The empty city was destroyed (4)
Inside the Lingyun Inn, after Ye Yingying left, Yun Yanqiu returned to his room to recuperate. His injuries weren't too serious, and he had recovered most of his strength in the past few days.
While meditating, Yun Yanqiu suddenly sensed a fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from a table not far away. He opened his eyes and saw a communication talisman he had prepared in advance, with a faint light shining on the talisman.
Yun Yanqiu stood up, picked up the talisman, and poured spiritual power into it. Immediately afterward, he heard a long-lost voice greet him: "Lord Yun, it's been a long time."
The voice was deep and weathered, carrying the composure unique to middle-aged people.
Yun Yanqiu knew who it was without even thinking. He replied, "Is the Alliance Leader here because of Zhao Yuxiao?"
"That's right." The person on the other end was none other than Meng Sinian, the current leader of the Lingyun Alliance. "Xiao'er said she wants to go to Jincheng with you?"
“That is indeed the case.” Yun Yanqiu did not deny it, but explained directly, “I need to repay a favor by going to Jincheng. Zhao Yuxiao wants to go with me, but Jincheng is really dangerous. Even I can’t guarantee his safety.”
“So…” Meng Sinian murmured, as if he had remembered something, and suddenly fell silent.
After a long pause, Meng Sinian suddenly asked, "Lord of the Realm, in your opinion, has Xiao'er made any progress during these years away from home?"
Yun Yanqiu pondered for a moment and replied, "He has improved a lot compared to when he first entered the world, but he still lacks some experience."
“Is that so…” Meng Sinian pondered for a moment, “It seems I’ve been protecting him too much.”
Yun Yanqiu remained noncommittal: "It's a blessing to have family protecting you. His talent is quite good among his peers."
"Hey, Lord, no need for such formalities. Do you think I don't know what kind of person he is?"
Thinking of his son's perpetually silly grin, Meng Sinian couldn't help but sigh, "Siyun left us so early, and I really couldn't bear for anything to happen to Xiao'er, so I protected him in every way. But he's grown up now, and if I continue to stop him, it will only hinder his cultivation..."
"So you're agreeing to let him go?"
"Yes," Meng Sinian replied immediately, "Actually, there's something I've never told you."
"What's up?"
"The last time my master communicated with me was when he went to Tianjin."
Yun Yanqiu was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Zhao Huai Ren also went there?"
“Yes, but I haven’t heard from him since then.” Meng Sinian couldn’t help but feel sad when talking about his master. “I’ve thought that after so many years, he’s probably no longer alive. But since I can’t find him alive or dead, I still hold onto some hope.”
Even on her deathbed, Siyun was still calling out her master's name...
Yun Yanqiu remained silent, listening as Meng Sinian recounted the past bit by bit. Although it was a past that wasn't too far removed from him, it wasn't familiar either, but every time it was mentioned, it still stirred a ripple in Yun Yanqiu's heart.
"I will keep Zhao Yuxiao in mind," Yun Yanqiu assured Meng Sinian.
“Lord of the Realm, you misunderstand. I did not mean to force you with this,” Meng Sinian quickly explained. “Just take him with you, and let him figure out the rest on his own.”
"The situation inside Jin City is treacherous, and the Lingyun Alliance can only provide some material assistance. Please let us know if you need anything, and I will ensure that the disciples of the alliance cooperate fully."
Thank you.
"Not at all, I only hope that you will take care on your journey, Lord."
After speaking, the talisman dimmed and turned into a piece of waste paper. Yun Yanqiu stared at the piece of paper in his hand, lost in thought.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard a knock on the door. He looked up and saw Ye Yingying's figure in front of him.
"Senior Yun, have you missed me?" Ye Yingying met Yun Yanqiu's gaze and asked with a smile.
"You're back so soon?" Yun Yanqiu quickly crumpled the talisman in her hand. "Did you get everything?"
"Of course." Ye Yingying proudly took out the Gold-Refined Dagger and showed it to Yun Yanqiu. "Look, it's said to be able to penetrate a cultivator's protective spiritual energy, which is perfect for dealing with Ghost Calculator."
Looking at her excited expression, Yun Yanqiu couldn't help but smile and said, "You're one step closer to your goal."
"But Qi Shuojun said this thing can only be used once." Ye Yingying put away the gold-tempered dagger and couldn't help but complain a couple of times. Then she said, "If this thing wasn't of a high grade, I would have suspected that he deliberately gave me some junk."
"If he dares to do that, I'll go and teach him a lesson for you."
"Okay, okay!" Ye Yingying grinned and couldn't help but hug Yun Yanqiu, rubbing against his chest. "I knew you were the best to me."
Yun Yanqiu hugged her back, gently kissed the black hair of the person in his arms, and whispered, "Shouldn't we do something more?"
Ye Yingying paused abruptly, looked up and met the tenderness in his eyes, and a strange impulse welled up in her heart.
She carefully tiptoed, leaned close to Yun Yanqiu's jade-carved chin, and gently pecked it.
Seeing Yun Yanqiu's slight hesitation, Ye Yingying revealed a triumphant smile, and raised her chin, signaling him to take the initiative. How could Yun Yanqiu not understand her meaning? He chuckled helplessly, slowly lowered his head, and was about to cover the lips of the person in his arms with his own.
Suddenly, Zhao Yuxiao rushed in and shouted, "Senior Yun, my father has agreed!!"
Startled, Ye Yingying shoved Yun Yanqiu away. Yun Yanqiu reacted a beat slower, and after being pushed away by Ye Yingying, he could only keep a sullen face and look resentful.
Zhao Yuxiao was so excited that he didn't notice the awkwardness between them and kept saying happily, "I can go to Tianjin with you!"
Seeing Ye Yingying beside him, he became even more excited: "Miss Ye, how is your injury healing? Once you're fully recovered, let's go right away!"
Seeing Zhao Yuxiao so happy, Ye Yingying awkwardly smiled and replied, "It'll be ready soon. You can leave now, whatever you say, senior."
"Then Senior Yun...!" Zhao Yuxiao looked at Yun Yanqiu, only to find that Yun Yanqiu's expression was displeased. He immediately wiped the smile off his face and asked blankly, "Senior, what's wrong?"
"Zhao Yuxiao." Yun Yanqiu's face was gloomy, and his voice was full of anger. "He's getting more and more unruly."
"Huh? No, I was just too excited..." Zhao Yuxiao suddenly paused, looked at Ye Yingying next to him, and suddenly realized, "Oh—sorry, you two talk."
Before the two could speak, he stepped back and closed the door, leaving them speechless inside.
After Zhao Yuxiao's outburst, Ye Yingying had lost all interest. She listlessly pouted and moved towards the door, muttering as she went, "Then I'll go back to my room too..."
But after taking only two steps, Yun Yanqiu grabbed her hand and scrutinized her with his gaze: "You think you can just let it go like this?"
"No, no, I just remembered I have some things to take care of." Ye Yingying felt guilty and didn't dare to look him in the eye, trying her best to justify her actions. "Qi Shuojun gave me a pill, you know, I should at least get one before going to Jincheng..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ye Yingying was pulled in front of Yun Yanqiu by a strong force. She was momentarily stunned, and her voice was blocked in her throat. A cool and soft touch pressed against her lips. Yun Yanqiu did not give her a chance to continue arguing and sealed her lips without hesitation.
He held Ye Yingying's head firmly, not allowing her to retreat even an inch, yet his kiss was gentle and careful, as if afraid that the slightest pressure would hurt her. Ye Yingying was a little dazed at first, but she quickly became immersed in the moment. She took the initiative to wrap her arms around Yun Yanqiu's neck, deepening the kiss and savoring its sweetness.
The two remained close together until their breathing became rapid and their heartbeats became clear.
Ye Yingying felt a rush of oxygen deprivation, then released her grip and patted Yun Yanqiu to signal him to let go. Yun Yanqiu reluctantly looked up, his thumb gently stroking Ye Yingying's lips, his gaze dark as he admired her face flushed with passion.
Seeing that Ye Yingying had caught her breath, Yun Yanqiu leaned down again, but Ye Yingying covered his mouth.
"That's enough." She said seriously. "I really have to go back."
Yun Yanqiu reluctantly squinted and met her gaze. After a moment of stalemate, seeing Ye Yingying's firm resolve, he finally obediently let go of her arm: "I'll let you off this time."
Ye Yingying's cheeks were still burning hot. She didn't dare to stay a second longer and rushed out of the room back to her own house.
Her heart was still pounding loudly. Ye Yingying clutched her chest, trying to calm the surging emotions within her. She wasn't confident she could resist the temptation if Yun Yanqiu had looked at her even once more, but if they had continued kissing, something bad would definitely have happened. If Zhao Yuxiao found out, she'd be the subject of all the gossip!
Thinking of this, Ye Yingying felt even more ashamed and angry. She quickly took out the pill, took a few deep breaths, and forced herself to calm down. Then, she swallowed the golden pill, sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and began to circulate her qi.
The pills Qi Shuojun gave her were truly of superior quality. Ye Yingying quickly felt the surrounding spiritual energy surging towards her like a tide, and in no time, it condensed in her dantian. Then, this spiritual energy suddenly began to expand, transforming into streams of electricity that coursed through her blood vessels, stimulating Ye Yingying's five senses.
She calmed herself and tried to rein in the rampant spiritual energy, a task that took her several hours to complete...
At the same time, inside Mi Chen Mountain, Gu Wusi returned to the Ghost Calculator's residence through a narrow cave. As soon as she stepped into the territory, a series of noises came from the weapon-refining room.
Gu Wusi stepped forward and knocked on the door without expression. A hoarse voice called out from inside, "Come in," and she pushed the door open and entered.
Upon entering the room, she saw a white-haired fortune teller standing silently amidst a jumble of scattered vessels, emanating a heavy spiritual pressure.
The spiritual pressure was so intense that Gu Wusi had to kneel down and bow in order to breathe a few breaths of fresh air close to the ground.
"Where have you been lately?" the voice above asked.
"I'm out collecting the things you instructed me to do," Gu Wusi said respectfully, his head bowed.
"What did you look for?"
"The fangs of the Azure Gold Hound." Gu Wusi said, holding up the object she had prepared beforehand with both hands.
The fortune teller glanced at the white, sharp tooth, then with a flick of his wrist, he retrieved it from a distance to examine it closely.
The room was eerily quiet. Gu Wusi didn't dare to say a word and could only remain kneeling, swallowing nervously every now and then.
After a moment, the strategist suddenly snorted disdainfully and casually tossed the fang to the ground: "Useless thing."
Gu Wusi gritted his teeth, lowered his head even further, and said respectfully, "This subordinate is incompetent."
"Good to know." Ghost Calculator took a few steps and kicked aside an object blocking his way. "I'm going into seclusion for the next few days. Go somewhere and fetch a magic artifact for me."
"Seclusion?" Gu Wusi was startled and quickly asked, "Has Your Excellency already mastered the Soul-Summoning Banner?"
"Hmph." Raising the soul-summoning banner, the fortune teller chuckled lightly, in a rather good mood. "You're quite clever."
Upon hearing this, Gu Wusi showed no joy whatsoever. If he hadn't been keeping his head down, the Ghost Calculator would have surely noticed something amiss.
Fortunately, the old man muttered to himself, "The Soul-Summoning Banner is set. Once I break through to the Void Return Realm, the task will be completed. At that time, it's not impossible to hear your wishes."
"It is already a great favor to be able to do things for you, sir. How dare I ask you for anything more?" Gu Wusi replied with a forced smile.
The fortune teller narrowed his eyes, feigning ignorance: "Oh? Haven't you always wanted to bring that wooden block to life?"
His words were like a thin, sharp needle, piercing straight into Gu Wusi's heart.
Gu Wusi remained silent for a moment, suppressing his anger, before finally speaking: "You jest, sir. That magical artifact is extremely convenient for me to use, why bother with anything else?"
At this point, even the cunning strategist couldn't help but throw his head back and burst into laughter. His laughter was manic and unrestrained, as if mocking Gu Wusi's hypocrisy. Gu Wusi remained kneeling with his head bowed, motionless, letting the laughter echo in the room.
The cunning strategist laughed for a while before stopping. He glanced at Gu Wusi on the ground and said with pleasure, "If you want to kill me, do it now, or you'll miss your chance."
Gu Wusi remained expressionless, responding to the Ghost Calculator's provocation with silence.
Seeing her like this, the Ghost Calculator felt bored. He turned around, waved his hand, and sent her away: "Alright, if you don't want to fight, then get out of here and go to Jincheng to get me a magic artifact."
Jin City? Gu Wusi was taken aback and unconsciously looked up: "May I ask, sir, which Jin City are you referring to?"
"Where else could it be? Xuanzhou Jin City."
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