What holy water? This was the first time Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had heard of its like. Based on Pi Yan¡¯s tone, it was a particrly preciousmodity, and they were both curious as to its effects. There were all sorts of spiritual treasures in the world, countless with palliative or restorative effects, but they had never heard of anything that could resurrect the dead.


    The elder was very pleased with Pi Yan¡¯s response to his gift, and his severe tone became less chilling. ¡°Do you know about the origin of this holy water?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Pi Yan and Pi Batian replied instantly.


    ¡°In that case, let me exin. This is a secret of the silver dragon n, so you can¡¯t mention this to anyone.¡±


    ¡°We swear to keep this secret with our lives, Honored Elder!¡±


    ¡°Holy water is refined from the blood and fluids of demonic dragons,¡± the elder began. ¡°You should both know that the demonic dragons possess incredible self-healing capabilities, and trying to kill thempletely is a very difficult task. While we of the silver dragons were investigating how to do so, we caught a few dragonkin on whom we could experiment.¡±


    In those experiments, the silver dragons both found out how topletely kill a demonic dragon and discovered an unusual substance extracted from a demonic dragon¡¯s blood and bodily fluids, one that possessed an incredible capacity for growth and restoration.


    After decades of research, the silver dragons finally seeded in creating a process that would allow for the refining of such a substance, which they named holy water because of its near-miraculous effects.


    ¡°These are the origins of holy water,¡± the silver dragon elder finished. ¡°Now that the demonic dragon n has been all but eradicated, no more holy water can be made. The remaining supply of the silver dragon n is dwindling, which exins its rarity.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan felt a sudden chill permeating her body. The demonic dragon souls, who already bore blood grudges toward the silver dragons, would undoubtedly be even more furious when they learnt that their bodies had been mutted and... extracted from... in such a fashion.


    Pi Yan and Pi Batian were about to thank the silver dragon elder again when he continued, ¡°However, a hundred years ago, we discovered another ingredient that can rece the blood and bodily fluids of the demonic dragons.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Pi Yan couldn¡¯t help asking, although he knew how much of a secret it had to be. As one of the silver dragon elder¡¯s aides, he would have ess to holy water through the silver dragon elder, so the prospect of being able to secure more of the precious liquid was of obvious interest to him.


    ¡°Descendants of the demonic dragons who still possess the demonic dragon bloodline,¡± the elder replied.


    ¡°You mean, Yun Ruoyan?¡± Pi Yan understood the implications of his words almost immediately.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, standing outside the house, were both agape in shock. They held their breaths, trying to calm themselves down, as they continued listening in on the silver dragon elder¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s very possible that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s thest of the demonic dragon descendants on the Chenyuan continent,¡± the silver dragon elder concluded.


    About a hundred years ago, the silver dragon n discovered that the demonic dragons had left themselves descendants on the Chenyuan continent before they werepletely eradicated by the silver dragons. The silver dragons were naturally curious about whether these descendants could also be used to concoct holy water. Shockingly, not only did they possess the same substance in their blood, though in smaller quantities than in the demonic dragons¡¯ blood, it was even more concentrated and pure. The holy water concocted from these half-dragons possessed not only a strong restorative effect, but could even resurrect someone from death.


    ¡°Honored Elder, was the holy water you granted me made from these demonic dragon descendants?¡± Pi Batian asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t it grow back my arms?¡±


    ¡°You were mortally injured, but still alive,¡± the first elder replied. ¡°What was granted you was the lowest-quality holy water, without the property of regrowth.¡±


    Despite its being the lowest-quality holy water avable, it was still able to save him from death. What could the highest-quality holy water aplish?


    ¡°Is this why you¡¯ve beenmanding me to catch these descendants, Honored Elder?¡± Pi Yan asked. He had caught over a dozen such descendants, with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s father, Long Yin, being thest among them.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± the elder replied. ¡°Not only does this prevent the demonic dragon n from having any hope of resurrection, it can extend our supplies of this rare treasure. I had initially thought Long Yin thest remaining descendant, but not that he had a daughter, Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan heard the elder bring up Long Yin, her heart began to palpitate.


    As if murmuring to himself, the elder continued, ¡°Long Yin¡¯s lonely on his own. It¡¯s time to have his daughter be reunited with him.¡±


    As she had hoped, her father Long Yin wasn¡¯t dead! Her heart thrummed so rapidly she felt as though she had to take action, but a gentle squeeze from Li Mo calmed her down.


    The silver dragon elder continued, ¡°Based on your description, Yun Ruoyan has even purer a demonic dragon bloodline than her father, so her blood would be the highest-quality ingredient for concocting holy water. If you¡¯re able to catch her, I¡¯ll grant you a bottle of holy water that can bring back the dead.¡±


    Pi Yan and Pi Batian¡¯s eyes gleamed as they thanked the elder.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll await your good news.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Honored Elder!¡± Pi Yan and Pi Batian chorused respectfully.


    Li Mo gently tugged on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, motioning for her to return to her original position in case Pi Batian noticed something amiss.


    Yun Ruoyan walked out from under the eaves of the house, deep in thought. She had always thought that the reason the silver dragon elder wanted to capture her was to prevent her from reviving the demonic dragons, but it was clear that he only viewed her as an ingredient.


    To Yun Ruoyan, the best news that she had received that night was learning that her father wasn¡¯t yet dead, that he was being held by the silver dragon elder himself...

 Chapter 431: Tracking

    <h4>Chapter 431: Tracking</h4>


    After bidding farewell to the silver dragon elder, Pi Batian and Pi Yan continued to scheme within the room. ¡°Tian¡¯er, you heard the elder¡¯s words. Our primary objective isn¡¯t to defeat the Fengs, but rather to catch Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo,¡± Pi Yan stated.


    ¡°But, Father, if we lose this battle, we¡¯ll lose our status as hegemons of the Mingyuan continent. If we focus too much on catching Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, we might aplish the silver dragon elder¡¯s objective, but if we lose the war, won¡¯t we have to submit to the Feng family?¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Pi Yan began to chuckle. ¡°Tian¡¯er, you¡¯ve always been smart, but you seem to be missing something. As long as we satisfy the silver dragon elder, making the Feng family¡ªno, even the entire Mingyuan continent!¡ªsubmit is a simple matter.¡±


    ¡°Father, you mean...?¡±


    Rather than answering Pi Batian outright, Pi Yan pointed toward his head.


    Pi Batian¡¯s eyes grew wide as he made a sudden realization. ¡°Are you referring to the Jiyuan continent?¡±


    Pi Yan smiled and nodded his head. ¡°Exactly. The silver dragon elder is the head of the silver dragons, and the silver dragon n controls the Jiyuan continent. As long as we remain in the silver dragon elder¡¯s favor, we¡¯ll soon be on our way to the Jiyuan continent.¡±


    The Jiyuan continent, the highest of all realms! Pi Batian had never once dared dream of entering it, so when he heard Pi Yan¡¯s words, he was so tantalized by the opportunity that he was at a loss for words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll surely catch Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan without fail.¡± Pi Batian replied resolutely, clenching his fists.


    Outside the house, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had already moved away from the windows, but Li Mo was still paying careful attention to the whispers he could hear from within. However, Yun Ruoyan was thinking of something else entirely: how to save her father, Long Yin, from the silver dragon elder.


    With a creak, the door to the house was pushed open. Pi Batian stepped outside, ready to return to his own rooms. As he walked past Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, his gaze suddenlynded on them.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t know if he had somehow recognized them, but he stopped walking forward. They both tensed up as they prepared for the possibility of a confrontation. However, just then, two res of red light suddenly popped up above the town gates, then burst in mid-air. Pi Batian¡¯s gaze was drawn to themotion in shock.


    ¡°Lord Pi, Young Master Pi, someone¡¯s attacking the town gates!¡± a swordsman called out, and Pi Yan also rushed out of the house to stand with Pi Batian.


    Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan aside and fled Pi Batian¡¯s gaze while everyone was distracted, and Pi Batian never looked back at them.


    ¡°Father, what should we do next?¡± Pi Batian asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with Feng Yanyang? Why¡¯s he so anxious?¡± Pi Yan frowned, murmuring to himself. ¡°He¡¯s not the type that wouldunch a sneak attack.¡±


    ¡°Father, should I bring my men to guard the town gates?¡± Pi Batian asked.


    Pi Yan shook his head.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, both hiding within the shadows, were both a little confused as to Pi Yan¡¯s seeming indifference. ¡°Bring me that woman from the courtesan troupe. We¡¯ll prepare to depart from Yan.¡±


    The town of Yan was unimportant in the grand scheme of things, and Pi Yan didn¡¯t much care for it. However, neither Pi Yan nor Pi Batian would be willing to just flee from a battle and ruin their reputation, so Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were certain that they had a n in mind.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu piped up. ¡°Li Mo told me to tell you that, while Pi Yan and Pi Batian are fleeing, he¡¯ll bring you to the city gates to gather with Feng Yicheng. Then, he¡¯ll give chase on his own.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked toward Li Mo, who nodded at her. Yun Ruoyan still wasn¡¯t able to establish a mental link with Li Mo at her current level of cultivation, so they would use Qiuqiu as amunication tool during such situations.


    Under usual circumstances, even if she knew that Pi Yan and Pi Batian were nning something, Yun Ruoyan would undoubtedly follow Li Mo into the thick of the battle. Now that she was with child, however, she had to try to suppress her desire for action. Yun Ruoyan was just about to agree when she saw a swordsman bring a woman to Pi Yan and Pi Batian. Madam Hong!


    ¡°Make sure this woman is secured,¡± Pi Batian instructed a few swordsmen, then left the yard with them.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, tell Li Mo that we have to follow behind Pi Batian and try to find a chance to rescue Madam Hong,¡± Yun Ruoyan thought to Qiuqiu, then turned to look resolutely at Li Mo. Li Mo frowned, and his hand tightened around Yun Ruoyan¡¯s wrist.


    Li Mo knew that Yun Ruoyan wouldn¡¯t change her mind once she had made a decision, so he could only keep her by his side to make sure she was safe. Even if she were fighting, he would be right by his side.


    Pi Yan and Pi Batian must already have been nning to desert the town of Yan, or they wouldn¡¯t have gathered their swordsmen by their side, able to leave almost instantly.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo joined the other Pi swordsmen as they fled the Yan governor¡¯s manor through a back door, then soared out of the town.


    Behind them, they could see Feng Bo vanquishing a number of guards still guarding the town gates, then opening the gates and sounding a horn. Zhuo Yifeng led a hundred swordsmen in a charge into the city, rapidly killing the sentries patrolling the walls. Soon afterwards, Feng Yicheng led the Feng troops into the town.


    The entire process took no longer than two hours. The Feng swordsmen only encountered some token resistance during their initial entrance; once they had entered, they found the town silent and deserted.


    ¡°Pi Yan and Pi Batian didn¡¯t bring any of their men with them?¡± Feng Yicheng nced at the empty, deste streets. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    He brought his men with him to the governor¡¯s manor, only to find that Pi Yan and Pi Batian had long since disappeared. The only ones left in the manor were the governor himself, as well as his own guards.


    ¡°Where are Pi Yan and Pi Batian?¡± Feng Yicheng interrogated. During the battle, the governor had actually remained hidden within his manor, not even stepping outside to check on his town.


    ¡°The moment you started attacking the city, they left,¡± the governor replied. ¡°Lord Pi and Young Master Pi had no intention of defending the town at all.¡±


    ¡°In that case, what¡¯s their n?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m unaware of the specifics. All I know is that they¡¯re here to catch a woman called Yun Ruoyan, and they imed to have set up a trap for them.¡±


    While Feng Yicheng interrogated the governor, Zhuo Yifeng arrived with his men.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, have you seen Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo?¡± Feng Yicheng asked.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she with the reinforcements?¡±


    ¡°No. I had her and Li Mo enter the governor¡¯s manor to save Madam Hong. While you and Feng Bo were doing your part in the invasion, they snuck into the manor to try to find Madam Hong. You really haven¡¯t seen them?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng turned to the governor. ¡°What did you say the Pis were trying to do?¡±


    ¡°They were... they were here to catch a woman called Yun Ruoyan, as well as a man called Li Mo,¡± the governor answered.


    ¡°Not good,¡± Feng Bo murmured urgently. ¡°Looks like this is another of Pi Yan and Pi Batian¡¯s traps. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pregnant, so she might be in danger if she ends up having to fight.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zhuo Yifeng whirled back around to Feng Bo. ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s pregnant?¡±


    Few people knew of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pregnancy. Feng Yicheng had only found out from Feng Bo, but no one had told Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Zhuo Yifeng cursed, suddenly deeply worried for her.


    ¡°We¡¯d better hurry. If we chase them now, we might be able to be of some assistance to them,¡± Feng Bo urged, then soared off into the skies with Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Feng Yicheng shouted.


    None of them knew in which direction Pi Yan and Pi Batian had headed, but the two closest towns to Yan, Qing and Ya, were respectively to the east and the west. After a short discussion, it was decided that Feng Bo and Feng Yicheng would head to Ya, which was slightly closer, whereas Feng Yicheng would head to Qing. If no one was present, they would turn back and head in the other direction.


    The Pi procession was originally flying toward the town of Qing, but just as they were about to get there, they suddenly changed direction.


    ¡°Li Mo, where are we headed?¡± Li Mo looked all around him, noting the dozen first-rank sword saints scattered about the troops, as well as Pi Yan and Pi Batian themselves. Trying to save Madam Hong against such a defense was almost impossible; luckily, Li Mo had already sent word to the others via Mo¡¯er.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re nning,¡± Li Mo murmured, ¡°so we¡¯d better not be hasty. Wait for Feng Bo and the others to arrive.¡±


    While they talked, the Pi procession entered a valley. By then, the skies were bright and clear. Because all the swordsmen were wearing face shields to guard against the wind, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have to worry about being recognized.


    ¡°Could the Pis have a secret hideaway here?¡± Yun Ruoyan wondered as Pi Yan and Pi Batian suddenly began to descend.

 Chapter 432: Surrounded

    <h4>Chapter 432: Surrounded</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo descended within a hidden valley. The moment theynded, they noticed something amiss. The swordsmen all turned toward the two of them and surrounded them in a circle.


    ¡°Haha, it looks like we didn¡¯t even have to do anything to catch you!¡± Pi Yan turned around and stared at Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo as an eagle stared at its prey.


    ¡°Ruoyan, what are you doing here?!¡± Madam Hong widened her eyes as she took in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s petite form.


    ¡°They¡¯re here to save you, of course!¡± Pi Batian pulled Madam Hong to his side. ¡°But not only have they failed to save you, they¡¯re even going to die for their foolhardy attempt.¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, bring Ruoyan away! Ignore me¡ªI n on dying with my sisters, and I¡¯m not worth your lives!¡± she called out, prompting Pi Batian to pinch her throat shut.


    ¡°Madam Hong, Li Mo and I are risking our lives to save you. If you still won¡¯t allow yourself to be saved, you¡¯ll be spurning our efforts! For you, Feng Yicheng¡¯s been taking down city after city, and his body¡¯s riddled with wounds. A Fei¡¯s been listlessly hoping for your safe return. Are you going to torture those whose hearts are with you in your attempt to die?¡±


    ¡°What? Feng Yicheng¡¯s injured?¡± Madam Hong asked hoarsely, Pi Batian¡¯s grip turning her face red.


    ¡°Would I lie?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face turned a little angry. ¡°He behaved so recklessly just for you, but you¡¯re unwilling to take the chance that he gave his blood to obtain!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words drew tears to Madam Hong¡¯s eyes. Yun Ruoyan sighed, hoping that her words would spark the desire to live deep within Madam Hong¡¯s soul. She had told a lie: although Feng Yicheng did personally lead his troops to attack the Pi towns, with his current status, he naturally wouldn¡¯t be charging at the very front. Given that Feng Bo was by his side, he might have received a few small injuries, but it surely wasn¡¯t as bad as she described.


    ¡°You must be misunderstanding your plight,¡± Pi Batian jumped in coldly. ¡°Since you¡¯re all here now, your lives are mine to control. Subdue them!¡±


    Pi Yan alsomanded, ¡°If you catch them both, all of you will be rewarded with a sage-grade spirit crystal and ten thousand regr spirit crystals!¡±


    With themand, the dozens of swordsmen all turned to Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan with covetous nces.


    As Mo¡¯er flew toward the town of Yan, it encountered Zhuo Yifeng. After Zhuo Yifeng read the message from Li Mo that was tied to Mo¡¯er¡¯s w, he put the message back and hurriedly changed direction. At his fastest speed, he arrived at a series of misty valleys within half an hour. Although it was the middle of the day and the sun was shining brightly, the mist in the peaks and valleys showed no signs of dissipating.


    ¡°Demonic spirit, can you sense where any cultivators are?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked.


    ¡°Of course, but I¡¯ll have to make use of your eyes,¡± it replied.


    Zhuo Yifeng closed his eyes. The next time he opened them, his clear, bright beastkin eyes had been reced by two pitch-ck pupils. He nced at the valleys below him, and his sight prated the white fog to find a certain spot filled with the shes of fireballs and icicles.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found it!¡± Zhuo Yifeng hurriedly flew to the scene of the battle.


    With his gleaming sword in his hand, and with the Scarlet Eye in hers, Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan defended against the horde of swordsmen back-to-back. Rather than swarming them as a wave, the swordsmen had divided into several parties, some with short-ranged skirmishers who engaged the duo, and others who targeted them from afar with their spiritual techniques.


    Both of them immediately shielded themselves with their spiritual membrane. Li Mo¡¯s cultivation was higher than those of the gathered swordsmen, so his membrane was sufficient to block all the attacksunched at him. However, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation was weaker than average, and Li Mo had to expend additional effort to protect her as well.


    ¡°Father, help is surely arriving for them. We¡¯d better make this quick,¡± Pi Batian said.


    Pi Yan nodded, then flew into the air. As he reached out and wed at the air before him, a dozen mud-yellow balls formed in his palm, which he sent whizzing toward Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    Sensing the danger, Yun Ruoyan hurriedly blocked the attack with her Scarlet Eye. These mud-yellow balls were concentrated essences of earth, which Pi Yan had condensed with a third-rank sword saint¡¯s cultivation. The attack wasn¡¯t to be underestimated; by the time Yun Ruoyan had blocked half the spheres, her palms were cracked and bleeding from their force. The other spheresnded on her and Li Mo¡¯s bodies.


    The spheres that hit Li Mo caused a great disturbance in his spiritual membrane, but were ultimately blocked. On the other hand, those that hit Yun Ruoyan shattered her membrane. One had hit her directly on the head, causing her to yelp in pain as blood flowed from the wound.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. Even as she spoke, the wound on her forehead was already healing. Tiny ck scales covered up the wound, stemming the bleeding. Then, the scales turned into ordinary skin, and the injury on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head vanishedpletely, as though she had never been hit.


    Yun Ruoyan was the focal point of everyone¡¯s attention, and her self-recovery was witnessed by one and all. Pi Yan and Pi Batian knew that her bloodline had activated, and, when they thought back to the silver dragon elder¡¯s words, their eyes gleamed with greed. If they were able to catch Yun Ruoyan, they would be able to trade her in for high-grade holy water, sufficient to revive them from death itself. Who wouldn¡¯t want an additional life?


    When Li Mo met their greedy eyes, he instantly understood what they were thinking. No matter who dared try to hurt his beloved Yun Ruoyan, he would kill them all! And even if he weren¡¯t able to kill them, he would make them pay! He shot out an array of icicles, forcing the gathered Pi swordsmen back, thenunched his de at Pi Yan with his full strength.


    Pi Yan didn¡¯t dodge the attack. When the blow struck his body, his spiritual membrane immediately blocked the blow. Surprisingly, however, Li Mo¡¯s attack was actually able to cause his membrane to tremble severely.


    When Li Mo shot out another de, Pi Yan didn¡¯t dare take his attacks lightly any longer. He conjured a wall of earth in front of him, blocking the blow.


    He¡¯s already a peak second-rank sword saint! Pi Yan thought. If I don¡¯t catch him now, when he bes a third-rank sword saint, I¡¯ll be no match for him!


    ¡°What¡¯re you waiting for? Continue the attacks!¡± Pi Batianmanded from the side.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan bore the avnche of attacks aimed at them with gritted teeth. Li Mo extended the membrane surrounding his body to encapste her, but it would weaken the overall strength of the membrane. The attacks that rained down on them caused it to fluctuate violently, as though it would dissipate at any moment.


    Pi Batian, seeing his opportunity, shouted, ¡°Everyone,unch an attack in unison! Smash their spiritual membrane to smithereens!¡±


    Following hismand, the Pi swordsmen all charged up for a massive attack. Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had no intention of being sitting ducks, but they were soon overwhelmed by the Pis¡¯ numerical advantage.


    The moment Li Mo¡¯s spiritual membrane broke, both Pi Batian and Pi Yan burst out in smiles.


    ¡°It looks like we won¡¯t need to activate the trap we set up for them,¡± Pi Yanmented idly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve really overestimated them, haven¡¯t we, Father?¡± Pi Batian murmured. ¡°Catch the two of them, and make sure they¡¯re alive!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll reward two sage-grade spirit crystals and twenty thousand regr spirit crystals to whomever can catch them first!¡± Pi Yan shouted.


    The swordsmen swarmed toward Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    ¡°Li Mo,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured, her voice surprisingly calm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yan¡¯er. With me around, no one will be able to harm you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was just about to reply that she wasn¡¯t afraid when a blinding white glow began to emanate from Li Mo¡¯s body. She couldn¡¯t help but turn toward him, only to have him whisper, ¡°Yan¡¯er, shut your eyes so I don¡¯t blind you.¡±


    ¡°What a strong light! What technique is this?¡±


    ¡°Rather than a technique, it looks like a powerful spiritual artifact.¡±


    ¡°What sort of artifact could produce such a blinding glow?¡±


    The Pi swordsmen all shielded their eyes from the glow, as did Yun Ruoyan, but she suddenly forced herself to open her eyes and look toward Li Mo. Through the blinding re, she saw Li Mo¡¯s metamorphosis, his ink-ck hair and dark robes both turning a dazzling silver...

 Chapter 433: Trapped in an Illusion

    <h4>Chapter 433: Trapped in an Illusion</h4>


    When the blinding light finally vanished, everyone saw Li Mo dressed in silver. With his transformation, the spiritual membrane surrounding him reformed stronger than ever.


    His ice-blue eyes looked toward Yun Ruoyan, and he extended a hand toward her. As Yun Ruoyan took his hand, his spiritual membrane spread to her. Together, they nced coldly at Pi Yan and Pi Batian.


    ¡°Father, what¡¯s going on with Li Mo?¡± Pi Batian handed Madam Hong to a swordsman by his side. He was standing right next to Pi Yan, and both of them seemed shocked at Li Mo¡¯s sudden transformation.


    ¡°A silver dragon...¡± Pi Yan murmured. ¡°How could it be? How could he be a member of the silver dragons?!¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t notice the shocked expression on Pi Yan¡¯s face. Instead, he was entirely focused on getting rid of the Pi swordsmen around him. Dozens of swordsmen fell to Li Mo; even without Yun Ruoyan¡¯s help, he was able to ughter most of them just with a few sweeps of his sword.


    Zhuo Yifeng finally broke through the mists just in time to observe Li Mo¡¯s unusual metamorphosis.


    ¡°To think he¡¯s from the silver dragon n!¡± the demonic spirit cried out. ¡°Brat, there¡¯s no need for you to do anything. These cultivators are nothing to a member of the silver dragons.¡±


    Since Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t need his help, Zhuo Yifeng hid by one side of the valley to observe the situation unfold.


    ¡°Father...¡± Pi Batian muttered anxiously, seeing that all their swordsmen had been wiped out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t we still have what the silver dragon elder gave us?¡± Pi Yan replied calmly.


    ¡°If you hand over Madam Hong, we¡¯ll spare your life,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out to the swordsman who was holding onto her. Li Mo¡¯s icy blue eyes also turned to the swordsman, who released Madam Hong in fear as he tried to soar away.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Just as he was about to fly off, he fell back down to the ground, a ball of mud-yellow spiritual energy having shot into his back.


    ¡°The Pi family has no need for cowards,¡± Pi Yan said coldly, and Madam Hong returned to Pi Batian¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, how do you want to deal with these two?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave their corpses untouched if they release Madam Hong,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°Otherwise, smash their bones to smithereens.¡±


    Despite the threat, Pi Yan only smiled. ¡°Oh? Let¡¯s see if you can live through this, first.¡± Pi Yan pointed at a spot in the air, and a white beam of light shone from his fingertip. Instantly, arge, circr array surrounded Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    Faint grey mist enveloped them both.


    ¡°An illusion array!¡± the demonic spirit murmured.


    ¡°What¡¯s an illusion array?¡± Zhuo Yifeng asked.


    ¡°A very powerful array, one that will entrap all cultivators within. These two cultivators don¡¯t have the skill to set up such an array, so it must be their mysterious backer¡ªah, brat, what¡¯re you doing?!¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng suddenly dashed out of his hiding spot and into the vanishing array.


    Pi Yan¡¯s eyes widened as he looked toward Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s vanishing form. To think that there¡¯s someone who would rush to his death like that...!


    ¡°Father, the illusion array that the silver dragon elder handed us is truly remarkable. If it were so easy to entrap them both, why did we spend so much effort trying to capture them in the first ce?¡± Pi Batian asked.


    Pi Yan shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be so happy quite yet. The elder stated that the array might not be able to trap them, so we¡¯ll have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Pi Batian, release Madam Hong!¡± Suddenly, a shout rang out from above their heads.


    ¡°Feng Yicheng and Feng Bo!¡± Pi Batian reared back in rm. ¡°To think this valley was found so quickly!¡±


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ll handle Feng Yicheng. You deal with Feng Bo,¡± Pi Batian said, then knocked Madam Hong unconscious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rash.¡± Pi Yan halted Pi Batian, who was just about to rush out. ¡°Leave this woman behind and let¡¯s go.¡±


    Pi Yan took out the heaven-transcending mirror and reflected it at the array, which morphed into a diagram that entered the mirror. Then, Pi Yan and Pi Batian flew off on their swords.


    When Feng Yicheng saw Madam Hong lying unconscious on the ground, he immediatelynded to inspect her. Feng Bo followed suit; Feng Yicheng was the new lord of the Feng family, and protecting him was his first and foremost responsibility.


    Pi Batian¡¯s blow had been infused with enough spiritual power to give Madam Hong a severe injury, and she needed immediate treatment. Feng Bo nced at the corpses strewn across the valley and noted that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo weren¡¯t present. He didn¡¯t have much time to investigate, however, and instead brought Madam Hong back to the main Feng encampment.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo found themselves surrounded by gray mist. They walked and walked, but found no sign of anything to mark their way. The dim half-light that surrounded them remained dim, without any sign of growing brighter or darker. It felt as though they were trapped in a space outside time, outside life, with nothing but empty space where they were.


    Fortunately, both Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo could sustain themselves on spiritual energy alone. Otherwise, without any food, they would surely starve to death.


    ¡°Li Mo, it doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯ll be able to escape so easily,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured.


    Li Mo, who was walking in front while holding onto her hand, suddenly stopped and turned around. His ice-blue eyes suddenly dimmed, he stumbled, and his body slumped to the ground in a heap. His silvery robes faded back to ck¡ªhe had consumed too much of his spiritual energy.


    Yun Ruoyan hurriedly took ahold of him and fed him a spirit-gathering pill. At the same time, Qiuqiu chirped to her, ¡°Li Mo¡¯s silver dragon bloodline isn¡¯t very strong, and his transformation consumes an incredible amount of spiritual energy. It¡¯ll be hard for him to get back to fighting shape in the near future.¡±


    Li Mo had mentioned this to Yun Ruoyan in the past. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Li Mo wouldn¡¯t transform: if he hadn¡¯t dealt with his opponent by the time his transformation was cancelled, he would be dead meat.


    Yun Ruoyan nced all around her with some desperation, hoping that nothing unusual would happen before Li Mo recovered. Although she was a peak ninth-rank demaster, her cultivation was insufficient to guarantee their safety in this mysterious ce.


    ¡°Mistress, I sense someone approaching!¡± Qiuqiu suddenly eximed. At almost the same time, Yun Ruoyan also detected a man¡¯s aura.


    Yun Ruoyan drew her Scarlet Eye and stepped in front of Li Mo.


    Pi Yan and Pi Batian found a secluded area in which tond. Pi Yan held out the heaven-transcending mirror in his hand, and the silver dragon elder¡¯s image appeared on its surface. ¡°Elder, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo are both trapped within the illusion array in this mirror,¡± Pi Yan stated.


    ¡°Good.¡± The elder let out a satisfied smile. ¡°Extract them from the mirror the way I taught you. I¡¯ll personallye im them tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    After finishing his report to the silver dragon elder, Pi Yan began to extract Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo from the array. Since the elder only stipted that he wanted them alive, there was no reason Pi Yan couldn¡¯t give them a little payback for what they¡¯d done to him and his beloved son. As for Zhuo Yifeng, if he so desperately wanted to die, Pi Yan would fulfill his wish.


    He made a hand gesture, and the runes on the illusion array lit up in multicolored light...


    Zhuo Yifeng entered the illusion array after Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, causing them to be separated by quite some distance. After entering the array, he had started to follow Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s scent. Just as he discovered a shadow before him, a fireball shot out from the fog directly at him. He hurriedly blocked the attack with his sword, then called out, ¡°Ruoyan, it¡¯s me, Zhuo Yifeng!¡±


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng? What are you doing here?¡±


    Only when Zhuo Yifeng walked within visible range did Yun Ruoyan finally sheathe her sword. He exined what happened, and how he had dashed into the array at thest possible moment. ¡°I¡¯ll get both of you out.¡±


    ¡°You have a way to leave?¡±


    ¡°While searching for you, I discovered the way out. Follow me.¡± Zhuo Yifeng reached out to support Li Mo, but the moment he touched him, Li Mo awoke.


    ¡°Li Mo, you¡¯re awake! How are you?¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately asked in concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright. And you?¡± He subconsciously looked toward Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stomach, which she patted gently.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright too. I¡¯m sorry, I acted too rashly. Not only did I fail to save Madam Hong, I even got both of us ambushed.¡±


    Li Mo didn¡¯t intend on forgiving Yun Ruoyan so easily, or she would keep acting this impulsively in the future. Just then, however, Qiuqiu jumped in. ¡°Silver dragons are crafty by nature, and demonic dragons impulsive. My mistress possesses the demonic dragon bloodline, and unless she can control it fully, she won¡¯t be able to avoid her rash tendencies.¡±

 Chapter 434: Zhuo Yifeng’s Compromise

    <h4>Chapter 434: Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s Compromise</h4>


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan could sense the truth of Qiuqiu¡¯s words. Although they had already known this at a subconscious level, Qiuqiu had drawn their attention to the problem that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s bloodline presented.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯d best not stay here too long,¡± Zhuo Yifeng said, then tried to reach out for Li Mo again. The moment he touched Li Mo, however, Li Mo frowned and moved aside.


    Zhuo Yifeng didn''t mind Li Mo¡¯s gesture. He motioned for them to follow him as he took the lead. Yun Ruoyan, supporting Li Mo, walked behind him. Not too long after they began walking, mes suddenly began to ze all around them, so tall they could lick the crown of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head.


    Yun Ruoyan took to her sword, trying to fly herself and Li Mo out of the fire, when the route ahead of her suddenly filled with mes. The sea of fire smothered the three cultivators entirely.


    ¡°Are they going to burn to death?¡± Pi Batian asked. Through the array, they could see what was happening to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo from within.


    ¡°This is an illusion,¡± Pi Yan murmured.


    ¡°Father, you mean that the mes surrounding them are fake?¡±


    ¡°More or less. Those mes are facsimiles conjured up from the spiritual energy fed into the array. It¡¯ll hurt their spirit, but not their body, and it certainly won¡¯t burn them to death,¡± Pi Yan replied.


    Pi Yan and Pi Batian gleefully watched on, only to see the three cultivators walk out of the fire shielded by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s Scarlet Eye. Her sword boasted dominion over fire, and the spirit fire produced by the illusion array clearly was no match for it.


    ¡°Father, they¡¯ve escaped!¡±


    Pi Yan narrowed his eyes, and his hands continued to manipte the array.


    Countless swords of ice immediately appeared in front of the cultivators. Yun Ruoyan stepped in front of Li Mo and blocked them with a swing of her Scarlet Eye. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, what¡¯re you doing? Come help!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    Zhuo Yifeng drew his sword, but his eyes suddenly turned cold. Instead of helping Yun Ruoyan, he stabbed at Li Mo¡¯s back. With a metallic clink, Li Mo barely blocked Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s attack, knocking him back.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, what¡¯re you doing?!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted. He seemed to have turned into another person entirely. Raising his sword high into the air, he again thrusted at Li Mo. Li Mo had expended hisst bit of spiritual energy to block Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s attack; as Yun Ruoyan dealt with the hail of des in front of her, she released a few fireballs in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s direction.


    However, those fireballs didn¡¯t dissuade him from his attack. He blocked them and continued walking toward Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, his gaze filled with killing intent.


    Just then, a shadow suddenly appeared by Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s side. With a clean snick, a de was thrust through Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng!¡± Despite the sudden betrayal, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart clenched in pain. She hadn¡¯t expected that Zhuo Yifeng would suddenly attack them, nor that he would die equally suddenly. They had beenrades who had seen death together, and they had promised to return to the Chenyuan continent together.


    The shock to her mind caused her to falter in blocking the swords of ice still streaming toward her, and a number of swords broke through her defenses. Li Mo hurriedly pulled her aside. The shadowy figure who had killed Zhuo Yifeng appeared before the two cultivators, a pitch-ck shield in his hand blocking the innumerable swords in front of them.


    ¡°Quick, leave this ce!¡± he shouted.


    Yun Ruoyan turned her gaze from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s corpse to the speaker, then gasped. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Quick,e with me!¡± Zhuo Yifeng clearly didn¡¯t have the time to exin himself further, and he retreated with the two cultivators. As they did so, the swords of ice clearly diminished in number before vanishing entirely.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°This is an illusion array,¡± he replied, stowing his shield. ¡°That me you saw just now was just an illusion.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that you arrived when you did, or Yan¡¯er and I would be in mortal danger,¡± Li Mo said.¡± When Zhuo Yifeng tried to get close to Li Mo, Li Mo had discovered that that Zhuo Yifeng was just a fake, and he had been guarding his back since. Only his caution had saved him from being stabbed in the back.


    ¡°This array has many nuclei, some of which represent safe shelter, and others of which represent mortal peril,¡± Zhuo Yifeng exined. ¡°The two of you were in a region of mortal peril, and there are often many trapsid out around such an area.¡±


    ¡°If we head to nuclei representing safe shelter, does that mean we can escape?¡± Yun Ruoyan hazarded a guess.


    ¡°No.¡± Zhuo Yifeng shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re by one such nucleus right now, but it only guarantees our safety for the moment.¡±


    Without any means of escaping the array, the three cultivators decided to rest for the moment. Yun Ruoyan handed her sage-grade spirit crystal to Li Mo, who was finally able to recover about a third of his spiritual energy. He opened his eyes and nced around him, noting that Yun Ruoyan was in cultivation by his side. Zhuo Yifeng was sitting not too far away from them, his eyes slightly open. Perhaps because he sensed Li Mo¡¯s gaze, Zhuo Yifeng opened his eyes wide, and their gazes met.


    When Li Mo confirmed that there was temporarily no danger, he closed his eyes and continued to cultivate.


    As they rested, the demonic spirit in Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s head continued to whisper, ¡°Brat, I¡¯m the only one who can help all of you escape. Why are you hesitating? Do you want to be trapped here for eternity? Or do you want the mysterious backer behind the Pi family to appear and capture all of you?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied. ¡°Unless it¡¯s necessary, I won¡¯t ept.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s something I almost forgot to tell you,¡± the demonic spirit continued. ¡°This array¡¯s nuclei arebile, and an area of safe shelter might easily transform into a deadly trap.¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s brows furrowed, but he didn¡¯t reply. When the demonic spirit noticed that Zhuo Yifeng was ignoring him, it finally stopped talking. However, Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t dare rx. Although his eyes were closed, his spiritual perception was extended to its maximum possible range.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯m sure the silver dragon elder will be here shortly.¡± Pi Batian and Pi Yan hadn¡¯t slept for the entire night. Pi Yan had been manipting the array all this time, while Pi Batian watched on from the side.


    The figures of the three cultivators could still be seen from the formation.


    ¡°Father, if we still haven¡¯t caught them by the time the elder arrives...¡± Pi Batian sounded a little worried.


    Pi Yan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they have no chance of escaping now. I¡¯ve gathered the array¡¯s perilous nuclei together, so they won¡¯t escape unless they can teleport.


    Within the array, the three cultivators felt a sudden sense of disquiet simultaneously. They opened their eyes to find their surroundings quaking. mes, swords of ice, vines, dust, and boulders overwhelmed them, rushing toward them like an avnche.


    They immediately gathered into a close circle. Zhuo Yifeng used his shield to block the attacks, while Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan began striking at the obstacles with their swords to dissipate them. Their defense seemed imprable, only to have a crack open up under their feet. Luckily, all three of them reacted in time, taking to the skies on their swords.


    However, the crack then started to suck them downward. Yun Ruoyan nced beneath her at the roaring, blood-red magma that could be seen through the crack. The heated air felt so real that, although she knew she was in an illusion array, the consequences for being dragged below would hardly be better than death.


    As the suction force grew stronger and stronger, and the three of them were battered all over by the attacks flying from every direction, they all received some amount of superficial injury. For the time being, none of them had been gravely injured, but their position was untenable in the long term.


    ¡°Well, brat? Won¡¯t you ept my suggestion?¡± the demonic spirit whispered again. ¡°As long as you fully merge with me, my power is more than sufficient to get everyone out of here. Not only will you be able to save your own life, but also that of your two friends. Time¡¯s ticking, and you¡¯d best not hesitate any longer.¡±


    ¡°If I die, you¡¯ll have to vanish as well. I know you have other strategies to save me that don¡¯t involve merging with me,¡± Zhuo Yifeng replied.


    ¡°Oh, I do. But if you don¡¯t merge with me, you¡¯ll be the only one I save. The woman you love will forever perish in this array¡ªbut since she doesn¡¯t like you, who cares?¡±


    Zhuo Yifeng gritted his teeth and finally relented. ¡°Alright, I agree to your conditions.¡±


    ¡°Heh, as expected, you¡¯re someone who values your rtionships.¡±


    ¡°Father, now they surely won¡¯t be able to escape!¡± Pi Batian crowed, smirking at the three cultivators as they desperately fended for their lives amidst the attacks storming toward them.


    ¡°Watch this.¡± Pi Yan manipted the array again, but before whatever cruel attack he had nned could materialize, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hands suddenly began to glow in ck. He wed at empty space, tearing a hole in the array that slowly morphed into the shape of a door.


    ¡°Quick, escape from here!¡± Zhuo Yifeng called out.

 Chapter 435: The Unsealed Feilai Blade

    <h4>Chapter 435: The Unsealed Fei de</h4>


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, you¡ª¡± When Yun Ruoyan saw that Zhuo Yifeng was actually able to tear apart the array, she was too shocked for words. Li Mo likewise looked at him with an astonished look on his face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold this for long. Leave!¡± Zhuo Yifeng yelled.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo nced at each other, suppressed their curiosity and shock for the time being, and stepped through the opening that Zhuo Yifeng had made. After them, Zhuo Yifeng followed suit.


    ¡°How could this be? How could they destroy the illusion array that the silver dragon elder made himself?!¡± Pi Yan shouted, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.


    At the same time, Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Zhuo Yifeng looked toward Pi Yan and Pi Batian.


    ¡°It looks like our feud ends now,¡± Yun Ruoyan said.


    Pi Batian recovered from his shock and murmured to Pi Yan, ¡°Father, they must have a powerful array-breaking artifact on them.¡±


    Pi Yan had no choice but to ept this exnation. He could see that Zhuo Yifeng was now a sword saint, but even he, a peak third-rank sword saint, was unable to tear space apart, let alone someone like Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Try it,¡± Pi Yan replied leisurely. Both he and his son were skilled cultivators. Although they couldn¡¯t guarantee victory against the trio in front of them, they would at least be able to defend themselves and flee safely.


    As soon as Pi Yan spoke, a shadow darted past Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. Li Mo furrowed his brows slightly, because he could feel a concentrated ice-cold auraing from Zhuo Yifeng. He drew his pitch-ck whip, sleek and dark like a python from the underworld, and pounced toward Pi Yan. Within a few blows, he even managed to force Pi Yan back.


    Yun Ruoyan had intended on facing off against Pi Yan with Zhuo Yifeng, allowing Li Mo to crush Pi Batian. Then, the three of thembined would be sufficient to handle Pi Yan. She wouldn¡¯t even have to state the n outright; based on how well she knew Li Mo and Zhuo Yifeng, they would likely have thought of the same n already.


    However, what actually happened was so different from what she had expected that she stared at the fight in surprise. Zhuo Yifeng was wrapped in a cold, gloomy aura, an aura somewhat familiar, yet foreign, to her. It felt a little like her shade¡¯s aura, but it was far stronger and more eerie. Furthermore, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s bloodthirst was so heavy it was almost palpable. His eyes were a predator¡¯s, longing for ughter and the iron tang of blood.


    It was hard for Yun Ruoyan to fathom what circumstances he had found himself in to have developed such an appearance.


    Li Mo took Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand, preventing her from her now-usual flights of rashness. The shock that Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s presence and transformation had caused was far less severe to Li Mo; after noticing a pattern in his unusual behavior, he had some inkling of what might have happened.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s been acting quite strangely for a while. Given his current appearance, it¡¯s likely that he¡¯s been influenced by some sort of shade or another.¡±


    As shocked as Yun Ruoyan was Pi Batian. When he saw his father being forced to retreat against Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s onught, he had initially thought of jumping in¡ªbut now he was scared, quailing against Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s absolute strength.


    ¡°Pi Batian¡¯s going to run!¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered, drawing her de.


    ¡°Let me handle him,¡± Li Mo said. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    He shed forward, blocking the entrance to the cave behind Pi Batian.


    Pi Batian naturally wasn¡¯t Li Mo¡¯s match. Although he was also a second-rank sword saint, he had remained as an early second-rank sword saint for quite some time. On the other hand, Li Mo had rapidly ascended to the peak of second rank. Given Li Mo¡¯s superior bloodline and the difference in their cultivation, he could suppress Pi Batianpletely.


    As he did so, Pi Yan finally sumbed to Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s attacks. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s whip curled around his lightning-summoning sword, but Pi Yan refused to let go. He held onto the hilt as though it were a lifeline. All of a sudden, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s hands brimmed with ck aura as a chilling source of spiritual energy passed from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s whip to the sword in his hands, then to his spiritual vortex.


    As Pi Yan¡¯s spiritual vortex grew distended, he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Zhuo Yifeng! Who are you?¡± Pi Yan tried to drop his sword, but he found that he was no longer able to ovee that chilling spiritual energy. In shock, he realized that the spiritual energy in his body was slowly being converted to that mysterious presence¡¯s, that he was devouring even Pi Yan¡¯s lifeforce itself...


    ¡°Who am I?¡± The demonic spirit, who had mergedpletely with Zhuo Yifeng, let out a coldugh. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to know my name.¡± It continued sucking at Pi Yan¡¯s spiritual energy and lifeforce, and Pi Yan¡¯s body was visibly shrinking to skin and bones.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Zhuo Yifeng! Who are you?¡± This time, Yun Ruoyan was the one who asked.


    Zhuo Yifeng turned back to look at Yun Ruoyan, his eyes clouded over with ck. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart suddenly leapt, and her mind seemed to shake. Countless bloody scenes appeared in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind.


    Surrounded by shadowy aura, silver and demonic dragons whirled around each other, howling and biting. Blood filled the air, raining down and dissipating amidst the ghastly aura.


    ¡°I remember, I finally remember!¡± an ancient voice suddenly shouted from deep within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Mistress, it¡¯s the Fei de! The Fei de¡¯s de spirit is trying to break through its seal!¡± Qiuqiu chirped.


    ¡°The Fei de!¡± Yun Ruoyan struggled to bear the shocks that reverberated through her spiritual vortex and her mind. The Fei de was a legendary spiritual weapon she had retrieved from a near-frozenke, one that the first elder of Kongming Academy had sealed within her body until she became a sword saint. However, the de spirit was trying to break free of its seal on its own.


    Opposite her, Pi Yan seemed about to turn into human jerky when a beam of light suddenly shone from his palm. With thest vestige of his spiritual energy, Pi Yan retrieved the heaven-transcending mirror, which shot into the sky. A pir of light appeared from the mirror, and a silvery-white elder¡¯s visage appeared within that light.


    ¡°Honored Elder, save us!¡± Pi Yan and Pi Batian begged.


    The elder¡¯s gaze, however, was solely on Zhuo Yifeng. His dark eyes, wreathed with ghostly aura, stared into the pale-blue orbs of the silver dragon elder. After a few pregnant moments, the silver dragon elder finally asked, ¡°Demonic spirit, you¡¯re still alive?!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Zhuo Yifeng¡¯sugh was cold, arrogant, and tinged with rage. ¡°If you¡¯re not yet dead, how could I bear to leave the mortal world? It¡¯s been a thousand years, dragon. You¡¯ve aged.¡±


    ¡°Help!¡± Pi Yan cried out again, his bones showing through his skin.


    The silver dragon elder turned to Pi Yan. ¡°Since you¡¯re useless, I might as well get rid of you now.¡± He waved a hand at him, and a pale blue spark of fire suddenly flew to Pi Yan¡¯s body. With a startlingly quiet ze, Pi Yan¡¯s body was vaporized into dust.


    ¡°Father!¡± Pi Batian cried out.


    ¡°On the other hand, you might still be of some use.¡± The silver dragon elder¡¯s gaze thennded on Pi Batian. He extended a hand toward Li Mo, who felt a strong suction force emanating from the elder¡¯s hand dragging him and Pi Batian toward the elder.


    Li Mo, unable to counteract the force, released Pi Batian and allowed him to be dragged toward the elder. Meanwhile, Li Mo stuck his sword into the ground, stabilizing himself.


    Right before Pi Batiannded in the silver dragon¡¯s hand, the demonic spirit cast out its ck whip and curled it around one of Pi Batian¡¯s legs.


    ¡°This impudent brat has offended one of my friends, and I have to kill it,¡± the demonic spirit announced. He tugged at the whip, tearing off Pi Batian¡¯s leg and drawing a pained yell from him.


    The demonic spirit again struck at Pi Batian with its whip, but, now prepared, the silver dragon elder extended his spiritual membrane to Pi Batian.


    The ck whip was clearly unable to prate the membrane, and the demonic spirit and dragon elder entered an uneasy stalemate.


    ¡°Huhut!¡± Suddenly, another elderly voice cried out. ¡°Allow me to join in the front.¡±


    The demonic spirit and silver dragon both looked toward the source of the voice: a ck shadow which had darted out of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forehead and morphed into the shape of a ck, half-moon-shaped spiritual weapon. Sitting on top of the de was the de spirit of the Fei de, an old geezer who had lost his memories and been sealed away by the first elder of Kongming Academy.

 Chapter 436: Three Old Geezers

    <h4>Chapter 436: Three Old Geezers</h4>


    ¡°You, you¡ªthe forefather of the demonic dragons!¡± the demonic spirit and silver dragon elder cried out. ¡°You¡¯re still...¡±


    ¡°Huhut! I¡¯m still alive, yes,¡± the elder announced amidst the shocked gazes directed at him. ¡°The demonic dragon n lives!¡±


    ¡°To think we weren¡¯t able to eradicate your soul even with the heaven-scrying mirror,¡± the silver dragon elder murmured, ceasing all hostilities with the demonic spirit immediately. Both of them looked toward the de spirit with caution.


    The demonic spirit tossed Pi Batian, still half-alive, to the edge of the cave. Li Mo walked to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side. Both of them could sense the weight of the encounter, and they both silently retreated to the side, trying to reduce their presence as they took in the scene and the historic meeting.


    The de spirit snorted and turned to the demonic spirit. ¡°To think I trusted you all those years ago, but you teamed up with the silver dragon to trick me into entering an illusion array! Luckily, I escaped with the Fei de. Are the two of you going to team up against me once more? You can try¡ªbut without any of your petty tricks, it won¡¯t be that easy to beat me again!¡± He began making a series ofplex gestures with his fingers, generating a howling wind around him.


    ¡°Not good. It¡¯s the demonic dragon arts!¡± the demonic spirit shouted. ¡°Hey, hey, calm down! Let¡¯s talk matters through first, alright?!¡±


    The silver dragon elder¡¯s face was no better than the demonic spirit¡¯s. He was already holding the heaven-transcending mirror in his hands, ready to defend himself on a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°The demonic dragon arts...¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. The same arts I¡¯m studying? Based on the demonic spirit and the silver dragon elder¡¯s expressions, it was clear that the Fei de spirit was about to employ a powerful technique, one that she had only learnt the barest fragments of.


    ¡°Convince me not to fight you.¡± The de spirit¡¯s hands paused, and the array that was forming in front of him vanished.


    The demonic spirit hurriedly pleaded his case. ¡°I only betrayed you back then because this silver dragon tempted me with holy water! But what I didn¡¯t expect was, even after he vanquished you, he reneged on his promise. Not only did he not share his holy water with me, he even tried to kill me. Just like you, it was only by chance that I survived this long! I¡¯m a victim too!¡±


    ¡°Victim?!¡± The silver dragon elder scoffed. ¡°That year, it was clearly you who proposed working with me after somehow learning about holy water! Don¡¯t make it sound like I tempted you to do it. You demonkin are truly thick-skinned!¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense! When did I ever propose working with you?¡± the demonic spirit retorted. He turned toward the Fei de spirit sincerely. ¡°Old man, don¡¯t believe his words! We¡¯re both the victims here, and I was just about to seek justice against him!¡±


    The Fei de spirit frowned. ¡°What¡¯s this holy water that you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    The demonic spirit stilled for a moment, then hurriedly jumped in, ¡°Old man, you still don¡¯t know what holy water is? It¡¯s a liquid refined from the blood of the demonic dragon n, and it has powerful curative properties. Apparently, the highest-quality holy water can even resurrect the dead! The silver and demonic dragons have never gotten along, but it¡¯s because the silver dragons found out about this property of your blood that they nned to exterminate the entire demonic dragon n!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The Fei de spirit trembled in rage as he turned toward the silver dragon elder, who ignored him and instead looked at the demonic spirit. ¡°Demonic spirit, there¡¯s something even you don¡¯t know, I presume?¡±


    ¡°What? Do you have some other ploy up your sleeve?¡±


    ¡°After a millennium of dedicated study, I¡¯ve finally refined holy water of such transcendent purity that it can provide eternal youth! The holy water of the past could only cure wounds and resurrect the dead, but the holy water of the present can even leave one forever young.¡±


    The demonic spirit clearly didn¡¯t believe his words. ¡°The silver dragons are far more cunning than demonkin. All life in this universe is limited by time, and I¡¯ve never heard of anything like what you¡¯re proposing!¡±


    It was certainly the case that those who cultivated would live a longer life than those who didn¡¯t, but no matter how long they elongated their lives, death would surelye for them eventually.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. I¡¯m the best evidence for my im,¡± the silver dragon elder emphasized. Both of you only managed to survive so long because you bound yourself to a weapon, but my body hassted an entire millennium!¡± The silver dragon turned to the demonic spirit and continued trying to entice him to his side. ¡°As long as you cooperate with me to vanquish the demonic dragon forefather for good, I¡¯ll share my supply of holy water with you. Not only will it make you live forever, it can even restore your original human body. Well?¡±


    The silver dragon¡¯s words did tempt the demonic spirit. Of course he wanted his body back, and who didn¡¯t want to live forever? But it sounded so ludicrous that even he had never dreamt of such a thing, and he wasn¡¯t wholly blinded by his greed. The proposition still seemed too far-fetched to be true. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll let you betray me again? Never!¡±


    As Yun Ruoyan listened to the conversation between the three figures of a bygone past, her gaze drifted to Pi Batian, whoy in a corner of the cave. He was now one-legged, but he was still alive. She honed in on the ancient ring on his left hand, which belonged to Lin Qingchen.


    She wanted to reim that ring immediately, but she had no choice but to quash this impulsive desire. The three figures in front of her were clearly existences that neither she nor Li Mo could contend with; if she identally drew their attention, they could kill her with the wave of their hands.


    On the other hand, Pi Batian had no choice but to act. He was still clear-headed and awake, and had only pretended to be dead to save his life. However, he was still bleeding out, and if he didn¡¯t stanch the blood in time, he would soon die of blood loss.


    Despite the dire circumstances, Pi Batian was still relieved, because his storage ring still contained the bottle of holy water that the silver dragon elder had granted him. As he was struck by a bout of dizziness, Pi Batian had no choice but to retrieve the bottle and drink it all.


    The silver dragon elder clearly sensed the holy water the moment he pulled it out of his storage ring. He reached out toward Pi Batian, drawing the bottle of holy water to his hands, but it had already been consumed in its entirety.


    ¡°This is a bottle of holy water which I granted that man, and which he drank. Now, observe the power of the holy water for yourselves.¡±


    Everyone turned to Pi Batian. His leg wound soon became covered inyer afteryer of ck dragon scales, one which gradually took the form of a leg.


    ¡°This¡ªthis is the regeneration ability unique to us demonic dragons!¡± the Fei de spirit shouted. ¡°Silver dragon, you¡ªmy heirs and descendants!¡± His eyes burning with rage, the spirit waved a hand at Pi Batian, causing the scales that had just formed the outlines of a leg to burst into mes.


    ¡°My leg, my leg!¡± Pi Batian began screeching in pain. The mes quickly spread across his entire body, causing him to roll around the floor of the cave in agony. However, the fire zed more and more fiercely, eventually turning Pi Batian into a ming man. The cave filled with the scent of roast meat, then charred meat. When the fire finally burned out, what was left was a pile of ck soot that formed the barest outline of a man.


    ¡°Such powerful draconic fire,¡± the silver dragon elder murmured, turning to the demonic spirit once more. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the effects of the holy water for yourself. As long as we join hands and eradicate the demonic dragon forefather for good, I¡¯ll give you some holy water and help you regain your human body!¡±


    This time, the demonic spirit really was quite tempted. His gaze wavered between the silver dragon and the Fei de spirit.


    ¡°Do you really think you¡¯ll be able to kill me just because you¡¯re working together?¡± the Fei spirit scoffed. ¡°A thousand years ago, if the two of you hadn¡¯t trapped me in an illusion array and concentrated the effect of the three mirror artifacts on me, do you really think you could have killed me? Demonic spirit, it looks like you won¡¯t get to taste that holy water after all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be tricked!¡± the silver dragon shouted. ¡°No matter how powerful he is, he¡¯s missing his physical body. How much damage can a spirit wreak? Working with me is clearly the better strategy!¡±


    ¡°Try me!¡± the demonic dragon forefather called out, resuming his series ofplicated hand gestures.


    ¡°Demonic spirit, fight with me!¡± the silver dragon exhorted once more.


    ¡°No.¡± The demonic spirit hesitated, then shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s taken me this long to see the light of day again, and I can¡¯t risk losing even this.¡± Rather than step forward, the demonic spirit retreated. ¡°Silver dragon, your grievance with the demonic dragon forefather is unrted to me, and I don¡¯t think I should participate,¡± it continued. ¡°But I won¡¯t forget the fact that you caused me to lose my physical body a millennium ago, and I will have you address this grievance. If you don¡¯t die, wait for me on the Jiyuan continent.¡±


    The demonic spirit then flew out of the cave. The demonic dragon forefather was invoking a grand technique, and the silver dragon didn¡¯t dare leave his back against his opponents, so they could only watch on as the demonic spirit fled...

 Chapter 437: Reopening the Portal to Another Dimension

    <h4>Chapter 437: Reopening the Portal to Another Dimension</h4>


    A storm of spiritual energy grew out of the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s hands. The silver dragon elder transformed the heaven-transcending mirror into a great shield, which he held before him.


    Li Mo hugged Yun Ruoyan tightly, protecting her from any fallout from the duel. If they hadn¡¯t blocked the cave entrance, Li Mo would already have run off with her as the demonic spirit did.


    The demonic dragon forefather pushed the formation in his hands toward the silver dragon elder, shooting out a terrifying beam of spiritual energy right into the heart of the heaven-transcending mirror.


    The surface of the mirror cracked, but it managed to reflect part of the attack. As the energy shot back toward the demonic dragon forefather, the formation in his hands trembled, and the pir of light vanished.


    ¡°I won¡¯t fight you here and now, demonic dragon! Come find me on the Jiyuan continent if you dare.¡± The silver dragon elder found his chance to escape. He transformed into a beam of light, dashed into the heaven-transcending mirror, and then the mirror itself turned into light and sped out the cave.


    ¡°Silver dragon, get back here!¡± the demonic dragon forefather called out. He tried to give chase, but the Fei de didn¡¯t respond to hismand. Only then did he remember about Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, still within the cave.


    Atop the Fei de, the demonic dragon forefather flew to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side, and Li Mo helped her up.


    ¡°Little fellow,¡± the demonic dragon forefather called out.


    ¡°You should call her Mistress!¡± Qiuqiu interrupted.


    ¡°Little chick, you didn¡¯t know who I was in the past, or I wouldn¡¯t have permitted your atrocious behavior. You dare behave so rudely to me even now?!¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied.


    Long periods of slumber had caused the Fei spirit to have forgotten his own identity. He had only awakened when Yun Ruoyan found the de in a near-frozen pond and became its master, and, as the spirit of the de, the demonic dragon forefather should indeed have addressed Yun Ruoyan as Mistress.


    But for so hallowed a figure to call a little girl his mistress...


    ¡°No matter who you are, my mistress is your mistress. This is an undeniable truth!¡± Qiuqiu emphasized.


    The demonic dragon forefather¡¯s face turned sullen.


    Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t able to overhear the conversation between Qiuqiu and the demonic dragon forefather, so she became even more wary when she saw his frown. Li Mo whispered into her ear, ¡°Qiuqiu¡¯s currently in negotiations with the demonic dragon elder. Let¡¯s wait and see what happens.¡±


    ¡°Mistress, control the Fei de,¡± Qiuqiu chirped mentally.


    Following Qiuqiu¡¯s request, Yun Ruoyan did so. Even as a fourth-rank demaster, Yun Ruoyan had good control over the Fei de. Now that she was a ninth-rank demaster, controlling its movement was far easier. All of a sudden, the Fei de started to circle the mountain cave, and the demonic dragon forefather, tied to the de, was likewise whirled around in circles.


    ¡°Stop, stop!¡± he shouted. ¡°I said, stop!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan finally directed the de to halt, and the demonic dragon spirit¡¯s form stabilized. He turned to Yun Ruoyan with an enraged expression on his face.


    ¡°Mistress, there¡¯s no need to fear him!¡± Qiuqiu shouted. ¡°He might have been a powerful cultivator once, but now he¡¯s just a spirit. He can¡¯t leave the Fei de, and the Fei de has recognized you as its mistress, so we¡¯re both your subordinates now!¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu, if the demonic dragon forefather doesn¡¯t want to recognize me as mistress, I¡¯m sure it would be easy for him to kill me and make the Fei de ownerless once more.¡±


    The demonic dragon descendant snorted. ¡°Little chick, have you been sealed away for so long that your brain¡¯s rusting?¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re the one whose brain is rusting!¡± Qiuqiu cried out. It and the de spirit had enjoyed quarrelling with each other since the first time they had met, and the revtion of the de spirit¡¯s true identity hadn¡¯t changed anything.


    Yun Ruoyanughed. ¡°Elder, there¡¯s no need to lower yourself to argue with Qiuqiu.¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± The demonic dragon forefather stroked his whiskers and murmured appreciatively, ¡°Your bloodline¡¯s impressively pure, even after four millennia of history.¡±


    The moment he regained his memories, he realized Yun Ruoyan¡¯s true identity and understood what it meant for the future of the demonic dragon n. That he had slumbered for over a millennium, only to be woken by a little girl who possessed one of the purest demonic dragon bloodlines he had seen to date¡ªcould the demonic dragon n be revived once more?


    His gaze suddenly turned ardent, causing Li Mo to feel a sense of unease.


    ¡°Elder, may I ask about your intentions for the future?¡± Li Mo stepped forward and shielded Yun Ruoyan behind him.


    The demonic dragon forefather looked at Li Mo with some amount of displeasure. ¡°Lad from the silver dragon n... no,d with the silver dragon bloodline.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could sense the murderous intent in the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s tone. The demonic dragons and silver dragons had never gotten along, and with recent events brought to light, the demonic dragon forefather now harbored deep hatred and enmity toward the silver dragons.


    ¡°Elder, he¡¯s not a member of the silver dragon n,¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly stated. ¡°Just like me, he possesses a fraction of the silver dragon bloodline, and we¡¯re married.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s your husband?!¡± the demonic dragon forefather eximed. To merge the silver and demonic dragons bloodline was unthinkable! He peered more closely at Yun Ruoyan and sensed an unusual aura from her. As his eyes focused on her abdomen, his shock only grew. They already had a child!


    ¡°The silver dragon n killed my father and took my mother away, so not only will I not be a threat to the demonic dragons, I¡¯m even willing to help you fight against them,¡± Li Mo stated.


    When the demonic dragon forefather pursed his mouth, Yun Ruoyan asked, ¡°Elder, if you¡¯d like, I¡¯m happy to dissolve the contract between myself and the Fei de to grant you your freedom.¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather shook his head. ¡°I need to return to the Chenyuan continent with you. The war a millennium ago urred there, and although the demonic dragons have died, their souls still live on. I need to find my n. Since you¡¯re a descendant of the demonic dragons, you surely know where they are.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t want to inform the demonic dragon forefather about the whereabouts of the demonic dragon grotto. She was worried that he would try to use her as a pawn to revive his kin; even in the past, Yun Ruoyan had had no intention of sacrificing herself. Now that she had Li Mo and was with child, she was even more unwilling to do so.


    If the demonic dragon forefather forced her to act, then she would rebel with all her might.


    What Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t expect was that the demonic dragon forefather had read her thoughts and discovered the location of the demonic dragon grotto from them.


    Before she could be shocked, he continued, ¡°In the past, I would surely have used you as a sacrificial pawn to guarantee my n¡¯s continued wellbeing, but it¡¯s no longer necessary.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo eximed together.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for a descendant of the demonic dragon bloodline to revive my n any longer. Our n has an ancient formation that can resurrect a demonic dragon from its soul. This procedure requires a particrly pure bloodline, one like this girl here. However, her blood is limited, and the number of dragons she can revive is likewise limited. Instead, I¡¯ve found an excellent substitute that will serve all my needs!¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather grew more and more excited, as though his n was almost about toe to fruition already. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo could guess what this substitute was: holy water.


    ¡°Yes, as long as we can obtain the silver dragons¡¯ holy water, the resurrection of my n will be nigh!¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather continued to attach itself to the Fei de as its de spirit. Yun Ruoyan kept the Fei de in her silver bracelet, then went to meet up with Feng Yicheng with Li Mo.


    Everyone was exhrated to know that Pi Yan and Pi Batian had been killed in the fight, especially Madam Hong and A Fei. Knowing that their revenge had been aplished, Madam Hong felt far less guilt toward her sisters than before, and she finally smiled for the first time after her rescue.


    Without Pi Yan and Pi Batian, the remaining members of the Pi coalition quickly disbanded. Those families that had allied with the Pis surrendered after a few momentous defeats, and the families that had remained neutral, bothrge and small, sequentially announced that they would submit to the rule of the Feng family.


    Within half a year, the entire Mingyuan continent had been taken over by the Feng family. Feng Yicheng was officially instated as the lord of the Feng family, and soon married Madam Hong.


    The remaining time before the re-opening of the portal to the Chenyuan continent passed by in a sh. The day the portal was ted to re-open, Feng Yicheng, Madam Hong, Pi Yang, and Lie Yun, whom Pi Yang had married, gathered to send Yun Ruoyan and her group off.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be able to meet again,¡± Madam Hong murmured, her eyes tearing up. If not for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s repeated attempts to rescue her, she would have perished in the hands of the Pis.

 Chapter 438: Plans in Motion

    <h4>Chapter 438: ns in Motion</h4>


    ¡°Madam Hong, don¡¯t be too upset.¡± Yun Ruoyan patted Madam Hong¡¯s hand and nced at her slightly swollen stomach. ¡°Take good care of your unborn son.¡±


    ¡°You take care too, Ruoyan. Remember to bring your child to visit when youe back to the Mingyuan continent. I¡¯ll wait for you right here!¡± Madam Hong eximed. After half a year, the bulge in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s stomach was noticeable, and she would give birth in about another season.


    She hugged Madam Hong gently, then turned to Pi Yang.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t able to recover your arms for you,¡± Yun Ruoyan apologized ruefully. Pi Batian had been burned to ashes by the demonic dragon forefather, taking the arms that had belonged to Pi Yang with him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve grown used to being without my arms,¡± Pi Yang replied.


    ¡°With me around, I¡¯ll be his arms,¡± Lie Yun replied gently, and Pi Yang looked back at his wife with equally tender affection.


    Beside them, Feng Yicheng was bidding Li Mo farewell. After all the time they had spent together, they were now close friends who had been bonded by battle and hardship. ¡°Brother Li, if there¡¯s anything you need my help with, just let me know,¡± he called out.


    Yun Ruoyan jumped in. ¡°Actually, we do have something to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°What is it? As long as I¡¯m able to aplish it, I¡¯ll definitely help out.¡± Feng Yicheng was as grateful to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo as Madam Hong, and he would surely help them to the best of his ability.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng and Rong Yueshan are students from Kongming Academy who came to the Mingyuan continent with us, and we should bring them away as well. However, we don¡¯t know where they¡¯ve gone,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°Brother Feng, please help us find them.¡± Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had previously told Feng Yicheng about Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s demonic possession.


    ¡°Naturally. Zhuo Yifeng has been a great help to the Feng family, and we¡¯ll definitely try to find him. As for Rong Yueshan, how do you want to deal with her?¡± Feng Yicheng asked.


    ¡°Rong Yueshan betrayed her fellow students, and even if we brought her back to the Chenyuan continent, she would only be sentenced to death,¡± Yun Ruoyan said bitterly. ¡°However, she¡¯s sly and crafty, and isn¡¯t that easy to deal with.¡±


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll put her to death as soon as we find her,¡± Feng Yicheng suggested. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t object.


    ¡°Li Mo, Ruoyan, it¡¯s time to go!¡± Qin Feng looked out toward the sea, where a number of clouds were starting to revolve following some strange, invisible force¡ªan omen that heralded the opening of the portal.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, we¡¯re finally going to be able to go home!¡± Lin Qingchen sighed. Beside her, Lin Qingxue was so agitated that she began to cry¡ªboth because of her excitement, but also because of her worry for Zhuo Yifeng.


    During the six months after the fight, Lin Qingxue and the Pi swordsmen had scoured the entire Mingyuan continent in an attempt to find Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s whereabouts, but they hadn¡¯t seeded. Yun Ruoyan told her that Zhuo Yifeng might already have left the continent on his own, and she promised that he wasn¡¯t in mortal danger. Only then did Lin Qingxue finally give up her search.


    ¡°Brother Qin, are you really going to stay here on the Mingyuan continent?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned back to Qin Feng. One of their original motives was to bring Qin Feng back to the Chenyuan continent, but when the day came, he had chosen to stay behind.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing on the Chenyuan continent for me anymore, but I¡¯ve developed a strong sense of brotherhood and camaraderie with the Feng guards after serving with them for two years,¡± Qin Feng replied. ¡°I also think that Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s still around, and I¡¯ll keep searching for him.¡±


    Qin Feng had clearly made up his mind, and Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had no intention of dissuading him.


    ¡°Take care, everyone!¡± Yun Ruoyan cupped her fists toward the gathered crowd.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, it¡¯s time to go!¡± Li Mo took to the skies with Yun Ruoyan, followed quickly behind by the Lin sisters and Lin Tianming. After two years of training, they were both early ninth-rank demasters, and Lin Qingchen seemed poised to advance even further.


    On the other hand, because of her pregnancy, Yun Ruoyan had refrained from cultivating, and she was still a peak ninth-rank demaster. Her cultivation was mere steps away from reaching the realm of a sword saint, and it felt as though she would break through given an opportunity.


    ¡°Qingchen, Qingxue, the two of you should enter first,¡± Li Mo called out, allowing them to enter the portal before him. He and Yun Ruoyan would follow behind so that they could extend a hand if something untoward were to happen.


    The Lin sisters, carrying Lin Tianming¡¯s wheelchair, flew into the portal, swiftly followed by Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan. Their bodies were quickly consumed by a whirlpool of clouds.


    At the same time, in a long-abandoned patch ofnd outside the Pi manor, a hunched-over woman snuck into the Pi manor. Rong Yueshan had spent thest six months in hiding; after the death of Pi Yan and Pi Batian, she had lost any backing she might otherwise have had. She was clear that, if Yun Ruoyan were to catch her, that she would surely die. Having betrayed her fellow students, even if she were to return to Kongming Academy, the only sentence that awaited her was death.


    As a result, Rong Yueshan decided to stay in the Mingyuan continent. Once Yun Ruoyan and the others left, she would be safe. Today was the day when the portal back to the Chenyuan continent was ted to open, and Rong Yueshan took the opportunity to sneak into the Pi manor.


    Half a year ago, the Pi manor had been imed by the Feng family. Rong Yueshan fled, but before she did so, she had hidden quite a few spirit crystals in a cache on the grounds of the Pi manor. As long as she found this cache, she would have more than enough to support her future life and cultivation.


    Rong Yueshan hurried into the room in which she used to stay. Behind the room was a storehouse, where she would deposit the spirit crystals that she had amassed. She entered the storehouse and began a targeted search. Just as she cleaned out a portion of the storehouse, however, her gaze suddenlynded on a cracked mirror, one whose surface was caked with dust. However, its appearance seemed very familiar.


    Rong Yueshan suddenly opened her eyes wide, because she recalled where she had seen it before. Once, she had overheard Pi Yan and Pi Batian talking about a mirror called the heaven-transcending mirror, and this was the mirror that Pi Yan had been holding in his hands.


    Rong Yueshan wiped away the dust on the mirror, and her finger suddenly twinged in pain: the cracked ss on its surface had cut her finger, and her fresh bloodnded on the mirror.


    The blood quickly seeped through the surface of the mirror, which suddenly glowed brightly. Amidst the gleam appeared a silvery-white elder, the silver dragon elder. He had been no match for the demonic dragon forefather and had tried to escape in the heaven-transcending mirror during the fight. However, the mirror had been severely damaged during the encounter, and the elder found himself neither able to open a passageway back to the Jiyuan continent nor able to leave the mirror itself.


    Instead, he had remained trapped for over six months, only to finally see the light of day once more when Rong Yueshan discovered the mirror and activated it with her blood.


    Rong Yueshan looked at the silver dragon elder reflected in the mirror. Although she had never seen him before, she had heard about him multiple times from Pi Batian, and it was easy to infer who he was.


    Before the silver dragon elder could speak, she knelt down in supplication. ¡°Elder, please ept me as a disciple and bring me away!¡± Rong Yueshan cried out.


    In a secret cave on the Mingyuan continent, Zhuo Yifeng and the demonic spirit were fighting tooth and nail for the possession of their shared body. Although Zhuo Yifeng had agreed to merge his soul with the demonic spirit¡¯s, he hadn¡¯t been content with having his body co-opted by the spirit. As a result, during the merger, he had kept a sliver of his own consciousness.


    It was only because of this that he was able to stand against the spirit at all.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s face alternated between red and white. It was red when the demonic spirit spoke, and white when Zhuo Yifeng spoke.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, what do you want?!¡± the demonic spirit screamed. His left wrist was choking his neck, and he was desperately gripping onto it with his right hand.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s red face suddenly turned white, and Zhuo Yifeng replied, ¡°I told you, if therees a day when I can¡¯t control myself, I¡¯d kill myself! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d leave my body for you to do evil with.¡±


    ¡°What? When have I done any evil?¡± the demonic spirit shouted back. ¡°I¡¯ve never done so!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I still have a shred of consciousness left in this body. Once you¡¯re able to suppress even that, you¡¯ll surely do whatever you want! In that case, I might as well die with you before you¡¯re able to do that.¡± Zhuo Yifeng again tried to strangle himself. The demonic spirit would be unable to live on its own, separated from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body¡ªand it naturally couldn¡¯t allow itself to die.


    ¡°Hold it! I promise I¡¯ll return your body to you,¡± the demonic spirit cried out.


    Zhuo Yifeng didn¡¯t believe him until he finally revealed his n. ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m going to head to the Jiyuan continent immediately. Once I im some holy water for myself and reforge my own body, why would I stay in yours?¡± the demonic spirit scoffed. ¡°By that point, I¡¯d be unwilling to reside in your body even if you pleaded for it!¡±


    The demonic spirit stated that his sect had a secret passageway to the Jiyuan continent, and that sect was housed on the Mingyuan continent. That year, the demonic spirit had also been set up by the silver dragon elder, who had then sent his subordinates to eradicate the demonic sect. As a result, by the time they arrived, all they saw was ruin.


    ¡°Silver dragon, you¡¯ve lied to me, hurt me, and destroyed my sect¡­ by my name and honor, I swear I shall get vengeance!¡± the demonic spirit proimed to the heavens, ncing at the deste ruins of his erstwhile sect.

 Chapter 439: The Demonic Dragon Forefather and the All-Seeing Mirror

    <h4>Chapter 439: The Demonic Dragon Forefather and the All-Seeing Mirror</h4>


    The elders of Kongming Academy stood arrayed in front of the all-seeing mirror on the roof of Kongming Academy, observing the changes in the scenery within. The sea of clouds gradually turned into a whirlpool, one which grewrger andrger, forming a portal within.


    ¡°How many people will be able to return this time?¡±


    ¡°No one knows. But with Li Mo around, I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be at least a few survivors.¡±


    ¡°Right, right. With him around, we should have at least one student returning from each college.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    The elders quietly chatted with each other as the first and second elders stared fervently at the mirror.


    ¡°They¡¯re out!¡± one elder eximed. The first students to step out were the Lin sisters. What surprised the gathered elders was that they were carrying a wheelchair, on which a middle-aged man was sitting.


    Directly behind them were Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    When the first elder saw the two of them, his severe mien finally lightened.


    ¡°Li Mo, you¡¯re back! Thank goodness.¡± The first elder stepped forward, smiling as he saw that his students all seemed to be alright.


    ¡°And this is...?¡±


    ¡°This is my uncle,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined. ¡°From the Lin family.¡±


    ¡°Lin Tianming greets the first elder of the Kongming Academy.¡± With the Lin sisters¡¯ help, Lin Tianming stood up and cupped his fists toward the first elder.


    ¡°Lin Tianming... the eldest son of the Lin family?!¡± The first elder asionally frequented the capital, so he knew a little about the Lin family¡¯s affairs. Given Yun Ruoyan¡¯s close connection with the Lins, he had even specifically investigated them, and he was naturally aware of the fact that the two young masters of the Lin family had gone missing many years ago.


    When he suddenly encountered Lin Tianminging back from the otherworld, no less!¡ªit was no surprise that he would be shocked.


    ¡°First Elder, it¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell you about the specificster,¡± Li Mo exined.


    ¡°You¡¯ve just returned from the otherworld, and you must be tired. Have a good night¡¯s rest first,¡± the first elder instructed Yun Ruoyan kindly. When Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan out of the portal, he had seen her bulging belly. She and Li Mo had been a couple even before entering the otherworld, and it wasn¡¯t unexpected that she would be pregnant now.


    Empress Xue Tong will surely be happy to learn that her line won¡¯t end with Li Mo.


    ¡°Are there no other students returning?¡±


    ¡°The three students who¡¯ve returned are all from the southern college... what about the other colleges?¡±


    The other colleges¡¯ elders all turned to Li Mo.


    ¡°Li Mo, where are the students of the northern college?¡± the second elder called out.


    ¡°Where are our students?¡±


    ¡°Why are the only students that have returned from the southern college?¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, where¡¯s Zhuo Yifeng? Why hasn¡¯t he returned with you?¡± the sixth elder asked. He knew that Zhuo Yifeng was familiar with Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, so he had been very hopeful that Zhuo Yifeng would be able to return safely with their help.


    The first elder turned to his peers. ¡°Elders, as you¡¯re all aware, the otherworld is fraught with danger. You should all have been prepared to not see your students return.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that, First Elder, but isn¡¯t it strange that the only students that have returned are from the southern college? Doesn¡¯t Li Mo owe us an exnation?¡±


    The elders wouldn¡¯t have been as surprised or concerned if none of the students had returned, or if only Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had made it out. However, to have all the returning students be from the southern college...


    The second elder stepped forward and blocked Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, the expression on his face making it clear that he wouldn¡¯t budge until Li Mo provided a reasonable exnation.


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± Losing his patience at the second elder¡¯s antics, Li Mo pulled Yun Ruoyan around the second elder and continued walking forward.


    ¡°Oh? Looks like I need to teach you a lesson about respecting your elders!¡± the second elder wed at Li Mo, who released his grip on Yun Ruoyan and retaliated with a palm strike. Spiritual energy thrummed through the air, spreading out around the two of them.


    In the past, Li Mo wouldn¡¯t have dared to receive the attack directly, but his cultivation was now on par¡ªand likely even slightly more advanced¡ªthan that of the second elder.


    Just then, the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s voice sounded in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head.


    ¡°Little girl, I felt the all-seeing mirror just now.¡±


    After recovering his memories and fighting against the silver dragon elder, the demonic dragon forefather had resumed its identity as the Fei de spirit and returned to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body. He had been sleeping for thest six months, and had only woken up after sensing a familiar aura.


    ¡°We just came out of the all-seeing mirror,¡± Qiuqiu chirped.


    ¡°What? From the all-seeing mirror?!¡± He suddenly emerged from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s silver bracelet along with the Fei de, then stopped in front of the all-seeing mirror. The other elders were all looking at the duel between Li Mo and the second elder; except for Yun Ruoyan, no one had yet noticed the sudden appearance of the demonic dragon forefather.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw the demonic dragon forefather reaching out for the mirror, she cried out, ¡°Stop!¡±


    But it was toote¡ªthe demonic dragon forefather was already holding the mirror in his hands.


    Only as a bolt of lightning descended did the elders notice that a de spirit seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, one who was foolish enough to try to grab the all-seeing mirror.


    ¡°Drop it, quick!¡± Yun Ruoyan hurried toward the de spirit. However, Li Mo stepped forward and stopped her. The lightning strike had interrupted his duel with the second elder, and they were both looking at the de spirit.


    Li Mo called out, ¡°There¡¯s a seal ced on the mirror. If you move it, you¡¯ll invoke a strong protective array safeguarding it, so put it down!¡±


    ¡°Where did this de spirite from?¡± The other elders all seemed shocked, but no one stepped forward. They were all waiting for the protective array around the mirror to activate.


    However, the demonic dragon forefather ignored everyone¡¯s words. Despite the thunder and lightning, his face was calm and indifferent. As he manipted his fingers, a tiny spark of glowing spiritual energy appeared by his fingertips, which he directed toward the surface of the mirror.


    The thunder and lightning slowly started to dissipate, then vanished entirely.


    That the demonic dragon forefather could neutralize such a strong defense with as little effort as waving his hand shocked everyone, even Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, who were familiar with what the demonic dragon forefather could do.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time since I¡¯vest seen the all-seeing mirror,¡± the demonic dragon forefather murmured, caressing its surface as though he were looking at an old friend.


    ¡°Elder, no matter who you might be, please put down the all-seeing mirror. This is a treasure of Kongming Academy,¡± the first elder said, finally stepping forward. He bowed deeply to the de spirit, then turned to Yun Ruoyan.


    The first elder clearly remembered that the Fei de belonged to Yun Ruoyan. He was the one who had sealed it when Yun Ruoyan first entered the academy. The de spirit had exchanged blows with the first elder then, but with his memories forgotten and his cultivation in disuse, he was no match for the first elder. Now, however, the strength that the de spirit exuded was sufficient to shock everyone gathered.


    ¡°When did the all-seeing mirror be your possession?¡± The demonic dragon forefather arched an eyebrow at the first elder. Given his strength, just this nce alone was sufficient to make the elders wary.


    The demonic dragon forefather began reciting the history of the all-seeing mirror, initially the property of the demonic dragon n. It had vanished a millennium ago, and the demonic dragon forefather had only managed to discover its whereabouts with the help of the demonic spirit. Subsequently, it was during the search for the mirror that he had fallen into the demonic spirit and the silver dragon elder¡¯s trap.


    The all-seeing mirror had been in the silver dragon elder¡¯s possession, and the silver dragon elder had used all three mirror-type artifacts¡ªthe all-seeing mirror, heaven-scrying mirror, and heaven-transcending mirror¡ªto destroy the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s draconic form.


    ¡°During my resistance, the three mirrors were all severely damaged. The heaven-scrying mirror was destroyed in its entirety, whereas the other two were scattered amidst the many realms. I hadn¡¯t expected to be able to see it again,¡± the demonic dragon forefather continued. ¡°This protective array was a safeguard that the mirror originally possessed, and it¡¯s been waiting for its owner ever since.¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather emphasized thisst sentence for the gathered elders. Although they thought of the all-seeing mirror as a treasured possession of Kongming Academy, the demonic dragon elder¡¯s might made his im to the mirror significant.


    ¡°Little girl, I thought I¡¯d have to construct a teleportation array to head to the Jiyuan continent, but there¡¯s no need for that now. We¡¯ll be able to get there easily with the help of the all-seeing mirror.¡± Before Yun Ruoyan could respond, the demonic dragon descendant had already kept the mirror in his robes.

 Chapter 440: Demonic Dragon Elder

    <h4>Chapter 440: Demonic Dragon Elder</h4>


    The gathered elders of Kongming Academy watched on as the demonic dragon forefather imed the all-seeing mirror for himself, but they were powerless to stop him. The moment they tried to make a move against him, the demonic dragon forefather shone the all-seeing mirror at them. From the mirror came a beam of light that seemed to render immobile all who were struck by it.


    The elders immediately recognized that this seemingly ordinary de spirit was an expert whose cultivation and skills they weren¡¯t able to fathom at all. Against his peerless strength, the elders had no choice but to give up the all-seeing mirror.


    ¡°Even if this all-seeing mirror weren¡¯t originally my possession, do you really think you could have stopped me from taking it away regardless?¡± the demonic dragon forefather asked coolly.


    ¡°Elder, please forgive our rudeness. Since this mirror belongs to you, it¡¯s only right that you reim it,¡± the first elder acquiesced.


    ¡°Elder, you must be an expert. The all-seeing mirror has been in Kongming Academy for almost a millennium, but no one has been able to even move it without triggering the protective array. That you¡¯re able to do so and use it so fluently is strong proof that you are indeed its owner,¡± the second elder added.


    The remaining elders, seeing that the first and second elders had already spoken, reluctantly nodded their heads and agreed.


    ¡°At least you¡¯re all rational.¡± The demonic dragon forefather dismissed the beam of light and kept the mirror, and only then did the elders regain their freedom.


    Because the demonic dragon n didn¡¯t have a good reputation on the Chenyuan continent, Yun Ruoyan only revealed the de spirit¡¯s identity to the first elder himself.


    ¡°That elder¡¯s the demonic dragon forefather?¡± the first elder was clearly aware of the name. ¡°It¡¯s been said that his body and soul were annihted during the war between the silver and demonic dragons a thousand years ago, but to think that a shred of his spirit still remains...¡±


    In the near future, I believe the silver and demonic dragons will once again be at war. I once thought that it would take me a long time before I could seek my revenge against the silver dragon elder, but it seems like an opportunity has just presented itself.¡±


    The first elder¡¯s eyes lit up. Then, he said, ¡°Li Mo, Ruoyan, the empress has instructed that you should visit her when you¡¯re both rested from the trip.¡±


    ¡°Before that, we have to head to the demonic dragon grotto,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    That night, Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and the first elder headed into the trial grounds containing the demonic dragon grotto through the all-seeing mirror.


    ¡°I can sense my n. After a thousand years, I¡¯m finally back...!¡± the demonic dragon forefather called out in jubtion within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. The Fei de flew out of her silver bracelet and rushed toward the grotto with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s permission, and Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and the first elder followed closely behind him.


    ¡°My n, I¡¯m back!¡± the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s loud, sonorous voice travelled into the depths of the grotto.


    When Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and the first elder dove into theke and entered the grotto, they found a demonic dragon soul kneeling in front of the demonic dragon forefather.


    ¡°Elder, you¡¯re still alive!¡±


    ¡°Our n elder¡¯s still alive. The demonic dragons can finally be resurrected!¡±


    ¡°Our future isn¡¯t hopeless!¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather was almost weeping in his excitement and relief. ¡°A thousand years ago, I was the subject of a vicious, underhanded plot, one that implicated all of you,¡± he exined. ¡°Now that I¡¯m back, I¡¯ll do all I can to revive you all and again lead the n into prosperity.¡±


    The demonic dragon grotto instantly filled with howls from the gathered dragons.


    ¡°This is Yun Ruoyan,¡± the demonic dragon forefather introduced, when the hubbub had died down. ¡°You should all be familiar with her¡ªshe¡¯s a descendant of the demonic dragons and possesses a particrly pure version of the demonic dragon bloodline. Now, I hereby grant her the position of the head of the demonic dragon n.¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather¡¯s word caused a stir both for the gathered dragons and the three cultivators.


    ¡°Elder, what do you mean?¡± Li Mo asked, before Yun Ruoyan could do so. The demonic dragon forefather¡¯s decision had been rather sudden, and neither Li Mo nor Yun Ruoyan knew of his n beforehand.


    ¡°What I mean is for Yun Ruoyan to take over my position as n elder. Are my words unclear?¡±


    ¡°Elder, you¡¯ve not asked my wife and I whether we would ept this decision.¡± Li Mo frowned.


    ¡°Need I ask?¡± The demonic dragon forefather arched an eyebrow. ¡°Yun Ruoyan¡¯s the only one among the demonic dragon n who has a physical body, so she has to serve as the n head.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t ept this position,¡± Yun Ruoyan finally said. ¡°Elder, is this a joke? Surely such an honored position as the n head can¡¯t be passed around so carelessly, and I¡¯m not even a member of the demonic dragon n myself!¡±


    The notion of her serving as a n head for the demonic dragon n was so ludicrous that she couldn¡¯t imagine the demonic dragon forefather was being serious.


    ¡°Little girl, do you think I¡¯m joking with you?¡± The demonic dragon forefather suddenly turned to Yun Ruoyan and gave her a serious look.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°Look at me! I¡¯m six months pregnant. How can I take on so important a position as the n head of the demonic dragon n like this?¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather didn¡¯t respond to Yun Ruoyan. Instead, he pulled out the all-seeing mirror and said, ¡°The all-seeing mirror is traditionally given to the head of the demonic dragon n. I swear, with the all-seeing mirror as witness, that Yun Ruoyan shall be our next n head.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan began to panic. ¡°Elder, you¡¯re being serious?!¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied, without even the barest hint of a smile on his face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ept!¡± Yun Ruoyan refused immediately.


    However, it was already toote.


    ¡°I greet the n head of the demonic dragons.¡± Atop the Fei de, the demonic dragon forefather bowed deeply to Yun Ruoyan. Behind him, the demonic dragon soul stilled, not quite having realized what was going on.


    ¡°Elder, why are you hesitating? Greet your new n head!¡± the demonic dragon forefather turned around and shouted at the demonic dragon soul.


    The demonic dragon soul, respecting the authority of the demonic dragon forefather, followed suit.


    ¡°I greet the new n head.¡± Its voice was so loud that it resonated through the entireke.


    ¡°We greet the new n head!¡± All the demonic dragon souls in the demonic dragon grotto called out, a voice so loud it seemed to shake the heavens.


    ¡°Stop, stop! I¡¯m not your new n head, so don¡¯t bow down to me!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, but the demonic dragon souls ignored her¡ªas though they would continue paying her obeisance until she finally took on the n head¡¯s mantle.


    In the end, she whispered to Li Mo, ¡°Quick, take me away! If we run off now, there¡¯s nothing they can do.¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t run off! Wait for me!¡± the demonic dragon forefather shouted from behind them.


    ¡°n head, may I ask what your intentions are? Do you really intend on passing the position of n head to Yun Ruoyan?¡± the demonic dragon soul asked. ¡°The purity of her bloodline means that she must be sacrificed for our revival, and she isn¡¯t a suitable candidate to be our n head.¡±


    ¡°Take my words at face value. In the future, Yun Ruoyan will be the new n head of the demonic dragons.¡± The demonic dragon forefather nced at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fleeing figure with a faint smile on his face, which quickly turned severe. ¡°There¡¯s no need to overthink my decision. I know what I¡¯m doing, and the demonic dragon n¡¯s revival hinges on that little girl.¡±


    ¡°...but she doesn¡¯t seem to want to be our n head.¡±


    ¡°I can make her ept.¡± The demonic dragon forefather began to smile again.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and the first elder hurriedly left the demonic dragon grotto, followed shortly after by the demonic dragon forefather. Although he didn¡¯t force Yun Ruoyan to take on the mantle of n head again, he now addressed her as ¡®n head¡¯ left and right, until Yun Ruoyan had no choice but to drop the matter.


    After two days, the demonic dragon forefather seemed to have gotten tired. He retreated to the Fei de and once again entered a fitful slumber.


    A few dayster, as the Lin sisters brought Lin Tianming back to the capital, Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan to the Beast King¡¯s pce.


    ¡°Your son (daughter) greets you, Honored Empress.¡± Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan bowed down to the statue of Empress Xue Tong.


    ¡°Rise, rise.¡± Empress Xue Tong¡¯s cold voice was finally tinted with a bit of warmth upon seeing Yun Ruoyan¡¯s protruding belly. She had never expected the two of them to be able to produce an heir¡ªafter all, Yun Ruoyan possessed the demonic dragon bloodline, and Li Mo the silver dragon¡¯s. As far as Empress Xue Tong knew, the two bloodlines were ipatible with each other. She had never viewed Yun Ruoyan as a true daughter-inw, but just a means of forging an alliance with the demonic dragons.


    Empress Xue Tong had even nned for how to deal with Yun Ruoyan after she was no longer necessary, for how she would find Li Mo a new bride from within the silver dragon n. But when she saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s protruding belly, her thoughts shifted dramatically. No matter what, she had to make sure that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s child would be born safely. After all, it wouldbine the silver dragon and demonic dragon bloodline, and it would surely be a powerful tool for allying the two ns.


    ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up with Li Mo¡¯s support. Her uing motherhood had caused her to fill out, and she seemed to be brimming with life and vitality.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you need to take care of your body. Nothing¡¯s more important than your child.¡± Empress Xue Tong¡¯s words seemed very concerned.


    Yun Ruoyan was touched by her words: ever since the first time she had seen Empress Xue Tong, her words had always been cold and insincere. Although she tried to seem kind and gentle, the empress¡¯ tone had always left Yun Ruoyan feeling quite ufortable owing to her extraordinary sensitivity for such things from her past life.


    Now, however, she could clearly feel Empress Xue Tong¡¯s concern.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I¡¯ll surely take good care of my body.¡±


    After the preliminary greetings, they finally moved to the main topic of the discussion.


    ¡°I heard from the first elder that the demonic dragon forefather is with you,¡± the empress began.


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯d like to meet with you, Mother,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. A ck glow flew out of her silver bracelet. The Fei de stopped in front of Empress Xue Tong, and the demonic dragon forefather sat atop the de.


    ¡°The holy maiden from the silver dragon n,¡± the demonic dragon forefather called out.


    ¡°I greet the demonic dragon forefather,¡± Empress Xue Tong replied.

 Chapter 441: Returning to the Slaughtering King’s Manor

    <h4>Chapter 441: Returning to the ughtering King¡¯s Manor</h4>


    Empress Xue Tong and the demonic dragon forefather stared at each other soundlessly, as though they were partaking in a conversation that neither Li Mo nor Yun Ruoyan could make out or participate in.


    After quite some time, the empress called for Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo to leave so that she could have a private conversation with the demonic dragon forefather. Following Su Bei, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo left the underground chamber.


    ¡°Your Highness, why hasn¡¯t Feng¡¯er returned with you? Did something happen to him?¡± Su Bei couldn¡¯t help asking.


    After finding out that Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had returned safely, he was hopeful that he would be able to see Zhuo Yifeng once more. A few days ago, he had gone to the cliffside of Kongming Academy to wait for him. Two days passed without any contact from Zhuo Yifeng, so he snuck into the central college, where he learnt that Zhuo Yifeng hadn¡¯t returned from the otherworld.


    He intended to ask Li Mo about the matter, but the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s appearance had prompted the first elder to greatly augment security around the southern tower. It was only now that Su Bei was able to meet and talk to Li Mo.


    ¡°An incident did ur,¡± Li Mo said.


    When Su Bei heard these words, his resolute face almost seemed to crumble. Although he hadn¡¯t formally recognized his son, Zhuo Yifeng and Zhuo Lin¡¯er were his only descendants. To Su Bei, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s life was more important than his own.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng did experience an incident, but we can promise you that his life¡¯s not in any danger,¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly added, seeing his face. Then, she turned to Li Mo and gave him a disapproving nce.


    ¡°You mean...?¡± Su Bei¡¯s expression turned hopeful.


    Yun Ruoyan exined how Zhuo Yifeng had been possessed by a demonic spirit.


    ¡°Although Feng¡¯er might not be in mortal peril, this sort of thing never ends well,¡± Su Bei sighed. Before Zhuo Yifeng left for the Mingyuan continent, he had promised him that he would reveal his identity to him if he were able to return safe and sound, but it seemed as though that opportunity wouldn¡¯t present itself now.


    ¡°The demonic spirit will surely head to the Jiyuan continent in search of holy water to reforge its original body. Once Yan¡¯er gives birth, we¡¯ll also proceed to the Jiyuan continent and bring Zhuo Yifeng back,¡± Li Mo replied resolutely.


    Li Mo had lost his father at a young age, so he was particrly understanding of Su Bei¡¯s feelings toward Zhuo Yifeng, especially now that he was about to be a father himself.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. I entrust my son¡¯s life to you,¡± Su Bei replied.


    Back in the underground chamber, Empress Xue Tong and the demonic dragon forefather were negotiating with each other.


    ¡°Elder, my son and daughter-inw will do their best to help revitalize the demonic dragon n, so it wouldn¡¯t be inappropriate for me to add a few terms, would it?¡±


    ¡°That depends on your terms. The silver dragons and demonic dragons have never gotten along, as you know. Even if you and your son have separated from the main n, you must understand my instinctive distrust and dislike for your kind.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. That¡¯s why I¡¯d like to settle the terms of our agreement before we start cooperating with each other¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hear you out,¡± the demonic dragon forefather interrupted.


    ¡°My terms are simple. After defeating the silver dragon n, you can¡¯t exterminate the silver dragons to thest.¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather mulled it over for a moment. ¡°None of the n elders will be spared, but I care not for the rest.¡±


    ¡°The demonic dragon n will help me find my body and support my son to be the next n head of the silver dragons, and the silver dragons and demonic dragons will coexist in peace henceforth.¡±


    If the two ns were to start warring with each other again, both their power would be greatly diminished. Peace was undoubtedly the best choice, so the demonic dragon forefather also agreed to this use.


    ¡°Empress, you may not know this, but Yun Ruoyan¡¯s already the n head of the demonic dragons. She¡¯s participating in this n in that capacity, not as your daughter-inw.¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s be the n head of the demonic dragon n?¡± Empress Xue Tong was shocked. Because Yun Ruoyan had so adamantly refused the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s offer, the first elder had not informed Empress Xue Tong about this.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied. ¡°If your son were to be the head of the silver dragon n, then the two ns will surely be able to coexist in peace.


    Empress Xue Tong¡¯s original intention had been to let the demonic dragons join the silver dragon n, with Li Mo as the leader of both factions. However, she knew that the demonic dragon forefather would never ept this condition, so she hadn¡¯t proposed it as a condition.


    But if Yun Ruoyan were the n head of the demonic dragons, as well as Li Mo¡¯s wife, then Li Mo would surely also have authority over the demonic dragons.


    If Empress Xue Tong weren¡¯t a marble statue, she would surely be unable to hide her mirth. She controlled her voice to make it sound even colder and more indifferent than before.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve finished our negotiations, let¡¯s inform the two children of our ns,¡± she suggested.


    Because the Fei de couldn¡¯t be too far apart from Yun Ruoyan, she and Li Mo had remained by the entrance to the underground chamber, awaiting Empress Xue Tong¡¯s summons. As they entered, Empress Xue Tong told them about the results of her negotiations with the demonic dragon forefather.


    ¡°Ruoyan, why didn¡¯t you tell me that you became the n head of the demonic dragons?¡± Empress Xue Tong asked, without any hint of me.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at the demonic dragon forefather, who was contentedly stroking his beard. ¡°Mother, I didn¡¯t agree to be the n head.¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, why not? In my opinion, this is clearly a good thing. Only when you¡¯re the n head will you be able to help Li Mo deal with the silver dragon n elders and solidify Li Mo¡¯s control of the silver dragons.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had never wanted to control or dominate others, and her concerns were solely in regards to her own fate. She had never heard Li Mo bringing up any sort of n to lead the silver dragons, so she wasn¡¯t particrly enthused by Empress Xue Tong¡¯s words.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s attitude greatly displeased Empress Xue Tong, and she was about to rebuke her when Li Mo said, ¡°Mother, can we talk about thister? Ruoyan¡¯s pregnant, and we can discuss this after she¡¯s given birth.¡±


    As soon as Yun Ruoyan¡¯s baby was brought up, everyone looked a little more gentle. A child that had inherited the bloodlines of both the silver and demonic dragon was precious to everyone involved.


    In the end, Yun Ruoyan promised to carefully consider the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s appointment. Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan bade Empress Xue Tong farewell, then left the Beast King¡¯s pce. They headed straight to the capital, arriving right before dark.


    After spending so much time travelling back and forth, Yun Ruoyan was exhausted. Li Luo had long since received news of her master¡¯s arrival, and she had prepared everything in the manor for them. Li Mo supported Yun Ruoyan as shended and smiled at the gathered servants.


    ¡°Your Highnesses, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Li Luo stepped forward to wee Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, her eyes a little reddened.


    Yun Ruoyan tugged on Li Luo¡¯s hands. ¡°Sister Li Luo, we¡¯ve returned safely. You should be smiling, noy crying!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Li Luo¡¯s gaze thennded on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s abdomen. ¡°And you¡¯ve even brought back a little baby!¡±


    ¡°Sister Li Luo, I¡¯m tired and hungry. Have you made me anything tasty to eat?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Yes, but you can¡¯t have food that¡¯s too oily at night. I¡¯ve prepared your favorite lotus-seed soup and a few snacks, Consort Yun, and I¡¯ve drawn a hot bath for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Li Luo!¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled happily. ¡°Could you address me by my name? Hearing ¡®Consort Yun¡¯ is really quite disorienting.¡±


    Although it had been three years since they hadst seen each other, Yun Ruoyan and Li Luo still seemed to be on the best of terms. They walked hand-in-hand in the front, leaving Li Mo alone behind them. He smiled at their backs, then headed to his own rooms.


    Although Yun Ruoyan was able to sustain herself on spiritual energy alone, after her pregnancy, she began to consume a fixed quantity of food daily to nourish her child. Because she no longer had a good appetite, she was far more picky about the quality of food.


    Luckily, Li Luo was familiar with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s tastes, and Yun Ruoyan enjoyed one of the tastiest dinners she had had ever since not needing to eat any longer. Afterwards, she was so tired that she draped herself over her futon, as if she would go to sleep just like that.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, the bathwater¡¯s almost ready. Didn¡¯t you want to take a hot bath?¡± Li Mo whispered into her ear.


    Yun Ruoyan scratched her ear, mumbling, ¡°I¡¯m tired...¡±


    ¡°In that case, do you want to just sleep?¡± Li Mo smoothed out the hair by her temples, then cupped her cheeks, unwilling to stop touching her.


    ¡°No, I feel dirty...¡±


    ¡°In that case, would you like my help?¡± Li Mo asked. After her pregnancy, she had forbidden Li Mo from touching her, saying that she was afraid they would hurt the child. Li Mo naturally understood her concerns, but it was frustrating to not be able to touch his beloved wife no matter how close she was.


    However, before Yun Ruoyan could reply, she had already fallen asleep.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll help you out,¡± Li Mo whispered. Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t reply, so Li Mo stood up and carried her toward the bathroom.


    Yun Ruoyan woke up in Li Mo¡¯s embrace. She smelled a familiar fragrance,id on familiar bedsheets, and was caressed by a familiar pair of arms, making her iparably warm and at ease.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early. Sleep a little while more, and I¡¯ll apany you to the Lin family when you¡¯re ready,¡± Li Mo whispered.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, then closed her eyes once more.

 Chapter 442: Annals of the Li Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 442: Annals of the Li Kingdom</h4>


    When Yun Ruoyan next opened her eyes, it was bright in the day, and Li Mo had left her side. She stretched, flung off her nkets, and got up from bed in a new, fragrant nightgown.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re awake!¡± Li Luo entered the room with a batch of clothes in her hands, followed by a servant girl carrying hot water.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Li Mo?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Su Bei came by early in the morning. It seems like something came up, and they¡¯re both in the study now.¡±


    Li Luo helped Yun Ruoyan wash up, after which Yun Ruoyan headed to the study. By then, Su Bei had already left, and Li Mo was poring over a document within. As he heard her footsteps, he raised her head to see Yun Ruoyan in a pale red dress, so beautiful it looked as though she had stepped out of a portrait.


    In the past, because she was weak, she had veiled herself and hidden her beauty. Now, not only did she have Li Mo¡¯s protection, her cultivation was advanced enough to defend herself, and there would hardly be a match for her on the Chenyuan continent. She no longer needed to hide her beauty, and, even six months pregnant, she still looked as radiant as an angel.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo called out, and Yun Ruoyan walked over and took his hand.


    ¡°What are you working on?¡± she asked, smiling.


    Li Mo hugged Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Yan¡¯er, you might not know this, but there have been some dramatic changes to the Li kingdom while we were gone.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What changes?¡±


    ¡°The emperor passed away, the crown prince is under house arrest, the empress has been deposed, and the current ruler of the Li kingdom is the second prince, Li Qianyuan.¡± Li Mo¡¯s tone was cool; although he was officially the ughtering King of the Li kingdom, he was unrted to the royal family of Li, and had no interest in fighting for the throne.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan was quite shocked. ¡°In that case, what happened to Li Qianhan? Is he alright?¡±


    The only member of the royal family whom she knew well was the third prince, Li Qianhan.


    Li Mo frowned. ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡¯re more worried about my nephew rather than your family?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s your nephew, isn¡¯t he? That means I¡¯m his aunt, so of course I¡¯d be concerned. I know I don¡¯t have to worry about my family¡ªafter all, my brother and father are still around. Li Qianyuan¡¯s on good terms with the Yun family, so while the Yun family¡¯s standing might not rise, I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t have fallen.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan still remembered that, during her grandmother¡¯s birthday, Li Qianyuan had sent her a priceless mother-of-pearl scepter. Li Qianyuan¡¯s mother was familiar with the Yun matriarch, and Li Qianyuan and his mother had both visited the Yun family while she was a child.


    ¡°You¡¯re exactly right, Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo praised. ¡°ording to the news I received, Yun Lan was a major factor in helping Li Qianyuan ascend smoothly to the throne. As for Qianhan, no one would dare touch him knowing his rtionship with me.¡±


    Li Qianhan was the closest to Li Mo, and he had made it clear that he had no intention of seizing the throne.


    Li Mo continued, ¡°A year ago, the Farsighted King stoked a rebellion, and your brother, Yun Moxiao, was appointed the general of the troops dispatched to quell it. He¡¯s still on the battlefield, but after winning countless battles in a row, he should be able to make it back in time for the birth of our child.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of my brother¡¯s talents,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, smiling. ¡°But why did the Farsighted King end up rebelling?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had helped put down a rebellion by the Farsighted King in the past, but that Farsighted King had turned out to be a shapeshifting demon who had assumed the Farsighted King¡¯s form. What had caused the true Farsighted King to rebel? Frowning, Yun Ruoyan asked, ¡°It¡¯s not that demon again, is it?¡±


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. Your brother¡¯s already dealt with that demon. This time, it¡¯s the real Farsighted King who¡¯s stirring up trouble. As for why, I suppose we¡¯ll find out when Yun Moxiao brings him back.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else,¡± Li Mo continued apologetically. ¡°Su Bei came by in the morning and told me that beastkin are vanishing from the beastkin valley for unknown reasons, and I¡¯ve sent him over for the moment. I¡¯ll apany you to see your grandfather in the morning, but in the afternoon, I have to head to the beastkin valley to check out the situation for myself.¡±


    ¡°Is it serious? How many people have vanished?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. If it weren¡¯t, Su Bei wouldn¡¯t have disturbed Li Mo the day after he returned.


    ¡°More than twenty.¡±


    ¡°In that case, you should hurry over immediately. I can head to my grandfather¡¯s house on my own,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, extricating herself from hisp. If she weren¡¯t six months pregnant, she would likely already have been pulling on Li Mo¡¯s hand to get him to leave.


    Under Yun Ruoyan¡¯s urging, Li Mo set off immediately for the beastkin valley. Before he left, he instructed Li Luo to stay by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side to protect her.


    Yun Ruoyan first headed to the Lin family. Lin Zainan was absolutely overjoyed to see Yun Ruoyan again, but Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help feeling a twinge of pain at how much older her grandfather had seemed to be in just three years.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back, good that you¡¯re back,¡± Lin Zainan murmured, caressing her head.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan¡¯s even brought a baby back with her,¡± Lin Qingxue added, smiling at her from the door. She had been rather mncholy for the six months after Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s disappearance, and it was only recently, when she¡¯d returned to her familiar home, that she had begun to smile again.


    ¡°The Lin family is truly blessed,¡± Lin Tianming said, hobbling to the door with a walking stick. After almost two whole years of recuperation, he was finally able to walk again, albeit only with a walking stick. Regardless, considering that he had staved off death for decades, that he was granted a new lease of life at all was the greatest fortune he could have received.


    ¡°Three blessings, Father,¡± Lin Qingchen corrected. ¡°You¡¯ve returned to our family safe and sound, Sister Ruoyan¡¯s about to have a baby, and Grandfather¡¯s eightieth birthday will be next month.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather¡¯s eightieth birthday is next month?!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed. She had forgotten such an important asion! ¡°In that case, we have to have a grand celebration. It¡¯s perfect timing to release news that Uncle¡¯s returned to the Lin family.¡±


    ¡°We were intending to have arge celebration, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible given current circumstances,¡± Lin Tianming said.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°The previous king has just passed away, the new king¡¯s not first in the line of session, the Farsighted King¡¯s still fomenting rebellion... It¡¯s not a good time to be too ostentatious,¡± Lin Zainan replied. ¡°I¡¯d like to have a celebration with just us. If the ughtering King¡¯s free, let him join too, haha.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Grandfather.¡± Having just returned to the Li kingdom, she hadn¡¯t deeply considered the points that Lin Zainan had brought up.


    After having lunch at the Lin family, Yun Ruoyan then prepared to head to the Yun family. After realizing that she wasn¡¯t Yun Lan¡¯s daughter, her feelings toward the Yun family were far more ambivalent than before. Now that Yun Moxiao wasn¡¯t home, she really didn¡¯t want to return.


    ¡°Ruoyan, it doesn¡¯t look like you want to return to the Yun family,¡± Li Luo noted on the carriage ride there, unaware of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s true parentage.


    Yun Ruoyan forced a smile, then changed the topic. ¡°Sister Li Luo, I haven¡¯t had a chance to ask you how your rtionship with my brother is going!¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Li Luo hesitated for a moment, clearly unexpecting the change of subject. She had been prepared to address that question upon Yun Ruoyan¡¯s return, but she hadn¡¯t brought it up until now, and Li Luo thought that she had already forgotten. ¡°It¡¯s... about the same as before.¡± Li Luo lowered her head, her cheeks faintly blushing red.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What do you mean? Tell me more!¡±


    ¡°I promised your brother that, if he could return safely from the battlefield, I would agree to his request.¡±


    ¡°What request?¡± Yun Ruoyan leaned in even closer to her side.


    ¡°To... marry him,¡± Li Luo whispered.


    ¡°Wonderful, wonderful!¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled, her negative thoughts about returning to the Yun family instantly vanishing. ¡°How tough my brother has it! Someone else would probably have given him a few children by now, but to think that it¡¯s taken three years for you to agree to marry him! Sister Li Luo, you have to take responsibility for my brother now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very d he¡¯s never given up on me, and I believe there¡¯s no one for me but him,¡± Li Luo replied. ¡°Now, I¡¯m just worried about whether his family will agree.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something you have to worry about,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°Sister Li Luo, believe in my brother. If he dares propose to you, he surely has a n for dealing with the Yun family. When he seeds in quelling the rebellion, his standing in court will rise, and he¡¯ll be able to argue against Father from a better position. Furthermore, I¡¯ll have Li Mo bring up the marriage himself. As you know, Father still thinks highly of Li Mo.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan would never forget how eager her father seemed when Li Mo had first proposed.


    ¡°At any rate, you don¡¯t have to worry about my family opposing this marriage. Just wait for my brother to return,¡± Yun Ruoyan concluded.


    The carriage quickly stopped in front of the Yun manor. Li Luo helped Yun Ruoyan out of the carriage and toward the front gates, only to be blocked by the guards standing outside.


    ¡°Who are you? Don¡¯t you know that this is the Yun manor? Go on, leave!¡±


    ¡°Are you new? Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡± Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t recognize the guard¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for two years now, and I¡¯d recognize even a rat that belonged to the manor! I¡¯ve never seen you around¡ªscram!¡±

 Chapter 443: Harboring Doubts

    <h4>Chapter 443: Harboring Doubts</h4>


    Li Luo gave the Yun guard a hard p. He had no cultivation to speak of and was knocked directly onto the ground, blood dripping from his nose and mouth. ¡°Are you crazy? This is the consort of the ughtering King, the second miss of the Yun family! Daring to point at the consort herself¡ªyou must not value your life.¡±


    ¡°What? Consort of the ughtering King... Second Miss... I¡ªI¡¯ll report it immediately!¡± the guard scrambled within the manor.


    ¡°When did the Yun manor employ such ipetent guards?¡± Li Luo wondered.


    She had secretlye to the Yun manor with Yun Moxiao in the past, but this wasn¡¯t a guard she recalled seeing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s enter,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, frowning. As they walked to her cottage, Yun Ruoyan noted that none of the servants around seemed at all familiar to her. As more and more doubts crept into her mind, she heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned around to see Yun Ruoyu heading her way, followed by a few servants she didn¡¯t recognize. The guard from before was right by her side, his face a ghostly white.


    ¡°Sister, when did you return? I didn¡¯t receive any news at all!¡± Yun Ruoyu smiled in an endearing fashion, but Yun Ruoyan felt a worsening dissonance. In the past, Yun Ruoyu had been a bossy and domineering child, easily manipted by Madam An and Yun Ruoyao. Afterwards, with her mother¡¯s teachings, she had gradually be more restrained. After the death of Qin Jianmei, she had retreated into seclusion, and Yun Ruoyan had been too busy to worry overmuch about her afterwards.


    However, the Yun Ruoyu before her was draped in bright, flowery clothing, with a smile as fetching as the spring wind. If not for the fact that her countenance hadn¡¯t changed, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t think she would be able to recognize her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just returned, and I was almost barred at the gate. It¡¯s been three years¡ªhas something happened within the manor? Why don¡¯t I see any of the older servants around?¡±


    ¡°Sister, three years might not be a long time, but it¡¯s not a short period, either. The servants you¡¯re familiar with have all left the manor,¡± Yun Ruoyu replied. ¡°These servants have all been working here for at least two years, and it¡¯s not quite appropriate to call them neers.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Shouldn¡¯t they be considered neers if they don¡¯t even recognize the young misses of the Yun family?¡± Li Luo stared straight at the guard, who tried to hide behind a few of the other servants. ¡°In that case, Third Miss, who exactly do you consider neers? Shouldn¡¯t the Yun manor, of all ces, possess well-trained servants?¡±


    Li Luo was unusually incensed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s treatment by the front doors of the Yun manor. To be barred outside her own home¡ªYun Ruoyan would be theughingstock of the capital if word of this incident spread!


    ¡°Miss Li Luo,¡± Yun Ruoyu began. ¡°This is my Yun manor, not your ughtering King¡¯s manor. It isn¡¯t your ce to critique me on familial matters. And even if you marry my elder brother, given your status, you¡¯d be nothing more than a concubine.¡±


    Li Luo wasn¡¯t particrly skilled at wordy, and she had no retort to Yun Ruoyu¡¯s words.


    ¡°And do I have the qualifications to rebuke you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyu hesitated a little. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, the servants were indeed impolite to you, but they didn¡¯t recognize your appearance, so please don¡¯t think too badly of them. What¡¯s more, you¡¯ve already married out of the Yun family, so please don¡¯t worry about Yun family matters.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stepped forward, unwilling to waste her breath bickering with Yun Ruoyu any longer. She pointed at the guard behind Yun Ruoyu. ¡°You, get out of this manor.¡± Her voice was infused with spiritual energy, and her shout was enough to cause the servants to cower and tremble. The guard dropped to his knees.


    Yun Ruoyu was astounded by the growth in her sister¡¯s cultivation in the intervening three years. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s just a servant. Please don¡¯t get angry and hurt your child,¡± she quickly added. Then, she turned around to the kneeling guard. ¡°Leave the Yun manor immediately.¡±


    Finally, she announced loudly to all the servants behind her, ¡°This is my second sister, a young miss of the Yun family. When you see her, be polite, or you¡¯ll be forced to leave the Yun family!¡± She turned back to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Sister, do you feel better now?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded coolly. ¡°Is Father here? Let me pay my respects to him.¡±


    ¡°Father¡¯s here, but he¡¯s in closed cultivation at present. Sister, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to speak with him today.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan rxed. Paying her respects to Yun Lan was merely a formality, one she was all too happy to neglect.


    ¡°In that case, let me pay my respects to Grandmother instead.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Sister. Allow me to apany you there. She¡¯s been feeling quite unwelltely, and the physician has emphasized her need for rest. We¡¯d best not linger too long.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan stepped into her grandmother¡¯s cottage, the Yun matriarch was currently resting in bed. The moment she saw Yun Ruoyan, her eyes widened. She sat up and reached out for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands, her mouth opening but unable to produce any sound.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Grandmother?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    Xiao Lan replied, ¡°She had a stroke about a year ago, and she¡¯s no longer able to speak.¡±


    ¡°What? A stroke? Hasn¡¯t Grandmother always been in the best of health?¡± After all, her grandmother had once been an eighth-rank cultivator, so even at eighty, she should have been at the peak of health. What could have happened?


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Xiao Lan replied. ¡°She came down with a stroke all of a sudden, and if she hadn¡¯t been in such good health, she might not have survived.¡±


    ¡°All sorts of ails arise with age. Sister, don¡¯t be too upset,¡± Yun Ruoyu consoled, then turned to Xiao Lan. ¡°You¡¯ve been with Grandmother for so long now, and she needs you more than ever. Make sure you take good care of her.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, Third Miss.¡± Xiao Lan bowed to Yun Ruoyu.


    The Yun matriarch had always been kind to Yun Ruoyan, and it hurt her to see her grandmother in such a pitiful state. She wanted to talk to her grandmother some more, but she had already fallen asleep.


    ¡°Ruoyu, with Father in closed cultivation, Brother out quelling the rebellion, and Grandmother sick, who¡¯s in charge of the household?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, after they had both left their grandmother¡¯s cottage.


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯m shouldering that responsibility for the moment.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced askance at Yun Ruoyu. Now that she was married, she certainly couldn¡¯t take care of the Yun family, and it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for her to jump in unless Yun Ruoyu had made a serious blunder. It felt to her as if her visit to the Yun manor had revealed a number of strange incongruities, but she couldn¡¯t precisely identify what they were.


    Afterwards, she returned to her own cottage, where Yun Ruoyu finally stopped following her around. Her main goal for returning was to bring her two trusted servants with her. She had returned to the Kongming Academy directly after marrying Li Mo, and her two servants were temporarily retained by the Yun manor.


    When she went into her old cottage, however, she found it barren and unkempt, without a single servant tending to the ce.


    ¡°Where are Xi Lan and Peony?¡± In the end, Yun Ruoyan had to find Yun Ruoyu again.


    ¡°They¡¯ve gotten married, of course. Sister, you¡¯ve been gone for three years, and your maids have grown into women. Since they had suitors within the manor, I took the initiative to marry them off.¡±


    ¡°Where are they now?¡± Yun Ruoyan felt as though there had to be more to it than what Yun Ruoyu was revealing to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent for them, Sister. Please wait a little.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have to wait for long before Xi Lan and Peony were led into the cottage, each with a child following behind them.


    ¡°Miss!¡± When they saw Yun Ruoyan, they hurriedly kowtowed to her.


    ¡°Rise, rise.¡± Yun Ruoyan helped them up. She nced at the boy and girl following behind them, each barely more than a year old. Could they be...?


    ¡°Bao¡¯er, Qiao¡¯er, quick, kowtow to Miss Yun!¡± Peony quickly helped them into a kneeling position.


    ¡°Are they...¡±


    ¡°Oh, this boy¡¯s mine,¡± Peony began. ¡°Qiao¡¯er¡¯s Xi Lan¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°You both have children now, and they¡¯re already thisrge!¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s only been three years.¡±


    ¡°Three years isn¡¯t a short period of time, Sister.¡± Yun Ruoyao smiled from the side.


    Bao¡¯er and Qiao¡¯er both seemed to shiver upon seeing Yun Ruoyao smile.


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯d like to speak with my maids privately, please.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Yun Ruoyu left.


    Yun Ruoyan was almost certain that her two maids had suffered unduly while she wasn¡¯t present. After Yun Ruoyu left, she asked about this directly, only to have them insist that they were treated well, that Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have to worry about them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve returned to bring you to the ughtering King¡¯s manor,¡± she finally said. ¡°Although I¡¯ll have to leave again soon, Li Luo will certainly take care of you there.¡±


    ¡°Miss, if we were still alone, we¡¯d surely follow you,¡± Peony began, a conflicted expression on her face. ¡°However, both Xi Lan and I have families now, with our own children and husbands. I think it¡¯s best if we remain in the Yun manor and wait on you whenever you return.¡±


    Xi Lan had been standing by the side of the room. She used to be talkative, but now seemed unusually reticent.


    ¡°Xi Lan, what about you?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Miss, I, I agree with Peony,¡± Xi Lan replied.


    When Yun Ruoyan finally returned to the ughtering King¡¯s manor, she couldn¡¯t shake off the sensation that something had happened within the Yun manor, something to which Yun Ruoyu was directly connected.


    When Li Mo left, he assigned two guards to Yun Ruoyan. Now, she instructed those guards to infiltrate the Yun manor to determine what exactly was amiss.

 Chapter 444: Intercession

    <h4>Chapter 444: Intercession</h4>


    The next day, after Yun Ruoyan had washed up, a guard knocked on her door stating that one of her maids was here to see her. Yun Ruoyan immediately had the maid sent in.


    ¡°Ling Lan greets Miss Yun.¡± However, the person who came was neither Xi Lan nor Peony, but instead Ling Lan.


    ¡°Quick, rise!¡± Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t able to bend down, so Li Luo immediately stepped forward to help her up. ¡°Yesterday, Xi Lan and Peony told me that your brother had fetched you home.¡± Yun Ruoyan held onto Ling Lan¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°Are you doing well?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Miss, my brother treats me perfectly. I¡¯m here to plead for you to intercede on Xi Lan and Peony¡¯s behalf.¡± Ling Lan¡¯s eyes turned red, and she began to choke on her words.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xi Lan and Peony? Tell me everything.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze turned sharp.


    Ling Lan told Yun Ruoyan everything that had happened in the three years since Yun Ruoyan left the Yun manor.


    Not too long after she left, Yun Ruoyu, who had secluded herself in her cottage, slowly began to participate in the family¡¯s activities. Because she was the only daughter remaining in the Yun household, and with Madam Qin gone, everyone was particrly lenient towards Yun Ruoyu.


    Yun Ruoyu was initially very obedient, and she quickly obtained her father¡¯s trust and her grandmother¡¯s care. Around that time, Yun Moxiao was also getting busier and busier: Yun Lan had passed most of his duties to his son, choosing to focus on cultivation. In the end, as he devoted himself almost solely to closed cultivation and the Yun matriarch¡¯s health deteriorated, the task of running the household naturally fell to Yun Ruoyu.


    Initially, Yun Moxiao would frequently inspect her work, and Yun Ruoyu didn¡¯t dare to go too far out of bounds. However, once Yun Moxiao left to quell the rebellion, Yun Ruoyu had free rein over the household.


    One month after Yun Moxiao left¡ªnot half a year after Yun Ruoyan¡¯s departure for the Mingyuan continent¡ªshe forced Xi Lan and Peony to marry two of the most wretched servants of the manor. When they refused, they were subject to such terrible beatings that they were forced to agree.


    ¡°If my brother hadn¡¯te to fetch me, I would likely have suffered the same fate,¡± Ling Lan cried out. ¡°But my brother¡¯s only a low-ranking official, and he wasn¡¯t able to save Xi Lan or Peony along with me. I couldn¡¯t bear to watch them continue to suffer within the Yun manor, but thank goodness you¡¯re back now, Miss. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to intercede on Xi Lan and Peony¡¯s behalf.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan mmed her palm down on her table, cracking the thick, sturdy wood.


    ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t get too upset! It¡¯ll hurt your body,¡± Li Luo hurriedly eximed.


    Ling Lan was also shocked by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s anger, so much that she suddenly jumped up.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyu, you¡¯ll pay for this!¡± Yun Ruoyan tried to calm herself, but whenever she thought about how much Xi Lan and Peony had suffered because of her all these years... ¡°We¡¯re heading to the Yun manor immediately!¡±


    ¡°Ah, Second Miss, you¡¯re here this early?¡± When the newly assigned guard stepped out of the manor to assume his post and saw the ughtering King¡¯s carriage by the door, he immediately bowed down to Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Ling Lan, do you know where Xi Lan and Peony are staying? Bring me there, now!¡± Yun Ruoyan ignored the guard.


    ¡°Follow me, Miss!¡±


    Xi Lan and Peony lived in a small hovel in a remote part of the Yun residence, and they were both preparing breakfast in their shared kitchen.


    ¡°Peony, when Miss Yun came back yesterday, why didn¡¯t you let me tell her the truth? I¡¯m sure she¡¯d stand up for us!¡± Xi Lan cried out.


    ¡°She¡¯d stand up for us, but what about Bao¡¯er and Qiao¡¯er? Have you forgotten what the third miss told us?¡± Peony sighed.


    ¡°Our poor children! If not for them, I wouldn¡¯t stay in this wretched ce even if I were to die,¡± Xi Lan sobbed.


    ¡°Xi Lan, Peony, where¡¯s my washbasin? Why haven¡¯t you prepared it for me?!¡± a bare-shouldered man walked into the kitchen and began to yell.


    Xi Lan trembled subconsciously, put down herdle, and was about to step out when Peony pulled her back. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Peony took a deep breath and stered a smile on her face as she walked out of the kitchen. ¡°Ah, Niu San, you¡¯re up?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s that bitch? Get her toe out and help me wash my face!¡± Niu San sat down on a bench in the yard.


    ¡°Xi Lan¡¯s making breakfast. The hot water¡¯s ready, and I¡¯ll bring it to you in a moment,¡± Peony replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you! Get Xi Lan here!¡± Niu San stood up and began walking into the kitchen.


    ¡°What are you doing? Xi Lan¡¯s making breakfast!¡± Peony rushed before him and blocked his way. Suddenly, she staggered and fell to the ground, her cheek burning.


    After Niu San had pped her away, he called out, ¡°Brother, your wife was being disobedient, so I punished her for you!¡±


    ¡°Do what you want, but don¡¯t disturb my sleep!¡± another male voice called out from within the rooms.


    ¡°You damned Niu San, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Xi Lan rushed out of the kitchen with a cleaver in her hand.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve grown bold, have you?¡± Niu San dodged to the side and kicked Xi Lan in the stomach, sending her flying into the distance.


    ¡°Xi Lan!¡± Peony called out in shock, hurrying to her side. ¡°Niu San, you bastard, she¡¯s your wife!¡±


    ¡°Would a wife dare to raise a cleaver against her husband? The third miss is right¡ªyou¡¯re both disobedient hussies who need a man¡¯s stern guidance!¡± Niu San strode up to the two women and began kicking at them. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for waving a cleaver at me!¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan walked up to the hovel only to hear terrible cries emerging from within, she immediately sped up. As sheid eyes on Niu San beating Xi Lan and Peony, her boiling rage erupted like a volcano.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Ling Lan and Li Luo called out. As they did so, a scarlet beam suddenly shot toward Niu San¡¯s leg, which was currently kicking at Xi Lan and Peony.


    Niu San suddenly found his leg lopped off in mid-air, the scorching heat cauterizing his leg wound and leaving no trace of blood. ¡°My leg, my leg!¡± Niu San crumpled to the ground and began screaming out in shock.


    ¡°Who is it? Who¡¯s making such a loud fuss so early in the morning?¡± Niu Er¡¯s voice came from within the hovel.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face was so cold it may as well have been a frozen mask. She nced at Li Luo, who quickly headed into the hovel and dragged Niu Er out.


    ¡°Xi Lan, Peony!¡± Ling Lan sobbed as she helped the two women up, checking to ensure that they weren¡¯t too badly hurt.


    ¡°Miss, we¡ª¡± Peony and Xi Lan both nced pleadingly at Yun Ruoyan, but they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to speak. Peony was still somewhatposed, but Xi Lan was sobbing near-hysterically.


    Yun Ruoyan wanted to scream at her two maids for not having told her about the situation sooner as much as she wanted to apologize for not having saved them. Her conflicted emotions made her icy mask appear even colder than before. When her two maids saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, they were even more scared of speaking up.


    ¡°Ruoyan, what should we do with these two scoundrels?¡± Li Luo asked.


    ¡°Bring them with me,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, then turned and stalked off.


    Yun Ruoyu had just finished washing up when a servant rushed up to her and reported, ¡°Miss, the second miss is back, and she¡¯s furious. She¡¯s right outside, so please have a look.¡±


    ¡°Yun Ruoyu, get out here!¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice could be heard from the yard.


    Yun Ruoyu¡¯s eyes gleamed coldly as she walked out of her bedroom. ¡°Sister, what¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t you just visit yesterday?¡± When she saw Yun Ruoyan walking in with Xi Lan, Peony, Niu Er, and Niu San, she sighed. ¡°How can I help, Sister?¡±


    ¡°Yun Ruoyu, I don¡¯t want to bicker with you. I want justice for my two maids.¡± She nced coldly at Niu Er and Niu San. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m easy to bully? That I wouldn¡¯t return, or that I wouldn¡¯t discover your plots?¡±


    She beheaded the offending men with a single sweep of her sword, causing blood to stter all over Yun Ruoyu¡¯s room and causing her maids to start screaming.


    Yun Ruoyu hadn¡¯t expected that Yun Ruoyan would kill so easily, and she too was scared stiff.


    ¡°Xi Lan, Peony!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    ¡°Y-Yes, Miss?¡± Xi Lan immediately awoke from her daze. She tugged on Peony, and the two of them walked up to Yun Ruoyan together.


    ¡°Who among the servants here has ever beaten you? If they¡¯ve beaten you with their hands, I¡¯ll have their hands cut off! If they¡¯ve kicked you with their feet, I¡¯ll have their legs chopped off!¡± Yun Ruoyan announced.


    The dozen or so servants in Yun Ruoyu¡¯s yard all nched.


    Xi Lan was just about to speak when Peony tugged on her arm. ¡°Miss, everyone here has treated us well,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yun Ruoyan whirled around to look at Peony. She frowned, then suddenly asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Bao¡¯er and Qiao¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t in the house,¡± Li Luo reported.


    Xi Lan finally broke down. She knelt and sobbed, ¡°Miss, please save me and Peony!¡±

 Chapter 445: You’re Saved

    <h4>Chapter 445: You¡¯re Saved</h4>


    After Xi Lan began to talk, Peony couldn¡¯t stop her no matter what she did. ¡°My Bao¡¯er and Xi Lan¡¯s Qiao¡¯er were snatched away by the third miss¡¯s servants as soon as they were born, and we don¡¯t even get to see them once a month. The third miss even said that, if we didn¡¯t behave, we would never see our children again. When you showed up at the Yun manor yesterday, Miss, we were told to bring our children to visit you. The moment you left, they were snatched away. Miss, please save us!¡± Xi Lan sobbed. By her side, Peony stood with her head hung low, tears silently dripping down her face.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyu!¡± Yun Ruoyan turned and stared at her sister. ¡°Where are their children? Bring them here now! I¡¯m taking them away with me today!¡±


    Yun Ruoyu had been momentarily stupefied by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s indiscriminate ughter, and she had just recovered from that shock. Straightening her back, she said, ¡°Sister Ruoyan, this is the Yun manor. Xi Lan and Peony are servants of the Yun manor, and they have to follow my rules.¡±


    ¡°Rules?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes turned cold. The Fei de slowly revolved around her body as she exuded killing intent. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the otherworld for three years. There, the strong are those who make the rules, thews; the weak obey them or die. Do you still want to discuss these rules with me?¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I¡¯m your sister! Do you intend to kill me?¡± Yun Ruoyu¡¯s face was distorted from shock and anger, but she couldn¡¯t let her servants see her humbled. ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly, she screamed, The Fei de had suddenly sliced at her hair, then flew into the yard and provoked screams from all the gathered servants.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyu, I expected your mother¡¯s death to have taught you a lesson. I hardly expect you to be a virtuous woman, but you¡¯re just as bad as before! We¡¯ve lived together for so many years, and you should know my temper. Don¡¯t exhaust my patience!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, of course.¡± As a servant helped her up, Yun Ruoyu instructed another servant to bring Xi Lan¡¯s and Peony¡¯s children to the room. ¡°I intended on educating the children for them, but to think my good intentions would be misinterpreted in this manner...¡± She sighed wearily.


    Not long afterwards, Bao¡¯er and Qiao¡¯er were brought into the room, and Xi Lan and Peony hurriedly clutched them with looks of delight on their faces.


    ¡°Xi Lan, Peony, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t send you out, Sister,¡± Yun Ruoyu called out from behind.


    Yun Ruoyan stilled, then turned back. ¡°I¡¯m not done with you yet, Yun Ruoyu. Once Fatheres out of his closed cultivation, you can be sure that I¡¯ll be talking to him about this.¡±


    Yun Ruoyu trembled with rage as she watched Yun Ruoyan and her servants leave, clutching her hands so tightly that she almost drew blood.


    ¡°Miss, now that the second miss is back, I¡¯m afraid our lives will get harder from now on,¡± Yun Ruoyu¡¯s maid murmured to her.


    ¡°Peh! She¡¯s not from the Yun family at all¡ªjust a bastard child born to her mother and some ruffian!¡± Yun Ruoyu muttered acidly. ¡°If not for the fact that she¡¯s the consort of the ughtering Kinge, let¡¯s go to Father.¡±


    Yun Lan was in closed cultivation in a secluded cottage in the Yun manor. The first time she had been to the cottage was almost three months ago, when Yun Lan himself had brought her here. She was shocked to discover a new part of the manor in which she had spent her entire life.


    ¡°The final stage of my cultivation technique requires that I be in closed cultivation for eighty-one days. I¡¯ll leave the manor¡¯s tasks and duties to you for the time being; don¡¯t disturb me unless it¡¯s something major,¡± he had told Yun Ruoyu.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s return... was probably big news.


    Just as Yun Ruoyu approached the entrance to the cottage, she heard Yun Lan¡¯s voice. ¡°Yu¡¯er, is something the matter?¡±


    Yun Ruoyu stopped short. ¡°Father, Sister Ruoyan¡¯s back. She came to the Yun manor both today and yesterday. I was thoughtless when weing her back, and she forcibly sacked one of our servants. Today, she killed another two servants for no rhyme or reason. Father, do you want to meet with her? I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll do something even more extreme tomorrow, and that I won¡¯t be able to stop her...¡±


    ¡°I understand. Ignore her. I¡¯ll talk to her once I¡¯m done here, so if there¡¯s nothing else, leave,¡± Yun Lan replied coldly.


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Yun Ruoyu nced at the small cottage in front of her, but the windows and doors were tightly shut, and she couldn¡¯t see within. ¡°Father, are the Buddha and Bodhisattva statues of use to your cultivation?¡± Yun Ruoyu asked again.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Yun Lan replied. ¡°Once I reach the final stage of my cultivation technique, I¡¯ll certainly reward you.¡±


    The Buddha and Bodhisattva statues that Yun Ruoyu referred to were the demonic statues that Qin Jianmei had left behind. Yun Ruoyan had tossed them into the mes, but Yun Ruoyu, who was secretly observing the scene from the side of the teahouse, had rescued them. Initially, she had intended on using them for her own cultivation following what her mother had taught her, but Yun Lan found her first.


    Even more surprisingly, Yun Lan asked Yun Ruoyu to hand over the two statues. She didn¡¯t know how Yun Lan had learned of the two demonic statues that her mother had spent more than half her life deifying, but she didn¡¯t dare refuse her own father.


    Shortly afterwards, Yun Lan entered closed cultivation with the two statues, and she became the de facto head of the Yun household. Yun Ruoyu felt rather pleased with the situation¡ªafter all, she wasn¡¯t a particrly gifted cultivator to begin with, and it was far more pleasurable to lord over a whole manor of servants than to cultivate in mind-numbing boredom.


    If Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t returned, her idyllic life would have continued for good, but now that Yun Ruoyan had returned, now that she was criticizing and rebuking her despite having married out of the Yun family...


    Yun Lan was deeply engrossed in his own cultivation, so Yun Ruoyu could only rely on herself. Luckily, she had nned for this very encounter. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you¡¯re the one asking to die. Don¡¯t me me.¡± She smiled eerily, then began walking away from the secluded cottage.


    Within the cottage itself, amidst an icy-cold antechamber, the Buddha and Bodhisattva statues sat in front of Yun Lan. His face alternated between blue and red, a sign that his spiritual energy and blood were frothing.


    After what seemed like long moments, he forced the redness from his face and to his fingertips, where he coagted two beads of blood infused with his own spiritual energy. He touched one bead to each of the statues, which absorbed the beads instantly.


    The statues¡¯ eyes began glowing a deep red.


    ¡°Finally, I¡¯ve revived them!¡± Despite the startling pallor of his face, Yun Lan was unbelievably agitated and happy. He stood up, carried the two statues in his arms, and walked inside the main chamber. The centerpiece of the chamber was a bed of frozen jade, which was sending freezing air throughout the room. On the bedid a person. Her features were obscured by the cold mist surrounding the bed, but her red dress made it clear that she was a woman.


    Yun Lan walked to the side of the frozen-jade bed and ced the statues on either side of the bed. ¡°Yuemei, I can finally save you,¡± he murmured. ¡°I¡¯ve kept guard over you for all these years, and I¡¯ve finally found a way to revive you!¡±


    As he smiled, he dispelled the mists surrounding the woman. Yun Ruoyan would have been shocked by the sight in front of him: Lin Yuemei¡¯s face was almost identical to her own, except for her lighter brows and sharper chin.


    Everyone had thought Lin Yuemei dead until Lin Zainan discovered that Lin Yuemei¡¯s tomb contained a skeleton that wasn¡¯t hers. From then on, the Lin family had continued to search desperately for Lin Yuemei, hoping against hope that she was still alive. However, no one would have guessed that Yun Lan had ensconced her within her former residence in the Yun manor.


    ¡°Yuemei, you won¡¯t me me for having kept you on this frozen bed for so long, will you?¡± Yun Lan lightly caressed her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice. Only this frozen-jade bed made from the spiritual treasures from the tallest peaks of the Chenyuan continent could preserve your body for so long, giving me the opportunity to find a method to save you. These two statues have the power of revival, and I¡¯ll be able to save you in another thirty-two days. After that, our family of three¡ªyou, me, and Xiao¡¯er¡ªwill finally unite. And there¡¯s Ruoyan too, she¡¯s returned safely from the otherworld. As long as you wake up, you¡¯ll be able to see her. She might not be my daughter, but if it makes you happy, I¡¯ll treat her as though she were my own blood. I¡¯ll do anything to see you awake again, Yuemei, Yuemei...¡±


    The vicinity of the cottage waspletely silent, and the doors and windows of the cottage were shut tight. The interior of the cottage was illuminated by pearls-of-night and filled with cold, cloying mist. On the roof of the cottagey two ck-d men, one of whom motioned to the other to report back to Yun Ruoyan.


    The other man nodded and was just about to leave when they heard a voice from within. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    Yun Lan flew out of a window and began attacking the two stealthed men from mid-air.

 Chapter 446: Shocking News

    <h4>Chapter 446: Shocking News</h4>


    One of the men didn¡¯t manage to dodge Yun Lan¡¯s attack in time. Struck, he fell from the eaves to the corridor. The other man managed to avoid the attack and began to tussle with Yun Lan, but he clearly was no match for him.


    The injured man lying on the corridor jumped up and attacked Yun Lan¡¯s back. Yun Lan whirled around and sent another spiritual technique flying at him, which he barely dodged. However, given the severity of his injuries, he wouldn¡¯t be able tost long against Yun Lan either.


    ¡°Leave!¡± the injured man shouted at hispanion.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave together!¡±


    ¡°We need to finish our mission! Leave!¡±


    The uninjured man grit his teeth, summoned his sword, and began flying off.


    Yun Lan knocked the injured man away with a fist and darted toward the fleeing man. His cultivation might not be on par with Yun Lan¡¯s, but his sword was capable of moving far more quickly than Yun Lan¡¯s own, and Yun Lan was unable to catch up.


    In anger, he shot out a beam of spiritual energy toward the fleeing man¡¯s back with all his strength, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it had hit. The man¡¯s shadow quickly became nothing more than a speck in the horizon. Yun Lan nced at the vanishing shadow and turned back, ready to finish off the injured man only to find that he had alreadymitted suicide by ingesting poison.


    Yun Ruoyan returned to the ughtering King¡¯s manor with her maids in tow.


    ¡°Xi Lan, Peony! You won¡¯t have to suffer now that you¡¯re with Miss Yun!¡± Ling Lan eximed happily.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Li Luo replied. ¡°Since Ruoyan was back, why didn¡¯t the two of you tell her about your woes? She was sleepless the entire night worrying about you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for troubling you, Miss. Will you stop being angry at us?¡± Xi Lan timidly asked Yun Ruoyan.


    On the way back, Yun Ruoyan had been seething with anger. She said not a single word to Li Luo, Xi Lan, or Peony. Even now, when they had returned to the ughtering King¡¯s manor, she still looked upset.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. We¡¯ve made you worry.¡± Peony knelt down with Bao¡¯er, and Xi Lan did the same with Qiao¡¯er.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw what they were up to, she had no choice but to respond. ¡°Stand up.¡±


    ¡°Miss, if you won¡¯t forgive us, we won¡¯t stand up,¡± Peony replied.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll kneel here until you forgive us, Miss,¡± Xi LAn added.


    Yun Ruoyan sighed and slumped into a chair. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you, but at myself. Why didn¡¯t I make sure the two of you were sent to the ughtering King¡¯s manor when I married Li Mo? I¡¯ve made you suffer so much these few years¡ªbut don¡¯t worry, once Official Yun leaves his closed cultivation, I¡¯ll make sure to seek justice for both of you.¡±


    When she thought of how her two dear maids had been married off to human scum, abused daily, forced to separate from their children, an overwhelming sense of guilt and anger consumed her.


    ¡°Miss¡ª¡± Xi Lan and Peony again began to cry. Li Luo and Ling Lan helped them up and handed them washcloths and a basin, until they were finally able to ept their brand-new lives. She instructed Li Luo to bring everyone breakfast, then returned to her rooms to rest. Ling Lan left with Li Luo.


    After everyone had left, Yun Ruoyan sat alone in her rooms. Perhaps because of how emotional she had been, her stomach was in turmoil. She could almost feel her baby turning over; even though the sensation was painful and difficult to bear, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help being delighted by her baby¡¯s vitality and energy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be out in another month. Your father will bring you soaring through the skies, and you¡¯ll have the limitless freedom you¡¯re hoping for,¡± she murmured.


    Suddenly, a ck shadow darted through her window and knelt in front of her. ¡°Su Xi greets Consort Yun.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Su Dong?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°We tailed Third Miss Yun for a while and found nothing suspicious, but after you left the Yun manor, Consort Yun, Third Miss Yun headed to a secluded location in the Yun manor protected by a misdirection array. It was there that we found Official Yun in closed cultivation. Su Dong and I stayed in the vicinity to see if there was anything suspicious, and we did find something of note.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed.


    ¡°Su Dong and I were perched by the eaves outside the windows of the cottage, and we overheard Official Yun murmuring to someone within. Official Yun called that someone Lin Yuemei.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up. ¡°Repeat that name.¡±


    ¡°Lin Yuemei, Consort Yun,¡± Su Xi replied definitively.


    Su Bei, Su Nan, Su Xi, and Su Dong were four of Li Mo¡¯s most trusted guards, and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t doubt their capabilities. She had only repeated her question because of her shock. ¡°Continue, Su Xi.¡±


    ¡°Su Dong and I agreed that I would leave to report the situation to you while he stayed behind and continued his observations. Just as I was about to leave, Official Yun discovered us. Su Dong stayed behind to distract Official Yun, allowing me to return safely.¡±


    Su Xi¡¯s face suddenly turned crestfallen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Su Xi. I¡¯ll head to the Yun manor immediately to save Su Dong.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need, Consort Yun. Su Dong¡¯s no match for Official Yun, but there¡¯s also no way he would let himself get caught. By now, he¡¯s probablymitted suicide.¡± As Su Xi finished his report, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, then slumped to the ground.


    ¡°Su Xi!¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately stepped forward, only to find his chest dyed red with blood. Because he was dressed entirely in ck, the blood hadn¡¯t been visible at first nce.


    When Li Luo walked into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s room, having assigned Xi Lan and Peony to one of the servants¡¯ cottages in the manor, she was shocked to find Su Xi slumped on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll get a physician at once!¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°His heart¡¯s been pierced through by spiritual energy, and there¡¯s no saving him now.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan closed Su Xi¡¯s eyes gently. To have rushed back to her and given her the important information that she¡¯d requested before sumbing to a lethal injury¡ªnone but Li Mo¡¯s guards would have been able to achieve anything of the sort.


    ¡°When will Li Mo return?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked Li Luo.


    ¡°His Highness has already been gone for two days, so I suspect this matter will take quite a while to resolve,¡± Li Luo replied. ¡°But with you around, Ruoyan, I¡¯m sure His Highness will return quickly.¡±


    If not for her pregnancy, Yun Ruoyan would have headed back to the Yun manor immediately. Even if she couldn¡¯t openly confront Yun Lan about the matter, she could have snuck into the manor at night to confirm what Su Dong and Su Xi had paid their lives to discover. Now, however, she had to ce her baby first.


    After mulling things over, Yun Ruoyan was certain that she would get nothing out of questioning Yun Lan directly. Her cultivation was still currently no match for Yun Lan¡¯s, and she wasn¡¯t about to sacrifice any more of Li Mo¡¯s guards. In that case, she had no choice but to wait for Li Mo to return.


    For the next two days, Yun Ruoyan stayed put in the manor, waiting fervently for Li Mo¡¯s return. The Lin siblings came by to visit her, but Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t tell them about the news regarding her mother. She was worried that they might cause amotion if they knew and identally let something slip to Lin Zainan.


    And if her grandfather were to find out, he might very well storm to the Yun manor on the spot, and that surely wasn¡¯t going to solve the problem. As a result, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t tell her cousins anything and quickly excused herself, iming that she was weary.


    Before they left, Lin Qingchen told Yun Ruoyan that Whitey had undergone a shocking transformation and asked for her to take a look when she was feeling better. Back on the Mingyuan continent, after Pi Batian was burnt to a crisp by the demonic dragon forefather, Yun Ruoyan had picked the ring up from amidst the pile of ashes and returned it to Lin Qingchen.


    After Lin Qingchen returned to the Lin manor and returned Whitey to its pool, she discovered that something, perhaps the higher ambient spiritual energy density on the Mingyuan continent, had sparked a dramatic change in Whitey. Lin Qingchen hade to the ughtering King¡¯s manor to ask Yun Ruoyan to have a look, but she didn¡¯t want to force her to do so if she wasn¡¯t feeling well.


    ¡°Sister, when you¡¯re feeling better, please make sure toe to the Lin manor. You should bring the ughtering King, as well¡ªI¡¯m sure you¡¯ll both be shocked to see Whitey!¡± Lin Qingxue eximed.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make sure to visit with Li Mo when he¡¯s back,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    After sending away her cousins, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s smile vanished. She had been particrly restless thest few days, and even though she had been resting regrly, her thoughts were all in turmoil. Her mother, Lin Yuemei; her father, Long Yin; the man whom she¡¯d called Father for sixteen long years, Yun Lan¡ªwhat exactly had happened all those years ago?


    She fell into an uneasy sleep. When she woke up, it was evening. A quilt was thrown around her body, and cold snacks had been ced on the table. Li Luo must have prepared them, but she chose not to wake me up when she found me asleep. Her stomach felt a little empty¡ªalthough she didn¡¯t quite feel hunger anymore, the baby in her stomach would require nourishment, and Yun Ruoyan had to eat a little something.


    She got up from her futon and prepared to find something to eat, only to find Xi Lan and Peony walking to her rooms with a lunchbox.


    ¡°Where are you headed, Miss?¡± Peony asked. ¡°Xi Lan and I made this for you¡ªyour favorite osmanthus cake and phoenix-orchid soup! Have a taste, Miss.¡±


    ¡°I was hungry and just about to head off to find something to eat, and here you are!¡± Yun Ruoyanughed.

 Chapter 447: Soup and Snacks

    <h4>Chapter 447: Soup and Snacks</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan followed Xi Lan and Peony back into her rooms, and Peony ced the lunchbox on the table. As Xi Lan took off the lid, a familiar, flowery fragrance spread through the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s as fragrant as I remember! Your cooking has only improved since I saw you bothst.¡±


    With a sudden tremble, Xi Lan knocked down one of the teacups, which smashed against the ground. She nced at the shards of porcin, an anxious look flitting across her face.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Peony nudged Xi Lan, her face as red as if she had justmitted some heinous crime.


    Yun Ruoyan was surprised by her two maids¡¯ exaggerated response. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing!¡±


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll clean it up immediately!¡± Xi Lan walked outside, found a broom, and began sweeping the shards away.


    ¡°Leave it at the door. Be careful not to hurt yourself,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. ¡°There¡¯ll be other servants responsible for cleaning the ce in the evening, so just leave it by the side of the door.


    Yun Ruoyan took a few pieces of the osmanthus cake and had some phoenix-orchid soup. ¡°The two of you haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you? Won¡¯t you join me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss, we¡¯ve both eaten. This is for you,¡± Xi Lan said, then retreated to the side where Peony was standing.


    Yun Ruoyan noticed that her two maids were acting somewhat strangely, but a rumbling in her stomach caused her to focus on the food in front of her: it wasn¡¯t her who was hungry, but rather her child.


    Just as Yun Ruoyan was about to take a bite of the osmanthus cake¡ª


    ¡°Miss!¡± Peony and Xi Lan both called out to her simultaneously.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing,¡± Peony replied. ¡°Take small bites so you don¡¯t choke.¡±


    ¡°And the soup¡¯s a little hot, so don¡¯t drink it all in one go,¡± Xi Lan added.


    Yun Ruoyan cocked her head. ¡°What¡¯s going on with the two of you? I expect an answer by the time I finish eating.¡± She wagged a finger at them, then had a third of a piece of osmanthus cake. ¡°Ah, this brings back memories! You don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve missed this during thest three years.¡±


    ¡°Miss, these are both sweet desserts, so you shouldn¡¯t consume too much,¡± Peony reminded her.


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s not good to have too much sugar! We¡¯ll make more for you tomorrow, Miss,¡± Xi Lan added.


    Yun Ruoyan shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m already sustaining myself with spiritual energy at this point. I don¡¯t often have the appetite to eat, so it¡¯ll be fine even if I have a little more.¡±


    As she ate, she suddenly felt a strange spike of paining from her abdomen. She dropped herdle and clutched her stomach, an agonized expression on her face. The pain grew and grew in magnitude, until it felt as if all her strength had been sapped away. She slumped and almost fell to the ground.


    ¡°Miss, Miss! Are you alright?¡± Peony and Xi Lan hurriedly asked as they supported Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Mistress, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Qiuqiu had also felt Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pain.


    ¡°My stomach hurts, and it feels almost like I¡¯ve been poisoned, but¡ªXi Lan and Peony would never do such a thing!¡± Yun Ruoyan thought to Qiuqiu, staring at her two maids in stunned disbelief. When they saw her face turn blue, beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads.


    ¡°Xi Lan, call Miss Li Luo, quick! I¡¯ll stay here and apany Miss!¡± Peony instructed.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go!¡± As Xi Lan stepped outside, she almost tripped on the doorframe.


    ¡°Peony, the two of you didn¡¯t do this, did you?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked between spikes of pain.


    ¡°Miss, Miss, don¡¯t frighten me! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Peony repeated over and over again. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart turned cold, and she slowly closed her eyes...


    In a house by a small valley next to the beastkin valley, Li Mo was speaking with Su Nan and Su Bei.


    ¡°Your Highness, following your orders, we¡¯ve investigated the missing beastkin and found that they¡¯ve somehow made a reappearance within the Yuelu Vi,¡± Su Nan replied.


    ¡°As expected,¡± Li Mo said coldly. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to take down the owner of the vi.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, he¡¯s the grandfather of the fourth prince! The fourth prince and his grandfather work closely with Li Qianyuan, so wouldn¡¯t killing him bring unwanted attention to the beastkin valley?¡± Su Bei asked worriedly. He was responsible for keeping tabs on the capital, and was rtively familiar with Li Qianyuan¡¯s personality.


    Li Qianyuan was born of a servant girl, and he had always held a lowly position in the pce, especiallypared to his fellow princes. Almost from his birth, he had stuck to the crown prince for safety. And yet it was none other than this seemingly innocuous prince who had taken his father¡¯s life, ced his own brother in house arrest, and ascended to the throne. What the second prince had done was more than sufficient for Su Bei to categorize him as a dangerous figure.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been interested in the Li kingdom¡¯s politics,¡± Li Mo replied coolly. ¡°But I won¡¯t forgive them for threatening my kin. Take my writ to the Yuelu Vi. If they¡¯re willing to hand over the beastkin obediently, I won¡¯t pursue the matter further, but if not, I¡¯ll level the vi to the ground.¡±


    Two things were of utmost importance to Li Mo: Yun Ruoyan and the beastkin. He didn¡¯t care about the rest of Li Qianyuan¡¯s ns, but if Li Qianyuan dared to touch either Yun Ruoyan or the beastkin, blood would be shed.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± Su Bei and Su Nan hurried out of the house. The moment they did so, arge bird flew over. The two men recognized it as Mo¡¯er, a spiritual beast contracted to their master, primarily used for transmitting messages. Mo¡¯er was in itsrger form, which indicated that the message it was carrying was unusually urgent. Su Nan and Su Bei hesitated for a moment and were just about to keep walking forward when a gust of ck wind suddenly blew past the two men.


    The two men rubbed at their eyes to see their master¡¯s back disappearing before their eyes.


    Li Mo soared to the skies faster than the wind itself. The message that Mo¡¯er had brought him contained only seven words: Yun Ruoyan¡¯s been poisoned; she¡¯s in danger. At his fastest speed, Li Mo flew back to his manor in no more than four hours.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, Yan¡¯er!¡± he called out as soon as hended.


    When Li Luo heard Li Mo¡¯s voice, she hurriedly rushed out. Her eyes reddened, she said, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re finally back! Please, take a look at Consort Yun.¡±


    Li Mo followed Li Luo inside the house, where Yun Ruoyan was lying in bed. Her face and forehead shone with a sheen of sweat, her face a stark white. She was conscious, if only barely.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± When Li Mo saw his beloved wife in such a state, he almost stumbled. Stooping down against the bed, he clutched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s arm tightly and asked in a quavering voice, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan grit her teeth, shook her head, and forced out a smile. The curious pain in her stomach had long since reached a crescendo, and every second felt like an eternity. She didn¡¯t dare open her mouth, because she knew she would scream if she did so. Yun Ruoyan had a surprisingly high tolerance for pain, and she had never screamed in pain in either this life or herst.


    Li Mo ced his palm gently on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s abdomen and inspected her body using spiritual energy. Except for the baby¡¯s unusually active movements, he didn¡¯t notice anything else amiss. Both her spiritual vortex and bodily functions seemed normal.


    ¡°Physician, what¡¯s wrong with my wife?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°Your Highness, Consort Yun consumed some poisoned food that induced prematurebor,¡± the physician replied.


    ¡°Will she be in danger?¡±


    ¡°Consort Yun¡¯s cultivation and constitution seem to have shielded her from harm, but as for the baby in her womb...¡±


    When Li Mo heard that Yun Ruoyan would be alright, it felt as though a heavy burden had dropped from his shoulders¡ªone which he immediately picked up when the physician informed him that the baby was in danger.


    ¡°You must save both of them,¡± Li Mo said firmly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, Your Highness,¡± the physician replied. Subsequently, he hesitated and asked, ¡°But if I can only save one, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Save Ruoyan!¡± Li Mo replied immediately. ¡°You must save her!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± the physician replied, then started performing acupuncture on her.


    ¡°N-No, sa... save...¡± Yun Ruoyan wanted to tell the physician to save the child, but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she fell asleep before she could finish speaking.


    Yun Ruoyan dreamt of a cute, chubby boy, with locks of ck hair and eyes that could change color: ck one moment, blue the next, and red another. When he smiled, others would too.


    ¡°Xun Moyan,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out. ¡°Xun Moyan, let¡¯s go home. Father, Grandfather, and Grandmother are all waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mother!¡± Xun Moyan jumped toward Yun Ruoyan, then tugged at her hand. ¡°Father told me that you¡¯re bad with directions, Mother, so I have to make sure you don¡¯t get lost.¡±


    Suddenly, his feet shone with sword aura¡ªthe same blue-green aura as Li Mo¡¯s sword.


    When he saw Yun Ruoyan staring at the aura, he said proudly, ¡°Father gave it to me! He told me that, as long as I was able to learn swordflight within three days, he¡¯d give me his sword as a present. I didn¡¯t even need all three days to learn it! Mother, aren¡¯t I smart?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Our Moyan will be the best at whatever he does,¡± Yun Ruoyan praised.

 Chapter 448: Self-Recrimination

    <h4>Chapter 448: Self-Recrimination</h4>


    The dream continued...


    Xun Moyan soared through the skies with Yun Ruoyan when she suddenly said, ¡°Isn¡¯t the sky far more spacious than my stomach? To think I almost lost you in the womb!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Mother, did something scary happen?¡± Xun Moyan looked back at her with his beautiful eyes.


    Yun Ruoyan pinched his chubby little cheeks. ¡°While pregnant with you, I was poisoned and forced into earlybor, and I almost lost¡ª¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind suddenly nked out, and she couldn¡¯t seem to remember how she had given birth, how she had brought her child up.


    Yun Ruoyan clutched her face, trying to remember those lost memories, but her mind remained as nk as if those memories had never existed. Suddenly, her body trembled, shaking her out of her reverie. She found that she was alone on Li Mo¡¯s sword, Xun Moyan having vanished in an instant.


    ¡°Moyan, Xun Moyan!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, but the chubby little child had vanishedpletely.


    Li Mo walked out from the house exhausted, looking as though he had just returned from a battlefield¡ªno, he was even more tired and weary than he would be in such a situation.


    ¡°Your Highness, what¡¯s wrong with Miss Yun? How is she?!¡± Peony and Xi Lan were both kneeling outside the house.


    ¡°Why did you poison Yan¡¯er?¡± Li Mo asked coldly.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know that was poison!¡± Xi Lan cried. ¡°If we had known that it would endanger her life, we wouldn¡¯t have given her any even if the third miss nned to kill our entire family!¡±


    ¡°The third miss¡ªthe third miss of the Yun family, Yun Ruoyu?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°Yes, Yun Ruoyu!¡± Peony eximed. ¡°She fed our children a slow-acting poison and threatened us with their lives to feed a certain pill to Miss Yun. She said that the pill would only cause her cultivation to stagnate, but not to harm her life.¡±


    ¡°And you believed something so ludicrous?!¡± Li Luo shouted from the side.


    ¡°Not initially, but she... she imed that she didn¡¯t dare hurt Miss Yun now that she was the consort of the ughtering King. She was just worried that Miss Yun¡¯s rising cultivation would impede her, so...¡±


    Before Peony could finish, Li Mo had kicked her away. ¡°Yan¡¯er rescued you from your suffering in the Yun manor, and this is how you repay her?! Useless, ungrateful trash!¡± Li Mo shouted. ¡°If Yan¡¯er doesn¡¯t survive this ordeal, I¡¯ll have the two of you apany her to her death.¡±


    Xi Lan kowtowed. ¡°Your Highness, we deserve nothing less than death for our crimes. We don¡¯t deserve to die by your hands¡ªno, we¡¯ll kill ourselves!¡± She mbered up and began knocking her head against a stone pir.


    ¡°Xi Lan, wait for me!¡± Peony followed suit.


    ¡°Miss, Miss, apparently, Second Miss Yun is inbor! Both she and her child are in danger, and it¡¯s very possible that they¡¯re both going to die!¡± a servant girl rushed into Yun Ruoyu¡¯s room and reported.


    Yun Ruoyu was sitting in front of her dresser, grooming herself and preparing to sleep. When she heard the news, she immediately stood up, any thought of sleep vanishing in an instant. ¡°I¡¯ve waited so long for this day!¡± She paced back and forth in her room. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you didn¡¯t expect you would suffer like this, did you? If only you had remained the naive second miss of the Yun family! Why did you have to change so suddenly?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but think back to how she, Yun Ruoyao, and Yi Qianying would bully Yun Ruoyan together. What a marvelous punching bag she had been! Even when she was bullied, she would bear her suffering in silence and cower whenever they walked by, giving her, the third sister, an overwhelming sense of superiority.


    But the good times wouldn¡¯tst. Somehow, such a docile, timid girl had suddenly changed. She became more and more skilled, harder and harder to control. Before she left for Kongming Academy, it felt as though everything in the Yun manor revolved around her.


    She caused Yun Ruoyao¡¯s death, Madam An¡¯s craziness, and even her mother¡¯s death...


    Before her death, Qin Jianmei had told Yun Ruoyan that Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t even a daughter of the Yun family, but rather a bastard child born to her mother and some wild ruffian. The teenage Yun Ruoyu had overheard those words and reeled in shock.


    ¡°This is retribution, divine retribution! You, an outsider, daring to put on the mantle of a daughter of the Yun family and destroying our family¡ªyou deserve to die, to have your child die with you!¡± Yun Ruoyu¡¯s face had warped from her extreme excitement. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have imagined that your dear maids would poison you, could you? How does it feel to be betrayed?! Don¡¯t me me, I¡¯m just carrying out retribution in heaven¡¯s ce.¡±


    ¡°If Yan¡¯er dies, I¡¯ll skin you and cut you up alive,¡± an icy voice repressing a boundless rage sounded from behind her.


    Yun Ruoyu slowly turned around to see Li Mo standing a short distance away. ¡°A¡ªAh, you, how did you get in here?! What do you want... Help, help!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan woke up from a nightmare drenched in sweat. Li Mo had fallen asleep by her side, and when Yun Ruoyan reached out for him, he immediately awoke.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re awake?¡± Li Mo¡¯s eyes were darkened, as if he had gone long days without sleeping. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake, Yan¡¯er, oh, you¡¯ve scared me so.¡±


    ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, her voice surprisingly weak.


    ¡°Almost ten days.¡±


    ¡°Ten days!¡± Yun Ruoyan clutched her forehead. ¡°Li Mo, help me up.¡±


    Li Mo helped Yun Ruoyan up, at which point she immediately noticed something amiss. She opened her eyes wide as she nced at her abdomen, which was, once again, t.


    The nightmare that she had had of losing her child suddenly flooded into her mind, causing her to panic. She clutched Li Mo¡¯s arm with a deathly grip, her wide eyes turning even wider as she stared at Li Mo.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t worry, listen to me.¡± Li Mo hugged her tightly and patted her back. ¡°Our child¡¯s alright. He¡¯s doing fine.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She stared at Li Mo with her wide eyes, not daring to believe his words.


    ¡°Of course! When have I ever lied to you?¡± Only by omission... ¡°He¡¯s being breastfed by a wet nurse at the moment. Li Luo will bring him in when he¡¯s finished. Look, that¡¯s our baby¡¯s crib!¡± Li Mo pointed at a crib by the side of the room.


    ¡°Our son¡¯s really alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan finally took a deep breath and slumped into Li Mo¡¯s arms. ¡°Thank goodness.¡±


    ¡°With me around, neither of you will ever suffer,¡± Li Mo replied resolutely¡ªbut then his voice turned puzzled. ¡°Yan¡¯er, how did you know that our child was male?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°I had a dream with a little boy in it, and he called me Mother. His hair was ck, and the most startling part about his appearance were his eyes: they could change color and go from ck to blue to red. He¡¯s very smart, and managed to learn swordflight within three days¡ªoh, have you named him?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve been waiting for you to help name him together,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°I have a name in mind, but I¡¯d like to listen to your ideas to see if our thoughts agree,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured, before falling asleep again. When she awoke, she finally saw her child in reality.


    Just like in her dreams, his head was a mop of ck hair. His skin was white and tender, his eyes ck but seemingly fixed in color. Li Mo told her that it was rare for bloodline abilities to manifest as a baby, and he likely hadtent talents that were waiting to be discovered. Their baby was the first to possess both the silver and demonic dragon bloodlines in tandem, and he was almost certain to be exceptionally talented.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo wrote their proposed names for their baby boy on each other¡¯s hands, only to find that they were identical. ¡°Xun Moyan,¡± they read aloud. Li Mo thought that Yun Ruoyan would have made her child¡¯s surname Li, the surname he was currently going by.


    ¡°Alright. Our boy will be Xun Moyan, and his nickname Li Yan.¡± Li Mo caressed Xun Moyan, whoy silently asleep in his mother¡¯s arms.


    Three dayster, the physician pronounced Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body hale and healthy, but she would still require copious amounts of rest.


    ¡°Ruoyan, Xi Lan and Peony have already knelt outside the house for two days and two nights. Have you thought of how to punish them?¡± Li Luo murmured, then took Li Yan away from her to change his diaper.


    Yun Ruoyan stilled. ¡°They¡¯ve been kneeling outside for two whole days?¡±


    Li Mo had forbidden his servants from informing Yun Ruoyan of the matter, and only Li Luo dared to tell her the news secretly. ¡°Judging by His Highness¡¯ personality, they would normally long be dead, but His Highness knew that you¡¯re very fond of them. He¡¯s been hesitating as to how to punish them¡ªafter all, they poisoned and almost killed you and Li Yan, but they did it from a position of ignorance, from having their own children threatened. They¡¯re very regretful, and they both tried to kill themselves in repentance. If His Highness hadn¡¯t restrained them in time, they would havemitted suicide on the spot.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°Li Luo, please send them in.¡±

 Chapter 449: A Cruel Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 449: A Cruel Punishment</h4>


    Li Luo brought Peony and Xi Lan into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s room, where they immediately knelt upon seeing her.


    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s all my fault. I deserve to die!¡±


    ¡°Miss, please punish us!¡±


    They knelt on the floor, their heads lowered to the ground, too ashamed to face Yun Ruoyan directly.


    ¡°Are Bao¡¯er and Qiao¡¯er alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked coolly.


    ¡°They¡¯re... they¡¯re both alright now,¡± Peony replied. ¡°His Highness helped us obtain an antidote. Because they were poisoned for so long, however, they haven¡¯t fully recovered, but they¡¯re not in mortal danger anymore. They¡¯ll be healthy again after a little rest.¡±


    ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve harmed you. I-I don¡¯t know how to repay your gratitude for sparing us and saving out children.¡±


    When she realized that her trusted maids were the culprits behind her poisoning, she was indeed very disappointed and upset¡ªbut as a mother herself, she felt that she would also have taken part in any number of unconscionable acts to guarantee her son¡¯s safety. Furthermore, her maids didn¡¯t know the danger of what Yun Ruoyu had given them.


    ¡°Li Luo exined everything to me,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied coolly. ¡°You¡¯ve both been taken advantage of by Yun Ruoyu. She¡¯s sly and malicious, so it¡¯s not unexpected that you¡¯d fall for her trap.¡±


    ¡°Miss, we¡ª¡± Peony and Xi Lan looked up at Yun Ruoyan gratefully.


    ¡°But,¡± Yun Ruoyan continued, her tone turning strident. ¡°I won¡¯t keep anyone who has betrayed me around, no matter for what reason.¡±


    Peony and Xi Lan lowered their heads again, tears falling from their eyes.


    ¡°Li Luo, arrange for them to be sent away,¡± Yun Ruoyanmanded.


    Li Luo nced at Yun Ruoyan, seemingly wanting to speak but ultimately choosing not to do so. ¡°Yes, Consort Yun. Xi Lan, Peony, follow me.¡±


    Xi Lan and Peony continued kneeling on the floor.


    ¡°Li Luo, take them outside. I¡¯m going to rest now,¡± Yun Ruoyan said again, somewhat impatiently.


    Xi Lan and Peony finally looked up again. By then, Yun Ruoyan had alreadyid down to rest, and her back was to her maids. They both kowtowed again.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m afraid I might not have the opportunity to see you again. Being able to serve you has been an honor, one that I failed to cherish. Miss, I hope I¡¯ll be able to serve you again in my next life,¡± Peony said resolutely.


    ¡°Anything to serve you, Miss,¡± Xi Lan added.


    ¡°Alright, alright, Consort Yun¡¯s going to rest. Follow me out,¡± Li Luo instructed. Xi Lan and Peony finally stood up and followed Li Luo out of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s rooms.


    Yun Ruoyany with her back to the door, her eyes closed. Momentster, she heard footsteps behind her. ¡°Have they been sent away?¡±


    Li Luo didn¡¯t respond. Instead, someone sat by her side. She opened her eyes and turned to find Li Mo patting her arm. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled, the pain in her face slowly vanishing.


    ¡°I heard Li Luo mention that you¡¯ve dealt with your two maids.¡± Li Mo caressed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent them away.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes drooped. ¡°They¡¯ve followed me for so long, and yet¡ªI can¡¯t keep them by my side.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°I won¡¯t spare anyone who dares scheme against my woman and children.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was shocked by Li Mo¡¯s murderous tone. ¡°You¡¯re not going to...¡±


    Li Mo looked towards Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who chased them away?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep them by my side, but that doesn¡¯t mean I want to take their lives! They did protect me while I was weak, and although they made a mistake, both Moyan and I are alright, aren¡¯t we? Don¡¯t you dare hurt them!¡±


    ¡°In that case, what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Let them go. No longer will they be my servants,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    Li Mo smiled. ¡°As far as I know, Yan¡¯er, not only did you assign some guards to protect them and their two children on their journey, you even nned for their future. Even if they leave the capital, they won¡¯t have to worry about their livelihoods.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°You found out? I guess I really can¡¯t hide anything from you. I really was hurt that they would poison me like that, but when I think about how they must have suffered these past three years... I think they wouldn¡¯t have hurt me if not for their children, so when I saw that Moyan was alright, I forgave them on the spot.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Yan¡¯er, why chase them away?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re with children, and they have more to be concerned about than just themselves or me. You know how strong our enemies and opponents are, and those who stay by my side have to face all sorts of danger. Xi Lan and Peony are just regr people, and they shouldn¡¯t have to suffer so,¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed. ¡°At the very least, if I send them away now, I¡¯ll be able to provide for them and their children.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo was willing to indulge Yun Ruoyan despite their differences in thought. To him, since Xi Lan and Peony were Yun Ruoyan¡¯s servants, their lives belonged to her. If they were to betray their mistress¡ªfor whatever reason¡ªthen their lives were forfeit. This was the principle underlying the Mo guards, but Li Mo was willing to ept Yun Ruoyan¡¯s approach.


    Yun Ruoyany in Li Mo¡¯sp. The moment her eyes closed, she suddenly recalled something particrly important. She struggled up and said, ¡°Li Mo, I have something important to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard about what happened to Su Dong and Su Xi, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I saw Su Xi¡¯s wound¡ªit¡¯s an attack that only a sword saint could have aplished.¡±


    ¡°It was Yun Lan,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. ¡°After you left, I headed back to the Yun manor and discovered something amiss. When I sent Su Dong and Su Xi to investigate...¡± Yun Ruoyan told Li Mo what she knew.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, do you mean that your mother¡¯s currently in the Yun manor?¡± Li Mo was shocked by the revtion.


    ¡°When I heard Su Xi mention this, I was shocked myself. Su Dong and Su Xi gave their lives to let me know about this, and whether or not it¡¯s true, I think it merits further investigation,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to return. We have to investigate the manor.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll head to the Yun manor tonight,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°Let me go with you, please. I¡¯ve rested for over a week, and my body should be fine now,¡± Yun Ruoyan quickly added. When Li Mo frowned, she continued, ¡°This concerns my family, and I¡¯d just be anxiously lying in bed waiting for you if you didn¡¯t agree to bring me with you. I need to see if Yun Lan¡¯s really hiding my mother in the Yun manor.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, Consort Yun, the Lin sisters are here to see you,¡± Li Luo reported from outside the door.


    ¡°Send them in quickly, Li Luo!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out. When they heard about Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mishap, the Lin sisters had paid quite a few visits to the Yun manor. Because she was afraid of worrying them, Yun Ruoyan only told them that she was in earlybor.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you look much better than before!¡± Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen walked into her room and bowed when they saw Li Mo.


    Li Mo greeted them, had them apany Yun Ruoyan, and left.


    ¡°How¡¯s Grandfather?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. She had only been back to the Lin manor once before being beset by the events at the Yun manor and her subsequent poisoning.


    ¡°He was shocked when he heard that you were in earlybor, but now he¡¯s jubnt after hearing that you and your son are both alright. He¡¯s been wanting toe over to see his grandson, but he was worried that it would inconvenience you,¡± Lin Qingchen replied, smiling.


    ¡°When I¡¯m feeling better, I¡¯ll definitely bring Yan¡¯er over to see him.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, there might be something you don¡¯t know about.¡± Lin Qingxue suddenly said.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Yun Ruoyu was betrothed to a noble from the Mo kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Betrothed? Is this information reliable?¡± Yun Ruoyan was a little surprised. ¡°The Mo kingdom¡¯s the weakest of the four kingdoms on the Chenyuan continent, and the Li kingdom all but the strongest. Why the sudden betrothal?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, the Mo noble offered a particrly precious fish-core pearl to the Li emperor as tribute. He was particrly pleased by the gift, and promised to fulfill one wish from the noble. The noble imed that his ugliness had prevented him from finding a beautiful wife and wanted to pick out a woman to marry from the Li kingdom. The Li emperor showed him a few portraits of eligible nobles from the Li kingdom, and he picked out Yun Ruoyu on the spot!¡±


    Although the Lin sisters weren¡¯t too familiar with Yun Ruoyu, they knew that Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t get along well with any of her sisters. ¡°When Sister Qingchen and I heard about this, we were both quite shocked, but isn¡¯t it great that Yun Ruoyu was chosen? The Mo kingdom¡¯s close to the sea, and life isn¡¯t easy there. She¡¯ll have fish for all three meals of the day, rarely bread and rice¡ªI wonder whether she¡¯ll be able to get used to that sort of life, pampered as she is!¡± Lin Qingxue cackled with glee.


    Yun Ruoyan also smiled, having guessed that this sort of strange coincidence was likely to have been orchestrated by Li Mo himself. After all, he had told her as much: he¡¯d deal with anyone who harbored malicious intentions toward her or her son, but giving someone as vile as Yun Ruoyu a clean death wouldn¡¯t soothe Yun Ruoyan¡¯s anger toward her.


    Even as a child, Yun Ruoyan had lusted after power and authority, beauty and vanity. Marrying her off to a far-flung location, devoid of any sort of riches, to an ugly, rough man¡ªthere could be no crueler punishment.

 Chapter 450: A Grand Deception

    <h4>Chapter 450: A Grand Deception</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan handed Li Moyan to the Lin sisters, who teased him and hugged him as they chatted. Suddenly, he let out a burblingughter, startling them all.


    ¡°Ah, he¡¯s already able tough?!¡± Lin Qingchen eximed. ¡°He¡¯s only a few days old!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s his first timeughing. He must like you, Qingchen.¡±


    ¡°Call me Aunt, Li Yan, Aunt!¡±


    Lin Qingxue chuckled. ¡°Sister, how can a baby talk? It¡¯s impressive enough that he¡¯s able tough! Look, doesn¡¯t he look like Sister Ruoyan when he smiles? Why doesn¡¯t he look like the ughtering King?¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Lin Qingchen hurriedly broke Lin Qingxue off. Realizing that she had said something inappropriate, Lin Qingxue mped her mouth shut and turned toward the door. When no one entered, she clutched her heart and let out a deep breath.


    The Lin sisters hadn¡¯t seen Li Mo¡¯s true appearance, so they naturally didn¡¯t think that Li Yan looked like Li Mo. Actually, his face resembled his father¡¯s more than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s; only his mop of ck hair and wide, lustrous eyes were from his mother.


    Yun Ruoyan chatted with the Lin sisters for the entire day. When they finally took their leave, it was already evening. That night, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo snuck into the Yun manor.


    Yun Ruoyu had been sent off to the Mo kingdom almost a week ago, and the Yun manor was in disarray with no one to deal with household affairs. The flowers and shrubs, usually so carefully tended to, had been allowed to grow wild, and even the guards patrolling the manor had vanished.


    When Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo walked into the Yun manor, they felt as though they had stepped into a forsaken home. ¡°How did this happen in just a few days?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked, confused.


    ¡°While Yun Ruoyu was responsible for the household, she sent away all the old servants she didn¡¯t like, then employed a bevy of new servants in their ce. She was the only one responsible for household finances and expenses, so once she left, the manor was in upheaval. None of the new servants felt any sort of loyalty to the Yun household, so they all left as well,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Brother¡¯s going to have a lot on his te when he returns, isn¡¯t he... ¡°Were you the one who arranged for Yun Ruoyu to be sent off?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I wanted to kill her, but that would be too kind. Instead, I crippled her cultivation and asked a favor of a Mo noble I¡¯m familiar with.¡±


    ¡°Marrying into a noble family won¡¯t be too bad, surely? No wonder Yun Ruoyu didn¡¯t make a fuss.¡±


    Li Moughed. ¡°That noble was looking for a wife for his horsekeeper, not for himself.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo, shocked. ¡°What? And Yun Ruoyu epted?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! That¡¯s why I borrowed some of your intoxicating fog. By the time she snaps out of it, it¡¯ll be a done deal. She¡¯ll be trapped in the Mo kingdom, weak and without any cultivation of her own. Unless shemits suicide, she¡¯ll be resigned to her life,¡± Li Mo replied.


    Having died once, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t much fear death. What was frightening wasn¡¯t dying, but living a life worse than death. As a result, she was very pleased with how Li Mo had dealt with Yun Ruoyu.


    Because Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t familiar with the cottage that Su Xi had reported before his death, she could only walk around the manor with Li Mo. On a small path not too far from Yun Lan¡¯s rooms, Li Mo suddenly stopped.


    Yun Ruoyan turned back. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you discover something?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a pretty strong formation over here,¡± Li Mo replied.


    Yun Ruoyan followed Li Mo into the bushes by the side of the path. After about two hundred paces, they entered a clearing filled with rock formations.


    ¡°This is abyrinthine array,¡± Li Mo dered. Yun Ruoyan had a little familiarity with such arrays; in the past, she had once ventured into the Yuelu Vi with Li Mo to save some kidnapped beastkin, and they had encountered one such.


    Li Mo began walking through the rock formations in a precise pattern, and Yun Ruoyan hurriedly followed suit. Not fifteen minutester, Li Mo had found the precise path through the array. He tugged on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand and walked into the clearing, only to have his surroundings suddenly change. Beneath the moonlight was a two-story house constructed atop ake. A bridge of white marble, iid with moonstones, stood in front of them, leading directly to the house. The reflected light from the moonstones draped everything in an ethereal light, making Yun Ruoyan feel as though she was in a dream.


    ¡°This must be the ce,¡± Li Mo breathed.


    Yun Ruoyan subconsciously headed to the bridge. Li Mo stopped her in time, then flew her across the water to the house¡ªSu Dong and Su Xi were masters of stealth, but they had still been discovered by Yun Lan. If he and Yun Ruoyan weren¡¯t careful enough and were discovered too quickly, they might not be able to uncover the truth.


    Theyy hidden on top of the eaves of the house, right by the windows. They were shut tightly, and not a sound or movement came from within. However, Yun Lan seemed to be cultivating, and the flows of spiritual energy through the cottage were obvious to their spiritual senses.


    Yun Ruoyan drew her dagger and stuck it into the slit of the window, slowly prying it open. Cold, frosty air seeped out of the windowsill, encasing her hand.


    Suddenly, Yun Lan spoke from within, ¡°You¡¯ve finallye.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled. In her stead, Li Mo pried the window open, then jumped into the room, shielding Yun Ruoyan behind him.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here too, Your Highness,¡± Yun Lan called out again.


    Yun Ruoyan followed Li Mo into the house, whose walls were studded with pearls-of-night. Through the cold, misty air, Yun Ruoyan was finally able to make out whaty within the room: a bed of frozen jade, which was emitting the half-frozen air she had just felt.


    Atop the bed were two people, a woman in a red dress and a man sitting cross-legged behind her, infusing spiritual energy into her body. Her face was clouded by a misty haze, and Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t make out her appearance.


    The man¡¯s beard and hair were white, and Yun Ruoyan realized with some shock that he was Yun Lan! Could the woman in red be her mother, Lin Yuemei?


    ¡°Father, you... what¡¯s... going on?¡±


    ¡°As you¡¯ve guessed, this is your mother, Lin Yuemei,¡± Yun Lan began, still infusing spiritual energy into her body.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked again, her fists tightly clenched. Why hadn¡¯t she known that her mother had spent decades in the same manor as her? Why had she been orphaned for so long when her mother was mere feet away?


    And why had she died in her past life without ever seeing her again, never knowing that she had been so close, yet so far...


    She stepped forward again, rage and shock and confusion turning her voice shrill. ¡°Tell me, Father, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, he¡¯s infusing spiritual energy into your mother¡¯s body. If you break him off now, it might endanger both their lives.¡± Li Mo held Yun Ruoyan back and prevented her from stepping further forward. ¡°And if he dies, you won¡¯t be able to obtain the answer you were looking for.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan forcibly restrained herself from moving until she was trembling from the effort. Li Mo hugged her and patted her gently.


    ¡°Ruoyan, wait a moment. I¡¯ll exin myself,¡± Yun Lan said.


    Two hourster, after midnight, Yun Lan finally finished his infusion. He removed his palms from Lin Yuemei¡¯s back, and the frozen aura surrounding her almost instantly dissipated. Although there was still a little mist from the bed, Yun Ruoyan found that she could now clearly see her mother¡¯s face.


    It looked very much like her own face, and it had appeared countless times to her in a dream. She would always see her mother dancing under the peach blossoms, embracing her and pulling her along... but those were just dreams, dreams that vanished as soon as she awoke.


    But now, Lin Yuemei was right in front of her.


    ¡°Li Mo, tell me this isn¡¯t a dream. Tell me I¡¯m not dreaming!¡± Yun Ruoyan tightly clutched Li Mo¡¯s palms.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, this isn¡¯t a dream. What you¡¯re seeing is real,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°Mother... Mother...!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out in a hoarse whisper. Her voice was soft and gentle, as though she were afraid of startling her awake.


    Yun Lan slowlyy Lin Yuemei back on the bed and motioned for Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo to follow him. Li Mo¡¯s cultivation was now far above Yun Lan¡¯s, and he wasn¡¯t afraid of any tricks that he might pull. He followed Yun Lan, pulling Yun Ruoyan along behind her, but her gaze was fixed to the woman in red lying peacefully on the bed of frozen jade.


    The antechamber was warmer than the main chamber, but it was still freezing. Yun Lan¡¯s face alternated between blue and white, either because he had expended too much spiritual energy or because he had stayed too long under such conditions.


    ¡°Please have a seat, Your Highness.¡± Yun Lan motioned at a chair, bowing. ¡°I apologize for not providing tea and snacks.¡±


    ¡°Official Yun, I¡¯m not here as a guest,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°I¡¯m here to help Yan¡¯er find her mother. Don¡¯t you think you owe her an exnation?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stared stonily at Yun Lan, herplicated emotions shining through her face.


    ¡°After I discovered those two guards, I guessed that they had to be from the ughtering King¡¯s manor. No other guards would have so advanced a cultivation and so stubborn a will, and I knew that you would soone in search of this ce,¡± Yun Lan began, avoiding Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°If you knew, why didn¡¯t you hide it? Were you waiting for us?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Yun Lan suddenlyughed. ¡°I thought this would be a secret that I would hide forever, but given how things are developing, it looks like I have no choice but to reveal it now.¡±


    It turned out that Yun Lan had known about Qin Jianmei¡¯s envy for Lin Yuemei. He had tried to prevent the two of them from interacting, but when Lin Yuemei treated him coldly, he turned to Qin Jianmei in order to probe Lin Yuemei¡¯s feelings for him. What Yun Lan hadn¡¯t expected was how malicious the innocent-looking Qin Jianmei turned out to be, nor how to deal with the rare, lethal poison running through Lin Yuemei¡¯s veins.


    However, just as Lin Yuemei seemed unable to hold out any longer, Yun Lan somehow managed to obtain a bed of frozen jade from the arctic north, able to seal a person¡¯s body in ice, frozen in time. As such, Yun Lan fed Lin Yuemei a pill of false death, staged a fake funeral for her, and then unearthed her body from the grave without anyone else¡¯s knowledge.

 Chapter 451: Human Jerky

    <h4>Chapter 451: Human Jerky</h4>


    Yun Lan didn¡¯t know that the poison coursing through Lin Yuemei¡¯s body was from Qin Jianmei until Yun Ruoyan herself discovered the truth. Afterwards, Yun Lan had been mired in regret: it was he who had caused Lin Yuemei to suffer in stasis for decades.


    ¡°Over thest ten years, I¡¯ve been searching all over for a method to cure your mother of her poison, but the poison had infiltrated her body so deeply that it was even in her marrow. Only recently did I find a way to save Yuemei,¡± Yun Lan continued.


    ¡°What method?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°To siphon away my yang energy and infuse it to Yuemei.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stilled. She had never heard of such a technique, but doing so would undoubtedly leave Yun Lan weakened for long periods of time, possibly even permanently. She didn¡¯t know the magnitude of the feelings that Yun Lan harbored for her mother, and talk of this sacrifice had significantly reduced her resentment toward her erstwhile father.


    ¡°I found out that Ruoyu had two statues that would be vital as foci for the transferral of my yang energy to Yuemei.¡± Yun Lan took out the Buddha and Bodhisattva statues that had once been Qin Jianmei¡¯s.


    Yun Ruoyan was very shocked that the two statues hadn¡¯t been burned to cinders, and that Yun Lan had actually repurposed them for saving her mother.


    ¡°This technique requires eighty-one days to cast in full, and I can already clearly sense the budding spark of life in Yuemei¡¯s body.¡± Yun Lan smiled wanly. ¡°The remaining few days will be of vital importance, and I can¡¯t be disturbed at all. I hope you¡¯ll be able to take care of the manor for the time being.¡±


    Although Yun Lan had isted himself in this chamber, he had ways of finding out what had happened within the Yun manor, and he naturally knew of what had happened to Yun Ruoyu. He wasn¡¯t expecting Li Mo to spare her life, and her current situation was undoubtedly the best of many bad possibilities. He had no intention of pleading for Li Mo to be merciful on her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My brother will soon inherit the Yun family, and I don¡¯t want to see it fall, either,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°I¡¯ll take over governing the household for the time being.¡±


    ¡°I have another request, Your Highness.¡± Yun Lan then turned to Li Mo. ¡°I¡¯ve imed to be gravely ill at court, and I suspect many of the officials allied against me are bing suspicious. There have been quite a number of spies sent to the Yun manor, and I hope you¡¯ll be able to dismiss them, Your Highness.¡±


    Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan, then said, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have my guards patrol the area surrounding this cottage. You won¡¯t be disturbed, Official Yun.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your grace, Your Highness.¡± Yun Lan smiled.


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan brought little Moyan into the Yun manor, along with a number of her own servants, including Li Luo, from the ughtering King¡¯s manor. Because it was convenient and familiar, Yun Ruoyan continued staying in her old cottage.


    ¡°Consort Yun, the housekeeper here is ridiculous,¡± her new servant girl, Qianxi, grumbled as she walked into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s rooms. She had picked Qianxi out from among the maids in the ughtering King¡¯s manor. She was direct and forthright, almost like abination of Xi Lan and Peony.


    ¡°Shh,¡± Li Luo suddenly shushed her. ¡°Be quiet, the young master¡¯s just fallen asleep!¡±


    Moyan had recently been waking up in the night, so napping during the day was particrly important for his growth and development.


    Qianxi hurriedly mped her hand over her mouth and was just about to back out of the room when Yun Ruoyan asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Qianxi replied softly, ¡°I found the housekeeper and asked him to send a few servants around to clean up the ce, but he said that you showed up uninvited, so it would be best for you to provide for yourself!¡±


    She had mimicked the housekeeper¡¯s tone and mannerisms almost perfectly, so even though Yun Ruoyan should have been mad at the offense, she began tough instead.


    ¡°Consort Yun, how can youugh? He¡¯s so maddening!¡± Qianxi continued fuming. Decorum was enforced strictly in the ughtering King¡¯s manor, but the servants were free to work as they pleased as long as they finished their tasks on time. The rtionship between the servants had always been genial, and this was the first time she had been snubbed like this before.


    ¡°Call that housekeeper over,¡± Yun Ruoyan instructed, still smiling.


    ¡°He won¡¯t listen to me! When I told him to seek you out if you were dissatisfied with the request, he said...¡± Qianxi again mimicked the housekeeper¡¯s tone, ¡°I¡¯m the head housekeeper of the Yun manor, and I don¡¯t have to listen to anyone from the ughtering King¡¯s manor! Except for the third miss, I won¡¯t listen to anyone else! But she¡¯s no longer in the manor, so I don¡¯t have to ount to anyone.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan clicked her tongue. Where had Yun Ruoyu obtained such useless servants? Is she trying to discredit the Yun family?


    ¡°Let me go.¡± After confirming that Moyan was sound asleep, Li Luo stood up. ¡°I want to see what this housekeeper¡¯s like for myself.¡±


    Not fifteen minutester, Qianxi rushed into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s rooms again. ¡°Consort Yun,¡± she whispered, ¡°Sister Li Luo¡¯s fighting with that housekeeper now!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. She nced at Moyan, who was still sleeping soundly. His lips pursed up from moment to moment, as though he were dreaming of being breastfed. ¡°Qianxi, stay here and look after the young master. I¡¯ll go have a look for myself,¡± Yun Ruoyan instructed.


    ¡°Who exactly are you? Why does a housekeeper have so advanced a cultivation?¡± Li Luo had already exchanged dozens of blows with the slightly chubby housekeeper, but they seemed to be at an impasse.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected a servant girl from the ughtering King¡¯s manor to be so strong,¡± the chubby housekeeper murmured.


    Li Luo had broken through to the peak of eighth rank two years ago, but she hadn¡¯t improved beyond that because of a bottleneck. Nevertheless, she had few opponents she couldn¡¯t defeat on the Chenyuan continent, and she hadn¡¯t expected some random housekeeper to be able to fight her on equal footing.


    Could he be a reclusive expert? Li Luo wondered¡ªthen quickly found herself surrounded by a few fireballs, burning so violently that they quickly lit her clothes ame.


    ¡°Heh.¡± The chubby housekeeper smirked. ¡°Everyone else likes watching beauties bathing, but I like watching them dance in fire.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan arrived to see Li Luo haphazardly trying to smother the mes on her clothes, she immediately became incensed. For someone to dare bully her people¡ªespecially Li Luo, soon to be the next female head of the Yun household...


    She flung a gigantic fireball toward Li Luo, which instantly attracted all the mes surrounding her and on her clothes to it. With another swipe, that fireball returned to her palm,pressed to the size of a bullet.


    ¡°Ruoyan!¡± Li Luo patted her clothes and walked to her side. ¡°There¡¯s something fishy about this housekeeper.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, then turned to the chubby housekeeper. ¡°Who exactly are you? What¡¯re you doing here in the Yun manor, and why did you expose your identity? Who¡¯s your backer?¡± The fire bullet spun leisurely in her palm, but the anger in her expression was obvious.


    The housekeeper, shocked by her cultivation, answered none of her three questions. He had never seen someone able to use the fireball technique so deftly, and a light sheen of sweat covered his forehead. I thought I finally got a lucky break, but it looks like I¡¯ve just been sent here as cannon fodder. The ughtering King¡¯s consort¡¯s cultivation is far above my own!


    ¡°Consort Yun¡¯s asking you a question. Answer her!¡± Li Luo shouted.


    ¡°Consort Yun, my name is Ge Dazhuang, and I¡¯m just an ordinary housekeeper. Miss Ruoyu bade me join the Yun manor, and I don¡¯t have a backer of any sort. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯m sure Miss Ruoyu will back me up,¡± the chubby housekeeper replied.


    ¡°A pack of lies,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied coldly. She flung her me bullet in his direction, which seemed to morph into shadow and appeared near-instantaneously by his side. It separated into a number of small me bullets, trapping him within. It was a mirror of the technique that he had used against Li Luo, magnified at least tenfold.


    Although the concentrated mes wouldn¡¯t burn his clothes, their surface temperature was so blisteringly hot that he would slowly bake to death.


    ¡°Consort Yun, please spare me! I¡¯m telling the truth, and the third miss will back me up!¡± In a matter of moments, Ge Dazhuang¡¯s back was drenched in sweat, and his chubby body seemed to have suddenly shrunk.


    ¡°I have no intention of listening to your lies. You have fifteen minutes to talk, or you¡¯ll be desated into a piece of human jerky,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t say!¡± Ge Dazhuang called out, sweat soaking his body. His round face was quickly drying out from the heat. Gulping downrge lungfuls of air, he said, ¡°My whole family¡¯s in my master¡¯s hands, and if I betray him, my entire family will die!¡±

 Chapter 452: Li Yan, Captured

    <h4>Chapter 452: Li Yan, Captured</h4>


    Now that Ge Dazhuang had all but confirmed that he was a spy, Yun Ruoyan had no intention of going easy on him. If he didn¡¯t speak, he would be turned into a piece of human jerky.


    Watching the scene from afar were servants of the Yun manor, some of whom had served even before Yun Ruoyu¡¯s tenure, and some of whom were new servants whom she had recruited from who-knew-where. They watched their new housekeeper being baked to death with bated breath.


    When Yun Ruoyan nced in their direction, those who were looking at her immediately lowered their heads. ¡°I¡¯m the second miss of this household, and I¡¯m sure the old servants recognize me. Although I¡¯ve married into the ughtering King¡¯s manor, I still intend on maintaining my rtionship with the Yun household. My father¡¯s in closed cultivation, Ruoyu¡¯s been married off, my brother¡¯s quelling the Farsighted King¡¯s rebellion, and my grandmother¡¯s bedridden. The duty of managing the Yun household falls to me. I don¡¯t care what intentions you have; if you don¡¯t want to stay, you¡¯re free to im your wages and leave. If you do want to stay and I discover that you bear the Yun household malicious intent, what happens to him will happen to you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan pointed at Ge Dazhuang, whose body had dried out in the intense heat. With a wave of her hand, the ming bullets burnt his body to ash.


    ¡°Well,ss? Isn¡¯t the fire bullet technique that I taught you powerful?¡± As Yun Ruoyan walked back to her rooms, the demonic dragon forefather spoke proudly into her mind. ¡°Once you take over the position of n head, I have far more powerful techniques that I¡¯ll hand to you. Oh, and you can start cultivating the draconic arts now. I¡¯ll be here to mentor and direct you, and your cultivation will quickly surpass even that silver dragond!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t respond to the elder. The moment she entered her room, she noticed something amiss. The two servants that she had brought over from the ughtering King¡¯s manor were still busy cleaning, but there was a strange, unfamiliar scenting from her rooms. She found Qianxi unconscious on the ground and Moyan¡¯s crib swaying to and fro with no one inside.


    Moyan!


    ¡°Where¡¯s the young master?¡± Li Luo, who followed Yun Ruoyan in, immediately turned pale. She hurried to Qianxi¡¯s side while Yun Ruoyan darted out the back window, giving chase to the unfamiliar aura.


    She saw a ck dot in the horizon and sped forward on her Scarlet Eye. So fast was its maximum speed that she caught up to the masked kidnapper in a matter of minutes. ¡°Return my child to me and I¡¯ll spare you.¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes honed in on the bundle he was carrying.


    ¡°Here, catch!¡± The man flung the bundle far into the distance, prompting a shrill scream from the baby within. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart jumped into her chest as she fled toward the baby. Meanwhile, the kidnapper took the opportunity to speed off.


    When Yun Ruoyan caught the thrown baby and checked up on it, she discovered that it wasn¡¯t Moyan¡ªshe had been hoodwinked again!


    Her gaze deathly cold, she wed at the back of the fleeing man. A scarlet fire bullet appeared in her palm, one which she shot out in his direction. As it struck the man¡¯s body, he exploded into a bloody mist before he could react. Since Ge Dazhuang had died without revealing anything, she had no doubt that this man would do likewise.


    Yun Ruoyan carried the unknown baby back to the Yun manor, where Qianxi was waiting for her with herst breath. Having grown up in the ughtering King¡¯s manor, she had a little cultivation to her name, but her assant had snuck in from a window outside and given her a terrible blow to the back of her head, which had almost caved in from the impact.


    Li Luo had temporarily prolonged her life with a spiritual pill, bringing her back for mere moments.


    ¡°Consort Yun, two masked men came and took the young master away,¡± Qianxi whispered, clutching Yun Ruoyan¡¯s arm desperately. ¡°I heard them say that they would split up, one to lure you away, and the other to bring the baby back to his master.¡± Then, havingmunicated what little information she had, she shut her eyes and fell to eternal rest.


    Her opponent was wily and cunning. After she killed Ge Dazhuang, the other party had immediately killed her maid. Ge Dazhuang was just bait, and even the obvious trail leading out from her room had just been a red herring. Worse, her child was gone.


    Li Mo returned that night. When Yun Ruoyan saw him, her emotions unraveled, and tears fell from her eyes like a string of pearls. She sobbed without making noise, cradling herself brokenly.


    ¡°Whoever did this will die for their crime,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Li Mo, it¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t look after Moyan carefully¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered.


    ¡°Consort Yun only fell for the trap because she was trying to save me. If there¡¯s anyone to me, it¡¯s me,¡± Li Luo said, her eyes red.


    ¡°Moyan will be alright,¡± Li Mo consoled. ¡°No matter who kidnapped him, they¡¯re surely trying to get something from us. They wouldn¡¯t dare hurt him.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had been so worried for her child that she hadn¡¯t thought about this point. ¡°In that case, what should we do? Do we have to wait for them to present their terms?¡± Yun Ruoyan hurriedly asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent my men to investigate what¡¯s going on. I have a suspect in mind,¡± Li Mo said.


    Not too long afterwards, on the second night after Moyan¡¯s disappearance, a servant found a dagger stuck into the front doors of the Yun manor. Attached to the hilt was a message, one that told Li Mo to head to the Yuelu Vi that night.


    Within the Yuelu Vi, the owner of the vi, Dong Tiehe, and his grandson, the fourth prince Li Qianyue, were waiting for a certain someone¡¯s arrival. Their feelings wereplicated; after all, they had never expected to have to kneel and kowtow to someone they had always looked down on.


    They had once thought that, even if the other princes were all dead, the throne would never pass to a prince born to a maid. However, reality had subverted their expectations. Somehow, the prince born to a maid had wed his way to the throne, to such great heights that even they had to bow and kneel.


    ¡°Please rise, Fourth Brother, Elder Dong.¡± Li Qianyuan helped Dong Tiehe and Li Qianhan up affectionately, quelling their unease for the moment. He followed them into a room with a wet nurse and some maids, as well as a crib. Li Yan was resting in the crib, ncing around with wide eyes. Despite being a little baby, he hadn¡¯t cried or made a fuss after being separated from his mother; instead, he looked at his surroundings with curiosity and quiet intellect.


    From the boy¡¯s eyes, Li Qianyuan saw a shadow of his mother. He clearly remembered Yun Ruoyan wandering through the royal gardens wearing his mother¡¯s dress, making the blooming flowers seem even more ravishing because of her presence.


    ¡°Your Highness, this is the ughtering King¡¯s boy,¡± Dong Tiehe said. ¡°As you¡¯ve requested, I¡¯ve sent an invitation to the ughtering King.¡±


    Li Qianyuan nodded, his gaze shifting from the crib. ¡°I¡¯ll meet my uncle here today, then.¡±


    At twilight, Li Mo, Su Bei, and Su Nan arrived at Yuelu Vi. Given Li Mo¡¯s cultivation, he had no need to bring anyone else with him; the reason he had nevertheless done so was just to give Dong Tiehe some peace of mind.


    The Yuelu vi was as crowded as ever. The moment Li Mo and his retinue arrived at the Yuelu Vi, Dong Tiehe received the news and quickly moved to wee him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my son?¡± Li Mo asked, the moment he entered the isted courtyard. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Dong Tiehe replied. ¡°You think too highly of me. I¡¯m only the owner of this Yuelu Vi, nothing more. I wouldn¡¯t dare try anything on you; the person who¡¯s looking to negotiate with you is someone else entirely.¡±


    Li Mo frowned and followed Dong Tiehe into a secluded room, where that someone was waiting for Li Mo.


    ¡°Long time no see, Uncle.¡± Li Qianyuan stood up and greeted Li Mo with a smile on his face.


    Li Mo stilled, then strode over. ¡°You took my son,¡± he used coldly. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Please sit, Uncle.¡± Li Qianyuan poured Li Mo a cup of wine. ¡°I¡¯ve invited you to the pce quite a few times, but you¡¯ve refused all my invitations. I had no choice but to pull off this ploy.¡±

 Chapter 453: Clearing Out Weeds

    <h4>Chapter 453: Clearing Out Weeds</h4>


    Li Qianyuan didn¡¯t know about Li Mo¡¯s true identity; instead, he thought of Li Mo as the only man who could challenge him among the Li royalty. Furthermore, given his title as the ughtering King, Li Qianyuan had always been worried that Li Mo would threaten his hard-fought position as emperor.


    In fact, he had even nned for all sorts of contingencies ever since Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s return to the capital, but he had never needed to make use of them. Given Li Mo¡¯s inaction toward him, Li Qianyuan gradually began to rx, and even began thinking about trying to curry favor with Li Mo.


    He had tried to summon Li Mo to the pce quite a few times, but had been rejected on every asion. When Li Qianyuan received news that Li Mo had been travelling out of the capital to an unknown location, he was unable to remain cool any longer.


    Even though Li Qianyuan was now the emperor of the Li kingdom, his ascension was considered somewhat illegitimate, and he was always paranoid that there were schemes all over the Li kingdom to remove him from the throne. As a result, Li Mo¡¯s strength and unknown motives made him a thorn in Li Qianyuan¡¯s heart.


    Dong Tiehe, who had sworn allegiance to Li Qianyuan, then suggested a n to him. ¡°Your Highness, every man has something they hold dear. As long as you¡¯re able to find what it is that Li Mo cares about more than his own life, you¡¯ll be able to control him.¡±


    Dong Tiehe¡¯s intention was for Li Qianyuan to kidnap both Yun Ruoyan and Li Yan, then to threaten Li Mo using the two of them as hostages. However, given Yun Ruoyan¡¯s advanced cultivation, they soon changed their n to target Li Yan alone.


    Li Qianyuan didn¡¯t think that he would be able to control Li Mo just with his boy as a hostage, so he decided to take a more moderate approach that would lead to less reprisal from Li Mo.


    ¡°You wanted to see me, and now I¡¯m here. What do you want?¡± Li Mo asked.


    Li Qianyuan smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like a vow from you, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°What vow?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, as long as you promise you won¡¯t threaten my position, I¡¯ll return your son to you immediately.¡±


    ¡°And you think you¡¯re deserving of such a vow?¡± Li Mo chuckled coldly.


    ¡°Yes, a vow with your consort and son¡¯s honor on the bnce,¡± Li Qianyuan continued, as though he couldn¡¯t see Li Mo¡¯s face turning colder with rage. ¡°As long as you¡ª¡±


    Before Li Qianyuan could finish, Li Mo had stood up and grabbed Li Qianyuan by the neck. ¡°You¡¯re the first person to dare to threaten me like this on the Chenyuan continent,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°ughtering King, let go of the emperor! Let¡¯s chat amiably,¡± Dong Tiehe requested as he stepped forward. A dozen imperial guards surrounded him and drew their swords.


    Su Nan and Su Bei stood guarding their liege, their weapons drawn.


    ¡°Stand down,¡± Li Qianyuanmanded. He knew of Li Mo¡¯s strength, and none of his guards would be able to deal with even Li Mo¡¯s two guards, let alone Li Mo himself. His only hope was to rely on how much Li Mo cared about Yun Ruoyan and his newborn son.


    ¡°Uncle, as long as you swear not to threaten my rule, I¡¯ll return your son to you immediately. But if you kill me, you¡¯ll never see him again,¡± Li Qianyuan repeated.


    Li Mo gripped his neck more and more tightly, and Li Qianyuan¡¯s face turned paler and paler. Just as he was about to suffocate, Li Mo suddenly let go. Li Qianyuan rxed, thinking that Li Mo was about to agree, when Li Mo suddenly smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve never cared for these struggles for power, but you seem determined to involve me in your affairs. Do you really think that you¡¯re able to threaten me?¡±


    Li Qianyuan involuntarily took a step back. ¡°What do you mean? I have your son, so think wisely before you act!¡±


    A woman suddenly spoke up. ¡°Li Qianyuan, you¡¯re really courting your own death.¡±


    Li Qianyuan turned to the voice to find a woman in a pale green dress, her voluminous ck hair haloed around her head. She wore no makeup, but was still as beautiful as a fairy from the heavens. However, she was staring at Li Qianyuan with evident anger.


    The woman was none other than Yun Ruoyan. In her arms was her newly recovered baby, Li Yan.


    ¡°Master Dong, Master Dong!¡± A swordsman rushed into the room and called out toward Dong Tiehe. ¡°Master Dong, someone snatched the young master away!¡±


    The swordsman turned to see Yun Ruoyan in the room and was so scared that he stumbled back and fell to the ground. He pointed at her and began yelling, ¡°It¡¯s her, she¡¯s a demon! She was the one who snatched the boy away and baked some of my fellow guards alive!¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you speaking?! This is the consort of the ughtering King! Scram!¡± Dong Tiehe kicked away the shocked guard, then bowed toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I apologize for my subordinate¡¯s behavior, Consort Yun.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced askance at Dong Tiehe. ¡°Master Dong, it¡¯s not your subordinates that I care about. How dare you kidnap my son from me in broad daylight?!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, Consort Yun,¡± Dong Tiehe immediately protested. ¡°I was only working for the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er,e over here.¡± Li Mo extended a hand at Yun Ruoyan, who smiled at Li Mo and walked over with Li Yan.


    ¡°Is Li Yan alright?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°When I found him, he was still awake. He just fell asleep.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Li Mo rxed and had Yun Ruoyan stand to the side as he turned to Li Qianyuan, his eyes brimming with cold fury.


    ¡°Uncle...¡± Li Qianyuan¡¯s back shook as he faced Li Mo¡¯s gaze. ¡°Uncle, I was only ying a joke on you.¡±


    ¡°Your joke¡¯s a little audacious, don¡¯t you think? I hadn¡¯t cared who the new Li emperor was, but now that you¡¯ve roped me into your little game, it looks as though anyone would be a better candidate than you!¡±


    Li Qianyuan was both shocked and angered by Li Mo¡¯s words. Ever since his coronation more than a year ago, no one had dared to threaten him so openly. Li Qianyuan had known ever since he was little that Li Mo was a force to be reckoned with. Even his own father and the emperors of the other three kingdoms treated him with respect, but no matter what, he belonged to the Li kingdom and was subject to the Li emperor¡¯s rule.


    ¡°Uncle, what do you mean? Are you nning to stage a coup?!¡±


    ¡°A coup? Ha! If anything, I¡¯m just clearing the royal family of any impertinent weeds.¡± He again reached out toward Li Qianyuan. As though his palm was generating some sort of suction, Li Qianyuan¡¯s neck moved toward him of its own ord.


    ¡°Guards!¡± Li Qianyuan yelled.


    ¡°Your Highness, you can¡¯t kill the Li emperor!¡± Dong Tiehe shouted, but he didn¡¯t try to stop Li Mo. By his side, Li Qianyue shouted, ¡°Brother!¡± He tried to step forward, but Dong Tiehe pulled him back, signalling him to stay with his eyes. Only if Li Qianyuan dies will you have a chance to be the next emperor.


    Li Qianyue stilled. He, the emperor? After all, he was a prince, and imperial blood flowed through his veins. Li Qianyuan had seized the throne using exceptional means, and Li Qianyue had inwardly begrudged him for it. But if Li Qianyuan were to die...


    ¡°Help!¡± Li Qianyuan screamed again. His pitiful cultivation was nothing to Yun Ruoyan, let alone Li Mo. A dozen imperial guards swarmed Li Mo, but they were easily defeated by Su Nan and Su Bei.


    Li Qianyuan found his vision turning dark. He hadn¡¯t expected that Li Mo would really dare to kill him, but there was nothing he could do now.


    When Li Mo finally released his grip on Li Qianyuan¡¯s neck, he fell to the ground in a heap, no longer breathing. The imperial guards had all been killed to thest by Su Nan and Su Bei.


    Dong Tiehe and Li Qianyue stood by the side of the room watching it all unfold, as though Li Qianyuan¡¯s kidnapping of Li Yan had nothing to do with either of them.


    When Li Mo turned to the two of them, Dong Tiehe immediately bowed and said, ¡°I and Qianyue will surely keep what happened today a secret. We won¡¯t reveal any of it to anyone, or we¡¯ll die a terrible death.¡±


    The old and wily Dong Tiehe was clearly very adept at reading the atmosphere.


    ¡°Li Qianyuan imed the throne by killing his father, and I¡¯m simply punishing him for his crimes. There¡¯s no need to hide anything,¡± Li Mo replied coolly. ¡°Let the pce know what happened here, then have them handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± Dong Tiehe replied after a momentary pause.


    Li Mo turned to leave with Yun Ruoyan, and Dong Tiehe and Li Qianyue followed them out. Just as they were leaving the Yuelu Vi, Li Mo suddenly turned back and nced sharply at Dong Tiehe. ¡°Master Dong, are you aware that beastkin are not to be sold as ves within the Li kingdom?¡±


    Dong Tiehe¡¯s heart leaped. ¡°Of course, Your Highness. I immediately released the beastkin upon receiving your notice. I had previously been unaware that they were under your protection, or I wouldn¡¯t have dared act against them.¡±


    ¡°Hear me now: all beastkin of the Chenyuan continent are subject to my protection.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Your Highness,¡± Dong Tiehe replied. If Li Mo dared to kill even the Li emperor himself, killing him would be as easy as squashing an ant.

 Chapter 454: Silver Dragon Envoy

    <h4>Chapter 454: Silver Dragon Envoy</h4>


    Not long after Li Mo¡¯s departure, Dong Tiehe walked into his own rooms. There, a silver-robed, silver-masked envoy was waiting for him.


    ¡°I apologize for being unable to aplish the task the silver dragon elder set for me.¡± Dong Tiehe bowed his head.


    ¡°You are truly incapable.¡± The silver-robed envoy stood with his back to Dong Tiehe. After Dong Tiehe¡¯s admission of failure, he turned and kicked him forcefully, causing Dong Tiehe to stumble back a few steps before regaining his bnce. ¡°The silver dragon elder had you hand the ughtering King¡¯s boy to me, but not only did you inform others of the matter, you even lost the boy. I¡¯ll report your ineptitude to the silver dragon elder immediately.¡±


    The silver-robed man turned to leave when Dong Tiehe called out from behind, ¡°Envoy, please wait! I have the news you asked about during our previous meeting.¡±


    The envoy stopped and turned back, his eyes gleaming behind his mask.


    ¡°Rong Tianling¡¯s being imprisoned in one of the prisons in the imperial pce. Just like the crown prince, they were both ted to be executed in the fall, but they¡¯re safe now,¡± Dong Tiehe said. ¡°Because Li Qianyuan was just killed by the ughtering King himself.¡±


    ¡°You mean...?¡±


    ¡°With Li Qianyuan¡¯s death, the officials that he imprisoned will soon be released. The new emperor will likely effect a general amnesty, so you don¡¯t have to be worried about Rong Tianling¡¯s safety any longer.¡±


    ¡°In that case, thank you, Master Dong,¡± the silver-robed envoy said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for thanks, Envoy, but please do speak generously of me in front of the silver dragon elder.¡± Dong Tiehe wasn¡¯t satisfied with being the mere owner of a vi; he wanted authority and riches, wealth and power. A chance opportunity had allowed him to be one of the silver dragon elder¡¯s informants on the Chenyuan continent, and he had been working for the silver dragon n in secret.


    However, after some time, he discovered that the silver dragon elder was unable to give him what he truly desired, and he began scheming on his own. Authority, wealth, and power¡ªpower was based on hard work and innate talent, and couldn¡¯t be so easily imparted, and he had riches of his own. What was left, then, was authority. If the silver dragon elder was unwilling to provide him with the authority he desired, then he would simply have to snatch it for himself.


    This time, when Dong Tiehe noticed that Li Qianyuan had been uneasy ever since Li Mo¡¯s return, he suggested that Li Qianyuan kidnap Li Mo¡¯s son. Now that Li Qianyuan was dead and the throne was again up for grabs, his grandson, Li Qianyue, would be the best candidate for the next emperor. As Li Qianyue¡¯s grandfather, he himself would be in a position of authority.


    Dong Tiehe had carefully schemed for Li Qianyuan to take the me for kidnapping Li Mo¡¯s son. While superficially he seemed to be carrying out the silver dragon elder¡¯smand, he was actually using the kidnapping to pave his own road to power.


    Dong Tiehe smiled in satisfaction as he looked at the silver dragon envoy before him. He thought that his schemes were sufficiently covert that no one could identify his true objective, but he was wrong. Mere momentster, the envoy spoke, ¡°Master Dong, I¡¯m afraid things won¡¯t go as you¡¯ve nned.¡±


    The silver dragon envoy¡¯s voice seemed somewhat artificial, betraying neither sex nor natural inflection. Despite how robotic it sounded, the envoy¡¯s words sent chills down Dong Tiehe¡¯s spine.


    Yun Ruoyan carefully ced Li Yan into his crib, finally allowing her fears and worries from the past two days to abate.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault that Li Qianyuan was able to seed in this kidnapping,¡± Li Mo said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would be so audacious as to dare to threaten me with my loved ones.¡±


    ¡°I think there¡¯s something more suspicious going on,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°I¡¯ve talked with Li Qianyuan a few times, and he doesn¡¯t seem like someone so rash and impetuous.¡±


    Li Mo also sensed something amiss, but no matter what, the fact that Li Qianyuan had tried to kidnap his son was sufficient reason for him to die.


    Yun Ruoyan mulled things over for a moment. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve killed Li Qianyuan, the throne of the Li kingdom is again vacant. The Li kingdom can¡¯t be without a ruler for long, so what¡¯s your n for the future?¡±


    ¡°To support the new ruler,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Li Qianyuan shouldn¡¯t have ascended to the throne in the first ce, and the people are surely displeased with his rule. His death and deposition are both well-deserved, and it only remains to crown a new emperor.¡±


    ¡°In that case, you already have someone in mind?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. Then, she frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of Li Qianhan, are you?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Why do you look so upset, Yan¡¯er? Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s capable enough?¡±


    ¡°Given his disposition, I doubt he¡¯d be willing to be emperor.¡± As far as Yun Ruoyan knew, Li Qianhan was a carefree andid-back man. Although he was a prince, he had never been interested in positions of power. He was close to Li Mo, and would frequently help Li Mo aplish a few tasks, but he wasn¡¯t his subordinate by any means. Would he ede to Li Mo¡¯s request so readily?


    ¡°That¡¯ll depend on who¡¯s asking,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°I naturally know how to make him ept.¡±


    While Li Qianyuan was setting his n in motion, Li Qianhan had been travelling through the Chenyuan continent. By the time he returned to the Li kingdom, Li Qianyuan had already seized the throne. When Li Qianhan snuck back into the pce, he was ambushed by Li Qianyuan¡¯s men. Because Li Qianhan was widely known to be close to Li Mo, and because he never participated in fights for power, Li Qianyuan had no intention of taking his life.


    Li Qianyuan and Li Qianhan reached an agreement: Li Qianhan would swear to forever stay away from the capital, whereas Li Qianyuan would swear to serve the Li kingdom and allow it to prosper and flourish. From then on, Li Qianhan had resumed roaming the Chenyuan continent, and he hadn¡¯t returned to the capital even when he received news that Li Mo had returned.


    However, what Li Qianhan hadn¡¯t expected was for Li Qianyuan to be so bold as to try to take on Li Mo. When he received a summons from Li Mo instructing him to return to the capital, he immediately did so.


    ¡°Uncle, you know me well. How could I be the emperor?¡± Li Qianhan was bbergasted by what Li Mo had proposed. ¡°My temperament¡¯spletely at odds with what¡¯s needed!¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s born an emperor. As far as I can tell, you¡¯re the most suited for the position,¡± Li Mo replied coolly. ¡°If you refuse the throne, then I suppose the Li kingdom will have to be renamed.¡±


    ¡°Right, Qianhan, you know how much the people will suffer without proper leadership, don¡¯t you? Among all the princes, you¡¯re the one who cares most for themon man. Can you bear to see your citizens suffer?¡±


    Because of how much time Li Qianhan spent roaming the Li kingdom, he was far more knowledgeable about the citizens¡¯ woes than the other princes. News of Li Qianyuan¡¯s death had spread far and wide across the kingdom, and Li Qianhan had returned amidst their shocked, uneasy whispers.


    ¡°No matter what, you have to be the emperor, at least temporarily. Otherwise, the kingdom will descend to turmoil as people flock to the throne.¡±


    ¡°But I¡ª¡± Li Qianhan didn¡¯t want to face an eternity of being cooped up within the pce.


    ¡°Qianhan,¡± Li Mo said. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that you were someone who could see the big picture. The Li kingdom needs you, and you can¡¯t turn your back to your kingdom, to your citizens, at this critical juncture. What would your ancestors think?¡±


    When Li Qianhan finally acquiesced, both Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo sighed in relief.


    As Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan convinced Li Qianhan to ascend to the throne, Dong Tiehe was putting his own ns into motion. He rapidly contacted the various officials of the kingdom, trying to pave the way for Li Qianyue¡¯s ascension. The Yuelu Vi was powerful and overflowing with wealth, and it was all too easy for Dong Tiehe to bribe the important officials of note¡ªbut all his effort would be for naught.


    On a rather populous street of the capital stood arge, ostentatious manor, whose grandeur could be seen from its external appearance alone. However, its doors had been sealed shut, and its interior was a shadow of its former glory¡ªthe Rong manor.


    After the crown prince¡¯s deposition, Rong Tianling was the first to be implicated. That night, a shadow crept into the Rong manor, unsealed its doors, and snuck within. The shadow seemed familiar with the ins and outs of the manor, and headed straight for a certain room. The shadow shrugged off her dark cloak, revealing a silver robe, then removed the silver mask on her face to reveal the scarred face of a woman.


    Rong Yueshan removed the heaven-transcending mirror from her robes and ced it on the table, whereupon she summoned the silver dragon elder for a meeting.


    ¡°How are things on your end?¡± the silver dragon elder asked.


    ¡°Elder, Dong Tiehe managed to kidnap the child, but Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo discovered him in time and snatched the child back,¡± Rong Yueshan reported.


    ¡°Trash, all trash!¡± The silver dragon elder¡¯s face was as cold as sleet. ¡°This Dong Tiehe¡¯s just as bad as the Pi family!¡±


    ¡°Please calm down, Elder. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo are truly troublesome figures to deal with,¡± Rong Yueshan replied. ¡°I¡¯ve also suffered gravely at their hands, and it¡¯s only natural that Dong Tiehe¡¯s no match for them either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that they¡¯re skilled, and they¡¯ll be even more troublesome to deal with given the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s assistance.¡± The silver dragon elder calmed down and turned to Rong Yueshan. ¡°Are you prepared to deal with such foes?¡±

 Chapter 455: Heading to the Lin Family

    <h4>Chapter 455: Heading to the Lin Family</h4>


    ¡°Honored Elder, I¡¯ve long since started my preparations for dealing with Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan, Rong Yueshan replied. ¡°The moment I firstid eyes on Yun Ruoyan, I knew we would be bitter rivals to the death, and all her allies are my enemies as well. Although the ughtering King is powerful, I believe that it¡¯s only a matter of time before he suffers a defeat at your hands.¡± Her words both rified her stance and ttered the silver dragon elder, who was clearly weak to such effusive praise.


    ¡°Good, good!¡± the silver dragon elder replied. ¡°I intend on taking a qualified disciple from a lower realm. If you seed in this task, I¡¯ll choose you.¡±


    ¡°My gratitude, Elder.¡± Rong Yueshan bowed and replied passionately. ¡°I¡¯ll do my utmost toplete this task. However, given this failed kidnapping, it¡¯ll be far harder to seed in snatching the baby boy again.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. Once they¡¯ve dealt with matters on the Chenyuan continent, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo will undoubtedly head to the Jiyuan continent. The boy¡¯s too small to apany them, so you¡¯ll have ample opportunity to strike when they¡¯re gone.¡± The silver dragon elder¡¯s voice suddenly turned cold. ¡°You must hand the child to me.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Elder.¡± At that moment, Rong Yueshan¡¯s scarred face somehow seemed to entuate, rather than diminish, her features. ¡°Elder, may I ask a question?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°May I ask why you want the child? Do you n on using him to threaten Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    ¡°That is not something you need to know,¡± the elder replied coldly. ¡°All you have to keep in mind is that this boy is of particr importance, even more so than her mother.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Rong Yueshan replied.


    After three whole months of management, Yun Ruoyan finally seeded in restoring the Yun household to how it had been before. Now, she was able to delegate most of the responsibilities to Li Luo. After all, Li Luo would soon be the female head of the Yun family, and she would need to deal with these issues on her own in the future.


    In the past three months, three major incidents had urred within the Li kingdom, two of which had something to do with Li Mo¡ªfirst, Li Mo had killed Li Qianyuan, who sought to im the throne for himself, and second, he had supported Li Qianhan¡¯s ascension to the throne of the Li kingdom. Third, Yun Moxiao had sent word that he had quelled the Farsighted King¡¯s rebellion and was dealing with thest of its forces. If everything went ording to n, he would be able to return to the capital within the month.


    Before Li Mo announced his support for Li Qianhan, quite a few of the court officials had begun rmending Li Qianyue for the throne. It was then that Li Mo realized that Dong Tiehe had taken advantage of him and used him as a means of removing Li Qianyuan.


    As the oldest member of the Li royalty, Li Mo had temporarily taken the throne as regent. He gathered all the officials who had been rmending Li Qianyue to the throne and had the Mo guards reveal evidence of their bribery and corruption. The officials instantly turned pale and begged for clemency, and support for Li Qianyue instantly crumbled.


    Li Qianhan sessfully became the next emperor of the Li kingdom.


    During the past three months, Li Mo had been very busy, as had Yun Ruoyan. He was helping Li Qianhan manage the kingdom, whereas she was helping Li Luo manage the Yun household. In the end, their hard work had finally borne fruit.


    That day, Li Mo returned home to apany Yun Ruoyan early in the day.


    ¡°Are all the matters at court dealt with? You¡¯re never back this early these days.¡± Yun Ruoyan was breastfeeding Li Yan, who had just woken up.


    ¡°Qianhan¡¯s able to take care of things on his own now, so I won¡¯t be this busy from now on.¡± Li Mo sat by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side and watched his son suckle on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s teat. Ever since she recovered, she had taken over for the wet nurse. Following the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s suggestion, she infused some of her spiritual energy into her breast milk.


    ording to the demonic dragon forefather, the children of the demonic dragons had always been brought up in this manner. The small quantities of spiritual energy would help strengthen the children¡¯s bodies, and there weren¡¯t any drawbacks that had been identified even over millennia. On the other hand, the situation was the exact opposite for humans: if human mothers had too advanced a cultivation, their breast milk would naturally contain trace amounts of spiritual energy. Human children were too weak to handle such energy, so these women would have no choice but to employ a wet nurse.


    Yun Ruoyan was worried that Li Yan might be unable to adapt to the amount of spiritual energy in her breast milk, so she had strictly controlled the spiritual energy concentration in her milk in the beginning. When she saw that Li Yan seemed to be adjusting fine, she slowly raised the concentration. Li Yan grew surprisingly rapidly¡ªhe was able to crawl after just a few months, with strong, supple arms and legs.


    Even as she infused more and more spiritual energy into her milk, Li Yan seemed able to ingest it without a problem. Yun Ruoyan felt as though he was like a ck hole, one able to ept any quantity of spiritual energy she poured into him¡ªdespite his being little more than a baby, despite his not even having formed a spiritual vortex.


    Li Mo nced at Li Yan¡¯s cute, chubby little cheeks and had a sudden desire to knead them. Li Yan burbled happily as he did so, then slowly fell asleep amidst the kneading.


    ¡°Ah, he¡¯s asleep again?¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. ¡°He fell asleep less than two hours after waking up! Is this normal?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Li Mo said. ¡°Didn¡¯t the physician say that Li Yan has a wonderful constitution? The more he sleeps, the more his body will be able to grow.¡±


    As Li Mo spoke, his hands shifted from Li Yan¡¯s cheeks to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body. The motherly aura surrounding Yun Ruoyan suddenly made Li Mo¡¯s libido re. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I¡¯ve been thinking of you day and night. Have you felt simrly toward me?¡± Li Mo leaned forward invitingly.


    ¡°No.¡± Yun Ruoyan clicked her tongue. ¡°I see you everyday, so what¡¯s there to think about?¡±


    Li Mo had been curbing his desires ever since finding out that Yun Ruoyan was pregnant. After Li Yan was born, they had both been busy with their additional responsibilities. By the time Li Mo returnedte at night, Yun Ruoyan had already gone to bed. By the time Yun Ruoyan woke up, Li Mo had already left for the pce. Given their duties, it had been almost a month since Li Mo had touched Yun Ruoyan.


    Ignoring Yun Ruoyan¡¯s protesting gaze, Li Mo quickly brought Li Yan to his little crib, then brought Yun Ruoyan to bed and began nibbling at her ears.


    Yun Lan was still infusing spiritual energy into Lin Yuemei¡¯s body. His original estimate of eighty-one days had been too optimistic¡ªnot because of any problem with the technique, but because Yun Lan¡¯s body wasn¡¯t able to support the transfusion. Not only did he have to expend one drop of vital blood to nourish the two statues daily, he also had to transferrge quantities of spiritual energy into Lin Yuemei¡¯s body, a body that had been slumbering for decades.


    In order to ensure that his body was able to withstand the exertion, he had no choice but to cultivate intermittently during the process. Nevertheless, his constitution was slowly deteriorating, day by day.


    Yun Ruoyan would frequently visit Yun Lan. Each time she saw his whitening hair and aging appearance, her resentment toward her erstwhile father slowly decreased. Eventually, she thought that she would forgive Yun Lan¡¯s coldness toward her.


    In contrast to Yun Lan¡¯s aging appearance, Lin Yuemei seemed to be brimming with vitality. Although she was still unconscious, she looked as though she were in the peak of her life. Her young, beautiful mother might as well have been her older sister given her appearance¡ªshe had been early in her twenties when she fell unconscious. After decades of stasis, she still had the appearance of a woman in her twenties. Yun Ruoyan would soon be neen, so it was only natural that they would seem to be sisters.


    Early the next morning, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo brought Li Yan to the Lin family. Li Yan was almost five months old when Lin Zainan finally saw his great-grandson for the first time. He cradled him in his arms, unwilling to let go of him once he had picked him up. Because of Li Yan¡¯s unique constitution, he seemed like a one-year-old child despite his age, and was even able to take a few stumbling steps.


    Lin Zainan spent almost half the day ying with Li Yan; worried that he would be tired out from the exertion, Yun Ruoyan asked Li Mo to y a game of go with her grandfather while she apanied her cousins to Lin Qingchen¡¯s bamboo garden. Lin Qingchen had been asking for Yun Ruoyan to visit for quite some time, but it was only now that Yun Ruoyan had finally been able to free herself to do so.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you have to mentally prepare yourself, or you¡¯ll receive a big shock when you see Whitey,¡± Lin Qingxue warned.


    Yun Ruoyan nced at Lin Qingchen, who smiled in affirmation of Lin Qingxue¡¯s words. She couldn¡¯t help but grow curious at the dramatic change that Whitey had to have undergone.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, will Li Yan be scared by Whitey?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s very brave,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    Despite being mentally prepared, Yun Ruoyan was still very surprised to see Whitey¡ªbecause it now appeared more like a fledgling dragon than a white python.


    The two small ponds in Lin Qingchen¡¯s small bamboo garden had been reced by arge pond. Whitey was basking in the water, and it appeared that his body was filling up the pond in its entirety. Its gigantic head was exposed to the sun, and its eyes, the size and color of two copper cymbals, were closed. Its small nostrils had be erged, and its breathing rippled the water around him. Most shockingly to Yun Ruoyan, it had grown tworge protrusions by either side of its forehead, like bamboo shoots about to emerge from the ground after the spring rains.


    <hr>


    1. Imagine the evolution from Dratini to Dragonair...

 Chapter 456: Fated

    <h4>Chapter 456: Fated</h4>


    Whitey wasn¡¯t a python or serpent¡ªit was a young dragon! Given the luster of its scales, it was even a silver dragon!


    Suddenly, the Fei de flew out of her body. The demonic dragon forefather sat atop the de, his eyes gleaming. As though sensing the danger, Whitey also opened its eyes, raised its head, and began looking at the silver dragon elder.


    ¡°Huhut, to think that I¡¯d be able to find a silver dragon on the Chenyuan continent! I failed to kill the silver dragon elder, but killing this little thing will certainly raise my spirits!¡± The demonic dragon forefather bore a blood grudge against the silver dragon n, and it seemed as though Whitey would soon be a sacrifice for his anger.


    Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue knew of the existence of the demonic dragon forefather, but they hadn¡¯t ever before seen a dragon, and were unaware of what Whitey¡¯s metamorphosis signified. Indeed, even Yun Ruoyan was shocked to find out that Whitey was actually a silver dragon.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, what¡¯s a silver dragon?¡± Lin Qingchen hurriedly asked Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°There are two dragon ns on the Jiyuan continent, the silver dragon n and the demonic dragon n. The two ns are bitter rivals; the demonic dragon forefather is naturally a member of the demonic dragon n, whereas Whitey belongs to the silver dragon n,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined, then turned to the demonic dragon forefather. ¡°Why would Whitey appear on the Chenyuan continent? When we discovered it, it was still an egg. Perhaps Whitey isn¡¯t a silver dragon?¡±


    Whitey and Lin Qingchen were bound by a pact, and Yun Ruoyan knew how important Whitey was to her cousin. She tried to protect Whitey, but the demonic dragon forefather snorted. ¡°This is a silver dragon whelp. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather exined how, during the fight a millennium ago, a member of the elite forces of the silver dragon n had been badly wounded and had been forced to flee to the Chenyuan continent. The demonic dragon forefather suspected that Whitey was a descendant of that dragon. It had remained as an egg because the conditions for it to hatch had never been met until Yun Ruoyan and the others had discovered and retrieved it. Under Lin Qingchen¡¯s wholehearted care, it had finally hatched.


    ¡°That silver dragon ughtered quite a number of my kin. Today, I¡¯ll kill its whelp in revenge, to cate the souls of my fallen brethren!¡±


    Whitey could clearly sense the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s hostility. Before the demonic dragon forefather could attack, Whitey flicked its tail toward the elder, but its attack was ineffectual. His tail sshed against the surface of the pond and produced a spray of water that sprinkled over Yun Ruoyan, the Lin sisters, and little Li Yan.


    Since the weather was turning warm, Li Yan wasn¡¯t difited by the sudden spray. Instead, his attention waspletely drawn to the magnificent, gigantic creature that had just appeared from the pond, and he stared unblinkingly at Whitey with wide, wide eyes.


    ¡°You whelp, you dare attack me? Take this!¡± The demonic dragon forefather shot a spark of me at the pond, which Whitey immediately swatted into the water. It expected that the spark would rapidly be extinguished uponnding in the pond, but unexpectedly, it red as though it hadnded in oil instead.


    With a sudden whoosh, the entire pond caught on fire.


    Yun Ruoyan knew precisely how strong the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s fire-attuned spiritual techniques were. On the Mingyuan continent, just one spark of his had burned Pi Batian to cinders, and the me bullet technique that he had imparted to her was able to desate a human within moments, and it was so powerful that no ordinary sword saint would be able to match it.


    Yun Ruoyan looked despairingly at Whitey. The fire that burned on theke¡¯s surface had to be unimaginably hot, and Whitey was quickly unable to bear the heat. It tried to leap out of the surface of the pond, but the demonic dragon forefather corralled the me to trap Whitey within.


    Whitey began to cry, almost like a baby did. Yun Ruoyan, who had just be a mother, clutched her heart in pain, but she was powerless to stop the demonic dragon forefather.


    ¡°Whitey!¡± Lin Qingchen only seemed to react then. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, tell the demonic dragon forefather to stop! He¡¯s going to burn Whitey to death!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t bear to tell Lin Qingchen that that was exactly the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s intention.


    ¡°Whitey hatched not more than four years ago, and it didn¡¯t participate in this war between the two dragon ns. It shouldn¡¯t have to be ountable for what the silver dragon n did,¡± Yun Ruoyan spoke to the demonic dragon forefather.


    ¡°The silver dragons are sly and deceitful, and I¡¯ll kill any of them that cross my path!¡± the demonic dragon forefather yelled back.


    Whitey continued to howl, its massive body flip-flopping in the pond. Amidst the mes¡¯ relentless burning, its silvery-white scales turned a scorched red-brown. Where the mes drew closest to its body, some of its scales fell off, revealing bloody flesh.


    If this were to continue, Whitey would soon bepletely cooked. While Yun Ruoyan was arguing with the demonic dragon forefather, Lin Qingchen had approached the pond and was trying to douse the mes. When Yun Ruoyan saw what she was doing, she hurriedly stuffed Li Yan into Lin Qingxue¡¯sp and ran forward to stop Lin Qingchen.


    As the situation devolved into chaos, Li Yan suddenly started to struggle and howl. Yun Ruoyan and the demonic dragon forefather both looked toward him immediately, because this was the first time he had howled ever since his birth.


    They saw Li Yan¡¯s chubby fingers pointing at Whitey, still surrounded by mes, mumbling something that nobody could make out. His cheeks were stained with tears. When the demonic dragon forefather looked at Li Yan, and then at Whitey, he frowned. Then, as if he had discovered some secret, he sighed and extinguished the mes surrounding Whitey.


    ¡°Whitey, are you alright?!¡± Lin Qingchen immediately dove into the water to check on Whitey¡¯s injuries.


    Yun Ruoyan took Li Yan from Lin Qingxue¡¯sp and began inspecting his body to see if he had been scorched by some errant me, but she didn¡¯t notice anything amiss.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened¡ªLi Yan just began to cry all of a sudden,¡± Lin Qingxue whispered. She had been very shocked when it happened.


    The Fei de floated to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side, bringing the demonic dragon forefather with it. He stroked his beard and murmured, ¡°It seems like little Li Yan¡¯s quite taken with that silver dragon whelp.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to the demonic dragon forefather.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that whelp asking Li Yan for help?¡± Strangely enough, the demonic dragon forefather smiled as he looked at Whitey. ¡°It¡¯ll be Li Yan¡¯s spiritual beast in the future.¡±


    ¡°Whitey belongs to Qingchen! They¡¯ve made a blood pact!¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out.


    ¡°As long as Lin Qingchen voluntarily discards the pact, Whitey won¡¯t be her spiritual beast any longer,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied carelessly.


    ¡°What? You tried to kill her spiritual beast, and now you want her to give it up? Aren¡¯t you being too overbearing?¡±


    ¡°Overbearing?¡± The demonic dragon forefather raised his eyebrows, clearly seeing nothing wrong with his actions. Ignoring Yun Ruoyan, he flew toward Lin Qingchen, who immediately shielded Whitey with her body.


    ¡°If you want to burn him to death, you¡¯ll have to burn me first!¡± Lin Qingchen yelled.


    ¡°Lass, you should know that I have a right to his life. The silver dragons ughtered my n, and I wouldn¡¯t have attacked this whelp for no reason. However, I no longer want to kill it.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I suppose I¡¯ll have to thank you on Whitey¡¯s behalf,¡± Lin Qingchen replied, her voice still cold.


    ¡°No need for thanks,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied. ¡°I have a condition.¡±


    ¡°What condition?¡± Lin Qingchen¡¯s voice was again wary.


    ¡°I want you to dissolve your pact with this whelp and let it be Li Yan¡¯s spiritual beast.¡±


    Lin Qingchen frowned. ¡°Li Yan? He¡¯s just a baby. What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Your little whelp has some affinity with the future elder of my n, little Li Yan, so I¡¯m taking the initiative to have him take the whelp as his spiritual beast. Of course, you have the right to refuse, but in that case, I won¡¯t go easy on the child of the enemy of my people.¡±


    To him, Yun Ruoyan was already at least at the position of an elder of the silver dragon n, and her child, Li Yan, would naturally also assume that position as he grew older. The demonic dragon forefather then peered at Whitey. ¡°I think it can still bear my mes for another fifteen minutes.¡±


    ¡°Stop! I¡¯ll take the deal,¡± Lin Qingchen cried out, unwilling to see Whitey suffer any longer. ¡°However, you have to promise me that, as long as I agree to your request, you won¡¯t ever hurt Whitey in the future.¡±


    ¡°Whitey?¡± The demonic dragon forefather raised his eyebrows. For a silver dragon to have such a puerile name... wasn¡¯t so bad? ¡°I have no intention of hurting Li Yan¡¯s spiritual beast, don¡¯t you worry, huhut.¡± When the demonic dragon forefather thought about how a silver dragon would be the contracted beast of an elder of the demonic dragon n, he couldn¡¯t help cackling with glee.

 Chapter 457: Compromise

    <h4>Chapter 457: Compromise</h4>


    ¡°No!¡± Yun Ruoyan hugged Li Yan as she stood by the shore. ¡°Li Yan¡¯s still small, so how can he have a spiritual beast of his own? Furthermore, Qingchen hatched and raised Whitey with her own hands! How could she just give it to Li Yan?¡± Yun Ruoyan was exasperated and very dissatisfied with the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s overbearing nature. She knew how precious Whitey was to Lin Qingchen, and didn¡¯t want to hurt her.


    ¡°You must think I¡¯m being domineering, don¡¯t you?¡± the demonic dragon forefather asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Yun Ruoyan countered.


    The demonic dragon forefather looked at Yun Ruoyan and sighed in exasperation. ¡°I have a reason for my actions.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yun Ruoyan and Lin Qingchen both asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious what part of this arrangement benefits me,¡± Lin Qingchen muttered. She was furious about the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s domineering request, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t be angry at her little nephew.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll exin myself.¡± The demonic dragon forefather pointed at Whitey. ¡°This whelp¡¯s just a youngling, and it hasn¡¯t awakened any of itstent potential. That¡¯s why it deigned to contract with you for protection. Once it grows into an adult and unlocks its true might, do you think you¡¯d still be able to control it? The silver and demonic dragons are mythical creatures, and none would be willing to be the contracted beast of a mere mortal.¡±


    Lin Qingchen could feel the truth in his words: after discovering Whitey¡¯s metamorphosis, Lin Qingchen had had a harder timemunicating with it, and it would even asionally start to ignore her. However, she was unwilling to back down just yet. ¡°But Whitey¡¯s already contracted to me! It¡¯ll be my spiritual beast for life, and it won¡¯t be able to betray me!¡±


    ¡°Huhut.¡± The demonic dragon forefather began tough as though he had heard something particrly amusing. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little too naive,ss? If your contracted beast advances too far ahead of you in cultivation, what do you think will happen?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lin Qingchen frowned.


    ¡°You cultivators from lower realms really don¡¯t know much, so let me exin myself further.¡± ording to the demonic dragon forefather, a contracted beast whose cultivation had advanced beyond that of its master would be able to break the contract of its own will. Such a one-sided dissolution of the contract would cause its master to suffer from recoil; if the contracted beast were as strong as a silver dragon, Lin Qingchen could easily die as a result.


    ¡°No, Whitey would never do that!¡± Lin Qingchen shook her head firmly.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± The demonic dragon forefather nced at her critically. ¡°That¡¯s a silver dragon, after all. They¡¯re sly and strong, and even we demonic dragons are no match for them. Are you sure that, once it grows up, it¡¯ll be willing to remain nothing more than your contracted beast, trapped with you in a ce like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Lin Qingchen hesitated. If Whitey were just a regr python, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all, but it was a silver dragon...


    In the end, Lin Qingchen deted. ¡°No, I can¡¯t guarantee that it won¡¯t try to leave me.¡±


    ¡°But he can.¡± The demonic dragon forefather pointed at Li Yan, still in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s arms. Both the demonic and silver dragon bloodline runs through his veins, and his future cultivation and aplishments will be immeasurable. Li Yan¡¯s the only one on the entire Chenyuan continent who would be able to control this silver dragon.¡±


    Lin Qingchen shut her eyes and slowly sat down. In the end, she acquiesced to the dissolution of the contract between her and Whitey¡ªnot because the demonic dragon forefather had forced her, but because she had seriously considered his words and found them faultless. ¡°Li Yan, I¡¯ll hand Whitey to you, alright?¡± Lin Qingchen walked up to Yun Ruoyan and rubbed Li Yan¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Qingchen...¡± Yun Ruoyan was a little guilty at what had happened.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s quite right. It¡¯s dangerous for Whitey to remain with me, now that we know what it truly is.¡± Although Lin Qingchen was still a little upset at having to give Whitey up, she had made up her mind¡ªand Li Yan was her nephew, after all. ¡°It can be a gift to my little nephew, at least.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I haven¡¯t given Li Yan a present yet either!¡± Lin Qingxue eximed in embarrassment. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve given him such a magnanimous gift, Sister, I have to spend some time preparing my present.¡±


    ¡°You could make a hearty soup out of your catfish,¡± Lin Qingchen suggested with a smile.


    ¡°Ah, sister! You¡¯d better not say that when it¡¯s within earshot, or it¡¯ll scream for the next three days and nights!¡± Lin Qingxue shouted, half-panicking. Lin Qingchen had given her her catfish, which possessed the unusual ability of being able tough and cry. Lin Qingxue had initially been scared to death of that catfish, but it was now her most precious pet.


    With the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s help, Lin Qingchen dissolved her contract with Whitey. Perhaps because of Li Yan¡¯s silver dragon bloodline, the contract between Li Yan and Whitey was set up smoothly and rapidly.


    In the end, Whitey became Li Yan¡¯s spiritual beast.


    ¡°Sister Ruoyan, I think Li Yan had better have this, too.¡± Lin Qingchen removed her heirloom ring from her finger and passed it over to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Whitey¡¯s rather massive, and it doesn¡¯t look like any of the spiritual beasts native to the Chenyuan continent. If you want to travel with it, this ring wille in handy.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan took the gift with gratitude. ¡°Qingchen, let me thank you on behalf of Li Yan.¡± She dangled the ring in front of Li Yan. ¡°Look, this is a gift from your aunt. Do you like it?¡±


    Li Yan began ying with the ring with his chubby little hands, as though he was very interested in it.


    ¡°Ah, I know what I want to give Li Yan now!¡± Lin Qingxue suddenly cried out. ¡°The catfish that Sister Qingchen gave me is female, so I need to find a male catfish to mate with her. Then, I¡¯ll give Li Yan some of the baby catfish! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll love them!¡±


    One howling catfish was problematic enough, let alone a few of them. Yun Ruoyan immediately took a step back.


    As they left the bamboo garden, Yun Ruoyan kept Whitey in the storage ring to bring him back to the ughtering King¡¯s manor. Lin Qingchen told Yun Ruoyan all about Whitey¡¯s primary diet, routine, and care. ¡°Sister Ruoyan, you need to build arge pond for Whitey.¡± That was Lin Qingchen¡¯s only request. ¡°My ce is a little cramped, and Whitey has been somewhat ufortable here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Qingchen. There¡¯s a gigantic lotus pond in the ughtering King¡¯s manor, and I think it¡¯ll be the perfect fit for Whitey. Make sure youe visit us sometimes; Whitey belongs to us all,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Li Yan stayed at the Lin manor for dinner before leaving. On the way back to the ughtering King¡¯s manor, she told Li Mo about what had happened with Whitey, but he didn¡¯t seem too surprised.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, do you remember how Whitey suddenly went crazy and tried to attack you?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Yun Ruoyan recalled. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand why it had done that back then, but now I suspect it sensed the demonic dragon¡¯s eye in my mind. As expected, the demonic and silver dragons are hostile to one another.¡±


    Whitey had discovered that demonic eye in the demonic ring almost immediately after Yun Ruoyan had awakened it with her blood, a feat that Yun Ruoyan continued to find incredible. Suddenly, she thought of something. ¡°Li Yan has the demonic dragon bloodline too, doesn¡¯t he? Is Whitey going to be antagonistic toward him?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Li Mo replied, after some thought. ¡°The reason Whitey was able to discover the demonic eye in your ring wasn¡¯t because of n rivalry, but because the demonic eye harbored malicious intent toward it.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan instantly understood what Li Mo meant. Whitey was a newborn silver dragon that had hatched with Lin Qingchen¡¯s care, and it hadn¡¯t ever encountered others of its kind before. What it had sensed wasn¡¯t the fact that the demonic eye was present, but rather the fact that the demonic eye hated it with every fiber of its existence.


    ¡°Whitey and Li Yan are both newborns, and their thoughts are pure and unsullied,¡± Li Mo continued. ¡°The demonic dragon forefather¡¯s arrangement really was quite thoughtful.¡±


    ¡°Huhut! Li Mo¡¯s the more calm, rational one after all. Ruoyan, you¡¯d better learn from him,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied proudly.


    When Yun Ruoyan heard the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s words, not only did she not get angry, she was even very proud. If Li Mo wasn¡¯t sharp, how could he have picked her out of a gaggle of noble youngdies?


    When they returned to the Li manor, Li Mo took Li Yan, who was sleeping soundly, from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s arms while she transferred Whitey to the lotus pond.


    Whitey had been badly injured in the morning, although his wounds were mostly superficial. Once it entered the water, it instantly submerged to the depths of the pond without peeking its head out of the water at all.


    When Li Mo saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s worried expression, he consoled her. ¡°Although the regenerative capabilities of the silver dragons aren¡¯t at the level of the demonic dragons, they¡¯re still far more sturdy than humans. Whitey will recover without any problem after some time to rest, and there¡¯s no need to worry so much about it.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan knew that this was true, but Lin Qingchen had handed Whitey to her as though she were handing over her own child, and Yun Ruoyan felt responsible for giving it the best possible care.


    ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have to pick out two meticulous maids to take care of Whitey¡¯s needs,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    After the long day, they both headed to rest. The next day, Yun Ruoyan received a letter from Yun Moxiao, who had finally quelled thest remnants of the rebellion and was rushing back to the capital with the Farsighted King and his fellow dissidents in tow. He was ted to arrive within ten days.


    Yun Ruoyan checked the date the letter was sent¡ªthe letter had taken eight days to reach her, which meant she would be able to see her brother in at most two days.

 Chapter 458: Yun Moxiao’s Return

    <h4>Chapter 458: Yun Moxiao¡¯s Return</h4>


    Yun Moxiao arrived one day after his estimate. When Li Qianhan received word of his impending arrival, he waited by the gates of the pce himself, apanied by all his officials from court. The outskirts of the pce were swarmed by themon people of the capital, and it was so crowded that it rivalled the New Year celebrations.


    When Yun Moxiao¡¯s dashing figure appeared on the horizon, Yun Ruoyan saw two tears fall from Li Luo¡¯s eyes. Brother, your long vigil has finally borne fruit!


    Li Qianhan and Li Mo stood at the front of the imperial procession, followed immediately by Yun Ruoyan and Li Luo. From afar, Yun Ruoyan could see Yun Moxiao riding on arge mesteed, garbed in imposing dark armor with a blood-red cape trailing behind him.


    After three long years, Yun Moxiao had matured into a man. Perhaps because he had just returned from the battlefield, he seemed to have an air of blood about him. When he saw Yun Ruoyan, his indomitable impression swiftly melted away, leaving only a brother¡¯s gentleness. When he turned to Li Luo, the sharpness in his eyes morphed into tender affection.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw how the two of them were behaving, she mentally pushed forward their wedding. Ideally, she would be able to see her brother establish his own family before she had to leave for the Jiyuan continent.


    Yun Moxiao greeted Li Qianhan and Li Mo, and was only able to speak briefly to Li Luo before being escorted toward the royal pce by the gathered officials. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo followed them there.


    Along the way, Yun Ruoyan cast curious nces at the Farsighted King, imprisoned in a wagon being escorted by imperial soldiers from behind. He seemed dejected, and his face was a stark white, rather simr to his appearance when she had rescued him from imprisonment within his own home. A demon had taken on his appearance and imprisoned him before he was saved by Yun Ruoyan, and she hadn¡¯t expected to see him locked up again.


    ¡°Li Mo, I¡¯m going to speak with him a little,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, then trotted her horse over to his wagon. ¡°Long time no see,¡± Yun Ruoyan greeted the Farsighted King, Li Sheng.


    Li Sheng blinked. ¡°Long time no see, Consort Yun. I¡¯m disappointed that you have to see me imprisoned again.¡±


    ¡°You told me you didn¡¯t intend on staging a rebellion, Your Highness. What led to your current situation?¡±


    Li Sheng chuckled bitterly. ¡°The demon¡¯s rebellion was so close to fruition that, after you saved me, I was blinded by the promise of power.¡± Li Sheng had bitterly hated the snake demon for what he had done, but he had nevertheless chosen to follow through with the rebellion. From this, it was evident that he did covet the throne.


    ¡°Take care, Your Highness.¡± Her doubts quelled, Yun Ruoyan walked off.


    The banquet hosted for Yun Moxiao¡¯s return was only open to court officials and the royal family. Although Yun Ruoyan tried to bring Li Luo into the banquet with her, she was still requested to step aside. The banquetsted deep into the night, and Yun Moxiao had to be carried out in a drunken haze.


    ¡°Third Prince, oh, no, Emperor, haha.¡± Yun Moxiao smiled drunkenly at Li Qianhan and the gathered officials. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve had so much to drink that my brain isn¡¯t quite functioning, haha. I should head to rest.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s end the banquet here. I¡¯ll satisfy your request tomorrow, Yun Moxiao,¡± Li Qianhan replied, smiling.


    Yun Moxiao, with a servant¡¯s help, bowed deeply toward Li Qianhan. As Li Mo walked him toward the entrance to the pce, he slowly leaned in toward Yun Ruoyan and asked, ¡°Sister, I saw you with Li Luo. Where is she?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to her brother to see him looking at her with crystal-clear eyes, his drunken haze nothing but an act. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re not drunk?¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡± Yun Moxiao hurriedly shushed his sister. ¡°If I didn¡¯t pretend to be drunk, the emperor and the gathered officials wouldn¡¯t have let me go! Where¡¯s Li Luo? I want to see her.¡±


    ¡°Brother, what did you request from the emperor?¡± Li Qianhan had promised Yun Moxiao one wish, but Yun Moxiao had whispered it into the emperor¡¯s ear. Thus, although everyone knew that he had made a request, no one knew what exactly the request entailed.


    Yun Moxiao whispered his request to Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°He agreed?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked excitedly.


    ¡°Of course! It wasn¡¯t anything unreasonable.¡± Yun Moxiao was quite displeased with how excited his sister seemed to be.


    ¡°In that case, it looks like I¡¯d better step up my preparations.¡± Yun Ruoyan had expected that she would need to n for everything, but her brother had already arranged matters promptly. ¡°Brother, you¡¯ve left Li Luo to herself all afternoon, and she doesn¡¯t seem happy with you,¡± Yun Ruoyan intentionally whispered.


    ¡°Ah, bring me to her!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan pointed at one of the ughtering King¡¯s manor¡¯s carriages. ¡°Li Luo¡¯s in that carriage. Go on!¡± Then, Yun Ruoyan dragged Li Mo off to another carriage by their side.


    Li Luo had long since left the pce and was waiting for Yun Moxiao from within the carriage,plicated emotions warring in her heart. Her rtionship with Yun Moxiao had primarily been pushed along by Yun Moxiao himself, and she had slowly been touched by his efforts to woo her over. However, she wasn¡¯t certain if her feelings toward Yun Moxiao were love, thankfulness, or gratitude¡ªuntil she saw him appear, safe and sound, from beyond the horizon. Her heart suddenly began beating at a rapid pace, and tears suddenly fell from her eyes. Only then did she finally realize that she had already developed strong feelings for Yun Moxiao.


    But with that realization came fear and trepidation. She saw how many officials had crowded around Yun Moxiao, and while she was d that the man she liked was so bright and dazzling, she was also worried that she was hardly a match for such a man. What if he no longer liked her?


    While Li Luo was deep in thought, the door to the carriage suddenly opened, and Yun Moxiao¡¯s handsome face beamed at her under the moonlight. Li Luo blinked at him, momentarily at a loss for words.


    ¡°Li Luo, I¡¯m back!¡± Yun Moxiao stepped inside the carriage and sat by her side, prompting Li Luo to try to get off.


    Yun Moxiao caught Li Luo in an embrace, resting his head naturally against her shoulder. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t leave! Let me lean on you for a moment.¡±


    Li Luo sat back down. She sat very still, but her heart beat frically. After a while, she asked, ¡°Where are the ughtering King and Ruoyan?¡±


    ¡°In another carriage.¡± Like a big puppy, he nudged his head against Li Luo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Li Luo, you don¡¯t know how many nights I spent alone, dreaming of hugging you like this. I told myself that, if I could just hug you in this manner, I wouldn¡¯t mind dying on the battlefield¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense!¡± Li Luo broke him off sharply. ¡°We both have to live well.¡±


    ¡°Right, right, we have to live well,¡± Yun Moxiao repeated. ¡°Only then will I be able to hug you like this everyday.¡± Yun Moxiao¡¯s gentle voice and warm breath impinged on Li Luo¡¯s earlobe, causing a red flush to spread across her face.


    ¡°You¡ªyou¡¯re not asleep yet, so why are you sleeptalking?¡±


    Yun Moxiao reached out for one of Li Luo¡¯s hands, which he ced against his face. ¡°Pinch me, as hard as you can. See if I¡¯m dreaming.¡±


    ¡°You¡ªstop messing around!¡± Li Luo turned away from Yun Moxiao and studiously looked down at her knees.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t mess around.¡± Yun Moxiao continued to hug Li Luo tightly as he shouted for the carriage driver to take them away. Leaning against Li Luo, amidst the rocking motion of the carriage, Yun Moxiao really did end up falling asleep. He slept so soundly that he didn¡¯t awaken even when they arrived at their destination.


    ¡°Miss Li Luo, we¡¯re here!¡± the carriage driver shouted from the outside.


    ¡°Wait a few more moments.¡± Li Luo couldn¡¯t bear to wake Yun Moxiao up. She looked at his face, worn from the heat of battle, and the bags under his eyes. It was clear just how much a toll quashing the rebellion had taken from him.


    Yun Moxiao smiled inwardly. Tempered by the battlefield, he had awoken the moment the carriage stopped moving, but he was so greedy for Li Luo¡¯s warmth that he didn¡¯t want to open his eyes.


    After a few more moments, when he felt Li Luo¡¯s shoulders start to tremble, he finally stood up.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Li Luo nced warmly at Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°I had a very good nap, the best since I stepped on the battlefield.¡± Yun Moxiao stretched as he gazed at Li Luo. ¡°I have a surprise for you, one that I hope you¡¯ll like.¡±

 Chapter 459: Yun Moxiao Meets His Mother

    <h4>Chapter 459: Yun Moxiao Meets His Mother</h4>


    ¡°What surprise?¡± Li Luo asked gently, avoiding Yun Moxiao¡¯s scorching gaze.


    ¡°During the banquet, the emperor offered to fulfill one of my wishes, and I asked him for your hand in marriage,¡± Yun Moxiao replied.


    ¡°...me!¡± Li Luo raised her head in shock.


    ¡°Yes, you! Tomorrow, the emperor will issue an imperial decree for our marriage. Li Luo, we¡¯ll soon be husband and wife!¡± Yun Moxiao again embraced Li Luo. ¡°Li Luo, we¡¯ll have a home together, a home for both of us.¡±


    Li Luo soundlessly began to cry. A home¡ªsomething she had always dreamt of, but never expected to be a reality. She had once thought of the ughtering King¡¯s manor as her own home, but a true home would contain her loved ones and prized possessions that could bring her joy and warmth.


    And now, the man who was hugging her had promised her such a home.


    ¡°Yun Moxiao?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll repay your affection with my entire life,¡± Li Luo replied seriously, but Yun Moxiao only smiled.


    ¡°What? There¡¯s no need for any sort of repayment. I just want to live happily with you, happily ever after.¡±


    Back in the ughtering King¡¯s manor, Yun Ruoyany by Li Mo¡¯s side, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yan¡¯er?¡± Li Mo gently pulled her body toward him.


    ¡°Li Mo, do you know what my brother requested of the emperor today?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He had the emperor betroth Li Luo to him, and the emperor agreed! My goodness, I¡¯m so happy for them I can¡¯t sleep! I have to start preparing for the wedding, for the wedding banquet, for gifts, for arranging for the procession¡ªLi Luo¡¯s marrying into the Yun manor from the ughtering King¡¯s manor, after all, and I¡¯m in charge of both the families for the moment...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you need a good night¡¯s rest. Now, sleep.¡± Li Mo hugged her tightly, preventing her from tossing and turning any further. Finally, sleep slowly took ahold of Yun Ruoyan.


    The next day, bright and early in the morning, she left for the Yun manor. Li Luo was now responsible for the goings-on of the Yun household, but since she was about to be married, Yun Ruoyan intended for her to get at least a few days of rest so she could be in the best shape for her marriage.


    ¡°Li Luo, you¡¯re not allowed to do anything during this period of time. Rest well and just think about being a beautiful bride. The emperor¡¯s imperial decree wille around noon, so you just have to dress up well for the moment,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. Li Luo had gotten up even earlier than she had and was already beginning to work. Although Li Luo didn¡¯t need to be personally responsible for a lot of the tasks she was handling, she did have to direct the servants of the Yun household, and Yun Ruoyan knew how taxing the endeavor could be.


    ¡°Thank you, sister.¡± Yun Moxiao was used to waking up early, especially after his tenure in the army. When he woke up early to see Li Luo already dealing with all sorts of affairs, he tried to get her to stop, but Li Luo had refused to listen to him. In contrast, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words were far more effective.


    Li Luo finally stopped working after having dealt with the most important matters for the day. Yun Ruoyan dragged Li Luo to her room and began helping her put on makeup. ¡°You¡¯ve always been the one doing this for me, Li Luo, so let me help you once.¡± With Yun Ruoyan¡¯s help, the already pretty Li Luo began exuding an aura of such beauty that Yun Moxiao couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from her.


    The imperial edict arrived almost right after Yun Ruoyan had finished her final touches, and Li Luo was officially proimed the female head of the Yun household.


    Yun Moxiao immediately brought Li Luo to pay her respects to the Yun matriarch. Her condition had gradually been improving, and she was absolutely thrilled to see Yun Moxiao. When Yun Moxiao introduced Li Luo as his future wife, the Yun matriarch was so happy that she immediately removed a jade bangle from her wrist and handed it to Li Luo.


    Although the Yun matriarch was getting better, she still wasn¡¯t able to concentrate for long periods of time on ount of her age. After Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, and Li Luo chatted with her for a while, they prepared to leave to let her rest.


    Suddenly, the Yun matriarch asked Yun Ruoyan about what had happened to Yun Lan. ¡°Ruoyan, why has your father been in closed cultivation for so long? Have you gone to check up on him?¡±


    ¡°I have, Grandmother. Father¡¯s doing fine, and there isn¡¯t much to be worried about,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°Grandmother, I came home tootest night and was waiting for the imperial edict this morning, so I haven¡¯t yet had time to see Father,¡± Yun Moxiao added.


    ¡°In that case, you should go visit him now. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be pleased to see you back, safe and sound.¡±


    After they bade farewell to the Yun matriarch, Yun Moxiao directed them all toward Yun Lan¡¯s residence. Li Luo could sense Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hesitation, and she offered to do something else instead, but Yun Moxiao grabbed her hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re going to be my wife and the next female head of the Yun household, so we definitely have to go see my father.¡±


    ¡°Official Yun¡¯s in closed cultivation, isn¡¯t he? Would it be a bother? I could find some future opportunity to pay my respects to him, perhaps,¡± Li Luo replied.


    Yun Ruoyan also grabbed Li Luo. ¡°Li Luo, I was overthinking matters. You¡¯ll soon be a part of the Yun family, and there aren¡¯t any secrets we need to keep hidden from you.¡± She turned to her brother. ¡°Brother, Father isn¡¯t in closed cultivation at all. Instead, he¡¯s trying to save someone.¡±


    ¡°To save someone? Whom?¡±


    ¡°Our mother.¡± Yun Ruoyan led the way to her mother¡¯s cottage on theke, where Yun Moxiao finally saw his mother for the first time in decades. Shey peacefully on the bed of frozen jade, so full of vitality that she seemed like someone who was sleeping soundly.


    ¡°She¡¯s our mother?¡± Yun Moxiao asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s your mother, Lin Yuemei,¡± Yun Lan replied.


    Yun Moxiao clenched his fists tightly. His eyes turned red as he knelt in front of the bed. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re finally back, you¡¯ve finally returned!¡± Yun Moxiao gently touched Lin Yuemei¡¯s hands and put his face against her palm. ¡°Mother, I thought you were gone for good...¡±


    Unlike Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao had lived with his mother for quite some time, and the motherly warmth and fond memories he had of her were deeply imprinted in his heart. His feelings toward his mother were naturally stronger than Yun Ruoyan¡¯s.


    ¡°Mother, Brother¡¯s back. The three of us are finally reunited,¡± Yun Ruoyan choked out, kneeling by Yun Moxiao¡¯s side and cing her palm over Yun Moxiao and Lin Yuemei¡¯s.


    Suddenly, by their side, Li Luo eximed, ¡°She moved! Madam Yun moved!¡± While Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao were tightly clutching Lin Yuemei¡¯s palm, Li Luo had seen Lin Yuemei¡¯s brows flutter.


    Everyone immediately turned to Lin Yuemei.


    ¡°Mother, won¡¯t you open your eyes? Have a look at Brother and me!¡± Yun Ruoyan begged.


    ¡°Mother, wake up, please. Ruoyan and I are both waiting to pay our respects to you, and I¡¯m about to get married!¡± Yun Moxiao pulled Li Luo to his side. ¡°This is my soon-to-be wife, Li Luo. She¡¯s very pretty, and I would give my life for her.¡±


    ¡°Madam Yun, please wake up. I look forward to meeting you,¡± Li Luo added.


    Two tears slowly rolled down the sides of Lin Yuemei¡¯s face.


    ¡°Mother¡¯s awake! She¡¯s crying! Father, did you see that? Mother¡¯s crying!¡± Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan clutched each other in joy, but Yun Lan¡¯s face was still stern and severe.


    ¡°Your mother won¡¯t awaken quite yet,¡± Yun Lan replied.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t she just cry?¡± Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t about to give up hope.


    ¡°Yuemei¡¯s condition is a lot better, but there¡¯s still quite a bit to go before she can truly wake up once more.¡± Yun Lan informed them that Lin Yuemei¡¯s life had reached its natural conclusion, and what he was doing to prolong it went against the naturalws of heaven. To take thest step would severely weaken him and potentially lead to recoil on Lin Yuemei¡¯s body.


    As a result, he had hesitated from performing thest part of the technique. Luckily, however, Lin Yuemei was no longer in danger of perishing, and even without the frozen jade bed, she could survive in an unconscious state.


    As they left their mother¡¯s cottage, Yun Moxiao and Yun Ruoyan had their spirits far more dampened than when they had entered. ording to what Yun Lan had told them, Lin Yuemei¡¯s reawakening could well be infinitely prolonged.


    ¡°Lass, isn¡¯t it easy to awaken your mother?¡± the demonic dragon forefather asked from within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Do you have an idea?¡± Yun Ruoyan stopped short.


    ¡°Have you forgotten about the silver dragons¡¯ holy water already?¡±


    ¡°Holy water?¡±


    ¡°Yes, holy water, the highest-grade holy water that can resurrect even the dead,¡± the demonic dragon forefather continued. ¡°Although this isn¡¯t something that we¡¯ve seen for ourselves, that silver dragon isn¡¯t prone to exaggeration. I expect that holy water will truly possess some remarkable, near-miraculous properties.¡±


    ¡°Ah, how could I have forgotten?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes shone with hope once more.


    ¡°What did you forget?¡± Yun Moxiao nced strangely at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Brother, quite a lot happened to me in the otherworld.¡± Yun Ruoyan exined what had happened on the Mingyuan continent after her and Li Mo¡¯s arrival, including the entire fiasco between the silver and demonic dragons, with particr emphasis on the holy water that the silver dragons had managed to distill.


    Yun Moxiao stared hopefully at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°As long as we can acquire some holy water for ourselves, we¡¯ll be able to save Mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right!¡± A ck gleam flew out of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body. The Fei de hovered by her side, and on top of the Fei de sat the demonic dragon forefather.


    ¡°This is...?¡± Yun Moxiao stood up in surprise.


    ¡°He¡¯s the forefather of the demonic dragons,¡± Yun Ruoyan introduced. After Yun Moxiao recovered from his temporary shock, he bowed to the demonic dragon forefather.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± the demonic dragon forefathermented. ¡°As expected of the brother of the n head of the demonic dragons.¡±


    ¡°What¡ªElder, I apologize, what did you say Ruoyan was?!¡±

 Chapter 460: The New Head

    <h4>Chapter 460: The New Head</h4>


    ¡°You heard me correctly the first time,d. Thisss is the new head of the demonic dragon n,¡± the demonic dragon forefather repeated.


    ¡°Ruoyan, what¡¯s going on?¡± Yun Moxiao looked at Yun Ruoyan in shock. How could his sister have be the new n head of the demonic dragon n?


    ¡°It looks like your sister has been hiding quite a number of secrets from you.¡± The demonic dragon forefather smiled, and Yun Ruoyan rolled her eyes at him. She hadn¡¯t intended on revealing the truth behind her birth to Yun Moxiao¡ªnot because she wanted to keep it from him, but because she didn¡¯t think it was important. But after the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s revtion, she had no choice but to tell her brother.


    Several hourster, when Yun Moxiao finally understood what exactly was going on, Li Mo found Yun Ruoyan in the Yun manor. He had returned from the pce to the ughtering King¡¯s manor, only to find Yun Ruoyan gone.


    When he found Yun Ruoyan, she was just about finished with her tale.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s what happened.¡± Yun Ruoyan let out a deep breath. ¡°Brother, I wasn¡¯t deliberately trying to hide it from you. I was very confused about my own parentage in the beginning, and when I finally found out, I felt that there was no need to tell you. After all, no matter who my parents are, I¡¯ll always be your sister. We share the same mother, after all.¡±


    It was hard for Yun Moxiao to process so much shocking information at once. What most troubled him was the fact that Yun Lan wasn¡¯t Yun Ruoyan¡¯s true father, but that didn¡¯t seem to matterpared to the years of siblinghood they had shared. ¡°Ruoyan, you¡¯re right. We have the same mother, and no matter what, we¡¯ll always be siblings.¡±


    When Yun Moxiao thought about how Yun Ruoyan had been bullied when she was small, as well as Yun Lan¡¯s cold, indifferent attitude toward her once upon a time, Yun Moxiao began to pity his sister some more. ¡°Ruoyan, don¡¯t you worry. As long as I¡¯m around, the Yun manor will always be your home,¡± he promised resolutely.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother.¡± Yun Ruoyan found her eyes brimming with tears. Part of the reason why she hadn¡¯t told her brother or her grandfather about her parentage was because she herself was, at least on some subconscious level, trying to evade the truth. When she finally told Yun Moxiao everything, her body felt far lighter than before.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me¡ªwe¡¯re family!¡± Yun Moxiao turned to the demonic dragon forefather. ¡°Elder, may I ask how we can acquire some of this holy water?¡±


    ¡°That silver dragon¡¯s the one who made this holy water, so you naturally have to go to where he is.¡±


    ¡°Elder, do you mean the Jiyuan continent?¡± Yun Moxiao recalled Yun Ruoyan telling him that the silver and demonic dragon ns had both inhabited the Jiyuan continent a millennium ago.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°How can we ess the Jiyuan continent?¡± Yun Moxiao pressed.


    ¡°Heading to the Jiyuan continent would be as difficult as ascending to heaven, save for her: your sister, Yun Ruoyan.¡± The demonic dragon forefather pointed at Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan again rolled her eyes. Before she could speak, Yun Moxiao was already peppering her with questions. ¡°Ruoyan, what does the elder mean? Do you have a method for essing the Jiyuan continent?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. However, as long as she¡¯s willing to be the next head of the demonic dragon n, I¡¯ll send you there at any time,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you need holy water to revive your n,¡± Yun Ruoyan reminded the demonic dragon forefather. ¡°Don¡¯t you need us there regardless?¡±


    ¡°The demonic dragon n has already been destroyed for over a millennium, and waiting a few more centuries is immaterial to me,¡± the demonic dragon forefather shrugged carelessly. ¡°But your mother can¡¯t wait a few centuries.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Yun Ruoyan suddenly became angry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get mad,ss, but I had no other choice.¡± The demonic dragon forefather immediately roped Li Mo in. ¡°Li Mo, quick, persuade your wife. You¡¯re going to be the next head of the silver dragon n, aren¡¯t you? If your wife bes the head of the demonic dragon n, you¡¯ll both stand at the top of the world.¡±


    Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan, whose cheeks were puffed up in anger. ¡°No matter what Ruoyan decides to do, I¡¯ll support her.¡±


    Everyone then turned to Yun Ruoyan, waiting for her decision. However, Yun Ruoyan only tugged on Li Mo¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Husband, I¡¯m getting tired. Let¡¯s go back home to rest.¡±


    It had been four long years since their marriage, but Yun Ruoyan had only addressed Li Mo as Li Mo, and this was the first time she had called him ¡®husband¡¯. Li Mo found that he quite liked the new address.


    He reached out and pulled Yun Ruoyan¡¯s petite body into his embrace. ¡°Alright, wife. Let¡¯s head home and rest.¡±


    Yun Moxiao and the demonic dragon forefather both looked on with wide eyes as they left the room.


    ¡°Ah,ss, wait for me!¡± the demonic dragon forefather hurriedly ran out, chasing after Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Moxiao stood still and sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Moxiao. Ruoyan will surely make the right choice,¡± Li Luo consoled.


    ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t bear to force all this responsibility on her,¡± Yun Moxiao replied. If Yun Ruoyan was so against taking on this position, she certainly had her own reasons as to why.


    Back in the ughtering King¡¯s manor, Li Mo lifted Yun Ruoyan up almost as soon as she stepped off the carriage. He carried her into the bedroom, where they spent the whole night in each other¡¯s arms.


    Deep in the night, even when Li Mo had fallen asleep beside her, Yun Ruoyan was still awake. She had tried very hard to sleep, but had had no sess. Instead, she got up and got dressed. Li Mo had entreated her to stop taking care of Li Yan by herself, and she had eded and handed him off to a highly experienced servant.


    Li Yan slept in a bedroom right by theirs at night, and Yun Ruoyan entered that room. He was sleeping in the crib that Li Mo had personally constructed for him, and her dedicated servant was right by his side. Yun Ruoyan walked up to Li Yan, kissed him on the cheek, then tucked him into his nkets before walking back out.


    Still not sleepy, Yun Ruoyan then sat down on a bench in the yard. Facing her was the lotus pond; perhaps having sensed her presence, Whitey poked its head out of the water and stared at her with its tworge, expressive eyes.


    Yun Ruoyan stood up and walked closer to the pond, stretching her hand out. After a momentary hesitation, Whitey nudged the hand with its head. As Yun Ruoyan patted it, she said, ¡°Whitey, once Li Mo and I leave, I¡¯ll hand Li Yan over to you. Please take good care of him.¡±


    Whitey blinked fervently.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally made up your mind?¡± The demonic dragon forefather hovered happily above the surface of the pond.


    When Whitey saw him emerge from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body, he immediately dove back into the pond, clearly having developed a fear of him.


    ¡°What else can I do?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked coldly.


    ¡°Ah,ss, you don¡¯t have to be so mad.¡± The demonic dragon forefather suddenly sighed. ¡°I know why you don¡¯t want to be the n head.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why not?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that, if you be the n head of the demonic dragons, and Li Mo bes the n head of the silver dragons, that any conflict between the two ns might worsen your rtionship?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan crossed her arms. ¡°It¡¯s not a ¡®might¡¯¡ªit¡¯s sure to happen! You know full well how much the two ns hate each other, and this hatred isn¡¯t something that¡¯ll go away within a generation. It¡¯s quite possible that the two ns will war with each other again. I might possess the demonic dragon bloodline, but I don¡¯t owe you anything. Why should I risk my family for the demonic dragons?¡±


    She sighed and continued, ¡°I know you want me to be the n head so as to restrict Li Mo. Given his strength and our help, it¡¯s definitely likely that Li Mo will be the head of the silver dragon n, and you¡¯re worried that Li Mo will suddenly renege on his promise and not be willing to revive the demonic dragons. Your second concern is that, even if Li Mo upholds his promise, that the demonic dragons will be so much weaker than the silver dragons that they would be captured and enved. If I were the head of the demonic dragon n, both of these concerns would be negated.¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather began to p. ¡°You¡¯re exactly right,ss! Huhut.¡±


    ¡°Elder, I don¡¯t understand. Why don¡¯t you take on the mantle of n head? You¡¯re so powerful that you wouldn¡¯t have to fear Li Mo at all. With your strength, it surely can¡¯t be a problem for you to protect your n.¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather was silent for long moments before he finally said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to push the responsibility onto you, but rather that I¡¯m almost at the limits of my existence.¡±


    ¡°The limit of your existence?!¡± Yun Ruoyan stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Haven¡¯t you already lived this long? What limit could there be?¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather smiled wryly. ¡°All lifees to an end. The further you head down the road of cultivation, the longer your lifespan, true, but no living creature can live forever. That¡¯s why that silver dragon¡¯s trying so hard to make a draught that¡¯ll let him live forever. My original body has long since rotted away, and it¡¯s only because a shred of my spirit still persists on this Fei de that I managed to live for so long. That silver dragon, on the other hand, hassted till the present because of his so-called holy water.¡±


    ¡°In that case, what if we nourish you with some holy water? Would you be able to survive for a longer period of time?¡± In that case, she wouldn¡¯t have to be the n head at all!

 Chapter 461: Yun Moxiao’s Wedding

    <h4>Chapter 461: Yun Moxiao¡¯s Wedding</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯tst till that day¡ªI expect I¡¯ll live for another year at the most.¡± The demonic dragon forefather sighed, then turned toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°If you refuse to take on the position of n head, I really don¡¯t know who else would be able to shoulder such a responsibility. Once the demonic dragons are revived, they won¡¯t be able to remain on the Chenyuan continent for extended periods of time, and they must return to the Jiyuan continent in force. However, none among the silver dragon n are easy to deal with. After I pass, if the demonic dragon n is to remain without a leader, their fates might be worse than death. So call me selfish if you want, but I won¡¯t bring you to the Jiyuan continent unless you agree to be the next leader of the demonic dragons.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Yun Ruoyan hated being threatened, but she didn¡¯t have any other means of getting to the Jiyuan continent.


    ¡°Lass, there¡¯s no point in staring at me. My mind is set.¡± The demonic dragon forefather crossed his arms. ¡°And let me remind you of one thing: your mother doesn¡¯t have much time left.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was so upset that she didn¡¯t sleep for the entire night. The next day, when she apanied Yun Moxiao to the Lin family, she still looked lifeless and haggard. Luckily, her family¡¯s attention was all on Yun Moxiao and Li Luo, whom he was about to marry, and not on Yun Ruoyan herself.


    Surprisingly, Yun Lan hadn¡¯t much objected to Yun Moxiao¡¯s marriage. Although he wasn¡¯t too satisfied by Li Luo¡¯s status, the emperor himself had permitted the marriage, and he had no choice but to ept. However, the Lin family was very pleased with Li Luo. Lin Qingchen had already known of Li Luo¡¯s existence, but this was the first time she was seeing her for herself. As expected, she had a graceful, natural beauty, and seemed very well suited for Yun Moxiao.


    This was the first time Lin Qingxue had seen Li Luo, and she tugged on her hand and kept trying to chat with her. ¡°Sister Li Luo, I heard you¡¯re also a beastkin,¡± she suddenly eximed.


    Li Luo hadn¡¯t expected such a question from her, and she stilled for a moment. Although within the Li kingdom the beastkin were treated no differently from regr humans, their former envement had led to a pall of inferiority that had yet to dissipate. Although Li Luo had never been embarrassed about who she was, she couldn¡¯t help but hesitate at Lin Qingxue¡¯s sudden, direct question.


    ¡°Sister Li Luo, please ignore my sister,¡± Lin Qingchen quickly jumped in.


    Li Luo smiled. She looked at Lin Qingxue, who was staring at her with wide, innocent eyes, with no trace of malice on her face. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Qingxue¡¯s innocent and cute, and I like her personality.¡±


    However, Lin Qingchen sighed. ¡°It would be apliment if she were still underage, but now that she¡¯s an adult and still considered innocent and cute...¡±


    Lin Qingchen and Lin Qingxue had both celebrated their fifteenth birthdays on the Mingyuan continent. Their celebrations had urred almost immediately after close brushes with death, and everyone, including themselves, had forgotten about the asion. When they finally remembered that their birthdays were past, it was already toote for any celebration.


    ¡°Sister Li Luo, I didn¡¯t mean anything by my question,¡± Lin Qingxue emphasized. ¡°I had two very good friends in the past who were also beastkin, so when I learned that you were one too, I was very happy. You seem like a very amiable person,¡± she praised.


    ¡°You have beastkin friends?¡±


    Lin Qingxue nodded. ¡°A pair of siblings who stayed at the Lin manor for a time, but they¡¯re both gone now.¡±


    No one knew where Zhuo Yifeng was. On the other hand, Zhuo Lin¡¯er had allegedly found her birth father, who had taken her from the Lin manor. This had happened while the Lin sisters were still on the Mingyuan continent, and Lin Qingxue had been rather upset by the fact that Zhuo Lin¡¯er hadn¡¯t contacted them after her departure.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Li Luo tugged on Lin Qingxue¡¯s hand. ¡°If there¡¯s an opportunity in the future, I¡¯d like to meet these two friends of yours.¡±


    ¡°Alright! When they get back, I¡¯ll definitely introduce them to you.¡± Lin Qingxue perked up. ¡°Sister Li Luo, let me show you around the Lin manor.¡±


    ¡°Right, Sister Li Luo! Once you marry Brother Moxiao, the Lin family will be like your home as well. You should familiarize yourself with your new home,¡± Lin Qingchen added.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Luo agreed readily.


    The Lin family was renowned for its pillmasters, and there were naturally all sorts of rare herbs and grasses being grown within the manor grounds. The Lin sisters brought Li Luo through the various gardens brimming with flora.


    Meanwhile, within Lin Zainan¡¯s study, Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, Li Mo, Lin Zainan, and Lin Tianming were discussing the date for the wedding. Given the imperial decree, the wedding had to ur promptly. After checking the calendar, Lin Zainan suggested three days from today as a good date, but Yun Moxiao wanted to push the wedding back.


    Lin Zainan and Lin Tianming were both a little confused by his decision. Yun Moxiao and Li Luo seemed to get along extremely well, so why wouldn¡¯t Yun Moxiao want to get the wedding done with as soon as possible?


    However, Yun Ruoyan knew her brother¡¯s intentions. Now that he knew that his mother was still in the Yun manor and had a chance of being revived, he naturally wanted to wait for her to awaken before having the ceremony. However, Lin Yuemei¡¯s revival had been dyed indefinitely, and they couldn¡¯t dy the wedding for much longer.


    ¡°Brother,¡± Yun Moxiao said. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to the Jiyuan continent soon, and it¡¯ll be a dangerous journey. Before I leave, I¡¯d like to see you start your own family, so will you satisfy my request?¡±


    Yun Moxiao mulled it over for a moment before finally agreeing to have the wedding in three days.


    Everyone had lunch at the Lin family before they dispersed. If the wedding was to take ce in three days, Yun Ruoyan would have a lot to aplish during that time.


    Lin Tianming sent them out of the manor. With Lin Zainan¡¯s care, Lin Tianming was now able to walk for short distances with his cane. He had taken on the responsibility of tending to the Lin household, and, with the Lin sisters¡¯ support, the Lin family¡¯s reputation was on the rise once more.


    ¡°Uncle, there¡¯s something that I discussed with Ruoyan that I need to tell you. For the moment, we¡¯ve decided to keep it a secret from Grandfather,¡± Yun Moxiao told Lin Tianming.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lin Tianming hurriedly asked, noticing the serious look on his nephew¡¯s face.


    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t be nervous. This is great news,¡± Yun Ruoyan interjected. ¡°Let¡¯s speak on the carriage.¡±


    As they entered the carriage, the two siblings told Lin Tianming about Lin Yuemei.


    ¡°Yuemei¡¯s still alive?!¡± Lin Tianming was so agitated upon hearing the news that he stood up and almost hit his head against the roof of the carriage.


    ¡°Be careful, Uncle!¡± Yun Moxiao tugged on his hand before he could hit his head. ¡°We¡¯re telling the truth, of course. We wouldn¡¯t joke about our mother.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Yuemei¡¯s still alive...¡± Lin Tianming¡¯s voice was quavering. ¡°If Father were to learn about this, he¡¯d be thrilled beyond words. Quick, bring me to her¡ªoh, and don¡¯t forget your grandfather as well!¡±


    ¡°Uncle, Mother¡¯s still in aa, and it¡¯s difficult to arrange for such a meeting,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°Furthermore, we don¡¯t know when Mother will wake up, so we don¡¯t dare to inform Grandfather about this. If something were to happen, we¡¯re afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to take the shock.¡±


    Lin Zainan had already lost his beloved daughter once, and neither Yun Ruoyan nor Yun Moxiao dared to have him suffer the same heart-wrenching pain once more. He had been young when he had learned of the news that his daughter was dead, but now that he was older, it was unlikely that he would be able to survive such an ordeal.


    ¡°No, no, you¡¯re right, of course. Your grandfather¡¯s much older now, and he can¡¯t take such shocks. It¡¯s better for us to tell him when Yuemei wakes up.¡± Lin Tianming inteced his fingers. ¡°How can we revive Yuemei? Do we need a spiritual pill of some sort? Let me know. No matter how expensive, I¡¯ll do my best to obtain it.¡±


    ¡°The Yun manor isn¡¯tcking in spiritual pills, and with the ughtering King¡¯s manor helping out, we won¡¯t need any additional pills, Uncle,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°There is one key ingredient that we¡¯ll need to save Mother, but this is something that can only be found on the Jiyuan continent. That¡¯s why, shortly after Brother¡¯s marriage, I¡¯ll be heading to the Jiyuan continent with Li Mo.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry. No matter what, we¡¯ll save Mother,¡± Yun Moxiao affirmed resolutely.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and it came time for Yun Moxiao and Li Luo¡¯s wedding. Given Yun Moxiao¡¯s status as the general who had just quelled the Farsighted King¡¯s rebellion, the banquet had at least a hundred tables¡¯ worth of soldiers, and another hundred for the emperor and his suite of officials. Preparations for the enormous banquet so tired Yun Ruoyan out that she didn¡¯t even have the energy to take care of Li Yan.


    Luckily, Li Mo had had the foresight to book all the chefs from the main restaurants of the capital for the asion. With almost every servant from the ughtering King¡¯s manor helping out, the banquet took ce without any major disruptions.


    As lieutenants andmanders and officials of the court crowded around Yun Moxiao, toasting him in celebration, he drank and drank and drank so much that he really was starting to get drunk. Even his oft-used excuse of pretending to be drunk couldn¡¯t extricate him from the crowd that threatened to growrger andrger as time passed.


    When Yun Ruoyan finally had some time to rest, only to find that her brother was being surrounded by a gaggle of men and being forced to drink, while Li Mo was sitting by the side with Li Qianhan, she stomped over in a fit of fury.


    She bowed to Li Qianhan, then thundered at Li Mo, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help your brother-inw out?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ruoyan. That was negligent on my part. I¡¯ll go save my brother-inw immediately,¡± Li Mo replied glibly.


    ¡°As for you!¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Qianhan. ¡°As the emperor of the Li kingdom, how can you bear to see one of your prized officials having his wedding ceremony dyed?¡±

 Chapter 462: Acting on One’s Own

    <h4>Chapter 462: Acting on One¡¯s Own</h4>


    ¡°Of course, Aunt. I¡¯ll immediately chase away the officials,¡± Li Qianhan replied.


    With the ughtering King and the emperor himself driving away the crowds, Yun Moxiao finally found himself in blessed solitude. ¡°Thank you, Sister.¡± Yun Moxiao sidled to her side, barely restraining himself from bowing to her in relief.


    ¡°Alright, Brother, go have a look at your new wife.¡± Yun Ruoyan patted him on the back. ¡°If she gets mad, she won¡¯t let you into her room.¡±


    Li Luo had been waiting alone in the nuptial chambers for quite some time. She could hear a cacophony from the yard outside, but Yun Moxiao still hadn¡¯t yet shown up. She was just about to remove her veil when the door creaked open.


    From his footsteps alone, Li Luo immediately ascertained that the man who had stepped in was her new husband, Yun Moxiao. As he walked closer and closer to her, Li Luo suddenly felt her nerves strike.


    Yun Moxiao parted her veil to uncover Li Luo¡¯s face, pink with rouge and flushed from embarrassment. Her eyes were wet and lustrous, and he couldn¡¯t help recalling the first time he had seen her: she had been veiled, but her eyes were shockingly bright. From that first nce at her, Yun Moxiao¡¯s heart had been stolen.


    His pursuit of Li Luo hadn¡¯t gone very smoothly, but he had persisted¡ªand ultimately seeded!¡ªin his efforts.


    ¡°Li Luo.¡± Yun Moxiao sat down by her side, sping her hands. ¡°I¡¯m so blessed to have met you. Our encounter was the greatest gift the heavens could have given me.¡±


    Li Luo also looked toward Yun Moxiao. ¡°Husband, that¡¯s what I wanted to say. How lucky I am to have found a man like you.¡±


    They looked at each other. From her pellucid eyes, he could clearly see his own reflection. Yun Moxiao suddenly wished that time would stop, that they could forever look into each other¡¯s eyes, basking in each other¡¯s hope and fortune for eternity.


    ¡°Husband, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Li Luo was shocked at the tears that suddenly fell from Yun Moxiao¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± She hurriedly began wiping at his tears. He was a general who had led a hundred thousand troops to quash a rebellion, and he had suffered wounds too numerous to count with gritted teeth and hardly a sound, let alone any tears.


    ¡°Li Luo, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Yun Moxiao clutched Li Luo¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Husband, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Li Luo.¡± Yun Moxiao ced Li Luo¡¯s palm tightly against his heart. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to apany Ruoyan and Li Mo to the Jiyuan continent. I can¡¯t watch my own sister risk her life to save our mother while I stayed here, but I¡¯ve let you down instead.¡±


    Li Luo stilled. The light in her eyes dimmed a little, and Yun Moxiao¡¯s heart clenched.


    ¡°Li Luo, can you forgive my selfishness? I know I¡¯m about to leave on a dangerous trip, but I still married you,¡± Yun Moxiao confessed. ¡°I love you so much that I¡¯ve wanted to marry you even in my dreams, but if you¡¯re unwilling, I can petition the emperor...¡±


    Before Yun Moxiao could finish speaking, Li Luo had mped his mouth shut. ¡°I predicted you would apany Ruoyan and His Highness there.¡± She sighed. ¡°I was just waiting for you to tell me. I¡¯m upset that you won¡¯t be with me, but I¡¯m very proud. If you had been unwilling to risk your life for someone as important as your mother, I would have looked down on you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Li Luo.¡± Yun Moxiao kissed her forehead deeply.


    ¡°Husband.¡± Li Luo caressed his face, dignified and handsome, wishing she could continue looking at it for days on end.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Before you leave, could you promise me something?¡±


    ¡°What is it? Anything for you, Li Luo,¡± Yun Moxiao replied.


    Li Luo smiled and whispered into Yun Moxiao¡¯s ear, ¡°Let¡¯s make a baby together.¡± Her gentle touch and heavenly scent were sufficient to make Yun Moxiao¡¯s blood throb.


    ¡°Li Luo,¡± he called out hoarsely, pushing her down onto the bedsheets.


    After sending off thest group of guests and dealing with any remaining issues pertaining to the wedding, Yun Ruoyan was so tired that she flopped down on a chair and refused to move. Li Mo carried her into their carriage. Ever since Yun Moxiao¡¯s return, Yun Ruoyan had returned to living in the ughtering King¡¯s manor. Now that Yun Moxiao was married and the Yun household had a new female head again, there was absolutely no need for Yun Ruoyan to remain.


    ¡°Do you know if Li Yan¡¯s asleep?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. Because there were so many guests at the Yun manor and it was far too noisy, Yun Ruoyan had had Li Yan brought back to the ughtering King¡¯s manor.


    ¡°Given the time, he must have slept long ago.¡± Li Mo ran his fingers through her hair. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard today, Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°I only have one brother, and making sure his wedding is memorable is certainly worth the effort.¡± Yun Ruoyan was so tired that she didn¡¯t even want to open her eyes, but a blissful smile hung on her face. It had been quite some time before shest recalled her tragic fate in her past life¡ªuntil now. Compared to then, her life now was already far better than before. And when she returned from the Jiyuan continent with holy water to save Lin Yuemei¡ªand ideally having rescued her father, Long Yin¡ªYun Ruoyan¡¯s life would be without any regrets.


    By the time the carriage arrived at the ughtering King¡¯s manor, Yun Ruoyan was sound asleep. Li Mo carried her into the manor toward their room. The moment he stepped into the yard, however, a ck shadow suddenly darted out of Li Yan¡¯s rooms.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Li Mo shouted, startling Yun Ruoyan awake.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Li Mo? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Someone snatched Li Yan away!¡± Li Mo soared into the skies on his sword, bringing Yun Ruoyan with him as he chased the ck shadow. Li Mo¡¯s sword was far quicker than the shadow¡¯s, but for some reason, the shadow¡¯s speed suddenly increased dramatically whenever Li Mo got close. It took four whole hours before Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan finally caught up.


    Yun Ruoyan was on her Scarlet Eye, and they were on either side of the ck shadow. ¡°Who are you? Return our son to us!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get close, or I¡¯ll kill him.¡± The ck-d person¡¯s hand was on Li Yan¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo shouted immediately.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to strangle your dear son to death, make way.¡±


    ¡°Where are you bringing him?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, do you think I¡¯ll answer your question? What a joke.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°Rong Yueshan, I¡¯m your enemy. How despicable do you have to be to focus on my son?!¡±


    Rong Yueshan hesitated, then removed her hood. She smiled at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°How did you know it was me?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan chuckled bitterly. ¡°We¡¯ve been rivals for a while, and I understand you just as much as you do me. You might have hidden your face and changed your voice, but just from the way you called my name, I knew it was you.¡±


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, your son is in my hands. A moment¡¯s effort would be all it took to make your life hell, and you don¡¯t know how happy I am just thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°You dare!¡± Li Mo shouted from behind her.


    Rong Yueshan turned back to look at Li Mo. ¡°Don¡¯t try to frighten me, ughtering King. What if my hand trembles and twists your dear son¡¯s head off?¡±


    ¡°Rong Yueshan, what will make you give up our child? How about me?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t be rash,¡± Li Mo said urgently.


    ¡°The ughtering King would hardly let me go if I did that,¡± Rong Yueshan replied. ¡°Furthermore, a baby¡¯s far easier to control than you. Now, make way or else.¡±


    ¡°Rong Yueshan, the person you hate is me! You surely want something from us, or you wouldn¡¯t have kidnapped our child. What is it?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed.


    ¡°I said, make way!¡± Rong Yueshan was about to lose her patience.


    Yun Ruoyan stared at Rong Yueshan¡¯s hands. Initially, she had been too anxious to notice the discrepancy, but she suddenly rxed. Although Rong Yueshan had made as if to squeeze his neck, that was only a feint, and she didn¡¯t dare touch him at all. Given her hatred for her, if she didn¡¯t want something from her or Li Mo, then she would have killed Li Yan on the spot.


    So why was she trying to bring him away? Unless... Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes wide. ¡°Rong Yueshan, you¡¯re working for the silver dragon elder! You¡¯re nothing but hisckey!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me ackey,¡± Rong Yueshan spat. ¡°Or do you think that you¡¯re the only one who can find a draconic n as a backer?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who your backer is. You won¡¯t escape with our son!¡± Yun Ruoyan was absolutely certain that the silver dragon elder had instigated Rong Yueshan into kidnapping her baby. In that case, she wouldn¡¯t dare hurt Li Yan.


    When Rong Yueshan saw that Yun Ruoyan had no intention of making way, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of anxiety. The kidnapping today had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. ording to the silver dragon elder¡¯s n, she was supposed to strike only after Yun Ruoyan and the others had left the Chenyuan continent, but Rong Yueshan had just found out from Dong Tiehe that Rong Tianling had died during his imprisonment in the pce, unable to bear the torture inflicted on his body.


    In her anger, and knowing that Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan would be busy with Yun Moxiao¡¯s wedding, she had thought this a perfect opportunity to strike...

 Chapter 463: Decision

    <h4>Chapter 463: Decision</h4>


    During the banquet, while Yun Ruoyan had been working herself to the bone, Rong Yueshan stayed hidden and waited for an opportunity. In the afternoon, when the rate of arriving guests had reached its maximum, Yun Ruoyan instructed her servant to bring Li Yan back to the ughtering King¡¯s manor. This was the opportunity that Rong Yueshan had been waiting for.


    She followed the servant out of the Lin manor and prepared to strike, only to find the Mo guards protecting her on the way back. Rong Yueshan was unable to catch them off guard, and she could only follow them all the way back to the ughtering King¡¯s manor. There, she identified a humongous spiritual beast within the pond, causing her to shrink back in surprise.


    She secretly slipped a satchel of particrly strong sleeping powder into the pond, something she had acquired while on the Mingyuan continent. The effect was so strong that even Whitey was unable to resist its effects and fell asleep at the bottom of the pond.


    Then, as the guards keeping watch over Li Yan started to rx, she sessfully attacked and killed several of the guards and managed to snatch Li Yan up. Unfortunately for her, however, that was exactly when Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were returning to the ughtering King¡¯s manor, and they had given chase immediately.


    As a result, both parties were now at a standstill. Yun Ruoyan guessed that Rong Yueshan was going to hand Li Yan to the silver dragon elder and judged that she wouldn¡¯t dare to hurt him. ¡°Rong Yueshan, no matter what, I won¡¯t let you leave with Li Yan.¡± Yun Ruoyan waved an arm at her, and a ck beam shot toward her.


    This sudden attack scared both Rong Yueshan and even the demonic dragon forefather. The Fei de shot toward Rong Yueshan¡ªas well as Li Yan, still in her grip. Although the demonic dragon forefather was the de spirit of the Fei de, he was unable to redirect the trajectory of the Fei de when Yun Ruoyan was controlling it with her own power. After all, Yun Ruoyan was the owner of the de.


    Rong Yueshan suddenly threw Li Yan away from her. The silver dragon elder had repeatedly instructed her to ensure Li Yan¡¯s safety, and if Li Yan were to die at her hands, the silver dragon elder would surely ensure that her fate was worse than death.


    After Rong Yueshan threw Li Yan into the distance, she raised the heaven-transcending mirror and shot out a pir of light at the Fei de, trapping it and arresting its momentum.


    Meanwhile, Li Mo had dashed off after Li Yan. When Yun Ruoyan saw him safely in Li Mo¡¯s arms, her heart finally calmed down.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you madwoman! How could you attack your own baby?!¡± Rong Yueshan gasped.


    Yun Ruoyan snorted. ¡°If the silver dragon elder sent you here to kidnap Li Yan, he¡¯s undoubtedly trying to use Li Yan¡¯s blood to manufacture more holy water. As a mother, I won¡¯t let my child be used as an ingredient! I¡¯d rather kill him myself!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words were something she had made up in order to confuse Rong Yueshan. Her gesture just now had seemed daring, but she was certain that she would be able to change the Fei de¡¯s trajectory before it hurt Li Yan.


    ¡°To turn this baby into holy water? What holy water?¡± Rong Yueshan asked. She had once asked the silver dragon elder why he so desperately sought Li Yan, but the silver dragon elder hadn¡¯t told her why. ording to Yun Ruoyan, the silver dragon elder wanted to use Li Yan as an ingredient of some sort, but what was this holy water she spoke of?


    ¡°Tell me about this holy water,¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t even know about holy water?¡± Yun Ruoyan mocked her. ¡°It looks like the silver dragon elder hasn¡¯t told you everything. Back on the Mingyuan continent, not only did Pi Yan and Pi Batian both know about holy water, the silver dragon elder even handed them a bottle each.¡±


    Rong Yueshan frowned. ¡°So, what exactly is it?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s lips quirked up. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you now. Holy water is...¡± She told Rong Yueshan all about the miraculous properties of this purported holy water, emphasizing the fact that holy water would be able to resurrect the dead, that the scar on her face would be easily wiped away.


    ¡°Such a miraculous thing could hardly exist!¡± Rong Yueshan frowned.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then so be it. No matter what, the silver dragon elder won¡¯t hand you any holy water. After all, in his eyes, you¡¯re nothing but a tool, worse than even Pi Yan and Pi Batian!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out. ¡°You should be aware of how the Pis died¡ªbe careful you don¡¯t end up like them!¡±


    Rong Yueshan¡¯s face turned cold. She had already lost Li Yan and was pincered from the front and back by Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo. The only way she could handle Yun Ruoyan was with the heaven-transcending mirror, and if Li Mo were to attack her as well...


    Rong Yueshan decided to flee. She infused her entire body¡¯s worth of spiritual energy into the mirror, which glowed with transcendent light as it tried to push the Fei de away.


    ¡°Lass, give me control of the de!¡± the demonic dragon forefather called out in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind, and she immediately did so. The demonic dragon forefather pulled the de back until it was out of the pir of light that the heaven-transcending mirror shot out, then directed it at Rong Yueshan again.


    Rong Yueshan¡¯s eyes widened as she quickly flew away. Li Mo, with Li Yan in his arms, couldn¡¯t very well give chase, but Rong Yueshan immediately followed after her. The Fei de morphed into a ck beam of light as it shed past Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body and shot toward Rong Yueshan like a bolt of lightning.


    Sensing the imminent danger, Rong Yueshan turned around and held up the heaven-transcending mirror once more. However, the Fei de, under the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s control, continued rushing forward.


    Before Rong Yueshan could use the power of the mirror, she felt a sudden burst of power explode against her hand, then iled as she was unceremoniously knocked flying from the impact.


    When she finally regained her bnce, she lifted the remnants of her right hand in shock. The heaven-transcending mirror had disappeared in the explosion, along with half her hand. Furthermore, the right side of her body was a frightening mess of blood and flesh. Arge fireball hung in the sky, still giving off incandescent heat.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, one day, I¡¯ll repay you for what you¡¯ve done to my body¡ªwith interest!¡± she gritted out, then dragged herself off to safety.


    Yun Ruoyan was dazed as she looked at the burning fireball, at a loss for words until Li Mo returned to her side. She turned to him and asked woodenly, ¡°I can¡¯t feel the existence of the Fei de any longer. Is the demonic dragon forefather also...?¡±


    Although she had been very annoyed by the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s consistent pestering, she still couldn¡¯t bear to see him die just like that¡ªafter all, he hadn¡¯t done anything that had truly hurt her.


    ¡°Why... why was he so rash?¡± Yun Ruoyan continued gazing at the burning fireball.


    Li Mo looked toward the ze as well. ¡°I suspect he¡¯s still alive. He¡¯s not such a rash figure.¡± Li Mo firmly believed that the demonic dragon forefather wasn¡¯t someone who would be interested in a pyrrhic victory.


    Just then, the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s voice again could be heard from within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. ¡°Lass, I¡¯m not yet dead. Today¡¯s not when I¡¯m fated to die.¡±


    A few ckened shards flew out of the fireball and assembled into the Fei de once more. Except for a few cracks on the de¡¯s surface, it seemed unchanged. The demonic dragon forefather resurfaced atop the de, but he seemed much fainter than before.


    ¡°Are you... alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t died yet. While I did lose some of my vitality, I¡¯ve destroyed the heaven-transcending mirror, huhut! As for that woman, Rong Yueshan¡ªeven if she isn¡¯t dead, she has to be badly injured. She won¡¯t be a threat to Li Yan for quite a while,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied. ¡°Alright, finish whatever tasks you haven¡¯t yet wrapped up. I need to send all of you to the Jiyuan continent while I still can. Lass, regardless of whether or not you ultimately choose to be the n head of the demonic dragons, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m running out of time.¡±


    When Yun Ruoyan stared at the much-more-translucent demonic dragon forefather, she couldn¡¯t help feel some amount of guilt and gratitude toward him. She had always thought that the demonic dragon forefather was just trying to make use of her, but he had sacrificed part of his limited life force today in order to protect Li Yan in the future.


    She sighed, finally having made up her mind. ¡°Alright, I promise you I¡¯ll be the next head of the demonic dragon n.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± the demonic dragon forefather nced at her, his eyes briefly widening. He bowed toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°On behalf of the demonic dragon n, I thank you.¡±


    Although the demonic dragon bloodline ran through Yun Ruoyan¡¯s veins, she didn¡¯t have a close rtionship with the demonic dragon n. Furthermore, the trouble that the demonic dragons had brought her had made her somewhat dislike them¡ªbut given the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s sacrifice, Yun Ruoyan decided to take on this mantle.


    ¡°But once the demonic dragon n is back to its former glory, I¡¯ll hand off the position of n head to someone else from the n,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. ¡°I won¡¯t let Li Yan take over that position.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied. ¡°That¡¯s only natural. Li Yan¡¯s to be the n head of the silver dragon n in the future. I believe that, as long as you¡¯re here, neither Li Mo nor Li Yan will hurt the demonic dragon n.¡±


    When Yun Moxiao learned that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were intending to head to the Jiyuan continent in two weeks, he immediately requested to join them. Yun Ruoyan initially objected, not wanting both of them to take part in the dangerous trip. If something were to happen to her, she hoped that Yun Moxiao would remain to take care of Lin Yuemei and the Lin family.


    ¡°Ruoyan, if you don¡¯t return with holy water, then Mother will never awaken. In that case, what¡¯s the point of my remaining behind?¡± Yun Moxiao countered.


    ¡°Lass, your brother¡¯s cultivation isn¡¯t all that high, but he must be talented if he was able to lead an army at such a young age. Bringing him along might be more help than you think,¡± the demonic dragon forefather advised.


    ¡°Brother, if you go, then what¡¯s going to happen to Li Luo? The two of you just got married. Are you so cruel as to leave her alone now?¡±


    Li Luo walked to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s front and tugged on her hand. ¡°Ruoyan, I understand your intentions, but if I were so selfish as to keep your brother with me, he would certainly spend his days wallowing in guilt and worry. I don¡¯t want to see him like that, so please let him join you. I¡¯ll wait in the Yun manor for all of you to return.¡±

 Chapter 464: Rebirth

    <h4>Chapter 464: Rebirth</h4>


    In the end, Yun Ruoyan finally agreed to let her brother join her and Li Mo on their expedition to the Jiyuan continent.


    ¡°Lad, you¡¯re an eighth-rank demaster. Do you want to advance further?¡± the demonic dragon forefather asked.


    Yun Moxiao¡¯s eyes brightened, and he immediately cupped his fists toward the demonic dragon forefather. ¡°Elder, I¡¯ve been stuck at this bottleneck for many years. If you¡¯re willing to help me break through, I would be immensely grateful.¡±


    Though an eighth-rank demaster was considered an expert on the Chenyuan continent, Yun Moxiao would be nothing more than the most ordinary of people on the Jiyuan continent.


    ¡°As the brother of my n head, it¡¯s only natural that I¡¯d help you out, huhut,¡± the demonic dragon forefatherughed. His spirit might have looked far fainter than before, but he still seemed as energetic as ever. Because Yun Ruoyan had promised to shoulder the responsibility of the n head, the demonic dragon forefather¡¯sst wish had been aplished, and he now seemed almost glowing and radiant.


    ¡°Lass, you¡¯re a peak ninth-rank demaster, almost a sword saint. I¡¯ll help you break through too!¡± the demonic dragon forefather announced.


    ¡°It¡¯s been less than a year since I reached the peak of ninth rank, so I should be able to break through on my own.¡± Yun Ruoyan nced worriedly at the demonic dragon forefather. Strong though he was, she knew how taxing helping another cultivator break through was, and she was worried that helping both of them do so would be challenging.


    ¡°I know, but you¡¯re headed to a ce far more dangerous than the Mingyuan continent. Without enough strength, you¡¯ll be unable to achieve your goal,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied severely. ¡°And it¡¯ll help Qiuqiu too.¡±


    ¡°Qiuqiu? What¡¯s the matter with Qiuqiu?¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately asked.


    Not long after returning to the Chenyuan continent, Qiuqiu again entered closed cultivation. It had absorbed the energy in the sage-grade spirit crystal she had obtained on the Mingyuan continent almost in its entirety, and it thought it would be able to break the silver bracelet¡¯s seal with this advancement.


    ¡°Do you know why Qiuqiu¡¯s been stuck in closed cultivation for so long,ss?¡± the demonic dragon forefather asked.


    Yun Ruoyan thought about it for a moment. ¡°Could it be because my cultivation¡¯s too low?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If Qiuqiu wants to break the silver bracelet¡¯s seal, he¡¯ll need your help. Unless you be a sword saint, you won¡¯t be able to help it.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I hope it won¡¯t trouble you too much, Elder.¡± Yun Ruoyan acquiesced.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no trouble,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied happily. In the past, because he had continued to threaten her, Yun Ruoyan had never addressed him as Elder, and doing so now had made him very happy.


    In a secret chamber of the Rong manor, Rong Yueshan held a shard of the heaven-transcending mirror in her hand. This was the only shard she had found after dragging her crippled body back to the scene of the fight, and whether or not she would be able to contact the silver dragon elder depended on it alone.


    Rong Yueshan was very badly hurt, and if she weren¡¯t able to contact him, only death awaited her. Even if she did manage to contact the silver dragon elder, she might very well be punished for her failure in this mission, but she still had to give it a try¡ªafter all, what if the silver dragon elder saw fit to give her some holy water?


    Rong Yueshan ced the shard of the mirror in front of her before drawing a sharp dagger which she disinfected with fire. Then, stuffing her mouth with a rag, she thrust the dagger into her heart. The sudden, unbelievable pain almost made her pass out. She leaned forward, syed against the shard of the heaven-transcending mirror. Her vital blood dripped down her wound and onto the mirror, dyeing it red.


    ¡°Rong Yueshan, wake up,¡± a cold, stern voice sounded against her ear. Rong Yueshan frowned and slowly opened her eyes. The blood-red fragment of the mirror was hovering in front of her, and the silver dragon elder¡¯s image appeared in it.


    ¡°Elder!¡± Rong Yueshan crawled up. The gesture tore at her wound, triggering another cascade of pain so blinding she almost fainted again.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Because the heaven-transcending mirror had been dyed red, the silver dragon elder¡¯s visage seemed to be coated with blood. His furious expression,bined with the red tinge, was frightening.


    Rong Yueshan nced up at the mirror fragment before quickly lowering her head. ¡°Elder, yesterday, while Yun Ruoyan¡¯s brother was getting married and the Yun family hosted a grand banquet, I tried to finish the task you set for me.¡±


    ¡°And did you manage to catch Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s child?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡ªI was very, very close,¡± Rong Yueshan stuttered, trying to hold in her gasps of pain from her chest.


    ¡°Meaning, no.¡± The silver dragon elder¡¯s voice seemed to have frozen over. ¡°You made a move of your own ord, and not only did you fail to catch your target, you even destroyed the heaven-transcending mirror. I thought highly of you, but it seems like you¡¯re no better than Pi Yan or Pi Batian! I don¡¯t need someone as useless as you,¡± the silver dragon elder spat out.


    Rong Yueshan clearly felt his rage and fury, and she couldn¡¯t help being reminded of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words¡ªshe was just a tool that the silver dragon elder nned on using and disposing of. Just like Pi Yan and Pi Batian, once she had no value, she would be discarded.


    The silver dragon elder had already raised his hand and was just about to w at Rong Yueshan¡¯s head when she spoke, ¡°Although I wasn¡¯t able to catch that child, Elder, I aplished a huge feat. Please allow me to speak.¡±


    The silver dragon elder hesitated. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a chance. If I find that you lied to me, your fate shall be worse than death.¡±


    Rong Yueshan gulped, then took a deep breath. ¡°The demonic dragon forefather is dead.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The silver dragon elder was shocked by the news. ¡°What did you say? He¡¯s dead?!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rong Yuehsan replied. ¡°He caused the Fei de to crash into the heaven-transcending mirror in my hand, perishing with the mirror.¡±


    The silver dragon elder couldn¡¯t believe Rong Yueshan¡¯s words. After all, the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s cultivation was above even his own, and the two of them had fought for millennia. If not for his cunning, the silver dragon n¡¯s n couldn¡¯t have seeded: the demonic dragon forefather could have fought them off all by himself.


    How could he have died, just like that? The silver dragon elder was flummoxed¡ªhappy, surely, that his worst nemesis had passed away, but what flooded his mind was disbelief.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± His gaze raked Rong Yueshan like knives.


    Even though Rong Yueshan¡¯s head was still lowered, she could still feel his gaze as though it were a knife against her neck. Despite her uncertainty, she decided it was more important to prioritize her life in the present. ¡°Yes, Elder. The impact between the heaven-transcending mirror and the Fei de caused a huge explosion.¡±


    To prove that she wasn¡¯t lying, Rong Yueshan raised her head and looked the silver dragon elder in the eye. ¡°Although I was prepared for the encounter, I still had one of my hands blown off, and my body was terribly injured.¡±


    She lifted her damaged hand up for the silver dragon elder to see, ¡°After the explosion, the resulting fireball burnt for an entire day and night. I believe the demonic dragon forefather has met his end.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful, wonderful! That old codger¡¯s finally dead, hahaha!¡± The silver dragon elder beganughing uproariously, his dignified image all but shattered. Only long momentster did he finally seem to notice his gaffe, and he coughed twice. ¡°A mirror for that old codger¡¯s life is an excellent trade!¡±


    ¡°Elder, would you be willing to save my life on ount of this contribution?¡± Rong Yueshan only dared present her request when she saw how jubnt the elder was. In order to summon the elder with just a fragment of the mirror, she had used her vital blood, and she could feel the life draining away from her.


    The silver dragon elder nced askance at her. ¡°This is indeed worthy of merit. I¡¯ll keep your life for the time being.¡±


    ¡°My eternal gratitude, Elder. I¡¯ll carry out whatever task you set for me.¡±


    ¡°This is the holy water of the silver dragon n. Drink it, and it¡¯ll save your life.¡± With the wave of a hand, the silver dragon elder deposited a white jade bottle in front of Rong Yueshan.


    Her hands trembling, Rong Yueshan uncorked the bottle and downed the liquid within in its entirety. Immediately afterwards, her body underwent an unbelievable transformation. The wound in her heart slowly scabbed over, then healed without a trace. Her vitality was replenished, and the hand that had been blown off in the explosion, like a sprouting seed, began growing back at a rate visible to the naked eye.


    ¡°My hand, my hand!¡± she murmured, her voice quavering.


    ¡°You¡¯ve consumed the spiritual energy of this shard of the heaven-transcending mirror, and you won¡¯t be able to contact me again using it. I¡¯ll grant you an artifact that will allow you to contact me in times of need.¡± The silver dragon elder handed Rong Yueshan a talisman, one she could use at most three times. He instructed Rong Yueshan to continue staying on the Chenyuan continent and finish the task at which she had failed the first time: kidnapping Li Yan.


    ¡°This time, don¡¯t act on your own again. If you fail this mission...¡± the silver dragon elder warned.


    ¡°I understand, Elder.¡± Rong Yueshan bowed deeply toward the silver dragon elder. By the time she raised her head, his image had vanished, and the shard of the heaven-transcending mirror dropped to the ground and broke into smithereens.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, I¡¯ll make you taste what it¡¯s like to lose your loved ones,¡± Rong Yueshan vowed.

 Chapter 465: Repeated Breakthroughs

    <h4>Chapter 465: Repeated Breakthroughs</h4>


    Rong Yueshan decided to hide in the Rong manor and not make a move until Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were gone. Daily, she would disguise herself as a beggar or peddler wandering around the streets in front of the Yun manor or the ughtering King¡¯s manor, waiting for her opportunity to strike.


    Li Mo had greatly increased the number of guards around the ughtering King¡¯s manor and instructed his guards to begin searching for Rong Yueshan¡¯s whereabouts. However, Rong Yueshan was sly and sneaky. Her time in the Mingyuan continent, coupled with the silver dragon elder¡¯s guidance, had raised her to the level of a ninth-rank demaster, and the Mo guards were no match for her. She easily evaded their detection.


    Because the demonic dragon forefather, Yun Ruoyan, and Yun Moxiao were busy with preparations for their impending breakthrough, they didn¡¯t have time to worry about Rong Yueshan either.


    However, Yun Ruoyan was still a little concerned. Although the demonic dragon forefather had promised that Rong Yueshan would be badly injured and unable to pull off anything, what if the silver dragon elder had given her some holy water? Yun Ruoyan had seen for herself how potent it was, and Rong Yueshan would easily recover from the wounds that the demonic dragon forefather had inflicted on her.


    As a result, when the demonic dragon forefather proposed to have the breakthrough at Kongming Academy, Yun Ruoyan refused him. Instead, she asked to have it happen at the ughtering King¡¯s manor itself.


    While Yun Ruoyan was in closed cultivation, Li Mo had to guard her and the demonic dragon forefather. If both of them were to leave, Yun Ruoyan was worried about what would happen to Li Yan alone in the capital. If the breakthrough were to happen at the ughtering King¡¯s manor itself, then they would be able to protect Li Yan no matter what.


    The demonic dragon forefather agreed to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s request. Although the ughtering King¡¯s manor was no match for Kongming Academy in terms of spiritual energy density, it was still the best ce for cultivation in the capital, and it would be sufficient for his expenditure.


    ¡°Lass, you¡¯re heading to the Jiyuan continent in just a few days. If you¡¯re already so worried about Li Yan, what will you do then?¡± the demonic dragon forefather asked.


    ¡°Elder, would it be possible to bring Li Yan to the Jiyuan continent as well?¡± Yun Moxiao asked. He had never been to the otherworld, and he didn¡¯t know what the situation was like.


    ¡°No, Brother,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°The Jiyuan continent will be extremely dangerous, and even the spatial portal to the Jiyuan continent is filled with all sorts of eddies and currents. It¡¯s not something a child like Li Yan can handle,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined.


    ¡°In that case, it seems like there¡¯s only one method that can reassure both you and Li Mo,¡± the demonic dragon forefather murmured.¡±


    ¡°What method?¡± Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao asked together.


    ¡°Soul divination,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied. ¡°If Rong Yueshan¡¯s still alive, and if she¡¯s still on the Chenyuan continent, then I¡¯ll be able to pinpoint her location.¡±


    ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you tell us about this sooner?¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out.


    What the demonic dragon forefather hadn¡¯t informed them was that this technique was particrly taxing on the mind and spirit. He was already close to expiring, and he had sacrificed a considerable part of his vitality to destroy the heaven-transcending mirror. If he were to expend his spirit as well, he would immediately disappear.


    ¡°I have my own reasons, of course.¡± The demonic dragon forefather pretended to be stern. ¡°At any rate, I¡¯ll take care of that once I help you two break through.¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, Elder, we need to begin closed cultivation immediately,¡± Yun Moxiao added. It seemed as though the two of them would start quarrelling, so he quickly jumped in and reminded them of their current objective.


    Reflecting on her own behavior, Yun Ruoyan bowed to the demonic dragon forefather and entered the cultivation chamber in the ughtering King¡¯s manor that was usually for Li Mo¡¯s personal use.


    Li Mo guarded Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao from the side, whereas Su Nan kept guard outside the chamber.


    The demonic dragon forefather, using his spiritual me, inscribed an array within the chamber that would help with the breakthrough. Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao sat cross-legged at the foci of the array, and the demonic dragon forefather floated on the Fei de on top of the array.


    ¡°Breaking through simply requires amassing an extraordinary amount of spiritual energy to suffuse your veins and augment your spiritual vortex. After each stage of cultivation, your veins will be more resilient than before, so each breakthrough is harder than thest, and the necessary spiritual energy is several times greater as well. Using this array, I¡¯ll infuse my own spiritual energy into the two of you. Refine it, absorb it, and use it to break through.¡±


    The demonic dragon forefather made a series of gestures with his hands, and runes of fire seemed to pass from his body onto Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao. Huge quantities of spiritual energy poured out of his body and into theirs.


    Both Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao focused entirely on absorbing the spiritual energy, not daring to waste even the slightest sliver. Li Mo sat by the corner of the room, focused mostly on Yun Ruoyan and diverting a little of his attention to Yun Moxiao.


    Converting others¡¯ spiritual energy to one¡¯s own possessed a certain amount of danger. If the external source of spiritual energy couldn¡¯t be controlled or was overwhelming, it was possible for the cultivators absorbing the spiritual energy to enter a state of madness. Li Mo¡¯s responsibility was to help them clear whatever blockadesy in their body and prevented them from absorbing more of the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s energy.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s constitution was unique, and she could easily absorbrge quantities of spiritual energy at a surprisingly rapid rate. She absorbed more than two-thirds of the spiritual energy that the demonic dragon forefather released. Although Yun Moxiao only absorbed about a third, he still exhibited signs of being unable to deal with the influx after two days.


    When Li Mo saw his face suddenly turn red and white, he immediately stepped forward and helped clear his spiritual energy pathways of any blockades using his own spiritual energy.


    On the other hand, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t need any help at all during the process. On the third day after the closed cultivation began, she sessfully broke through the peak of ninth rank and became a sword saint in her own right. At that moment, she felt her spirit leave her body. In her spiritual form, she nced down at her physical body, Yun Moxiao, and Li Mo.


    That sensation was fleeting, but sublime. When she looked down at the demonic dragon forefather, he seemed to sense her spirit and smiled. Near-instantly, she returned to her physical body, and two voices spoke in her mind¡ªone belonging to the demonic dragon forefather, and the other to Qiuqiu.


    ¡°Congrattions on breaking through, Mistress!¡±


    ¡°Congrattions,ss.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan replied excitedly to Qiuqiu, ¡°Ah, you¡¯re out of closed cultivation too!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress. I managed to break through at the same moment you did.¡± Qiuqiu was also very excited.


    ¡°Does that mean that you¡¯ll be able to break the seal on the silver bracelet now?¡±


    ¡°In principle, Mistress, but I¡¯ll need your help.¡±


    ¡°Let me know what to do. I¡¯ll help you immediately,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°No!¡± The demonic dragon forefather interrupted their conversation. ¡°Lass, based on the current situation, you¡¯re able to absorb far more spiritual energy. At this rate, it¡¯s very likely that you may break through again!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Qiuqiu were both shocked. Yun Ruoyan was about to stop absorbing the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s spiritual energy, thinking that she was at her limit, but if she could continue...


    ¡°Mistress, keep cultivating! The higher your cultivation, the more help you¡¯ll be when breaking the bracelet¡¯s seal,¡± Qiuqiu urged.


    Yun Ruoyan flung herself into cultivation once more.


    After another three days and three nights, Yun Moxiao had reached the peak of ninth rank, and he was at his current limit. The only one still cultivating was Yun Ruoyan, who felt that the spiritual energy in her veins had reached another breaking point. This sort of feeling was something innately familiar to her¡ªafter all, she had just experienced it three days ago.


    Yun Moxiao and Li Mo sat by the side of the room, their attentions focused on Yun Ruoyan. A red sheen of spiritual energy appeared on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body, bing more and more concentrated until it dispersed into infinitesimally small mes that bloomed all over her skin.


    ¡°Li Mo, what¡¯s happening to Ruoyan?¡± Yun Moxiao asked in shock.


    ¡°She¡¯s about to break through to a second-rank sword saint,¡± Li Mo replied.


    ¡°A... second-rank sword saint?!¡± Yun Moxiao repeated in disbelief. Those who were able to break through to a first-rank sword saint were already at the peak of the Chenyuan continent, let alone a second-rank sword saint!


    Furthermore, not a few days ago, Yun Ruoyan was still a peak ninth-rank demaster. To have broken through to a second-rank sword saint in a matter of days¡ªalmost nobody, in the past or in the future, would be able to eclipse her aplishment.


    By the time Yun Moxiao digested this piece of information, Yun Ruoyan finally finished her breakthrough. The fire-attuned spiritual energy that seeped out of her body was fully absorbed into her spiritual vortex.


    When Yun Ruoyan nced at the ocean of fire-attuned spiritual energy frothing in her spiritual vortex, she couldn¡¯t help but think back to the beginning of her new life. When she had first begun cultivating again, her spiritual vortex had been like a small river, one almost about to dry up. Now, however, it had developed into a brilliant ocean.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t reached the peak of cultivation. There¡¯s a long way to go yet.¡± The demonic dragon forefather¡¯s voice seemed to reverberate around her mental space.

 Chapter 466: Get Rid of Her

    <h4>Chapter 466: Get Rid of Her</h4>


    Yun Ruoyan knew that she was still far from the peak of cultivation. After all, Li Mo had told her that there were nine ranks along the progression of a sword saint, just as there were for a demaster. This implied that she still had seven more ranks to go.


    ¡°What¡¯s the peak of cultivation like?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°No one knows, because as far as I¡¯m aware, no one has ever reached that peak.¡±


    ¡°Not even those cultivators on the Jiyuan continent?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed.


    Allegedly, there were such legends in the past, but none that I¡¯ve met with my own eyes.¡± The demonic dragon forefather reminisced about his past glory. ¡°A thousand years ago, before my mortal body perished, I was a peak eighth-rank sword saint. I had thought myself able to continue breaking through to ninth-rank, but the silver dragon¡¯s treachery¡ª!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could understand his fury and anger.


    ¡°In that case, how advanced is the silver dragon elder¡¯s cultivation? It seemed as though he couldn¡¯t even beat your spirit,¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°A thousand years ago, he had just be one of the elders of the silver dragon n, and he had just broken through to a fifth-rank sword saint. However, after trading blows with him back on the Mingyuan continent, I found that he was only a seventh-rank sword saint, even after a thousand years! Clearly, he¡¯s been so obsessed with making holy water that his cultivation has fallen by the wayside.¡±


    ¡°A seventh-rank sword saint...¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. ¡°Li Mo¡¯s cultivation is the highest among the three of us, but he¡¯s only a third-rank sword saint. I¡¯m barely a second-rank sword saint myself, and my brother isn¡¯t even a first-rank sword saint. Even if we work together, there¡¯s no way we could beat the silver dragon elder by ourselves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you can¡¯t simply confront the silver dragons. Given your strength, however, your group can easily hide on the Jiyuan continent and search for opportunities to get close to the silver dragon elder and slowly achieve your goal,¡± the elder replied. ¡°And don¡¯t forget about Qiuqiu. Once it breaks through the silver bracelet¡¯s seal, it¡¯ll have the highest cultivation among all of you.¡±


    ¡°Right, Mistress, don¡¯t forget about me!¡± Qiuqiu chirped.


    ¡°Alright. In that case, if we work together, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to deal with the silver dragon elder, retrieve some holy water, and revive my mother!¡± Yun Ruoyan cheered herself on.


    Li Mo and Yun Moxiao didn¡¯t dare disturb Yun Ruoyan even though the spiritual energy surrounding her had vanished, because she was as still as a statue. However, when those words suddenly burst out of her lips, they both began tough¡ªespecially Yun Moxiao, whose raucousughter echoed throughout the chamber and even spread outside. Su Nan couldn¡¯t resist the temptation to open the door and poke his head in to see what was going on.


    When he saw his master, his master¡¯s consort, and General Yun all filled with jubtion, he instantly understood that the closed cultivation had been a sess. He immediately stepped outside to report to Li Luo that everything was well; over the past ten days, she had stopped by to visit at least four or five times a day.


    ¡°They¡¯re all safe and sound,¡± Su Nan told Li Luo.


    Li Luo stuffed a lunchbox into Su Nan¡¯s hands, then headed into the underground chamber. Before she stepped inside, she could already hear theughter and snatches of conversation emanating from within, Yun Moxiao¡¯s loudest among them. Li Luo sighed in relief, her hand on her chest.


    ¡°Sister, now that you¡¯re a second-rank sword saint, how will I ever catch up to you?¡± Yun Moxiao sighed theatrically.


    Yun Ruoyan was holding hands with Li Mo, celebrating her recent breakthrough.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so modest, Brother,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°After all, a ninth-rank demaster is already a peak existence on the Chenyuan continent.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m nothingpared to you and Li Mo! I hope I won¡¯t drag the two of you down on this trip,¡± Yun Moxiao sighed, somewhat deted. His intention for apanying them was to protect Yun Ruoyan, but she didn¡¯t seem to need his protection at all. Yun Moxiao was happy for her, of course, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling like he should have been able to do more.


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be like this. When Li Mo met me, he was still a ninth-rank demaster, and it was only right before entering the otherworld that he was able to break through to be a sword saint. His cultivation has advanced rapidly since then because of the resources avable to us on the Mingyuan continent. We¡¯ll definitely help you break through to the realm of a sword saint on the Jiyuan continent.¡±


    ¡°I heard that sword saints live longer than demasters. Is that true?¡± Yun Moxiao asked.


    There were no publicly known sword saints on the Chenyuan continent, so information about the higher echelons of cultivation was limited. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both nced at each other, having heard about the fact but not knowing precise information about it.


    All three of them turned to the demonic dragon forefather.


    ¡°Ninth-rank demasters are able to consume spiritual energy as nourishment, and those cultivators who do so will notice a marked increase in their lifespan. If their cultivation progresses no further, they¡¯ll live about a hundred and fifty years,¡± the demonic dragon forefather exined. ¡°Once they break through to the realm of a sword saint, their lifespan will double, and every additional rank doubles one¡¯s lifespan once more.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll live to a hundred and fifty?¡± Yun Moxiao marvelled.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied. ¡°By my best estimation, your inherent aptitude for cultivation isn¡¯t as strong as your sister¡¯s or Li Mo¡¯s, but breaking through to the realm of a sword saint should still be no problem for you.¡±


    Yun Moxiao murmured to himself, ¡°I need to find some spiritual pills for Li Luo.¡±


    If he were to break through to the realm of a sword saint, then he would be able to live for three centuries. On the other hand, Li Luo was still an eighth-rank demaster, and she would only be able to live for about a century. Yun Moxiao firmly decided that he would hand whatever spiritual herbs and pills he received on this expedition to Li Luo.


    Li Luo stood outside the door to the chamber. Since she could hear voices from within, she decided not to enter, worried about disturbing their conversation. When she heard Yun Moxiao murmuring to himself, she couldn¡¯t help but feel touched by his gesture.


    When Yun Ruoyan and the others finally walked out of the chamber, they found Su Nan and Li Luo waiting for them.


    Li Luo¡¯s eyes were slightly red, clearly just having cried.


    Yun Moxiao tugged on her hand. ¡°Aren¡¯t I alright? Why are you crying?¡±


    Li Luo raised her head and looked at Yun Moxiao¡¯s handsome face. Thinking about his devotion to her all these years, his murmured words, and their impending separation, she again began to cry. She wasn¡¯t someone who enjoyed crying, but her emotions threatened to burst out of her.


    Love made one gentle: this was true of Yun Ruoyan, and also true of Li Luo.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re crying again? I can¡¯t bear to leave you in such a state, Li Luo.¡± Yun Moxiao wiped at her tears with his hand. ¡°How about I stay home with you, rather than head to the Jiyuan continent?¡±


    Li Luo blinked. It took her quite some time to realize that Yun Moxiao was trying to tease her, and she smiled. ¡°Alright, alright. Stop speaking nonsense. You¡¯re all hungry, aren¡¯t you? Let me get you some dinner.¡±


    They looked at each other. Except for Su Nan and Li Luo herself, everyone present could already consume spiritual energy in ce of food, and they would never know hunger again.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Yun Ruoyan eximed. ¡°Li Luo is an excellent chef, and she¡¯s particrly good at making side dishes. How lucky my brother is to have married her!¡±


    After consuming Li Luo¡¯s dinner and resting for the night, they immediately started the next phase of their n. Yun Ruoyan again entered closed cultivation in order to help Qiuqiu break the bracelet¡¯s seal. Yun Moxiao prepared to return to the barracks and to delegate his responsibilities to his sessor. The demonic dragon forefather remained in the underground chamber, using his soul divination technique to identify Rong Yueshan¡¯s whereabouts.


    Li Mo continued staying by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side, guarding her as she cultivated.


    Over thest ten days, Rong Yueshan had been quite confused as to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s whereabouts. She would frequently see Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao while disguised outside the Yun manor and the ughtering King¡¯s manor, but Yun Ruoyan had vanished without a trace for thest ten days. Rong Yueshan even wandered outside the Lin manor, but she still found no sign of Yun Ruoyan.


    Did they already leave for the Jiyuan continent? Perhaps they had done it secretly so as to paralyze her! In that case, she could act immediately. Her portrait had been pasted all over the capital, and the Mo guards were searching all over for her. Although she was always able to escape in time, she had had enough of living like a street rat.


    The silver dragon elder had promised that, as long as Rong Yueshan could capture Li Yan, he would bring them both to the Jiyuan continent. There, she would be able to search for Yun Ruoyan to exact her revenge. With the silver dragon elder¡¯s help, she didn¡¯t have to worry about being unable to kill Yun Ruoyan.


    As such, Rong Yueshan immediately used her talisman to contact the silver dragon elder.


    ¡°Are you certain they¡¯ve already arrived on the Jiyuan continent?¡± the silver dragon elder asked.


    ¡°Elder, I¡¯ve been keeping track of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s whereabouts all this time, but she seems to have vanished entirely. I can¡¯t think of any other reason why she would do so unless she¡¯s already headed to the Jiyuan continent. Her group¡¯s sly and crafty, and I¡¯m sure they were worried that I would inform you beforehand.¡± Rong Yueshan thought her argument foolproof.


    The silver dragon elder chuckled. ¡°Without the demonic dragon forefather guarding them, these cultivators are nothing to me. However, with the heaven-transcending mirror destroyed, it¡¯ll be somewhat annoying to handle their all-seeing mirror. At any rate, your priority now is to capture Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s baby. Do you understand? This is your final chance!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Elder!¡± Rong Yueshan replied firmly.


    At the same time, in the underground chamber of the ughtering King¡¯s manor, the demonic dragon forefather slowly opened his eyes. Through his divination technique, he had fully captured the conversation that had transpired.


    Not only did Rong Yueshan seem to possess a cockroach¡¯s tenacity for life, she was dead set on getting revenge on Yun Ruoyan. To ensure Li Yan¡¯s safety and to put Yun Ruoyan at ease, he would have to kill her no matter the cost!

 Chapter 467: Mouse in the Trap

    <h4>Chapter 467: Mouse in the Trap</h4>


    Within Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pocket dimension, Qiuqiu was exerting all its energy in an attempt to break the seal on the silver bracelet. Like a human, it was sitting cross-legged and hovering in mid-air. The ground below it was inscribed with an array that glowed with blinding light. Surrounding Qiuqiu was a translucent barrier which rippled with energy, the seal that had bound Qiuqiu within the pocket dimension for so long. Its presence was restraining Qiuqiu¡¯s power and preventing it from leaving the silver bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension.


    Yun Ruoyan also entered the space.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to start trying to break the seal, Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu chirped. ¡°Please help me.¡±


    It soared high up into the air, into a void-like space that didn¡¯t seem to contain anything, but was actually like a cage for Qiuqiu. After it had ascended about a hundred feet, it was blocked by some invisible force.


    When Yun Ruoyan saw what was going on, she also took to the air, effortlessly ascending hundreds of feet above the ground. The invisible force that was stopping Qiuqiu seemed not to affect Yun Ruoyan. She floated to Qiuqiu¡¯s side and began constructing a ball of spiritual energy using a series of hand gestures that Qiuqiu had taught her. Qiuqiu told her that this was something that it had intuited from a deep, almost meditative inspection of the seal over the centuries in which it had been sealed in the bracelet. The ball of energy would help break the seal, and was only effective when used by a sword saint. Its power would vary with the user¡¯s cultivation.


    Just like Yun Ruoyan, Qiuqiu was also coalescing a ball of spiritual energy with its tiny ws. They made eye contact with each other; long periods of working together had granted them the ability tomunicate without the spoken word. At the same time, they flung their balls of spiritual energy at the same part of the seal, cracking it visibly.


    Yun Ruoyan and Qiuqiu continued to bombard the damaged seal with torrents of spiritual energy, widening the cracks and ultimately splintering the seal to pieces, leaving a door-sized hole. Blinding white light shone through the hole so brightly that Yun Ruoyan had to shield her eyes.


    The moment she did so, Qiuqiu chirped in excitement, ¡°I¡¯m free, Mistress, I¡¯m free!¡± Along with that shout of jubtion came a deafening howl, one that shook the very ground.


    Yun Ruoyan gasped¡ªQiuqiu had regained its former power!


    When the white light vanished, Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes. Her surroundings were still some sort of hazy mist. She was still within the silver bracelet, but Qiuqiu was no longer with her.


    ¡°Mistress, I¡¯ve left the bracelet,¡± a deep, sonorous voice suddenly rang out in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s mind. It took her an embarrassing amount of time to realize that this was Qiuqiu¡¯s original voice, and she too left the pocket dimension.


    Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes to see Li Mo smiling at her. Then, she turned to meet the gaze of a gigantic spiritual beast, crimson red, with a ming bolt of lightning emzoned on its forehead. Two snowy-white tusks protruded from its jaws, making it look ferocious. Its appearance seemed very much like that of a fire qilin, which Yun Ruoyan had seen in books and in statues and paintings adorning the royal pce.


    ¡°Qiuqiu,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out.


    The gigantic beast walked toward Yun Ruoyan and stopped before her. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s head was only at the height of its nose.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu growled, its heated breath impinging on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face.


    Yun Ruoyan reached out to pat its head and suddenly smiled. ¡°Qiuqiu, I hadn¡¯t expected your true form to be so imposing.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but think back to its former appearance, cute and round, like a little ball of fur. Now, however, it seemed as if it had aged a thousand years in an instant and was given the grandeur and stature that came only with age.


    Qiuqiu rolled its eyes at her, then shrank back to its sealed form.


    Yun Ruoyan blinked, somewhat taken aback. ¡°You can take on your old form at will? I was actually getting worried about how to bring you to the Jiyuan continent, given how imposing you looked and how much attention you would draw.¡±


    ¡°I have two forms,¡± Qiuqiu replied. ¡°What you saw just now was suited for battle, but in general, I prefer this form for its mobility and convenience.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Yun Ruoyan stooped down and extended her arms toward Qiuqiu. Qiuqiu jumped into her embrace, and the two of them touched each other for the first time in the physical world. Tickled by its fur, Yun Ruoyan began tough.


    By the side of the room, Li Mo¡¯s face was turning ck¡ªbecause Qiuqiu was male! He stepped forward, reached out, and dragged Qiuqiu from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s body.


    ¡°Ouch! What¡¯re you doing, Li Mo?!¡± Qiuqiu shouted.


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just been a while since I saw you in person.¡± Li Mo tightly hugged Qiuqiu, a half-smile dancing across his lips.


    After Qiuqiu broke out of its seal, not only could it choose when to take its smaller form, it was still able to enter the silver bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension, so there would be no problem with taking Qiuqiu to the Jiyuan continent.


    Yun Moxiao and Li Luo rested for the night at the ughtering King¡¯s manor and were just about to leave when the demonic dragon forefather informed them to stay put, because Rong Yueshan was currently hidden outside the front doors of the ughtering King¡¯s manor.


    Yun Ruoyan received the message from the demonic dragon forefather at the same time. They all gathered by the underground chamber, where the demonic dragon forefather had been conducting his technique.


    They gathered around the soul-divination array and observed the scene that it generated. It was currently directed at a corner outside the ughtering King¡¯s manor. There, an old female beggar was squatting and begging for alms. She wore tattered rags that had clearly seen better days, and her white, spotty hair covered her face entirely.


    ¡°This is Rong Yueshan,¡± the demonic dragon forefather said.


    If not for his words, Yun Ruoyan would never have associated the figure in front of her with Rong Yueshan. As she continued staring at the old beggar, the old beggar suddenly raised her head and revealed a pair of vicious, gleaming eyes.


    ¡°The silver dragon elder really did give her some holy water,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. ¡°But since she¡¯s right outside, it¡¯ll save us a considerable amount of trouble.¡± Given her cultivation, killing Rong Yueshan was a trivial matter.


    ¡°You must kill her in one blow. If she flees again, we won¡¯t have time to chase after her,¡± the demonic dragon forefather warned. ¡°The silver dragon elder has instructed Rong Yueshan to kidnap Li Yan once we leave. Because we were in closed cultivation all this time, Rong Yueshan now believes that we¡¯ve already gone to the Jiyuan continent.¡±


    ¡°Elder, you mean...?¡± Li Mo asked.


    The demonic dragon forefather nced sternly at the array. ¡°She¡¯s already been outside for at least ten days. If I¡¯m not wrong, she¡¯s nning to strike within a few days, so we can easily just catch her during the attempt.¡±


    In order to tempt Rong Yueshan into action, in the afternoon, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo decided to have a servant bring Li Yan to the Yun family. Arge number of Mo guards patrolled the vicinity of the area during the trip, and Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were hidden among them. If Rong Yueshan were to strike, they would immediately kill her on the spot.


    Rong Yueshan did not strike. Unlike Yun Ruoyan, she preferred well-nned schemes rather than spur-of-the-moment decisions, where there were too many variables she could not control or n for. Instead, she followed behind the carriage and watched the servant bring Li Yan into the Yun manor. The trip made her even more certain that Yun Ruoyan and the others had already left¡ªotherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have dared to let a servant bring Li Yan out.


    She intended to strike that night.


    At night, the ughtering King¡¯s manor was vacant and silent. Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared by the lotus pond. Just likest time, Rong Yueshan dumped a satchel of sleeping powder into the pond water.


    Then, she skulked to the Mo guards patrolling nearby and killed them all silently, her actions quick, methodical, and precise. She padded over to Li Yan¡¯s room. The servant responsible for him was sleeping on the futon, and Li Yan¡¯s crib was right in front of her.


    Rong Yueshan snatched at the figure within the crib¡ªbut somehow, that figure suddenly jumped up and pounced on Rong Yueshan. It had two luminous eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth.


    Rong Yueshan reacted instantly, drawing her sword and stabbing at Qiuqiu, who opened its jaws wide and swallowed half the sword in one go. Her heart jumped: whaty in front of her was a spiritual beast, but she had never encountered one so powerful before. Quickly realizing that she was no match for it, Rong Yueshan turned to leave¡ªbut when she escaped to the corridor outside, a gigantic white form emerged from within the pond and blocked Rong Yueshan¡¯s path.


    ¡°Rong Yueshan, this is where you¡¯ll meet your end.¡± Yun Ruoyan walked out of a side room with Li Yan in her hands, and Qiuqiu prowled out of Li Yan¡¯s room in itsbat-ready form.


    Li Mo, the demonic dragon forefather, and Yun Moxiao all appeared from various hiding spots outside the corridor, trapping Rong Yueshan between them and Whitey, Yun Ruoyan, and Qiuqiu.


    Except for Yun Moxiao, everyone else present could easily defeat Rong Yueshan, and she had no chance of leaving this ambush alive.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t gone to the Jiyuan continent? Were you trying to lure me out this entire time?¡±


    ¡°Rong Yueshan, you think too highly of yourself,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t hiding to lure me out?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. We have far more important things to aplish, but if you so desperately want to die, we¡¯ll honor your request. Rong Yueshan, today, I¡¯ll kill you in revenge for those senior brothers and sisters of Kongming Academy who died to your betrayal!¡±

 Chapter 468: The Passing of the Demonic Dragon Forefather

    <h4>Chapter 468: The Passing of the Demonic Dragon Forefather</h4>


    As Yun Ruoyan carried Li Yan with one hand, she threw a smoldering fireball at Rong Yueshan with the other. Her fireballs had grown far smaller in size than before she had be a sword saint, but their speed and power were both iparable to before.


    Rong Yueshan had barely blinked when the fireball hit her and lit her body on fire. The pain caused her to screech. As she zed, she spat at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, even if I die, I¡¯ll bring you and your son down with me!¡±


    With all her spiritual energy, she transformed into a beam of light that shot toward Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Not good¡ªshe¡¯s going to self-destruct!¡± the demonic dragon forefather called out. With her entire life as coteral, she would be able to do massive damage with this one attack. It likely wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill Yun Ruoyan, now a second-rank sword saint, but as for Li Yan...


    Li Mo, Yun Moxiao, and the demonic dragon forefather all stepped forward, but before they could reach Rong Yueshan, a great explosion urred. When the light and heat died down, the first thing they saw was Qiuqiu¡¯s enormous form.


    ¡°To think you¡¯d try to kill my mistress with such pitiful cultivation!¡± Qiuqiu snorted, then shook its ming-red fur. Yun Ruoyan and Li Yan strode out from behind Qiuqiu. Having been awakened by the explosion, Li Yan was happily chewing on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fingers.


    Li Mo rxed as soon as he found his wife and son safe and sound.


    ¡°Now that Rong Yueshan has been destroyed, you can finally head to the Jiyuan continent, huhut!¡± The demonic dragon forefather let out a deep breath, then began tough.


    Everyone¡¯s attention had been focused on Yun Ruoyan and Li Yan, but when the demonic dragon forefather began tough, everyone turned to him. They were all stupefied when they saw his body, now so translucent he was almost transparent, as though he would dissipate at any moment.


    ¡°Elder, are you alright?¡± Yun Moxiao asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that my time¡¯s almost up,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied calmly.


    Yun Ruoyan immediately handed Li Yan to Li Mo, then walked over to the demonic dragon forefather and tried to infuse spiritual energy into his body, but the demonic dragon forefather stopped him.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless,¡± he said. ¡°My death is nigh, so don¡¯t waste your energy on me.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you had about a year left?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. She had initially somewhat disliked the demonic dragon forefather because of his continuous threats, but that didn¡¯t mean that she wanted him to die. Furthermore, considering how much he had helped both her and Li Yan, Yun Ruoyan was very grateful to him.


    She had anticipated that she would be able to bring holy water back from the Jiyuan continent to help prolong the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s life, but she didn¡¯t think that he would be passing so soon.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t exerted myself, I could havested another year, certainly,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied.


    ¡°In that case, to cast this spirit divination technique, you...¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± the demonic dragon forefather quickly replied. ¡°All I did was for myself, for the prosperity of the demonic dragon n. Don¡¯t worry about me,ss. I¡¯ve done everything I can, and now I¡¯m at ease. I entrust my will to you.¡± As he spoke, his spirit gradually grew fainter and fainter, but a radiant smile hung on his face.


    ¡°But how will we get to the Jiyuan continent without you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can use the all-seeing mirror to return to the Mingyuan continent first, and then Qiuqiu will be able to help you break through the barrier separating it from the Jiyuan continent,¡± the demonic dragon forefather replied. ¡°This procedure will be somewhat troublesome, but it¡¯s the safest approach. That silver dragon knows that you¡¯re going to head to the Jiyuan continent, so he surely has patrols by the usual entrances. However, if Qiuqiu were to break apart the barrier separating the continents, he won¡¯t be able to catch you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Qiuqiu, her eyes questioning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mistress. I¡¯m highly adept at breaking barriers,¡± Qiuqiu replied.


    ¡°Lass, don¡¯t forget about what you promised me,¡± the demonic dragon forefather murmured, then vanished.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder. I¡¯ll do my best to revive the demonic dragon n and ensure their continued prosperity,¡± Yun Ruoyan pledged resolutely, ncing at where the demonic dragon forefather had vanished.


    Before heading back to the Mingyuan continent, Yun Ruoyan and the others visited Empress Xue Tong again. She had once been the holy maiden of the silver dragon n, and her information and knowledge about the Jiyuan continent and the silver dragon pce would be invaluable.


    ¡°This is a map I¡¯ve prepared for you,¡± she began, even before Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan rified their reason for the visit.


    ¡°Mother, we¡¯re going to head off momentarily. Please take care. I promise I¡¯ll recover your true body and return you your freedom,¡± Li Mo promised.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for your return.¡± Empress Xue Tong¡¯s voice was hopeful. After so many years, she was finally able to put her n into action. Whether or not she would regain her body would depend on her son and daughter-inw.


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan both kowtowed to Empress Xue Tong, then turned to leave. Yun Moxiao waited outside the pce for the two of them. This was the first time he had ever been to the pce, and he was awestruck by the grandeur of the pce, even after it had fallen into disrepair.


    From his youth, he had heard legends that there was a beastkin pce deep within the Yueli mountain range, but no one had seen it for themselves. A few expeditions had been sent to the area in search of this fabled pce, but none had borne fruit. He hadn¡¯t expected to be able to see it for himself one day.


    ¡°Ruoyan, why did the two of youe here?¡± Yun Moxiao asked when he saw them walking out from an underground tunnel. Yun Ruoyan hadn¡¯t had a chance to exin Li Mo¡¯s true identity to him. Although Yun Moxiao had been confused as to why they were heading toward the Yueli mountain range, he didn¡¯t voice his concerns because of the rush they were in.


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo. ¡°My brother¡¯s my family, and he¡¯ll be travelling with us to the Jiyuan continent. Can I reveal the truth behind your identity to him?¡±


    Li Mo nodded.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s talk as we fly. We¡¯ll be able to reach Kongming Academy by nighttime,¡± Yun Ruoyan suggested. Along the way, she told him about Li Mo¡¯s identity and about the beastkin. Yun Moxiao asked quite a number of questions, each of which Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo patiently answered. At the conclusion of the journey, he felt as though he had a renewed understanding of his sister and his brother-inw.


    Because of how long they had talked, their schedule was a little dyed. They decided to rest for the night and set off for the Mingyuan continent the next day instead. Yun Ruoyan handed the all-seeing mirror to the first elder of Kongming Academy, requesting that he open the portal to the Mingyuan continent once more. They, along with all six elders, headed to the roof of the southern tower.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, where¡¯s that elder from before?¡± the third elder asked.


    ¡°He ascended,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied truthfully.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead?!¡± the other elders gasped.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t respond, and the elders took her silence as tacit affirmation. Their faces instantly lit up with radiant smiles: they had been supreme existences on the Chenyuan continent until he appeared, an elder that could kill them as easily as if they were ants. The experience had left them feeling grossly ufortable, and they were worried that he would return and cause havoc once more. They were used to being in positions of authority, and having to bow down to someone else wasn¡¯t something they could ept.


    Ever since the demonic dragon forefather¡¯s first appearance, the various elders had been agitated. Now, however, Yun Ruoyan had brought them excellent news: they were still the reigning existences on the Chenyuan continent.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan.¡± The second elder cleared his throat and stood straight up, again assuming an elevated appearance. ¡°Since this all-seeing mirror originally belonged to Kongming Academy, and that elder has already passed away, shouldn¡¯t the mirror be returned to the academy?¡±


    The gathered elders all turned to Yun Ruoyan, waiting for her response. Yun Ruoyan had been intending on bringing the all-seeing mirror with her to the Jiyuan continent, but it was onlyter that she found out from the demonic dragon forefather that the all-seeing mirror, unlike the heaven-transcending mirror, wasn¡¯t an artifact of war. Instead, it was able to strengthen arrays and formations.


    However, Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t familiar with arrays or formations, so the all-seeing mirror would be of limited use to her. If she carried it with her, it might even be stolen from her grasp. Furthermore, since they would have to use the all-seeing mirror to get to the Mingyuan continent, it didn¡¯t seem feasible to bring the mirror along with them. In that case, it made sense to leave it at Kongming Academy, where she could easily retrieve it given her cultivation.


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, then handed the mirror to the second elder. However, not only did the second elder not dare to touch it, he even took a step back.


    The elders had all seen the might and wrath of the all-seeing mirror for themselves while they were just students, so they didn¡¯t dare to touch it at all.


    Yun Ruoyan smiled, recing the all-seeing mirror where it once stood herself. The moment it returned to its original position, the roar of thunder could be heard from the skies.


    ¡°Ah, the ruined formation¡¯s functioning again! Wonderful!¡± the elders all eximed. Amidst their cheers, Yun Ruoyan urged the first elder to open the portal leading them to the Mingyuan continent.

 Chapter 469: Entering the Jiyuan Continent

    <h4>Chapter 469: Entering the Jiyuan Continent</h4>


    The first elder of Kongming Academy, under Yun Ruoyan¡¯s urging, opened the portal to the Mingyuan continent through the all-seeing mirror. Li Mo took the lead, and Yun Ruoyan the back, leaving Yun Moxiao in the middle. The spatial rends and des of wind they would encounter within the portal were sharp and exacting, but they were no match for Yun Ruoyan¡¯s augmented defenses.


    Of the three of them, Yun Moxiao would be most badly affected by the portal. He had originally intended on oveing these obstacles with his own cultivation, but his spiritual membrane broke with the first wave of des.


    Luckily, both Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were paying careful attention to him. They grabbed him at the same time and extended their spiritual membranes to cover his body, stabilizing him and flying smoothly through the portal.


    ¡°No wonder you said Li Yan couldn¡¯t follow us here,¡± Yun Moxiao murmured.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Eighth-rank demasters and below can¡¯t handle the journey.¡± However, he couldn¡¯t help being reminded of what happened a few years ago, when Yun Ruoyan had apanied him into the portal despite being heavily wounded and only then having the cultivation of a sixth-rank demaster.


    If not for her persistence, they wouldn¡¯t have had little Li Yan so quickly, and Li Mo couldn¡¯t help smiling at the fortuitous oue of her rash decision.


    Yun Moxiao nced at Li Mo at that exact moment. He was somewhat confused as to what could have made the usually stoic ughtering King so happy, but before he could think further about the matter, Yun Ruoyan called out, ¡°The exit¡¯s right ahead.¡±


    Yun Moxiao looked at the direction in which Yun Ruoyan was pointing to see a whirlpool-like exit quickly approaching. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, still holding onto Yun Moxiao, sped up and rushed out of the exit.


    They appeared over a near-endless ocean and a glittering blue sky. Once they had exited the portal, Yun Ruoyan summoned Qiuqiu from her pocket dimension. ¡°Qiuqiu, can you tear apart the space here?¡± she asked.


    Qiuqiu looked carefully around him. ¡°Yes, Mistress. This is an excellent spot. I need to borrow your silver bracelet.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan handed Qiuqiu her silver bracelet, who tossed it into the air. It slowly increased in size until it was asrge as a millstone. Qiuqiu jumped up from Yun Ruoyan¡¯sp, grew in mid-air, andnded on the erged silver bracelet.


    ¡°Everyone, stand back,¡± Qiuqiu warned, and the three cultivators retreated behind Qiuqiu. It stood on two feet, its front ws raised, and circted spiritual energy throughout its body. The waves of force that billowed from Qiuqiu blew its fur and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hair every which way.


    Suddenly, Qiuqiu let out an ear-splitting howl, then wed at the sky before it. As though his ws were scraping steel, sparks were generated at the tips of its ws. The three cultivators¡¯ eyes widened, because they could clearly see a spatial rend where Qiuqiu¡¯s ws had struck what seemed like nothing.


    Qiuqiu shoved its ws into the rend and slowly widened it. ¡°Mistress, Li Mo, Yun Moxiao, hurry inside!¡±


    The three of them immediately stepped forward. Li Mo was the first, Yun Moxiao the next, and Yun Ruoyan thest. After all three of them had entered, Qiuqiu darted into the silver bracelet, which morphed into a beam of light as it shot into the rend after Yun Ruoyan.


    They had finally arrived in the Jiyuan continent.


    The sunny blue sky turned into the dark of night, and the glittering, vast ocean into an endless snowfield. Empress Xue Tong had told them that the Jiyuan continent was eternally in winter, that the snow that covered thend was enriched in spiritual energy and could easily be absorbed during cultivation.


    They gazed at their surroundings. They hadnded by the corner of a street, and all around them were magnificent buildings. Because it was nighttime, the streets were empty and deste.


    ¡°This is the capital of the silver dragon n.¡± Li Mo pointed at a faraway building, a spire that seemed to crest the sky. ¡°And that¡¯s probably the silver dragon pagoda.¡±


    The top of the pagoda seemed to poke through the clouds. Some unusual material at the crown of the pagoda gave off a shining white light.


    The map that Empress Xue Tong had given them clearly marked the buildings all around. She had specifically informed them that they would be able to see the silver dragon pagoda as long as they were in the silver dragon city, and the silver dragon pce was situated right in front of the pagoda.


    The three of them were very happy to have found their objective so quickly.


    ¡°There¡¯s an inn over there. Let¡¯s rest for the night and act tomorrow,¡± Li Mo suggested.


    The Jiyuan continent also used spirit crystals as its primary currency, and both Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had a number of spirit crystals in their storage rings.


    However, just as they took a few steps toward the inn, a troop of patrolling guards rounded the corner and headed straight for them. They were all wearing a white uniform. When they saw the three cultivators, they immediately hurried forward.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± the captain of the patrolling guards called out, and the three of them all stopped.


    ¡°Who are you? Don¡¯t you know that there¡¯s a night curfew in the silver dragon city?¡± the captain questioned them.


    All three cultivators had put on white, hooded capes before entering the Jiyuan continent, and their faces were all hidden from view. The guard stepped forward and reached out for Yun Ruoyan, who was the closest of the three to him.


    Li Mo immediately grabbed his wrist and removed his hood, revealing silvery hair and piercing blue eyes that red at the unfortunate guard.


    The guard immediately averted his gaze. As if he had received a great shock, he almost stuttered as he said, ¡°S-Sir, I¡¯m under orders to patrol the city. I apologize for having disturbed you.¡±


    Empress Xue Tong had told them that the people of the Jiyuan continent were divided by what was essentially a caste system, in addition to their cultivation. The silver dragons generally had hair in three shades of color: gray, silvery-gray, and pure silver. Those who had pure silver hair possessed the most concentrated silver dragon bloodline, followed by those with silvery-gray hair, and finally those with in gray hair.


    That was why the guard had been so shocked to see Li Mo with hair of purest silver.


    Li Mo released his grip and replied icily, ¡°I¡¯m a traveller from afar. What happened here to cause the city to impose a night curfew?¡±


    ¡°Sir, the curfew was imposed by an elder of the silver dragon n. Supposedly, there are a few cultivators from lower realms here to cause trouble, so security around the city has been strengthened all over,¡± the guard responded politely.


    ¡°All this fuss for some lower-realm cultivators?¡± Li Mo pressed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not aware of the specifics, Sir.¡± The guard thought for a moment, then added, ¡°I heard that one such cultivator was caught near the silver dragon castle not too long ago. Apparently, he was skilled enough to kill quite a number of experts in the castle, and the elder himself had to step in to subdue him. However, the elder was also injured in the process, and he¡¯s in closed cultivation at the moment.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Leave!¡± Li Mo threw a high-grade spirit crystal at the guard, whose eyes brightened. He hurriedly thanked Li Mo, then left with the rest of his troops.


    As the three of them entered the inn, it was again Li Mo who asked the innkeeper for two rooms. Draped in a thick coat, the innkeeper himself led the three guests up the stairs, engaging in idle chatter all the while. ¡°The three of you are the first guests I¡¯ve received at night these past dozen days. How poor business has been after the night curfew was imposed! The silver dragon city used to be crowded even at night, and now there¡¯s no one on the streets any longer.¡±


    None of the three replied, but the innkeeper forged on. ¡°Have you heard? A week from now, a lower-realm cultivator who stormed the silver dragon castle is going to be executed!¡±


    ¡°We came from the extreme north, and were unaware of this information,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°Are you certain of this?¡±


    ¡°Of course! My brother¡¯s a guard in the castle, and he wouldn¡¯t lie to me!¡± the innkeeper replied. Alright, these two rooms are yours. Please rest early, honored guests.¡±


    The innkeeper left, and the three of them entered the same room. Yun Ruoyan immediately noticed the hearth at the center of the room, over which hung a kettle of water. By the side of the room was arge urn filled with clear water, and she smiled. ¡°So this is what inns here are like. No wonder the innkeeper didn¡¯t offer to bring us any hot water.¡±


    She had almost asked for hot water from the innkeeper, but had luckily refrained from doing so. Otherwise, it would have exposed her cluelessness. Li Mo handed Yun Ruoyan the kettle, lit the coals, and started a fire.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it surprising that there are others from the lower realms here?¡± Yun Moxiao wondered.


    Yun Ruoyan filled up the kettle, then handed it to Li Mo to hang above the hearth.


    ¡°Li Mo, who do you think this person is? Could it be someone we know?¡± Yun Ruoyan sat down by the fire and turned to Li Mo.


    Li Mo frowned. ¡°Ruoyan, I suspect we¡¯re thinking of the same person.¡± He turned to her, and they spoke simultaneously, ¡°Zhuo Yifeng.¡±


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng!¡± Yun Moxiao was a little surprised. ¡°Him? Didn¡¯t you say that he vanished on the Mingyuan continent?¡±


    Although Yun Moxiao and Zhuo Yifeng thought highly of each other, they hadn¡¯t known each other for much time. Yun Moxiao hadn¡¯t asked specifically about why Zhuo Yifeng had failed to return to the Chenyuan continent with them.


    Yun Ruoyan exined how Zhuo Yifeng had been possessed by a demon and had then suddenly disappeared. ¡°We don¡¯t know how he ended up possessed, either,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°But thinking back about it now, there was a long period during which he seemed to behave somewhat strangely. We were both busy with other things, so we didn¡¯t even notice.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan had been very shocked when Zhuo Yifeng suddenly confessed to her, but she was so busy that she didn¡¯t think too much about it. And while she was shocked by Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s rapid growth in cultivation, she chalked it off to his hard work and being in an environment rich in spiritual energy. As someone who called Zhuo Yifeng a good friend, however, she was ashamed that she hadn¡¯t noticed anything unusual until it was toote.


    ¡°Li Mo, if it really is Zhuo Yifeng, then we have to save him,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, ncing at the embers in the hearth.

 Chapter 470: Thinking of a Plan

    <h4>Chapter 470: Thinking of a n</h4>


    Li Mo nodded solemnly at Yun Ruoyan, who gave him a small smile in return.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s our friend, and we naturally have to save him,¡± Yun Moxiao asserted. ¡°We have a week left. Let¡¯s investigate where he¡¯s being locked up tomorrow and confirm whether it¡¯s indeed Zhuo Yifeng who was caught. Then, we¡¯lle up with a n to save him.¡± Having been a soldier for many years, Yun Moxiao was highly adept at such search-and-rescue operations.


    The next morning, Yun Ruoyan disguised the two of them with some medicinal dye. Gray hair signified too low a status, and would easily lead to their being bullied or ostracized. On the other hand, silver hair signified too high a status, and would be too eye-catching. Instead, Yun Ruoyan gave both Yun Moxiao and herself silvery-gray hair.


    As they headed downstairs for lunch, Yun Moxiao learned from the innkeeper that there was a prison within the silver dragon castle specially for harboring criminals ted for death. It was very likely that that lower-realm cultivator was being kept there.


    Their discussion quickly aroused considerable attention, because everyone seemed to be very interested in the lower-realm cultivator who had somehow made his way to the Jiyuan continent.


    ¡°I heard that nothing grows on the lower realms, that there¡¯s barely any spiritual energy in the air, that the inhabitants of the lower realms are savages who devour raw meat and blood,¡± a gray-haired middle-aged man murmured.


    ¡°What would you know? If that were the case, how could this cultivator have killed a number of experts from the castle?¡± ad with silvery-gray hair rebuked him.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Just then, a man with silvery-gray hair walked into the inn.


    ¡°Ah, my brother¡¯s back!¡± The innkeeper hurriedly rushed to wee him. ¡°Why are you back now?¡±


    ¡°I discussed things with the castle¡¯s chefs and worked out a deal. In the future, we¡¯ll source all their ingredients for them. Come, let¡¯s talk more about this in the back.¡± The two brothers headed to the back of the inn. While they passed by Yun Ruoyan, she heard the innkeeper whisper, ¡°In that case, shall we provide food for the prisoners as well?¡±


    ¡°Brother, surely that can hardly be profitable.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but we can just send them our leftover food, can¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll ask.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan made eye contact with Yun Moxiao and Li Mo. They had clearly heard the conversation between the innkeeper and his brother, and they all thought of the same n at once.


    Over the next two days, the three of them would wander the streets of the city to familiarize themselves with their surroundings. They headed to the front of the silver dragon castle to find it heavily guarded, with the portraits of about a dozen people pasted on the city gates. When the three of them stepped forward to investigate the portraits, they found portraits of themselves staring back at them. However, they were now disguised and Li Mo was in his silver dragon form, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about being caught.


    ¡°Excuse me, why are those people¡¯s portraits on the wall?¡± Yun Moxiao asked a gray-haired passerby wearing a hat. Most of those who wore hats were gray-haired members of the silver dragon n, low in status and rtively easy to talk to.


    ¡°Except for the three ck-haired lower-realm cultivators, the rest of the portraits are of the demonic bandits,¡± the passerby replied.


    ¡°Ah, those demonic bandits? Thanks!¡± Yun Moxiao actually wanted to ask who these demonic bandits were, but he didn¡¯t dare to expose his ignorance.


    Afterwards, the three of them found out that there were originally three ns on the Jiyuan continent: the silver dragons, the demonic dragons, and those who practiced the demonic arts. Over a millennium, the demonic dragons and the demonic practitioners both fell into decline, and jurisdiction of the continent then fell to the silver dragon n. The demonic dragon n had been exterminated entirely, but the surviving demonic practitioners had gathered together as a group of demonic bandits.


    These demonic bandits piged and plundered the outskirts of the silver dragons¡¯ territory, and even after a thousand years of effort to get rid of them, they were somehow still active in the vicinity. The portraits on the walls were of some of the leaders of the bandit camp.


    Since theirmon enemy was the silver dragons, these bandit leaders could, in some sense, be thought of as friends and possible allies, and it was worth meeting and getting to know them if there were an opportunity to do so.


    From their inspection of the silver dragon pce, the three cultivators found that it was heavily guarded, with walls that were unusually tall and seemingly made of blocks of ice. They were slippery and impossible to scale, even with Li Mo¡¯s suction technique.


    So far, they had only found two ways of entering the castle: by walking through the front doors, or by flying over the walls. There were frequently visitors entering the silver dragon castle by flight, but if Yun Ruoyan and the others were to do so, they would likely be shot dead before they even got close to the castle.


    The three of them secretly inspected the cultivation of those around them. The least skilled person they found was a beggar by the streets, with the cultivation of an early ninth-rank demaster. Even the innkeeper was a peak ninth-rank demaster, and this left Yun Moxiao feeling somewhat dismayed.


    After three days of reconnaissance, the three of them finally gained an understanding of the silver dragon city and the silver dragon castle. On the night of the third day, Yun Moxiao ordered a table of delicacies, then invited the innkeeper into their rooms.


    ¡°Thank you for the excellent service,¡± Yun Moxiao began, toasting the innkeeper.


    ¡°It was an honor to serve you,¡± the innkeeper replied, downing the proffered alcohol in its entirety. ¡°I can tell that the three of you are all extraordinary guests.¡±


    They had been veryvish with their spending and tips; for example, the table of delicacies in front of them was worth hundreds of high-grade spirit crystals, and had been specially obtained from one of the premier restaurants of the area. Those working in the service industry all liked such affluent guests, and this innkeeper was no exception.


    ¡°The night the three of you entered the inn, I found all of you very familiar,¡± the innkeeper continued. ¡°You look like those people whose portraits are on the wall of the silver dragon castle.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan, Yun Moxiao, and Li Mo¡¯s hearts all leapt at once. Their hands went for their weapons, ready to kill the innkeeper at a moment¡¯s notice. However, given how rxed the innkeeper seemed, they didn¡¯t quite know what to make of the situation.


    The innkeeper burped and pointed at the three of them. ¡°You¡¯re members of the demonic bandits, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The three of them immediately rxed. Only after a prolonged silence did Li Mo ask, ¡°Innkeeper, you don¡¯t seem all too frightened of the demonic bandits.¡±


    ¡°Others might be, but I¡¯m not,¡± heughed. ¡°I¡¯ve had some dealings with the demonic bandits, you see.¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°They¡¯re not as cruel and vicious as everyone ims, and they¡¯re only interested in killing those who live within the castle. As for regr folk like us, they wouldn¡¯t hurt us at all. I don¡¯t care who stays in my inn, as long as they pay up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, Innkeeper. The ones who destroyed our enve were the silver dragon elders and their informants, and it has nothing to do with the likes of you. In fact¡ª¡± Yun Moxiao leaned in closer. ¡°We have a proposition for you. Would you be interested?¡±


    Li Mo removed a storage ring from his finger and said, ¡°There are ten thousand high-grade spirit crystals in this ring. If you agree, Innkeeper, this ring is yours.¡±


    The innkeeper¡¯s eyes gleamed as he stared at the ring. He wiped at his mouth with a hand. ¡°What proposition? As long as it won¡¯t harm my life, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Clearly, money was the key to this man¡¯s heart.


    ¡°The reason we chose to stay in your inn was because we knew that you had a brother working as a guard in the silver dragon castle. One of our good brothers has been caught and imprisoned, and we¡¯d like to meet him. Innkeeper, do you have a means of transporting us within the castle?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well...¡± The innkeeper made an apologetic expression. ¡°My brother¡¯s a careful fellow, and this is a risky endeavor.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan also removed one of her storage rings, then ced it by the side of Li Mo¡¯s ring. ¡°I have another five thousand high-grade spirit crystals here. Innkeeper, if you¡¯re willing to take the risk, all this will be yours.¡±


    The innkeeper was so agitated that he was wringing his hands. After a moment¡¯s contemtion, he finally said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask my brother and see what he thinks. I¡¯ll let you know by tomorrow night.¡±


    The next night, the innkeeper told them that, not only was his brother unwilling to help, he even sternly lectured the innkeeper for his greed. However, the innkeeper then continued, ¡°I have another idea, if the three of you are interested?¡±


    ¡°What idea?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be providing food for the prisoners in the castle from now on, so if the three of you want to disguise yourselves as theborers bringing the food into the castle...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll work.¡± Their eyes lit up at once.


    ¡°Good, good!¡± The innkeeper pped his hands. ¡°The first delivery will be in two days, so you can head into the castle then. But if you¡¯re exposed, you can¡¯t implicate me, understand?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t. We¡¯re just entering the castle to have somest words with him. Furthermore, given how closely guarded the silver dragon castle is, we wouldn¡¯t be able to rescue him even if we tried,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, then handed her storage ring to the innkeeper. ¡°Here, take this as our deposit. Once we return from the trip, we¡¯ll hand you the other ten thousand.¡±


    The innkeeper happily left, five thousand high-grade spirit crystals richer.


    Two dayster, Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Yun Moxiao disguised themselves as waiters of the inn and dragged a cart of leftovers toward the silver dragon castle...

 Chapter 471: Finding Zhuo Yifeng

    <h4>Chapter 471: Finding Zhuo Yifeng</h4>


    The person leading the way for Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and Yun Moxiao was a short menialborer working in the castle. The castle gates weren¡¯t yet open, and they had to enter through a side door located some distance away from the main gates. After an hour¡¯s walking, they finally arrived before the prison.


    ¡°Head there.¡± The three cultivators expected that they would be able to enter the prison immediately, but the shortborer pointed to a side room instead.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we entering the prison now?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°You have to deal with the pig slop you¡¯re serving first, don¡¯t you?¡± The shortborer eyed Yun Ruoyan critically. ¡°These are prisoners, but they¡¯re still entitled to warm food.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Yun Moxiao brought the wagon forward following the shortborer¡¯s directions and entered what seemed like a kitchen. There, the shortborer instructed the three of them to pour the three buckets of cold slop in the wagon into arge pot to be heated before it was served.


    ¡°In the future, make sure you¡¯re heating up the food here first before delivering it to the prison. Do you understand?¡± theborer asked.


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Yun Moxiao smiled at the man.


    Then, the three of them brought the warm food back to the prison. The cold slop had been moderately unappetizing but luckily devoid of any odor. Now that it had been warmed up, a... sour stench seemed to be spreading. The prison guards covered their noses as they waved the cultivators inward, and they finally made it inside the silver dragon¡¯s prison.


    By then, it was already starting to get bright. Following the shortborer¡¯s directions, the three of them portioned the food in the wooden buckets to small serving bowls, which they began distributing within the cells.


    Yun Ruoyan estimated that there were about a hundred prisoners in the entire prison. They didn¡¯t know where Zhuo Yifeng was¡ªor whether he was imprisoned at all!¡ªso they could only search for him slowly as they delivered the food.


    After delivering one round of food but still seeing no trace of Zhuo Yifeng, Yun Ruoyan returned to the wagon to see that the shortborer who had been directing them had vanished. ¡°Li Mo, Brother, have you seen that shortborer?¡±


    ¡°I saw him walking toward that direction. Why?¡± Yun Moxiao replied.


    Yun Ruoyan dropped the bucket she was holding and lowered her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you think thatborer was very strange?¡±


    Yun Moxiao and Li Mo both put down their buckets. ¡°Yan¡¯er, did you discover something?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Yun Ruoyan frowned. ¡°It¡¯s just that that shortborer doesn¡¯t talk or act like a menialborer, but more like a leader of some sort.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, it does seem that way,¡± Yun Moxiao murmured. ¡°Could there be something fishy about him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starving, I¡¯m starving! Are you still feeding us?!¡± a prisoner interjected.


    ¡°This is our only meal for the day! Aren¡¯t you giving us anything?¡±


    ¡°You might as well kill us now rather than leave us hungry!¡±


    The prisoners who had yet to be fed all began to holler when they saw the three cultivators chatting together rather than distributing food. Almost all of them had had their cultivation stripped, so although they could have survived on spiritual energy alone, they now required nourishment. The hunger that had stopped being an issue so long ago now came back with a vengeance, making the criminals feel as though they were being cut by blunt knives, making them almost wish for death.


    ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯sing!¡± Yun Moxiao motioned for them to calm down. If they were to startle the prison guards, it would be far harder for Yun Ruoyan and the others to act.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll leave the prisoners around here to you. Li Mo and I will check out the far corner of the prison,¡± Yun Ruoyan said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yun Moxiao replied, then began delivering food to the prisoners with a bucket in each hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if you don¡¯t have enough to eat today, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re all filled up tomorrow.¡±


    Meanwhile, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo headed in the direction in which the shortborer had left.


    ¡°Over there,¡± Li Mo murmured, then rushed forward, dragging Yun Ruoyan along. The two of them hid by a corner as they saw the shortborer standing in front of a prison cell.


    The walls in this part of the prison were ck all over, and there was only one cell situated right by where the shortborer was standing. The door to the cell was exceptionally tall, and the shortborer didn¡¯t even seem to reach half the height of the door.


    ¡°Head!¡± the shortborer called out. ¡°I¡¯m here to visit you, and I¡¯ve also brought you a few medicinal pills.¡±


    ¡°Throw them inside,¡± a malicious voice called back.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both nced at each other in surprise: this voice was familiar to them, and was exactly what Zhuo Yifeng had sounded like when he was possessed. Allegedly, the owner of the voice called himself a demonic spirit.


    ¡°Yes, Head!¡± the shortborer replied respectfully. A ck aura shone by his feet, raising his entire body and allowing him to toss a cloth satchel through the small opening at the top of the prison cell. ¡°Head, I¡¯ll be leaving now. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll bring more pills at around this time.¡±


    He bowed toward the door and turned to leave when the voice suddenly called out, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing skulking over there?!¡±


    The shortborer immediately turned around and scrutinized his surroundings carefully. ¡°Who¡¯s here? Show yourselves!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo walked out from one corner of the prison.


    ¡°Long time no see, demonic spirit,¡± Li Mo began.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Li Mo,¡± the malicious voice murmured. ¡°And the other one must be Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°Hahaha...¡± the demonic spirit began tough. ¡°The two of you really are quite daring, to be willing to brave the Jiyuan continent. Where¡¯s the demonic dragon? Tell him toe out.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯te with us,¡± Yun Ruoyan said.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t? How could that be? He wouldn¡¯t strand the two of you here without helping out himself!¡± The demonic spirit clearly didn¡¯t believe Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. Doesn¡¯t he want to deal with the silver dragon? If he helps me escape, I¡¯m willing to work together with him!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, shaking her head sadly. ¡°The demonic dragon forefather has ascended after reaching the end of his lifespan.¡±


    ¡°He ascended?¡± The demonic spirit didn¡¯t speak for quite some time, as though it were in great shock. ¡°How could that be? That¡¯s impossible¡ªhe¡¯s the demonic dragon forefather, whose cultivation was closest to the apex! How could he have died just like that?¡±


    ¡°The demonic dragon forefather has indeed ascended,¡± Li Mo repeated. ¡°But if you¡¯re willing to work together with us, we¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan walked up to the metal door. The shortborer stared at them even as he moved aside.


    ¡°Shorty, make sure our conversation isn¡¯t disrupted,¡± the demonic spirit instructed.


    ¡°Yes, Head.¡± The shortborer eyed Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, then kept guard outside the corridor.


    The door to the cell was exceptionally tall, and Yun Ruoyan had to stand on tiptoes to see the interior of the cell through the little window above eye level. It was dim and dark within, and only when Yun Ruoyan infused her eyes with spiritual energy could she finally make out the familiar body of Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng,¡± she called out, and the shadow suddenly focused on her with a pair of bright, bright eyes. ¡°We¡¯re here to save you,¡± she continued.


    Zhuo Yifeng stood up and took two hesitant steps forward. However, as though he were being bound by some unknown force, he seemed unable to move more than that. ¡°Ruoyan, you shouldn¡¯t havee here,¡± Zhuo Yifeng said hoarsely, even as his bright eyes were slowly reced by a thick, viscous darkness.


    ¡°So you¡¯re here to save Zhuo Yifeng,¡± the malicious voice spoke through Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s mouth. ¡°You¡¯re a righteous youngdy, aren¡¯t you? At least he¡¯s gotten something out of pining for you all this time. Even I¡¯m touched. Are you touched too, Zhuo Yifeng?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense, demonic spirit,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out angrily. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng and I are just friends, and I¡¯m saving him because of our friendship.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± The demonic spirit chuckled. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng will be upset to hear that. After all, it¡¯s because he was trying so desperately to help you that he slowly became nothing but my puppet, the foolish child.¡±


    ¡°You¡ªwhat do you mean?! What do you mean he did all this to help me?¡±


    ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t you remember when you were caught by the Pis on the Mingyuan continent? Pi Batian imprisoned you within the Pi manor, and Zhuo Yifeng was caught trying to save you. It was because he was in such a rush to save you that he agreed to have me share his body. As he used my strength, I was able to consolidate my control over his body. Wouldn¡¯t you agree that Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s in such a state now because of you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fists clenched more and more tightly. No one had told her any of this! How much had Zhuo Yifeng given up for her?!


    ¡°Yan¡¯er.¡± Li Mo ced his hands gently but firmly on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng did what he did of his own volition, and it¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°But he did it for me.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned back to Li Mo, her eyes filled with tears. Zhuo Yifeng was the first friend she had made after her rebirth, and he was still her most trusted friend. How could she have let him sacrifice so much for her without knowing anything?!


    ¡°That¡¯s why we have to rescue him and do what we can topensate him,¡± Li Mo said.


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll definitely save him.¡± Yun Ruoyan nodded firmly, then turned to the demonic spirit. ¡°What will it take for you to release Zhuo Yifeng from your grip?¡±

 Chapter 472: Negotiations

    <h4>Chapter 472: Negotiations</h4>


    ¡°The first condition, of course, is to get me out of here,¡± the demonic spirit began.


    ¡°And how are we to get you out?¡± Yun Ruoyan could see that he was being restricted by some unseen binding or another. The demonic spirit¡¯s cultivation was far more advanced than either Yun Ruoyan¡¯s or Li Mo¡¯s, and if he wasn¡¯t able to deal with the binding himself, how could they?


    ¡°You¡¯re both sword saints now, aren¡¯t you?¡± The demonic spirit probed at Yun Ruoyan and suddenly widened its eyes. ¡°A second-rank sword saint? How did you improve so quickly, Yun Ruoyan?¡±


    The demonic spirit clearly remembered that Yun Ruoyan was still an eighth-rank demaster on the Mingyuan continent. How had she managed to rise to the realm of a second-rank sword saint in less than a year?!


    ¡°The demonic dragon forefather helped me,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied truthfully. ¡°But even without his help, I¡¯m sure I would have been able to break through to the realm of a sword saint.¡±


    ¡°The demonic dragon bloodline certainly seems to produce quite a number of talented humans. No wonder that silver dragon was willing to go to such lengths to get you,¡± the demonic spirit murmured. ¡°I¡¯d thought that, no matter what, a purer bloodline would be stronger than a mixed bloodline, but...¡±


    The demonic spirit¡¯s words weren¡¯t particrly pleasing, but he wasn¡¯t wrong. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s blood was mostly human, and, despite its purity, she had only inherited a small fraction of the demonic dragon bloodline. Nevertheless, her draconic power seemed to be stronger than even pureblood demonic dragons.


    ¡°This binding was ced by the silver dragon himself. If I hadn¡¯t been injured, it wouldn¡¯t have been able to trap me, but the silver dragon wounded me with a trap,¡± the demonic spirit continued. ¡°With your help, and with my own cultivation, we should be able to break through the binding.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll¡ª¡± Yun Ruoyan was just about to agree when she suddenly thought better of it. ¡°We can rescue you, but you have to promise to return Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body to him.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. Haven¡¯t I already promised that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe your words!¡±


    The demonic spirit chuckled. ¡°Alright. In that case, let me reveal my true motive foring to the silver dragon castle: to steal some of the silver dragons¡¯ holy water for myself. Apparently, it¡¯s able to restore my original body. Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body isn¡¯t too bad, of course, but it¡¯s far inferior to my original body. And once I manage to reforge it, who cares about Zhuo Yifeng?¡±


    Then, he hissed. ¡°But the silver dragon predicted that I would try to steal some holy water, and I fell into his trap. That¡¯s why I¡¯m willing to cooperate with you. Free me, then we¡¯ll work together to kill the silver dragon elder and retrieve some holy water for ourselves. Once I have my body back again, I¡¯ll happily discard Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was silent for quite a while before replying, ¡°I still don¡¯t believe you. Would you be willing to swear on it?¡±


    ¡°You want me to make a vow?!¡± the demonic spirit was clearly enraged. Vows were binding for cultivators, and only rarely did cultivators encounter matters of such importance that they would put their lives on the bnce. This was especially true of advanced cultivators.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not willing to swear on it, then forget it,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°Rather than allowing you to escape andmit crimes with Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body, I¡¯d rather leave you in here.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll swear on it!¡± The demonic spirit finally relented.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°Repeat after me: I swear that, after I obtain some holy water, regardless of whether I sessfully reforge my body, I¡¯ll return Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body to him. Otherwise, may my heart and soul perish, and may I never reincarnate.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± the demonic spirit immediately yelled out, so shrilly it hurt Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ears. ¡°If I can¡¯t reforge my body and have to discard even Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s, then won¡¯t I be just a spirit again?¡±


    ¡°Surely Zhuo Yifeng isn¡¯t the only suitable host for you,¡± Li Mo began. ¡°Given how many people are in your bandit camp, I¡¯m sure at least a few will be suitable and willing to sacrifice themselves for you.¡±


    ¡°You know about the demonic bandits too?¡± The demonic spirit seemed as though he was trying to hide his anger. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll promise to let Zhuo Yifeng go as long as I manage to reforge my body or if I find a new body to host me.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan pursed her lips, then nodded. ¡°Alright. You can make the vow now.¡±


    After the demonic spirit did so, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo hacked the door open with their swords, then helped him break out of the binding.


    ¡°I need to recuperate immediately, so we have to escape at once.¡± The demonic spirit was particrly weak¡ªor, rather, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s mortal body was particrly weak. There were many deep cuts on his body, so deep they had touched bone. Although the wounds had been bandaged, he still required immediate treatment.


    ¡°We¡¯ll bring you out immediately.¡± Li Mo helped Zhuo Yifeng climb onto his back.


    ¡°Shorty, we can go now,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered.


    The shortborer came back and stared angrily at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me! Think of a way to help get your head out of here.¡±


    ¡°Head!¡± Only then did Shorty see the man on Li Mo¡¯s back. His voice quavered as he bowed.


    ¡°Bring us out immediately,¡± the demonic spirit instructed.


    ¡°Of course. Follow me.¡± Shorty brought them back to the main prisonplex, where Yun Moxiao had finished distributing food and was chatting with a few of the prisoners. As someone who had lived at a barracks for much of his life, he had both an official¡¯s bearing and a soldier¡¯s demeanor, a curiousbination that seemed to work... well on him.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s time to leave!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ming.¡± Yun Moxiao stood up and waved to a few men. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again if we¡¯re fated to, brothers.¡±


    ¡°You promise we¡¯ll be full tomorrow?¡± one gray-haired middle-aged man pressed Yun Moxiao.


    ¡°Of course! No matter who¡¯sing to bring you food, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re all full.¡± Yun Moxiao grinned.


    So desperately were the prisoners dreaming of a good, filling meal that few of them noticed that Li Mo was carrying someone on his back. A few nearby prisoners did notice, but they ignored it in favor of thinking of food instead.


    ¡°Get into the bucket,¡± the shorty instructured. Li Mo deposited Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body into thergest of the wooden buckets. Although he had gotten rather thin, he was tall enough that fitting into the bucket was still a hindrance. Luckily, he managed to get in by hunching over and hunkering down.


    The three of them then headed outside the castle. Leaving was as easy as entering, so much so that Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t believe how easy it was. Could there have been some trap that they¡¯d missed?


    Even when the wagon was far from the castle, Yun Ruoyan was still furtively ncing back in the direction of the castle, and she had had Qiuqiu scouting the area to make sure that there weren¡¯t any silver dragon guards giving chase.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,ss.¡± Shorty could tell that Yun Ruoyan was still alert. ¡°I¡¯ve been delivering food to the prisoners for over a hundred years by now, and those prison guards are old friends of mine. Furthermore, the silver dragon elder personally bound the head, so the guards will hardly suspect that we¡¯ve managed to get him out.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I must be overthinking things, then.¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to the shorty, which she inspected critically for the first time. He had short-cropped silvery-gray hair, thick and burly, thick eyebrows, and deep-set eyes. His nose wasrge, and his mouth was covered by a thick mustache.


    When he saw Yun Ruoyan looking at him, he suddenly turned around and smiled grotesquely, scaring Yun Ruoyan so much that she jumped in shock. His nose had suddenly perked up, and although his eyes were emotionless, he truly did smile.


    ¡°Our head has vanished for almost a millennium, but he¡¯s back now.¡± He was so agitated that his body was trembling. ¡°The demonic bandits will finally rise up again!¡±


    ¡°Shorty, where are we headed?¡± Yun Moxiao asked.


    ¡°To the demonic enve.¡± Shorty peered at Yun Moxiao. ¡°Outsiders aren¡¯t privy to the location of our base, but we¡¯ll make an exception for you as the head¡¯s friends.¡±


    After they left the silver dragon castle, Shorty took over the reins from Yun Moxiao. They made a dizzying number of turns in the alleyways of the silver dragon city, seemingly without purpose. Yun Ruoyan knew that he was trying to wind his way through a misdirection array, but this particr array seemed exceptionallyplicated. Of the arrays she had seen of this sort, none had required more than half an hour of winding back and forth to enter.


    ¡°Shorty, how much longer will it take?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°Your head¡¯s badly injured. If you don¡¯t hurry up...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± Shorty wiped his forehead, already beading with sweat. After two hours, the wagon finally stopped by a small alleyway.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here. Give me a moment.¡± Shorty leapt off the wagon and rapped a particr brick six times in quick session. Then, he retreated to the side of the wagon. After about six breaths, a small entrance appeared by the previously unremarkable wall.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Shorty jumped back on the wagon and drove it into the wall. What appeared before the three stunned cultivators was a courtyard of middling size.


    ¡°Two, Three, Five, ..., Ten!¡± Shorty called out a string of numbers.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re back!¡± From all corners of the courtyard appeared a group of people, who surrounded the wagon.


    ¡°Brother, did you see Four and the others today?¡±


    ¡°Brother, how¡¯s the head now? Is Four locked up with him?¡±


    ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t we enter the silver dragon castle and rescue them? I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    ¡°Quiet! Wee the head of the demonic bandits!¡± Shorty uncovered the bucket containing Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body, and Li Mo lifted Zhuo Yifeng out of the bucket...

 Chapter 473: Unable to Leave

    <h4>Chapter 473: Unable to Leave</h4>


    When Zhuo Yifeng emerged from the bucket, impossibly weary, Two, Three, Five, ..., and Ten all reared back in surprise.


    ¡°Brother, you mean he¡¯s the n head?¡± A thin,nky youth pointed at Zhuo Yifeng. The others all looked at him suspiciously as well. None of them had ever seen the legendary head of the demonic enve, but this man who had just been brought out of a food bucket, thin and pallid, wasn¡¯t what they had envisioned at all.


    ¡°Two, don¡¯t you dare disrespect¡ª¡± Before Shorty could finish speaking, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s eyes turned pitch ck. His gaze, sweeping over the gathered crowd, immediately caused them to quake and kneel, shaking incessantly.


    ¡°Head, please calm down! These are a few of the remaining members of the demonic bandits. I apologize on behalf of their poor cultivation and undiscerning eyes!¡±


    The demonic spirit closed its eyes and said, ¡°I need to rest and recuperate.¡±


    The gathered members of the demonic bandits immediately cleared out a space for the demonic spirit to do so. When Yun Ruoyan and the others tried to leave, the demonic bandits stopped them.


    ¡°Shorty, what do you mean by this?¡± Yun Moxiao asked. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were both somewhat offended to have their path so rudely blocked, and only Yun Moxiao was able to speak with some semnce of civility.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re all the head¡¯s friends, we¡¯re obliged to treat you well,¡± the only woman among the group of six began. ¡°And our brother has a name, Huang Chuan.¡±


    ¡°Ah, my apologies. Brother Huang, what do you mean by this?¡± Yun Moxiao corrected himself.


    ¡°We simply want the three of you to stay here until the head¡¯s back. If hees out of closed cultivation without seeing any trace of you, he¡¯ll surely me us for treating you inconsiderately.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied brusquely. ¡°We still have tasks we need to get back to. Once your head¡¯s feeling better, we¡¯lle back to find him. We¡¯re currently living in the Lingyun Inn, and you can find us there as well.¡±


    Huang Chuan frowned. ¡°Quite honestly, we¡¯ve never brought anyone who didn¡¯t belong to the demonic bandits here. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but given that our head¡¯s badly wounded, we don¡¯t want to risk anyplications at the moment. Please wait until the head¡¯s recovered.¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan was somewhat displeased by their treatment, she agreed because the demonic bandits could potentially be useful allies when attacking the silver dragon castle.


    ¡°Brother Huang, do you remember the promise I made to the prisoners today? Could you arrange for them to get better food tomorrow?¡± Yun Moxiao asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem.¡± Huang Chuan had been bringing the prisoners food for years, and adding some quality food wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°Brother Huang, will the prison guards suspect you once they find out that the demonic spirit¡¯s no longer in his cell?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. Her question caused the other members of the demonic bandits to be quite nervous, and they all nced at Huang Chuan worriedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one has been to see the head in over a month, and it¡¯ll be quite a while before anyone discovers that he¡¯s gone missing,¡± Huang Chuan replied. The demonic spirit didn¡¯t need any physical nourishment, and it was bound by the silver dragon himself. Under normal circumstances, no one would go looking for him unless the silver dragon elder specifically ordered it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been serving at the prison for a century, so even when someone discovers that he¡¯s gone missing, no one would suspect a lowly midget like me.¡±


    Five dayster, when the demonic spirit finally recovered from its wounds, they began to discuss how to enter the silver dragon castle to achieve their own aims. The demonic spirit¡¯s main objective was simply to acquire some holy water and reforge its body.


    As for Yun Ruoyan and the others, not only did they want to acquire some holy water, they also had to find Empress Xue Tong¡¯s physical body.


    ¡°The holy water¡¯s kept in a secret chamber in the silver dragon temple. The security around that chamber is particrly tight, and only the silver dragon elder can enter and exit at will. I spent half a year trying to get inside, and I was just a single step away from my goal when that damned dragon¡¯s ambush got me,¡± the demonic spirit muttered.


    Li Mo had retrieved Empress Xue Tong¡¯s map of the pce andid it out on the table.


    ¡°Is this the silver dragon temple you¡¯re referring to?¡± He was pointing at a particr mark on the map. When Empress Xue Tong handed them the map, she had emphasized that it was outdated information from a century ago, and it was only meant to serve as reference.


    ¡°Exactly. The demonic dragon forefather handed you this map before he died, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Li Mo neither confirmed nor denied the im. Instead, he changed the topic and asked the demonic spirit, ¡°Do you know if theyout of the temple has changed?¡±


    ¡°That temple¡¯s sacred territory for the silver dragon n, and only the silver dragon elders and the holy maidens of the n can step foot in it. I¡¯ve only been there once, so how should I know anything about itsyout?¡± The demonic spirit frowned as he considered Li Mo more carefully. ¡°Why are you asking such questions? Do you have some other objective beyond acquiring holy water?¡±


    Li Mo eyed the demonic spirit, contemting whether or not to tell him about Empress Xue Tong. If they were to enter the silver dragon temple together, they might need its assistance. If the spirit were to harbor any doubt toward them, it would surely hurt their cohesion.


    After some thought, Li Mo told the demonic spirit about Empress Xue Tong. ¡°Our goal is both to acquire holy water and to recover my mother¡¯s physical body,¡± Li Mo stated.


    ¡°That¡¯s not easy. My failed attempt to invade the temple has surely led to increased security around the area, and the silver dragon must be guarding against the three of you as well. Obtaining holy water is already a difficult mission, and it¡¯s almost impossible to retrieve this physical body from an unknown location as well.¡±


    Li Mo sat down in deep contemtion: what the demonic spirit had pointed out was what he had feared.


    ¡°In that case, we might as well try to kill the silver dragon elder. Without him around, everything will be far simpler,¡± Yun Ruoyan proposed. ¡°If we all work together, it¡¯s not impossible to kill him.¡±


    Her confidencey in Qiuqiu, who was currently in her silver bracelet. Qiuqiu was her secret weapon, which she had kept hidden as a trump card.


    ¡°It¡¯s not so simple.¡± The demonic spirit clicked its tongue. ¡°That silver dragon boasts an impressive cultivation, and he¡¯s usually deep within the pce, in heavily guarded territory. Trying to kill him when the environment¡¯s not in our favor is near-impossible.¡±


    Silence again dominated the room.


    ¡°If we take a different perspective...¡± Yun Moxiao mumbled, almost to himself.


    ¡°Brother, do you have an idea?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°Not a concrete n, but... can¡¯t we try to lure the silver dragon elder out of the pce? If we can lure him into an ambush before sneaking into the pce, we might be able to pull this off,¡± Yun Moxiao proposed.


    ¡°Head, I have something to report.¡± Huang Chuan, who had been standing by the side of the room listening to the discussion, bowed to the demonic spirit.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°My three brothers were originally guards in the silver dragon pce, and they learned of an interesting piece of information not too long ago,¡± Huang Chuan said. ¡°The current holy maiden of the silver dragon n apparently likes sneaking out of the pce in disguise. Could we use her as bait to lure the silver dragon elder out?¡±


    Huang Chuan had already been thinking along these lines, but neither the demonic spirit nor Yun Ruoyan¡¯s group had made an appearance by then. Based on just the few bandits that remained, they had no chance of killing the silver dragon elder even if they were able to lure him out.


    Now, however, there were six bandits who were all sword saints, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, themselves also sword saints, and the demonic spirit, whose cultivation was beyond what they could imagine. If they were to target the silver dragon elder together, it was quite possible that they could kill him.


    ¡°I once heard Mother mention how important the holy maiden is to the silver dragon n. IF we can catch her, then the silver dragon elder will surely be quite anxious,¡± Li Mo added.


    The importance of the holy maiden was evident from Empress Xue Tong¡¯s treatment. When she escaped to the Chenyuan continent, the silver dragon elders had spared no expense and manpower in looking for her. Once they did so, they had retrieved her body and kept it within the silver dragon temple.


    Empress Xue Tong had told him about how dull it was to be a holy maiden. Their freedom was heavily restricted, and they weren¡¯t allowed to make any contact with men. That was why she had so desperately tried to escape, and the current holy maiden seemed to be acting along the same lines as Empress Xue Tong.


    ¡°This could be a workable n,¡± the demonic spirit muttered. Hemanded Huang Chuan, ¡°Tell your three brothers to keep an eye on this holy maiden. Report to me immediately after she escapes from the pce again.¡±


    However, Huang Chuan replied miserably, ¡°When they found out that you were captured, Head, my three brothers identally exposed their identities while trying to discover your whereabouts. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ve all perished.¡±


    The demonic spirit revealed a rare expression of affection. He stood up and intoned, ¡°I¡¯ve seen your loyalty. Your brothers will be avenged.¡±


    ¡°My gratitude, Head.¡± Huang Chuan bowed again.


    ¡°Brother Huang, given how long you¡¯ve been living here, are you able to sneak us into the pce so we can approach the holy maiden on our own?¡± Yun Ruoyan wondered.


    After thinking about it for a moment, Huang Chuan replied, ¡°As far as I know, she¡¯s quite ill-tempered, and her personal servants generally don¡¯tst a month.¡± He turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, Miss Yun, I might be able to get you into the pce as her personal servant.¡±

 Chapter 474: Another

    <h4>Chapter 474: Another</h4>


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m willing!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± ¡°No!¡±


    Two voices responded immediately: the first was Yun Moxiao¡¯s, and the second was Li Mo¡¯s.


    ¡°Would you like to discuss this among yourselves?¡± Huang Chaun offered.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. Let me do it,¡± Yun Ruoyan volunteered again.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, it¡¯s far too dangerous.¡± Li Mo frowned as he looked toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°The silver dragon elder has seen your face before. What if he recognizes you?¡±


    ¡°Ruoyan, Li Mo¡¯s right,¡± Yun Moxiao added. Then, he turned toward Huang Chuan. ¡°Are there any openings for male servants?¡±


    Huang Chuan shook his head. ¡°Except for the silver dragon elder, the holy maiden cannote into contact with any other men.¡±


    ¡°As I said, I¡¯ll go,¡± Yun Ruoyan insisted. She cozied up to Li Mo. ¡°I can easily change my appearance to make it difficult for him to identify me, and I¡¯ll have Qiuqiu with me. I¡¯m a second-rank sword saint now, so even if I find myself in a difficult spot, it won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    As long as she didn¡¯t traipse into an ambush, Yun Ruoyan was quite confident in her ability to escape. After so much time spent adventuring, she had grown rapidly in two areas: her cultivation, and her ability to flee.


    ¡°Li Mo, it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s any other choice,¡± the demonic spirit said.


    Li Mo red coldly at the demonic spirit. Of course he knew it was the most logical option¡ªbut how could he bear to let Yun Ruoyan face danger alone? If something were to happen to her...


    ¡°Brother Li, I can try to get you into the silver dragon castle as a guard. Although you won¡¯t be able to be with your wife, you¡¯ll both be in the castle. If anything goes wrong, you¡¯ll be able to react in time to save her,¡± Huang Chuan proposed.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention that earlier, Brother Huang?¡± Yun Moxiao asked. ¡°In that case, you might as well get me in too¡ªit¡¯s always better to have more people.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible,¡± Huang Chuan replied immediately.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t possess the silver dragon bloodline,¡± Huang Chuan continued. ¡°You aren¡¯t qualified to enter the silver dragon castle.¡± Huang Chuan exined that there were quite a number of races on the Jiyuan continent, even though it was now dominated by the silver dragons. What the races shared inmon were gray hair¡ªnone of the other six bandits in the n had the silver dragon bloodline, and the three that did had already been working in the silver dragon castle and were exposed when they realized that their head had been captured.


    ¡°But how could they tell that I don¡¯t have the silver dragon bloodline?¡± Yun Moxiao continued.


    ¡°Anyone working the silver dragon castle will have their blood tested to confirm that they¡¯re indeed members of the silver dragon n.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t test my blood!¡± Yun Moxiao frowned. ¡°Furthermore, my sister, Yun Ruoyan, also doesn¡¯t have the silver dragon bloodline. Doesn¡¯t that mean that she can¡¯t enter the silver dragon castle?¡±


    Huang Chuan narrowed his eyes at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°No, she does possess the silver dragon bloodline¡ªa meager amount, to be sure, but just its presence is enough.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Yun Moxiao shouted.


    ¡°My racial talent allows me to sense the purity and nature of the bloodlines that people possess,¡± Huang Chuan replied. ¡°The instant I saw you, I noticed that you weren¡¯t members of the silver dragon n. It was because you didn¡¯t possess the silver dragon bloodline, Brother Yun, and because Madam Li only had trace amounts of the bloodline, that I was sox toward you.¡±


    Yun Moxiao continued shaking his head, but Li Mo stared at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s abdomen instead. ¡°Yan¡¯er, could you... be expecting again?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded. ¡°A few days before we entered the Jiyuan continent, I found out that I was pregnant. I had to enter the Jiyuan continent with you, but you would surely have forbidden me from doing so if you knew I was pregnant, so I kept it a secret from you.¡±


    When she saw Li Mo¡¯s face turn ck, Yun Ruoyan continued, ¡°Remember how you forbade me from entering the Mingyuan continent with you because I was injured? I followed you there anyway, and we stayed for years in the Mingyuan continent! There was a considerable amount of danger, certainly, but we¡¯re both fine now, aren¡¯t we? This time, it¡¯ll be the same. I believe that, as long as we stay together, we¡¯ll be able to deal with any problem that arises.¡±


    This was a philosophy she had arrived at by experience: whenever she was in a life-or-death situation, her fighting spirit would always be bolstered by the fact that Li Mo was waiting for her not too far away. She believed that Li Mo felt simrly.


    Li Mo sighed. ¡°Now that it¡¯se to this, I couldn¡¯t send you back even if I tried.¡±


    Qiuqiu was able to tear open a spatial rend, but he could not¡ªand Qiuqiu only listened to Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Believe me, Li Mo,¡± Yun Ruoyan emphasized. ¡°I might have been rash and impetuous in the past, but now that I¡¯m with child again, I¡¯ll definitely make sure to take care of myself.¡±


    In the end, they agreed that Yun Ruoyan would enter the silver dragon castle as the new personal servant of the holy maiden, while Li Mo would enter the castle as a guard. The others would lie in wait, ready to act once the holy maiden left the castle again. Then, they wouldy an ambush for the silver dragon elder.


    They waited in the demonic enve for another three days before Huang Chuan finally returned with good news. That afternoon, he left for the silver dragon castle with Yun Ruoyan.


    The castle was divided into three sections. The outermost section was the exterior, where several of the guards and the prisoners stayed. Within was the central enclosure, where several of the important figures of the silver dragon n resided and dealt with n matters. At the center of the castle was the inner core, home to the most important members and structures of the silver dragon n: the silver dragon temple and the residences of the holy maiden and silver dragon elder.


    Huang Chuan brought Yun Ruoyan through the exterior of the castle, then waited with Yun Ruoyan by a spot close to the prison. Not long after they arrived, a middle-aged woman appeared. Her hair was a sterling silver, not as pure as Li Mo¡¯s, but clearly more distinguished than most.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, Madam Li!¡± Huang Chuan immediately stepped forward with his short legs.


    ¡°Huang Chuan, the woman you sent mest time simply won¡¯t do. She¡¯s far too fragile,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Just one p from the holy maiden caused her to be so shocked that she was trembling all over, and it angered the holy maiden to no end.¡±


    ¡°Please calm down, Madam Li.¡± Huang Chuan stuffed a pouch containing a hundred spirit crystals into her hands, relieving some of her anger.


    ¡°You must be earning quite a lot from these women¡¯s families, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Madam. I respect your generosity for allowing me to nominate attendants for the holy maiden herself. If this candidate¡¯s able to do a satisfactory job and ingratiate herself with the holy maiden, I¡¯ll have more gifts for you as well.¡± Huang Chuan smiled obsequiously.


    ¡°If these servants manage to ingratiate themselves with the holy maiden, they¡¯ll receive a hefty reward for their service. As their rmender, you¡¯ll share in part of the rewards, and it¡¯s only natural that you would share some of that with me,¡± Madam Li stated. The pouch of spirit crystals that Huang Chuan had given her had already vanished into her storage ring.


    ¡°Of course, Madam!¡±


    What Madam Li certainly wasn¡¯t about to tell Huang Chuan was that, although the holy maiden was generous, her temper was odd and quirky. The servants valued their life more than they valued money, and there was no longer anyone in the entirety of the pce who was willing to serve the holy maiden. That was why she had to find new recruits through Huang Chuan. As someone who shared his profits with her, Huang Chuan was a good option for a long-term partnership.


    ¡°Let me inspect the neer.¡± Only then did Madam Li turn to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Raise your head and let me observe you.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan, who had been standing still with her head lowered, now raised her head.


    Madam Li frowned. ¡°Well, she seems a little better than the one before. We¡¯ll take her.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan lowered her head again. Given my current appearance, I¡¯m still better than thest servant Huang Chuan brought in? How ugly could she have been? No wonder the holy maiden would get mad if she had to stare at an ugly face all day long!


    Yun Ruoyan had changed her appearance before they set off for the pce, but Huang Chuan had told her that she was still too pretty. As a result, she had given herself thicker lips, uneven eyebrows, and a crooked nose. She would be ugly on the Chenyuan continent, let alone the Jiyuan continent. Most of the women that Yun Ruoyan saw on the streets were beauties, and only a rare few were a little uglier because their silver dragon bloodline wasn¡¯t particrly concentrated. Nevertheless, Yun Ruoyan was uglier than the ugliest woman she had seen.


    ¡°Go serve the holy maiden. Your family and I will await your good news.¡± Huang Chaun patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s back and nudged her forward.


    Yun Ruoyan followed Madam Li toward the gate to the central enclosure. There, a guard pricked her with a specialized silver needle, which turned a very faint blue.


    ¡°Alright, she can go in,¡± the guard said.


    The central enclosure was very spacious, and it took another hour of walking before they entered the gates to the core of the silver dragon castle. Yun Ruoyan estimated that the castle was about half the size of the silver dragon city itself.


    Unlike the city, however, the entire castle seemed to be silent throughout. Everyone she saw, men and women alike, wore silver attire and trod noiselessly, clearly having received specialized training. Furthermore, they all possessed incredible beauty.


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but wonder why it was that she would be sent to the holy maiden immediately. Shouldn¡¯t the holy maiden¡¯s personal servants undergo rigorous training? And why would they pick someone as ugly as she was?


    Just as Yun Ruoyan was pondering these questions, Madam Li suddenly turned back and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how advanced your cultivation is, but you have to remember never to use your cultivation within the silver dragon castle. The consequences will be dire.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Madam,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied obediently.

 Chapter 475: An Unusual Holy Maiden

    <h4>Chapter 475: An Unusual Holy Maiden</h4>


    When Madam Li noticed how reserved Yun Ruoyan was acting, she thought that Yun Ruoyan had been scared by the conversation between her and Huang Chuan. ¡°Actually, the holy maiden isn¡¯t as scary as they say, but she does have a bad temper. Remember: when dealing with the holy maiden, you must be patient and meticulous. You can¡¯t act fragile in front of her, and you absolutely cannot cry if she ps you.¡±


    As Madam Li instructed her in the etiquette of dealing with the holy maiden, they walked to the core of the silver dragon castle and into an elegant white pce. ¡°This is the holy maiden¡¯s residence. Follow me.¡±


    She walked forward quickly, and Yun Ruoyan followed behind her. The pce was unusually big and had several courtyards. Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t very good with directions, and she gradually became lost.


    They encountered quite a number of patrolling guards along the way. Just like the servants from before, they moved in a particrly orderly and soundless fashion, clearly having received exceptional training.


    ¡°The holy maiden¡¯s inside. Wait here and let me enter first.¡± Madam Li stopped Yun Ruoyan outside a ratherrge room. Yun Ruoyan nced all around her, nowpletely unaware of where she was.


    ¡°Madam Li, how many servants have you tried to bring me now? They¡¯re all useless, and all they do is rile me up! Madam Li, you¡¯re as useless as they are!¡±


    Just then, from within the room came a lovely female voice¡ªand yet her words were coarse and boorish.


    ¡°Goodness!¡± Madam Li lowered her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t let the elder hear you speaking like that, or my life will be forfeit!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯d only speak like that in front of you, and I won¡¯t let him overhear me.¡± The holy maiden had initially sounded furious, but now she seemed to be giggling. ¡°Alright, Madam Li, bring my new servant here. It¡¯s been quite a few days since I had someone to y with.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Please go easy on her, though¡ªif you chase even this one away, I don¡¯t know where I¡¯d find you a new servant.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Madam, stop fussing!¡±


    From this conversation, it seemed apparent that the holy maiden was somewhat childish, and whether or not she would get along with her depended solely on her taste. If the holy maiden disliked her, then she would have to leave immediately. I thought that holy maidens were supposed to be as cold as Empress Xue Tong, but this holy maiden seems just like a spoiled little girl.


    Madam Li left the room, then beckoned for her to enter.


    Yun Ruoyan schooled her expression, lowered her head, sped her hands, and walked in. She had learned this from the servants that she had encountered along the way into the interior of the castle, and she thought that she had done a good job of mimicking them.


    When Madam Li saw her posture, she praised her inwardly. She looked dim-witted at first, but it¡¯s good to see she can pick things up quickly¡ªbut that won¡¯t be enough. Best to get a few more substitutes, too.


    Yun Ruoyan heard Madam Li sigh, but she didn¡¯t know why. She sucked in a breath and prepared for her first encounter with the holy maiden.


    The interior of the chamber was even more exquisitely decorated than the exterior, with high-grade spirit crystals lining the walls of the chamber. The vaulted ceiling was decorated with jade, gold, and other precious gemstones, along with a few ornaments Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t name but which were clearly valuable on first nce.


    However, the holy maiden was nowhere to be seen. Yun Ruoyan stood with Madam Li in the empty chamber, her gaze still lowered.


    ¡°Holy Maiden, I¡¯ve brought you your new servant. Will youe out to have a look at her?¡±


    ¡°I can see her. She¡¯s pretty ugly, and I¡¯m very satisfied.¡± Although Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t see the holy maiden, she could clearly hear her voice. ¡°Madam Li, leave her behind. You can leave now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Holy Maiden.¡± Madam Li replied. She nced again at Yun Ruoyan, sighed, then walked away.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± the holy maiden asked, after Madam Li walked out of the chamber.


    ¡°I¡¯m Yun Ruoyan, Holy Maiden,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°How audacious!¡± she suddenly shouted. A regr servant would likely have been quailing on the ground. Yun Ruoyan had been surprised by the sudden shout, but it wasn¡¯t sufficient to scare her.


    ¡°Holy Maiden, may I ask how I have offended you?¡± Yun Ruoyan replied calmly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how you¡¯ve been audacious?¡± The holy maiden seemed to find Yun Ruoyan¡¯s ignorance funny.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°You¡ªalright, I¡¯ll teach you,¡± the holy maiden continued. ¡°You need to address yourself more deferentially when speaking with me!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan opened her eyes wide in shock. ¡°Your humble servant thanks you for your instruction.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± The holy maiden suddenlyughed coldly. ¡°Instruction won¡¯t be sufficient. It looks like you need some punishment!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned, realizing what Madam Li had meant by ¡®going easy on her¡¯.


    ¡°Please wait, Holy Mai¡ª¡± Before Yun Ruoyan could finish, she heard the whistling of the wind, only to raise her head to see gleaming arrows being shot out from the four walls. She had hardly expected to find such traps in the holy maiden¡¯s personal chambers. The exterior of the chamber was clearly heavily guarded, so why were these traps necessary? Who was she guarding against¡ªor did she have them installed just for fun?


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t have time to contemte the answer to these questions. She somersaulted into the air, then dodged the arrows that flew at her. When the first wave of arrows had passed her by, she easilynded back on the ground. ¡°Your humble servant has received your punishment, Holy Maiden.¡±


    ¡°Not bad. Try this!¡±


    ¡°Mistress, she¡¯s going to start a fire,¡± Qiuqiu suddenly said. ¡°It¡¯s a particrly vicious fire, and I¡¯d rmend countering it with your own me, Mistress.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s fire-attuned spiritual techniques had been taught to her by the demonic dragon forefather himself, and her attacks were far stronger than they had been. Given the meteoric rise in her cultivation, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to handle this holy maiden.


    However, she couldn¡¯t actually fight her. After all, she was here to please the holy maiden and to keep an eye on her. Furthermore, Madam Li had explicitly warned her against using spiritual energy, or there would be dire consequences.


    Yun Ruoyan guessed that the silver dragon elder hadid some sort of array around this chamber to prevent unauthorized use of spiritual energy. Before she was certain of the consequences, she didn¡¯t dare use her spiritual techniques.


    ¡°Please spare me, Holy Maiden!¡± Yun Ruoyan dropped her earlier persona, curled into a ball, and knelt on the ground.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The holy maiden made a confused croon, then began tough. ¡°I thought you were a bold servant, but you¡¯re just as timid as the rest! I won¡¯t go easy on you. If you can take this second punishment, then I¡¯ll let you stay.¡±


    ¡°Mistress, it¡¯sing from your left!¡± Qiuqiu piped up. Yun Ruoyan blindly followed Qiuqiu¡¯s instructions and rolled to the right.


    With a hiss, a tongue of me licked the spot where Yun Ruoyan had been standing. Just like the arrows from before, it had been shot out from the wall to her left. Undoubtedly, there were also water- and poison-spraying traps. Although they wouldn¡¯t cause serious injuries, it would have been difficult for regr cultivators to dodge the blows, and it was clear how the servants before her had been driven away.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, I need your help,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, after dodging another tongue of me.


    ¡°Alright, Mistress, what do you want me to do?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan exined her n. When Qiuqiu told her where the next me trap would be triggered, Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t dodge. Instead, she defended herself with the hand which had her silver bracelet on it.


    What¡¯s she nning? The holy maiden, who was in a hidden corner of the room, hesitated when she saw Yun Ruoyan standing still when she could easily have dodged the blow¡ªand then her eyes went wide.


    The me that shot out of the wall was actually absorbed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palm! The holy maiden was very surprised by the sight, because she hadn¡¯t ever seen its like. It was easy enough to release spiritual me, but being able to absorb spiritual me that wasn¡¯t one¡¯s own?


    While the holy maiden was still stunned, Yun Ruoyan rushed to where the hidden trap was located behind the wall, waited for the brief moment when the trap revealed itself to strike her, aimed directly at the nozzle, and released the spiritual me that Qiuqiu had absorbed within the silver bracelet.


    <hr>


    1. In the sense that ¡°I¡¯m Yun Ruoyan, Holy Maiden.¡± should be reced by ¡°Your humble servant¡¯s name is Yun Ruoyan, Holy Maiden.¡± This is how the servants have been speaking in the novel, but I chose to simplify the dialogue in the English trantion. For the purposes of this chapter, I¡¯ll use the ¡°your humble servant¡± construction to identify when Yun Ruoyan is speaking politely. Incidentally, I have no idea why Yun Ruoyan would disguise her appearance but still go by her actual name.

 Chapter 476: Compatible Natures

    <h4>Chapter 476: Compatible Natures</h4>


    From the holy maiden¡¯s perspective, Yun Ruoyan had released the spiritual me from her own hand.


    The force at which Qiuqiuunched the mes was far greater than that used by the traps. The mes from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s palm met the mes from the traps in the interior of the trap mechanism and immediately exploded in force.


    With a great boom, the entire pce trembled; after the trembling subsided, the holy maiden found that none of her traps worked any longer.


    Just then, a number of footsteps could be heard from the exterior of the chamber, along with cries to protect the holy maiden. The front doors were pushed open, and a number of guards walked in.


    ¡°What just happened? Where¡¯s the holy maiden?¡± the guard shouted imperiously, drawing his sword and pointing it at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know what just happened...¡± Yun Ruoyan immediately assumed the form of a scared servant. She had already been kneeling by one corner of the room, and now she trembled into a small, quaking ball, startled by the sudden explosion.


    The holy maiden, who was hiding in a corner of the room, couldn¡¯t help getting enraged at the sight of Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cowering form. To think her servant would be even better at deception than she was! But... she did like this new servant of hers. It seemed as though her life in the pce would no longer be as dreadfully boring as before.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t realize that her antics had caught the eye of the holy maiden, identally aplishing her goal. What she was most worried about at the moment was startling the silver dragon elder due to the disturbance she had made¡ªafter all, she didn¡¯t want to be anywhere close to him given the unfamiliar and disadvantageous environment she was in.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the holy maiden?!¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t seen her!¡±


    ¡°Take her away!¡± the captain of the guards instructed his subordinates.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± Just then, the lovely, not-at-all-cute voice of the holy maiden sounded again. ¡°How dare you seize my servant?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan raised her head slightly to nce at the holy maiden. Her hair was as pure a silver as Li Mo¡¯s, soft and wavy and hanging on her shoulders. She was about as tall as Yun Ruoyan, and wore a long silver dress that trailed the ground. She stood prim and proper, giving off a divine aura that brooked no disrespect. Her face was covered by a white veil.


    The holy maiden was superior both in appearance and presence, but her temperament was strange and mercurial. Although she now looked as stern and severe as a goddess, she had seemed like a devil when she was ying around with the traps.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± The guard captain immediately bowed toward the holy maiden. ¡°While patrolling, I heard a series of strange explosions and entered this chamber to take a look. Holy Maiden, please pardon me for disrupting you.¡±


    ¡°I was cultivating. Isn¡¯t it normal for there to be strange noises?¡± the holy maiden replied. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine, so you may leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, at once, Holy Maiden!¡± The guard captain immediately stepped back in relief.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± she suddenly said, and Yun Ruoyan could clearly see the guards tremble.


    ¡°Yes, Holy Maiden?¡± the guard captain turned around and asked.


    ¡°This was only a small incident, and I hope you won¡¯t be reporting this to the silver dragon elder. He has to deal with countless matters of import, and there¡¯s no need to trouble him over such trivialities.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Holy Maiden!¡±


    ¡°Alright, leave.¡± The guards rapidly marched out of the chamber.


    ¡°Your name is Yun Ruoyan?¡± The holy maiden nced at Yun Ruoyan, who was still curled up by a corner of the chamber, cowering in fear. ¡°You can stop acting now. I saw what you were like before.¡±


    She walked toward Yun Ruoyan and squatted on the ground, her seemingly divine presence vanishing in an instant.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Yun Ruoyan straightened up and rested against the wall. Combating the trap without using any shred of spiritual energy had been surprisingly tiring.


    ¡°Of my many servants, you¡¯re the most unruly,¡± the holy maiden began.


    Yun Ruoyan peered at her. ¡°Although I haven¡¯t seen many holy maidens, you¡¯re likely the most unruly.¡± She thought she had gotten a handle on the holy maiden¡¯s temper, and her words were tailored to the holy maiden.


    As expected, the holy maiden began tough, a lovelyugh that sounded like the tinkling of bells. ¡°You¡¯re quite interesting, aren¡¯t you? I hadn¡¯t expected the castle to have such interesting servants,¡± the holy maiden praised.


    ¡°Holy Maiden, I came from the silver dragon city. Madam Li brought me into the castle.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s the case.¡± The holy maiden¡¯s eyes immediately gleamed. ¡°No wonder! Everyone in the castle is dull and dreadfully boring, but the city¡¯s a bit more interesting. Madam Li did well to find you. You¡¯re ugly, but I like your temperament. You¡¯ll be my new servant!¡±


    And so it came to be that Yun Ruoyan became the new servant of the holy maiden. Although the holy maiden¡¯s appearance seemed cold and staid, she was like a little kid. Because of what amounted to imprisonment since her birth, she was always very curious about the world beyond the silver dragon castle, and she always pestered Yun Ruoyan to tell her more.


    Although Yun Ruoyan wasn¡¯t very familiar with the silver dragon city, she was able tobine her experiences on the Chenyuan and Mingyuan continents to spin the holy maiden tales of her adventures,


    ¡°You¡¯re not from the silver dragon city, are you?¡± the holy maiden suddenly asked.


    ¡°Why do you say that, Holy Maiden?¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve been kept here in the silver dragon castle ever since I was a child, I¡¯ve escaped the confines of the castles quite a few times. I¡¯ve been to many ces in the silver dragon city, but a lot of the ces you mention aren¡¯t from the city itself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually a roaming wanderer,¡± Yun Ruoyan exined. ¡°I used to perform tricks on the street, travelling from city to city...¡±


    ¡°Oh, that I¡¯m familiar with. I¡¯ve seen people like that in the silver dragon city before. Their cultivations aren¡¯t particrly advanced, but they¡¯re surprisingly nimble.¡± The holy maiden suddenly gaped. ¡°No wonder you were able to escape my traps so easily!¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Yun Ruoyan was very satisfied with the holy maiden¡¯s imagination. ¡°I¡¯m a great performer.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right! How did you manage to consume that spiritual me with your palm? Is that a trick too?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Yun Ruoyan replied immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯d originally thought that you knew some amazing cultivation technique...¡±


    ¡°Certainly not! If I were that skilled, why would Ie serve as a servant at the silver dragon castle?¡± Yun Ruoyan deftly changed the topic. ¡°One of mypanions was even able to swallow mes with his mouth and eyes, not just with his hands!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± The holy maiden immediately made an expression of interest. ¡°That¡¯s possible?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll bring you to see such shows when I get the opportunity.¡± Having sessfully aroused the holy maiden¡¯s interest, Yun Ruoyan hoped that the holy maiden would agree to go immediately, but she shook her head sadly instead.


    ¡°The silver dragon elder¡¯s been a lot more stringent with metely. I used to be able to find opportunities to go outside and y, but I¡¯ve been trapped inside the castle for almost half a year now.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan could see that the holy maiden desperately wanted to explore the city, but had been unable to do so. She didn¡¯t dare volunteer to lead the holy maiden out¡ªafter all, she had just arrived in the castle, and the holy maiden wouldn¡¯t trust her. If she tried putting her n in action now, it would easily sow distrust between them.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pity,¡± Yun Ruoyan sighed.


    There were other servants responsible for the holy maiden¡¯s food, clothes, and baths. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sole responsibility was to apany the holy maiden and prevent her from being bored.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye; on the second day, Li Mo contacted her. He was now a member of the patrolling guards. When Yun Ruoyan went out walking with the holy maiden, she would encounter him on asion.


    When she saw him walking sternly in a guard¡¯s outfit, she couldn¡¯t help but hide a smile. She would likely never get to see Li Mo dressed like that again, and she had to sneak nces at him when she could. On the other hand, Li Mo would always walk by without even a passing nce at her, because he knew she would beughing at him.


    ¡°Yun¡¯er,¡± the holy maiden suddenly called out.


    ¡°Yes, Holy Maiden?¡± Yun Ruoyan rushed forward to catch up with her.


    ¡°Yun¡¯er, have you taken a liking to any of the guards around here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Yun Ruoyan blinked. Had she been that obvious? ¡°No, no.¡± She quickly shook her head. ¡°I just think that they¡¯re handsome, Holy Maiden. Given how ugly I am, how could I be a match for any of the guards?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± the holy maiden cried out. ¡°You might not be beautiful, but as the servant of the holy maiden herself, you¡¯re a perfectly respectable match for any of the guards.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but feel touched by the holy maiden¡¯s gesture. If she were to stick with her for too long, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to bear kidnapping her.


    ¡°Holy Maiden!¡± Suddenly, an unfamiliar man¡¯s voice came from their front. ¡°What a pleasant surprise to see you walking around.¡±


    Before Yun Ruoyan could look up at the man who spoke, the holy maiden snorted.

 Chapter 477: Only in Name

    <h4>Chapter 477: Only in Name</h4>


    The person who showed up was a silver-haired man, a silver not as pure as the holy maiden¡¯s, but beyond everyone she had seen save for Li Mo and the holy maiden herself. In order to not arouse unwanted attention, Yun Ruoyan had also dyed Li Mo¡¯s hair a silvery-gray before he entered the silver dragon pce.


    ¡°Holy Maiden, shall we y together?¡± the man asked, walking briskly toward Yun Ruoyan and the holy maiden. The holy maiden stopped short, so Yun Ruoyan also stopped behind her.


    ¡°Yin Xiao, what are you doing here?¡± she began coldly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you learn your lesson after the silver dragon elder¡¯s punishment?¡±


    Yin Xiao ignored the holy maiden¡¯s anger. ¡°Father¡¯s already punished me forst time, and I was forced to spend a month in house arrest. Don¡¯t begrudge me too much¡ªwe¡¯re a family, after all.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sensed Yin Xiao looking at her as she spoke. Initially, her head was lowered, but when Yin Xiao seemed to have no intention of looking away from her, she finally met his gaze. Her small, beady eyes, crooked nose, and thick lips so scared Yin Xiao that he shielded his gaze with his hand, as if something had blinded him.


    The holy maiden turned to look at Yun Ruoyan, then at Yin Xiao. She smirked. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Where do you keep finding servants like this?!¡± Yin Xiao¡¯s eyes were still closed, but he was pointing a trembling finger at Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my servant?¡± the holy maiden asked. ¡°She¡¯s my favorite of all the servants I¡¯ve had to date, and I n on continuing to use her. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going to go now. I rmend you not stop by frequently.¡± The holy maiden stalked away, and Yun Ruoyan obediently followed.


    When she again felt a gaze at her back, she whirled around, met Yin Xiao¡¯s eyes again, and smirked as he clutched his eyes with a pained shout.


    Yun Ruoyan walked away with the holy maiden.


    Only when Yin Xiao could no longer hear their footsteps did he remove his hand from his face. ¡°Her physique¡¯s wonderful, so why¡¯s her face such a mess? This holy maiden has to be deliberately choosing such ugly servants¡ªI¡¯m going to have nightmares tonight! Do you think you can stop me with these petty tricks? Just you wait!¡± Yin Xiao stormed off.


    Once they were out of earshot, the holy maiden began to giggle. ¡°Oh, did you see his face when he saw you for the first time? Haha!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan asked, ¡°Is that man the silver dragon elder¡¯s son?¡± As far as Yun Ruoyan knew, the silver dragon elder was of the same generation as the demonic dragon forefather, so he had to be thousands of years old at least. How could he have such a young son?


    ¡°He¡¯s the silver dragon elder¡¯s only child,¡± the holy maiden replied. ¡°And an annoying brat.¡±


    The silver dragon elder had had quite a number of children in the past, but they had all passed away. Yin Xiao was the silver dragon elder¡¯s youngest and now most favored child, and he was essentially able to do whatever he wanted within the pce.


    The holy maiden warned Yun Ruoyan about Yin Xiao¡¯s sexual proclivities. ¡°My past servants, those that were at all beautiful, all ended up in his grasp¡ªeither by force or by sweet-talking,¡± she emphasized.


    ¡°Was that why you had Madam Li find you an ugly woman to be your servant?¡±


    ¡°Yes: not only ugly, but also agile. As the holy maiden, it might appear that I¡¯m in a position of authority, but I don¡¯t really have any power to my name. You should also have noticed that my cultivation isn¡¯t particrly advanced, so if you encounter some sort of danger, I might not be able to protect you. You need to be able to protect yourself, or you¡¯d better leave.¡±


    ¡°But... why? Aren¡¯t you the holy maiden of the silver dragon n? How could you be unable to protect even a single servant?¡± Yun Ruoyan was somewhat flummoxed. She had learned from Empress Xue Tong how important the holy maiden was to the n, but she hadn¡¯t asked how much authority they had.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is. From a young age, it was clear to me that my position was merely symbolic, without any real purpose,¡± the holy maiden replied. ¡°A year ago, a servant who had been with me for many years fell prey to Yin Xiao. He sent his men to capture and drug her, and then he raped her. When that servant told me about what had happened, I escted the matter to the silver dragon elder, but Yin Xiao imed that my servant was the one who had seduced her, and then¡ª¡±


    The holy maiden¡¯s cheeks puffed up with anger, and she seemed so upset that she didn¡¯t even finish her sentence.


    ¡°And then what?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed. ¡°Did the silver dragon elder believe your word or Yin Xiao¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°My word, but he still punished my servant heavily regardless. Meanwhile, he only put Yin Xiao under house arrest! Shamed and distraught by the reality of what had happened, my servantmitted suicide.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was roused to anger by the holy maiden¡¯s words. ¡°To think that Yin Xiao would be as daring as to attack your servants¡ªand to think that the silver dragon elder would shield him so!¡±


    ¡°Luckily, I¡¯m still the holy maiden, so whatever Yin Xiao¡¯s intentions are, I¡¯m protected from them,¡± the holy maiden sighed. ¡°But this position will cost me my whole life¡¯s worth of freedom and happiness.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand,¡± Yun Ruoyan began. ¡°If the holy maiden is so important to the silver dragon n, why don¡¯t you have any authority of your own?¡±


    ¡°Actually, the holy maiden used to have considerable power, second only to the silver dragon elder himself. However, something happened a century or so ago that caused all future holy maidens to be stripped of their power.¡±


    Apparently, a century ago, the previous holy maiden had left the Jiyuan continent of her own ord for a lower-realm continent, never to return. The entire silver dragon n had been incensed by the incident, and from then on, the position of holy maiden was merely symbolic.


    Of course, that holy maiden must have been Empress Xue Tong. What surprised Yun Ruoyan was the holy maiden¡¯s subsequent words: ¡°The past holy maiden really was very brave. If I could, I¡¯d also love to escape from this ce.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really willing to give up your position?¡±


    The holy maiden chuckled bitterly. ¡°What¡¯s there not to give up? I¡¯ve been trapped in this pce for my entire life. Even if I have to die, I¡¯d want to free my soul from it.¡± Everyone cares about the existence of a holy maiden, but not who she is. All the authority of the silver dragon n rested within the silver dragon elder¡¯s hands, and the holy maiden was just one of his puppets. If he wanted to depose her, a next holy maiden would soon show up.


    What that meant was that, even if Yun Ruoyan and the others were to kidnap the current holy maiden, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use her to threaten the silver dragon elder. However, a new target had appeared, and the holy maiden seemed like she could be a useful aplice. Yun Ruoyan believed that, as long as the holy maiden was willing to help her, it would be easy to lure Yin Xiao out of the silver dragon pce.


    Yun Ruoyan thought up a new n in her mind, but rather than startying the groundwork for it immediately, she decided to discuss the matter with Li Mo beforehand.


    Over the past few days, Li Mo had been carrying out his part of the n: trying to find Long Yin, presumably somewhere within the silver dragon pce, and getting close to the silver dragon temple.


    Just as the demonic spirit had described, the silver dragon temple was under heavy guard, and all the guards around the temple were experts. Even if he were to sneak in somehow, the bindings within would easily trap him just like they trapped the demonic spirit.


    The objectives of acquiring some holy water and retrieving Empress Xue Tong¡¯s physical body thus had to be put on hold temporarily. However, Li Mo had gleaned some new information regarding Long Yin¡¯s whereabouts.


    During a regr patrol, he had overheard the guard captain talking about a secret prison within the pce, where some prisoners from other races were being imprisoned. Although the guard captain didn¡¯t mention who the prisoners were, Li Mo¡¯s intuition told him that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s father¡ªhis father-inw¡ªwas locked up there.


    In the deep of the night, after the holy maiden had fallen asleep and Li Mo had just finished a shift, as nned, he snuck into Yun Ruoyan¡¯s room. As the personal servant of the holy maiden, Yun Ruoyan naturally had her own room.


    Both Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo missed each other, especially Li Mo. Thesest few days, he had only been able to watch over her from a distance, never to touch her. When Yun Ruoyan noticed his nces, she would always smile at him, riling him up but leaving him unable to do anything about it.


    As a result, when Li Mo entered Yun Ruoyan¡¯s room through her window, he had hugged her tightly before she could properly stand up from bed and call out his name. He kissed her, but didn¡¯t push her down onto the bed, because she was pregnant with another baby again. Li Mo¡¯s hand caressed her abdomen. ¡°Is the baby doing fine?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m only one month pregnant, so it doesn¡¯t feel like anything at the moment.¡±


    Li Mo also smiled. Ever since he became a father, he had started to enjoy the feeling of fatherhood. Carrying a newborn in his arms had given him an unusual sense of aplishment.


    ¡°Right, I have something very important to tell you,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, sitting upright.


    ¡°I have something very important to tell you too,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°You first.¡±

 Chapter 478: Offering a Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 478: Offering a Sacrifice</h4>


    ¡°Li Mo, I discovered that the holy maiden can¡¯t be used to threaten the silver dragon elder,¡± Yun Ruoyan said.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Li Mo frowned.


    Yun Ruoyan exined what the holy maiden had told her that day, after their encounter with Yin Xiao. ¡°If we want to threaten the silver dragon elder, however, we can try to target Yin Xiao. I¡¯m going to try to pull the holy maiden onto our side. With her help, it should be easy enough to capture him.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Li Mo replied, after some thought. ¡°I¡¯ll inform the demonic spirit and the others about this so that they can be prepared.


    ¡°What did you find out, Li Mo?¡±


    Li Mo looked solemnly at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I discovered where your father, Long Yin, might be kept.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan immediately perked up. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°In a secret prison within the silver dragon castle.¡± Li Mo patted Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know where exactly this prison is yet, but I¡¯ll definitely find it, Yan¡¯er. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, be careful of your safety,¡± Yun Ruoyan warned. Anything that involved secrets would surely be dangerous, and although Yun Ruoyan did want to meet her own father, she didn¡¯t want to cause Li Mo to be mired in danger as a result.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yan¡¯er. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Li Mo caressed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s abdomen again. ¡°As for you, you¡¯re not alone anymore, so please don¡¯t do anything dangerous. Remember that I¡¯m still here, alright?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled and nodded her head. Although they had already been married for quite some time, they were still as caring for each other as when they had first gotten married.


    Ever since Yun Ruoyan had taught the holy maiden how to y go, they had yed quite a number of games to while away the time. While ying, Yun Ruoyan noticed that the holy maiden looked particrly worried, but when Yun Ruoyan asked her if there was anything on her mind, she shook her head.


    A few momentster, however, she heard the holy maiden murmur something about how it was time again, followed by a long, weary sigh.


    ¡°Check.¡± Yun Ruoyanid down another piece. ¡°Holy Maiden, you¡¯ve lost¡ªnow, pay up!¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve lost again! I don¡¯t want to y anymore,¡± the holy maiden grumbled.


    Just then, the silver dragon elder suddenly appeared out of nowhere. When the servants outside loudly proimed the silver dragon elder¡¯s arrival, Yun Ruoyan and the holy maiden¡¯s faces both turned pale. Yun Ruoyan calmed down first. She tugged on the holy maiden¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°We¡¯d better go wee him.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was a little surprised to see the flustered expression on the holy maiden¡¯s face. From her time with her, Yun Ruoyan had learned a little of her personality, and she didn¡¯t seem like a coward or a weakling. Why would she be so scared of the silver dragon elder?


    ¡°I greet the silver dragon elder.¡± The holy maiden bowed down to the elder. Yun Ruoyan followed suit behind her, her voice barely audible and her spiritual energypletely retracted within her body.


    ¡°Rise,¡± the silver dragon elder instructed. He nced over at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I heard Yin Xiao mention that you changed your servant again.¡±


    The holy maiden blinked, clearly not having expected the silver dragon elder to ask about such a minor matter. ¡°Yes, Elder. Yun¡¯er, great the silver dragon elder.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan stepped forward and bowed down to the silver dragon elder again.


    ¡°Raise your head,¡± hemanded. Yun Ruoyan held her breath and slowly met his eyes. This was the first time Yun Ruoyan had seen him from such close range. In the past, she had always seen him through the heaven-transcending mirror from afar. He was tall and thin, and he looked like a middle-aged man. His silver hair was draped around his shoulders, his expression so sharp it looked as though it was chiselled from marble.


    When the first elder noticed how calmly Yun Ruoyan was inspecting him, he raised his silvery eyebrows. ¡°This servant indeed does seem different from the others.¡± Of all the people in the silver dragon castle, the only other who was able to stare him in the eye like that was his son.


    When he spoke this observation out loud, Yun Ruoyan immediately knelt in front of the silver dragon elder, her body trembling in fear.


    ¡°Elder, she isn¡¯t particrly smart and quick of mind. She must have been so shocked by your imposing figure that her mind nked,¡± the holy maiden quickly said.


    The silver dragon elder finally turned away from Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Holy Maiden, I don¡¯t care what you do on a day-to-day basis, but don¡¯t forget that you¡¯ll have to conduct the sacrificial rites soon,¡± he instructed.


    ¡°Of course, Elder. The rites are taking ce the day after tomorrow, and I wouldn¡¯t forget such an important asion,¡± the holy maiden replied. However, Yun Ruoyan thought that she detected some unease and resistance in her voice.


    ¡°Good, good.¡± The silver dragon elder turned away. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that that¡¯s the purpose of your station.¡±


    When the elder finally vanished from sight, the holy maiden¡¯s legs trembled as she slumped to the ground. Yun Ruoyan helped her up. ¡°Are you alright, Holy Maiden? Is performing the sacrificial rites a particrly frightening affair? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand why you seem so resistant to it.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t dare stare at the silver dragon elder too much lest he notice, so she instead focused on the holy maiden. She had clearly be anxious after the silver dragon elder brought up the sacrificial rites.


    The holy maiden held Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands firmly. ¡°Performing the sacrificial rites is a frightening affair, and my greatest nightmare since bing the holy maiden.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me more about what it¡¯s like?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed.


    The holy maiden shook her head, unwilling to speak. After a moment, she suddenly looked at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°The sacrificial rites are the day after tomorrow. Would you apany me then?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m your personal servant. As long as I¡¯m permitted to be there, I¡¯ll certainly apany you,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied without any hesitation. From how much emphasis the silver dragon elder ced on it, these sacrificial rites clearly served some important purpose, and she wanted to see what exactly could scare the holy maiden to this extent.


    ¡°Yun¡¯er,¡± the holy maiden said gratefully, ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie to you, so you should know that the rites are a terrible thing. Three of my boldest servants in the past apanied me to the rites, and they were all ashen by the time they apanied me out. If you¡¯re afraid, you don¡¯t have toe with me.¡±


    The holy maiden¡¯s words only spurred Yun Ruoyan¡¯s curiosity further, However, when she thought of the baby in her womb, she began to hesitate. ¡°Holy Maiden, my cultivation isn¡¯t particrly advanced, and I can¡¯t protect you if we¡¯re in any danger. Would I be a burden?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll be protected and very secure.¡±


    With the holy maiden¡¯s affirmation, Yun Ruoyan rxed. ¡°Since there¡¯s no danger, I¡¯ll dly apany you, Holy Maiden. There¡¯s nothing to fear.¡±


    Although Yun Ruoyan was almost a mother of two, she was only in her twenties. On the other hand, the holy maiden was already nearing a hundred. Nevertheless, she still seemed like a little sister relying on Yun Ruoyan¡¯s protection.


    Yun Ruoyan told Li Mo about the uing sacrificial rites, but he had already heard about them independently. He was intending on being one of the guards present for the rites, further aying Yun Ruoyan¡¯s concerns.


    Two days passed in the blink of an eye. The holy maiden and Yun Ruoyan both put on long, silvery-white robes, then followed a few other simrly dressed servants to the silver dragon temple.


    The rites didn¡¯t seem like a particrlyrge-scale affair. She apanied the holy maiden through the stages of the ritual. When everyone then got up and left, she asked, ¡°Holy Maiden, are the rites finished now? There hasn¡¯t been anything scary yet, has there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just beginning,¡± the holy maiden replied, her voice quavering. Yun Ruoyan nced at her and noticed that her face was far paler than usual.


    After everyone else left, the holy maiden and Yun Ruoyan remained behind. The holy maiden was expected to remain in the temple and pray for the entire night. Yun Ruoyan, as her personal servant, was permitted to stay with her.


    Yun Ruoyan had seen Li Mo during the rites, but he had had to leave with the rest of the crowd. Soon, Yun Ruoyan and the holy maiden were the only two people within the temple.


    As night descended, the holy maiden became more and more jittery. However, no matter how Yun Ruoyan asked her about what would happen next, or why she was so scared, she simply shook her head and refused to speak. It wasn¡¯t that she was unwilling to tell Yun Ruoyan, but that she was scared of even describing it.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t ask me anymore, Yun¡¯er. You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    When night fully enveloped the temple, the interior of the temple lit up with glowing white orbs embedded into the walls, making it as bright as day. Although there were quite a number of ancestral tablets in the temple, as well as a few intricately carved statues of silver dragons, these weren¡¯t particrly scary to Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± the holy maiden murmured, standing up from the mat on which she was kneeling. Yun Ruoyan followed suit. Her face no longer showed any traces of fear; instead, it was icy cold, numb, wooden, as though she had suddenly be a different person entirely.

 Chapter 479: Nightmarish Rites

    <h4>Chapter 479: Nightmarish Rites</h4>


    ¡°Holy Maiden, what¡¯s the problem?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± The holy maiden turned to Yun Ruoyan, and she noticed to her surprise that even the holy maiden¡¯s eyes seemed to turn cold.


    A series of footsteps rang out behind them, and the silver dragon elder walked out from behind a set of curtains.


    Yun Ruoyan was standing behind the holy maiden, both of them straight and still. The first elder didn¡¯t notice Yun Ruoyan. The reason he had permitted her presence here was at the insistence of the holy maiden; after that precedent, she had always had someone with her to finish the next segment of the rites.


    If something were to happen to Yun Ruoyan, he would be able to remove her easily, and it wasn¡¯t anything troublesome to the silver dragon elder.


    ¡°Are you ready, Holy Maiden?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Elder.¡± The holy maiden¡¯s voice seemed so robotic that Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t sense a trace of the girl she knew at all.


    The silver dragon elder nodded, then walked toward the silver dragons¡¯ ancestral shrine. He touched one of the silver dragon statues by the side of the shrine, then pushed in the statue¡¯s eyes. The shrine vibrated and parted, revealing a doorway just wide enough for them to fit in.


    ¡°Enter,¡± the silver dragon elder told the holy maiden, who walked through the doorway. Yun Ruoyan followed her in. The moment she stepped through the boundary, she noticed a familiar scent in the air, but one that she couldn¡¯t quite ce.


    The doorway opened into a corridor shining with red light. Their silver robes, catching the reflection of the light, seemed to be dyed in red. As they walked further and further into the corridor, the sense of familiarity grew stronger and stronger, and Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart began to palpitate¡ªwhat she was feeling was a resonanceing from her demonic dragon bloodline!


    What other reason could there be for the silver dragon temple to have someone else with the demonic dragon bloodline? Her father was undoubtedly imprisoned here!


    A dragon¡¯s howl came from deep within the corridor, causing it to shake visibly. In front of Yun Ruoyan, the holy maiden trembled almost imperceptibly. Yun Ruoyan had been confused as to her suddenly cold and wooden appearance, but she now hypothesized that it was an act to calm herself down and to hoodwink the silver dragon elder.


    The elder was walking in front of them, and he couldn¡¯t see their expressions. Yun Ruoyan reached out and patted the holy maiden¡¯s back, intending on consoling her. When she did so, the holy maiden jumped, turned to look at her expressionlessly, and continued walking forward.


    In ten more paces the crimson light grew blinding, and they stepped out of the corridor and into a wide, cavernous space that seemed to have been carved out of rock. In the center of the space was an equally gigantic pir, around which hundreds of people were bound. The upper part of their bodies was nude, and they were all thin and emaciated, some barely more than skeletons.


    The demonic dragon bloodline! Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart thumped. These people... they¡¯re all descendants of the demonic dragons...


    ¡°Begin, Holy Maiden,¡± the elder instructed. She unclenched her fists, walked to the silver dragon elder¡¯s side, then past him and onward to the gigantic pir. She spread her arms open, made an unusual gesture, and then began materializing an arcane formation with her hands. Then, she impressed the formation on the pir.


    The pir instantly began to glow in an eerie red light, criss-crossed with what seemed like veins, each connected to a bound body.


    As the holy maiden began to murmur words in an arcanenguage that Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t understand, the veins grew brighter and brighter, then began to extract the blood of all those bound to the pir.


    The process caused the bound prisoners to cry out in rage, anger, and despair. Some among them screamed so weakly it seemed as though their throats had already gone hoarse, while others cried out as deeply and somberly as a dragon¡¯s howl.


    Along with the screams, the bound prisoners began to spasm, as though they were suffering the greatest torture known to man.


    Yun Ruoyan widened her eyes as she bore witness to the scene, desperately trying to quell the frothing blood running through her own body. If she were to lose control, she would undoubtedly rush out toward the pir to prevent the horrific ritual from taking ce.


    However, her rationality told her that, if she really were to do so, not only would she be unable to rescue anyone present, she would even end up sacrificing herself and her unborn baby. Instead, she tightly clenched her fists, harder and harder until her fingernails drew blood.


    Some of the bound prisoners withered into husks.


    Yun Ruoyan could hear the silver dragon elder murmur to himself, ¡°These ves are getting weaker and weaker, and we¡¯ll run out of the demonic dragon bloodline at this rate. We need to find recements quickly.¡±


    Another dozen prisoners gasped theirst.


    Yun Ruoyan tried desperately to find Long Yin amidst the prisoners bound to the pir. Although she had only ever seen him in her dreams, she believed that she would recognize him at a nce. However, there were so many prisoners bound to the pir that Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t nce at them all, and she couldn¡¯t help but worry that she might havee toote.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± the silver dragon elder finally said, prompting the holy maiden to stop her chanting. She fell to the ground weakly, her body trembling¡ªeither because of her fright, or because the formation had been too draining.


    The prisoners bound to the pir stopped spasming, but they had grown visibly thinner. Death would have been a mercy, one that freed them from suffering this fate day after day.


    ¡°Long Yin, are you still alive?¡± the silver dragon elder suddenly called out. ¡°If you are, respond! Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to rece you with your child, haha!¡±


    ¡°Of course I am, you bastard!¡± From the center of the pir came the deep, weak voice of a man. When Yun Ruoyan heard the voice, she shook and looked toward its source. The entire pir had turned a translucent red, as though it had been dyed red with blood. A man¡¯s shadow was visible at the center of the pir, and it was he who had spoken.


    In that case, he had to be Long Yin. Yun Ruoyan widened her eyes as she stared at the man, his face impossible to make out through the pir. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.


    ¡°Good, good,¡± the silver dragon elder replied. ¡°I¡¯m lucky to have as potent a descendant as you, or my formation couldn¡¯t havested for so many years. If you keep on staying alive, you might be able to reunite with your daughter and grandson.¡±


    ¡°What? My grandson?¡± Long Yin asked.


    ¡°Yes, your grandson. Not only has your daughter gotten married, her husband actually possesses the silver dragon bloodline, and her child has received both such bloodlines. The secret to eternal life that I¡¯ve been searching for all this time might very well be hidden in that child¡¯s body, and I¡¯ll do anything to get my hands on him. In that case, you and your grandson will be reunited, haha!¡±


    ¡°You bastard,e at me if you must, but don¡¯ty hands on my children!¡± Long Yin shouted.


    ¡°You¡¯re worthless,¡± the silver dragon replied calmly. ¡°Given the situation, it looks as though you¡¯ll die within two years, just like the rest of them.¡±


    ¡°Silver dragon, I curse you! You¡¯ll suffer retribution for your actions, I swear it!¡±


    ¡°Retribution? Retribution¡¯s only a lie the weak tell themselves, just like you.¡± The silver dragon pointed at the man in the pir and began tough. ¡°And you, you, all of you prisoners¡ªthat¡¯s the curse of being weak, don¡¯t you see? Haha!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan supported the holy maiden as they followed the silver dragon elder out. Before they walked back through the corridor, Yun Ruoyan turned back to see the darkened pir and promised, Father, wait for me. I¡¯lle back and rescue you soon!


    By the time they had returned to the temple, both Yun Ruoyan and the holy maiden were quaking and barely standing up. The silver dragon elder nced at the holy maiden, then turned to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°You¡¯re not a bad servant. Follow the holy maiden well. In the future, you¡¯ll apany her to all the sacrificial rites.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied with some difficulty.


    The elder nodded and left, but Yun Ruoyan and the holy maiden stayed in the temple for the rest of the night.


    ¡°Holy Maiden, what exactly is that ce? Who are those people trapped by the pir?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked the holy maiden as she helped her wash up.


    The holy maiden originally had her eyes closed, but she instantly opened them when faced with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s question. ¡°This is a secret of the silver dragon n. If I tell you, you¡¯ll be part of the secret, and you¡¯ll never be free of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°I was trapped the moment I walked through the corridor and saw that scene.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the holy maiden apologized. ¡°I was too afraid to go through the rites alone, so I brought you with me, but I¡¯ve also dragged you into this entire mess...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize,¡± Yun Ruoyan reassured her. ¡°I simply want to make sure I understand what¡¯s going on. Since we¡¯re on the same boat now, won¡¯t you at least make things clear to me?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The holy maiden sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡±

 Chapter 480: Breaking the Formation

    <h4>Chapter 480: Breaking the Formation</h4>


    The holy maiden told Yun Ruoyan that, ever since she became the holy maiden, the silver dragon elder would force her to enter that cavernous area in which many demonic dragon descendants had been imprisoned. Her role was to activate the formation inscribed on the gigantic pir and extract their fresh blood.


    Yun Ruoyan asked why the silver dragon elder didn¡¯t do it himself. It certainly didn¡¯t appear as if the holy maiden was in cahoots with the elder; instead, she seemed to be forced to perform the rites on the elder¡¯s behalf, and her distraught expression was clear proof of that.


    ¡°Because activating the formation requires that you bear their anger, grievance, sorrow, and all sorts of dark emotions, ones that can easily crush you and make you fall apart. Nobody would be willing to bear such pain if they didn¡¯t have to,¡± the holy maiden replied. ¡°My previous servants were unable to deal with the grievance hanging in the air, but I¡¯m surprised that you were hardly affected.


    Yun Ruoyan had naturally felt the resentment and anger, but as a member of the demonic dragon bloodline herself, those feelings didn¡¯t have much of an effect on her. ¡°In that case, do you know what the silver dragon elder wants their blood for?¡± She changed the topic.


    ¡°To make holy water,¡± the holy maiden replied, confirming Yun Ruoyan¡¯s guess.


    ¡°Using people¡¯s blood to make holy water?!¡± Yun Ruoyan clenched her fists. Her father¡¯s blood had gone into the holy water that the silver dragon elder imbibed!


    ¡°Do you know whom the silver dragon elder was speaking to at the end? What purpose does he serve?¡± The holy maiden had been in a weakened state ever since finishing the rites, and she barely doubted Yun Ruoyan at all. She answered any question that Yun Ruoyan posed, as if she were unbottling her emotions and resentment at the rite itself. Whenever she answered a question, her expression became a fraction more rxed.


    ¡°All I know about that man is from his conversations with the silver dragon elder. His name is Long Yin, and he¡¯s from a lower realm called the Chenyuan continent. Because his bloodline is rtively pure, the silver dragon elder chose to use him as the eye of the formation.¡± The holy maiden told Yun Ruoyan that Long Yin, bymitting suicide, could both have ended his own suffering and paralyzed the rites, but the elder had threatened him to rece him with his daughter if he did so, forcing her to bear the same pain that he bore now.


    In order to protect his daughter, Long Yin had no choice but to survive.


    Emotion swirled in Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart. ¡°The silver dragon elder¡¯s a demon,¡± she spat out. ¡°Are you willing to remain his aplice?¡±


    The holy maiden opened her eyes and looked toward her. ¡°No, of course not. The rites are a nightmare, but as the holy maiden, I have no choice but to perform them.¡±


    ¡°Are you unwilling to give up your position as the holy maiden?¡± Yun Ruoyan pressed.


    The holy maiden shook her head. ¡°No, but I don¡¯t know how. My only option seems to be to anger the silver dragon elder into deposing me, but my plight would be worse than it is now.¡±


    ¡°And if I can help you? Are you willing to risk it all for your freedom?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    The holy maiden frowned as she nced at Yun Ruoyan and found a pair of sparkling eyes looking back at her. She had always thought that Yun Ruoyan was just a regr, if somewhat ugly, servant¡ªnothing more than an agile, deft, kind-hearted girl from the silver dragon n.


    But to say those words so confidently, with such resolute eyes¡­


    ¡°Who are you? Tell me!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan believed that it was time to reveal her identity, but she was also prepared for being attacked. If the holy maiden were to betray her after the revtion, she would incapacitate or kill her without hesitation.


    Everything rested on the holy maiden¡¯s choice.


    ¡°My name is Yun Ruoyan, and I¡¯m from the Chenyuan continent. The man inside the pir is my father,¡± she said. ¡°I came here to rescue my father.¡±


    The holy maiden blinked, clearly needing some time to process Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words.


    Yun Ruoyan continued, ¡°To tell you the truth, I initially nned on kidnapping you and using you as a hostage to threaten the silver dragon elder. However, I then found out that you were also a victim, which is why I¡¯m telling you about myself now. If you¡¯re willing, mypanions and I can help you escape from your current situation and grant you the freedom you desire.


    ¡°You havepanions?¡± the holy maiden asked in shock. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone from a lower realm being able to make it inside the silver dragon pce¡­¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it alone, of course. That¡¯s why I havepanions. I promise I¡¯ll get you out safely if you agree,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied seriously.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t, will you kill me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t try to attack me, I won¡¯t hurt you. I have a means of making you forget that you had this conversation with me.¡± Yun Ruoyan was quite certain that she would be able to use her bewitching fog against the holy maiden given her current cultivation.


    ¡°Let me consider,¡± the holy maiden finally replied.


    That night, Yun Ruoyan told Li Mo what she had seen during the sacrificial rites and mentioned that she had already reached out to the holy maiden.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, do you think the holy maiden will agree to work with us?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°She hates her current situation. If she agrees, our n will get a lot simpler.¡±


    The next day, the holy maiden agreed. ¡°What do we do next?¡± she asked. Perhaps because she could see a potential path to freedom, she seemed far more energetic and lively than before.


    ¡°Can you think of a n to lure Yin Xiao out of the castle? We can use him to threaten the silver dragon elder.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be difficult to do so, but I can¡¯t get out of the castle myself. The silver dragon elder¡¯s been keeping a close eye on metely,¡± the holy maiden replied.


    ¡°In that case, we can create a fewmotions within the castle beforehand to distract him.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡±


    ¡°I need to have a look within the temple,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    The silver dragon temple was heavily guarded in the nighttime, and it was very difficult for either Li Mo or Yun Ruoyan to sneak in without exposing their identities. On the other hand, during the daytime, they had quite a few opportunities. The holy maiden told Yun Ruoyan that, after the sacrificial rites, there would always be a big cleaning at the temple, and one was currently scheduled for tomorrow.


    Li Mo had managed to get a spot as one of the guards by the temple, while Yun Ruoyan, with the holy maiden¡¯s help, had been volunteered as one of the servants responsible for cleaning it out. The next day, Yun Ruoyan followed a group of seven servants into the temple, making eye contact with Li Mo at the door as she did so.


    ¡°There are many restrictions within the temple, and you¡¯re expressly forbidden from straying outside your designated areas. Do you understand?¡± an elderly servant instructed everyone. ¡°You and you, go to that side. The three of you, go to the other side. And you!¡± She pointed at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Go over there.¡±


    The elderly servant reported to Madam Li, and Madam Li reported to the holy maiden herself. They had nned for Yun Ruoyan to be sent to a rather secluded part of the temple by herself. Without any supervision, and with a map provided to her from the holy maiden herself, Yun Ruoyan was able to find the chamber containing the holy water that the demonic spirit had pointed out.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, are you ready?¡± Yun Ruoyan nced all around her to ensure that she was alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. Leave it all to me!¡± Qiuqiu chirped.


    A red glow emanated from Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands as Qiuqiu emerged inbat-ready form. Yun Ruoyan stepped forward and pushed open the doors to the secret chamber. Immediately, a white formation appeared and pushed Yun Ruoyan back.


    Qiuqiu immediately stepped behind Yun Ruoyan to steady her.


    ¡°What a powerful formation,¡± she murmured. ¡°Qiuqiu, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°Step back, Mistress.¡± Qiuqiu warned, then rushed toward the array. Its sharp ws struck the center of the formation, and its sturdy body smashed into it with brute strength. The formation began to tremble, as did the entirety of the temple.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone trying to break the formations within!¡±


    ¡°Quick, report the incident to the silver dragon elder!¡± the captain of the guards shouted, then headed into the temple himself.


    Meanwhile, Yun Ruoyan and Qiuqiu continued heading deeper and deeper into the temple, breaking any defensive formations they encountered using the approach. By the time the guards reached the first broken formation, the entire temple began to shake again.


    ¡°Not good¡ªsomeone¡¯s deliberately breaking these formations!¡± The guard captain immediately split his men into three groups, which began heading in three separate directions. Li Mo was in a group with two other guards.


    ¡°They¡¯re over there!¡± When his group spotted Yun Ruoyan and Qiuqiu, Li Mo immediately knocked one of the guards out, whereas Qiuqiu swatted away the other.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, are you alright?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. There are two more formations left to break,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied, then beckoned for Qiuqiu to keep going.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s enough.¡± Li Mo held Yun Ruoyan back. Someone¡¯s already been sent to fetch the silver dragon elder, and he¡¯ll arrive soon. We need to leave immediately.¡±


    Li Mo took out a set of guard¡¯s attire for Yun Ruoyan to put on while Qiuqiu returned to the silver bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension. Then, Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan back to the front hall of the silver dragon temple, where all the guards were gathered.


    ¡°Captain, we didn¡¯t discover anyone suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Neither did we, Captain.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t see a trace of anyone.¡±


    Because all the guards were wearing silver masks, no one noticed that Yun Ruoyan had joined their ranks.

 Chapter 481: Willing to Accompany Me

    <h4>Chapter 481: Willing to Apany Me</h4>


    ¡°Could they already have gotten away? That¡¯s impossible!¡± the guard captain murmured, then pointed at Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Guard the entrances to the temple. Make sure no one enters or leaves.¡±


    Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan were both trying to find an opportunity to leave, immediately nodded and headed out the temple¡ªthen immediately ran off. Almost right after they fled, the silver dragon elder arrived. Most of the formations within the temple, restricting ess to the inner sanctum, had been destroyed. In order to prevent anyone from essing these areas, the silver dragon elder had to immediately restore the damaged formations, aplex and time-consuming affair.


    As the silver dragon elder instructed the guards to scour the vicinity for any suspicious people, he began to restore the formations. Before he did so, however, he entered the secret chamber containing holy water. Arge, crystalline receptacle took up most of the space in the chamber. In it was an eerily red substance, the blood that had been extracted from Long Yin and the other demonic dragon descendants.


    A tube extended from the receptacle to another smaller vessel underneath it, out of which dripped a transparent liquid: holy water. There was still only a very limited quantity of holy water in the vessel, which the silver dragon elder would collect from time to time.


    He walked up to the receptacle, flew to its top, waved a hand, cut his palm open, and allowed some of his own blood to drip within. When the silver dragon blood touched the demonic dragon blood, it instantly began to react. The liquid within the receptacle frothed and glowed with a strange light, speeding up the rate at which the demonic blood was converted to holy water.


    This was an idental discovery that the silver dragon elder had made while researching the production of holy water. Although silver dragon blood didn¡¯t possess as extreme a regenerative power as demonic dragon blood, it was able to catalyze the effect of the demonic dragon blood.


    This was why he had tasked Rong Yueshan with acquiring Li Yan at any cost. He believed that Li Yan, who possessed both dragons¡¯ bloodline, would definitely be able to produce the highest-grade holy water.


    The holy water that the silver dragon elder was producing now was only able to extend one¡¯s natural lifespan, and he would need to continuously drink holy water to prolong his life. Once he stopped, he would quickly age and die.


    His long-term goal had always been to produce holy water that would grant him eternal life, and he believed that that secrety with Li Yan. However, Rong Yueshan had ruined his ns entirely¡ªshe had botched the kidnapping, died, and left Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo far more guarded than before.


    The silver dragon elder returned to the ground and removed a talisman from his robes. The talisman hovered in mid-air and revealed a person¡¯s image: the owner of the Yuelu Vi, Dong Tiehe.


    ¡°I greet the silver dragon elder,¡± Dong Tiehe said, bowing.


    ¡°How is your task going?¡±


    ¡°Elder,¡± Dong Tiehe replied, his face somewhat awkward. ¡°That child¡¯s under significant protection from both the Mo guards and a gigantic serpent in the ughtering King¡¯s manor, and I haven¡¯t found an opportunity to kidnap him.¡±


    ¡°A gigantic serpent?¡± the silver dragon elder asked doubtfully. ¡°Tell me more about it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s snowy-white all over, with scales covering its body, and two horns on its head.¡± Dong Tiehe described Whitey¡¯s appearance to the silver dragon elder, who began to frown. That description sounded exactly like the fledgling form of a silver dragon.


    Silver dragons were the forefathers of the silver dragon n. Just like members of the demonic dragon n, members of the silver dragon n possessed a draconic bloodline, but not true draconic forms. Only through specialized cultivation techniques could they acquire a draconic form.


    The silver dragon n used to have three pureblood silver dragons, one of whom had fallen to a lower realm a thousand years ago after the war between the two draconic races. That particr dragon had been lost to the n ever since, and the other two silver dragons had died during the war. Could that silver dragon fledgling be one of the descendants of the silver dragon who fell to the Chenyuan continent?


    If that were the case, Dong Tiehe would have to catch both Li Yan and that ¡®white serpent¡¯ that he spoke of.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you something to subdue that serpent.¡± The silver dragon elder took out an orbrger than a baby¡¯s fist, sparkling and resplendent. Murmuring an incantation, he threw the orb toward the talisman, which vanished and reappeared in Dong Tiehe¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, Elder,¡± Dong Tiehe replied eagerly, sensing the spiritual energy imbued in the orb.


    After the disturbance that Yun Ruoyan caused within the silver dragon temple, security around the pce was tightened yet again. All the guards were searching for the intruders, but Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had had proper alibis for the event.


    The silver dragon elder¡¯s surveince of the holy maiden naturally rxed¡ªeveryone was focused on those criminals daring enough to attack the silver dragon temple.


    ording to n, Yun Ruoyan handed Yin Xiao a letter allegedly from the holy maiden, who invited him to tour the silver dragon city with her. Yin Xiao was very excited after receiving the letter. He had lusted after the holy maiden for many years, but had yet to see even her face. The holy maiden was protected by his father himself, and he didn¡¯t dare touch her. What he hadn¡¯t expected was that she would invite him out of her own ord.


    Under usual circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to bring her out of the pce, but over thest few days, his father, the silver dragon elder, had been upied with the intruders who had wrecked the silver dragon temple. Unsupervised, Yin Xiao boldly epted the holy maiden¡¯s invitation.


    The holy maiden told Yun Ruoyan that she had snuck out of the pce in the past because she had been unable to bear the boredom of the pce. Yun Ruoyan asked her how she had done it¡ªafter all, the security around the pce was still quite tight.


    ¡°Madam Li,¡± the holy maiden replied. ¡°Madam Li has served me ever since I entered the silver dragon pce as a holy maiden, and she was only transferred elsewhere because she was getting old. She watched me grow up, and she now manages half the servants in the pce. When the silver dragon elder didn¡¯t keep so many tabs on me, Madam Li would help me sneak out of the pce once or twice every few months.¡±


    ¡°Is she trustworthy?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°This time, you¡¯re not just sneaking out to y, after all.¡±


    ¡°I believe her,¡± the holy maiden replied.


    Despite the holy maiden¡¯s assurance, Yun Ruoyan couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy when she recalled how she had taken spirit crystals from Huang Chuan. She had never believed that a greedy person could be particrly loyal.


    Following Yun Ruoyan¡¯s request, the holy maiden didn¡¯t reveal the truth behind her actions to Madam Li. Instead, she used her boredom as an excuse to try to get out of the castle. She disguised herself as a pce servant and followed Madam Li out of the innermost part of the castle, but she was stopped at the outer gates.


    ¡°Remove your veil,¡± the guard instructed her.


    The holy maiden had always veiled herself. Because other servants were responsible for helping her change clothes and wash up, even Yun Ruoyan had never seen the holy maiden¡¯s appearance for herself.


    ¡°This girl¡¯s recently caught a cold, so she can¡¯t be exposed to the chilly air. Won¡¯t you amodate us?¡± Madam Li smiled.


    The guard was new and unfamiliar with Madam Li, so he insisted on the holy maiden removing her veil.


    ¡°Forget it, Madam Li. Let me remove my veil.¡± Since the guard and Madam Li seemed to be at a standstill, the holy maiden decided to step in.


    ¡°No!¡± Madam Li was absolutely aghast at the idea. How could the holy maiden reveal her appearance to just anyone? Better that she not leave the castle than to expose herself!


    Just then, however, Yin Xiao appeared. He was able to roam the pce freely given his status as the silver dragon elder¡¯s son. ¡°Are you new?¡± He grabbed the guard by the neck. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who Madam Li is?¡±


    Because of Yin Xiao¡¯s presence, the holy maiden was able to make it out of the castle sessfully.


    ¡°You can return now, Madam Li,¡± the holy maiden told Madam Li.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Do you really want me to leave you alone with Yin Xiao? The holy maiden detested him, so why would she chase her away and be with him alone?


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Madam Li? Are you afraid I¡¯ll gobble up your holy maiden?¡± Yin Xiao asked coldly.


    ¡°No, no!¡± Madam Li hurriedly shook her head. ¡°But the holy maiden is my responsibility, since I brought her out. If I don¡¯t supervise her and something goes wrong, I¡¯d lose my life!¡±


    Madam Li actually stood firm even in the face of Yin Xiao¡¯s threats.


    In the end, the holy maiden had to pull her aside, take off her veil, and reveal a pretty face that¡­ didn¡¯t belong to the holy maiden.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± Madam Li almost jumped in shock. She was about to scream, but Yun Ruoyan hurriedly clutched her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m Yun¡¯er, the servant you brought in! The holy maiden¡¯s still safe and sound within the pce.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Yun¡¯er? How could that be? She¡¯s so ugly!¡± Madam Li¡¯s mouth was agape.


    ¡°This is a disguise.¡± Yun Ruoyan patted her undisguised face. ¡°The holy maiden sent me to give Yin Xiao a lesson. He keeps bothering the holy maiden, and it¡¯s been annoying her.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words finally got Madam Li to leave. What Madam Li really cared about was the safety of the holy maiden. Since the person with Yin Xiao wasn¡¯t the holy maiden, even if something were to go wrong, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to find the holy maiden a new servant.


    Yun Ruoyan watched Madam Li walk back into the castle. She reced her veil and turned to Yin Xiao. ¡°Master Yin, I heard that there¡¯s a particrly scenic location by the castle grounds. Would you apany me there?¡±

 Chapter 482: Li Yan, Caught

    <h4>Chapter 482: Li Yan, Caught</h4>


    Just then, a sudden breeze blew the veil off Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face, revealing her beautiful appearance. As Yin Xiao¡¯s eyes glued themselves to her face, Yun Ruoyan pretended to be flustered as she re-affixed her veil. ¡°Master Yin, I¡¯m not supposed to reveal my face to anyone. If the silver dragon elder knows, he¡¯ll surely punish me,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured pitifully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise I won¡¯t tell my father about this,¡± Yin Xiao quickly replied. ¡°Where did you want to go? Let¡¯s head there immediately.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan brought Yin Xiao to a pre-arranged location, where the demonic spirit and the others were waiting in ambush¡ªake just outside the silver dragon city. The two of them arrived at thekeside after about ten minutes¡¯ flying. Theke was encased in ice and surrounded by trees with white flowers, ones that Yun Ruoyan had never seen before, indeed a ce of natural beauty.


    ¡°To think that there was such a beautiful location outside the silver dragon city! I hadn¡¯t known about this ce before.¡± Yin Xiao smiled as he nced toward Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Holy Maiden, how did you know that such a ce existed?¡±


    ¡°Someone told me,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. She was ncing at the frozenke, her silvery-white robes perfectly entuating her figure.


    Behind her, Yin Xiao couldn¡¯t help wanting to pounce on the woman he¡¯d been dreaming about for so long. ¡°I¡¯m very curious as to whom,¡± Yin Xiao murmured, stepping forward.


    ¡°A friend.¡±


    ¡°What friend?¡± Yin Xiao leapt toward Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan whirled around and dodged to one side. ¡°They¡¯re right here. Turn back and have a look.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me, Holy Maiden. There¡¯s no one here but the two of us.¡± Yin Xiao said¡ªthen felt several strong auras appear right by his side. He frowned and turned around. The first person he saw was a small shorty, with another five or six people surrounding him. They looked at him as though they were looking at a sheep to be led to ughter.


    ¡°Holy Maiden, who are these people?¡± Yin Xiao nced at the holy maiden with some distrust and caution.


    ¡°Yin Xiao, I¡¯m not the holy maiden.¡± Yun Ruoyan again removed her veil. Her face was as cold as ice, because she was currently thinking about the terrible ritual that the holy maiden had been forced to conduct, as well as her father, Long Yin.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important. All you have to know is that we¡¯re here to kidnap you,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    A scarlet sword appeared in Yin Xiao¡¯s hands, and he thrust it at Yun Ruoyan. His cultivation was clearly more advanced than hers, and Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t think she would be able to block his attack.


    Luckily, she didn¡¯t need to. Qiuqiu howled, opened its maws wide, and crunched the scarlet sword in Yin Xiao¡¯s hands to pieces.


    How could this be?! Yin Xiao widened his eyes. He had intended on taking Yun Ruoyan as hostage, but the moment he acted, a strong spiritual beast had jumped out of nowhere and blocked his attack. He immediately soared up into the sky, hoping to escape.


    ¡°Brothers, take him down!¡± Huang Chuanmanded. The demonic bandits all rose into the air and pounced on Yin Xiao. After a rather intense battle, Yin Xiao was finally subjugated with severe injuries.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the demonic spirit?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked Huang Chuan.


    ¡°We¡¯re more than sufficient for a trivial matter like this,¡± Huang Chuan replied.


    ¡°Remind him to act ording to n. We can¡¯t make a mistake at this critical juncture.¡± Yun Ruoyan nced coolly at Yin Xiao, who had been trussed up so tightly he couldn¡¯t move any part of his body, then left on her sword.


    Several guards suddenly entered the holy maiden¡¯s chambers.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± the holy maiden thundered.


    ¡°Holy Maiden, the silver dragon elder has sent us here to search for any suspicious intruders. Please cooperate,¡± the guard captain replied.


    ¡°How could there be anyone suspicious in my chambers? This is ridiculous!¡± The holy maiden was second only to the silver dragon elder in terms of status, but these guards had entered her rooms without any reservation!


    ¡°You two, detain the holy maiden. The rest of you, search these chambers with me,¡± the guard captain instructed.


    A dozen guards scoured the chambers to no avail.


    ¡°The silver dragon elder will certainly hear about this act of disrespect,¡± the holy maiden warned.


    ¡°Holy Maiden, where¡¯s your personal servant?¡± the guard captain suddenly asked.


    ¡°I sent her out with Madam Li to buy me some essentials. She should be back shortly. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Everyone who left this ce today is suspicious,¡± the guard captain replied. He turned to his subordinates. ¡°Head to the castle gates and wait for that servant. Capture and interrogate her once you see her.¡±


    Just then, Yun Ruoyan walked into the holy maiden¡¯s chambers, her hands filled with all sorts of little trinkets from the silver dragon city.


    ¡°Holy Maiden!¡± Yun Ruoyan was again disguised as an ugly servant. She nced at the guards arrayed all around the room. ¡°Has something happened?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my servant.¡± The holy maiden pointed at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°She left in the morning and has clearly just returned. What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    The guard captain had only suspected the holy maiden because her personal servant was missing, but now that she had returned, the holy maiden was naturally cleared of any suspicion.


    After asking some perfunctory questions, the guards left.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± the holy maiden asked Yun Ruoyan.


    ¡°Yin Xiao¡¯s been caught, and we just have to wait for the silver dragon elder to take the bait now,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied with a smile.


    Over thest few days, Li Mo had been carefully observing the situation within the pce. He was initially supposed to apany Yun Ruoyan in dealing with Yin Xiao, but the silver dragon elder hadn¡¯t left the temple after he entered it. After a short discussion with Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo decided to remain in the castle to continue observing the elder.


    That night, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo met up to share information with each other. Although Yin Xiao had sessfully been captured, it was concerning that the silver dragon elder had remained in the temple for so long. They were afraid that he was nning to hurt Long Yin and the other demonic dragon descendants, but they were unable to sneak into the temple given the vastly increased security.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Yan¡¯er. Once news of Yin Xiao¡¯s capture spreads, the silver dragon elder will leave the temple of his own ord,¡± Li Mo consoled her.


    ¡°If nothing goes wrong, the silver dragon elder will find out about the news tomorrow,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°I¡¯ll disguise myself as a temple guard tomorrow with you.¡±


    The next day, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo patrolled the temple together. Within the temple, the silver dragon elder was currently setting up aplicated teleportation array. After days of waiting, Dong Tiehe had finally reported back with good news: using the draconic pearl that the silver dragon elder had given him, he had sessfully subdued Whitey and then captured Li Yan.


    The teleportation array the silver dragon elder was setting up was designed to bring Whitey and Li Yan over from the Chenyuan continent.


    ¡°Follow my instructions to the letter,¡± the silver dragon elder spoke to a talisman hovering in the air, with Dong Tiehe¡¯s image portrayed on it. Dong Tiehe was currently holding onto Li Yan, and in his palm was a draconic pearl containing a white serpent¡ªWhitey.


    ¡°Of course, Elder,¡± Dong Tiehe replied. He had always wanted to enter the Jiyuan continent, and this was his opportunity.


    When the silver dragon elder had finished setting up the array, he taught Dong Tiehe a certain incantation. Dong Tiehe recited the incantation, activating the array and disappearing within. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself within the silver dragon temple.


    ¡°I greet the silver dragon elder.¡± Dong Tiehe bowed deeply.


    ¡°Is that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s child?¡± The silver dragon elder, who was very skilled at hiding his emotions, was nevertheless quite agitated upon seeing the child.


    ¡°Yes, Elder.¡± Dong Tiehe handed Li Yan to the elder, who reached out for him. Then, he extended a hand to Dong Tiehe, piercing him through the chest with a spike of ice.


    ¡°W-Why?!¡± Dong Tiehe nced downwards in shock and horror.


    ¡°Because I have no further need for you,¡± the silver dragon elder replied coldly. Dong Tiehe spat out a mouthful of blood and slumped to the ground, no longer breathing.


    The silver dragon elder smiled grotesquely at the child in his arms. Li Yan, who had been sleeping all this time, suddenly opened his eyes wide and let out a piercing cry.


    Outside the temple, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart suddenly throbbed in pain. Li Mo noticed something amiss and immediately turned to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but my heart¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured. ¡°I felt as though I just heard Li Yan cry. Did you sense anything?¡±


    Li Mo shook his head, frowning. Although he hadn¡¯t sensed anything as acutely as Yun Ruoyan, his mind was in turmoil¡ªfrom some sort of sympathetic resonance through his bloodline.


    Just then, a messenger came running into the pce. He spoke with the guard captain, whose face turned pale as he took the proffered message and entered the temple.


    ¡°It looks like the demonic spirit¡¯s message has arrived,¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured, still clutching her chest.


    Li Mo nodded, temporarily quashing his worries as he focused on the situation within the temple.


    The silver dragon elder had opened the passageway toward the cavern, intending on recing Long Yin with Li Yan as the eye of the formation. Just then, the guard captain shouted from the outside, ¡°Elder, I have urgent news to report!¡±

 Chapter 483: A Sudden Development

    <h4>Chapter 483: A Sudden Development</h4>


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the silver dragon elder asked coldly. A ball of white light glowed on his palm¡ªif the guard captain¡¯s urgent news wasn¡¯t, in fact, urgent enough, then what awaited him would be death,


    ¡°The castle guards just received a message stating that Young Master Yin has been kidnapped. The message specifically requested that you rescue him yourself, and the sender¡¯s apparently the demonic spirit!¡± Knowing how important the matter was, the guard captain reported the issue quickly and concisely.


    ¡°The demonic spirit? Hasn¡¯t he been imprisoned?¡± The silver dragon elder frowned. He had been busy with far too much to care about the demonic spirit at the moment.


    ¡°Elder, I¡¯ve sent my men to check on his cell. He somehow managed to escape, and we didn¡¯t discover it until now!¡±


    ¡°What useless fools!¡± The silver dragon elder waved a hand. The white ball of spiritual energy that he had been coalescing on his palm struck the wall, boring a hole in it. That hole was directly on top of the guard captain¡¯s head.


    ¡°E-Elder, what are your instructions?¡± The guard captain¡¯s face turned pale.


    The silver dragon elder nced at Li Yan, still crying in hisp. ¡°If they want to die so desperately, I¡¯ll fulfill their wishes.¡± He patted Li Yan¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Your parents are something, aren¡¯t they? To think they¡¯ve been here for so long without my realizing¡ªbut with you around, they¡¯ll certainly show up. I¡¯ll have your family reunite before sending you all to the underworld.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo stared unblinkingly at the front entrance to the temple, the source of their uneasy premonition. After what seemed like forever, the doors finally opened. The silver dragon elder walked out of the temple, a crying baby in his arms.


    ¡°Li Mo, that¡¯s¡­¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s heart leapt.


    ¡°Stop, Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo clutched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s arm, preventing her from stepping forward. Both of them had clearly seen that the boy in his arms was none other than Li Yan, crying so miserably that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo wanted to drop everything to save him.


    ¡°Mistress, let me save the young master,¡± Qiuqiu volunteered.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t! There¡¯s no way we can win,¡± Li Mo murmured. He was unable tomand Qiuqiu, so he could only try to persuade Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Li Yan currently isn¡¯t in any danger. If we step forward and show our hand, that would make his situation even more dangerous.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan clenched her fists tightly, trying to marshal the strength to stop herself. She thought she would have a far harder time restraining herself, but she felt so miserable, her heart and head both so clouded, that she easily slipped into inaction.


    There were no less than fifty silver dragon guards all around her, each with the cultivation of a second-rank sword saint. If she were to rush out and initiate a fight, even more guards would rush to the scene. The silver dragon elder could defeat them even without any of the guards, and even Qiuqiu¡¯s participation wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference. Even she had to admit that there was no way of rescuing Li Yan from the silver dragon elder at the moment.


    Her body stiff, Yun Ruoyan watched on as the silver dragon elder left with Li Yan.


    ¡°Li Mo, we need to inform the demonic spirit about this immediately. We¡¯ll trade Yin Xiao for Li Yan,¡± Yun Ruoyan said.


    ¡°Alright. Return to the holy maiden¡¯s chambers for now. I¡¯m going to ask the guard captain for a pass to the city,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°We¡¯ll leave for the city tonight.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yun¡¯er?¡± When the holy maiden saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s forlorn expression, she was immediately shocked. This was the first time she had seen Yun Ruoyan so distraught since she had known her.


    ¡°Holy Maiden, I have very important news to announce.¡± Yun Ruoyan inhaled deeply and stabilized herself. ¡°There¡¯s been a big change to our ns. We had originally intended to have others deal with the silver dragon elder after he was lured out of the castle, while I would remain in the castle with you to carry out our part of the ns. Now, however, I need to face the elder myself, so I can only leave the developments in the castle to you.¡±


    ¡°What exactly happened, Yun¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°The silver dragon elder captured my baby. He¡¯s the child bearing both the silver and demonic dragon bloodlines, the one the silver dragon elder spoke of at length. He¡¯s been scheming to get my baby, and now that Li Yan¡¯s in his hands, he¡¯ll definitely make Li Yan the eye of the formation. Luckily, the demonic spirit¡¯s message arrived today. We¡¯re intending to swap Yin Xiao for Li Yan, and Li Mo and I have to handle this matter personally.¡±


    The holy maiden also took a deep breath. She knew just how frightening the blood formation was, and the silver dragon elder was nning on cing a baby at the center of the array? She trembled at the thought.


    ¡°Alright, Yun¡¯er. If nothing else, I¡¯m the holy maiden of the silver dragon pce, and I possess the most authority after the silver dragon elder. I¡¯ll do my best to finish the tasks that need to be done.¡±


    Not long afterwards, Li Mo arrived. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I¡¯ve gotten the passes. Let¡¯s go.¡± Li Mo brought Yun Ruoyan out of the holy maiden¡¯s quarters. Outside the walls of the castle, they saw two new posters¡ªstill portraits of Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, but now with a message: for the two of them to surrender at the castle within three days, or have their son be sacrificed to the heavens.


    Allegedly, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were two malicious leaders of the demonic bandits, ones who hadmitted all sorts of grave evils. Sacrificing their child was therefore made out to be an impressively benevolent affair.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo headed straight for the demonic bandit enve.


    ¡°There¡¯s been a change of ns. Send another message to the silver dragon elder, telling him that we¡¯ll swap our hostages,¡± Li Mo said.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What happened?¡±


    ¡°An exchange of hostages? What hostages?¡±


    The demonic bandits were quite confused at what was going on.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo told them about how their son, Li Yan, had been captured.


    ¡°I understand how you feel,¡± Huang Chuan began, ¡°but we don¡¯t have the authority to send the silver dragon elder another message. The demonic spirit has to be the one to do so.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time,¡± Li Mo roared. He had unknowingly infused spiritual energy into his voice, and draconic power thrummed in its wake.


    The demonic bandits all stilled. Huang Chuan replied in exasperation, ¡°It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to, but the demonic spirit wrote the message to the silver dragon elder himself! The silver dragon is surely able to identify the demonic spirit¡¯s handwriting, so he¡¯s the only one who can write the message.¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Huang Chuan shook his head. ¡°The head¡¯s been going on a few trips thesest few days, and he only returns every other day. All we can do now is wait.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had no other choice but to wait for his return¡ªluckily, he returned that very day.


    ¡°What are the two of you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    The demonic spirit, Li Mo, and Yun Ruoyan all asked at the same time.


    ¡°I went to acquire this.¡± The demonic spirit produced a bottle of holy water, which he held high up in the air.


    ¡°How?¡± Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both asked immediately.


    Over this period of time, the demonic spirit had been sneaking into the silver dragon castle and loitering around the silver dragon temple, waiting for an opportunity during which he could sneak in. That night, he found such an opportunity.


    ¡°I was caught the first time right outside the chamber containing the holy water, but this time, I found a method to break that formation,¡± the demonic spirit replied. ¡°Because the two of you had already done so beforehand and the new formation was constructed in a hurry, it was straightforward to break it a second time.¡±


    The demonic spirit held the palm-sized bottle up in his hands, his eyes gleaming. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that there wasn¡¯t more holy water. This is all that was in that chamber, and I¡¯m guessing the silver dragon elder must be storing the rest of his supply somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Is this enough for you to reforge your body?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°It should be.¡±


    ¡°How long will that take?¡± Li Mo continued.


    ¡°About three days.¡± It was then that the demonic spirit noticed something amiss. He looked at both Yun Ruoyan. ¡°Why are both of you here? ording to n, the only one who should havee is Li Mo.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s been a change to the n.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo exined what had happened with Li Mo.


    ¡°To me and Yan¡¯er, there¡¯s nothing more important than saving Li Yan,¡± Li Mo exined. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll be able to help us, or we¡¯ll have to end our cooperation with you here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll agree to an exchange of hostages,¡± the demonic spirit replied. ¡°But I have my own conditions. First, the exchange must be pushed back by three days.¡± Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had wanted the exchange tomorrow. ¡°In three days, I¡¯ll be able to get revenge against the silver dragon elder using my own body.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo thought for a moment before nodding. As long as this message was sent out, Li Yan wouldn¡¯t be hurt for the time being.


    ¡°Second, after we kill the silver dragon elder, I want us to take down the silver dragon n together. We demonic practitioners used to have enves on both the Jiyuan and Mingyuan continents, but they¡¯ve both been destroyed now. I would like you to help us rebuild these enves so that the demonic dragons, silver dragons, and demonic practitioners will serve as checks and bnces on each other¡¯s power.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan was the head of the demonic dragon n, and Li Mo¡¯s mother was the previous holy maiden of the silver dragon n. Once the silver dragon elder was defeated, it was only a matter of time before they took power. The demonic spirit was taking precautions against having Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo ganging up on him.

 Chapter 484: Chicanery

    <h4>Chapter 484: Chicanery</h4>


    ¡°We agree,¡± Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo said together. Neither of them had had any intention of eradicating the demonic practitioners, and nothing was more important than Li Mo.


    Given the sessful negotiations, the demonic spirit immediately began writing a letter to the silver dragon elder. Then, he entered closed cultivation in order to reforge a mortal body for himself.


    Three dayster, they would face off against the silver dragon elder.


    ¡°I need your help,¡± the demonic spirit told Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    ¡°How can we help?¡± Li Mo asked.


    The demonic spirit sat cultivating in a sealed chamber. On the ground was a formation he had drawn in blood¡ªmore urately, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s blood, not the demonic spirit¡¯s blood. Their souls were in an entangled state, and the demonic spirit was making use of this formation to separate them again. Then, he would use the holy water to reforge his body.


    All this would require immense amounts of spiritual energy, and Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s roles were to continuously infuse spiritual energy into the array to keep it running.


    Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body hovered on top of the array, his expression at times pained and at times sinister. Suddenly, a glowing orb of red and white emerged from Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s head. It was amorphous, and was slowly being pulled apart. Eventually, it resolved into two separate glowing orbs of light: one white, representing Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s soul, and the other red, representing the demonic spirit¡¯s soul.


    Yun Ruoyan upended the bottle of holy water into the array. As it made contact with Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s blood, it quickly sprouted, budded, and grew into a human¡¯s body at a rate visible to the naked eye.


    ¡°Haha, my mortal body¡¯s finally been restored!¡± The demonic spirit smiled as he nced at the growing body. ¡°Li Mo, help me enter my body.¡±


    Meanwhile, Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s soul, which had long been repressed by the demonic spirit, seemed to be spinning in circles. Yun Ruoyan prodded at it, then enclosed Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s soul in a sphere of spiritual energy. ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, can you hear me?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked mentally.


    ¡°I¡­ I can.¡± Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s voice still seemed a little confused.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re Yun Ruoyan.¡± It finally regained some amount of rity.


    ¡°Let me guide you to your body,¡± Yun Ruoyan said, then manipted the sphere of spiritual energy in which Zhuo Yifeng was encased.


    By her side, Li Mo was helping the demonic spirit into his own body. After a day and night of limating to their own bodies again, Zhuo Yifeng and the demonic spirit finally opened their eyes.


    Within the silver dragon castle, the silver dragon elder had received the next message from the demonic spirit, stating that he would exchange Yin Xiao for Li Yan at a location outside the silver dragon city in three days¡¯ time.


    The silver dragon elder crumpled the message and ignited it.


    By his side, none of his servants dared speak. Everyone knew that Yin Xiao was the only remaining descendant of the silver dragon elder. The higher one¡¯s cultivation, the longer one¡¯s lifespan¡ªand the more unlikely it was that one would leave children behind. If something were to go wrong with Yin Xiao, the silver dragon elder would be without an heir. No one was so daring as to interrupt the silver dragon elder¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°It looks like Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and the demonic spirit are all in cahoots,¡± the silver dragon elder finally murmured. ¡°If I can defeat them all in one fell swoop, I won¡¯t have anything to worry about. I could very well give them a taste of their own medicine¡­¡±


    The silver dragon elder turned to the guard captain, who immediately stepped forward. The elder whispered in his ears.


    ¡°Yes, Elder! I¡¯ll arrange things right away.¡±


    He then asked the guard captain, ¡°Has the holy maiden done anything of notetely?¡±


    ¡°No, Elder. She¡¯s remained in her quarters.¡±


    The silver dragon elder nodded, then dismissed the rest of the servants. He walked toward a little crib by the corner of the room, where Li Yan¡¯s limpid eyes were looking straight at him. ¡°What a cute child¡ªbut it¡¯s a pity, isn¡¯t it? Since your parents so desperately want to deprive me of my heir, perhaps I should do the same to them.¡±


    Three dayster, the silver dragon elder, as instructed, brought Li Yan to the designated location¡ªa secludedkeside clearing, quiet save for the sounds of nature, with silvery-white flowers blooming overhead.


    ¡°I¡¯vee with the child. Hand Yin Xiao over!¡± The silver dragon raised Li Yan high up into the air, and his voice reverberated about him.


    ¡°Silver dragon, how good to see you again, haha!¡± a malicious voice sounded, and a ck shadow darted out from behind the trees. The demonic spirit, draped in a shadowy cloak, hovered in mid-air as he nced at the silver dragon elder. Beneath his feet was a blood-red, cloud-like substance, making his appearance seem particrly sinister.


    ¡°You sneaking thief! It looks like you¡¯ve gotten your hands on some holy water, in the end,¡± the silver dragon muttered angrily.


    ¡°Haha!¡± The demonic spiritughed with glee. ¡°The formations in your little temple are as easy to rip apart as paper. The only reason I was caught the first time is because I wasn¡¯t prepared for an ambush, but I was easily able to acquire the holy water this time.¡±


    The silver dragon elder snapped his fingers. ¡°Stop speaking nonsense. Where¡¯s Yin Xiao? I¡¯ve brought the baby here.¡± He raised Li Yan high into the air again. ¡°Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, I know you¡¯re both here. Don¡¯t you want your child back?¡±


    ¡°Silver dragon!¡± Li Mo called out. ¡°Hand over our baby, or be prepared to attend Yin Xiao¡¯s funeral!¡±


    ¡°His funeral? Perhaps you¡¯ll be attending your son¡¯s funeral instead.¡± The silver dragon elder ced his fingers around Li Yan¡¯s neck. ¡°With the tiniest squeeze, this life will dissipate forever. It¡¯s hard for me toy my hands on such a cute little boy, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold it!¡± a woman¡¯s voice thundered. Following the shout, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo appeared, trailed by the rest of the demonic bandits. Yin Xiao was trussed up behind them.


    ¡°Silver dragon, as far as we know, Yin Xiao¡¯s your only living descendant,¡± Yun Ruoyan warned. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t bet his life, would you?¡±


    The silver dragon elder, who had lived for millennia and whose sole living descendant was Yin Xiao, certainly wouldn¡¯t dare risk the end of his bloodline. ¡°If you¡¯re so confident, then why ask? Now that both hostages are here, can we get on with exchanging them?¡±


    Li Mo stepped in front of Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I¡¯ll be responsible for the exchange. If you try anything, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡±


    Given Li Mo and the silver dragon elder¡¯s cultivation, it would be a trivial affair to kill someone from a distance.


    Li Mo brought Yin Xiao, still trussed up, toward the silver dragon elder, who did the same with Li Yan. Everyone held their breaths as they stared at the two men, prepared for something to go wrong.


    Just as they were about to meet, the silver dragon suddenly tossed Li Yan into the air behind him, flying into the distance.


    ¡°Li Yan!¡± Yun Ruoyan cried out, soaring toward him on her sword. Li Mo did the same, pushing Yin Xiao aside as he did so.


    ¡°Save me, Father!¡± Yin Xiao stumbled toward the silver dragon elder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let this duo get away!¡± the demonic spiritmanded, and the demonic bandits immediately surrounded the silver dragon elder and Yin Xiao.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re enough to stop me? What a joke!¡± The silver dragon elder¡¯s voice was infused with spiritual energy, forcing the bandits to stumble back. At the same time, a spiritual energy membrane covered both him and Yin Xiao.


    When Li Mo caught Li Yan, his face turned pale.


    ¡°Li Mo, what¡¯s wrong with Li Yan? Show him to me!¡± Yun Ruoyan reached out for him, but Li Mo looked at Yun Ruoyan oddly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Li Mo? Is something wrong with Yan¡¯er?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hands trembled, and tears were poised to fall from her eyes.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡ª¡± Li Mo hesitated. ¡°See for yourself.¡± Li Mo handed the baby to Yun Ruoyan, who stared at it in rage. That baby wasn¡¯t Li Yan!


    ¡°Silver dragon, don¡¯t you care at all for your kin?!¡± Because of how angry she was, Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice and body were quavering. Qiuqiu, sensing her anger, darted out of the silver bracelet¡¯s pocket dimension. Its red fur stood on end as it bared its canines at the silver dragon, howling deeply.

 Chapter 485: The Battle Draws Near

    <h4>Chapter 485: The Battle Draws Near</h4>


    ¡°Silver dragon, to think you¡¯d go to this extent for your goals!¡± Li Mo¡¯s voice was low with rage and anger. Li Yan was the most important thing in the world to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, and they had thought that the silver dragon elder viewed Yin Xiao simrly. They hadn¡¯t expected that the silver dragon elder would be so uncaring, even for hisst living descendant.


    The silver dragon elder was looking at Yin Xiao, who was getting closer and closer to him within the protection of his spiritual energy membrane. ¡°You haven¡¯t underestimated how much I care about Yin Xiao; you¡¯ve simply underestimated how much I care about your child. He¡¯s worth the risk.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s my child?¡± Yun Ruoyan resisted the temptation to rush over to the silver dragon elder. ¡°If I don¡¯t see Li Yan today, none of you will leave!¡± She tossed her silver bracelet into the air, which instantly erged. Qiuqiu leapt up onto the bracelet, then blocked any flight paths out of the area along with the demonic spirit.


    ¡°Right now, he¡¯s probably being sent into the blood formation, haha!¡± The silver dragon elderughed. ¡°And you don¡¯t think I¡¯d just sit here and allow you to attack me, do you?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo nced at each other, prepared to rush to the silver dragon castle to save Li Yan. Just then, everyone felt arge group of cultivators approaching them.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re all here now, I might as well end all of you.¡± The silver dragon elder¡¯sugh, twisted from disuse, sounded even more frightening than the demonic spirit¡¯s. ¡°All my enemies shall fall today.¡±


    ¡°Silver dragon bastard,¡± the demonic spirit called out. ¡°That¡¯s our n as well. Our grudge that hassted millennia shall end today.¡±


    ¡°Demonic spirit, the demonic dragon forefather has already died. I advise you to give up and flee, or you¡¯ll follow in his footsteps.¡±


    ¡°The reason the heavens saw fit to grant me my body back was to deal with the likes of you!¡± the demonic spirit suddenly shouted.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s stop talking and start the fight.¡± The silver dragon elder dragged Yin Xiao to his side, then instructed the guards that had surrounded them, ¡°Warriors of the silver dragon pce, ughter the enemies you see before you to thest! Each of you will receive a bottle of holy water for your efforts.¡±


    Hundreds of silver dragon swordsmen took to the air, surrounding Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and the demonic bandits.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, leave this to us. Find an opportunity to save Li Mo from the pce,¡± Li Mo whispered to Yun Ruoyan.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, then nced at the warriors all around her. Although there were arge number of them, the majority of whom were sword saints, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem to sneak past them and escape the encirclement with Qiuqiu¡¯s help. ¡°Take care of yourself,¡± she whispered back.


    This would be an important, decisive battle, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to help Li Mo. Her son was in danger, as was her husband. Yun Ruoyan felt as though she were torn in two.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Li Mo consoled her. ¡°If nothing goes wrong, your brother will be here with reinforcements soon. We just have to hold out until he gets here.¡±


    They were interrupted by the silver dragon elder¡¯s call to battle. Some among the demonic bandits soared into the air. Others remained on the ground and began holding off against the hordes of silver dragon warriors, easily outnumbering them ten to one.


    The demonic spirit tussled with the silver dragon elder, a gigantic ck broadsword against a silvery, glowing rapier. Fights among such experts generallysted a long time, and it wouldn¡¯t be unusual for it to rage on for two whole weeks.


    Li Mo helped out wherever he could, securing any boundaries that seemed liable to fall under the silver dragon warriors¡¯ onught.


    Qiuqiu stood in front of Yun Ruoyan, blocking any attack that came her way. Any swordsman that walked within three paces of her would be sent flying with a breath of me. While searching for an opportunity to leave, Yun Ruoyan suddenly noticed that Yin Xiao had vanished from sight.


    ¡°Mistress, I see him! That brat¡¯s escaping in that direction with the help of some silver dragon warriors!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan looked in the direction in which Qiuqiu was pointing. They were clearly heading to the silver dragon castle. Yun Ruoyan had drugged Yin Xiao with a particrly potent paralytic poison, so he was currently unable to use his cultivation. Even walking would have been an exertion.


    I¡¯ll use him as a hostage, Yun Ruoyan thought.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, let¡¯s go.¡± Yun Ruoyan jumpedo nto Qiuqiu¡¯s back, her Scarlet Eye in one hand and tufts of Qiuqiu¡¯s fur in the other.


    Two days ago, upon Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s request, Yun Moxiao had headed to the Mingyuan continent in search of reinforcements from Feng Yicheng and Pi Yang. Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan had written them a letter exining the situation, and had requested over a hundred second-rank sword saints to head to the Jiyuan continent to support their cause.


    Feng Yicheng and Pi Yang had both been shocked by the request¡ªthey had never dreamt of entering the Jiyuan continent, let alone fighting against the silver dragons there! If anyone else had made that request, both Feng Yicheng and Pi Yang would have rejected it on the spot, but Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had both done them favors beyondpare.


    Without Yun Ruoyan¡¯s help, Pi Yang would have been naught but bone and ash, let alone the husband of the next head of the Lie family. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had also helped Feng Yicheng defeat the Pis and be the head of the Feng family. No matter how unusual or shocking their request, both Feng Yicheng and Pi Yang would do their best to honor it. They had immediately gathered to discuss the matter.


    Although Yun Moxiao had never met either of them, he had heard Yun Ruoyan describe her experience on the Mingyuan continent, and he knew most of what had happened.


    ¡°My sister and brother-inw knew that the two of you would be concerned, so they also bade me convey you their words,¡± Yun Moxiao said.


    ¡°What did they say?¡± Feng Yicheng and Pi Yang asked.


    ¡°The Jiyuan continent isn¡¯t as sanctified as you might imagine. The continent is currently under the control of the silver dragon n, itself led by the silver dragon elder, a sly, greedy, and malicious man. Although you¡¯ve never met him, he was the backer behind the Pi family, and much of their tyrannical behavior can be traced back to the silver dragon elder. A thousand years ago, he incited the war that drove the demonic dragon n to their end; if we don¡¯t stop him from consolidating power now, he might do the same in the future.¡±


    Feng Yicheng and Zhuo Yifeng had only heard stories about the mythical war a millennium ago, but just the fact that only the silver dragon n had been left on the Jiyuan continent was concerning in and of itself.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t necessarily a losing battle,¡± Yun Moxiao emphasized. ¡°I came from the Jiyuan continent, and we already have quite a number of expert cultivators in our alliance. We simply have a numerical disadvantage, and if the two of you are willing to provide these forces, we stand a good chance of winning against the silver dragons. At that point, we can easily allow for transportation between the Jiyuan and Mingyuan continents.¡±


    Feng Yicheng and Pi Yang were indeed moved by Yun Moxiao¡¯s words, but they weren¡¯t yet fully convinced.


    ¡°Oh, and I almost forgot something.¡± Yun Moxiao walked up to Pi Yang. ¡°Ruoyan told me to inform you, Young Master Pi, that the silver dragon castle contains a miraculous liquid known as holy water, with which it may be possible to regrow your arms. Regardless of whether you intend to help her, she¡¯ll do her best to get you some.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean it?¡± Lie Yun, by Pi Yang¡¯s side, seemed to react far more eagerly to the news than Pi Yang himself. She had heard Pi Yang mention holy water before, but it had never seemed like a feasible possibility.


    ¡°Absolutely. It¡¯s guarded deep within the silver dragon castle, however, so it isn¡¯t easy to acquire,¡± Yun Moxiao replied.


    Feng Yicheng stood up and asked Yun Moxiao, ¡°Could you exin why Brother Li and Miss Yun are so adamant on fighting against the silver dragons?¡±


    Yun Moxiao exined the truth behind Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s parentage. ¡°Not only has the silver dragon elder seized my sister¡¯s father, he¡¯s been nning on kidnapping my nephew. My sister and I will stop at nothing to bring the silver dragons down.¡±

 Chapter 486: Rescuing Li Yan

    <h4>Chapter 486: Rescuing Li Yan</h4>


    ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Feng Yicheng shouted. ¡°Those silver dragons are indeed as greedy as you im, to push Brother Li and Miss Yun to such dire straits. I¡¯ll certainly send reinforcements on my end. Brother Pi, what say you?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let Yun Ruoyan down either.¡±


    Lie Yun nodded. ¡°Miss Yun has helped us immensely, and we have to help her out in times of need. How do we get to the Jiyuan continent?¡±


    Everyone looked at Yun Moxiao. He hadn¡¯t expected that, after so much talking, what had made all the difference was Yun Ruoyan¡¯s plight. Clearly, Feng Yicheng and Pi Yang were both loyal allies.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll thank all of you on my sister and brother-inw¡¯s behalf.¡± Yun Moxiao cupped his fists at the crowd. ¡°Once you¡¯re all ready, we can set off immediately. There¡¯ll be a spatial rend that can transport us to the Jiyuan continent.¡±


    On the Jiyuan continent, Yun Ruoyan and Qiuqiu rushed toward the silver dragon castle. In the distance, they could see two silver-armored warriors guarding Yin Xiao as they rode toward the castle.


    ¡°Stop them, Qiuqiu!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted.


    Qiuqiu roared, and the environment shed by faster than ever before. Just before Yin Xiao reached the silver dragon castle, Qiuqiu¡¯s massive form blocked their path forward.


    ¡°Who¡­ who are you, and what do you want?!¡± Yin Xiao cried out. Yun Ruoyan had pretended to be the holy maiden, lured him out of the silver dragon castle, imprisoned him, and fed him a particrly strong paralytic poison.


    Yin Xiao, as the son of the silver dragon elder himself, had never encountered such terrible treatment¡ªbut not only had the beautiful woman in front of him dared to do so, she was even willing to go against his father, the silver dragon elder. Furthermore, the beast that she was riding on was releasing such a potent aura that neither Yin Xiao nor his two guards were any match for it.


    ¡°I want you to pay for what your father¡¯s done to my family.¡± Her father, Long Yin, had suffered a fate worse than death at the silver dragon elder¡¯s hands, and Li Yan was about to share in the same fate. Yun Ruoyan had no intention to bear the fury that threatened to overwhelm her any longer.


    Qiuqiu pounced on the three men. Yin Xiao¡¯s two guards immediately drew their weapons and tried to hack and sh at Qiuqiu. Yun Ruoyan killed one of them with one blow, whereas the other died to Qiuqiu¡¯s huge maw.


    Yin Xiao, still paralyzed, was shivering in a heap as Yun Ruoyan picked him up. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! My father¡¯s the silver dragon elder, and he has treasures beyondpare! He¡¯ll give you whatever you want as long as I¡¯m alive,¡± Yin Xiao begged.


    Yun Ruoyan snorted. ¡°Young Master Yin, you overestimate your own importance to the silver dragon elder. If my son is injured in any form, I¡¯ll tear both you and your father to pieces.¡± She tossed him over Qiuqiu¡¯s back, and they continued rushing toward the pce. ¡°Yan¡¯er, Mother¡¯sing to rescue you. Wait for me!¡±


    Back in the holy maiden¡¯s quarters, several of the other silver dragon elders were requesting that the holy maiden conduct another round of the sacrificial rites.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we just performed the rites?¡± the holy maiden asked. Yun Ruoyan had asked her to see if she would be able to make use of her position to enter the silver dragon temple and destroy the blood formation. Before she could do so, however, the other silver dragon elders, who ordinarily stayed in closed cultivation, had suddenly shown up.


    ¡°These are orders from the first elder himself,¡± the second silver dragon elder emphasized. ¡°Holy Maiden, I hope you won¡¯t ignore the first elder¡¯s orders.¡± After a millennium of prosperity, the first elder¡¯s words were sacrosanct within the silver dragon castle. The holy maiden had no choice but to follow the elders into the silver dragon temple.


    ¡°Let him follow me.¡± Before leaving her quarters, the holy maiden pointed at a warrior guarding the doors to her chambers. The elders noted that the swordsman seemed particrly thin and sickly. Given previous precedent, the holy maiden was allowed to have someone apany her, so none of the elders said anything.


    The swordsman bowed, then followed behind the holy maiden. He was none other than Zhuo Yifeng, who had recently broken free of the demonic spirit¡¯s possession.


    Because his body had been weakened by the forced separation, Yun Ruoyan had him remain within the demonic enve to rest and recuperate. However, Zhuo Yifeng had overheard Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo talk about how Li Yan had been captured, and he had snuck into the silver dragon castle following the memories that the demonic spirit had left behind.


    Zhuo Yifeng searched the pce for quite some time without finding any trace of Li Yan. Unsure of how to proceed, he recalled how Yun Ruoyan had brought up the holy maiden. He then dressed up as a silver dragon warrior, found the holy maiden¡¯s quarters, and asked her to help search for Li Yan.


    That had all happenedst night. Before the holy maiden had a chance to act, the other silver dragon elders had found her and requested that she perform the sacrificial rites again. This was the opportunity that they had been searching for, and the holy maiden couldn¡¯t leave Zhuo Yifeng behind.


    When they arrived at the temple, the holy maiden and Zhuo Yifeng saw a pce servant carrying a baby, clearly waiting for them. Although the holy maiden had never seen Li Yan before, she could guess who the baby was. When she nced at Zhuo Yifeng to see him intently staring at the baby, her suspicions were confirmed.


    ¡°Elders, why is there a baby here?¡± The holy maiden pointed at Li Yan. Although he was in unfamiliar territory and being held by unfamiliar arms, he was neither crying nor screaming. His bright eyes, like those of a little deer, gazed curiously around him. When the holy maiden pointed at him, he quietly looked back.


    ¡°The first elder has imed that this child possesses both the demonic and silver dragon bloodlines, and is the highest-quality ingredient for refining holy water. He has instructed for you to ce him in the blood formation,¡± the second elder spoke imperiously.


    ¡°What?¡± The holy maiden thought that she had misheard. ¡°What did the first elder say?¡±


    The second elder slowly repeated his words, causing the holy maiden to recoil. She knew full well how terrifying the blood formation was, and the first elder wanted her to put a baby in the eye of the formation?


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± The holy maiden rejected the order near-instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how terrifying the blood formation is? You would put a baby in the formation?!¡±


    ¡°These are the first elder¡¯s orders,¡± the second elder repeated coolly, as if the holy maiden¡¯s refusal was unimportant. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need me to remind you what consequences await if you disobey the first elder.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this,¡± the holy maiden repeated. ¡°When the first elder returns, I¡¯ll suffer whatever punishment he has in mind.¡± She turned to leave, but two swordsmen, holding Madam Li between them, stepped forward.


    The second elder continued, ¡°The first elder guessed that you would refuse toply. If you still refuse, he has told us to kill Madam Li in front of your eyes.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± The holy maiden¡¯s face was distorted with anger. ¡°Aren¡¯t any of you afraid of heavenly retribution?!¡±


    The second elder sighed. ¡°I¡¯m simply following the first elder¡¯s orders, Holy Maiden. I know how important your rtionship with Madam Li is, so I hope you won¡¯t force my hand.¡±


    The holy maiden nced at Madam Li, then at Li Yan. In the end, she couldn¡¯t refuse the order. She walked up to a silver dragon statue, pressed its eyes in, and opened the secret passageway to the blood formation.


    Zhuo Yifeng tightly clenched his fists, but the surrounding guards all had more advanced a cultivation than he did. Even if he were to try to fight them now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to aplish anything.


    Before the holy maiden entered the passageway, she nced at Zhuo Yifeng, motioning for him to follow her. Perhaps because of how weak Zhuo Yifeng seemed, the second elder didn¡¯t object.


    Just as the three of them stepped into the passageway, a sudden roar rang out behind them, followed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s shout. ¡°Return my child to me!¡±


    The second elder widened his eyes in shock, but the holy maiden and Zhuo Yifeng both wore identical expressions of relief. While the second elder was distracted, Zhuo Yifeng dashed toward him and tried to snatch Li Yan from his arms.


    However, although the second elder looked somewhat lethargic, he responded surprisingly quickly. He turned his back to Zhuo Yifeng even as he surrounded himself with a membrane of spiritual energy. Zhuo Yifeng then tried to w the second elder, but his cultivation was so far above Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s, and Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s body was still not fully recovered, that his attack was reflected, and he flew into the air.


    As he spat out a mouthful of blood, his body was ejected from the passageway, which had closed behind him.


    Just then, Qiuqiu barrelled through the front doors to the temple and snatched up Zhuo Yifeng.


    ¡°Zhuo Yifeng, are you alright?¡± When Yun Ruoyan saw Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s pallid face, she immediately handed him a spiritual pill.


    ¡°The passageway!¡± Zhuo Yifeng hurriedly pointed at the statue through which the holy maiden and the second elder had disappeared. ¡°They brought Li Yan into the passageway, allegedly to make him the eye of some blood formation!¡±

 Chapter 487: Li Yan, Saved

    <h4>Chapter 487: Li Yan, Saved</h4>


    When Yun Ruoyan heard Zhuo Yifeng¡¯s words, her eyes gleamed as she looked at the silver dragon statue.


    ¡°Protect the shrine!¡± a guard called out, and Yun Ruoyan and Zhuo Yifeng were instantly surrounded by the gathered guards.


    ¡°Make way.¡± Yun Ruoyan stood up, releasing her spiritual aura for all to see. Her long, ck hair seemed to fan out in a breeze no other could feel, and her dark eyes burned red.


    ¡°Mistress, you¡¯ve broken through to a third-rank sword saint!¡± Qiuqiu shouted in excitement. At the same time, its fur seemed to turn an even brighter red. Qiuqiu and Yun Ruoyan were contracted, so when Yun Ruoyan advanced, Qiuqiu would also be strengthened.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, then reached for Yin Xiao, who was still saddled over Qiuqiu¡¯s body. A suction force instantly drew him to her palm. ¡°Move aside, or I¡¯ll kill him!¡± Yun Ruoyan warned.


    ¡°Move aside!¡± Yin Xiao¡¯s neck was held in a viselike grip by Yun Ruoyan, and his face was slowly turning red. ¡°Quick, move!¡±


    However, the guards remained where they were. ¡°Young Master, the first elder instructed us not to let anyone within the temple regardless of what happens.¡±


    Yin Xiao panted, ¡°If you don¡¯t move aside, she¡¯ll kill me! Father won¡¯t spare any of you if I¡¯m dead!¡±


    One of the guards replied icily, ¡°The elder told us that if you were to end up as a hostage, to give you a painless death.¡± A silver de shot through the air and prated Yin Xiao¡¯s heart, killing him on the spot.


    Yin Xiao widened his eyes at the guard who had killed him, unable to believe his father¡¯s orders to his dying breath.


    As expected, the silver dragon elder¡¯s a heartless monster. Yun Ruoyan released her grip, and Yin Xiao¡¯s body slumped to the ground.


    ¡°Mistress, we can¡¯t waste any time. The young master¡¯s in danger!¡± Qiuqiu shouted, getting ready to charge at the guards.


    ¡°We¡¯ll charge them together.¡± Yun Ruoyan spread her arms wide, forming numerous sparks of mes all over her body. Meanwhile, Qiuqiu opened its mouth, shooting out a ming dragon.


    However, the guards didn¡¯t back down. They drew silver shields to counter the me, and Qiuqiu¡¯s attack couldn¡¯t break their ranks.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, let me try,¡± Yun Ruoyan said.


    Qiuqiu nodded and moved aside. Yun Ruoyan stepped forward, and the sparks of me all over her body all jumped with her.


    ¡°Attack!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, and the sparks that she had gathered all shot forward. Before the silver dragon warriors could rx at having sessfully blocked Qiuqiu¡¯s attack, explosions sounded by their ears.


    The guards felt a staggering pain by their palms, and then nothing at all. Their eyes were blinded by light and me; when the explosions finally stopped, they found their silver shields glowing orange with heat, their palms and arms scorched ck.


    Shouts and groans of pain immediately splintered their ranks.


    ¡°Mistress, you¡¯ve¡­ advanced to a fourth-rank sword saint!¡± Qiuqiu shouted again.


    ¡°Ruoyan, you¡ª¡± Zhuo Yifeng nced at Yun Ruoyan in shock. Her advancements had always been linked to moments of great peril, but breakthroughs had grown impossibly difficult as a sword saint. To have broken through two ranks at once despite the handicap was a feat nearly unparalleled in history.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t seem to have heard Zhuo Yifeng or Qiuqiu¡¯sments. She strode toward the shrine and exploded it to pieces, revealing a smoking passageway.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, let¡¯s go.¡± Yun Ruoyan entered the passageway, and Qiuqiu and Zhuo Yifeng followed suit.


    In the underground chamber, the second elder pointed at the holy maiden with his sword. ¡°Quick, ce this child at the eye of the formation and active it!¡± The second elder¡¯s calm face finally seemed unsettled.


    ¡°Second Elder, I¡¯ll ask again: aren¡¯t you afraid of heavenly retribution?¡±


    ¡°The heavens will surely strike down the first elder first. I¡¯m just acting on his orders!¡± The second elder cackled maliciously. ¡°This child¡¯s the highest-quality ingredient for refining holy water, and we¡¯ll both benefit from it. Don¡¯t make me force you into activating the array!¡± He pressed the point of his sword against the holy maiden¡¯s neck, and a trickle of blood dripped out from the wound.


    ¡°Holy Maiden, don¡¯t be silly. Why give up your life for someone you barely know? Remember your identity and position¡ªyou¡¯re the holy maiden of the silver dragon n!¡± The second elder¡¯s eyes opened wide, glowing in all the colors of the rainbow. ¡°Look at me, Holy Maiden. This blood formation might be evil, but it¡¯s an old formation passed down the n, something that our ancestors left us. What we¡¯re doing now is strengthening the n¡ªeven if it goes against the teachings of heaven! Now, quick! ce this child in the eye of the formation!¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t!¡± The holy maiden desperately tried to resist the second elder¡¯s mental technique, but her cultivation was far weaker than the second elder¡¯s. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m the holy maiden of the silver dragon n, and I must ept my responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! As the holy maiden, you must ept your responsibilities!¡±


    Her mind in a daze, she mechanically activated the blood formation. Long Yin was jolted awake by the sudden activation¡ªin general the rites would only be performed once every six months, and it had only been a month since thest set of rites. Now that the blood formation had been activated again, the other demonic dragon descendants were all stirring in unease.


    They had had no time to recuperate after thest blood transfusion, and many more would soon turn to withered husks.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry,¡± the second elder called out. ¡°We¡¯re not here to draw your blood, but to send you apanion, haha!¡±


    He raised Li Yan up into the air, who began to struggle and cry. Long Yin, still trapped within the center of the formation, looked at the baby in shock. His previous conversation with the silver dragon elder reyed in his head: ¡°Your grandson possesses both the demonic and silver dragon bloodlines, and he¡¯s a top-quality ingredient for refining holy water. I¡¯m doing my best to capture him at the moment, and when I do so, I¡¯ll bring him here to be yourpanion, hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Could this boy be my grandson¡­?¡± Long Yin murmured. ¡°No matter what, he¡¯s not entering this formation!¡±


    Outside the formation, the holy maiden was conjuring a twin to the blood formation in her hands. When it was fully formed, a beam of light arced from the eye of the blood formation to the formation in her hands.


    ¡°Soon, our goals will be aplished!¡± The second elder ced Li Yan within that beam of light.


    ¡°Brothers!¡± Long Yin suddenly shouted mentally from within the pir. ¡°This child¡¯s my grandson, who was kidnapped from the Chenyuan continent. Please, I beseech my fellow brothers to help me save his life!¡±


    ¡°As a demonic dragon descendant himself, we surely have to save him from our fate. What say you, brothers?¡± another voice spoke up.


    ¡°At worst, we¡¯ll give up our own lives for his!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this damned torture! Giving up my life would be a relief!¡±


    ¡°Anything to foil the silver dragons¡¯ ns!¡±


    The other demonic dragon descendants quickly came to an agreement.


    Li Yan was being transported to the center of the formation through the beam of light when a counteracting force came from the blood formation.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the second elder murmured.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that silver dragon bastard?¡± Long Yin shouted, using everyone¡¯s spiritual energy to defend against the holy maiden¡¯s connection to the blood formation. ¡°We¡¯ll give up our lives before we let the silver dragon¡¯s n seed!¡±


    Many more demonic dragon descendants withered into husks, their bloodline and energypletely used up.


    ¡°Ignore him, Holy Maiden! Continue the transferral!¡± the second elder urged.


    Just then, a woman¡¯s voice thundered from behind the second elder, ¡°Return me my child, and I¡¯ll give you a painless death!¡±


    The second elder turned back to see a man, a woman, and a red, ming lion-like creature standing not a hundred feet from him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Return me the child!¡± Yun Ruoyan ignored his question and strode forward, releasing her full aura.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± the second elder shouted, then pushed the holy maiden aside and grabbed Li Yan for himself. ¡°If you step forward, I¡¯ll kill this child.¡±


    ¡°If you dare do so, I¡¯ll level the entire castle!¡±


    Li Yan was looking her way with wet, lustrous eyes. He reached out to her with two chubby hands, calling out, ¡°Mother, Mother!¡± Yun Ruoyan clutched her chest, her eyes burning.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt your child, so stay where you are,¡± the second elder called out again, then began to retreat. He pressed a hidden spot on the wall, causing an exit to appear from thin air. Just as he was about to leave with Li Yan, a sharp arrow whizzed by Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hair and shot toward the second elder.


    Before the second elder could scream in pain, the arrow had prated his skull, knocking him against the wall of the cavern.

 Chapter 488: Returning to the Battlefield

    <h4>Chapter 488: Returning to the Battlefield</h4>


    Zhuo Yifeng had spent all his reserves on this single arrow. Drained, he barely remained standing by propping himself up with his bow. Yun Ruoyan turned back and nced at Zhuo Yifeng, then hurriedly snatched Li Yan from the second elder¡¯s cold hands.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± Yun Ruoyan clutched him tightly, only btedly remembering to check his body for wounds. Thankfully, there were none. ¡°Yan¡¯er, it¡¯s my fault that I wasn¡¯t able to protect you well.¡±


    Because Li Yan was back in his mother¡¯s hands, although his face was still lined with tear tracks, he had opened his mouth wide with a smile. When Yun Ruoyan saw her son smile, she couldn¡¯t help doing the same.


    The joyous reunion was interrupted by a deep but excited voice. ¡°Yan¡¯er, are you my daughter, Long Yan¡¯er?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan turned to the source of the voice: the blood-red pir, in which a man seemed to be encased. ¡°I¡¯m Long Yan¡¯er, and my mother was Lin Yuemei,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. ¡°Father, I¡¯ve finally found you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Yan¡¯er, my Yan¡¯er!¡± Long Yin beganughing, quietly at first, but then so loudly it seemed to reverberate around the cavern, as though the pain that years of torture had inscribed on his body were being wiped away.


    ¡°Brother Long, are we saved?¡± one of the prisoners asked Long Yin. ¡°If your daughter¡¯s here to save you, does that mean we¡¯re all saved?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not weak, is she? Could she rescue all of us? Do we still have a chance to live?¡±


    The other demonic dragon descendants seemed as excited as Long Yin.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, can you save us all?¡± Long Yin stoppedughing, his voice somewhat worried. It was true that Yun Ruoyan¡¯s cultivation was quite advanced, but the blood formation couldn¡¯t be broken so easily.


    ¡°Absolutely, Father,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. No matter what price she had to pay, Yun Ruoyan had to rescue Long Yin from this hellish prison¡ªand the other prisoners as well.


    Yun Ruoyan handed Li Yan to Zhuo Yifeng, who retreated to one side.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, we¡¯ll charge the formation together,¡± Yun Ruoyan called out, then marshalled her spiritual energy to form countless sparks of fire. Qiuqiu opened its maw, summoning its own reserves.


    ¡°Go!¡± Yun Ruoyan flung the sparks toward the stone pir, which Qiuqiu also attacked at the same time. However, even after a few minutes, the stone pir was smoking but otherwise undamaged.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working, Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu replied.


    Yun Ruoyan frowned.


    ¡°You can¡¯t destroy the blood formation in this manner, Yun¡¯er!¡± The holy maiden, who had fainted during the fight, had just woken up.


    Yun Ruoyan turned around and nced at the holy maiden. This was the first time that she had seen Yun Ruoyan¡¯s true appearance, and she couldn¡¯t help being stunned. After all, she had be inured to Yun¡¯er¡¯s ugly appearance after all this time, only to find that she was a stunning beauty.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Yun¡¯er?¡± the holy maiden asked.


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, then smiled gently. She extended a hand to the holy maiden. ¡°Holy Maiden, I¡¯m Yun¡¯er. My true identity is Long Yan¡¯er, the daughter of the man trapped within the blood formation, Long Yin. One of the reasons I entered the Jiyuan continent and infiltrated the silver dragon castle was to save my father. Do you know how to break the formation?¡±


    The holy maiden stood up with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s support. ¡°This blood formation has been passed down generation after generation of silver dragons from millennia prior. Not just anyone can activate or destroy the formation.¡±


    ¡°Holy Maiden, can you destroy it? You can activate it, so you must be able to!¡±


    The holy maiden shook her head. ¡°I have the ability to activate it, but not to destroy it. Even the first elder himself might be unable to do so.¡±


    ¡°In that case, is it possible to free those trapped within?¡± Being able to destroy the formation would be ideal, but freeing the prisoners would be an alternative solution.


    ¡°Only the second elder can do so,¡± the holy maiden replied. ¡°He was the one who sent them into the formation, and only he knows the incantation to release them.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan sighed, then turned to Long Yin. ¡°Father, that silver dragon¡¯s fighting with our troops outside the silver dragon city. I¡¯ll join them, catch him, and save you.¡±


    ¡°Go! I¡¯ll wait for you to return!¡± Long Yin called back.


    When Yun Ruoyan and the others walked out of the temple, they found it surrounded by dozens of silver dragon warriors, all of whom were pointing their weapons at them. Yun Ruoyan and Qiuqiu were just about to attack them when the holy maiden called out, ¡°No, Yun¡¯er! They¡¯re just a few ordinary warriors following orders from the first elder. Let memand them.¡±


    Without any of the elders around, the holy maiden was the figure with the most authority within the pce. Shemanded the warriors not to attack Yun Ruoyan and the others; from the guard captain, she even found out that all the remaining silver dragon warriors had been sent outside the silver dragon city to fight against the intruders.


    ¡°There¡¯s a troop of silver dragon warriors garrisoned within the castle, only to be sent out for emergencies. Even they have been summoned on the elder¡¯s orders,¡± she told Yun Ruoyan. After this incident, it was clear that she and the first elder were opposed, and whether Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side won would decide her fate.


    ¡°By this time, our reinforcements should have arrived,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied.


    ¡°You have reinforcements?¡± the holy maiden seemed quite surprised.


    Yun Ruoyan didn¡¯t answer her question. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Regardless of the oue of the battle, we won¡¯t leave our allies behind.¡± She had Zhuo Yifeng bring the holy maiden and Li Yan to the demonic enve, whereas she and Qiuqiu headed outside the silver dragon city to rejoin the battle.


    The demonic spirit and the silver dragon elder were still entrenched in battle, as were the demonic bandits, Li Mo, and a seemingly interminable stream of silver dragon warriors. The demonic spirit¡¯s cultivation had originally surpassed that of the silver dragon elder, but over the millennium in which his spirit had been sealed, his cultivation had stagnated. Although the silver dragon elder¡¯s cultivation hadn¡¯t improved greatly, it had surpassed the demonic spirit¡¯s. Thus, even though they could fight on even footing for short durations, the silver dragon elder would slowly take the lead in a prolonged fight.


    Meanwhile, the demonic bandits and Li Mo were still facing off against the silver dragon warriors, more of whom would appear each time any of their number were ughtered. Several of the demonic bandits had already been killed or injured, and more would have fallen if not for Li Mo¡¯s timely assistance.


    When Yun Ruoyan arrived with Qiuqiu, everyone was relieved. Yun Ruoyan, her aura streaming around her, gave off a particrly powerful presence. She instantly found and rushed over to Li Mo, who was back to back with Huang Chuan, dealing with spiritual techniques streaming at them every which way¡ªcountless des of ice, frosted vines, and fireballs mming in their direction.


    The silver dragon warriors were all sword saints, and theirbined attacks were challenging to deal with even for someone like Li Mo.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out from a distance.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡±


    Their eyes met, and Li Mo instantly knew her n.


    ¡°Brother Huang, protect yourself with your spiritual membrane,¡± Li Mo advised, then did the same. As they hunkered down, a torrent of me washed over them.


    Qiuqiu, like a fire-breathing dragon, shot out mes of such high temperature that they could melt the warriors¡¯ armor and weapons. Yun Ruoyan supplemented the attack with her own me sparks, causing even greater explosions.


    Large swathes of warriors screamed under thebined assault, and those that were weaker or struck directly by the attacks instantly burnt to death.


    The silver dragon elder frowned at the sight. Yun Ruoyan was particrly skilled at wide-ranging attacks, and no matter how many warriors he sent in their direction, she could take care of them all.


    ¡°Surrender, you silver dragon bastard, or all your warriors are going to die!¡± the demonic spirit cackled.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early for that!¡± the silver dragon snorted, then released a crystalline ball containing a white serpent inside. ¡°Not only does this orb have the power to tame a silver dragon, it can even elerate its growth. For the future of the silver dragon n!¡±


    He tossed the crystalline orb into the air...

 Chapter 489: The Dragon Orb

    <h4>Chapter 489: The Dragon Orb</h4>


    The dragon orb whirled in mid-air, then released a blinding white light. Subsequently, a gigantic silver dragon emerged amidst the light, sorge as to block the sun.


    The silver dragon elder extended an arm, and the dragon orb returned to his palm. Hemanded the dragon, ¡°Go, extinguish the mes!¡±


    The silver dragon turned its eyes to the silver dragon elder, nodded, opened its maws, and shot out a pir of water toward the burning warriors.


    The mes quickly became smaller, then went out entirely.


    ¡°Mistress, that¡¯s¡­?¡± Qiuqiu nced at the sky. ¡°The silver dragons of the silver dragon n should all have been extinguished. Where did this onee from?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan frowned and narrowed her eyes. The dragon was staring right at her, and Yun Ruoyan thought she sensed an unusual familiarity from it. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, that¡­ might be Whitey.¡±


    ¡°If the silver dragon elder somehow got Li Yan, he probably abducted Whitey too.¡± Li Mo stepped toward Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side. ¡°He¡¯s managed to control Whitey somehow¡­ right, how¡¯s Li Yan?¡±


    From Yun Ruoyan¡¯s expression, it was clear that Li Yan wasn¡¯t in danger, so Li Mo wasn¡¯t too worried.


    ¡°He¡¯s safe and sound,¡± Yun Ruoyan said. ¡°I had the holy maiden and Zhuo Yifeng bring him to the demonic enve. Once we defeat the silver dragon elder, we¡¯ll bring him back home. My father¡¯s also waiting for us to subdue the silver dragon elder so we can save him from the blood formation. Li Mo, whether or not our family can reunite depends on this battle!¡±


    Li Mo clutched Yun Ruoyan¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Yan¡¯er, I promise we¡¯ll bring our families together.¡±


    ¡°Brother Li, Madam Li,e help!¡± Huang Chuan shrieked. Once the mes were quenched, the silver dragon warriors immediately started a counterattack, and the demonic bandits were surrounded once more.


    Huang Chuan¡¯s shout had alerted Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, but also Whitey. Whitey blinked, then shot out a pir of water toward Huang Chuan.


    ¡°Qiuqiu!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted. Qiuqiu dashed toward Huang Chuan and swallowed the pir of water whole. It burped, then smiled at Whitey. ¡°Long time no see, serpent. Let me y with you for a little.¡±


    It spread its ws and pounced toward Whitey. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s voice rang out in its mind, ¡°Qiuqiu, Whitey¡¯s being controlled by the silver dragon elder. Subdue it, but don¡¯t kill it!¡±


    ¡°I understand, Mistress. Whitey is Li Yan¡¯s contracted beast, and I¡¯ll make sure it doesn¡¯t die.¡±


    Qiuqiu had far more experience fighting, so it quickly drove Whitey back. Although Whitey wasn¡¯t a match for Qiuqiu in a straight fight, Qiuqiu had to be careful not to hurt Whitey too much, so it could only restrain Whitey until it ran out of spiritual energy.


    Although Huang Chuan and the other demonic bandits were struggling to deal with the bombardment of the silver dragon warriors, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo instead went to support the demonic spirit, who was visibly losing his fight with the silver dragon elder.


    ¡°Good timing! This monster¡¯s too powerful, and I¡¯m no match for him anymore.¡± The demonic spirit was running out of spiritual energy after the prolonged fight. ¡°When are your reinforcements arriving?¡±


    ¡°They should be here soon,¡± Li Mo replied, then helped the demonic spirit counter the silver dragon elder¡¯s attacks.


    The silver dragon elder¡¯s weapon was a formless de made from his own condensed spiritual energy, which could take on many different forms at will. When Yun Ruoyan¡¯s Scarlet Eye shot out dozens of aura des at the silver dragon, that formless weapon suddenly changed into a whip, which sliced apart the des and tangled itself up with Yun Ruoyan¡¯s Scarlet Eye.


    Yun Ruoyan felt a tremendous force wresting the sword out of her hand. When Li Mo saw what was happening, he immediately tried to cut at the formless whip, but to no avail. As Yun Ruoyan lost her grip, Li Mo frowned and thrust his de toward the silver dragon elder. This was a particrly dangerous tactic, because he would be putting himself within attacking range of the elder himself. Given how much stronger the silver dragon elder was, a single blow of his at full power might be sufficient to kill Li Mo.


    Although Li Mo¡¯s tactic was particrly dangerous, it was unexpected and hence unusually effective. The silver dragon elder immediately gave up trying to take over Yun Ruoyan¡¯s sword and instead turned to defense. However, Li Mo¡¯s lightning-fast speed and sneak attack allowed him to thrust his sword into the silver dragon elder¡¯s chest before he could set up his defenses.


    The silver dragon elder grunted in pain, then smashed a fisti nto Li Mo¡¯s shoulder, sending him flying away with a spray of blood.


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, then rushed to his side. ¡°A-Are you alright?¡± Yun Ruoyan wiped at the blood trailing down Li Mo¡¯s mouth, her voice quavering.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Li Mo struggled to open his eyes, forcing a smile out of his mouth. He raised the arm that was bloody from the silver dragon elder¡¯s blow. ¡°Luckily, I performed a partial draconic transformation to strengthen my body, or I¡¯d have lost an arm.¡±


    ¡°Do you think this is enough to kill me?¡± the silver dragon elderughed, and Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan both looked in his direction.


    The elder¡¯s chest had been pierced by Li Mo¡¯s sword. Under ordinary circumstances, this would be a heavy, if not lethal, blow. However, the silver dragon elder slowly retrieved a bottle from his robes, which he downed. After he did so, the wound on his chest began to heal visibly. ¡°Haha, as long as I have holy water, you won¡¯t be able to kill me, hahaha!¡±


    He inclined his head to the skies andughed, then focused on Yun Ruoyan. ¡°And it was all refined with the blood of the demonic dragon descendants, your father¡¯s among them. His blood will render me invincible¡ªI¡¯ll subdue you, then turn you all into ingredients for making more holy water! The silver dragon n shall rule heaven and earth, and I shall lead the silver dragon n! Yun Ruoyan, your father, you, and your child will all be nothing but stepping stones for me! This is your fate, the fate of the demonic dragon n!¡±


    Yun Ruoyan clenched her fists, the demonic dragon blood in her veins frothing. She stood up and shouted, ¡°You¡¯ll suffer for all the sins and crimes you¡¯vemitted. I, Yun Ruoyan, will wreak vengeance on behalf of the demonic dragon n!¡±


    ¡°You pitiful girl,¡± the silver dragon elder called out. ¡°Your father wasn¡¯t half as audacious as you, but no matter¡ªI¡¯ll let your entire family reunite within the blood formation, hahaha!¡±


    Heughed again, and the dragon orb in his hand released a blinding light. Yun Ruoyan turned to the orb, then to Qiuqiu and Whitey, strill struggling with each other in the distance.


    ¡°Li Mo, lend me your sword,¡± Yun Ruoyan whispered to him.


    ¡°Be careful, Yan¡¯er,¡± Li Mo handed his sword to her. ¡°Li Yan¡¯s still waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The silver dragon elder will die by my hand, and he¡¯ll pay for everything that he¡¯s done!¡± Yun Ruoyan took his sword, then shot it toward the silver dragon elder.


    ¡°You think you¡¯ll be able to use the same trick twice?¡± The silver dragon elder wed at the sword, but just as he did so, a scarlet de, as well as the master of that scarlet de, appeared in front of his eyes in a sh.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s de was heading toward his brain. If his head were to be pierced through, no amount of holy water could revive him. The silver dragon elder had no choice but to block the blow with his other arm.


    With a crack, the dragon orb in his palm splintered, releasing another wave of blinding white light. Whitey, who had been attacking Qiuqiu, suddenly turned dazed. Then, it focused on the silver dragon elder, its eyes burning with rage...

 Chapter 490: The Draconic Formation

    <h4>Chapter 490: The Draconic Formation</h4>


    After her sessful sneak attack, Yun Ruoyan quickly retreated. The silver dragon elder¡¯s eyes burned with rage as he stared at Yun Ruoyan, shards of the orb still in his palm.


    Yun Ruoyan turned toward Whitey. ¡°Whitey, do you recognize me?¡±


    Whitey nodded.


    ¡°If you¡¯re clear-headed now, then there¡¯s no need to fight, is there?¡± Qiuqiu asked. Whitey nodded again, blowing a deep breath at Qiuqiu in agreement.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s fight together!¡± Whitey blew another breath at Qiuqiu, and the dragon and qilin flew to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side in opposition to the silver dragon elder.


    ¡°Today, I¡¯ll make you repay this blood debt.¡± Yun Ruoyan pointed her Scarlet Eye at the silver dragon elder. On her other hand, Li Mo¡¯s sword cried out in resonance.


    ¡°You¡¯re no match for me.¡± The silver dragon elder released the crystalline shards of the dragon orb, one of thest great treasures of the n. However, he didn¡¯t seem at all upset. Suddenly, he asked, ¡°Do you know why your father was able to be the eye of the formation?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan, not knowing what the silver dragon elder was trying to get at, pursed her lips and refused to answer. The silver dragon elder continued, ¡°Because his cultivation was rtively advanced. He had just broken through to the realm of a sword saint when I caught him, and you know how hard it is to do so on the Chenyuan continent¡ªbut he did it.¡±


    The silver dragon elder was praising her father, but his words were like poison to Yun Ruoyan. ¡°The greater his cultivation, the stronger his bloodline, and the more precious his blood. Although your baby doesn¡¯t have any cultivation of his own yet, he has both the silver and demonic dragon bloodlines, and he too would be good as the eye of the formation. However, he¡¯s still too young, and it would be a waste to trap him in the formation as is. But what I hadn¡¯t realized was that there was a candidate far surpassing both of them: you, Yun Ruoyan.¡±


    The silver dragon elder pointed at Yun Ruoyan. ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re already a fourth-rank sword saint, a peak existence even on the Jiyuan continent. Your demonic dragon bloodline¡¯s both purer and far stronger than your father¡¯s, and you¡¯ll be an ideal core for my formation.¡±


    ¡°Dream on!¡± Yun Ruoyan spat out.


    ¡°Whether I¡¯m dreaming or not, you¡¯ll be able to see for yourself immediately,¡± the silver dragon elder replied. ¡°After all, we¡¯re on the Jiyuan continent, the focus of my power. Do you really think you can fight against the entire silver dragon n with just a few paltry cultivators?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced all around them, at the silver dragon warriors still streaming in from the distance and surrounding them all.


    ¡°Warriors of the silver dragon n,¡± the silver dragon elder shouted. ¡°ughter these intruders to thest!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Elder!¡± the warriors all around them shouted, theirbined voices drowning out even the sound of the fighting.


    The demonic bandits who were still alive paled.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, how many warriors can you handle?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°At least a few hundred,¡± Qiuqiu replied. ¡°But I need to help you deal with the silver dragon elder. Alone, you¡¯d be no match for him.¡±


    ¡°Whitey will help me. Go deal with the warriors. Li Mo¡¯s injured, and he¡¯ll need to be protected too,¡± Yun Ruoyanmanded.


    Qiuqiu still wanted to protest when the demonic spirit shouted from behind, ¡°Your reinforcements are finally here!¡±


    When Yun Moxiao left, the demonic spirit had given him a talisman, one that he was supposed to light when their reinforcements were ready. The demonic spirit had just sensed Yun Moxiao lighting that talisman.


    ¡°Mistress, our reinforcements are here!¡± Qiuqiu called out excitedly.


    Li Mo also stood up and went to Yun Ruoyan¡¯s side. ¡°My injuries are only superficial, and I can still fight.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nced at Li Mo¡¯s arm, which had stopped bleeding, and nodded. Then, she turned to Qiuqiu. ¡°Qiuqiu, go help the demonic spirit tear a spatial rend and wee my brother and the others here. Then,e back and help.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress!¡± Qiuqiu nodded immediately.


    ¡°You have reinforcements?¡± The silver dragon frowned at Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    ¡°Just a few friends and allies. There¡¯s no need to worry, Elder,¡± Li Mo replied, smiling faintly.


    ¡°No matter who arrives, kill them all!¡± the silver dragon eldermanded again.


    ¡°Yes, Elder!¡± the warriors all around them chorused.


    On the other side of Yun Ruoyan, the demonic spirit revealed a skeletal hand glowing with a blue light. He wed at space and tore it like cloth. Qiuqiu mimicked the action, and a man walked out from the rend.


    ¡°Yun Moxiao!¡± Qiuqiu called out.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, what¡¯s going on?¡± Yun Moxiao hurriedly asked.


    ¡°The battle¡¯s already begun. Good timing!¡±


    Arge group of swordsmen followed Yun Moxiao out, Feng Yicheng, Pi Yang, and Feng Bo among them. When the silver dragon warriors saw these swordsmen, they immediately charged at them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s settle our debts today!¡± Yun Ruoyan called out again.


    ¡°And mine. You still remember my mother, Xue Tong, don¡¯t you, Elder?¡±


    ¡°Xue Tong¡¯s your mother?¡± The silver dragon elder seemed a little bbergasted.


    ¡°Indeed. My mother was Holy Maiden Xue Tong, who escaped from the Jiyuan continent to the Chenyuan continent many years ago. Her body¡¯s still in the silver dragon temple. My father, the Beast King, died at your hands. Today will be the day I exact revenge.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± When he heard Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s words, the silver dragon elderughed again. ¡°No wonder your hair¡¯s such a pure silver¡ªso you have the holy maiden¡¯s bloodline! Well, since you¡¯re all here now,e at me.¡±


    ¡°Li Mo!¡± Yun Ruoyan turned to nce at Li Mo, somewhat worried about his arm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me!¡± Li Mo called back. He partially transformed his other arm into draconic form, and his sword returned to his hand.


    ¡°Together, we¡¯ll kill that silver dragon bastard,¡± Yun Ruoyan promised, then leapt onto Qiuqiu¡¯s body. Li Mo stood atop Whitey¡¯s head.


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo infused the entirety of their spiritual energy into their swords and dashed toward the silver dragon elder. Just then, the elder closed his eyes, chanting under his breath. His hands were infused with spiritual energy, forming glowing symbol after glowing symbol. Beneath him appeared a formation of surprising breadth, causing his body to shine with a silver light. The silver dragon elder¡¯s two legs turned into a dragon¡¯s tail, his arms into a dragon¡¯s ws, and his body quickly grew in length and breadth. Silver scales covered his skin.


    ¡°A draconic formation!¡± the demonic spirit yelled out in shock.


    The unbelievable sight caused the heated battle to pause for a moment as everyone looked toward the formation glowing in brilliant silver, at the silver dragon elder¡¯s transformation.


    ¡°What¡¯s this draconic formation?¡± Yun Moxiao asked.


    ¡°Although the members of the silver dragon n are descendants of the silver dragons, they can¡¯t take on a draconic form¡ªunless they ascend to the realm of a ninth-rank sword saint, but that¡¯s an almost impossible feat. Apparently, there¡¯s also a taboo formation that can create the same effect, the draconic formation,¡± the demonic spirit exined. ¡°However, this formation has long been sealed because of its danger. That bastard¡¯s probably making use of the holy water¡¯s regenerative power to sustain the transformation.¡±


    Exactly as the demonic spirit suspected, the silver dragon elder had been pouring holy water down his throat to mitigate the deleterious effects of the transformation.


    ¡°We have to stop him!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted at Li Mo, then began flying toward the silver dragon elder.


    ¡°Ruoyan, it¡¯s too dangerous! Let me go!¡± Li Mo shouted, then charged toward the elder with Whitey. However, the spiritual energy being exuded from the formation wasn¡¯t something that Whitey could handle, and he was quickly pushed away from the elder.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, follow me!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted, then threw her silver bracelet into the air. It erged in size, and Qiuqiu leapt on top of it.


    ¡°Sit tight, Mistress!¡± Qiuqiu shouted, then brought Yun Ruoyan toward the center of the formation.


    The silver dragon elder¡¯s transformation had already reached its final stages. His body had taken on a draconic form, and only his head remained yet untransformed. Just then, Yun Ruoyan suddenly appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Silver dragon bastard, die!¡± Yun Ruoyan infused her entire supply of spiritual energy into her Scarlet Eye as she thrust toward his head. The Scarlet Eye transformed into a scarlet beam, one that shot straight at the silver dragon elder...

 Chapter 491: Double Dragon Transformation

    <h4>Chapter 491: Double Dragon Transformation</h4>


    Not expecting that Yun Ruoyan would be able to prate the formation and suddenly appear before him, the silver dragon elder hurriedly turned aside. The Scarlet Eye stabbed into his right eye, causing him to howl in agony. At the same time, he finally transformed fully into a silver dragon, albeit his right eye was now a bleeding socket.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, you dare hurt me?! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± As he howled, even the skies changed color.


    ¡°Mistress, we have to retreat!¡± Qiuqiu shouted, then brought Yun Ruoyan away.


    Yun Ruoyan reached for the skies, recalling the Scarlet Eye back into her grasp. She turned to look at the silver dragon, whose massive form seemed to fill up half the sky.


    Qiuqiu brought Yun Ruoyan flying out of the draconic formation, reappearing in in view.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo rushed up to her, carried by Whitey. He inspected her up and down, his gazending on her abdomen. Every second that Yun Ruoyan had spent in the formation, so close yet so far away, was agony.


    Yun Ruoyan naturally knew what Li Mo was worried about, and she forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but we have plenty of trouble uing.¡±


    Li Mo followed Yun Ruoyan¡¯s gaze toward the skies, where dark clouds were gathering en masse. The roar of a silver dragon could be heard from high above, causing everyone¡¯s face to pale. Even Whitey trembled in fear.


    ¡°Now that the silver dragon elder¡¯s sessfully transformed, it¡¯s quite likely that we¡¯ll all die to him,¡± the demonic spirit sighed.


    As the remnants of the draconic formation melted away, the silver dragon¡¯s massive form was revealed to all. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ll chase each and every one of you down! Await your deaths!¡± the dragon shouted. Its single blue eye swept over the gathered crowd, seeming to freeze all that it saw.


    ¡°Demonic spirit, do you have any countermeasures against him?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked.


    ¡°The silver dragon elder¡¯s cultivation was originally above all of ours, and the draconic transformation will have augmented his abilities at least threefold. I don¡¯t have any tricks up my sleeve,¡± he replied wearily. ¡°All we can do is try our best.¡±


    The silver dragon had already begun to attack, opening its gigantic maw and releasing a torrent of ice shards.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and the demonic spirit immediately released their spiritual membranes, even as they shielded themselves with their weapons. Each of these shards of ice gleamed with a pale blue glow; they were sharp beyondpare, and even infused with spiritual energy.


    Quickly, the defenses of their reinforcements from the Mingyuan continent broke, and countless swordsmen began to perish. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo looked at the skies and at the ground, at the swordsmen who died following their summons.


    The swordsmen by Feng Yicheng and Pi Yang were protecting them, but they wouldn¡¯tst long either.


    ¡°Is there no way out?¡± Yun Ruoyan asked. ¡°Qiuqiu, could we try attacking the silver dragon again?¡±


    ¡°No, Mistress,¡± Qiuqiu replied. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t even be able to approach him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ thought of something,¡± the demonic spirit quickly said. ¡°But it¡¯s¡­ well, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work.¡±


    ¡°Tell us!¡± Yun Ruoyan urged.


    ¡°Anything¡¯s better than waiting for our deaths,¡± Li Mo added.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you both have draconic bloodlines?¡± the demonic spirit began. Li Mo had the bloodline of the silver dragons, and Yun Ruoyan that of the demonic dragons.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Li Mo confirmed.


    ¡°In that case, both of you should be able to use the draconic formation to take on draconic forms,¡± the demonic spirit exined. ¡°I used to enjoy studying all sorts of esoteric formations, and I know a little of this one. Given the silver dragon elder¡¯s powers, even if all of usbined our powers, we wouldn¡¯t be able to go against him. On the other hand, if the two of you transform into dragons yourselves, we might have a fighting chance.¡±


    Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo nced at each other. ¡°No!¡±


    Li Mo was worried about Yun Ruoyan¡¯s unborn child, whereas Yun Ruoyan was worried about Li


    Mo¡¯s bloodline. The regenerative powers of the silver dragons were insufficient to handle the transformation, and they didn¡¯t have any holy water to mitigate the effects as the silver dragon elder did.


    The demonic spirit sighed. ¡°That was my only idea. If you both refuse, then we¡¯ll just have to await heaven¡¯s judgment.¡±


    ¡°Your n is workable,¡± Li Mo said. ¡°But I¡¯ll be the only one who transforms.¡±


    ¡°Li Mo, you can¡¯t go! Let me!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time!¡± the demonic spirit said. ¡°Decide!¡±


    As the silver dragon¡¯s torrential rain of shards grew more and more concentrated, even more swordsmen began to die. Even the demonic spirit was starting to sweat under the assault, but hte silver dragon seemed able to keep up the attack until the entire world was frozen over.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, listen to me! You¡¯re pregnant, and I can¡¯t let anything happen to you!¡±


    ¡°And if something happens to you?¡± Yun Ruoyan countered. ¡°What would I and my child do?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s words caused Li Mo to hesitate. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what I told you? No matter what, we¡¯ll be together, even in death.¡± She looked at Li Mo with scorching eyes.


    Li Mo took a deep breath. ¡°In life or in death¡ªwe¡¯ll do it together!¡± He extended a hand to Yun Ruoyan, who clutched it tightly.


    ¡°Start the ritual, demonic spirit!¡± Yun Ruoyan shouted.


    The demonic spirit immediately began preparations for the formation while Yun Ruoyanmanded Qiuqiu and Whitey to guard them. Amidst the clouds, a silver light encased Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    The silver dragon noticed themotion, stopped its attack, and began flying toward them.


    Qiuqiu and Whitey immediately shot forward. Qiuqiu shot a breath of me toward the silver dragon; Whitey, though only one-fifth the silver dragon¡¯s size, was able to agilely dart and weave around the silver dragon¡¯s body, wing him all the while.


    ¡°You little brats!¡± In rage, the silver dragon struck Whitey, caught him with four ws, and tore its body into two chunks, causing Whitey to let out a piteous shriek.


    ¡°Whitey!¡± Qiuqiu called out, then pounced on the silver dragon. When Qiuqiu bit down on the silver dragon¡¯s ws, the intense pain finally caused him to let Whitey go, flinging his body far toward the ground.


    The silver dragon then turned to bite at Qiuqiu. Qiuqiu was able to evade its sharp teeth, but not its ws. The gigantic ws grabbed Qiuqiu, causing it to groan. Qiuqiu struggled, but the ws only contracted more and more tightly.


    Qiuqiu¡¯s skin was far tougher than the ws, but the dragon¡¯s strength was sufficient to inflict internal injuries. Red blood seeped out of Qiuqiu¡¯s mouth as its eyes began to darken. In the end, it closed its eyes in despair. ¡°Mistress, I¡­ can¡¯t hold on any longer. Take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Two useless creatures, haha! Soon, it¡¯ll be your masters¡¯ turn!¡± The silver dragon flung Qiuqiu away as though it were just a piece of trash.


    Within the draconic formation, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were both undergoing metamorphosis. Yun Ruoyan¡¯s demonic dragon blood, with its extreme regenerative powers, dampened the edge of the pain. Li Mo could only grit his teeth and bear the brunt of the transformation with nothing but her own will.


    ¡°Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, demonic spirit¡ªmeet your deaths!¡± The silver dragon wed at the formation. If the draconic transformation were cancelled halfway, Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, and the demonic spirit, who was supporting the formation, would all perish.


    However, just as the silver dragon thought that he had sessfully gotten rid of them all, a long howl pierced the heavens. A ck dragon emerged from amidst the dark clouds, quickly apanied by a silver dragon.


    ¡°The transformation was sessful!¡± The demonic spirit cackled with glee, then quickly fled. Before he left, he shouted, ¡°Silver dragon, you¡¯re the one who¡¯ll perish!¡±

 Chapter 492: Eternal Happiness (Fin.)

    <h4>Chapter 492: Eternal Happiness (Fin.)</h4>


    The ck and silvery-white dragons that Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had morphed into soared into the clouds, then dove down toward the silver dragon. So strong was theirbined aura that the silver dragon elder cowered for a moment; by the time he regained his senses, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo had surrounded him.


    ¡°Do you intend on perishing together?¡± the silver dragon thundered.


    ¡°We just want you to pay the price for your sins,¡± Yun Ruoyan replied. She nced at Li Mo, then attacked him together with Li Mo.


    Everyone stared at the three gigantic dragons in the air with bated breath as they used spiritual techniques on each other. The demonic dragon spat out a pir of fire at the silver dragon, which roared with such ferocity that it seemed as though it would burn the heavens itself. However, the silver dragon, trapped within the inferno, didn¡¯t seem to be particrly injured.


    ¡°Do you think you can hurt me with these petty little tricks?!¡± The silver dragonughed again.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, let me have a go!¡± Li Mo rushed forward, blocked Yun Ruoyan behind him, and spat out a pir of water at the silver dragon.


    Yun Ruoyan flew to his side and breathed out a pir of fire.


    ¡°Everyone, help kill the silver dragon!¡± Yun Moxiao shouted. His cultivation wasn¡¯t particrly advanced, and Feng Bo had been protecting him from wayward attacks.


    ¡°Use your spiritual techniques on the silver dragon, now!¡± the demonic spirit alsomanded.


    The warriors who were dumbfoundedly gaping at the scene¡ªthe silver dragon warriors, those swordsmen from the Mingyuan continent, and the demonic bandits¡ªall came to their senses and resumed the heated battle.


    The demonic spirit, Feng Bo, Feng Yicheng, and a dozen other experts flew to Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s side and also began attacking the silver dragon.


    After their draconic transformations, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo were able to fight on par with the silver dragon elder. With reinforcements, they seemed to be gradually gaining the upper hand.


    As the silver dragon¡¯s thick, sturdy scales began to crack, he began to be enraged. ¡°You¡¯re all asking for death!¡± he thundered, then released a massive wave of spiritual energy.


    The wave struck the gathered cultivators, sending them flying as they spat blood out of their mouths, all heavily injured. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo took the brunt of the attack; even in their draconic forms, their mouths were tinged with red, and they were forced to stop their attacks.


    ¡°Is this all you can do, you inhabitants of lower realms?!¡± The silver dragon¡¯s wounds were visibly healing. He had such arge supply of holy water that almost no one would be able to kill him.


    Yun Ruoyan turned to Li Mo, who seemed to be floundering after the silver dragon¡¯s attack. Although she had likewise been injured, her supetive regenerative ability had already restored much of the damage. We can¡¯t keep going like this, or everyone¡¯s going to die. We need to strike him a lethal blow, one that he can¡¯t heal even with holy water!


    She eyed Li Mo, then suddenly pounced on the silver dragon. If long-ranged spiritual techniques were unable to kill the silver dragon, then she would tussle with him at close range. As long as she kept biting and wing at him, he would have no chance to use holy water on himself.


    The demonic dragon bit at the silver dragon¡¯s neck, tearing off arge patch of draconic hide. The silver dragon wed at the demonic dragon¡¯s underbelly, exposing flesh.


    Dragon blood fell to the ground like rain.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡± Li Mo roared in fury, then pounced on the silver dragon as well.


    The three dragons fought, biting and wing, for three days and nights. By the end of the third day, they were wounded all over, and heaven and earth seemed to have taken a bloody tint.


    No one who had witnessed the battle would ever be able to forget it.


    ¡°Everyone, look! The demonic dragon¡¯s going to falter soon!¡± someone called out.


    Yun Ruoyan had been most active in fighting against the silver dragon, and her wounds were also the most serious. Her entire body was dyed red with blood, and her maw was filled with red.


    Although the silver dragon was also heavily injured, his vitality was bolstered with holy water. When he saw Yun Ruoyan¡¯s faltering figure, he knew that he would be able to win as soon as he got rid of her and downed more holy water to heal his wounds. By then, no one would be a match for him.


    Yun Ruoyan¡¯s jaws, which were on his neck, loosened a little. When the silver dragon noticed the difference, he immediately released his ws on the demonic dragon¡¯s body and tried to kick her away.


    What the silver dragon hadn¡¯t expected was that, the moment he did so, the demonic dragon mped down on the silver dragon¡¯s neck even more tightly. The wound, which had already been bleeding profusely, instantly widened, spurting out blood.


    Li Mo rushed forward and restrained the silver dragon¡¯s two massive front ws, preventing him from attacking Yun Ruoyan any further.


    In the blink of an eye, the silver dragon had been subdued by Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    ¡°No, that was just a trick! Look, the silver dragon can¡¯t defend himself anymore!¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness! We¡¯re finally going to win!¡± the gathered swordsmen began to shout.


    Only the demonic spirit, Feng Bo, and other experts continued observing the fight seriously, knowing that it couldn¡¯t be called for either side until thest.


    Yun Ruoyan continued to bite at the silver dragon¡¯s neck. Arge patch of hide had already been torn away, and her jaws crunched down on battered, bruised flesh. As blood spurted from his wounds, the silver dragon elder¡¯s vitality was slowly draining away.


    Eventually, his draconic form vanished, leaving behind a human form. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo also shed their transformations. As though they had consumed all their spiritual energy and stamina, the three of them began falling from the sky.


    The silver dragon elder suddenly opened his eyes, retrieved a jade-white bottle, and tried to pour the contents into his mouth. Just then, a blue-green sword cut the silver dragon elder¡¯s hand off at the wrist, and a scarlet de shot forward and pierced his heart.


    The silver dragon elder widened his eyes, turning to nce at Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo, who were falling together with him. Their hands were intertwined as they controlled their swords, sending them criss-crossing against the silver dragon elder¡¯s flesh.


    Amidst the bloody rain, the silver dragon elder, who had proudly led the silver dragon n for millennia, exhaled hisst breath. His eyes had been dyed red with blood, and he seemed to see all sorts of specters appearing amidst a bloody mist, all heading straight for him. They opened their mouths, revealing sharp, shiny teeth, shouting for vengeance against him even as they wed and bit at his flesh.


    The silver dragon elder felt his soul being drawn out of his body, being torn to pieces, and then dissipating entirely.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Yun Ruoyan murmured.


    Just then, as they struck the silver dragon elder with their swords, specters had emerged from the blood that flew out of his wounds. They materialized, tore the silver dragon elder apart, and then vanished once more.


    ¡°Could it be bacsh from some sort of demonic technique he cultivated?¡± Li Mo wondered.


    ¡°No.¡± The demonic spirit had suddenly appeared in front of them. ¡°It¡¯s likely the after-effects of consuming holy water. It was refined from the blood of the demonic dragons, and it encapsted the grudges and vengeance that they bore. As the silver dragon elder¡¯s vitality weakened, he was no longer able to restrain them and was ultimately killed by them.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s face suddenly turned ashen. ¡°I still needed him to remove the blood formation and save my father, but now¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the demonic spirit replied. ¡°The silver dragon¡¯s dead, so the blood formation will likely perish with him.


    After the death of the silver dragon elder, the remaining silver dragon warriors all surrendered. They were sent to the silver dragon castle in chains; because the holy maiden was still present, the guards within the castle didn¡¯t resist the intrusion, and Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo sessfully took control of the silver dragon castle.


    Those citizens of the silver dragon city were, for the most part, unaffected by the battle and its devastating end. The silver dragon elder had spent millennia trying to perfect his holy water, and his death hadn¡¯t affected the governance of the city.


    Yun Ruoyan, Li Mo, the holy maiden, Zhuo Yifeng, Feng Yicheng, and several others headed to the underground cavern hidden deep within the silver dragon temple. There, they found that the blood formation had already crumbled of its own ord. Long Yin and a few dozen other demonic dragon descendants were all meditating on the ground, their bodies severely weakened after decades of imprisonment.


    ¡°Father!¡± Yun Ruoyan approached Long Yin¡¯s side and stooped down. ¡°I¡¯m here to fetch you. Mother¡¯s still waiting for us back home.¡±


    Long Yin opened his eyes in shock, his weathered face smiling for the first time in decades. ¡°Yan¡¯er, my dear daughter.¡±


    Eight monthster, within the ughtering King¡¯s manor on the Chenyuan continent¡­


    Seven midwives entered and left a room, carryingrge basins of bloody water with them. Li Mo stood in the courtyard like a pir of stone, staring at the room in front of him, where Yun Ruoyan was giving birth to their second child.


    Because of her severe injuries from the battle several months ago, the baby was arriving almost a monthte, and there were significantplications during childbirth.


    The Lin sisters were also pacing the courtyard in worry and agitation. A servant was holding onto Li Yan, who was looking at the room with as serious an expression as Li Mo.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, how¡¯s my Yan¡¯er doing?¡± Just then, a beautiful woman who looked much like Yun Ruoyan herself stepped into the courtyard, her face lined with worry¡ªYun Ruoyan¡¯s mother, Lin Yuemei.


    ¡°Yuemei, wait for me!¡± Long Yin followed behind her.


    ¡°Both of you, slow down! Wait for me!¡± Then came a white-haired old man, hobbling forward with a cane.


    ¡°Yun Lan, what are you doing here? She¡¯s my daughter!¡± Long Yin called back.


    ¡°Ruoyan¡¯s also my daughter! She grew up in myp¡ªhave you ever carried her?!¡± Yun Lan called back.


    ¡°You!¡± Long Yin stamped his foot in fury.


    Lin Yuemei sighed, prompting both men into silence. ¡°Why did we use up all that holy water? If we had saved even a little, there wouldn¡¯t be such a big mess now.¡±


    The holy water that Yun Ruoyan had brought back from the Jiyuan continent waspletely used up to revive Lin Yuemei and the members of the demonic dragon n.


    Just then, a loud bawl came from the room, instantly silencing any hubbub in the courtyard.


    ¡°She¡¯s given birth! Mistress has given birth to a daughter!¡± Qiuqiu, in a form not muchrger than a dog¡¯s, jumped out of the room to inform everyone of the good news.


    Everyone tried to swarm inside, but one of the midwives held everyone but Li Mo back.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, you¡ª¡± Li Mo nced at Yun Ruoyan¡¯s pale face, so worried that he couldn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°I told you, Li Mo, both my child and I will be just fine.¡± Yun Ruoyan smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve already nned a celebration with our friends from the Mingyuan continent, remember? We¡¯re heading to the Jiyuan continent to have a banquet for her one-month-old birthday.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, of course,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°But the Jiyuan continent¡¯s too cold, and we can¡¯t stay there for long. I think the Mingyuan continent¡¯s climate is far better for a prolonged stay.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Yun Ruoyan¡¯s eyes lit up. She had already passed the position of the head of the demonic dragon n to another, but Empress Xue Tong had been persistently summoning Li Mo to take the role of n head of the silver dragon n.


    ¡°Mother¡¯s doing fine with the silver dragon castle, and she has no need for me at all,¡± Li Mo replied. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to bring you and our two children to the Mingyuan continent. Does that seem good to you?¡±


    ¡°The Mingyuan continent boasts both an excellent climate and plentiful spiritual energy.¡± Yun Ruoyan nodded, smiling.


    In the ughtering King¡¯s manor, by the lotus pond, Zhuo Yifeng was muttering to himself while sipping a sk of wine.


    ¡°Should I follow Father and Sister to the Jiyuan continent, or should I stay here in the Chenyuan continent as a peak-tier cultivator?¡±


    A white shadow darted out of the pond, snatched his sk of wine away, and dove back down.


    ¡°Ah, Whitey, even you¡¯re bullying me?¡± Zhuo Yifeng pointed at the water in frustration.


    ¡°Brother Zhuo,¡± a woman¡¯s voice came from behind. Zhuo Yifeng whirled to see Lin Qingxue, a sk of wine in front of her. ¡°This is wine made from the wuye flower, which I just learned how to brew. Would you like a taste?¡±


    Six yearster, in a mansion on the Mingyuan continent, Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo¡¯s third child was celebrating his one-month-old birthday.


    ¡°Congrattions on your newborn.¡± Feng Yicheng toasted Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo.


    ¡°Father, Mother, we¡¯re here!¡± Two voices rang out from outside the mansion¡ªLi Yan and his younger sister, Li Yan¡¯er. The two children were happily riding on Qiuqiu¡¯s back.


    ¡°Qiuqiu, where did you bring them now? You¡¯ve spoiled them both to pieces!¡± Yun Ruoyan scolded, without any hint of anger.


    ¡°Uncle Qiuqiu brought us to the Jiyuan continent to speak with Grandmother, and then the Chenyuan continent to speak with Granny and Grandpa, and then we rushed back for our brother¡¯s one-month-old celebration. Here are the presents that everyone gave,¡± Li Yan replied, then brought a whole stack of gifts out of his storage ring.


    ¡°And mine!¡± Yan¡¯er tried to retrieve the gifts from her storage ring, but identally fell amongst them instead, elicitingughter from the gathered guests.


    Night quickly fell. Yun Ruoyan nced at her three sleeping children, feeling a deep-seated sense of satisfaction permeate her entire body. She thought of her past life once more and suddenly felt scared of closing her eyes, as though sleep would take everything in front of her away.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yan¡¯er?¡± Li Mo asked.


    ¡°I feel so happy, so much so that everything feels like a dream. I¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, Li Mo pressed her underneath his body, giving her a deep kiss.


    ¡°Does everything feel more real now?¡±


    Yun Ruoyan nodded, blushing. ¡°Li Mo, will we always be so happy?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Yan¡¯er. Now and forever, I promise.¡±


    Qoob''s Thoughts


    Thank you, dear readers, for making it all the way to the end of this novel.


    It''s not perfect, of course. There are threads left dangling, plot holes that aren''t filled in, characters that haven''t grown. My trantion is, despite my best efforts, at times stilted and awkward. Even so, all these imperfections notwithstanding, you''ve made it through. I hope it has brought you some measure offort in the troubled year past.


    Trantion is difficult and time-consuming, and a chapter that takes you all of five minutes to read easily takes me ten times that amount of time to work through, followed by subsequent passes for rity and style. But if reading this novel has been worth your time, then tranting has been worth mine.


    I am particrly grateful to Neyon''s consistent efforts in pointing out mistakes in the trantion. Neyon, if you reach out to me over Discord (see the #pr_phoenix_requiem channel in the WuxiaWorld Discord), I''ll be happy to provide a small reward to you.


    For my next project, I am working on a non-romance novel, which will hopefully see its debut soon. It shares quite little with Phoenix''s Requiem, but if you enjoy novels with strong female leads, I have a few rmendations for you, in no meaningful order:


    Vita Nostra. Tranted from Russian so deftly I wish I had this trantor''s skills. Kafkaesque Harry Potter, set in rural Russia: a young woman heads to a magical academy, where she slowly bes estranged from her past life.


    A Deadly Education. Another novel about a young woman heading into a magical academy. Do you see a pattern? Not as phantasmagorical as Vita Nostra, and somewhat more tropey in plot and style, but nevertheless a fun read. Some degree of romance.


    Å®Åä²»²ôºÍ. Probably the best Chinese female-lead novel I''ve read. There''s a slow fan trantion avable, or probably a machine trantion avable somewhere, but both options are kind of bad, unfortunately. Transmigration over thirteen lives, and an unfailing emphasis on hard work paying off. The first few lives andst life are the best; the quality drops off somewhere in the middle. Still stupendous overall.


    The Traitor Baru Cormorant. Fantasy. A young woman''s home is usurped by empire; she swears to take revenge from within. Fascinating themes and strong emphasis on economics. I would say more, but they would be spoilers. A nned tetralogy, but I like the first book best. The second and third books should be read together.


    A Memory Called Empire. Sci-fi, space opera. A young woman''s home is close to being usurped by empire; she travels to said empire as her home''s cultural ambassador. Shenanigans ensue. A duology, but I like the first book better.


    Nice Dragons Finish Last. Urban fantasy, romance, shapeshifting dragons. Nice, quick read. Not much depth, but it''s fun.


    Three Mages and a Margarita. Urban fantasy, romance, magic. Nice, quick read. Not much depth, but it''s fun. Strongly reminds me of Fairy Tail.


    Take care, and I''ll see you around.


    Qoob


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!