Birds chirped crisply outside the window, while the inside was filled with silence.
In one of the rooms of the Cloud Wine Mansion , a roasted chicken was placed on a short table, and Ye Anping and Feng Yu Die were sitting across from each other.
They had been sitting here for some time now, but no one had spoken yet.
Ye Anping couldn't understand why Feng Yu Die suddenly got angry.
Feng Yu Die was sitting across from him with her arms folded. She glanced at him from time to time, but immediately turned her head to the side with a disdainful snort.
"Hmph~"
She didn't even touch the chicken brought by the maid just now.
Seeing that Feng Yu Die had even lost her appetite for roasted chicken, Ye Anping knew that she must be quite upset, but he still couldn't figure out the reason for her anger.
"Sigh..." He let out a soft sigh, then broke the silence between them. "What's wrong with you?"
"You bastard, don't talk to me! I don't want to hear it!"
?
Ye Anping blinked in confusion, but he still said, "When you have problems, you have to solve them. To solve them, you have to talk about it first..."
Thud---
Feng Yu Die frowned and slammed the pure jade chicken-killing knife that Yun Jiujiu had given her on the wooden table as if warning Ye Anping that if he spoke again, she would cut him to pieces!
"Hmph!"
"..."
Ye Anping felt helpless. It seemed that he had really pissed her off with something.
But thinking back to recent days, Ye Anping didn't feel anything wrong. Wasn't his interaction with Feng Yu Die as usual? Why did she get angry now when she wasn't before?
Normally, he wouldn't bother at all, the tantrums would be gone in a few days anyway.
But now it was the final stage of the Sword Sect incident, and there was no room for mistakes.
Let's coax her then...
With this in mind, Ye Anping pushed the roasted chicken on the table toward her and sincerely said, "No matter what I did to upset you, I apologize. How about I treat you to some roasted chicken later?"
At this, Feng Yu Die, who had turned her head away, not wanting to look at Ye Anping, turned back with her eyes half closed, raised her head, and pouted as if hesitating but still did not answer.
Seeing her reaction, Ye Anping knew he had to add more fuel to the fire. He simply took out ten bags containing ten thousand spirit stones from his storage bag and held them in front of her with his spiritual power. "The reward for the Jade Snow Peak incident a few days ago, plus the ten thousand you mentioned for hugging you once."
Seeing the bags of spirit stones, the anger in Feng Yu Die's eyes dissipated. After looking at Ye Anping's face for a moment, she reached out to take the bags.
But when she grabbed the bag of spirit stones, Ye Anping also reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Wait."
"What?"
"No matter what I did before, taking these spirit stones will settle things between us. Don't be angry anymore; there should be no mistakes in our future dealings."
"..."
Feng Yu Die pursed her lips, thinking that she was already on guard anyway. As long as she paid attention, Ye Anping would never be able to deceive her again, not to mention that following him, she could earn spirit stones and eat roasted chicken.
As long as she was smarter, and didn't get deceived by Ye Anping subtly, it would be a profitable business.
"Well... okay!"
Ye Anping let go of her hand and sighed lightly, then reached out to grab a drumstick to eat. However, just as he touched it, Feng Yu Die immediately puffed up her cheeks and hugged the roasted chicken to her chest.
"It's mine!"
"..."
Ye Anping awkwardly withdrew his hand. He only wanted to satisfy his craving for food, but actually, when reaching the Foundation Building stage, one no longer needed food; eating was purely for tasting flavors.
"Fine, it's yours."
Feng Yu Die smiled but then thought it over and felt it wasn't quite right, so she said, "You can have the chicken butt."
"I'm not eating chicken butt..."
"If you don't eat it, I'm eating everything."
"As you wish..."
Ye Anping sighed again, shook his head, picked up the teacup, and drank tea, silently watching Feng Yu Die wolfing down a chicken leg in one gulp.
"Slow down, no one is taking your food."
"Mind your own business... cough---cough---" Feng Yu Die desperately patted her chest as if something was stuck in her throat.
"I told you to eat slowly... a Foundation Building cultivator choked by a chicken bone... pfft---"
Seeing her choking, Ye Anping poured a cup of tea and pushed it over...
"Ah... gulp-gulp -- thanks..."
Feng Yu Die reluctantly thanked him, then suddenly remembered something and asked.
"Young Master Ye."
"Yes..."
"What's a 'birdie'?"
?
Ye Anping was speechless before reprimanding her with a frown. "... Eat your chicken quietly!!!"
"Oh..."
...
Meanwhile, in the next room.
Yun Yiyi and Yun Jiujiu also sat on both sides of a square table, just like the two people next door. Yun Jiujiu stared firmly with a menacing glare as if she wanted to beat someone up, making Yun Yiyi hesitant to speak.
The two sisters hadn't sat at the same table to talk for decades, and now Yun Yiyi didn't know how to start a conversation.
She came today for three reasons: one was to visit Yun Jiujiu and check her condition because that night she did risk her life to save her.
The second reason was to discuss with her about Zhuang Yan and Yun Kunwu.
Zhuang Yan had not been caught. Obviously, this matter was not over yet, but the Sword Sect disciples who were on the Jade Snow Peak at that time were still under investigation, and so far, no clear explanation had been given.
The Elders from the Middle Peak were searching for Zhuang Yan's whereabouts, but he was an old Nascent Soul cultivator after all. If he really wanted to hide, it would be difficult to find him even if Yun Tianchong himself came out of seclusion.
All the clues to the incident were cut off, and since she didn't know what Zhuang Yan was planning to do next, she could only wait patiently.
The third reason was to talk to Yun Jiujiu about Feng Yu's identity.
That night, the spirit of spring displayed by 'Feng Yu' showed that his nature was innocent, like a baby, without any evil thoughts, but it also showed that he was by no means as simple as a casual cultivator.
The timing of his arrival was too coincidental. Be it a little earlier or a little later, it would have produced a different result.
What's more, Yun Yiyi had a vague feeling that there was a third-party force other than the Sword Sect and Zhuang Yan, lurking in the Moon Shadow Sword Sect, secretly fueling the flames.
This force seemed to be on her side at the moment, but whether it was foe or friend remained yet to be seen.
As Yun Yiyi organized her thoughts, Yun Jiujiu suddenly raised her eyebrows and slapped the table. "What on earth are you here for? Didn't you have something to say to me? Are you just going to sit here all day without saying anything? Are you playing dumb?"
Yun Yiyi pouted in embarrassment, then took out a bottle of top-grade healing pills from her storage bag and sent it to her with spiritual power. "... How's your injury?"
Looking at the pill bottle vigilantly, Yun Jiujiu narrowed her eyes and asked back, "Did you poison it?"
"No..."
"Oh~ If you poisoned it, of course you'd say no. Do you think I'm stupid? How would I dare accept something from you?"
"Second Sister..." Yun Yiyi took a deep breath and solemnly said, "I really came here because I was worried about you. If it weren't for you that night, I probably would have been refined into an evil pill by Zhuang Yan. I'm here to thank you."
"Well, you're welcome. Are we done talking? If so, you can go."
"You resent me that much?"
Yun Jiujiu pointed at her face, widened her eyes, and asked, "Look at this face, does it look like I welcome you?"
"No."
"Isn't that so? Please see yourself out. I still have to accompany Brother Yu to eat roasted chicken."
"There are other matters as well." Yun Yiyi frowned. "It's about Yun Kunwu. Zhuang Yan said that his soul was imprisoned by the old man within the Sword Sect's Thousand Sword Pool ."
"Then, you can talk to Dad after he comes out of seclusion. Anyway, I will take Brother Yu and go far away. Who cares about this Sword Sect mess? If you like to be the sect leader, that's your business."
"Second Sister, I don't think this matter is over yet. Even if you want to leave, I'm afraid you won't be able to escape. Unless Zhuang Yan dies, you will never be safe no matter where you go."
Yun Jiujiu fell silent, feeling that it made sense. After thinking for a while, she asked, "Then, why don't we go to the Thousand Sword Pool and just cut that Yun Kunwu into pieces?"
"Go to the Thousand Sword Pool ?"
"Yes, why not? Isn't he imprisoned there by our father? Then, let's destroy his soul first. Since Zhuang Yan wants him released, we should take action first."
Yun Yiyi said, "But there are restrictions on the Sword Sect forbidden area. How can we get in?"
Yun Jiujiu shrugged indifferently and spread her hands. "Why not just break the restriction? We can have the Middle Peak Elders join forces to create a breach, then bring one or two Elders with us inside."
"... Is that a good idea?"
"Why not? A few days ago, I heard from Elder Tianxing that Yun Kunwu was brought back and locked up by our father in secret. It seems like he has gone soft... Anyway, let's just chop him down first. When Father comes out of seclusion later, he will understand... We can't just let that troublemaker go; otherwise, Father might punish us instead... He'll have no choice but to accept it."
"So you're saying... act first and report later?"
"Exactly!" Yun Jiujiu raised her chin and continued, "Anyway, Dad usually doesn't care about anything. At worst, I will take the blame since I won't stay in the sect anymore."
Yun Yiyi thought for a moment. "Then, I'll go talk to Yun Xi later."
"Okay, and also invite that person named... Pei Lianxue."
?
"Why should we call her?"
"Just call her, didn't she just inherit our grandfather's legacy? Now, all the Elders send her gifts every day, trying to gain her favor, tsk..."
"What? Our grandfather's legacy?"
"Yes, our grandfather's sword is in her hand."
"..."
Yun Yiyi had not heard of this before, or rather, no one told her about it after she woke up.
When Yun Jiujiu mentioned this, she frowned, her eyes full of disbelief, and a sense of crisis arose in her heart.
Pei Lianxue was Ye Anping's younger sister, childhood sweetheart, and possibly the one he cared about, while her engagement with Ye Anping was simply an arrangement between the Sword Sect and the Hundred Lotus Sect.
In other words, now that Pei Lianxue had obtained Immortal Yun Jian's inheritance, her engagement with Ye Anping had lost its relevance.
---Ye Anping probably didn't know about this yet. If he knew, he would definitely leave her immediately and go after his sister.
Seeing Yun Yiyi's sudden change in expression, Yun Jiujiu reached out and waved in front of her eyes, asking, "What's wrong?"
"Second Sister..." Yun Yiyi clenched her fists and frowned. "Can you keep the matter of Pei Lianxue obtaining the inheritance secret from Young Master Ye for now?"
"Huh?"
"Just... keep him in your Cloud Wine Mansion for now, don't let him know about this yet, okay?"
"What about you?"
"I... I'm going to Night Tide Peak ."
Yun Jiujiu didn't understand, but since it wasn't an excessive request, she nodded in agreement. "Alright, you go ahead. I'm going to have a drink with Brother Yu."
... ...
"Burp~~"
---The Wicked Butterfly (Yu Die) Attack!
A breath filled with the aroma of roasted chicken sauce sprayed from Feng Yu Die's mouth onto Ye Anping's face as he sat quietly drinking tea, causing his eyebrows to twitch slightly.
He looked at the three chicken racks on the table that had been gnawed clean by Feng Yu Die and sighed. "Are you full?"
"I'm full, I'm full~" Feng Yu Die patted her belly, which looked like she was pregnant, then burped in Ye Anping's face again. "Burp---"
Ye Anping quickly held his breath, opened the window next to him a little more, and then looked in the direction of the neighboring room, noting that the two sisters had been chatting for a long time, and they still weren't done.
But he couldn't rush them. He could only sigh again and impatiently watch Feng Yu Die eat her chicken.
Feng Yu Die lay on the mat with a round belly and relaxed for a while. Then, seeming to suddenly remember something, she straightened her back and stood up. She licked the oil off her fingers and took out a red envelope from her storage bag.
This was given to her by Yun Jiujiu, along with the chicken-killing knife.
She tore the envelope open, unfolded the letter, and took a look. As a result, her neck immediately shrank back, making a double chin, and her eyes widened.
"Ah... huh? Hiss---"
When Ye Anping saw the letter in her hand, he knew it was most likely Yun Jiujiu's love letter.
In the game, the content was not visible, but the item's synopsis read -- "Yun Jiujiu's love letter contains her literary talent, her personality, and her cuteness."
Although he knew what it was, he was also very curious about its contents. So, he simply moved quietly behind Feng Yu Die, bringing his face close to her ear, and looked at the letter over her shoulder.
"Hmph~~"
Ye Anping snorted, startling Feng Yu Die, who trembled suddenly.
Boom---
A fist as big as a bun swung straight toward his face.
Without moving his eyes, Ye Anping tilted his head sideways to dodge. And perhaps Feng Yu Die also controlled her skill, so her small fist did not hit him directly in the face.
Then, Feng Yu Die hastily moved away five feet from him, leaning against the wall with a frown on her face, saying, "Bad guy, you won't have your way!"
?
Stunned, Ye Anping asked, "What way?"
"Hmph, you know what."
"..."
Did this girl eat something weird today? Why was she so startled when he didn't do anything just now?
Ta-da---
Footsteps were heard outside the door. Just as Ye Anping turned his head to look, the wooden door opened with a powerful kick.
Bang---
"Brother Yu! I'm here to keep you company!"
A grinning Yun Jiujiu kicked the door open, put her hands on her hips, and yelled as she entered the room.
However, when she saw Feng Yu Die holding the love letter she had given her earlier, her carefree smile instantly faded, and a blush crept onto her face.
"Ah... you are reading the letter..."
"Umm..."
Feng Yu Die swallowed hard, seeming nervous and unsure of how to respond.
Yun Jiujiu completely ignored Ye Anping and quickly ran to Feng Yu Die. Placing her hands on her shoulders, she leaned over with anticipation into her eyes and asked, "Do you agree?"
"..."
Feng Yu Die stiffened as she looked at Yun Jiujiu's smiling face but remained silent, not answering for a long time.
Seeing that she hadn't replied for such a long time, a trace of worry surfaced on Yun Jiujiu's face. "What's wrong, Brother Yu?"
"..."
"You... You don't agree?"
Yun Jiujiu's eyes gradually changed from anticipation to disappointment, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and her nostrils flared as if she were about to cry the next moment.
Feng Yu Die also frowned but finally made up her mind, and started to say, "No..."
However, as soon as the first word came out, Ye Anping immediately stepped forward and interjected. "Second Miss Yun, Young Master Feng is just overwhelmed by surprise. He is actually quite happy. But you just asked him now, and the decision on marriage cannot be made overnight. How about giving him some time to consider?"
Feng Yu Die glared at Ye Anping, feeling a little dissatisfied. She didn't want to deceive Yun Jiujiu.
No! Absolutely not!
She had decided to be wholeheartedly devoted to Sister Pei!!
Yun Jiujiu listened to Ye Anping's words, then looked back at Feng Yu Die. "Brother Yu, is what he said true?"
"Uh-huh uh-huh..."
After a short hesitation, Feng Yu Die nodded in agreement. Only then did the smile reappear on Yun Jiujiu's worried face, and she let go of Feng Yu Die's shoulders.
Ye Anping sighed in relief and glanced at Feng Yu Die's dazed expression, but then he ignored her and turned to look at the guest room door.
Not seeing Yun Yiyi, he was a little confused and asked, "Second Lady, where is Eldest Lady?"
"She... she asked me to keep it a secret from you. Anyway, I have to keep you here until she comes back." Yun Jiujiu nodded solemnly and added, "Behave yourself and stay put, or else I'll have to tie you up with a rope."
?
Confused, Ye Anping squinted. "Keep what secret?"
"It's a secret!" Yun Jiujiu waved and pulled Feng Yu Die's sleeve as she walked out. "Brother Yu, let's go drink something! And Young Master Ye, you can follow us if you want. Just don't sneak out of Cloud Wine Mansion ."
Watching the two walking away, Ye Anping felt puzzled by the situation.
Yun Yiyi must have gone to Night Tide Peak without telling him...
What was at Night Tide Peak ?
Yun Xi and his sister...
If it was about Yun Xi, there was no need to keep it from him, so the only possibility left was...
"..."
Ye Anping frowned slightly, but after a moment of hesitation, he felt that there shouldn't be much of a problem, so he simply stepped forward to catch up with the two ahead.
"Well, Sis can handle it..."