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Volume 4 Chapter 14 / Chapter 288: Senior Brother, Three People and One Horse
A month and a half later.
The scorching sun hung high in the sky, and dust swirled across the vast Gobi Desert.
Beneath the towering, imposing gates of the sandstone city, caravans passed through one after another.
A sweat-blood horse stopped under the city gate, carrying three travelers, all wearing bamboo hats.
The one holding the reins was a young man, also wearing a bamboo hat. In his arms sat a young woman dressed in blue-green celestial robes, her long hair tied into a high ponytail.
If one were to see only the two of them, they might assume they were a pair of young Daoist cultivators traveling through the Central Region. However, behind the young man, another woman was seated sideways on the horse. She was dressed in a flowing black gauze robe, with a few strands of silver hair peeking out from under her hat.
At a teahouse near the city gate, many tea drinkers noticed the trio and couldn't help but gossip.
“What do you think their relationship is? He’s holding one, but there’s another one behind him.”
“I’d guess the one in front is his sister or something, and the one at the back, clinging to him, is his wife.”
“No way! The wife should be the one he’s holding. The one at the back, hugging his waist, must be his younger sister…”
The teahouse owner came over to refill their tea, glanced at the three, and chuckled. “Maybe both of them are his wives?”
…
Hearing the hushed conversations, Ye Anping’s face darkened.
He knew that flying with a sword was forbidden in the Central Region. So when they reached the western border, he had intended to buy three horses. However, due to an outbreak of some plague, all the horses were gone. After searching for a long time, he finally managed to purchase this one sweat-blood horse.
And so, upon entering the Central Region, the three of them had no choice but to travel together—three people on a single horse.
Feng Yudie, who was holding onto his waist, leaned over with a teasing smile and asked, “Young Master Ye, are you tired of riding? Want to switch places with me? I can take the reins.”
“Hah…”
Ye Anping immediately saw through her intentions—she simply wanted an excuse to hold Pei Lengxue instead. He scoffed and ignored her, tightening his grip on the reins and urging the horse forward through the city gates of Yu Pass City.
Unlike the picturesque, serene towns of the Western Region, Yu Pass City was completely devoid of greenery.
Everywhere one looked, there was nothing but yellow sand streets, sandstone buildings, and above them, a blazing, merciless sun.
Even Ye Anping, who had endured harsh cultivation since childhood, found the oppressive desert heat unbearable. If not for the cool presence of his junior sister in his arms—like a natural block of ice—he might have suffered from heat exhaustion along the way.
The three of them rode into the city and found an inn to stay in. Ye Anping entered first, letting Feng Yudie and Pei Lengxue find a table while he walked up to the counter.
Without waiting for the innkeeper to ask, he casually pulled out ten spirit stones and slapped them onto the counter.
“Innkeeper, three pots of cold water.”
The innkeeper was startled by this extravagant gesture. He immediately reached out to cover the spirit stones, glancing around nervously at the other guests.
“Young master, is this your first time in Yu Pass?”
Ye Anping raised an eyebrow and smirked. “What? Ten spirit stones aren’t enough for three pots of water? If not, I can add another ten.”
“No, no… It’s not that…” The innkeeper wiped his sweaty forehead and quickly waved his hands. He lowered his voice and cautioned, “Young master, Yu Pass is not like the Western Region. Most of the people here are rogue cultivators and outlaws. You and your two companions seem to be at the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm. Take my advice—don’t flaunt your wealth, or you’ll attract trouble.”
Ye Anping chuckled, then casually pulled out another ten spirit stones and slapped them onto the counter.
“Is this enough now?”
“…”
The innkeeper twitched at the corner of his eye. Seeing the playful smirk on Ye Anping’s face, he realized that this young master was not one to be persuaded easily. With a resigned sigh, he took the twenty spirit stones and went to arrange for the water.
Ye Anping glanced toward the table where Feng Yudie and Pei Lengxue were seated, hesitated for a moment, then added, “And a roasted chicken.”
“Huh? In this scorching heat, young master still wants roasted chicken?”
“I told you to bring it. Are the spirit stones not enough?”
“—No, no, they’re enough,” the innkeeper muttered, then called out to the back, “Old Huang, get a roasted chicken! The table by the left entrance.”
Ye Anping shrugged and casually scanned the other tables in the inn. He noticed a group of three or four Foundation Establishment cultivators sitting in a corner, stealing glances in his direction. However, he paid them no mind and walked over to join Feng Yudie at their table.
He understood the principle of “keeping a low profile.”
He also knew that Yu Pass was a lawless place, crawling with thieves and cutthroats who would do anything for money.
However, in the game, when Feng Yudie brought Xiao Yunluo to Yu Pass, she ended up attracting the attention of the rogue cultivator precisely because she spent a lot of spirit stones on water and roasted chicken.
If he wanted to recruit that rogue cultivator, the first step was to meet her, and getting her to target them was the simplest way.
Feng Yudie seemed to notice the nearby table sneaking glances their way. After Ye Anping sat down, she asked,
“Young Master Ye, why are you showing off so much? Those guys have definitely marked us, and they’ll probably come to rob us tonight.”
Hearing this, Pei Lengxue turned to look at Ye Anping and said,
“Senior Brother is luring the enemy in.”
“Mm…” Ye Anping patted her on the head before turning to Feng Yudie and asking, “Remember when we passed by Jianmen Sect? Wasn’t there a wanted notice?”
Feng Yudie thought for a moment, blinked, and asked, “The Immortal Thief?”
“Yeah. If she takes the bait, that’s ideal. If not, then so be it. Just remember, if she does come tonight, don’t hold back—beat her senseless.”
As Ye Anping laid out his plan to Feng Yudie and Pei Lengxue, the inn’s waiter soon arrived with the roasted chicken and water. Feng Yudie immediately dug in, while Ye Anping took a moment to glance toward the inn’s entrance.
To be honest, he wasn’t entirely sure if they could capture the Immortal Thief.
From his memories, her name was Su Wan’er, a cultivator specialized in theft and escape techniques. She possessed a unique divine technique called "Star Plucking Art," a spatial displacement technique.
In the game, when Feng Yudie and Xiao Yunluo arrived at Yu Pass, they suffered a major setback. Su Wan’er used the Star Plucking Art to snatch their spiritual swords and every single spirit stone they had, leaving them penniless. As a result, the two of them had to endure hardship, sleeping out in the wild with no money for inns.
From then on, Feng Yudie and Su Wan’er formed a deep grudge.
Later, during the Overclear Sect incident, Su Wan’er stole from Feng Yudie several more times. It wasn’t until the very end of the event that Feng Yudie finally managed to turn the tables, repaying her in kind.
However, after unmasking Su Wan’er and discovering that she was actually quite beautiful, things took an unexpected turn.
The repayment that should have been a beating or more turned into something that is not suitable for children to watch.
Thinking of this, Ye Anping’s expression darkened. He instinctively looked up at Feng Yudie, who was now sitting across from him, her mouth glistening with grease as she sucked on a chicken bone.
“… …”
Slurp~~
?
Feng Yudie noticed his stare, blinked blankly, then furrowed her brows and mumbled through a mouthful of food,
“What’re you looking at me for?”
“Nothing. Take your time eating…”
Ye Anping propped his chin up with both hands and let out a silent sigh.
The Feng Yudie in front of him didn’t seem to be the same person as the one from his memories in the game.
In the game, Feng Yudie was the type to be instantly captivated by any beautiful woman she saw, always eager to strike up a conversation. Every time Xiao Yunluo caught her in the middle of ‘exploring’ a girl's body in some secluded corner, she’d get a thorough beating.
But now…
“Junior Sister Pei, want some roasted chicken? The drumstick is the best part—I saved it for you.”
Pei Lengxue elegantly sipped her tea, glanced at her, and replied,
“No.”
Feng Yudie held the drumstick up to Pei Lengxue’s mouth.
“Just try it~ It’s really good! Different from the flavors in the Western Region—this one’s a bit spicier.”
Pei Lengxue furrowed her brows and coldly refused,
“I said, no!”
Feng Yudie, looking dejected, withdrew her hand and nibbled on the chicken skin.
“Oh…”
…
Watching their interaction from the side, Ye Anping felt at a loss for words and sighed again.
Feng Yudie had been throwing herself at Junior Sister Pei, trying to win her over for almost three years now, yet she still hadn’t given up…
Should he call her foolish? Or just hopelessly devoted?
Ye Anping stopped dwelling on the matter. Right now, the priority was figuring out how to capture Su Wan'er.
If he didn’t catch her, she would later stir up chaos between the Overclear Sect, the demon clans, and the demonic cultivators, which would be a massive headache. Besides, he needed her help for certain matters.
That said, Ye Anping suddenly found himself curious—what did Su Wan'er actually look like?
In the game, she was always depicted wearing a snow-white night outfit with a fox mask on her face. Above her head, the title "Snow Mountain Flying Fox" floated, marking her as an NPC.
As for what lay beneath the mask, the developers never designed a face for her—just like Li Qianjin’s eyes, it was simply an empty void.
But considering that she ended up as one of Feng Yudie’s girls, she was probably quite good-looking…
Right?
As Ye Anping was busy imagining Su Wan'er's appearance, he suddenly heard a soft chime from the Returning Star Bell in his storage bag.
Ding-ling-ling~~
?!
The crisp, melodious sound sent shivers down Ye Anping’s spine. He felt as if the temperature around him had dropped by ten degrees. His body tensed as he quickly scanned his surroundings.
Sima Xuanji is nearby?!
How could that be? She and Xiao Yunluo had set out three months ahead of him. Even if they had been traveling slowly, they should have already passed Yu Pass long ago. There was no reason for her to still be here.
Or… was she deliberately waiting for him?
Ye Anping frowned slightly in confusion, but before he could think further, the bell rang a second time.
Ding-ling-ling~~
His brows furrowed deeper as he scanned the inn once more. There were plenty of guests, both men and women, but he saw no one matching Sima Xuanji’s short stature.
Noticing Ye Anping’s sudden vigilance, Pei Lengxue instinctively reached for her spirit sword. She glanced at Feng Yudie, who was still devouring roasted chicken, and whispered,
“Stop eating.”
“Huh?” Feng Yudie froze for a moment. Then, seeing the serious expression on Ye Anping’s face, she quickly wiped her greasy hands on the table and frowned as she looked around.
“Where?”
Seeing that he had inadvertently put both of them on high alert, Ye Anping sighed inwardly. After thinking for a moment, he realized that Sima Xuanji hadn't revealed herself. Perhaps she was signaling for him to come alone.
So he said,
“Junior Sister, it’s nothing serious. I was just surprised for a moment. You two keep eating—I’m stepping out for a bit.”
“Huh…? Senior Brother, do you need us to go with you?”
“No need. I’ll just take a quick look around, won’t go far.”
Ye Anping got up and walked to the entrance of the inn. Calming himself, he focused his spiritual sense on the Returning Star Bell inside his storage bag, listening for the direction of the sound.
Ding-ling-ling~~
“Left…”
He turned his head in that direction and saw a teahouse about fifty feet away. Above its entrance, a sign bore the words "Sand Pavilion Teahouse."
If he remembered correctly, that was Yu Pass’s black market pawnshop.
The black market? Why would she go there?
Ye Anping frowned. He now suspected that the bell’s ringing might not be pointing him to Sima Xuanji. A sense of wariness crept into his heart.
Pulling out a few talismans and a small dagger, he concealed them in his sleeve and cautiously made his way toward the teahouse.
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