Two months later---
The gentle autumn breeze caressed the golden leaves on both sides of the river, and the warm sun hung high in the sky as young couples walked between various shops on the streets.
Ye Anping, wearing the ***Black Star*** Sect lavender uniform and a round jade token at his waist, stopped in front of a small shop on the street and looked up at the entrance plaque, a trace of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.
A *Qi Refining* stage cultivator immediately walked out and cupped his hands, inviting him. "Senior, are you here to forge a spiritual weapon for the lady? The quality of the furnace in our shop is..."
"No, just taking a look."Ye Anping waved his hand interrupting him, then turned around and continued to walk along the street.
Li Longling, who was watching through the Fire Phoenix's eyes, hurriedly followed. She hesitated for a while, then gently pulled Ye Anping's right hand. "Anping, why do you look so nostalgic? What's so special about that weaponry shop?"
Ye Anping held her hand tightly and explained. "This market of the ***Black Star*** Sect... In the past, I opened a shop here to help my sister pay for her tuition. At that time, I rented it for a year, but I didn't expect it to stay open for only half a year."
"So that shop just now is... How about I buy it for you?"
"I'm not opening it anymore. Why would I buy it?"
"To keep it as a memory."
"Forget it..."Ye Anping shook his head and held Li Longling's hand as they continued to leisurely walk down the street.
His sister and Xiao Yunluo had to go to the Elders to explain what went on in the **Northern Region** and submit the task of collecting herbs, so they returned to the ***Black Star*** Sect first.
Thus, he planned to accompany Li Longling to stroll around, which could also be considered a brief farewell.
After all, Li Longling was the current Master of the ***Dragon House***, but she had no siblings to help her. As the head of the House, being away too much would lead to people gossiping about her.
"Longling, thank you so much for helping this time."
"You don't need to say thank you to your fiancée, do you?"
Li Longling came closer and hugged Ye Anping's arm. She tilted her head and leaned on his shoulder with a playful smile. "However, since you want to thank me, why don't you accompany me for a night? Let me experience what it feels like to be in a wheelchair, okay?"
?
Ye Anping froze for a moment, a little embarrassed.
But at this time, the two of them happened to pass by an inn nicely decorated, with the three words "*Happy Couple Pavilion*" written on the entrance plaque.
After a pause, he simply nodded. "That's not a bad idea."
In a flash, Ye Anping hugged Li Longling's waist, turned around, and walked two steps toward the inn, but Li Longling seemed to regret it and stopped him immediately. "I was joking..."
Ye Anping laughed. "I was joking too."
Li Longling puffed out her cheeks, showing her displeasure, and raised her hand to pinch Ye Anping's nose. "When you hand me the engagement letter, only then will I undress for you. Otherwise, forget it! Humph~"
"Then, I'll go back and tell my father and the others."
"Then, I will wait for the good news~ Come on, keep showing me around. Sister Xiao and Sister Pei are not here, so you belong to me now."
Seeing Li Longling so lively, Ye Anping was a little surprised, but he only smiled and quickened his pace to keep up with her.
The two of them strolled around the ***Black Star*** Sect's market, just like the other young lovers on the streets at this moment, wandering around the snack stalls and women's shops to buy some odds and ends.
Without notice, autumn had already fallen on the western hills.
Several streams of light shot toward them from the northeast, and ten female guards with dragon-embroidered clothes landed on the streets of the market with a sedan chair pulled by three snow cranes.
Seeing the emblem of the ***Dragon House***, the people on the street retreated to the sides and looked around the surrounding streets to find out who the female guards had come for.
Li Longling saw them through Ah Feng's eyes, sighed a little dejectedly, and slowly let go of Ye Anping's shoulder. "Looks like I have to go."
"Well, be careful on the road, and..." Ye Anping lowered his head. "Can I ask you for something?"
"Say it."
"Dispatch some capable ***Dragon House*** guards to the eastern border of the **Central Region** to help me keep an eye on the situation there. If there is any movement, send a message to let me know."
This was because beyond the Great Wall at the eastern border of the **Central Region**, was the **Eastern Region**, the demonic cultivators' territory.
Li Longling immediately became serious. "Anping, do you think the demonic cultivators will attack the eastern cities of the **Central Region**?"
It wasn't that he thought but...
Ye Anping lowered his eyes and organized his explanation. "Didn't the demonic cultivators invade the ***Northern Region*** this time?"
"Yes..."
"However, have you noticed that other than the *Nascent Soul* demonic cultivator we encountered, the others were only at the *Core Formation* and *Foundation Building* stages? None of the great masters in the *Deification* stage among the demonic cultivators came."
"You mean... lure the tiger away from the mountain*?"
"Yes." Ye Anping nodded and replied, "Actually, if we hadn't exposed the demonic cultivators in the **Cold Country** this time, the chaos in the **Northern Region** wouldn't have been settled so quickly."
This was the case in the game. Three *Core Formation* demonic cultivators had broken through **Cold Country**'s protective formation and nearly 40% of the cultivators below the *Core Formation* stage in the *Snow Guard* had been killed or injured.
Although the Imperial Advisor managed to wipe out the demonic cultivators who had infiltrated the **Northern Region**, he had no more resources to help the *Justice Division* stationed in the eastern part of the **Central Region**.
After Hu Mu took over **Heavenly Gate City**, the remaining cultivators of the ***Imperial*** Sect either fled to the **Western** and **Southern Regions** or retreated to the eastern part of the **Central Region**. They were sandwiched between the ***Demon Clan*** and the demonic cultivators, struggling to survive.
This was also the content of the side quest after Nangong Cheng's death in the **Central Region** chapter of the game.
The demonic cultivators also found the right opportunity to break through the Eastern Great Wall of the **Central Region**, which should have been guarded by the ***Imperial*** Sect.
Invading the **Northern Region** was only one of the steps. The goal was to trap into the **Cold Country** as many immortal forces as possible while most of the *Deification* and *Nascent Soul* cultivators in the six demonic sects would have been secretly approaching the **Central Region**.
However, this was the content of the game.
Ye Anping was a little unsure at the moment, so he needed a pair of eyes to keep watch on that side. Brother Liang was in seclusion to form his core, and he didn't have any connections in the black market...
"Longling, send someone to watch the situation. They just need to keep an eye on it."
Li Longling nodded in response. "Alright, I'll send someone to keep watch over there."
At this moment, the female guard who had come to pick Li Longling up came over. She knelt on one knee and cupped her hands. "Greetings, Young Lady. We're here to escort you back to the mansion."
Li Longling hesitated for a moment, then covered her lips and moistened them with the tip of her tongue. In front of the female guard, she tiptoed and gently kissed Ye Anping's cheek.
*Mwah~*
The female guard was stunned, but she quickly lowered her head and pretended not to see anything.
However, Li Longling took the initiative to say, "This Senior is Ye Anping, the Young Master of the ***Hundred Lotus*** Sect. Remember this."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
Ye Anping felt embarrassed and found that the pedestrians on both sidewalks had already started to discuss it.
Needless to say, in a short while, those newsboys selling the *Immortal Daily* would shout on the street, *"Extra! The Lady of the ***Dragon House*** kisses the Young Lord of the ***Hundred Lotus*** Sect in public!"*
If he didn't send the engagement letter to Li Longling later, Ye Anping's reputation would be ruined...
"Longling, it's not like I'm not going to send you an engagement letter. What's with the show?"
"Just showing off and urging you at the same time, lest you forget it the moment you turn around."
Li Longling tilted her head playfully and stood on tiptoe again. She placed her hands on Ye Anping's shoulders, but this time, she kissed him on the lips.
*Chirp~~*
Landing on her heels, she lightly turned half a circle before walking straight toward the sedan chair.
"Let's return to the mansion."
"Yes, Miss!"
Several female guards cupped their hands and bowed to Ye Anping. Then, they surrounded the sedan chair and rose into the air before slowly heading northeast.
Ye Anping bid farewell and saw Li Longling lift the curtain of the sedan chair to smile at him. It was as if she could see him with her own eyes.
Ye Anping sighed. Seeing that everyone around was looking at him, he quickly took out the jade pendant Si Xuanji had given him, and under the watchful gazes, he transformed into a gust of wind and slipped away.
After escaping to a small arch bridge over the river in the market, he put the jade pendant back into his bag and looked into the distance at the sunset.
After Li Feng died, Li Longling in the game was sad and taciturn. She was devoted to cultivation from morning till night. It could be said that she was completely without vitality...
But now...
"Very cute."
Ye Anping did not think about it anymore. He waited for the sun to set before returning to the courtyard where he and Xiao Yunluo lived.
In the next period of time, he would stabilize his cultivation and strengthen his abilities.
As for the matter of the Great Eastern Wall of the **Central Region**, he would first see how it developed.
As he sorted out his thoughts, Ye Anping had a slight doubt at this moment. It had been almost four months since the battle with Gu Mingxin, so why hadn't his yang energy erupted yet?
During this period, he had been on tenterhooks every day. He didn't dare to leave too far away from his sister and the others...
Could it be that the problem of the yang energy erupting was directly solved because of the *Heavenly Dao Golden Core*?
Or was the matter not over but it was not the time for the settlement yet?
"Well..."
---Anyway, Mrs. Si would back him up.
Ye Anping stretched his shoulders and stopped thinking about it. He was ready to go back to the girls.
However, just as he was about to leave on his flying sword, a drake's voice suddenly sounded from above.
*"Young Master, be careful!! Young Master, be careful!!"*
?
Ye Anping didn't understand, and he looked up only to see a golden parrot swoop down and land on his shoulder, pecking his face with its beak. *"Can't get out of bed! Can't get out of bed!!!"*
Ye Anping still didn't react. "Huh?"
*"Exhausted to death!! Exhausted to death!"*
"..."
The next moment, thunder rumbled, and a white light flashed across the sky.
*Rumble--!*
The white clouds in the clear sky gathered above the ***Black Star*** Sect's market at a speed visible to the naked eye, then suddenly turned black.
Autumn rain came from above, turning from "ticking" to "clattering" in just three breaths.
This sudden downpour almost instantly drenched Ye Anping, who was standing on the bridge looking like a drowned chicken. His clothes were soaked and stuck to his skin, half transparent, and his hair hung down.
Ye Anping stared blankly at the drastic change in the sky and immediately came to a conclusion in his heart...
Normal rain would never come so fast. Someone must have used magic to summon this thunderstorm...
As for who this person was, it was obvious.
But as the saying goes, ordinary people like to use the metaphor of rain to express their feelings.
So, without even thinking about it, one could tell that Old Madam Si must be in a bad mood at this moment, just like the heavy rain.
At this moment, a purple umbrella embroidered with stars and moons was raised above his head, blocking the raindrops that fell on him.
Startled, Ye Anping turned around and saw Si Xuanji holding the handle of the umbrella with both hands. She stood on tiptoe and raised the umbrella high, hitting him over the head.
"It's raining, why are you still standing here like a fool?"
*Didn't you make it rain?*... Ye Anping didn't want to point it out, so he answered, "The rain came too fast, I didn't react..."
"You're all wet. Be careful of the moisture entering your body." Si Xuanji leaned against Ye Anping and took out a towel from her storage bag to put it on his head. "Young Master Ye's yang energy is already too strong, and the combination of wet and yang energy will cause hidden injuries even if you formed the core."
"..."
"Let's go to the inn to change clothes and take shelter from the rain."
Si Xuanji hugged Ye Anping's shoulder and led him to the inn in the market.
When Ye Anping saw the plaque of "*Happy Couple Pavilion*", he finally understood what the parrot meant earlier and felt ashamed.
But it was too late. He thought that if he was obedient, Si Xuanji would be more lenient.
If he didn't obey, it would be him in a wheelchair this time...
But then again, he didn't faint this time. Was Madame Si going to reveal her identity to him?
With this doubt in mind, Ye Anping watched Si Xuanji book a room in the *Happy Couple Pavilion*. Then, she pulled him upstairs, opened the door of the room, and walked in.
The furnishings in the room were quite luxurious, with pearwood, red quilts, and flowery porcelain vases. It was the best inn he had seen in all these years.
However, what attracted his attention was the expensive-looking censer on the round table in the room.
The fragrance entered his nose, but it seemed that some medicine had been added. After just one sniff, Ye Anping felt something was wrong with his body.
A wave of heat spread through his entire body, and his breathing became faster.
**? It was most likely a tonic, otherwise, it would have had no effect on him... Ye Anping frowned slightly, thinking that Si Xuanji might have placed it here in advance.
What kind of inn would burn this stuff in the room for no reason...
However, the next moment, Si Xuanji pointed at the incense burner and called out to the waiter with a serious expression.
"Waiter! Come up, what kind of incense is this?"
The waitress downstairs ran up with a confused expression. She looked at the incense burner on the table and shook her head.
"I don't know, Miss... Maybe the previous guest left it behind. I'll take it away right now."
After saying that, the waitress took the incense burner and ran out.
Ye Anping was taken aback when he saw this scene. It seemed that Si Xuanji didn't put this incense burner, but how could there be such a coincidence?
But then again, could it be that Si Xuanji was doing this because she wanted him to take the initiative?
Heh, he wouldn't!
Although the incense seemed to have a yang-boosting effect, it was much weaker than the feeling of yang energy bursting out, and he could still hold it in.
Ye Anping hurriedly imagined Feng Yu Die with her mouth stuffed with roasted chicken to compete with the incense burner.
Si Xuanji looked at Ye Anping's expressionless face and slightly raised the corner of her mouth, thinking to herself, *Let's see how long you can endure this.*
Then, she took out a new ***Black Star*** Sect uniform and placed it on the table.
"Mr. Ye, change your clothes first."
"Okay, then please step outside, Miss Xuanji..."
But just when Ye Anping said this, his heart suddenly clenched.
No way...
At this time?!
Unlike the feeling of yang boosting just now, a deadly aura spread over his body as his yang energy exploded!
He didn't think Si Xuanji could control the timing of his yang energy eruption, and he even felt that she didn't know much about his condition. She knew this was happening but didn't know that this was the golden finger of the *Heavenly Dao*...
In other words, this timing was a coincidence.
"Hiss--"
"Ah..."
Si Xuanji only took a glance and realized that Ye Anping's yang energy was acting out. A trace of surprise flashed in her eyes.
Her original plan was to use the incense to make Ye Anping unable to resist and then take the initiative himself. After all, she was the one who took the initiative all those years.
However, Ye Anping's yang energy was now in disarray, and this was a matter of life and death.
"Mr. Ye, you..."
"I..."
Si Xuanji still wanted Ye Anping to take the initiative and hesitated for a moment, but seeing the hot sweat on his forehead, she felt distressed and decided to let him go this time and do the moving herself.
"Mr. Ye, hurry up... woo--!"
Just as she was holding Ye Anping's hand, trying to drag him to the bed, he pulled her into his arms and suddenly kissed her on the lips.
Si Xuanji was initially surprised, but she soon felt happy. *'He's taking the initiative!'* However, she still refused out loud. "Master Ye! You... calm down... I know your yang energy... oh!!"
Ye Anping hugged Si Xuanji's waist and lifted her up. Then, he quickly walked to the bed and threw her onto it.
Si Xuanji had an expression of fear like an insulted female protagonist in a novel. She quickly dodged and moved around the bed, waving her hands and feet to resist. "Master Ye! Master Ye... I am Yunluo's sister... Calm down! I..."
Ye Anping grabbed her flailing arms. "Miss Xuanji, didn't you say before that you were willing to help me relieve my yang energy?"
"But... I'm not ready yet... Woo---"
Si Xuanji looked like a young girl being abused by a brute in the middle of the night. Tears welled in her eyes as if she felt wronged but did not dare to cry out.
A stream of spiritual energy pulled down the curtain beside the bed, and the wooden bed creaked. The parrot, standing on the round table, blinked its wise eyes twice, then spread its wings, cheering Si Xuanji. *"Harder! Harder!!"*
Then, it flew out of the half-opened window and turned into a golden shadow, drifting over the ***Black Star*** Sect.
