The night was still, with the occasional chirping of insects from the corners of the courtyard.
Having changed into fresh clothes, Ye Anping followed Huang Quan through the Yun Residence's corridors toward Yun Yiyi’s master bedroom. Xiaotian lay atop his head, glancing curiously from side to side.
『Anping,』 Xiaotian asked, 『when you came back after practicing your sword, there were lots of maids and servants around. How come there’s no one here now?』
Ye Anping had noticed as well.
It was only the second quarter of Xu Hour (around 8:30 PM). Normally, the servants of the Yun Residence would still be busy tidying up. However, after walking through two long corridors with Huang Quan, he hadn’t seen a single person.
“Huang Quan, where is everyone? Why isn’t anyone around?”
“Replying to the young master, when the Young Mistress returned earlier, she gave all the servants a break. She said they’ve been working hard recently, so she let them retire early to their quarters at the foot of the mountain.”
“I see…”
“Once you’ve finished chatting with the Young Mistress, I’ll prepare your medicine for you.” Huang Quan shyly bit her lip and stole a glance at Ye Anping’s pants before asking, “Do you think the medicine I prepared for you is working?”
Hearing this, Xiaotian tilted it head and quickly understood. Most likely, Ye Anping was pretending to be a frail and sickly young man to garner sympathy or something similar.
『Anping, you’re terrible! Pretending to be sick just to trick people?』
Ye Anping gave Xiaotian a sidelong glance and sighed before replying to Huang Quan.
“It works a little, but not much.”
“As long as it works! A bit more, and you’ll be fully recovered. Then you can marry the Young Mistress.”
『Anping would never marry that Yun girl!』 Xiaotian interjected. 『She’s so much older than you. How could you possibly marry her, huh?』
“Mm…”
Ye Anping responded absentmindedly, continuing to chat with Huang Quan while observing the now eerily quiet Yun Residence. It gave him the unsettling feeling of knowingly walking into a tiger’s den.
He could guess that Yun Yiyi had likely already figured out the role he played in recent events.
Anger was inevitable.
Yun Yiyi might seem different from Yun Jiujiu and the others—cultured, elegant, and well-mannered—but if she lost her temper, it would likely be terrifying, like the roar of a dragon or tiger. Sweet words wouldn’t easily placate her.
“Ah…”
Lost in thought, Ye Anping sighed as Huang Quan brought him to the door of Yun Yiyi’s bedchamber.
The windows and doors were tightly shut, but faint light seeped through the windows, accompanied by the ethereal strains of a guqin. The melody was clear and distant, evoking a cold, celestial serenity.
Huang Quan turned to him, bowed slightly, and said, “Young master, please enter. I’ll go prepare your medicine now.”
“Mm.”
With that, she turned and left along the corridor they had come down.
Once Huang Quan’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, Ye Anping turned and knocked lightly on the door.
“Come in.”
Yun Yiyi’s voice was gentle and calm. However, this calmness only made Ye Anping feel like it was the calm before the storm.
Creak—
Ye Anping pushed open the door. Inside, Yun Yiyi was seated cross-legged on a chaise longue in the center of the room, dressed in a semi-transparent white silk gown. Her face bore a faint, peach-blossom smile, and it seemed she had deliberately applied some light makeup. The air was filled with a subtle, refined floral fragrance.
Stopping her guqin playing, Yun Yiyi raised her head to look at him, narrowing her eyes into a slight smile.
On the surface, she appeared calm and composed, but her heart surged with turbulent waves: Tonight, I’ve sent everyone in the Yun Residence away. No matter how loudly you shout, no one will come to save you.
Ye Anping nodded politely and walked toward her at a steady pace.
Outwardly, he seemed relaxed, but inwardly, he was on high alert: Are you planning to strike after a polite conversation, or are you going to attack as soon as I get close?
Xiaotian, perched on Ye Anping's head, shivered slightly and shrank its neck, glancing warily between the two people in the room.
『The tension is so thick!』 it muttered, tapping Ye Anping's head. 『Anping, Anping, this doesn’t look good!』
‘I’m the one intruding here…’
Ye Anping thought to himself as he cautiously stepped toward the cushion beside Yun Yiyi and knelt down.
“About the incident in the Shadowmoon Sword Sect’s forbidden grounds yesterday, I heard the Core Formation disciples mention it. Why summon me so late, Eldest Young Mistress, instead of resting?”
Yun Yiyi exhaled softly, shifting slightly closer before suddenly leaning against Ye Anping’s shoulder.
“It’s precisely because I’m exhausted that I wanted you here, Young Master Ye, to comfort me. What could be more relaxing and reassuring than leaning on my fiancé’s shoulder?”
A soft breeze brushed past Yun Yiyi’s face, and she frowned slightly, glancing around. The windows and doors were clearly shut—where could the wind have come from?
Ye Anping glanced over to see Xiaotian furiously pushing against Yun Yiyi’s face, muttering,
『You golden-haired vixen! Stop seducing my Anping!』
But Xiaotian’s tiny efforts were in vain.
Feeling somewhat exasperated, Ye Anping noticed a jade teapot and two jade cups on the table next to the guqin. Using his spiritual energy, he poured tea into the cups, then handed one to Yun Yiyi.
After a moment of consideration, he lowered his gaze and said, “Miss Yun, why not get straight to the point? Isn’t this tiring for you as well?”
Yun Yiyi took the teacup but placed it back on the table, responding with a question of her own:
“You’re dropping the act? Laying it all bare now?”
“Yes, dropping the act.”
“I see…” Yun Yiyi sat up straight, letting out a soft breath. “I have only one question: Why did you help the Shadowmoon Sword Sect by reconciling my relationship with Yun Jiujiu and the others? What’s your motive?”
“By a stroke of fortune, I came across two sword techniques left behind by the ancient Immortal Yun Jian—‘Sword Inquiry Technique’ and ‘Shadowleaf Sword Art.’ I did this simply to repay the karmic favor owed from that encounter.”
“A karmic favor, is it... Ah—”
Yun Yiyi narrowed her eyes slightly. While she seemed unconvinced, she refrained from pressing further. Instead, she took a stack of documents from her storage bag and placed them on the table.
“This is…?”
“A favor repaid. You helped the Shadowmoon Sword Sect and me, so I’ll repay you for that.” Yun Yiyi explained, “The elders wanted to investigate the two who caused the explosion in the alchemy furnace. I’ve handled it for you. I found two scapegoat rogue cultivators to take the blame. The case will be closed in a few days. These are the documents—take a look and see if there are any issues. If not, I’ll submit them for archiving.”
Ye Anping was slightly taken aback. He had expected Yun Yiyi to be furious, yet here she was, going out of her way to take care of the matter for him.
Even though he hadn’t left any evidence behind, her concern for him was unexpected. Nevertheless, it was a genuine gesture.
“Thank you, Miss Yun.”
“You’re welcome,” Yun Yiyi said, looking away. “You’ll be leaving soon, won’t you?”
Ye Anping’s eyes narrowed cautiously. After a moment of silence, he answered, “Yes…”
“In that case, I’ll send a jade slip to the Hundred Lotus Sect, officially withdrawing from the engagement. That should annul our marriage contract. What do you think?”
“...I have no objections.”
“As for your junior sister, she has the Snow Qiong of the Myriad Spirits Sword. Even if I let you two go, the elders won’t allow it.” Yun Yiyi thought for a moment and continued, “I’ll visit the Shadowmoon Sword Sect later, retrieve an ancient sword, and have it reforged as a substitute. We can perform a switch, trading the substitute for the original.”
Not only did Yun Yiyi avoid making things difficult for him, but she even considered every detail to ensure his safe departure, going so far as to plan a way out for him.
The more Ye Anping listened, the deeper his frown became.
“Miss Yun, why are you helping me? Why even allow me to take your grandfather’s spiritual sword?”
Closing her left eye, Yun Yiyi replied softly, “A karmic favor. You helped me and the Shadowmoon Sword Sect. Do you think I’m some heartless, cold-blooded person, Young Master Ye?”
Ye Anping felt an inexplicable sense of unease. His belief had always been that every benefit came with a price. Yet here Yun Yiyi was, willingly tying herself to him, even counting the coins for him.
When something is too unusual, it’s usually suspicious.
But for now, he couldn’t figure out what the “catch” might be.
Perhaps sensing Ye Anping’s apprehension, Yun Yiyi placed a hand over her chest and said,
“Rest assured, Young Master Ye, I have no ill intentions. You might think my actions foolish or naïve, but... what can I do? I’ve fallen for you.”
“Miss Yun, we’ve only known each other for a few short months. Don’t you think your feelings might be a bit hasty? You don’t even know what kind of person I am.”
“You are right, but love is unreasonable,” Yun Yiyi said with a faint smile, leaning her head on his shoulder again. “But it’s a pity... what I seek is beyond my reach. I know I can’t keep you. Since I can’t keep you, I won’t force it.”
“...”
Looking at Yun Yiyi’s face, Ye Anping thought to himself, ‘This must be the result of overdoing my efforts to build rapport with her.’
A pang of guilt crept into Ye Anping’s heart. He genuinely felt sorry for Yun Yiyi.
But he couldn’t marry her. Leaving aside his junior sister, the Heavenly Dao Scriptures weighed heavily on him. If he married Yun Yiyi, she would inevitably be drawn into the karmic entanglements of his destiny.
He lacked the confidence to ensure Yun Yiyi’s safety in the trials and tribulations of the Heavenly Dao.
“I’m sorry, Miss Yun.”
Yun Yiyi shook her head softly, squeezing out two teardrops as she closed her eyes.
Though she had anticipated this response and mentally prepared herself, hearing it from Ye Anping’s lips still hurt deeply.
“It’s okay,” she murmured.
Even Xiaotian, who had been pushing against Yun Yiyi’s face moments earlier, softened at her dejected demeanor. Trying to comfort her, it muttered:
『Alright, I shouldn’t have called you a golden-haired vixen. You’re not that bad』
It patted Yun Yiyi’s head gently.
『There, there, don’t cry~』
A breeze tousled the golden cowlick on Yun Yiyi’s head, bringing with it an inexplicable sense of clarity. The knot in her heart seemed to untangle as well.
Wiping away her tears, she sat up straight, picked up the tea on the table, and held it toward Ye Anping.
“A farewell cup of tea, Young Master Ye.”
“...Very well.”
Ye Anping nodded slightly, raising his own cup. He cupped his hands respectfully and performed a slight bow.
Both raised their cups to their lips simultaneously, tilting them back to drink.
The tea was not bitter but smooth and warm, soothing as it traveled down.
But Yun Yiyi did not swallow.
She fixed her gaze on Ye Anping’s Adam’s apple. Once it bobbed twice, confirming he had swallowed, she turned her head to the side.
“Pfft—”
With a sharp spit, the tea mixed with saliva splattered onto the fox-fur rug below.
?
?!
Two question marks practically hovered above Ye Anping’s and Xiaotian’s heads.
Stunned for a moment, they both inhaled sharply, turning their gazes toward the jade teapot on the table, their thoughts aligning in unison:
Did she poison it?!
Ye Anping swallowed hard, glancing at the residual tea droplets at the bottom of his cup. A faint annoyance flickered in his heart. But he reminded himself—he had trained rigorously to become immune to poisons.
Even the poisons of Gu cultivators didn’t affect him. A single cup of tea with a trace of poison…
“Miss Yun, are you saying all those words earlier were just to deceive me?”
“No, that was the truth,” Yun Yiyi replied with a faint smile, her hand reaching for the knot on her belt. “But I never said you could leave without leaving something behind.”
?
Ye Anping froze, watching her movements. Was it not poison but… medicine?
It didn’t matter. Even aphrodisiacs were a type of poison, and thus wouldn’t work on him.
—Wait.
They work?!
A wave of warmth surged in his abdomen, spreading rapidly through his limbs.
“Hiss—” Ye Anping’s brows furrowed. “What did you give me?”
“A spiritual flower called the Tianzhu Seven-Star Flower. It’s more of a tonic, harmful to women but immensely beneficial to men,” Yun Yiyi said with a playful glint in her eyes. “Didn’t you say you couldn’t perform? I’m helping you out.”
Xiaotian, hearing this, froze in shock. Hastily flipping through the Heavenly Dao Scriptures, it found the flower’s name and quickly flew to Ye Anping’s side.
『Anping, it’s a rare flower that enhances potential. Just calm your mind and let your energy flow naturally—』
Ye Anping’s brows knitted tighter. His entire body brimmed with energy, restless and directionless, as though he could run around a mountain for ten days and nights without exhaustion—even without spiritual energy.
This was bad.
In his eyes, Yun Yiyi’s face began to glow softly, her already lotus-like beauty further enhanced by a dreamy haze.
“Miss Yun… do you realize what you’re about to face?”
Yun Yiyi tilted her head, tapping her lips with her finger.
“Young Master Ye, don’t worry. Tomorrow, I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”
“Phew…”
Ye Anping exhaled hotly, his mind narrowing to a singular thought.
<+>
Like a dragon’s strike, a storm raged across the green mountains and clear waters.
In mere moments, Yun Yiyi understood the ferocity of the fire she had ignited. No matter how many times she tried to douse it, the flames showed no sign of subsiding.
She began to wonder why no one was barging in to put out the fire.
Only then did it dawn on her—she had dismissed all the servants in the Yun Residence herself.
The locked doors and windows weren’t to keep Ye Anping in but to trap herself inside.
The servants she had sent away were not his lifeline—they were her own.
<+>
By the time the moon sank and the sun rose, the storm had passed.
The wind calmed. The rain stopped. The waves subsided.
The fire had burned every last inch of combustible land to ash.