Volume 3 Chapter 85 / Chapter 252: Senior Brother, Not Yet Satisfied
As the moon sank and the sun rose, the melodious chirping of warblers filled the forest, marking the beginning of a new day.
A golden oriole flew into the depths of the rock cave. It seemed to have discovered something, tilting its head curiously before hopping onto a small mound of dirt and pecking at the ground.
Chirp chirp—
Boom!
Suddenly, a lean arm burst out of the ground, startling the oriole. It jumped three feet into the air before flapping its wings and darting out of the cave.
Buried beneath the ground, Ye Anping held his breath and forcefully pushed his head upward, breaking through the dirt and rubble above him. He climbed out of the pit, his face momentarily bathed in the sunlight streaming through the cave entrance. The light was so bright that he squinted, needing a moment before fully emerging and surveying the temporary hiding spot he had crafted the day before. His expression carried a trace of confusion.
The day before, in order to evade pursuit by the disciples of the Shadowmoon Sword Sect, he and his junior sister had hidden inside the rock cave, sealing off the entrance. He had hazily fallen asleep holding her in his arms.
But now… why?
Turning to look at the square pit behind him, resembling a grave, and then at the scorched granite near the cave entrance, Ye Anping pieced together what might have occurred during his unconscious state.
The disciples of the Shadowmoon Sword Sect had likely stumbled upon the cave and used spells to break through the rock wall. His junior sister must have dug the pit to bury him for safety, then lured the intruders away and returned to Xiri Peak.
Though her actions were logical, burying her Dao Companion underground immediately after their first intimate night together was… unprecedented, to say the least.
Ye Anping wore a wry smile as he stepped out of the cave. Standing on the cliffside, he gazed at the winter morning landscape of the Moonshadow Shadowmoon Sword Sect, hoping to clear his muddled mind.
Unfortunately, perhaps due to lingering dissatisfaction from the day before, his thoughts kept drifting back to his junior sister’s unconscious murmurs, her sweet, soft lips, and her flawless, jade-like skin…
Smack!
Ye Anping slapped himself across the face, then rubbed it vigorously.
“Ye Anping, focus. Yesterday’s events were an emergency. You should be worrying about whether last night’s commotion might affect the greater situation, not indulging in memories… Lust is a major taboo for cultivating immortality.”
He felt as though his mind was no longer his own, his usual clear logic now clouded.
Aren’t people supposed to think more clearly in the post-nut clarity mode? So why…?
Ye Anping glanced down at his body, specifically at a part of himself still very much “battle-ready,” and felt utterly speechless.
Elder Wang of the Profound Star Sect had once told him, “You’ll need a Dao Companion one or two major realms higher than you; otherwise, they’ll always be running back to their parents’ home.”
At the time, Ye Anping hadn’t taken it seriously, assuming it was exaggerated. But after last night, he realized Elder Wang might not have been joking.
Most men would take pride in their endurance and stamina, but being too formidable could also be a problem.
“Haah… I wonder if there are any pills that help… speed things up. Not that anyone would bother making them, right?”
He sighed, casting a glance toward Xiri Peak in the distance. From afar, it appeared as calm as usual, with disciples already heading to the training grounds for their morning lessons.
After some thought, he returned to the cave. Seeing that his junior sister had taken his storage bag, he picked up a stone and used the encrypted script he had taught her to leave a message. Then, he headed toward Jiuquan Peak.
Yun Yiyi was probably awake by now, and she wasn’t slow-witted. If she found out he wasn’t around and later heard about any incidents at Xiri Peak, she’d undoubtedly deduce that the person who broke in last night was him.
To make matters worse, he had drugged her. If Yun Yiyi wanted to, she could easily have him locked in the Shadowmoon Sword Sect’s dungeon for questioning.
As Ye Anping rushed onward, his brows furrowed, deeply pondering the situation.
In hindsight, the logical choice when his Yang energy flared was to dual-cultivate with Yun Yiyi. But perhaps due to an inner reluctance, he had instead stormed into Xiri Peak to find his junior sister.
Clearly, that had been the worst option.
However, instead of regretting what had already happened, it was better to focus on how to fix it.
“Let’s hope no unnecessary chaos arises.”
<+>
In the rear garden of the Yun Residence on Jiuquan Peak, mournful strains of a guqin echoed, so sorrowful that even the surrounding spirit flowers seemed to weep, their petals drooping.
Yun Yiyi sat cross-legged under a pavilion, eyes closed, plucking the strings of her guqin. As memories of the previous night surfaced, a sharp pain struck her chest, and tears silently streamed down her cheeks, falling onto her pale hands.
Standing nearby, Huang Quan was witnessing her Young Mistress’s heartbreak for the first time.
Although Huang Quan didn’t know the specifics of what had happened, it was clear that something significant had transpired between her Young Mistress and the young master the previous night.
When the music finally ceased, Huang Quan poured a cup of hot tea and approached, kneeling beside Yun Yiyi and offering it.
“Young Mistress, please have some tea.”
Yun Yiyi did not take the tea. Instead, she held the guqin strings, her eyes scanning Huang Quan up and down. A sudden realization struck her, and her gaze narrowed slightly.
“Huang Quan, during the three days I was unconscious, did Young Master Ye say anything to you?”
“Ah…”
“The other day, when I suggested bathing with him, you interrupted in an unusually abrupt manner. And I’ve heard from other servants in the Yun Residence that during those three days, you returned to your quarters very late. Normally, when you warm my bed, staying late wouldn’t be odd. But since I was unconscious, were you with Young Master Ye during that time?”
Faced with her Young Mistress’s questioning, sweat began to bead on Huang Quan’s forehead.
“Young Mistress… Young Mistress, I only went to take care of the young master’s daily needs…”
“I never asked you to take care of Young Master Ye’s daily needs. Besides, when he first arrived, he made it clear he doesn’t like being served by maids,” Yun Yiyi said coldly.
“Young Mistress… it was Young Master Ye who asked me to serve him,” Huang Quan replied cautiously.
Hearing this, Yun Yiyi’s frown deepened as unpleasant suspicions arose in her mind. She pressed, “And how exactly did you serve him?”
“T-That… combing his hair, fetching water, helping him dress…” Huang Quan stammered, her lips trembling. “And warming his bed.”
“?!” Yun Yiyi’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“It was just warming the bed! I swear I didn’t share the bed with him! I really didn’t!” Huang Quan hastily waved her hands in denial.
“Really?” Yun Yiyi arched an eyebrow, her tone sharp. “I can have a physician examine you. Think carefully before you answer.”
“I swear it’s true! If you don’t believe me, I’ll go find Elder Chen from Jiuquan Peak to examine me right now, in front of you!”
“What did you two talk about?”
“T-There wasn’t much…”
Yun Yiyi stared at her for a moment before letting out a long sigh. Shaking her head in frustration, she muttered, “It seems the problem isn’t with you. Last night, I offered myself so openly, yet he remained indifferent. And now that it’s done, how will he see me? Sigh… I’ve been too forceful. Huang Quan, pass on a message to him for me: the marriage between us is over. I’ll arrange for him to return to the Hundred Lotus Sect.”
“Ah…” Huang Quan’s eyes widened as she pieced together what must have happened. Last night, the young Young Mistress had likely made advances, but the young master had been unresponsive—or worse, left her unconscious in the guest room.
She had spent all morning searching for her Young Mistress and had no idea where the young master had gone.
Panicking at the prospect of her Young Mistress ending the engagement, Huang Quan hesitated but finally blurted out, “Young Mistress… it’s not what you think! The young master, he’s…”
At that moment, Yun Yiyi’s sorrowful expression vanished, replaced by a stern, calculating gaze. It was as if her earlier grief had been nothing more than a performance.
“He’s what?” she demanded.
“Ah…” Huang Quan immediately realized she had been tricked. Lowering her head, she tried to deflect, “Why would you deceive me, Young Mistress?”
“Deceiving you is the least of it,” Yun Yiyi replied coldly. “If not for the fact that you’ve been with me since childhood, I’d have had you dragged out and beaten until your legs broke. A maid hiding an improper relationship with her Young Mistress’s fiancé…”
“There’s nothing improper! I swear!” Huang Quan pleaded. “I was only…”
“What did Young Master Ye tell you?” Yun Yiyi cut her off.
“Well…” Huang Quan recalled Ye Anping’s words from that day. “Young Mistress, please don’t tell him I said this, okay? I was just following his instructions…”
“Go on.”
“The young master… he’s sick.”
“Sick?”
“Yes, he… he’s impotent. That’s why I secretly brewed medicine for him every night and delivered it to him. He said it’s due to the cultivation technique he practices or something like that…”
“Is that true?” Yun Yiyi’s tone wavered.
“It’s true.”
Yun Yiyi was momentarily stunned. She had never considered this possibility. But if it were true, it would explain Ye Anping’s coldness toward her.
So it wasn’t that he disliked her… it was because he couldn’t.
The gloom in Yun Yiyi’s heart dissipated instantly. Although impotence was a problem, it was something that could be cured. If the Shadowmoon Sword Sect couldn’t treat it, she would take Ye Anping to the Overclear Sect or the Imperial Sect—there was bound to be a way.
“So that’s how it is… I misunderstood,” Yun Yiyi murmured.
“Young Mistress,” Huang Quan swallowed nervously and whispered, “you might want to pretend you don’t know about this. It’s a matter of a man’s dignity.”
“Of course, I won’t spread it around.” Yun Yiyi glanced at Huang Quan, her expression softening. “Huang Quan, you don’t need to hide it anymore. I’ll give you a prescription later—go to the Pill Hall in the Central Peak and get some medicine, then secretly put it in Young Master Ye’s tea.”
“Ah? Do I have to sneak it into his tea? Can’t I just give it to him directly?”
“Of course, you have to do it secretly,” Yun Yiyi said with a slight shake of her head. “Young Master Ye is very clever. If you hand him the medicine directly, he’ll definitely suspect where it came from, and then he’ll figure out that it was me.”
“… Young Mistress, don’t you mind his condition?”
“I don’t mind.” Yun Yiyi shook her head gently, clutching her chest with a tender expression. “Even if he didn’t have arms or legs and could only lie in bed for the rest of his life, I would still marry him. I think I’m starting to understand my mother’s feelings for my lousy father. Love… it’s inexplicable, indescribable…”
“…”
“Huang Quan, tell me, why did my mother fall in love with that scoundrel of a father?”
How could I dare to answer that? Huang Quan immediately ducked her head, shaking it furiously to show she didn’t know.
<+>
Suddenly, the sound of swords cutting through the air broke their conversation. Four disciples clad in gold and white robes of the Shadowmoon Sword Sect’s Central Peak landed at the entrance of the rear garden. They walked up to Yun Yiyi and bowed.
“Greetings, Young Mistress.”
Yun Yiyi was puzzled. She knew the elders had stationed many people to protect her—seven Core Formation cultivators regularly patrolled around Jiuquan Peak day and night. However, these four newcomers were even stronger, at the Pseudo-Nascent Soul level.
Sweeping her gaze over them, she asked, “What’s the matter? Did something happen?”
“Three Core Formation disciples died last night on Xiri Peak. Martial Aunt Pei was abducted, and the Third Young Mistress is missing,” one of them reported.
“What?!” Yun Yiyi exclaimed in disbelief. “Three Core Formation disciples died?”
“Yes. All were struck through the heart by a single arrow and couldn’t even retaliate. The attacker is likely a Nascent Soul cultivator.”
“Explain in detail.”
“Last night, Third Young Mistress and Martial Aunt Pei were bathing in the new residence when a masked cultivator broke in and kidnapped Martial Aunt Pei. Seven disciples were stationed at Xiri Peak at the time. Four went after the kidnapper, leaving three behind to protect the Third Young Mistress.”
“So, the three who stayed behind were attacked by a Nascent Soul cultivator?”
“Yes. Many disciples had left Xiri Peak to pursue the kidnapper, leaving it vulnerable. The attacker exploited this and killed the three Core Formation disciples before abducting the Third Young Mistress.”
Yun Yiyi frowned deeply, resting her chin on her hand in thought.
In the past, she might have taken some schadenfreude in Yun Xi’s misfortune.
But now…
“Was the person who stormed Xiri Peak and took Pei Lengxue captured?”
“No. Martial Aunt Pei managed to escape on her own. The disciples followed her directions but found no trace of the attacker.”
“I see…”
At that moment, Ye Anping entered the garden. Without using a flying sword, the energy expenditure of flying with just his body had left him drenched in sweat and looking slightly disheveled.
Upon seeing the four Pseudo-Nascent Soul disciples in front of Yun Yiyi, his expression turned wary. Clearly, something serious had happened. He didn’t believe they were here just because he had intruded on Xiri Peak the previous night. Something else must have occurred.
As he hesitated to approach, Yun Yiyi noticed him and looked his way.
Their gazes met, and both felt a tinge of awkwardness. Yun Yiyi pouted slightly but still broke the silence between them.
“Young Master Ye, come here and listen. Something happened on Xiri Peak last night. Yun Xi has been kidnapped.”
“…”
Ye Anping narrowed his eyes slightly before stepping forward to bow to the four disciples.
As they continued recounting the events to Yun Yiyi, Ye Anping quickly pieced together what had happened.
When he had taken his junior sister away, he inadvertently lured away half the Core Formation disciples from Xiri Peak. Zhuang Yan then seized the opportunity to kill three Core Formation disciples and silently abduct Yun Xi.
Ye Anping felt a twinge of exhaustion. He had anticipated Zhuang Yan would act soon, but with the Shadowmoon Sword Sect’s situation diverging from the game’s storyline, he couldn’t predict when or what exactly Zhuang Yan would do.
Now he knew.
In the game, Zhuang Yan had successfully crafted a complete Demonic pill, which contained the blood essence of the Yun family’s three juniors, allowing him to directly break the seal on the Thousand Swords Pool.
Now, with an incomplete Demonic pill, Zhuang Yan had no choice but to kidnap Yun Xi to force her to use her blood essence and the Shadowleaf Sword Art to unlock the seal.
Thinking this through, Ye Anping exhaled slightly.
“Phew—”
This situation was a little beyond his expectations but still fell within his broader plan. Some adjustments to the timeline would be necessary.
Still, Yun Xi really is unbelievably unlucky…
Was her luck this bad even in the game?