Extra (1)
As dawn broke, the morning mist from the mountains drifted through the window, casting a thin veil over the room. Ye Yingying awoke to the rustling of fabric, lazily turning over to see Yun Yanqiu with his back to her, tying his sash. His long, ink-black hair was spread across the bed, a few strands falling along the edge, swaying slightly with his movements.
She reached out dreamily, her fingertips entwining with the smooth strands of hair. The touch reminded her of fluttering snowflakes, and Ye Yingying couldn't resist weaving the ends of her hair around her fingers. Gradually, she became engrossed in playing with it, even attempting to braid two strands of her hair into a plait.
"woke up?"
The owner of the hair had turned to the side at some point, bathed in the pale gold of the morning light. Ye Yingying hurriedly let go, burying her burning cheeks in the soft pillow embroidered with cloud patterns, and gave a muffled response.
A soft laugh brushed past her ear like a spring breeze. Yun Yanqiu leaned closer, his warm palms pressing against her lower back, massaging her sore muscles with just the right amount of pressure: "Are you still uncomfortable?"
The lingering memories suddenly came vividly to mind. Ye Yingying glared at him reproachfully, her eyes still slightly red from waking up: "You know how to ask?" His response was still a soft chuckle, tingling and pleasant. Ye Yingying's ears involuntarily itched, and she quickly slapped his hand away and sat up: "Time to get up!"
Yun Yanqiu readily agreed and stopped, but his gaze remained fixed on her. Seeing someone fetch her outer garment, he naturally took the sash and carefully tied it for her.
Since the two returned to Xuanming Mountain, Yun Yanqiu's clingy nature has become increasingly unrestrained in front of Ye Yingying. He would help her change clothes in the morning, share a fur coat with her late at night, and even when Ye Yingying was meditating, Yun Yanqiu would stand by her side, watching her intently. This feeling of being constantly watched made Ye Yingying very uncomfortable. Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if she had been even half as annoying as Yun Yanqiu when she used to cling to him.
She tried to persuade Yun Yanqiu to do something else and not stay by her side all day, which would distract her. Unexpectedly, Yun Yanqiu seriously suggested to her, "Your way of comprehending is too slow. Why don't we cultivate together? It will be faster."
"?!" Ye Yingying was shocked and almost bit her tongue. She never imagined that such words would come out of Yun Yanqiu's mouth one day.
Yun Yanqiu's proposal was undeniably tempting, but Ye Yingying hesitated for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and rejecting it. Instead, she entrusted him with the "important task" of tending the tea garden every day, telling him not to spend his days thinking about other things.
Today, Yun Yanqiu went to tend to the newly planted tea trees as usual, while Ye Yingying sat on a stone bench not far away, drinking tea.
It wasn't that Ye Yingying was being lazy and neglecting her cultivation; it was simply that an old friend had come to visit, and Ye Yingying naturally had to receive him. As for who this old friend was—Ye Yingying picked up the teapot and poured tea for the person opposite her at the stone table.
Wu Yue picked up her teacup and gazed at the ripples gently spreading within. As if suddenly remembering something unpleasant, she put the cup down.
"What's wrong? Did you have a fight with Zhao Yuxiao?" Ye Yingying asked directly.
"Why would I argue with him?" Wu Yue rolled her eyes at her, lightly tapping the side of the cup with her fingertips, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. "He's so stupid, he can't even argue. Even if we did argue, he wouldn't be a match for me." The ripples from the tea soup scattered the shimmering spots on the water's surface.
Wu Yue's words were as sharp as ever, and Ye Yingying understood. She took a sip and asked, "Then why do you look unhappy?"
Since their parting in Xuanzhou, she had only met Wu Yue a handful of times. Apart from the time she returned to Lingyun Alliance with Yun Yanqiu to say goodbye when leaving Michen Mountain, Wu Yue had personally visited Xuanming Mountain on all other occasions. The main reason for this was the witch spirit lock wrapped around Yun Yanqiu's ribs.
This thing was originally used to suppress his cultivation level, allowing him to move freely outside the mountain without being disturbed by heavenly lightning. Now that he has been living in Xuanming Mountain for a long time, there is no need to keep this thing anymore. Wu Yue offered to take it out for him several times, but Yun Yanqiu insisted on refusing, which puzzled Wu Yue.
"Did you manage to persuade him? That thing keeps hurting from time to time, what's so good about it?" Wu Yue glanced disdainfully at the figure in the tea garden not far away, and frowned.
"He said he wanted to be on guard, in case he still needed to come out of the mountains?" Ye Yingying had also been puzzled by this, but it was Yun Yanqiu's own choice, and she didn't want to interfere. She only took extra care of him when his spiritual lock flared up. Fortunately, in the year or so since returning to Xuanming Mountain, Yun Yanqiu had only had one attack, and the symptoms were much milder than when he was in Yuancheng. He was basically like a sick child, clinging to her from morning till night, which ironically made her feel…
Recalling how he had tugged at her sleeve with hazy eyes, Ye Yingying unconsciously smiled. But to Wu Yue, that smile was downright perverted. She shuddered, goosebumps rising on her skin: "Fine, fine, since that's the case, let's just have a gathering of heroes."
"A gathering of heroes?" Ye Yingying blinked. "Is it about to start?" During their time at Xuanming Mountain, they had truly become reclusive. If it weren't for Wu Yue frequently sending news from the outside world, they probably wouldn't even know what day it was.
“It will be in the next few days. We can make it right now if we set off from the Northern Continent.” Wu Yue said, taking out an invitation from her bosom. “Here, I prepared this especially for you.”
Ye Yingying took the invitation and saw that their names were written side by side on the gold-embossed surface, the handwriting neat and eye-catching. Ye Yingying's fingertips traced the three characters "Yun Yan Qiu" and teased, "So you're really a member of the Lingyun Alliance now? You're even running errands for Zhao Yuxiao?"
"Does he deserve it?" Wu Yue scoffed. "I'm just running errands for the alliance leader. I can't just eat and stay for free while I'm living under his roof, can I?"
"How can you say you're eating and staying for free? You just stand in front of their door, and the Alliance Leader will be thanking you so much he'll practically worship you." Ye Yingying teased, recalling the scene she witnessed when she returned to Lingyun Alliance with Yun Yanqiu. She had truly experienced Zhao Shaoxia's unparalleled charm. That lively scene of all sorts of strange and wonderful people was truly unforgettable.
Ye Yingying had no idea that Zhao Yuxiao was so sought after—not to mention the women who brought several cartloads of betrothal gifts to bring him back to marry into the family, the girls who claimed to have been saved by him and insisted on becoming his slaves could line up from the mountain gate to the market. The sight of them wailing and howling at the entrance of the Lingyun Alliance was truly a headache for anyone who saw it.
The moment Wu Yue, dressed in her Wu tribe attire, stood before the door, the entire place fell silent. When Wu Yue began pointing at each person's nose and revealing their birth date and time, half of the bustling crowd fled in terror. The remaining half, seeing her brazenly begin to set up her formation, also scattered in panic like birds and beasts.
Thanks to this deterrent, the Lingyun Alliance finally enjoyed a period of peace unseen for ten years. The Alliance Leader was overjoyed, and Wu Yue's status within the alliance was now equal to Zhao Yuxiao's.
"The Gathering of Heroes sounds nice, but I won't be going." Ye Yingying pushed the invitation back.
"Why?" Wu Yue was slightly taken aback, then suddenly remembered something and probed Ye Yingying's spiritual power. She was shocked, her eyes widening. "You reached the Golden Core stage so quickly?"
Ye Yingying raised an eyebrow smugly, her gaze unconsciously sweeping towards the tea garden. Yun Yanqiu was bending down to examine the new leaves, and his focused expression softened Ye Yingying's gaze.
Wu Yue glanced back and forth between the two of them, suddenly understood something, and immediately said seriously, "You can't cultivate like this. Your progress is too fast, your foundation is unstable, and you won't be able to withstand the tribulation."
"...What are you thinking about?!"
Just then, Yun Yanqiu strolled over and, seeing Ye Yingying's earlobes turning red, asked softly, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking to you." Wu Yue raised her chin at the invitation, a hint of mockery in her eyes. "Are you going to the Gathering of Heroes?"
"Is Zhao Yuxiao still participating?" Yun Yanqiu picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of hot tea.
“Of course.” Wu Yue nodded. “That guy is still thinking about the agreement he made in Yuancheng.”
"He knew 'Qin Zhiqing' wasn't dead?" Ye Yingying asked in surprise. To her surprise, Wu Yue glanced at her and sighed softly, "Everyone present at the time except you knew, but Qi Shuojun asked us to keep it a secret."
"..." Ye Yingying took a sip of tea awkwardly, and upon recalling the incident, she realized that she was indeed the one who was unconscious at the time.
“But after that, Qin Zhiqing disappeared without a trace. Who knows if she’s still alive?” Wu Yue shook the cup in her hand, then drank it all in one gulp. “Even if she is alive, she wouldn’t be able to show herself in front of everyone.”
Ye Yingying stroked the rim of her cup silently. Indeed, Qin Zhiqing was already "dead," and many of those who had attended the Qi family's wedding banquet at the gathering of heroes would cause trouble if she were recognized.
“Whether they come or not, you’ll know once you go and see for yourself,” Yun Yanqiu suddenly said.
Wu Yue glanced at Ye Yingying: "But she said she wouldn't go."
"I'm about to break through, isn't cultivation more important than joining in the fun?" Ye Yingying said confidently.
"What's wrong with joining in the fun? All you ever do is cultivate..." Wu Yue pointed at the two of them, "Have you two changed your personalities? I feel like you're even more bored than him in these mountains?"
Ye Yingying was stunned, never expecting to receive such a evaluation. Thinking back on the past year or so, it was indeed as Wu Yue had said—she meditated in the morning, pondered at night, and occasionally picked green leaves and tasted tea with Yun Yanqiu. The days were so quiet that she could hear the sound of snow falling on pine needles.
She looked blankly at Yun Yanqiu, only to see the other person give her a cryptic smile: "Since you've said that, why don't you go take a look?"
Since Yun Yanqiu said she wanted to go, Ye Yingying naturally agreed to accompany her.
To her shame, her understanding of the Gathering of Heroes was quite limited. Back in Michen Mountain, she had once longed to attend, but the Ghost Calculator strictly forbade her from showing off and repeatedly forbade her from joining such a spectacle. As time passed, that interest faded. Thinking back, this was actually the first time she had personally participated in this grand gathering of heroes.
The venue for the Gathering of Heroes was set up in Ganzhou, which was only half a day's journey from Lingyun Alliance. As usual, everyone stayed at the alliance's villa. Before they had settled in, Zhao Yuxiao flew over, his white robe fluttering as he landed on the stone slab in the courtyard.
"Senior Yun!" He strode forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I recently broke through to the Golden Core stage. May I ask for your guidance...?"
"Let's see how it goes on the arena," Yun Yanqiu interrupted him calmly. "I heard you're going to defend the arena this time?"
"Yes! Senior, you must come!" Zhao Yuxiao clasped his hands in greeting before turning to Ye Yingying, "Miss Ying'er, how have you been? You've reached the Golden Core stage so quickly!"
“Yeah, right.” Ye Yingying crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow, and proudly gestured with her chin. “Impressive, isn’t it?”
"Impressive, impressive." Zhao Yuxiao readily agreed. "Why don't you come onto the field and show off your skills?"
“No need for that…” Ye Yingying blinked. “I came here specifically to watch your match with ‘Qin Zhiqing.’ I even placed a bet with Qi Shuojun that you would win!”
"...You're only betting a tael of silver."
"Even a tael is a token of my appreciation!" Ye Yingying said solemnly. "Besides, if you win, you'll be earning Qi Shuojun's money. You'd better do your best!"
Hearing this, Wu Yue couldn't help but frown: "Didn't you refuse to even come before? Why are you so eager to come now?"
"Since we're already here, shouldn't we have some fun?" Ye Yingying said matter-of-factly. She really didn't care about the small amount of money, and she wasn't even concerned about whether "Qin Zhiqing" would come or not. She was just saying this to tease Zhao Yuxiao.
More than their bet, Ye Yingying cared about someone else—Yao Yao. Since their parting at the bottom of the sea, she hadn't heard from Yao Yao at all. Remembering the invitation she'd been entrusted to deliver to her, Ye Yingying couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation: What if she really came? How interesting that would be!
Unfortunately, despite her anticipation, Ye Yingying couldn't find the merman at all on the first day of the gathering of heroes.
On the arena, Zhao Yuxiao stood alone, sword in hand, his robes fluttering as he defeated sixteen opponents in quick succession. The surrounding high walls and corridors were packed with spectators. At the highest, gilded viewing platform, Ye Yingying leaned against the railing, holding a cup of hot tea, the steam rising only to be shattered by a new wave of sword energy. Each time Zhao Yuxiao sent an opponent flying, a silver ingot would appear on the table behind her, quickly piling up into a small mountain.
“Young Master Qi, this is a bit of a waste.” She turned to the young man in brocade robes who was fanning himself and couldn’t help but remind him, “We didn’t say we were betting this much. Just give me whatever you think is fair.”
"How can you catch a big fish if you don't spend a little money?" Qi Shuojun casually waved his folding fan and added another silver ingot while chatting and laughing.
"A big fish?" Ye Yingying raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
Qi Shuojun glanced at her, tapped the eastern corner with his folding fan, gesturing for her to come closer, and then whispered, "There's a betting site over there, betting on when Brother Zhao will lose. The more I bet here, the more enthusiastically they follow suit."
Ye Yingying suddenly realized that it was all a setup. "But if Zhao Yuxiao wins all three days, won't you suffer a huge loss?" Ye Yingying looked at him suspiciously. "Don't tell me you also think... she'll come?"
"Heh, guess?" Qi Shuojun covered his face with his fan, revealing only a pair of smiling eyes. His cunning appearance made it impossible to guess what he was thinking. Ye Yingying rolled her eyes at him and turned to look at the railing—Yun Yanqiu was watching the battle intently, his white robes fluttering in the wind, serene and composed.
"How was it?" She leaned closer, resting her chin on her hand, and asked him, turning her head to the side, "I didn't embarrass you, did I?"
“Hmm…” Yun Yanqiu responded in a deep voice, his gaze still following the arena, “His opponents are far weaker than him.”
“Winning battle after battle is also a skill.” Ye Yingying looked at the arena and saw Zhao Yuxiao with his eyes downcast. Blood droplets dripping from the tip of his sword hit the bluestone bricks and bloomed into tiny plum blossoms.
As he challenged the seventeenth challenger, he suddenly looked up and glanced around. His gaze swept over them without lingering, still intently searching for something.
Until the evening drum sounded, the figure still hadn't appeared. Zhao Yuxiao returned with a perfect record, but a hint of gloom lingered between his brows.
"So what if he didn't come? Is it really necessary to be so upset?" Wu Yue frowned as she watched his retreating figure.
"Oh, so you're quite concerned about Zhao Yuxiao, huh?" Ye Yingying chuckled mischievously, earning a roll of her eyes from Wu Yue. She said nothing more, only watching the lonely figure disappear from sight.
The Heroes' Gathering had entered its second day, and the number of challengers on the arena had halved compared to the previous day, yet Zhao Yuxiao remained firmly seated. Having truly witnessed the strength of the Lingyun Alliance's young master, even those who had followed Qi Shuojun in placing bets the day before had lost interest and stopped. Talk abounded, with everyone speculating who among their peers could now rival Zhao Yuxiao.
"Young Master Zhao's cultivation is almost on par with that of Alliance Leader Meng back then! I think the day when he takes over the position of Alliance Leader is not far off."
"With his skill level, how come he didn't win first place in the last Heroes' Tournament?"
"Didn't Qin Zhiqing suddenly appear in the last competition? She caught him completely off guard. Now that Miss Qin has passed away, who can stop him?"
Mentioning Qin Zhiqing, everyone couldn't help but sigh: "It's truly a case of heaven being jealous of beauty. Such a talented and beautiful person, yet... Alas, Young Master Qi is also unlucky, his new bride suffered such a calamity right after entering the family."
"Who can argue with that? After such a commotion, which family would dare to propose marriage to the Qi family?"
"That's not right. I've heard that some people are even risking their lives to rush up to them."
"They must be after mountains of gold and silver, not afraid of earning it but not having the life to spend it..."
These whispered words, though not loud, reached Ye Yingying's ears clearly. Ye Yingying sipped her tea, sighing inwardly that whether immortal or mortal, their talent for gossiping was exactly the same.
She crossed her legs and teased Qi Shuojun, "Young Master Qi, public opinion can be a real fearsome thing, can it?"
"It's alright, this is a good opportunity to have some peace and quiet." Qi Shuojun leisurely sipped his tea.
"You're quite open-minded."
"It's no big deal." He put down his teacup, turned his fan, and sighed softly. "Alas, Brother Zhao, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed again today."
Ye Yingying glanced at the figure on the arena, her lips curving slightly: "I think someone is going to be disappointed."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Shuojun stopped fanning himself and stared at her for a moment.
"What, did I say something wrong?" Ye Yingying asked knowingly, laughing even more unrestrainedly.
“Miss Ye is exceptionally clever.” He narrowed his eyes, a sly glint in them. “How about adding another prize?”
"Okay, what's the bet?"
"Let's bet on whether she'll show up tomorrow."
The meaning of "she" is self-evident. Ye Yingying pondered for a moment, then leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, saying, "Then I'll bet she won't come."
“Then I’ll bet she’ll come.” He waved his fan, and a square coin appeared out of thin air on the table. “Use this as my bet.”
Ye Yingying's eyes lit up: "You're willing to give me this?"
"Who said I was going to give it away? I'll only give it to you if I win the bet." Qi Shuojun twirled the coins between her fingers. "As for the outcome... we'll find out tomorrow."
With the bet settled, Zhao Yuxiao was already bored out of his mind. After several rounds of matches, the arena fell into an eerie silence. The crowd discussed amongst themselves, but no one dared to step forward to challenge him again. He looked around, then stuck his sword into the bluestone slab with a backhand and sat cross-legged to meditate.
Before I could enter a meditative state, I suddenly heard the sound of clothes rustling in the wind.
He opened his eyes and saw a swordsman in coarse cloth standing three zhang away. His figure was as upright as bamboo, and the heavy sword he carried on his back was three fingers wider than usual. The scabbard was worn white, clearly indicating that he had been on the battlefield for a long time.
"Liao Heng, a rogue cultivator, requests guidance from Young Master Zhao." As the newcomer clasped his hands in greeting, his wrist bones, wrapped in hemp cloth, were visible through his sleeves, and his knuckles were covered in thick calluses from sword practice.
Zhao Yuxiao nodded and stood up, his sword humming as it entered his hand. The two charged forward simultaneously, their swords clashing and sparks flying. Liao Heng's swordplay was cunning, targeting the lower body's blind spots. The heavy sword in his hands was as light as a willow branch, sending pebbles flying as it swept across the ground.
Zhao Yuxiao's white robe was torn in several places by the sword energy, but his defense was impenetrable. In the instant when his opponent was exhausted and needed to catch his breath, the tip of his sword suddenly rose—pointing directly at the most hidden flaw in Liao Heng's sword move.
As the third move began, Zhao Yuxiao's sword had already struck Liao Heng's throat. The force of the final strike ruffled Liao Heng's hair, and the sword tip left a shallow mark on his skin without causing any real injury.
"You flatter me." Zhao Yuxiao sheathed his sword, and Liao Heng's Adam's apple bobbed violently. Finally, he clasped his hands and bowed deeply: "Young Master, your swordsmanship is excellent. I have learned a great deal."
As the rogue cultivators left, the stands erupted in uproar: "Is this the first one who could actually injure Young Master Zhao?"
"Although it was only a torn robe, it was still much more powerful than the ones before it."
"Look, the young master's sword—"
Zhao Yuxiao closed his eyes and sat cross-legged again, and three new cracks appeared on the hilt of the sword in front of him.
"Sure, what did that guy say his name was again?"
"I remember his name was Liao Heng?"
Liao Heng? Ye Yingying's eyes flickered slightly. Wasn't this the rogue cultivator who asked her to invite Yao Yao to the Gathering of Heroes?
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