Chapter Ninety-Four: The Corrupt Elegant Pavilion

After explaining the whole story, Ye Chi did not show any rejection as Ya Feiyu had feared most. He frowned slightly, but his words were full of heartache for Ya Feiyu. He took the other person's cold hand in his palm and gently stroked it, as if he was afraid that if he used too much force, Ya Feiyu would get hurt.

“That scumbag deserved to die. Master did nothing wrong.” He pressed his forehead against Ya Feiyu’s, his long eyelashes drooping slightly, and said, “He not only hurt Master, but also hurt so many innocent people. Such a person deserved to die. Master, don’t feel guilty. Your disciple will not blame Master for killing a person who deserved to die.”

He grasped Ya Feiyu's hand tightly and said, "Disciple will always stand by Master's side. Master, don't be afraid that your disciple will be unhappy. Your disciple will be happy no matter what you do, okay?"

For some reason, his vision seemed to be gradually blurring. Ya Feiyu's thin lips were slightly pursed, and his body trembled uncontrollably. Ye Chi was immediately anxious when he saw him like this. He grabbed Ya Feiyu's shoulders and asked urgently, "Is Master alright? Why are you crying, Master?"

Ya Feiyu's eyes were slightly red, and he had only just managed to come to his senses. Crystalline tears blurred his pure eyes, making his desolate, snowy eyes seem as if they were seen through a layer of mist. He slightly opened his lips, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't utter a single word. He slowly shook his head, exhaled a breath of stale air, and his expression was so indifferent that it seemed as if nothing had happened. Only his voice trembled slightly at the end as he said, "It's nothing."

Ye Chi looked at him with some worry, but Ya Feiyu's attitude clearly indicated that he did not intend to say anything. As his disciple and lover, he naturally had an attitude of absolute respect for Ya Feiyu, so he did not urge Ya Feiyu to speak. He just gave him a "don't worry" look. When he saw the coldness in Ya Feiyu's eyes that melted like spring water, he knew that he had done the right thing.

In fact, Ye Chi wasn't stupid. He clearly knew what role he played in Ya Feiyu's eyes: a pillar supporting the world, a warm light melting icebergs, and an absolutely solid support. What he needed to do was not to solve Ya Feiyu's problems, but to stay by his side. As long as he tirelessly stayed by his side, that would be enough.

He smiled, picked up Ya Feiyu, held him in his arms, and patted the back of Ya Feiyu's head like he was coaxing a child. "Is Master tired? Disciple wants to cook. What would Master like to eat?"

Ya Feiyu paused slightly, a gentle warmth rising in his heart like flowing water. He narrowed his eyes, his expression like that of a lazy cat, and said, "Either is fine, meat porridge."

"good."

Ye Chi didn't rush to turn around and cook. He held Ya Feiyu tenderly for a while until Ya Feiyu pushed him away impatiently. Only then did he release him with satisfaction and go to the back to cook with a smile.

Ya Feiyu felt somewhat helpless, but not at all annoyed; her heart was filled with only a gentle, warm feeling.

...

The chaos at Qing Shen Pavilion lasted only three days. It was as if everything concerning Elder Yun had vanished overnight, as if something had suppressed the matter and forcibly returned their lives to normalcy. A-Ying had asked some of her senior sisters and brothers, but they all gave her an "it's unspeakable" look, which only made A-Ying more curious about the whole story.

But no matter how curious I was, it was as if the matter was forcibly extinguished, and there has been no follow-up news.

This matter struck Aying as odd, so she turned to find Ya Feiyu and Ye Chi. The innocent girl didn't expect to get any more information from them, but just casually complained and discussed it. As she expected, the two immortal lords also said they didn't know the situation. She couldn't get any information and could only leave disappointed.

After she left, the friendly smiles on their faces vanished instantly.

Ye Chi chuckled lightly, but his smile lacked sincerity; instead, it was cold. He looked at Ya Feiyu and gently placed his hand on the latter's shoulder: "Master's move was truly a fatal blow."

Ya Feiyu lowered his eyelashes and said calmly, "This was your idea."

After hearing about Ya Feiyu's experience with Elder Yun, Ye Chi seemed to think it wasn't enough. That night, he discussed with Ya Feiyu about moving the jar containing Elder Yun's body to a different location. It didn't need to be moved to a very obvious place; it just needed to be placed where ordinary disciples could see it.

After thinking for a moment, Ya Feiyu understood his meaning. Under the cover of night, the two of them took the jar from the house to a lawn outside the disciples' residence. In order to increase the chances of being discovered, Ya Feiyu opened the jar and let the stench permeate the disciples' residence all night.

The next day, the jar was discovered, causing panic among countless people. However, things did not develop as the two had expected. They thought the matter would quickly spread throughout Qing Shen Pavilion, but before it could become common knowledge, the news was immediately blocked.

It seems their speed was unexpectedly fast. Ya Feiyu's eyes darkened slightly.

There is no need to show mercy to a sect like Qing Shen Ge, whose internal structure is already rotten.

“Although things seem calm on the surface, the defenses in every place have been strengthened recently,” Ye Chi said. “But the number of disciples in charge of guarding Qing Shen Pavilion has not increased. The defenses in the places we can see have been strengthened, but conversely, the defenses in the unseen corners have become weak.”

Ya Feiyu lowered her eyelashes, idly stroking Ye Chi's long, dark hair, letting the soft strands flow through her fingertips. "Tonight will be a good time to take action, am I right?"

Ye Chi smiled, grabbed Ya Feiyu's wrist, and placed a light kiss on his lips: "Of course, tonight is a good time."

Now, everything is ready except for the final push.

...

On this rare full moon night, with no extra clouds in the sky, the two figures, concealed, sat high on the rooftop and looked down. None of the passing patrolling disciples noticed their presence.

After several days of doing missions at Qing Shen Pavilion, they had gradually figured out the general map of Qing Shen Pavilion. Tonight's goal was not to directly obtain the Qing Shen Music Score, but to first explore the surrounding terrain and confirm the escape route later.

The place they were in was the most heavily guarded part of the entire Qing Shen Pavilion, the residence of the Pavilion Master.

Even here, the usual tight security, where not even a mosquito could be allowed to pass, was absent. Only a few disciples were guarding the two sides of the hall gate, suggesting that most of the disciples had been sent elsewhere. It was precisely because of this dispersed patrol that Ya Feiyu decided to come and scout out the terrain tonight.

He did not forget the most important purpose of his trip: to find the Qing Shen Music Score.

After confirming that the demonic cultivator's goal was indeed the Four Treasures of the World, Ya Feiyu could no longer harbor even the slightest bit of wishful thinking. In any case, he was now wanted by the cultivation world. At first, he might have had some concerns about his identity, but now that he was a wanted criminal, he no longer needed to worry about anything.

Since he's already a recognized bad guy, he doesn't mind sticking to that reputation.

However, it's best not to alert them beforehand.

They exchanged a glance, then traversed the rooftops, meticulously verifying the hastily sketched map in their minds as reality. After circling the Qing Shen Pavilion to confirm their map was accurate, they were about to turn and leave when they suddenly heard a faint cry for help, drowned out by the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects. Upon closer listening, they couldn't accurately determine the gender of the voice, as it had become extremely hoarse.

"Is there anyone who can help me...?"

"Shut up!" A voice, surprisingly strong in comparison, rang out, carrying a hint of anger, followed by a loud slapping sound: "If you make another sound, I'll feed your bones to the dogs, you hear me?!"

The intermittent cries for help turned into faint sobs. Ya Feiyu and Ye Chi exchanged a glance, and they both saw the same emotion in each other's eyes. Without saying a word, they tacitly used their spiritual power to conceal their figures and followed the source of the sound to a particularly secluded corner.

This place stands out conspicuously compared to other places. Although Qing Shen Pavilion occupies a small area, it is, after all, one of the famous major sects. The decoration here is mostly elegant and noble, and nothing here would seem particularly out of place, except for this place.

Because it was just a dilapidated wooden hut enclosed by a fence, it was as if this place wasn't important at all; not even a decent decoration was spared. Behind the fenced-off hut was a small patch of grass, offering no shelter or shelter from the wind and rain. Ye Chi initially thought it was an abandoned pigsty, but inside the hut were clearly living, breathing people!

Among them were women with children, frail elderly people, toddlers learning to speak, and strong men. They had nothing in common in terms of appearance, gender, or age. The only thing they had in common was their identity.

They all came from rural areas, and like them, were ordinary people in a remote town guarded by the Qing Shen Pavilion.

These people were not as lucky as them; they were forcibly brought here to be used as alchemy furnaces.

The one who had just cried for help was a rather young woman, her body crisscrossed with scars, her thin clothes unable to conceal the seeping blood. She knelt on the ground, sobbing, before a young man dressed in the robes of a menial disciple of the Qing Shen Pavilion. Seeing that she no longer dared to think of resisting, he contentedly withdrew his long whip, yawned deeply, and turned to enter the wooden hut.

The small space reeked of a mingled stench, nauseating yet filling with a profound sadness. Ya Feiyu stared intently at the young man's departing figure, her eyes gleaming with a chilling light.