It was noon and people were coming and going in front of the Heavenly Cloud Peak disciple's residences.
Along with the new disciples who passed the sword test, people like servants, book boys, and accompanying students, all lived in the disciples' residences on each peak.
These people were collectively referred to as the "outer sect disciples" of the Black Star Sect and were managed by special outer sect Elders. If any chores needed to be done, such as sweeping the mountain path or cleaning up the martial arts field, they would basically be handed over to them.
Ye Anping landed his sword in front of the disciples' residence. He showed his identity token to the gatekeeper and went to the manager's office to ask about the location of the courtyard where Hongyu and Liang Ating were currently staying. Then, he followed the way there.
After searching for about a quarter of an hour along the intersecting paths, he came to the gate of a small courtyard with a slightly old facade.
Swish-- swish--
Rhythmic sweeping sounds could be heard beyond the courtyard wall.
Ye Anping walked to the door and knocked lightly.
Knock knock---
The sound of sweeping stopped abruptly, and soon the door was opened from the inside.
Wearing the pale purple robe of an outer disciple, Hongyu stuck her head out. Seeing that it was Ye Anping, she was visibly surprised. "Young Master Ye is here?"
Ye Anping didn't quite understand the reason for her surprise, but he nodded slightly. "I came unexpectedly. There are some things I need you to do."
Before he could finish his words, Hongyu gently pulled his sleeve and pulled him into the yard, asking him to sit down on the stone table in the yard first, then whispered, "Young Master Ye, wait a moment, I'll go call Miss Liang."
"Eh..."
Ye Anping wanted to say that he was looking for her, but before he could open his mouth, Hongyu had rushed into the house.
He felt puzzled. Was Hongyu such an impatient person?
He didn't think so.
Hongyu was, after all, the personal maid that Tong Zilan kept by her side when she was the Empress. She should be very collected, but why didn't she even listen to him just now...
Xiao Tian, sitting on his head, also tilted her head in confusion.
"Anping, why is this girl acting so weird..."
Ye Anping replied with a shrug but didn't think much of it.
However, the commotion that followed in the next room, made him frown slightly.
"Sister Hongyu! What are you doing... Oh, I don't want to put on rouge! It's disgusting!! Hey! Stop pulling my clothes!! Hey! My hairpin!!"
"Miss Liang, be obedient! This is what Elder Tong has prepared for you..."
"I don't like it!! I don't..."
...
Ye Anping frowned deeper and deeper. It sounded like Hongyu was helping Ating dress up and put on makeup. Moreover, she said that Tong Zilan had prepared it for her...
As the saying goes, a girl will doll herself up for the one she likes.
Could it be that Tong Zilan meant to...
"Anping, it seems that the Empress wants to match you with Ating, eh?"
If Xiao Tian could hear it, how could he not?
Ye Anping pinched his nose bridge. After a simple assessment, he understood the reason.
First of all, the Nine Dragons Heavenly Seal , the sacred artifact of the Imperial Sect, now recognized him as its master.
Secondly, Tong Zilan and Si Xuanji had talked on the way back from the Imperial Sect, and she should have seen Si Xuanji's trust in him.
From these two points alone, Tong Zilan should be thinking that if Ating could marry him, he would surely be able to give her a carefree and happy future.
Ye Anping felt that Tong Zilan perhaps wanted to compensate for the years that Ating had spent drifting along with Brother Liang.
He shook his head slightly, feeling a mix of emotions.
---How come everyone wanted to throw their girls to him?
Then, Ye Anping smiled self-deprecatingly. "This Young Master is truly loved by everyone."
?
Xiao Tian was stunned for a moment. She frowned, looking at Ye Anping's face. She vaguely remembered hearing this sentence from Feng Yu Die before.
However, when Yu Die said this, she wanted to kick her ass.
But now, hearing Ye Anping say this...
"Yes, yes, yes, Anping is brave, resourceful, and talented." Xiao Tian's cheeks reddened as she jumped onto his shoulder, grabbed his face, and gave him a big kiss. "Chirp~ If I was a human being, I would definitely marry you Anping..."
?
The smile on Ye Anping's face froze instantly, and he shuddered. He turned his head and looked at Xiao Tian in horror, and then sucked in a sharp breath.
"Hiss--"
"Hee hee~"
'Hee hee', my ass, you freakin' Heavenly Dao...
Ye Anping rolled his eyes.
At this moment, the door of the main house in the small courtyard opened. Liang Ating, changed into a delicate pink dress with two light blue ribbons tied on top of her head, clutched her dress uncomfortably as she was pushed out from behind by Hongyu.
As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse.
Ye Anping's first reaction when he saw Liang Ating was, "Who is this?"
Although the change might not be as shocking as Yun Jiujiu wearing a skirt, it was at least 80% of it.
Liang Ating, who was originally lively, active, and somewhat naughty, had transformed into the gentle and delicate appearance of a scholar lady after dressing like this.
No matter what, Liang Ating was still the princess of the Imperial Sect.
If Liang Ating had grown up under the guidance of Tong Zilan and Imperial Sect Elders, instead of wandering around with Zhu Liang, perhaps she would have become a delicate fairy like Li Longling...
"What are you doing, Sister Hongyu..."
Liang Ating was pushed out of the room reluctantly by Hongyu. However, when she saw Ye Anping sitting on the stone bench in the courtyard, the complaining expression on her face disappeared completely and she quickly ran over, holding her skirt.
"Uncle!! You're here?!"
"Yeah." Ye Anping nodded slightly. "The dress is pretty..."
"Hmm, does it look good? Sister Hongyu insisted that I dress like this."
Liang Ating twisted her body and looked at her own butt.
"I've never worn such a long skirt before. Father said that such a skirt is ostentatious and impractical. He's been buying me short skirts in the past and told me to wear a pair of shorts under it so I don't have to be afraid of exposing myself when I jump around..."
"This makes you look like the Young Miss of a big sect."
Liang Ating was suddenly enlightened and nodded, hugging her chest. "Oh! So that's how it is. Ating knows the uncle's favorite!"
?
Ye Anping was stunned. "What?"
"Uncle likes the young misses of big sects." Liang Ating blinked and smiled playfully. "Like Sister Xiao and Sister Li. On the way to the Black Star Sect, I heard that Sister Li kissed you in public. Will uncle give Ating many cousins in the future? By the way, which aunt is Sister Li?"
"..." Ye Anping didn't know how to answer the flurry of questions, so he simply asked, "Do you know where your cousins come from?"
"Of course I know. When I was in the Dragon House , didn't my aunt give me a picture book? In it..."
If Ating hadn't said it, Ye Anping had almost forgotten that his sister had simply given Liang Ating the ' Erotic Pictures of the Immortal Palace ' to read when they were in the Dragon House ...
"Ahem--"
"Um..."
Ye Anping interrupted with a cough and couldn't help but take another look at Liang Ating's current outfit.
Very nice, very beautiful.
But he was not Feng Yu Die.
Even if Tong Zilan wanted Ating to marry him, he would not agree. Both he and his sister had always regarded Ating as a niece.
Besides, if he really agreed, Brother Liang would definitely come out of the retreat with a knife in hand to kill him...
But since he remembered Brother Liang, Ye Anping came up with a plan. Last time, Brother Liang gave him a coffin and a jade tablet as a gift for completing his Core Formation . He originally thought of just giving him spirit stones...
But now it would be a shame to waste such a good idea...
Ye Anping raised his eyebrows, then looked at Hongyu. "Hongyu, can you draw?"
"Hmm?" Hongyu was a little puzzled and tilted her head. "I learned some before, but I can only draw portraits, because I often helped Senior Tong draw some... ahem, what does Mr. Ye want me to draw?"
"A portrait."
Ye Anping stood up and tidied his robe. He then gently put his arm around Liang Ating's shoulder and let her lean against him, saying, "Draw a picture of me and Ating like this. After Brother Liang completes his Core Formation , I'll ask you to give him the picture. It'll be the sixth brother's gift for his Core Formation . I said I'd give him a big gift in return."
Liang Ating didn't reject it, and she simply laughed. "Good, good. After father forms his core, he will definitely be happy to see it."
"Hmm..."
Hongyu looked at the two of them and mistakenly thought that Ye Anping had taken a fancy to the Second Princess. Naturally, she was extremely happy and quickly took out a brush and paint from her storage bag and started drawing it on paper.
In just the time it took an incense stick to burn, Ye Anping and Liang Ating were painted on a piece of cotton paper.
Ye Anping took the painting and looked at it. Seeing that it looked quite alike, he nodded and placed it on the stone table. Then, he took out a small bag of spirit stones from his bag and found an excuse to send Liang Ating away.
"Ating, how about helping uncle with an errand to buy some Spirit Gathering pills? This is your errand fee."
"Alright!"
Hearing that there was money to run errands, Liang Ating agreed without hesitation. She took the small bag of spirit stones before running out.
Hongyu was surprised when she saw this, and she asked, "Young Master Ye, would you like to accompany Miss Liang?"
"Hongyu."
Ye Anping interrupted solemnly, and the smile he had shown Ating instantly disappeared.
Noticing that there was something wrong in the atmosphere, Hongyu lowered her head and asked in a small voice, "Young Master Ye, this..."
"No need to keep the pretense." Ye Anping waved his hand and took out a few soundproof talismans, condensing a small restriction around himself and Hongyu. "Elder Tong asked you to accompany Ating to the Black Star Sect. She must have instructed you to do something, right?"
"..."
"Be honest, I won't get angry. For example, did she ask you to match me and Ating, and try to make us fall in love with each other?"
Was I too obvious... It seems I was indeed a bit too obvious...
Hongyu felt a little guilty, and a trace of panic appeared on her face.
It was indeed as Ye Anping had said. Before she and Ating left the Hundred Lotus Sect, Tong Zilan summoned her and told her about this matter.
"Hongyu, after you take Ating to theBlack StarSect, make sure she spends more time with Young Master Ye. Although Ating and Young Master Ye are uncle and niece, this is actually just for convenience. There is not much difference between their ages, and I think Young Master Ye likes short girls. If Ating can develop feelings for him over time, that would be great."
Hongyu hesitated for a while, her head lowering more and more. Finally, she answered honestly. "Well... the Empress did say something about matchmaking."
"Then, when you go back, tell Tong Zilan not to think about it anymore. Ating and I are just uncle and niece. It's impossible..."
"Young Master Ye, you don't like the Second Princess?"
"I do, but this is different from the love between a man and a woman."
"But..."
"No buts."
Ye Anping interrupted with a frown, scaring Hongyu into silence.
But then, she heard Ye Anping sighing earnestly.
"Well... actually I can understand Elder Tong's point of view. In the Central Region , in big families, marriages between relatives are common, and it seems to be called a double close relationship and a double happiness, but for me... this is against common sense."
As he spoke, Ye Anping took out an ink pen from his storage bag and wrote a sentence on the portrait Hongyu had just drawn of him and Liang Ating.
---I will take good care of Ating .
Hongyu looked puzzled, but then Ye Anping added, "I'll take good care of her as her uncle, that's all."
As he spoke, Ye Anping rolled up the painting and put a protection spell on it. Then, he tied it up and handed it over.
"Go back to the Hundred Lotus Sect, give this thing to Brother Liang, and convey a message to Elder Tong."
"...Young Master Ye, please say it."
"The Black Star Sect won't be able to help with the Justice Division 's matter. As for myself, I don't guarantee that I can bring the entire Division back to the Western Region , but I will do my best. However, I am by no means someone who works for nothing. Saving the Justice Division means I will ask them to do something for me in the future..."
"...Got it."
As Ye Anping thought of something, his expression gradually relaxed.
"Also, tell Elder Tong again that Ating probably doesn't like to be a princess. She's been wandering around with Brother Liang since she was young. After living for so long on the streets, she doesn't like the rules of a big sect..."
Hongyu was a little confused but still nodded. "Yes..."
"And, if Elder Tong really wants to compensate Ating, then she should just confess her identity to her..."
"I will relay to the Empress your words exactly."
"After Brother Liang comes out of seclusion, have him and Ye Waner come to the Central Region to pick us up. I will have to lead the Justice Division to break through the encirclement of the demonic cultivators. If no one comes to pick us up, the Division may not be able to get out."
Hearing this, Hongyu finally realized what Ye Anping meant when he said that he would bring the Justice Division back to the Western Region . Her eyes widened in shock. "...Do you mean you will go to the Central Region ? Why? Could it be that the demonic cultivators..."
"There's a 90% chance that Ghost Spirit Sect will take this opportunity to capture the Eastern Great Wall and three immortal cities of the Central Region . The Demon Clan needs to recuperate now, so they will definitely not take action and will step back temporarily. The Eastern Great Wall is now caught in the middle by the Demon Clan and the demonic cultivators, and the Cold Country also can't spare forces to help them for the time being, so... it doesn't look good, right?"
"Isn't this very dangerous?" Hongyu thought for a while with her chin in her hand. "Master Ye, although the Empress wants you to help the Justice Division , you don't have to put yourself in danger..."
"Heh, do you think I want to go?"
"Then why..."
"I have to go. After all, I am a responsible man, unlike her father."
?
Finishing what he had to say, Ye Anping removed the soundproof restriction around him and Hongyu, stood up, and cupped his hands in salute.
"Farewell."
"..."
Hong Yu stood rooted to the spot and only recovered after Ye Anping's figure passed through the main gate. She hurriedly chased after him, but by that time, Ye Anping had already flown away on his flying sword.
She frowned, looking at the scroll in her hand, and felt it was best to hurry back to the Hundred Lotus Sect as soon as possible. She returned to the house and tidied up briefly, then left a note for Ating:
"Miss Liang, I have to go back to theHundred LotusSect for an urgent matter. I left about a thousand spirit stones on the table. Please spend it wisely. --Hongyu"
Then, she jumped out of the window and stepped on the flying sword, leaving the Black Star Sect behind.
Not long after Hongyu left, Liang Ating ran back in her pretty pink dress with a bottle of Spirit Gathering pills, but seeing that there was no one in the courtyard, she was baffled.
"Uncle?! Sister Hongyu?!"
No one answered. "..."
"Eh? Where is everyone..."
Liang Ating scratched the back of her head, and then a sweet voice like the god of death came from behind.
---"Ating!"
?!
Pei Lianxue walked into the yard and saw Liang Ating wearing a pink dainty dress. She was stunned for a long time, then a faint smile appeared on her face, and she praised her. "This dress is so pretty..."
"..."
"Now go change your clothes quickly. I am free for a while, so I will accompany you to the martial arts arena to practice swordplay."
"Woo---"
Liang Ating's face fell as she turned to look at Pei Lianxue. Then, she jumped onto the roof in one step to escape. Unfortunately, her skirt was too long, so she tripped and fell flat on the ground in the yard, scaring Pei Lianxue, who shrank her neck back.
"Ating?"
Liang Ating froze for a moment, and then she simply took advantage of the situation. She raised her head and slammed it hard onto the floor tiles.
Following a thud, her eyes rolled over, and she fainted in the middle of the yard.
Pei Lianxue quickly walked up to her and picked her up. Seeing that Ating would rather knock herself unconscious than practice the sword with her, she felt a little disappointed...
"Is Atting so afraid of me? Am I being too harsh..."
She bit her lip lightly, reflected for a moment, then let the matter go. She took Liang Ating and carried her to the clinic near the disciples' residence.