SWNOVELXO Volume 3 Chapter 78 / Chapter 245: Yiyi, Feeling the Crisis!
Outside the window, birds chirped melodiously. Inside, silence reigned.
In one of the private rooms at the Yunjiu Residence, a roasted chicken sat on a low table. Ye Anping and Feng Yudie sat across from each other.
They had been sitting there for some time, yet neither had spoken.
Ye Anping couldn’t fathom why Feng Yudie was suddenly in a bad mood.
Feng Yudie sat across from him, arms crossed, occasionally glancing at him, only to “hmph” loudly and turn her head away again.
Even the roasted chicken brought in earlier by the servant girl remained untouched.
Seeing that even roasted chicken couldn’t tempt her, Ye Anping realized her anger must be significant, though he couldn’t understand why.
With a soft sigh, he finally broke the silence.
“What’s wrong?”
“You scoundrel! Don’t talk to me! I don’t want to hear it!”
…?
Ye Anping blinked in confusion but pressed on, attempting to resolve the situation.
“When there’s a problem, we solve it. You need to tell me what’s wrong first…”
Thud!
Feng Yudie furrowed her brows and slammed the jade carving knife Yunjiu had given her into the wooden table, as if warning him that if he said another word, she might chop him instead!
“Hmph!”
“…”
Ye Anping felt helpless. Clearly, he had upset her somehow.
But thinking back over the past few days, he couldn’t recall anything unusual. Hadn’t their interactions been the same as always? Why was she angry now?
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have cared much; after all, anger usually subsided after a few days.
However, with the Shadowmoon Sword Sect incident reaching its final stage, there could be no room for mistakes.
He decided to placate her.
With this thought, he pushed the roasted chicken across the table and sincerely said,
“Whatever I did to upset you, I apologize. Let me make it up to you with roasted chicken, alright?”
Hearing this, Feng Yudie, who had turned her head away, peeked at him with one eye. She tilted her head, her lips pursed, looking slightly tempted but remaining silent.
Seeing her reaction, Ye Anping decided to up the ante. He pulled out ten bags, each containing 10,000 spirit stones, from his storage bag and floated them in front of her using his spiritual energy.
“The reward from the Qiong Peak incident, plus the 10,000 spirit stones you asked for every time I hugged you.”
At the sight of the spirit stone bags, the anger in Feng Yudie’s eyes instantly dissipated. She glanced at Ye Anping’s face and hesitated for a moment before reaching out to grab the bags.
However, as her hand touched the bags, Ye Anping also reached out and held her hand.
“Wait.”
“What now?”
“Whatever I did before, once you take these spirit stones, it’s over. No more sulking. There must be no mistakes in what’s to come.”
“…”
Feng Yudie pouted, thinking that as long as she stayed alert, Ye Anping wouldn’t be able to trick her again. Besides, following him meant earning spirit stones and eating roasted chicken.
As long as she was clever and didn’t let Ye Anping subtly manipulate her, it was essentially a no-loss deal.
“Alright… fine!”
Ye Anping released her hand and sighed in relief. He then reached out to tear off a piece of chicken leg for himself. But just as he moved, Feng Yudie puffed up her cheeks and hugged the roasted chicken protectively.
“It’s mine!”
“…”
Ye Anping awkwardly retracted his hand. He had only wanted a small taste to satisfy his craving; after all, cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm no longer needed food. Eating was purely for the enjoyment of flavor.
“Fine, it’s yours.”
Feng Yudie smiled, but then, feeling a little guilty, said,
“You can have the chicken butt.”
“I don’t eat chicken butts…”
“Suit yourself. If you don’t want it, you’re not getting anything else!”
“As you wish…”
Ye Anping sighed again, shaking his head as he picked up his teacup to sip tea, silently watching Feng Yudie devour the roasted chicken across from him. She was tearing into it with such enthusiasm that she seemed to consume a drumstick in a single bite.
“Slow down, no one’s going to snatch it from you.”
“Mind your own— cough cough—cough—” Feng Yudie started pounding on her chest, evidently choking on a bone.
“I told you to eat slower… A Foundation Establishment cultivator choking on chicken bones… Sigh—”
Seeing her in distress, Ye Anping quickly poured a cup of tea and pushed it toward her.
“Ah… gulp gulp gulp— Thanks…”
Meanwhile, in the room next door.
Yun Yiyi and Yun Jiujiu were sitting across from each other at a square table, mirroring the situation in the adjacent room. Yun Jiujiu’s sharp, fiery gaze seemed as though she wanted to punch someone, and she stared fixedly at Yun Yiyi, leaving her unsure of how to start the conversation.
The sisters, estranged for decades, hadn’t had a proper conversation in years. Yun Yiyi couldn’t think of a good opening.
She had come today for three reasons:
To check on Yun Jiujiu’s injuries. After all, Yun Jiujiu had risked her life to save her that night.
To discuss the matters involving Zhuang Yan and Yun Kunwu.
Although Zhuang Yan hadn’t been brought to justice, Yun Yiyi was certain this matter wasn’t over. She didn’t need to think too hard to conclude that. The disciples of the Shadowmoon Sword Sect who were detained at Qiong Peak were still under interrogation, but no concrete information had surfaced yet.
The Central Peak elders had been sent to track Zhuang Yan’s whereabouts, but as a Nascent Soul cultivator, if he truly wanted to hide, even Yun Tianchong would find it difficult to locate him upon leaving seclusion.
All leads had gone cold.
With no clear plan for Zhuang Yan’s next move, Yun Yiyi could only wait patiently.
To discuss Feng Yu’s identity with Yun Jiujiu.
His arrival had been too coincidental.
Had he arrived slightly earlier or later, the outcomes would have been vastly different.
Yun Yiyi vaguely felt that an unknown third force, unaffiliated with either the Shadowmoon Sword Sect or Zhuang Yan, was operating in the shadows, subtly influencing events within the Shadowmoon Sword Sect.
While this force appeared to be on her side for now, Yun Yiyi couldn’t be certain of its true intentions.
As Yun Yiyi was organizing her thoughts, Yun Jiujiu suddenly furrowed her brows, slapped the table, and exclaimed,
“Why are you even here? Didn’t you say you had something to say? You’ve been sitting there like a mute for ages! What’s the deal? Playing statue with me?”
Feeling slightly awkward, Yun Yiyi pursed her lips, then took out a bottle of high-grade healing pills from her storage bag and used her spiritual energy to send it to Yun Jiujiu.
“How are your injuries?”
Yun Jiujiu eyed the pills suspiciously, squinting as if trying to detect a trap. She asked cautiously, “Did you poison these?”
“No…”
“Ha~ Of course you’d say no! Do you think I’m stupid? You think I’d dare take anything you give me?”
“Second Sister…” Yun Yiyi sighed deeply, speaking earnestly. “I’m genuinely concerned about you. If it weren’t for you that night, I would’ve been turned into a blood pill by Zhuang Yan. I’m here to thank you.”
“Oh, no need. Done talking? If so, feel free to leave.”
“Are you really so unwilling to see me?”
Yun Jiujiu pointed to her own face, glaring. “Does this face look like it’s happy to see you?”
“No.”
“Exactly! So, please, show yourself out. I still need to get back to eating roast chicken with Brother Yu.”
“I have something else to discuss,” Yun Yiyi said, frowning. “It’s about Yun Kunwu. Zhuang Yan claimed that Father imprisoned his soul in the Thousand Sword Pool.”
“Then wait until Father leaves seclusion and tell him. By then, I’ll have already run off with Brother Yu, leaving this Shadowmoon Sword Sect mess for you to clean up. If you want to be Sect Master, that’s your problem.”
“Second Sister, I don’t think this matter is over yet. Even if you want to leave, I doubt you’ll be able to. As long as Zhuang Yan lives, you won’t be safe anywhere.”
Yun Jiujiu fell silent for a moment, considering this logic. After a brief pause, she asked,
“Then why don’t we go to the Thousand Sword Pool and destroy Yun Kunwu directly?”
“Go to the Thousand Sword Pool?”
“Yes, why not? Isn’t his soul trapped there by Father? We can destroy it first. If Zhuang Yan wants to free him, we’ll beat him to it.”
Yun Yiyi pondered this. “But the sect’s forbidden grounds are protected by Father’s wards. Can we even get in?”
“Just break the wards. We’ll ask the Central Peak elders to combine their efforts to punch a hole in it and have one or two elders accompany us inside. Problem solved.”
“That doesn’t seem right…”
“What’s wrong with it? I overheard Elder Tian Xing say that Father secretly brought Yun Kunwu back because he got soft-hearted. Whatever. We’ll just kill him first. Once Father’s out of seclusion, he can deal with it however he wants. He won’t kill us for it, will he? Worst case, he’ll just have to accept it.”
“So, you’re suggesting we act first and report later?”
“Exactly!” Yun Jiujiu tilted her chin confidently. “Father never gets involved anyway. At most, I’ll take the blame. I won’t be staying in the Shadowmoon Sword Sect much longer anyway.”
After a moment’s thought, Yun Yiyi said, “Then I’ll go inform Yun Xi about this later.”
“Mm, and bring that… uh, Pei Lengxue girl along.”
“? Why her?”
“Just bring her! She inherited our grandfather’s legacy, didn’t she? Central Peak elders are always cozying up to her these days. Hmph… Sigh—”
“What? Grandfather’s legacy?”
“Yeah, she has our grandfather’s sword.”
“…”
Yun Yiyi hadn’t heard about this before. In fact, no one had mentioned it to her since she woke up.
Now, hearing it from Yun Jiujiu, her brows furrowed deeply, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Simultaneously, an overwhelming sense of crisis arose within her.
Pei Lengxue was Ye Anping’s junior sister, his childhood companion, and possibly the one who held his heart.
The engagement between her and Ye Anping was solely arranged because of the alliance between the Shadowmoon Sword Sect and the Hundred Lotus Sect.
Now that Pei Lengxue had inherited the legacy of Immortal Yun Jian, the engagement between her and Ye Anping seemed far less significant.
—Ye Anping likely didn’t know about this yet, but if he did, he’d probably leave her immediately and return to his junior sister.
Yun Jiujiu noticed Yun Yiyi’s change in expression. Waving a hand in front of her face, she asked,
“What’s wrong?”
“Second sister…” Yun Yiyi clenched her fists and frowned. “Can you keep the matter of Pei Lengxue inheriting the legacy a secret from Young Master Ye for now?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, keep him here at your Yun Residence and don’t let him find out about it for now, okay?”
“Oh… sure.”
Although Yun Jiujiu didn’t quite understand, she didn’t find the request excessive and nodded in agreement.
“Alright, you go ahead. I’m off to drink with Brother Yu.”
…
—
“Hic~~”
—A fragrant belch filled with the aroma of roast chicken wafted from Feng Yudie’s mouth directly into Ye Anping’s face, who was sipping tea in silent contemplation. His brow twitched slightly.
He glanced at the three chicken carcasses Feng Yudie had picked clean on the table and sighed quietly.
“Are you full now?”
“Full, full~” Feng Yudie patted her slightly bloated stomach and belched again in his direction.
“Hic—”
Ye Anping quickly held his breath, opened the nearby window wider, and looked toward the direction of the neighboring room. He thought to himself that the two sisters had been chatting for quite a while now and still hadn’t finished.
Since he couldn’t interrupt them, he sighed again and resigned himself to silently watching Feng Yudie devour chicken.
After resting for a while with her full belly, Feng Yudie seemed to suddenly remember something. She straightened up abruptly, licked the grease off her fingers, and pulled a red envelope from her storage bag.
It was the letter Yun Jiujiu had given her along with the knife earlier.
She tore it open and unfolded the letter. As her eyes scanned the contents, her neck retracted slightly, forming a double chin. Her eyes widened.
“Huh… huh? Tsk—”
Ye Anping saw the letter in her hand and immediately guessed that it was most likely a love letter from Yun Jiujiu.
In the game, the contents were hidden, but the item description mentioned, “A love letter from Yun Jiujiu, brimming with her literary flair, personality, and charm.”
Although he knew what it was, he was still curious about the contents. Without hesitation, he leaned closer, positioning his face right next to Feng Yudie’s ear to peek at the letter.
“Hmm—~~~”
Ye Anping made a curious villager-like sound. Hearing this, Feng Yudie shuddered. She turned her head, and when she saw Ye Anping’s face so close, she froze momentarily. Then…
Boom—
A fist, as large as a steamed bun, came hurtling straight toward his face.
Ye Anping’s eyes widened as he quickly tilted his head to dodge. Perhaps Feng Yudie had held back slightly, as her punch didn’t land on his face.
Feng Yudie quickly scooted away from him, putting five feet of distance between them. Leaning against the wall, she furrowed her brows and said, “You sneaky scoundrel, don’t think you can get away with this!”
“?”
Ye Anping was stunned for a moment before asking, “Get away with what?”
“Hmph, you know exactly what I mean.”
“…”
What had gotten into her? She was acting all jittery. He hadn’t done anything, had he?
Thud, thud—
Footsteps echoed from outside the room. Just as Ye Anping turned to look, the wooden door was forcefully kicked open.
Bang—
“Brother Yu! I’m here to join you!”
Yun Jiujiu cheerfully kicked open the door and announced loudly as she strode in.
However, upon seeing Feng Yudie holding the letter she had written, her boisterous grin quickly turned into a shy blush.
“Oh… you’re reading the letter…”
“Uh-huh…”
Feng Yudie swallowed nervously, seeming at a loss for how to respond.
Yun Jiujiu ignored Ye Anping entirely and quickly rushed to Feng Yudie’s side. Grasping her shoulders with both hands, she tilted her head upward and asked expectantly, “So, will you accept it?”
“…”
Feng Yudie shrank back slightly, staring at Yun Jiujiu’s smiling face, but didn’t respond.
Seeing her hesitation, Yun Jiujiu’s expression shifted from excitement to worry. Her brows furrowed slightly, her nose flaring slightly as if she was about to cry.
Feng Yudie frowned and hesitated for a moment before saying, “No…”
But just as the first word slipped out, Ye Anping interjected, “Second Young Mistress, Master Feng is simply a bit surprised. Actually, he’s quite happy about it and even asked me about it earlier. But such a decision isn’t something to be rushed. Why not give him some time to consider it?”
Feng Yudie shot Ye Anping a disgruntled look. She didn’t want to deceive Yun Jiujiu.
No! It’s a definite no!
She was resolute—her heart belonged to junior sister Pei!
Yun Jiujiu glanced back at Feng Yudie and asked, “Brother Yu, is what he said true?”
“Mm-hmm…”
Feng Yudie froze for a moment before hurriedly nodding in agreement. Yun Jiujiu’s worried frown immediately gave way to a radiant smile as she let go of Feng Yudie’s shoulders.
Ye Anping exhaled lightly, casting a sidelong glance at Feng Yudie’s dazed expression, but decided not to intervene further. He turned his gaze toward the doorway of the guest room.
Still no sign of Yun Yiyi. Curious, he asked, “Second Young Mistress, where’s your elder sister?”
“She told me to keep a secret from you, and until she’s back, I have to keep you here,” Yun Jiujiu said seriously, nodding as she spoke. “So stay put. Otherwise, I might have to tie you up.”
“?”
Ye Anping was bewildered. He squinted and asked, “Keep what secret?”
“It’s a secret, obviously!” Yun Jiujiu waved dismissively, then grabbed Feng Yudie’s sleeve and headed for the door. “Brother Yu, let’s go have a drink! You can come too, Young Master Ye, but don’t try sneaking out of Yun Residence.”
Watching the two of them disappear into the distance, Ye Anping found it all rather baffling.
Yun Yiyi was hiding something from him and had gone to Xiri Peak…
What’s at Xiri Peak?
Yun Xi and Junior Sister…
If it was Yun Xi, there was no reason to keep it from him. That left only one possibility…
“…”
Ye Anping furrowed his brows in thought. After mentally going through the possibilities, he concluded that it probably wasn’t anything too serious. Without dwelling on it further, he followed after the two ahead.
“Hmm, Junior Sister can handle it…”