Mermaids Weep (30)
Ye Yingying turned around in a daze and saw Yun Yanqiu's door half open. He was standing behind the door, looking at her with a gloomy expression.
"He's fine," Ye Yingying answered instinctively. "Senior Yun, you..."
She had wanted to take this opportunity to explain to him, but Yun Yanqiu didn't give her the chance and closed the door without hesitation. Ye Yingying looked helplessly at the closed door again, and suddenly felt that Yun Yanqiu seemed to have reverted to the way he was when she first met him.
Back inside, Ye Yingying forced herself to sit cross-legged in meditation, trying to calm her mind through breath control. But no matter how hard she tried to appear composed, her mind was filled with thoughts of Yun Yanqiu. Distant memories resurfaced, and she suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia for Yun Yanqiu's surprised expression after she broke the sword formation in her previous life.
Ye Yingying was very pleased with his expression at that moment, and raised her eyebrows triumphantly, saying, "How about it? Will you listen to me properly this time?"
Yun Yanqiu was only stunned for a moment before regaining his composure: "The fact that you were sent by the Ghost Calculator is enough to explain the matter."
"What do you mean?" Ye Yingying had just cracked the mystery of the formation and was very arrogant. She was no longer polite to Yun Yanqiu. "Anyway, your sword formation can no longer subdue me. You have to explain to me clearly today what's wrong with me being sent by the Ghost Calculator!"
Ye Yingying's voice was very loud, piercing directly into Yun Yanqiu's ears and making it impossible for him to concentrate on his meditation. So, Yun Yanqiu sighed, stood up, and looked at Ye Yingying seriously: "You cunning and scheming strategist, you say he threatened you with your younger sister's life to get the Rakshasa Jade, but do you know that he gave the Rakshasa Jade away willingly in the first place?"
"What?" Ye Yingying was taken aback by the question, her face full of surprise. The Ghost Calculator had never mentioned the past of this Rakshasa Jade to her.
"If he really wanted to go back, why didn't he come and get it himself? Why did he have to send someone as weak as you to do it for him?" Yun Yanqiu said bluntly, which hurt Ye Yingying's pride.
"This guy still doesn't take me seriously," Ye Yingying thought to herself, but she was also somewhat swayed by Yun Yanqiu's words. If this Rakshasa Jade really was given away by the Ghost Calculator, why didn't he say so earlier? That way, she could have openly asked Yun Yanqiu for it, instead of hiding and making excuses for half a year.
"Wait a minute," Ye Yingying frowned, staring at Yun Yanqiu suspiciously, "Senior, are you very familiar with the Ghost Calculator?"
As far as she knew, that old man, Ghost Calculator, spent all his time tinkering with his things in his weapon-refining room and had almost no friends outside. How come this guy seemed to know so much?
“Not familiar,” Yun Yanqiu replied coldly, “but better than you.”
Damn it, Ye Yingying cursed inwardly. This guy looks so respectable, how come he speaks so harshly?
"Also, your sister's lies are too hypocritical. If you want to use this to deceive people next time, at least hone your acting skills."
"You!" Ye Yingying was furious at Yun Yanqiu's mockery, but she was too afraid to confront him head-on because of his strength.
Ye Yingying held back for a long time, forcing herself to calm down, and asked through gritted teeth, "How did you figure that out?"
Yun Yanqiu frowned, looking at her with a gloomy gaze as if she were an idiot, and said, "How can someone remain so calm and collected when their loved ones are arrested?"
His words struck a nerve with Ye Yingying, who puffed out her cheeks in anger but couldn't utter a single rebuttal. She didn't even have a younger sister, so of course she didn't know what it felt like to have a family member arrested. But that's how it was portrayed in storybooks, and she felt she acted it out perfectly!
"Alright, I'll spare your life this time." Yun Yanqiu generously flicked his sleeves, and the Rakshasa Jade at his waist swayed with his movements, a wisp of restless black energy faintly flowing within the pure white and warm jade pendant.
Ye Yingying was unconsciously drawn to the Rakshasa Jade, wishing she could snatch the jade pendant from his hand right now. However, the vast difference in their strength stood between them, and reason kept reminding her not to act rashly.
Then she heard Yun Yanqiu say, "Go back and tell Ghost Calculator that we can't give him the jade yet, don't waste our time."
With that, Yun Yanqiu waved his hand, pushing Ye Yingying out of the secret realm. Ye Yingying stared blankly at the snow-covered wilderness around her, realizing that there might be something important hidden behind this Rakshasa Jade that she was unaware of.
Ye Yingying tried to return to Michen Mountain to inquire about the matter with the Ghost Calculator, but he kept irritably sending her away to do other things. Finally, driven to desperation, he yelled at her, "If you ask again, I'll expel you from the mountain!" Ye Yingying had no choice but to give up for the time being; she didn't want to be homeless. Since she couldn't get through to the Ghost Calculator, she had to go to Yunyan Hill to gather information. Besides, she only wanted a piece of Rakshasa Jade so the Ghost Calculator would accept her as his last disciple; what did it matter to her whether he knew the inside story or not?
After consoling herself, Ye Yingying went to Xuanming Realm. Now that she thinks about it, the change in her relationship with Yun Yanqiu started from that time...
Ye Yingying snapped out of her reverie. Before she knew it, it was already dawn, and the outside was gradually turning white. She was wide awake and got up to push open the door and go into the courtyard. Yun Yanqiu's door was still closed. Ye Yingying hesitated for a moment, then mustered her courage and knocked on the wooden door.
A crisp knock sounded in the courtyard, but there was no response from inside. Ye Yingying knocked again, but still received silence.
"Hiss..." Ye Yingying's hand hovered in the air, hesitating whether to tap a third time.
Just then, Yun Yanqiu silently opened the door.
"Good morning, Senior Yun!" Ye Yingying greeted him with delight, but Yun Yanqiu only glanced at Ye Yingying and walked on his way.
Ye Yingying quickly caught up and chattered behind Yun Yanqiu, asking, "Did you rest well last night, Senior?"
Yun Yanqiu ignored her.
"Senior, I was clumsy with words yesterday and said something unpleasant that upset you."
Yun Yanqiu still didn't respond.
Knowing she was in the wrong, Ye Yingying began to whine, "Senior Yun, I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to. I was framed by the Ghost Calculator and that's why I couldn't keep the appointment."
Yun Yanqiu paused slightly, turned his head to look at her, and Ye Yingying's eyes lit up instantly. She saw that Yun Yanqiu seemed to want to say something but held back, and turned back to continue walking forward.
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Ye Yingying continued, "Senior, I know I was wrong. You can punish me however you want."
"Ye Yingying".
Yun Yanqiu finally stopped, turned around, and sternly called out her name. Ye Yingying was startled by his sudden reaction and immediately stood up straight. Yun Yanqiu said to her coldly, "I don't want to hear your apology."
"Then, what do you want to hear?" Ye Yingying blinked blankly.
“You…” Yun Yanqiu frowned, feeling powerless as if he had used all his strength to hit cotton. He thought he might as well just ask her if she was pregnant.
But then he thought again, there were some things he shouldn't have asked her to say. Ye Yingying was a cunning little fox; if he had deliberately posed this question to her, she certainly wouldn't have answered it sincerely.
Yun Yanqiu steeled herself, biting her lower lip and swallowing her words.
"Think for yourself."
Yun Yanqiu angrily left with three words and walked away without looking back. Ye Yingying stood there, stunned, her mind a complete mess. He didn't want to hear her apology, so what should she say? For the first time, she felt that Yun Yanqiu's thoughts were even more unfathomable than the solution to the sword formation.
Ye Yingying waited for a while but still had no idea what to do, so she had no choice but to chase after Yun Yanqiu in the direction he had left. She thought she could simply follow the path to catch up with Yun Yanqiu, but Ye Yingying had only recently regained her sight and wasn't very familiar with the layout of the Han residence. After several turns, she realized she seemed to be lost. She looked around and, finding no one there, had no choice but to continue walking forward by feel. After a few more turns, Ye Yingying found herself at the entrance of the Han residence.
She stepped forward to ask the guards at the door, but saw a plain-looking young man standing outside. The young man seemed to be talking to the guards. Ye Yingying moved closer and heard him say, "Please inform the two of me that I would like to thank Miss Yao Yao in person."
Yao Yao? Ye Yingying stood curiously beside them, looking at the young man who had just spoken: "What do you want with Yao Yao?"
Liao Heng was taken aback at first, then looked at the woman who had suddenly appeared for a while. Seeing that she came from the manor, he explained his purpose again: "I am Liao Heng. I was able to survive the clutches of the Lin family thanks to Miss Yao Yao's help. I have come here to thank her in person. I wonder if Miss Yao Yao is in the manor?"
“She’s gone somewhere else and won’t be here anytime soon,” Ye Yingying said decisively. Yao Yao’s identity was too special, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better.
Then her eyes darted around, and she suddenly remembered that Yao Yao had mentioned this name before, so she added, "Tell me what you want to say."
"This...who are you?" Liao Heng asked, somewhat bewildered.
“I am her friend, and I was also involved in rescuing the rogue cultivator.”
"Oh!" Liao Heng exclaimed in realization. "Could you be the guest elder of the Lingyun Alliance that Yao Yao mentioned?"
Ye Yingying shook her head somewhat helplessly: "No, but we are indeed together."
"Oh, I see." Liao Heng scratched his head awkwardly, then mustered up his courage to ask, "Could you please pass on a message? I'm leaving the Secret Sea soon, and I want to fulfill this last wish before I go."
Ye Yingying nodded: "Go ahead and say it."
Liao Heng rose and bowed, saying solemnly, "Thank you for saving my life. If possible, when she returns, please invite her to Ganzhou next year to attend the Heroes' Gathering! All of us who were imprisoned together will go, except for her!"
The Gathering of Heroes, spearheaded by the Lingyun Alliance, is held every ten years, bringing together young talents from all walks of life in the cultivation world to compete. When Ye Yingying was a child, the Gathering of Heroes was only moderately popular, but now it has become a well-known grand event. To win the Gathering of Heroes is tantamount to announcing to the world that one is a leader among cultivators, which is incredibly attractive to many unknown young cultivators.
Ye Yingying nodded in agreement, and then said politely, "Then I wish Brother Liao all the best in winning the championship at the gathering of heroes."
"Thank you, thank you!" Liao Heng cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Then I'll have to ask you to pass on my message, young lady. Farewell!"
After speaking, Liao Heng turned and left. Ye Yingying also walked towards the manor, lost in thought as she considered the matter. The Merfolk patriarch had issued an expulsion order against her and Yun Yanqiu, meaning they most likely couldn't go. The only one who could relay the message was Han Chengjin…
"Miss Ying'er!"
Speak of the devil, and he appears. Han Chengjin's voice came from not far away. Ye Yingying looked up and found that not only Han Chengjin had come, but also his brother and Yun Yanqiu.
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