Chen Ye rushed out of the Cultivation Room,
his elbow accidentally knocked heavily against the door frame, making him inhale sharply from the pain.
But he couldn’t be bothered with that,
as he scanned the surroundings.
The old plum tree swayed against the window paper in the wind, rustling loudly.
A cool breeze swept through the empty hall, carrying the fragrance of plum blossoms.
On a normal day, this would be a leisurely afternoon.
"Zhiwei! Qing Jun!"
Chen Ye lifted the neatly folded bedding and then lay down to peer under the bed, unwilling to believe what he saw.
How could two small ones like them disappear just like that!
The charcoal fire in the copper basin was still burning, with half a bowl of meat soup on the table.
Chen Ye reached out to touch it; the meat soup still held some warmth.
"They just disappeared... but normally they’re afraid to go out and aren’t familiar with anyone nearby."
"Could they have escaped? No, if they wanted to, they would have done so long ago."
Cold sweat dripped down his back.
Chen Ye’s hand, gripping the table corner, was throbbing with veins bulging, the wood splinters in his palm unnoticed.
"There’s only one other possibility, Kong Hongxuan’s revenge!"
Bam—
The courtyard door was slammed against the wall by the wind, jolting Chen Ye awake.
In the courtyard,
footprints were messy in the snow, apart from two small prints, there was a distinct adult footprint.
Someone indeed entered the house!
But he had always been cultivating in the room, how did he not hear any noise from outside...
No,
the children were just two little ones, anyone with a mind could silently take them away.
Moreover, once he entered the cultivation state, he would become fully absorbed, easily ignoring minor disturbances from the outside.
Chen Ye’s gaze followed the footprints on the ground straight to Shunshui Street outside the courtyard.
Aiming to find some clues, his eyes suddenly met those of a distant standing Loose Cultivator.
It was Gao Ming!
In the past, he had followed Taoist Zhang, attempting to capture him back to East Valley.
Gao Ming looked flustered, avoiding eyes, hastily walking.
"Stop!" Chen Ye shouted harshly, catching up with Gao Ming, clawing his shoulder with his five fingers.
"Taoist Friend Chen, that day I was just following orders, it wasn’t intentional to make things difficult for you." Gao Ming hurriedly said.
But his guilty appearance was already seen through by Chen Ye.
Chen Ye’s grip on his shoulder strengthened, his voice almost squeezed out from his throat:
"Avoiding the topic, where are my disciples? Why are you here?"
This guy has quite the grip!
Gao Ming immediately felt his shoulder about to be crushed, swallowing hard:
"Taoist Friend Chen, please loosen your grip, I don’t understand what you’re saying."
His hand quickly reached for the sword hilt, exuding a hint of malice.
"Swish!"
The next moment, a streak of golden light cut across Gao Ming’s palm.
Blood gushed fiercely, spraying into the sky.
"Ah!"
Gao Ming howled in agony, clutching his bleeding wrist, his fingers twitching uncontrollably.
Chen Ye kicked his abdomen once more.
This kick, being heavy and forceful, caused Gao Ming to curl up in the snow twitching, his intestines aching, blood foam gushing from the corners of his mouth, staining the snow a dark red.
Chen Ye stepped on Gao Ming’s intact left hand, grinding the knuckles under his boot.
With the Heavy Body Technique enhancing him, the knuckles emitted a tooth-aching cracking sound.
His expression hardened: "For the last time, where are my disciples?"
Chen Ye showed no mercy.
Since that snowy night when he crushed Taoist Zhang to death, he was no longer the terrified corporate worker he once was.
Gao Ming made a grating noise in his throat, his eyes almost bulging from their sockets.
Due to the severe injury to his abdomen, his face uncontrollably contorted.
But he did not dare to resist anymore.
For a streak of golden light was already suspended at his throat!
How fast the Geng Metal Qi is! It’s even three points faster than before!
"Chen Ye! This is the Market, if you dare to kill me, you won’t survive either!" Gao Ming struggled with a hoarse voice.
The Market was under the protection of the Lingyin Sect, prohibiting killing.
Chen Ye closed his eyes slightly, just as Gao Ming breathed a sigh of relief.
A pitch-black Iron Sword suddenly hovered above his skull.
"Do you still remember how Taoist Zhang died?" Chen Ye sneered, revealing white teeth.
"You’re mad?! Do you really want to go down with me?"
Gao Ming’s pupils contracted, fear shown on his face.
Chen Ye bent down to pull him up by the hair, directly facing his face: "For the last time, where are my disciples?"
"I... I really don’t know! I am just following Hall Master Kong’s orders to find your whereabouts. Coincidentally... coincidentally saw you on Shunshui Street."
The cold edge of the Iron Sword cut a gash on his forehead, Gao Ming almost screamed, tears streaming down his face,
"I really don’t know! Taoist Friend, have mercy! I still have a wife and children at home!"
His words came out sincerely, from the bottom of his heart.
But Chen Ye, how could he listen to his nonsense?
Previously seeing Gao Ming sneaking around, he really was sent by Kong Hongxuan to keep an eye on him!
Chen Ye bit his cheek, his previously calm and peaceful face showing a bit of ferociousness.
"Master?"
Just at this moment.
A little girl’s weak voice called, with childish intonation.
Chen Ye was dazed for a moment, initially thinking it was his illusion, but turned to look.
Indeed, it was his little one!
In the cold wind, the little black-haired one shivered from the cold.
With long black hair down to her calves, covering her skinny body in the wind.
Under the swaying forehead, those usual icy-lake-like black eyes gazed at him dazedly.
Seeming puzzled, confused, apprehensive.
"Zhiwei..." Chen Ye was stunned.
"Sister! Why have you stayed outside for so long? Has Master finished cultivating?"
From the neighbor’s yard, Qing Jun’s shout sounded again.
At the same time, there was Lin Qiongyu’s doting laugh:
"Ah, I’ll take you back later then, so Senior Chen won’t worry. Little girl, come over to play more often, Miu likes you very much."
"I also like Miu!" The little girl was very happy.
So, they went to the neighbor’s house.
Chen Ye opened his mouth, not having the chance to speak.
Zhiwei glanced at him in a panic, bit her lower lip, and scampered back to the neighbor’s house.
Indeed, it was ’escape’...
Chen Ye wiped the blood off his face, which had splattered from Gao Ming’s hand.
His current appearance was probably too gruesome, scaring the older girl, right?
"Taoist Friend Chen... Taoist Friend Chen, it was really a misunderstanding!"
Gao Ming sobbed loudly, his voice hoarse and unpleasant.
He wouldn’t dare catch people in the Market!
Otherwise, wouldn’t that be disregarding the Lingyin Sect?
Chen Ye silently helped Gao Ming up, even brushing the dust off for him:
"No matter, as long as it’s all clear."
Gao Ming forced a smile, responding repeatedly: "Right, right, right, don’t worry Taoist Friend, I won’t report to Lingyin Sect. Let’s just pretend this never happened, okay?"
Actually, Lingyin Sect wasn’t like the mundane Government Office.
As long as no big case occurred in the Market, minor frays wouldn’t be addressed even if Gao Ming reported it.
There were far too many frictions among Loose Cultivators, even Lingyin Sect couldn’t address it all.
Chen Ye wore a forced smile:
"In that case, should I thank Taoist Friend Gao?"
"Thank Taoist Friend Gao for catching me to use as a Medicine Slave, thank Taoist Friend Gao for spying on me?"
Gao Ming fell silent, stammering, unsure of what to say.
He defended in a low voice: "Orders from above, I dare not disobey..."
Chen Ye smiled,
not because Gao Ming conceded, but because within the neighbor’s fence, a little black-haired girl was secretly watching him.
He released Gao Ming:
"So, it’s Taoist Friend Gao who should be thankful for my mercy in not killing you!"