After leaving the Sword Sect, dozens of immortal boats quickly crossed the northwestern boundary of the Southern Region and entered the territory of the Western Region .
During this period, Ye Anping had nothing to do except play four-person mahjong or two-person mahjong, but no matter what kind of mahjong it was, he was always the one who "fired the cannon*".
In a four-player mahjong game, he, Xiao Yunluo, and his sister would fire Feng Yu Die's cannon together; in a two-player mahjong game, he would fire his sister and Xiao Yunluo's cannon.
After all, he had enough spirit stones and shells, so he could afford to fire a few cannons.
This almost idle pace of life made Ye Anping relax a lot.
...
Time flew, and the new year had passed.
On the mountain peaks of the Western Region , there was a somewhat bleak winter image, with snow covering the mountains and forests while birds and animals slept.
When the fleet arrived near the Black Star Sect, Ye Anping went to greet Commander Fu Xuan and asked his father to bring the Justice Division to the Hundred Lotus Sect first, so that Tong Zilan would take over the follow-up arrangements.
This move was decided by him in consideration of the Black Star Sect's position.
In the Immortal Family, it was rumored that Nangong Cheng's death was at the hands of the Demon King.
However, Zu Yuan, Sun Juehu, and the others were not fools. In fact, they knew that Nangong Cheng's death had something to do with one of them.
It was just impossible to tell who it was.
This chain of suspicion with no evidence for the time being was also a setup laid by Si Xuanji.
And it was the reason why Si Xuanji was unwilling to interfere in the Eastern Great Wall's matter.
As a remnant force of the Imperial Sect, the Justice Division was now a hot potato. No matter which of the four Immortal sects they went to, it would indirectly prove that Nangong Cheng's death and the destruction of the Imperial Sect were related to that sect.
Although they settled in the Hundred Lotus Sect, it still pointed toward the Black Star Sect.
Still, it was better than the Justice Division going directly to the Black Sect as if announcing Zu Yuan, Sun Juehu, and the others, "Look, theImperialSect was destroyed by ourBlack StarSect!"
Because Ye Anping knew the connections between them, he understood that his action of bringing the Justice Division to the Hundred Lotus Sect would cause Si Xuanji a lot of trouble.
Si Xuanji was probably quite angry right now...
"Sigh..."
Ye Anping, who was heading toward Black Star Sect on his sword, sighed as he looked at the forest flying backward.
There was a hint of worry in his eyes. He didn't know if he could coax Old Madam Si...
Four flying swords pierced through the clouds. After three sunrises, the eighteen snow-covered peaks of the Black Star Sect were finally reflected in their eyes.
Ye Anping and his companions entered the mountain gate showing their Black Star Sect disciple identity badges, and they went directly to the top of Heavenly Cloud Peak to report to Elder Qin.
They briefly recounted their trip to the Central Region to Elder Qin, who did not retain them for long. He told them that he would pass it on to Mister Qi and the other Elders, and then he let them go back to rest.
It was already afternoon by the time they came out of the Elders' Pavilion.
Ye Anping came to the fence on the Central Peak and looked at Moon Spring Peak covered with the fine snow. After his sister and Feng Yu Die went back to clean up the yard, he said to Xiao Yunluo, "Yunluo, as we agreed earlier, you should go to your mother and ask her about your background. Also, ask her if she agrees to meet with me..."
Xiao Yunluo nodded, then asked, "Well, Anping, why don't you come with me?"
"No. If your mother agrees to see me, I'll go then. Besides..." Ye Anping looked at his dusty clothes and smiled helplessly. "No matter what, that's the Matriarch of the Black Star Sect I have to meet. I'll go back to take a bath and change my clothes first. It's not good to lose my manners."
Xiao Yunluo felt it made sense, so she didn't say anything and nodded. "Well... Alright, I'll go over first. I'll talk to you back later."
With that, she summoned her flying sword and left the Central Peak ...
...
Deep in the bamboo forest on the slope of Moon Spring Peak ...
Fine snowflakes spread a layer of frosting on the stone-paved compound's ground. A seven-hundred-year-old spiritual tree stood in the wooden fence, with a swing hanging on its bare branches.
A small black-and-white figure sat on the swing, moving in a circular motion with the branch as the center.
Whoosh~~
Circle after circle, the lotus buds-like toes almost touched the snow in the flowerbed every time.
Qiu Shuirou was sweeping the snow off the floor tiles with an iron broom not far away. The parrot perched on her shoulder and slowly chewed the rice she had just taken out of her storage bag.
As soon as Qiu Shuirou cleaned an area of ground, the fine snow falling from the sky covered it with a new layer of white frost again. She had no choice but to sweep it again with her iron broom.
She could tell that Little Miss' mood was the same as the snow in the courtyard. As long as it was snowing, it would never be cleaned up.
But all she could do was keep sweeping, hoping the snow would stop soon.
It had been more than half a year since Ye Anping secretly left the Black Star Sect with Xiao Yunluo and ran to the Eastern Great Wall.
For the past six months, Little Miss had not closed her eyes.
Perhaps this was normal for other mighty cultivators; after all, it didn't matter if a Void Returning cultivator slept or not.
However, for Qiu Shuirou, this matter was almost the same as the sun rising in the west and setting in the east.
Qiu Shuirou knew that her Little Miss had lost sleep because of Ye Anping, but she didn't dare to ask or comfort her.
She had been watching Little Miss sitting on the swing and spinning in circles for several days.
She couldn't help but sweat for Elder Lei.
Since there had been no news from Elder Lei, Qiu Shuirou was worried that Ye Anping might have met with something bad at the Eastern Wall.
If that was really the case, Great Elder Lei would probably have to breed Water Dragons for the rest of his life.
Rustle---
The broom lightly swept the white frost on the ground.
Suddenly, from outside the main entrance of the cave came a delicate voice, with a touch of nervousness. "Mother... Mother! I have something urgent to ask you personally!"
Hearing that Xiao Yunluo's voice was no different from usual, Qiu Shuirou's eyes lit up with joy. This meant that Ye Anping had also returned safely.
Qiu Shuirou looked at Si Xuanji who was spinning on the swing and hurried over to remind her. "Little Miss, Young Miss Xiao and the others are back."
Squeak...
The swing, which was moving in a circle, slowed down gradually, then turned to a pendulum motion before finally stopping.
Si Xuanji shook her somewhat frizzled hair and looked at her calmly, nodding. "Hmm..."
"Then, shall I bring Young Miss Xiao in?"
"Uh-huh."
"Then, I'll go open the door."
Seeing Si Xuanji agree, Qiu Shuirou nodded and disappeared with the parrot in an instant, appearing at the entrance of the cave.
When she saw Xiao Yunluo's current appearance, Qiu Shuirou was stunned. She stared at the deer-like dragon horns on Xiao Yunluo's forehead that were parting her bangs.
"Long handles? Long handles?!"
?
Xiao Yunluo froze for a moment, then frowned. "What handle..."
"Faucet handle!! Faucet handle!"
After snapping its tongue twice, the parrot landed directly on Xiao Yunluo's head, bent its head, and pecked the horn on her forehead, trying to twist it.
Qiu Shuirou came back to her senses at this time. Although Si Xuanji did not tell her in detail about Xiao Yunluo's identity and origin, she had followed Si Xuanji for so many years, so she probably knew something.
"Young Miss Xiao has transformed into a dragon, so beautiful."
Xiao Yunluo chased the parrot above her head, and after hearing this, she asked with some doubt, "Auntie Qiu, did you know all along?"
"Although Little Miss didn't mention it to me, I roughly guessed it."
Qiu Shuirou sighed slightly, and without saying anything more, she gestured to her. "Little Miss is waiting inside. Young Miss Xiao, follow me."
"Well... Sorry to trouble you, Aunt Qiu."
Xiao Yunluo nodded slightly, caught the parrot, and followed Qiu Shuirou through the cave, to the courtyard where Si Xuanji had just been swinging.
However, when Qiu Shuirou brought Xiao Yunluo into the courtyard, she found that the black-and-white figure under the tree had disappeared, leaving only a swing chair that swayed gently with the breeze.
"..."
Xiao Yunluo looked left and right but didn't see Si Xuanji. She asked, puzzled. "Auntie Qiu, my mother is not here?"
"Ah..."
Qiu Shuirou hesitated for a moment before suddenly realizing where Si Xuanji had gone. She smiled awkwardly and pointed to the door of a room next to her, explaining, "Little Miss is still sleeping. Young Miss Xiao, please wait here for a while."
Xiao Yunluo pouted slightly and complained. "Why is she sleeping again... Every time I come over, she's sleeping."
The parrot, which was standing on top of her head, looked at the slightly stiff smile on Qiu Shuirou's face and seemed to understand what was going on. It suddenly shook its head and said poetically, "This sleep is not that sleep~ This sleep is not that sleep~~"
Before it could finish croaking, Qiu Shuirou grabbed it with one hand. "Young Miss Xiao, sit down first. I'll get you some pastries."
"No need, I'll come back in a few days. Who knows how long my mother will sleep? Aunt Qiu, please come to Heavenly Cloud Peak and let me know when the time comes..."
Xiao Yunluo cupped her hands and bowed, then turned around and prepared to leave.
However, seeing that she was about to leave, Qiu Shuirou thought momentarily and felt that it was best that she wait until Little Miss was done venting his anger on Ye Anping. It was not the first time anyway, so she quickly stopped her. "Miss Xiao, you'd better wait here. You sneaked out of the Black Star Sect last time, and Little Miss was quite angry."
Xiao Yunluo was startled, and she whispered, "I didn't sneak out... I asked Elder Lei for leave."
"You told Great Elder Lei that you were going to the Hundred Lotus Sect, but where did you end up? By the way, Elder Lei was sent out by Little Miss to intercept you. Did you guys meet him on the way?"
"Ah? No... no..."
Hearing that Lei Wanjun was in trouble because of her, Xiao Yunluo felt guilty, but it was not the first time anyway. After that, she would wait for Elder Lei to come back and she would apologize.
However, hearing Qiu Shuirou say that Si Xuanji was angry, Xiao Yunluo also felt a little scared and agreed. "Then, I'll wait... how long will mother sleep?"
"Hmm... probably..." Qiu Shuirou thought for a while. "Two or three days?"
After all, with Ye Anping's cultivation, two or three days was probably the limit.
However, Xiao Yunluo was in a dilemma. "Ah? Then, why don't I come back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? I can't wait here for two or three days..."
"Shouldn't you show repentance and admit your mistakes? When Little Miss finds out that you have waited here for two or three days to apologize, she will definitely only punish you lightly."
Qiu Shuirou said that as she pinched the parrot's neck to prevent it from making a sound. Then, she pushed Xiao Yunluo by the shoulders to a room beside her. She brought her some tea and pastries and let her wait for Si Xuanji to wake up...
...
Heavenly Cloud Peak , in a courtyard---
In the room, the hot water that had just been poured into the tub formed a white mist in the winter's chill. Ye Anping took off his long robe that had been covered in dust and snow and stepped into the bathtub, letting the hot water cover his collarbones.
The fatigue of a hundred days was swept away in the hot water with a slight ancient fragrance.
Ye Anping untied his hair, tilted his head back and closed his eyes, relaxing his whole body. Then, he used his spiritual sense to check his meridians.
Half a month had passed since the Great Wall incident, and his yang energy settlement had yet to come. In fact, he had been worried about this since they left the Sword Sect, and on the way back, he did not dare to leave his sister's side for a moment.
But now that he was back in the Black Star Sect, he was more at ease.
After checking his meridians, Ye Anping picked up Gu Mingxin's hand from the side, and seeing that it was quite dirty, he directly put it into the bathtub to scrub it. He also took out a file to trim her nails.
Gu Mingxin could not send him a message, but there was no movement on her side along the way, which meant that she probably had not found Mo Chi Ling yet.
In the game, Mo Chi Ling's appearance actually marked the end of the main storyline.
Now that the Great Wall incident had just passed, Ye Anping had no idea where she was hiding.
Moreover, after Mo Chi Ling had escaped from Yu Yan's hands, she had not been discovered for hundreds of years, which showed that she had hidden quite deep.
But he believed in Xue'e and Gu Mingxin.
The Eastern Region was a place he couldn't set foot in now, so he had to rely on them to find Mo Chi Ling.
In the future, he would inevitably face Yu Yan, and Mo Chi Ling would become his special weapon against him.
Just like Nangong Cheng, who would never have thought that someone would be able to snatch the Nine Dragons Heavenly Seal from him, Yu Yan didn't know that his close disciple, whom he had personally sent into the Blood Pool, was hiding somewhere in the Eastern Region , waiting for an opportunity to take revenge on him.
Although Mo Chi Ling's move alone was not enough to kill Yu Yan, the situation was not yet established, so he was not in a hurry.
Let Gu Mingxin and Xue'e find her slowly...
Thinking about Gu Mingxin's matter, Ye Anping spent some effort to make her hand look like that of a fairy, and even her long nails were neatly trimmed.
Gu Mingxin seemed to feel quite awkward and protested, wanting to escape, but every time she escaped from his hands, she would be caught by him before she could swim far.
"..."
Ye Anping shook his head. Feeling it was almost time, he stood up and wrapped himself in a towel, then stepped out of the bathtub, preparing to return to his room. He wanted to go to the wardrobe to find something nice to wear for when Xiao Yunluo would bring him to see Old Madam Si a while later.
If Si Xuanji was willing to meet him, it meant that she had decided to confess her identity to him. If she wasn't willing, he would have to accompany Si Xuanji in playing his role...
As long as it made her happy.
As his thoughts wandered, Ye Anping walked out of the bathroom with his shoes on. He stepped through the yard covered in snow and pushed open the wooden door of his bedroom.
Squeak---
Then, he walked to the wardrobe and opened the door. Thinking about the clothes Si Xuanji had given him earlier, he prepared to wear them.
However, just as he had taken the clothes out and was about to change into them...
Ye Anping realized that there seemed to be someone on his bed.
In the middle of the quilt spread out on the bed, there was a bulge, like a large dumpling.
?
Ye Anping was silent for a while, swallowed slightly, and then walked over. He grabbed a corner of the quilt and took a deep breath before pulling it open.
Si Xuanji was wearing the Black Star Sect disciple uniform, hugging her knees and lying on the bed with her back facing him. Her eyes were tightly closed, as if she had already fallen asleep.
"..."
"..."
Si Xuanji opened her eyes slowly and stretched lazily, as if she had just woken up. "Hmm... oh... Young Master Ye, you're back?"
"Uh..."
Ye Anping was taken aback. He turned and looked in the direction of the house door. Yunluo most likely wouldn't return anytime soon. In other words, Si Xuanji was still unwilling to reveal her identity to him.
He was silent for a while, and a little embarrassment appeared on his face. He held his breath and blushed, making himself look like a shy virgin, then asked in surprise.
"Xuan... Young Miss Xuanji... Why are you... Why are you in my room?"