Hoo-hoo---
Flying frost carried by a cold wind knocked on the oil-paper windows on the second floor of the inn.
The oil lamp in the room was dim. There were some "creaking" sounds from the wooden bed that could not bear the weight, and some bursts of charming humming with a voluptuous fragrance.
"Hmm~ Hmm~ Great..."
On the bed, Gu Mingxin slowly opened her eyes, only to feel a splitting headache and weakness all over her body. After a while, she forced herself to sit up and looked in the direction of the sound.
What she saw was Lu Meimei's figure moving up and down, reflected on the screen next to her.
She frowned, slightly annoyed, and coughed. "Ahem---"
In the next moment, behind the screen, Lu Meimei paused and turned to look at her. She got off the man and wrapped herself in a silk scarf before walking around the screen. "Sister Gu, are you awake?"
Gu Mingxin glanced at her coldly and asked, "How many days have I slept?"
"Three days. Sister, you want to come along? Master Wu just brought back a rather handsome young gentleman. Let's enjoy him and replenish our energy."
"Handsome young gentleman?"
When Gu Mingxin heard this, the face of "Liang Xiaoliu" appeared in her mind in an instant. With some disbelief, she quickly got off the bed and walked around the screen to look at the bed on the other side.
The person lying on the bed was a young man in his twenties, who was now under the spell of Lu Meimei. He was lying in a trance with a smile on his face, twitching his waist and abdomen.
Gu Mingxin smacked her lips in annoyance, then limped back to her bed and sat down.
Lu Meimei was a little puzzled. "Sister Gu, don't you want him? Or do you dislike those I've used? How about I find you another good-looking man to replenish your essence?"
Gu Mingxin was silent for a while, then answered as politely as possible. "I don't have that habit."
"Eh?" Lu Meimei was surprised when she heard this. "Could it be that you haven't had the taste of a man yet? You already formed the core, and the Heavenly Demon Sect didn't send a man to you? Are they so stingy? Do you want to..."
Gu Mingxin was a little tired, so she cut her off. "I want to rest."
"Oh... Then, I'll be right here if you need me, sister Gu~"
Lu Meimei smiled, then walked around the screen and went back to business.
As the "creaking" sounds gradually rose, Gu Mingxin found it irritating but she couldn't say anything.
In the Eastern Region , the ordinary female demonic cultivators at the Core Formation stage almost all had four or five male favorites. However, she was the Heavenly Demon Sect Patriarch's personal disciple, but she had remained a virgin for more than twenty years, which was already a rare species.
It wasn't that she wasn't interested. It was just that her requirements for men were simply too high.
"Liang Xiaoliu... hehe... hehe..."
Gu Mingxin continued to repeat the name as an eerie ghost-like smile appeared on her face.
"Hahaha... hehe..."
Suddenly, a sound of footsteps came from the door, instantly alerting Gu Mingxin. She turned around and breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that it was Wu Tianci walking in.
Wu Tianci entered the room and took off the bamboo hat covered with snow. Seeing that Gu Mingxin had woken up, he hurried over. "Sister Gu, how are you feeling?"
"My true essence is depleted, but I'm fine now." Gu Mingxin answered calmly, then looked up at him. "And how are you?"
"To be honest, not too good..."
Wu Tianci glanced back at the young man underneath Lu Meimei.
After Gu Mingxin fell asleep that day, he asked Lu Meimei to use her charm to interrogate the man he brought back, but the man was quite stubborn. After just a few words, he severed his own meridians and bled to death.
So, taking advantage of the few days when Gu Mingxin was asleep, he followed some clues and found out a lot of information.
The young man that Lu Meimei was squeezing now was the one he caught yesterday at the drugstore in the neighboring Pixiu Town .
His name was Wang Er, and he was an informant of the black market forces in the Northern Region .
He extracted a lot of information from him.
Wu Tianci was silent for a while, and he answered as briefly as possible. "Sister Gu, a big reward has been placed on our heads."
Gu Mingxin narrowed her eyes. "Our?"
"Well... amongst the demonic cultivators who came to the Northern Region , only the three of us, me, you, and Sister Lu, have a high bounty placed on us."
Wu Tianci continued with a frown. "This is not good. I heard that the Snow Guards in the Cold Country are secretly investigating the three of us. Once they find out our identities as demonic cultivators..."
Gu Mingxin said, "All actions of the six demonic sects against the Northern Region will be discovered by the Empress of the Cold Country . All the demonic cultivators who came to the Northern Region this time will be exposed... Well, then all the effort was in vain."
Wu Tianci nodded. "Not only that. After this incident, the three of us will definitely be investigated by the sect. After all, this matter is exposed because of us."
"...We're done for."
The six sects of demonic cultivators spent decades of effort and expenses to send more than thirty Core Formation stage demonic cultivators to the Northern Region without the knowledge of the Cold Country .
And now, Liang Xiaoliu, with just the use of a bounty, turned the demonic sects' decades of hard work into nothing, and by the way, made her bear the stigma of "betrayal".
Once the Elders of the demonic sects learned about this, they would definitely want to know why there was a bounty on their heads. Then, no matter how they defended themselves, in the best case, they would be regarded as rat shit who accidentally exposed their whereabouts and ruined the overall situation.
Gu Mingxin already imagined that after returning to the Heavenly Demon Sect, her master would be furious, and maybe he would even expel her from the sect.
She covered her forehead and laughed bitterly. "Haha... Liang Xiaoliu, you really... hahaha..."
Wu Tianci was silent for a while, and then continued, "From what I heard, the bounty for the three of us has been endorsed by the master of the Dragon House ."
"It's not Liang Xiaoliu..." Gu Mingxin suddenly froze. "The Master of the Dragon House , you said?"
"Yes."
Wu Tianci's eyes showed some anger as he suddenly thought of his father who died in the Dragon House incident.
Since his father died there, his storage bag might have fallen into the hands of the Dragon House leader. He wanted to continue to investigate, and it would be best if he could meet that Young Lady surnamed Li.
Anyway, that was just a thought...
Wu Tianci said reasonably, "Sister Gu, many forces in the black market are watching us now, and we won't be able to exchange jade slips... At the moment, the best thing for us is to return to the Eastern Region as soon as possible and report this matter."
Gu Mingxin raised her eyebrows. "Why? To fix things?"
"Yes, let the Elders withdraw all the demonic cultivators from the Northern Region . Otherwise, if we continue like this, we will be caught by the Snow Guards of the Cold Country sooner or later. More than thirty Core Formation demonic cultivators, it's not a small price to pay."
Gu Mingxin listened, and her blood-red eyes flashed.
She shook her head slightly. "As you said, it would be best for us to abort the mission and return to the Eastern Region now, but..."
"..."
Gu Mingxin glared. "Wouldn't this fulfill Liang Xiaoliu's wish?"
"Sister Gu..."
"He wants to make things difficult to force us to retreat. If we really retreat like this, won't we be like dogs fleeing with their tails between their legs, in his eyes?!! I will kill as many people as he sends... Even if the Cold Country Empress comes herself, I will break her two front teeth!!"
"..."
"Of course," Gu Mingxin's expression gradually eased, "If you don't want to follow, you can take Sister Lu and go back."
Wu Tianci frowned slightly before replying with a bow. "...No need. Since you decided, I will follow you."
"Then, don't regret it." Gu Mingxin stood up and patted him on the shoulder gently. "You said that the Lady of the Dragon House placed the bounty in Frozen River Immortal City , right?"
"...So we're going to Frozen River City ?"
"Hmm~"
Gu Mingxin nodded, went to open the window, and gritted her teeth as she looked at the white mountains under the snow clouds in the distance.
"Mr. Liang, I really want to see you again..."
...
Feather-like flying snow blew thousands of miles away.
The crescent moon hung high in the sky. On the slopes of Jade Snow Peak in the southwest of the Northern Region , a campfire flickered inside a cave.
In the cave, six or seven Foundation Building demonic cultivators dressed in black sat around a campfire, avoiding the cold night wind.
"What kind of formation knot did the Elders ask us to search for in the Northern Region ... We've been wandering this mountain for several weeks and only encountered a few snow tiger beasts. Maybe there is no formation knot here?"
"Who knows? Anyway, let's look for it. If we find it, it will be a great achievement. If we don't find it, it's none of our business."
"Brother, you're right. By the way, I heard there is a town not far away. Why don't we go and catch some girls to nourish our bodies? It's cold in the Northern Region ... and we have to use spiritual energy to protect our bodies all the time. We need to nourish ourselves."
...
Kyiiii-!!!
Suddenly, an eagle's cry coming from the cave entrance interrupted the group's chat.
Their hearts suddenly tightened, and they turned their heads to look toward the cave entrance, only to see a girl with her eyes closed and wrapped in thick clothes, carrying a Fire Phoenix and stepping in.
"A blind girl?"
Li Longling sighed slightly and said, "This is really rude."
Then, she whispered to the Fire Phoenix on her arm. "Ah Feng."
Yiii---!!
A fiery light flashed across Ah Feng's eyes, then it spread its wings, opened its beak, and spit out a burst of rolling fire, striking directly at the six people by the campfire.
The six people reacted quickly, jumping away from the spot to avoid the fire spells sprayed by the Fire Phoenix before turning around and drawing their swords, trying to surround and kill Li Longling.
However, at this moment, a black shadow rushed in from outside the cave entrance, and the ice-blue spirit sword in his hand, like a paintbrush, drew five lines between the chests of the six people.
Swish---
After Ye Anping drew the lines, he came to Li Longling's side and gently swung the Snow Jade Spirit Sword to one side.
The six Foundation Building demonic cultivators fell to the ground at the same time, like puppets with their strings cut.
"Whew..."
He glanced at the six people, checked their situation with his spiritual sense, and then said, "Longling, it just so happens that these demonic cultivators have set up a shelter, so we can avoid the wind and snow. Let's rest here today."
"As you say, Master Ye."
Ye Anping nodded. He helped Li Longling to step over the bodies, walked to the campfire, and sat down. Then, he took out the marinated frozen chicken he had bought in town from his storage bag and pierced it with branches before placing it on the side of the campfire built by the demonic cultivators.
After a while, the frozen chicken was roasted by the fire, and the aroma of the sauce from the meat wafted inside the cave.
At this moment, one of the six demonic cultivators lying on the floor opened his eyes and looked at them. He immediately stood up and summoned a magical weapon to protect his body, then took out his flying sword and fled from the cave.
Sitting by the campfire, Li Longling was surprised to find someone running away, but then she saw Ye Anping calmly roasting the chicken through the Fire Phoenix's eyes. He looked very calm, and he did not get up to chase the fugitive. She hesitated for a while, then reminded him. "Master Ye, one person escaped."
"Yeah, I intentionally left one alive." Ye Anping nodded, took out five talismans, and burned the remaining five demonic cultivator corpses into flying ash. "Longling, do you know about drawing out monsters?"
"Drawing out monsters...?"
"Well, you let one person attract the attention of a group of people and make them chase him."
Li Longling thought about it before nodding. "That is... to use a bait and set a trap?"
"Yes." Ye Anping nodded. "I don't know where my sister and sister Xiao are now, so I have to attract Gu Mingxin's attention and let her chase after me."
"..."
"If she's busy chasing after me, then I will definitely see my sister and the girls before she does. Right now, the Snow Jade Spirit Sword is with me, so if my sister runs into Gu Mingxin before me, they will be in danger."
Li Longling pondered a little while, and then she understood.
In the past few days, they had been placing bounties and clearing out the Foundation Building demonic cultivators. It turned out that they were doing this to keep Pei Lianxue, Xiao Yunluo, and Feng Yu Die out of danger.
"But, with such a huge bounty... Master Ye, do you think that demonic cultivator named Gu Mingxin could survive the hands of the black market swordsmen?"
Ye Anping shook his head slightly. "It would be great if she would die at the hands of those swordsmen. It would cost less than a million spirit stones to kill her, which is a one-to-one win."
"It sounds like you don't think she will die?"
"It seems very unlikely." Ye Anping looked at the roast chicken in front of him and continued, "And she probably won't go back to the Eastern Region after being frustrated. She will definitely find out through various ways that it was you, Longling, who offered the bounty, and then she'll track us down."
Li Longling hugged her knees, shrinking her neck and moving closer to Ye Anping. "So Mr. Ye used me as bait."
Ye Anping paused and looked at her. "Longling, don't worry, I will ensure your safety."
"I'm not complaining." Li Longling pursed her lips. "I'm just wondering why you're using me as bait?"
"I am Gu Mingxin's bait, and you are the bait of the demonic cultivator named Wu Tianci."
"Oh?"
"His father, together with your father, raised the blood lotus in the Dragon House , and, in the end, he died at the hands of my eldest brother. That man was very smart but pretty impulsive. You are his 'impulsiveness'."
"..."
Li Longling nodded silently and moved closer to Ye Anping, leaning her shoulder on his.
"Then, where can we find Sister Xiao?"
"Someone will come and tell us where they are."
"When will that person come?"
"I don't know, but it should be soon."
"..."
Then, her time alone with Master Ye was almost over...
Li Longling sighed bitterly. She hesitated for a while, then simply leaned over and rested her cheek on Ye Anping's shoulder.
Ye Anping was startled and looked to the side, only to see a face with eyes closed, illuminated by the bonfire, showing a bit of loneliness.
Although she was blind and didn't have the catching eyes of his sister, Li Longling was still a lovely girl.
The cold wind and snow outside the cave whistled, and the wood and flint from the fire inside the cave crackled.
Ye Anping was silent for a while, then hesitantly said, "Come to think of it, I didn't check the talismans I imprinted on your meridians last time. I happen to have some free time now, how about..."
"...Huh?"
Li Longling froze for a moment as her mind replayed the scene when Ye Anping treated her eyes back in the Dragon Mansion , and her cheeks turned a light red.
"Now... now?"
"If you don't mind."
"I don't mind..."
Li Longling remembered that Ye Anping touched her feet last time. She pursed her lips, untied the laces of her long velvet boots, pulled her snow-white feet out, and turned around, stretching them to Ye Anping's thighs.
Her toes rubbed Ye Anping's leg lightly, and Li Longling immediately tucked her chin and nose into her collar, looking very shy.
Ye Anping exhaled slowly, gently grasped her ankle, and stroked the sole of her foot with his fingers.
"Hmm..."
"Bear with it a little."
At this moment, a loud shout suddenly came into Ye Anping's ears from the direction of the cave entrance.
"Yaaaaaaaah!!! Anping! What are you doing?!!"
"..."
When Ye Anping heard this, his fingers stopped, and he turned his head to look. He saw a small golden figure carrying a bundle on her back, stopping at the cave entrance and glaring at him with a face full of anger.
---The person who would tell him his sister's whereabouts had come.
Li Longling felt that Ye Anping's hand stopped, and she asked in confusion, "Master Ye, what's the matter?"
"...We'll continue next time."
"Eh?"
With a sigh, he picked up her boots, helping her put them on. Then, he took the roast chicken that had been roasted until the skin was crispy and handed it to her. "Longling, do you want to eat roast chicken?"
"...No need."
"Then, what about Ah Feng, will he eat?"
?
Hearing this, the Fire Phoenix turned and glared at him. You feed chicken meat to chickens?
Ye Anping paused, smiling awkwardly. "Sorry, I was distracted."
Then, he nibbled at the roast chicken on his own.
Xiao Tian squinted her eyes and flew to his side. She glanced at Li Longling, asking, "Why did you bring her with you?"
"..."
"Forget it, Yu Die misses you so much. She hasn't seen you for so long, she can't even eat roasted chicken."
Ye Anping rolled his eyes at it, signaling it to get down to business with his eyes.
Xiao Tian sighed helplessly and laughed. "Yu Die is digging spiritual herbs near Cold Moon City . Miss Pei and Miss Xiao seem to be looking for someone, asking questions along the way."
Ye Anping frowned. To be honest, he didn't know why his sister and Xiao Yunluo came here. Even after hearing what Xiao Tian said, he still didn't understand.
Looking for someone? Looking for who?
Xiao Tian held her chin and thought for a while, then raised her eyebrows. "I think her name is Xiyue or something? I'm not sure. I heard from Yu Die that Miss Pei and Miss Xiao would ask around every time they arrived in a town. Where is Xiyue? Where is Xiyue? Or something like that..."
Ye Anping: ??