SWNOVELXO chapter 410
Nearby, Ye Yong, engaged in conversation with the painting beauty, took notice. Gathering his spiritual energy, he delivered a swift slap to Xia Shiqi’s rear, sending her soaring into the air.
Upon landing, Xia Shiqi looked back at Ye Yong, bewildered.
“Who taught you such bad habits?” Ye Yong glared at her, and Xia Shiqi, somewhat chastened, lowered her head.
“It’s a matter of instinct,” Huaming, no, Mu Qingyin explained. “In wolf packs, there exists the concept of the alpha wolf. Typically, the alpha eats first, ensuring they are sated before the others. With her cultivation surpassing that of Xiao Ningyan, she naturally sees herself as the dominant alpha.”
“Regardless of the instinct, to me, it’s simply a bad habit.”
“Every trait has its duality. The alpha leads the pack in hunting, safeguarding their safety. You deem it a bad habit, yet it serves a purpose. If someone were to attack Xiao Ningyan, it would reveal her true nature.”
As she spoke, Mu Qingyin summoned a female disciple of Golden Core cultivation. Though the disciple merely projected her consciousness onto Huaming, the latter held considerable sway. The disciple quickly followed her instructions, suppressing her cultivation to the mid-stage of crystallization, suddenly scooping up Huaying Yan and dashing outside.
Xia Shiqi paused, momentarily stunned, before immediately giving chase.
Ye Yong, however, had not noticed this peculiar trait of the foolish wolf, feeling a sense of relief instead.
Xia Shijia, whose intelligence surpassed that of Xia Shiqi, recognized this as a test and made no move. After finishing her meal, she picked up her plate and approached the central dining table, hoping a kind-hearted senior sister passing by would help her fetch some meat.
—
08 Homeward Bound
Before long, the senior sister who had carried Huaying Yan outside returned. Earlier, she had suppressed her cultivation to the mid-stage of crystallization, prompting Xia Shiqi to chase her fervently. Now, with her Golden Core aura radiating outward, Xia Shiqi tucked her head low, hesitant to approach, yet still undeterred, she stealthily trailed behind, maintaining her distance as if searching for an opportunity.
Seeing her like this, Ye Yong couldn’t quite articulate his thoughts. He didn’t perceive her as one who bullied the weak and feared the strong; rather, he found her foolishness incomplete. Charging headlong at a foe more powerful than herself was akin to the Calabash Brothers rescuing their grandfather—an exercise in futility. But now, lurking behind and waiting for the right moment was undoubtedly the wiser course of action.
—
As Jian Huanying was returned to Ye Yong’s side, Xia Shiqi hurriedly ran to squat down in front of him, her gaze burning with intensity as she looked at Ye Yong, seemingly believing that her fierce pursuit had scared off the enemy, eager to take credit for it.
Though her efforts bore no fruit, a lack of merit did not negate her toil. Ye Yong reached out to ruffle her wolfish head, producing a pill infused with the blood of beasts for her to consume. After she finished, Xia Shiqi left with satisfaction, returning to her spot beside Jian Huanying to continue devouring meat.
This head wolf’s habits were beyond Ye Yong’s immediate correction; after all, she lacked the high intelligence of Jian Huanying, unable to speak, making communication a challenge. For now, he could only let her be.
Jian Huanying watched as her portion of meat was devoured by Xia Shiqi at an alarming pace, letting out a sigh. She had overheard the conversation between Ye Yong and Mu Qingyin; the fact that Xia Shiqi had chased after to rescue her was quite touching, yet she too longed for meat.
At that moment, a platter laden with various meats was pushed beside Jian Huanying. She looked over to see it was Xia Shijia.
“Thank you,” Jian Huanying said politely, just as she was about to eat, when Xia Shiqi noticed the abundance of meat on this side and immediately squeezed over with a greedy glint.
“Woof!” Xia Shijia instantly issued a warning growl, halting Xia Shiqi in her tracks. The latter quickly tucked her tail between her legs, casting a mournful glance at her mother, her eyes questioning whether she was truly her offspring.
Xia Shijia ignored Xia Shiqi, nudging Jian Huanying toward the platter, signaling her to eat, while she stood guard nearby, preventing Xia Shiqi from getting too close.
What a scene of maternal love, Ye Yong thought, recalling his own mother back on Earth before his transmigration, and then the young mother, Lin Wei, he had encountered after arriving here.
With no way back to Earth, Ye Yong resolved to find a time to visit the Ye family. Lin Wei had been in seclusion for too long, completely unaware of her current situation.
Xia Shiqi’s antics were merely a small interlude in the feast; the true theme was the lively singing and dancing of the senior and junior sisters, as they discussed the intricacies of music and painting, filling the day with merriment until nightfall.
Xia Shiqi, having gorged herself, lay sprawled on the ground, her belly up, utterly motionless.
Xia Shijia lay beside her, drowsy and half-asleep.
Jian Huanying had already nestled on Ye Yong’s lap, fast asleep.
Wu Xue and Lu Xiaoxiao were, as usual, in a corner, animatedly discussing something, their emotions quite stirred.
As the banquet concluded, Ye Yong used a small magic carpet to carry everyone back to the guest house.
The clan competition was two months away, and the joint contest three months hence. Ye Yong felt confident that with his cultivation at the Stone Layer, defeating ordinary opponents at the Crystal Nine or Ten Layers should pose no problem. Yet, facing those prodigies who could battle beyond their ranks still left him with a sense of unease.
Thus, Ye Yong had three tasks ahead of him. First, to elevate his cultivation, enhancing his prowess for the upcoming battles. Second, to nurture his spirit pets. Third, to return home and check on Lin Wei’s condition.
As the year drew to a close, Ye Yong chose to return home during the Spring Festival. Though cultivators did not typically celebrate the New Year, as it was his first major festival since his transmigration, he wished to fully immerse himself in the experience.
So, for the next ten days or so, Ye Yong focused on seclusion and cultivation, occasionally emerging to provide Xia Shiqi and the others with pills, guiding Jian Huanying and Wu Xue in their training.
—
Qin Shidream and Liang Xiaorou came to find Ye Yong, but the timing was off; when they arrived, Ye Yong was still in his closed-door meditation.
——
On the twenty-eighth day of the year, the weather grew colder. Ye Yong used a sound transmission stone to inform the elders of the Ye family that he would be returning. The next day, in the early hours of the twenty-ninth, the Ye family’s airship appeared outside the gates of Tianluo Sect.
The Ye family was quite far from Tianluo Sect. The airship they dispatched was not the light, nimble craft like the Liang family’s; it was a warship, requiring at least ten hours for the journey. This showed that from the moment Ye Yong announced his return, the elders of the Ye family had begun preparations for departure.
All the elders who were not in closed-door meditation came personally to welcome him. There were more than ten who had reached the Transformation stage, dozens at the Nascent stage, and several thousand Golden Core guards. Anyone unaware would think the Ye family was preparing for war against Tianluo Sect.
The grand display of the Ye family underscored their regard for Ye Yong.
The younger generation of the Ye family in Tianluo Sect, like Ye Gou and Ye Mao, upon hearing the news, also expressed their desire to return.
As young masters and mistresses, they had lived comfortably in Tianluo Sect, but nothing compared to the warmth and sense of belonging of their home, where they had spent many years. They were all young people who had never been away from home for so long; it was impossible not to want to return.