"This man..."
Xu Xinming’s heart was filled with mixed emotions at the moment.
She originally thought that upon waking up this time, she could easily manipulate this master, whom she deemed foolish, obstructive, evil, lustful, and useless, to completely ruin his image in Qing Jun’s heart.
But she never expected that this person would possess such a resilient character and keen insight, not only seeing through her disguise but also... even subjecting her to such... such humiliating actions!
Thinking of that humiliating scene just now, Xu Xinming couldn’t help but grit her teeth in hatred.
Yet, when she saw Chen Ye risking severe injuries for "her" and charging into the tide of Resentful Spirits, the affection and worry belonging to Qing Jun uncontrollably surged in her heart again.
This contradictory and complex feeling made her feel extremely irritated and... confused.
She hated this man.
But she had to admit that this man, perhaps... was not as unbearable as she imagined.
Enough!
Revenge, she was determined to take!
Xu Xinming thought ruthlessly in her heart: "In the future, I must slice you into pieces! No... that would be too easy for you, I want to imprison you, torture you day and night, let you taste the most painful tortures in the world!"
While she was being ruthless in her heart, an irresistible sense of fatigue surged from the depths of her soul, like a tide, flooding her consciousness.
"Hmm..."
"Master..."
Behind her, Qing Jun suddenly called out softly.
Chen Ye turned his head and saw the little girl being held by Li Qiuyun, squinting her eyes as she suspiciously sized up her master:
"Master, did you do something bad!"
Chen Ye’s body stiffened abruptly: "What bad thing! How could Master do anything bad!"
"Really?"
The little girl stretched her voice, her soft eyebrows furrowed,
"But how come Qing Jun seems to have... dreamt of Master bullying a very beautiful sister."
Li Qiuyun listened silently and couldn’t help but glance at Chen Ye, a bit suspicious.
Could Uncle Chen have stayed in East Valley for so long because there’s a female Demon inside...
Chen Ye coughed twice, his voice involuntarily raising a few notches: "What nonsense! Just a nightmare, that’s all, that cave was filled with Demonic Qi, it’s easy for little children to be affected. It’s okay now, we’re out."
Qing Jun pouted, yawned,
She was really tired, rubbing her little head against Li Qiuyun’s chest, and soon fell into a deep, comfortable sleep.
...
Chen Ye then led the group back to the small courtyard at Granny Li’s house.
Zhiwei, upon seeing her master return, hurried over to greet him, and upon seeing Chen Ye’s pale face, her heart suddenly tightened.
"I’m fine, just a minor injury."
Chen Ye smiled to reassure her, trying to move her small hand away from himself.
But this time, the always well-behaved and sensible eldest disciple was incredibly stubborn.
The big girl bit her lip, and no matter how Chen Ye comforted her, her small hands, faintly glowing with Spiritual Light, continued to move over his body, inspecting inch by inch, checking her master’s condition.
She could feel that although her master’s Spiritual Power was abundant, it was somewhat chaotic.
"Master, you’re lying."
Zhiwei raised her head, her black eyes welling up,
"You’re seriously injured."
She regretted it greatly. Had she known, she would have gone to East Valley with her master.
Seeing her like this, Chen Ye’s heart softened, and he had no choice but to sigh helplessly, allowing her to proceed.
Seeing this scene, Li Qiuyun’s heart was filled with complex emotions.
Reflecting on how she just focused on asking questions and didn’t first approach to heal Uncle Chen, she felt guilty,
"I am... not even as good as a child."
After explaining the situation to Granny Li’s family, Granny Li immediately decided to pack up and follow Chen Ye to Lisong Valley.
Meanwhile, after some consideration, Li Dageng also ultimately decided that rather than being a Loose Cultivator with an uncertain future in the Market, it might be better to follow Brother Chen to a sect’s important place, perhaps finding greater fortune.
So, the next morning, the group grandly set off on the road to Lisong Valley.
When Chen Ye used the Array Hub Jade Token to open the empty mountain valley gate once again, everyone’s mood was entirely different from when they first came.
"Wow, this place is really spacious!"
Granny Li, upon entering the valley, was overjoyed at the vast valley that, although somewhat chaotic, was abundant with Spiritual Qi.
Li Dageng’s eyes lit up even more, clearly feeling that the Spiritual Qi concentration here was more than twice as rich as their ramshackle courtyard in the slum!
Practicing here would surely yield twice the result with half the effort!
Finally, Granny Li’s family settled in the Outer Valley area, which was previously the residence of the Outer Sect disciples.
Chen Ye also breathed a sigh of relief.
With Granny Li and Yuanyuan’s company, the childhood of the two little girls wouldn’t be too dull.
Moreover, he knew the Li Family well, so with their help watching over Lisong Valley and handling chores, he felt much more at ease than with others.
In the courtyard, everyone had their own duties, creating a bustling scene.
Seeing this lively scene, Chen Ye gave a satisfied smile.
He gave a few more instructions to Li Qiuyun and Granny Li, then, using "unhealed injuries requiring rest" as an excuse, returned alone to the Quiet Chamber.
Chen Ye skillfully placed a Sound Insulation Restriction on the door, then completely relaxed, sitting cross-legged.
This trip to East Valley was truly perilous, but the gains were substantial as well.
With a thought, he began to inventory the spoils of this journey.
The first to appear before him was the Eight Trigrams Mirror that shielded him from a lethal blow.