Chapter 54 (Bickering)

Si Yao wished she could dig her toes into the ground.

The fact that her attempt to cultivate with Xia Chongyun back then failed still troubled her quite a bit.

After all, if she cannot find a partner for dual cultivation, her cultivation level will be difficult to improve.

Now that a third person knows the details, Si Yao is frantic.

"My master looks like he wants to kill me to silence me."

Li Ye's words were full of mockery, "You don't need to rush. Didn't Senior Brother Xia say that he would do anything you need? Actually, you can try again."

"You unfilial disciple!" Si Yao was furious. She instantly formed hand seals and struck at Li Ye. "Today, your master must teach you a lesson!"

Li Ye dodged to another spot, "Does Master want to hit people when he gets impatient?"

Si Yao's chest heaved as she lowered her hands, then slowly said, "Actually, what you said isn't wrong. In any case, I still need to improve my cultivation through dual cultivation. Since Xia Chongyun is so devoted to me, why not give him a chance?"

Li Ye's lips, which had been curled into a smug smile a moment ago, froze instantly. "Didn't you say you would never have anything to do with him again?"

Si Yao, hands on her hips, said leisurely, "You don't know, women are fickle and can change their minds at any time. Since my good apprentice gave me such a good suggestion, why shouldn't I take it?"

She chuckled smugly a few times, then continued, "Besides, since you deny that you and Li Ye are the same person, I'll just assume he's dead. Throughout history, a wife can't remain a widow for her husband forever, can she?"

"You..." The words Li Ye wanted to say suddenly got stuck in his throat.

His face fell.

"What's wrong?" Si Yao stared at him. "Wasn't this your suggestion? You're not happy about it anymore?"

Li Ye said emphatically, "Your affairs are naturally your responsibility!"

He took a deep breath. "You heard it just now. He said that after you woke up, he asked me to tell you that he has a lot to say to you."

"I know, I'll go right away."

After speaking, Si Yao couldn't help but glance at Li Ye a few more times.

Seeing the barely concealed anger in his eyes, Si Yao felt a secret sense of satisfaction.

A gust of wind blew by, and Si Yao was gone.

Her unique fragrance still lingered in the room.

Li Ye's emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

He muttered under his breath: "You foul mouth!"

He was cursing himself for his outburst and his banter with Si Yao. Now look what happened; he hadn't done anything to her, but he'd only made himself feel suffocated.

It felt as if a volcano in my heart was about to erupt, spewing out endless lava that would burn everything around it to ashes.

Not long after, Li Ye, who had been sitting by the window sulking, burst out of the door and flew to the roof of the ship's cabin, looking around.

He longed to see Si Yao at this moment, but he didn't.

Could it be that she really went to see Xia Chongyun?

Thinking of this, Li Ye clenched his fist and slammed it heavily against the fence.

Damn it!

What was he rushing out to look for?

If Si Yao saw him, he would look like a clown!

※ ※ ※

On this day, the giant ship from Tianchen Island continued its journey at sea along the planned route.

Si Yao heard from Lan Yu that the giant ship would be sailing on the sea for three full days. Because Tianchen Prefecture is vast, a one-day trip is not enough to appreciate the entire scenery of Tianchen Prefecture.

With plenty of time before the inauguration ceremony of the new island master of Tianchen Island, Si Yao felt that spending three to five days sightseeing would be no problem at all.

After leaving Li Ye's room, she did not go looking for Xia Chongyun, but went to a small private room on the second floor of the ship.

She leaned against the window, gazing at the endless sea view, and her previously turbulent emotions were soothed at that moment.

Recalling the conversation with Li Ye just now.

Her guesses about his identity were completely denied by him.

Even so, she did not dismiss this conclusion.

Five years ago, rumors circulated in the cultivation world that Demon Lord Li Ye was assassinated by his younger brother Zhao Chu at Chonglou Sect. After Li Ye's death, Zhao Chu succeeded him as Demon Lord of Chonglou Sect.

Chonglou Sect is located in the desolate wilderness outside of Kyushu, and is not one of the five major sects of Kyushu.

Therefore, the five major sects had no intention of interfering in the internal struggles of Chonglou Sect.

As long as the Chonglou Sect does not cause trouble or invade the Nine Provinces, the five major sects can maintain a non-interference relationship with the Chonglou Sect and develop independently.

In the years since Zhao Chu succeeded as the new Demon Lord, there has been no disturbance in the Wilderness Realm, and the Nine Continents have remained peaceful.

Therefore, after Li Ye's death, Si Yao did not inquire much about Chonglou Sect.

Even so, Si Yao had a premonition that the once powerful and fearsome Demon Lord Li Ye couldn't have died so easily.

She began to suspect her apprentice Xiao Yezi's identity, but unfortunately she had no evidence, so she could only speculate. However, as long as the other party did not admit it, there was nothing she could do.

Lost in thought, Si Yao didn't even notice when the communication jade slip beeped several times.

She only snapped out of her daze when Yu Ke's loud voice rang out again in the communication jade slip.

"Yu Ke, what do you want with me?" Si Yao replied to the jade slip.

Soon, Yu Ke transmitted her voice from the other end, "Si Yao, where are you? Come out quickly, let's go boating."

Hearing this, Si Yao examined the jade slip again, "Are you really Yu Ke?"

Yu Ke asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Si Yao sighed, "I never thought that our proud and talented Sister Yu Ke would have a day when she wants to have fun."

"Screw you, just give me a straight answer, are you coming or not?"

"Come on, come on, of course I have to come."

Following the location provided by Yu Ke, Si Yao arrived at the rear cabin of the first deck, where Yu Ke and Tang Che had already prepared several small boats.

Besides Yu Ke and his apprentice, there were also Qu Sui and her apprentice, and Su He and her apprentice, who were from the same clan.

Yu Ke pointed to one of the small boats, "Si Yao, this boat is yours."

The other three small boats were occupied by the three pairs of masters and their disciples.

Yu Ketangche, Qu Suiqilan, and Su Hexingyou.

Si Yao narrowed her eyes. Goodness, why do they look like a couple?

I found myself all alone, standing out somewhat among them?

"Where is your apprentice?" Qu Sui asked Si Yao.

Mentioning Li Ye, Si Yao felt inexplicably angry. "I wonder where he's gone."

"Oh dear," Qu Sui said meaningfully, "even your exceptionally talented apprentice will have another day of making you angry, won't he?"

Si Yao glared at Qu Sui. Qu Sui, so many years have passed, is she still holding a grudge about not being able to snatch Li Ye as her apprentice back then?

"Row your boat carefully! Be careful not to fall into the sea and become fish food!"

“I’m not like you. I have my good disciple Qi Lan to help me row the boat.”

After saying this, Qu Sui lay back on the boat, looking relaxed and enjoying herself immensely.

Si Yao breathed heavily through her nose, then summoned the Yan Yun fan and activated it, emitting a continuous stream of energy.

Driven by the aura emanating from Yan Yun, the small boat she was riding began to move forward continuously.

On the other ship, Su He's eyes lit up. "You have this trick up your sleeve! This is exactly what we cultivators should do. Why didn't I think of using a magic artifact?"

Yu Ke clicked her tongue, "I thought of her method too, but I just didn't bother to use it."

Qu Sui quickly chimed in, "That's right, we're here for boating, so naturally we have to row by hand to make it more fun."

Si Yao nodded, "Well, anyway, you don't have to paddle, it's your apprentice who's tired, so of course you find it interesting."

Qu Sui snorted, "Your apprentice didn't come. You're just saying this because you're jealous that I had Lan'er traveling with me."

Qi Lan sensed tension. Although such situations often occurred in the Hehuan Sect, he still interjected, "Alright, alright, Master and Elder Siyao, stop talking. I'm not tired at all. If Elder Siyao needs me, I can help you row the boat."

"You damned disciple, don't you dare side with outsiders!" Qu Sui said, grabbing Qi Lan's ear and scolding him harshly.

"Haha..." Si Yao couldn't help but laugh from the bottom of her heart.

Qu Sui leaned over the side of the boat, splashing seawater at Si Yao, "Let you laugh!"

Si Yao was not convinced, so she imitated Qu Sui's earlier actions and splashed seawater at her face.

"Alright, Si Yao, you just wait!"

Thus, what was supposed to be a boat trip turned into a water fight between several elders of the Hehuan Sect.

Qi Lan, Xing You, and Tang Che, the three male disciples, were dumbfounded. They watched the four female elders attacking each other frantically, and dared not move or utter a sound, letting the seawater from their attacks soak them.

Si Yao's clothes were already soaked, and her wet hair clung to her forehead. Although there was a sticky and uncomfortable feeling, Si Yao felt carefree.

It had been a long time since she and the three women in front of her had enjoyed themselves like this.

When the four of them were teenagers, they often chattered and fought together, but after each fight, they never held a grudge against each other. Instead, after staring at each other for a while, they would all burst into laughter at the same time.

As the sun sets, the sea is already tinged with gold.

The "water fight" between the four elders of the Hehuan Sect finally came to an end. Apart from Si Yao, the other elders were enjoying themselves with their disciples massaging their arms and legs.

Exhausted and panting, Si Yao lay on the small boat, gazing at the sunset and feeling the gentle sea breeze. She thought, "This is nice."

She felt completely relaxed like never before, experiencing an indescribable sense of comfort.

As night was falling, Si Yao had already dozed off and vaguely heard someone calling her.

"Si Yao... Elder Si Yao, so you're here."

When Si Yao opened her eyes, she realized that Xia Chongyun was rowing a small boat closer to her vessel.

The sea was quiet just now, but because of Xia Chongyun's arrival, the other three elders of the Hehuan Sect who were also resting woke up.

"Si Yao, your love interest has arrived!" Qu Sui said with a look of schadenfreude.

Si Yao ignored her and instead said to Xia Chongyun, "If you have something to say, let's talk on the shore?"

Not far away is the beach of a small island.

Xia Chongyun nodded vigorously, for he couldn't have been happier to agree to this.

Si Yao and Xia Chongyun's small boats approached the shore one after another.

She probably didn't know that, on a distant giant ship, Li Ye had been watching this place all along.

From the moment she started playfully fighting with the elders, his gaze was fixed on her.

When he saw her laughing innocently as she played in the water fight, a smile involuntarily crept onto Li Ye's lips.

But now, Xia Chongyun appeared, and when Li Ye saw Si Yao and Xia Chongyun docking together, his face froze.