The autumn sun was high in the sky, and the peaks were covered in gold. The flying boat broke through the clouds and slowly sailed over the gate of the Hundred Lotus Sect.
Pei Lianxue changed into the aqua-blue uniform of the Hundred Lotus Sect and came early to the front deck from the cabin. She leaned on the guardrail and looked at the sect where she had her roots.
Seeing the high martial arts platform on the main peak, her amber eyes showed some nostalgia.
When she was a child, her brother would drag her to the martial arts arena to train in the snow and ice whenever it snowed heavily. When she could not stand the cold and fainted, he would carry her and run down the mountain path to the clinic to find Mrs. Chen to cure her.
Feeding her poisonous insects, breaking her bones, throwing her into the ice lake to bathe, accompanying her into monsters' lairs to survive...
All sorts of memories flooded into her mind, making her fall into a trance.
To this day, she still remembered how, at that time, whenever she was on the verge of breaking down, her brother would encourage her. "Sister, you're very upset right now, aren't you? This is the rule amongst cultivators. You are weaker than me, so I can handle you as I please. When you're able to beat me, then it won't be you who gets your bones broken, it'll be me."
Therefore, when she was six or seven years old, her greatest ambition was to beat up her brother, and this goal inspired her to carry through the poisonous insects, bone forging, and freezing training.
It was only at the age of ten that she won her first sword duel with her brother and beat him so badly that he had to lie in the clinic for half a month.
She was so happy that she couldn't sleep for two or three days. When she went to visit him, she said with a vengeful spirit, "Brother, are you upset? You can't beat me now!"
However, Ye Anping, who was lying on the bed in the clinic at that time, looked at her with satisfaction, rubbed her head, and praised her. "My sister is amazing."
Since then, the situation between them has gradually changed, from alternating victories and defeats to the one-sided defeat of her brother.
It wasn't until she was fourteen and met the demonic cultivator named Wu You that she suddenly realized that her brother's 'viciousness' toward her was actually a kind of 'love'.
She also gradually came to realize that she seemed to have been inseparable from the young man who accompanied her as she grew up.
In the middle of her reminiscing, the divine traveling boat had already sailed to the front of the Hundred Lotus Sect's main peak, and Liang Zhu and Ye Waner, who were driving the boat from above, began to use their spiritual power to slow down.
Xiao Yunluo had changed into the purple uniform of the Young Lady of the Black Star Sect and exited the cabin. Seeing Pei Lianxue enjoying the breeze from the bow, she also walked forward to talk to her. "Lianxue, are your legs and waist still sore?"
Pei Lianxue turned her head when she heard the voice, her cheeks blushing slightly. She twirled her hair with her fingers and shook her head. "Oh, a little... it will be fine after a few days."
Xiao Yunluo walked beside her, hesitated for a while, thinking about how to use this topic to test her, then said, "Ye Anping is so careless. He doesn't know how to be gentle with women and brought you to this state."
"No... It's okay. When I was a kid, my brother used to often break my bones. Compared to breaking bones, this is nothing. It doesn't hurt, it's just a little sore."
How can you compare breaking bones with this ... Xiao Yunluo was stunned for a moment, then shifted her gaze. "Lianxue, it's not good lying in bed for two or three days every time. What if Ye Anping encounters danger in the future and you can't get out of bed? How can you protect him?"
Pei Lianxue was silent for a while before shaking her head. "It won't happen. Brother is always thinking ahead."
"Well..." Xiao Yunluo tried to persuade her. "Although Ye Anping is smart, there can always be miscalculations, right? This is a weakness for both of you. If someone spots this weakness in the future, the consequences will be disastrous."
Pei Lianxue thought about it and felt that what Xiao Yunluo said seemed to make some sense. After hesitating for a while, she asked, "Yunluo, have you thought of something?"
Seeing the fish was hooked, Xiao Yunluo secretly rejoiced in her heart. She pretended to think for a while and blurted out the words she had prepared long ago. "Let me think about it... Lianxue, how about someone to help you share the burden?"
Pei Lianxue tilted her head. "Share?"
"Yes... well, Ye Anping has too much yang energy. If you can't handle it alone, you can find a girl you trust to help him relieve his yang energy. In this way, you can protect Ye Anping when you encounter specific situations in the future, right?"
Pei Lianxue frowned slightly, thinking for a while, then said, "Well... this could be a solution."
?!
Hearing Pei Lianxue say this, Xiao Yunluo didn't react for a moment.
She thought that Lianxue would be very opposed, so she was prepared to persuade her more, but unexpectedly, she actually agreed to her proposal.
There were no other girls around Lianxue who were close to her, except for the second idiot and herself.
Xiao Yunluo jumped on the opportunity and joked, "Huh? You don't protect your food? Just kidding."
"What do you mean by protecting food... I'm not a dog." Pei Lianxue pouted, then looked at the sky. "Well... Although my brother did not mention it to me, I know that besides me, he is also thinking about another girl."
"Thinking about another girl?"
Slightly dumbfounded, Xiao Yunluo thought in her heart, could it be that Ye Anping had told Pei Lianxue about what happened that night?
A little nervous, she pursed her lips. "Ye Anping told you?"
"Yeah." Pei Lianxue lowered her eyes, sighing. "He told me a long time ago, but I remember it."
"A long... time ago?"
Could it be that Ye Anping had feelings for her a long time ago? Why did he only tell her a few days ago?
What a secretive guy!
Xiao Yunluo complained in her heart, but she was actually quite happy. She asked curiously,
"So...who is it?"
"Xiyue."
"......?"
Pei Lianxue let out a small sigh. "Brother used to mention this name from time to time, but I've never seen her. I only know that she seems to live in the Cold Country and runs a small inn, but..."
Xiao Yunluo was shocked, repeating the name "Xiyue" in her mind.
Xi?
Yue?
How old is she? What is her cultivation level? What is her family background? What does she look like?
"..."
Pei Lianxue continued. "However, this is only a last resort. If I have no choice, I'm willing to share Brother with her a little bit, but only a little bit! Brother is mine! Hmph!"
"Ah... um."
Xiao Yunluo was embarrassed and didn't know how to respond. She originally thought that she was the only one besides Lianxue, but how could she have expected that a 'Xiyue' would suddenly appear among them?
She had to go back to the Black Star Sect and ask the Elders to check for someone named 'Xiyue' in the Cold Country ...
As Xiao Yunluo made her plans, the divine boat finally docked on the side of the suspended platform above the main hall.
The next moment, a shout came from the platform. "May I ask what is the Imperial Sect Justice Division 's business in my Hundred Lotus Sect? If it is a matter between the sects, why didn't you send a jade slip in advance to inform us?"
The shouting voice carried a hint of hostility.
Hearing this, Pei Lianxue hurried to the side of the ship and leaned on the railing to look at the platform.
Ye Ao was wearing a pink robe inlaid with gold and jade, and beside him stood the red-crowned crane that he had bought for 880,000 spirit stones. He looked like a nouveau riche.
On both sides of the platform, more than twenty disciples of the Hundred Lotus Sect carrying spirit swords and neatly dressed stood in a row.
In the past, the Hundred Lotus Sect was too insignificant, so it was rare for cultivators of prominent status to visit.
But thanks to Ye Anping, the sect got a spiritual stone mine from the Black Star Sect, so Ye Ao also spent a lot of money to improve their appearance when welcoming distinguished guests.
These twenty-odd Hundred Lotus Sect disciples carrying valuable swords on their backs, were now the main platoon for greeting the guests.
Hesitantly, Pei Lianxue waved her hand. "...Patriarch Ye, it's us."
Ye Ao, who was quite worried, froze when he saw Pei Lianxue sticking her head out from the side of the ship. He took another incredulous look at the Imperial Sect boat. "Miss... Pei?!"
Huang Shanhu, who was following behind him, glanced at Pei Lianxue and saw that although she looked very young, she had already reached the Incipient Core Formation stage and was wearing the uniform of the Hundred Lotus Sect. He exclaimed in surprise. "Old Ye, is this girl a disciple of your Hundred Lotus Sect? You actually have such a powerful girl in your sect?"
"..."
Ye Ao glanced at him and bragged. "So? Old Huang, let me make it clear first, Little Pei is my daughter-in-law. Don't make any plans!"
"..."
Huang Shanhu pouted awkwardly, finding it hard to believe that this girl was already in the Incipient Core Formation stage at such a young age. How could she be willing to be the wife of Ye Ao's son, who had two spiritual roots?
Xiao Yunluo also walked to Pei Lianxue's side. She wanted to greet Ye Ao, but when she saw Elder Wang of the Black Star Sect standing next to Ye Ao, she was stunned.
Although Elder Wang was only at the Core Formation stage, he was considered a disciple of Mr. Qi. Sometimes when Mr. Qi was busy, he would go to play chess with her mother. In other words, Elder Wang was one of the few Elders in the Core Formation stage of the Black Star Sect who had seen her mother.
"El... Elder Wang?"
Seeing Xiao Yunluo was also there, Ye Ao thought that his troublemaker son was probably on the boat too.
By coming back on the boat of the Imperial Sect Justice Division , Ye Anping had brought honor to the Hundred Lotus Sect.
But leaving the honor aside, right now, Ye Ao felt a little scared -- what did Ye Anping do in the Central Region to be able to come back on the Justice Division 's divine boat?
He had no mood of showing off to Elders Wang and Shanhu now, so he jumped onto the boat and landed beside Pei Lianxue.
"Little Pei, where is Anping? Is he also on this boat? What did you do in the Central Region ? Why did you come back on the Justice Division divine boat?"
Pei Lianxue didn't know what to answer first after this series of questions. Fortunately, Liang Zhu came out of the cabin at this time, and Xiao Yunluo quickly picked up the conversation. "Master Ye, Anping is in the cabin. You can go ask him directly. In short, something big has happened."
Ye Anping always brought someone every time he came back. He picked up Feng Yu Die the first time, Xiao Yunluo the second time, and Liang Zhu and his daughter the third time...
But this time...
Ye Ao looked at the melon seed shells all over the deck and the flag of the Imperial Sect hanging above, nodded slightly, then walked toward the cabin.
Elder Wang and Huang Shanhu naturally followed him into the cabin, wanting to see what happened.
However, watching Elder Wang walk toward the cabin, Xiao Yunluo pondered for a while before taking a step forward. "Elder Wang."
"Oh?"
Xiao Yunluo glanced at Pei Lianxue and cupped her hands. "Um... please be careful with your words and actions."
?
Elder Wang was a little confused but didn't ask any more questions. He nodded and followed Ye Ao into the cabin.
After watching the three people go down, Xiao Yunluo sighed earnestly. "Lianxue, why don't you take me for a stroll around the Hundred Lotus Sect? Last time I came, Ye Anping didn't show me around either."
"Alright!" Pei Lianxue pondered for a while and nodded. "By the way, I'll take you to meet Ating. I haven't been back for so long. I don't know if she has practiced her sword seriously."
...
Ye Anping sat at a round table in the center of the aft room, thinking of how to explain to his father that he had brought an Empress into the Hundred Lotus Sect.
According to his father's temperament, he would certainly be shocked.
In addition to scaring him, he could also honor the promise he had made.
---To bring the Immortal Matriarch to meet him.
Ye Anping sighed and glanced at Si Xuanji, who was sitting next to him, munching on melon seeds. When she saw him looking at her, she immediately stopped eating.
She winked at Ye Anping, took out the melon seeds, opened them with her nails, took the kernels out, and sent them to his mouth. "Do you want to eat, Mr. Ye? I'll help you peel them."
"No need, Miss Xuanji. You can eat it yourself."
"It smells nice, try one?"
"...It's really not necessary."
Si Xuanji frowned and insisted. "Try one!"
"..."
Faced with the old lady's dominance, Ye Anping paused for a moment, then opened his mouth and let her feed him the melon seeds.
"Delicious, isn't it? I'll peel more for you."
"No..."
Sitting across the table, Tong Zilan watched the interaction between the old and the young with a little smile in her eyes, as if she found it quite interesting.
The great Immortal Matriarch actually peeled melon seeds for a young cultivator in the Foundation Building stage.
The world was going downhill~~
On the other side, Ye Waner, who was leaning against the wall, secretly glanced at Si Xuanji and quickly grabbed a handful of melon seeds. "Master Xuanji, you peel them for Master Ye and I'll peel them for you~~ What do you think?"
"..."
Si Xianji was silent for a moment. She turned to look at her, tilted her head, and asked, "Who are you?"
Seeing this look, Ye Waner shrank her neck awkwardly and took off the bell that Si Xuanji had placed on her, smiling apologetically "Master Xuanji, this... I was ignorant at that time and broke into your and Miss Xiao's bedroom in the middle of the night, but now I regret it. I wonder if Master Xuanji can forgive me? I am willing to compensate you with double the spirit stones for the sword and the talismans."
"Oh~~" Si Xuanji nodded in understanding. "So you are the little thief who stole my sister's sword last time."
"Ah... yeah, I'm the little thief, you see this bell..."
Ye Waner was very humble now. After seeing the Demon King kill the city guards, she was afraid that Si Xuanji and Xiao Yunluo would tell their mother about her.
So, she apologized with a regretful look on her face and then gave Ye Anping a glance, indicating that he should also say a few good words for her.
However, Ye Anping did not know Si Xuanji's thoughts and did not dare to speak for Ye Waner to no avail. In short, he didn't want to offend Si Xuanji by stepping in for Ye Waner.
Si Xuanji covered her mouth, chuckling. "Since you have helped Master Ye so much, I will forgive you and won't tell my mother when I go back. But you should keep the bell."
"Ah..."
"Everyone has to take responsibility for their own actions. That's the price you have to pay." Si Xuanji smiled with narrowed eyes and patted her shoulder. "From now on, you have to work hard for Master Ye, understand?"
"..."
Ye Waner forced a smile. Although she was reluctant in her heart, she rubbed her hands together and nodded under this little one's authority. "Yes! I will serve Master Ye like a slave in the future... Master Xuanji is magnanimous, and I will definitely redeem this kindness with my whole life."
Si Xuanji squinted at Ye Anping. "Then, go and give Master Ye a back massage."
"..."
Ye Waner was stunned for a moment, then quickly stood up, walked behind Ye Anping, and began massaging his shoulders.
Then, Si Xuanji turned to look at Ye Anping. "Master Ye, if anyone gives you trouble in the future, just tell me, and I will help you."
"..."
Ye Anping was a little speechless, but he had to appreciate the old woman's kindness. "Thank you, Miss Xuanji."
"You're welcome~ Come, aah~~"
Looking at the melon seeds Si Xuanji sent to his mouth, Ye Anping reluctantly opened his mouth to receive them.
He felt that the atmosphere in the room was too tense, and he even missed Si Xuanji's parrot.
He hadn't seen the parrot in the past few days, most likely sent by Si Xuanji to deliver a message.
Just when Si Xuanji peeled another melon seed and brought it to Ye Anping's mouth, footsteps were heard outside the door.
Hongyu, who was guarding outside the door, announced, "Young Master Ye, Patriarch Ye is here."
Then, she opened the door and led the three men inside. Ye Ao was still a little depressed. After entering the room, he was shocked to see his son surrounded by three girls. He glanced at Si Xuanji, Ye Waner, and Tong Zilan, and frowned slightly.
He had met Si Xuanji before when he went to the Black Star Sect, but the other two were both Core Formation stage cultivators.
And why was one of them massaging his son's back?
"Anping, what are you doing..."
Ye Anping cupped his hands in greeting. "Dad, it's a long story. Sit down and let's talk slowly."
As he said that, he noticed that there were two more people at the door.
The one with a beard and a tiger-skin robe should be the leader of the Tiger Roar Sect. He was looking at him in a daze as if he had seen a ghost.
The other one, Elder Wang of the Black Star Sect, was looking at Si Xuanji with a confused look and his mouth opened as if he had seen an old ghost.
Si Xuanji was still holding the melon seeds in her hand, trying to feed them to Ye Anping. She also froze when she saw Wang Shouren there.
She really didn't expect Wang Shouren to be in the Hundred Lotus Sect right now.
Si Xuanji narrowed her eyes slightly and then greeted, with a smile. "Elder Wang, why are you in the Hundred Lotus Sect?"
"..."
Elder Wang's jaw dropped even further, his eyes going back and forth between Ye Anping and his sect's Matriarch. He hurriedly stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Greetings..."
Si Xuanji immediately cut him off with a glare. "Elder Wang, why are you so polite? I am just a young lady."
?
Elder Wang was stunned but quickly recovered. "Ah... greetings, Young Lady."
"I've told you not to be polite." Si Xuanji's expression softened. "You're really surprising."
"Ah... um..."
Elder Wang didn't know what to say, and he looked at the melon seeds that she had sent to Ye Anping's mouth, inquiring with his eyes, Matriarch, what are you doing ?
Ye Anping was speechless watching the interaction between the two. He sighed, spread his hands to signal Ye Ao and the other two to take a seat, and asked Hongyu to close the door and leave.
The moment the door closed, the room fell into a dead silence.
The people present exchanged glances, each with their own questions.
Regarding the Central Region , Ye Anping had originally prepared a long explanation, but seeing the atmosphere, he thought for a moment and decided to keep it simple. "Dad, Elder Wang, Patriarch Huang, I'll be frank. The Demon Clan is on the rise, and the Demon King has killed the Central Region Emperor."