Chapter 218: The protagonist makes his debut
Dark clouds obscured the moon, and several feet of snow piled up in the deep forest. From time to time, patrolling disciples from the Sword Sect flew overhead, but they didn’t spot the four individuals galloping through the forest below.
Ye Anping and his group had just traversed the secret passage beneath the Lotus Pond of Yun Mansion, winding around for about the duration of an incense stick, before emerging from a cave on the mountainside of Yishui Peak.
After waiting for a patrol of Yishui Peak disciples to pass by, they swiftly plunged into the snowy woods, using the cover of night and their grey cloaks to make their way to the rendezvous point silently.
Ye Anping, bringing up the rear, pondered how to deceive Yushuiting or exclude her. Killing her would be simple enough. She was merely an early-stage cultivator, and she was currently unsuspecting with her back turned. But initiating action now would surely draw attention from the man leading the way.
That man…
In the dark passage earlier, Yushuiting had conversed with him. Ye Anping learned his name was He Longyu, a cultivator in the late stages of foundation building. Ye Anping estimated that if he were to clash with him, he would only have a 70% chance of victory. Seventy per cent was too low for him. So, for now, he set aside thoughts of dealing with Yushuiting and focused on the rendezvous.
The night before last, he had tasked Feng Yudie with assisting in kidnapping Yun Jiujiu and ensuring her safety. As long as nothing unexpected occurred, he could meet up with Feng Yudie later. The only uncertainty was how Feng Yudie would infiltrate. He hoped it would be smooth.
The three of them sped through the snow-covered forest with Yun Yiyi for a moment before arriving at an ancient attic deep in the woods. The attic, three stories tall, stood alone amidst the trees. The walls and tiles of the second and third floors were broken, and snow had piled inside. In front of the attic’s door, five figures cloaked in grey as they awaited.
Sensing their approach, one of them gripped his sword and turned to look.
“Who?”
Seeing this, He Longyu gestured for Ye Anping and Yushuiting to remain silent, then led them out of the forest towards the attic.
Once the three of them drew near, the others relaxed and sheathed their swords.
“He Long, weren’t there five of you? Why only three now? Did something happen?”
“Well, it’s not a big deal,” He Longyu nodded. “The young master of the Hundred Lotus Sect was prepared. Qi Yuan and Hu Renyi died by his hand, but it’s been dealt with.”
“I see… We haven’t lost anyone here, but we couldn’t find the one named Feng in Yunjiu Mansion.”
He Longyu frowned slightly and inquired, “Where is the second lady?”
“She’s tied up over there,” Came the response.
The man shrugged, indicating with his chin towards a beam beside the attic door. Ye Anping and his companions followed his gaze and spotted a young girl in a blue dress, bound by chains and leaning against the attic railing, seemingly asleep.
However, upon seeing the girl, Ye Anping couldn’t help but feel puzzled. “Are you sure you didn’t kidnap the wrong person?” he questioned, his doubts mirrored by He Longyu.
“No mistake. We double-checked. It’s really the second lady,” The man assured them.
He Longyu squinted, still sceptical. He approached for a closer look, confirming her identity before asking, “Why is she dressed like this?”
“Maybe she got drunk and went crazy,” The man suggested. “She was wearing this when we found her.”
He Longyu pursed his lips, still unsure, but since the girl was indeed kidnapped, he didn’t press further. Instead, he advised, “Add more Immortal Binding Locks just in case. Three might not be enough if she wakes up midway.”
Ye Anping glanced around at the five masked figures, unable to discern Feng Yudie among them by facial features alone. It seemed she had yet to use his method to infiltrate.
Where was she now?
Ye Anping breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted a bright golden light on a cedar in the east direction. Oh, there she was. Though relieved, he couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Couldn’t she have thought of a smarter approach?
After additional chains were secured on Yun Jiujiu, He Longyu descended and inquired about the members from Xiri Peak.
“No sign of them. They probably failed,” came the response.
He Longyu pondered for a moment before deciding, “If they don’t return in another fifteen minutes, we’ll take the young ladies back first…”
Suddenly, the tree where Feng Yudie was perched shook, causing snow to fall from its branches. He Longyu was alert and retrieved a talisman from his storage bag and directed his gaze towards the tree. “Who’s there?” He demanded.
Simultaneously, the five individuals who tied up Yun Jiujiu also armed themselves, turning their attention to the tree where Feng Yudie was concealed.
Seeing the situation, Ye Anping realized that a fierce battle was likely unavoidable. He quickly drew his spirit sword and cautiously manoeuvred to a strategic position, intending to join forces with Feng Yudie to surround their adversaries once she made a move. However, in the next moment, the sound of chirping birds suddenly echoed from above the pine tree.
“Chiji~~Chijiji~~~”
“…”
“???”
Everyone below, including Ye Anping, was dumbfounded. Someone was mocking them…
He Longyu’s eye twitched involuntarily. Taking a deep breath, he hurled a talisman towards the top of the pine tree. In an instant, the talisman erupted in a brilliant blaze, illuminating the area for a hundred feet and revealing Feng Yudie concealed in the cedar tree.
Feng Yudie blinked and shrank her head, resigned. She retrieved her spirit sword and jumped down from the tree, saying, “Hey, can’t we just… I don’t know where I came from or where I’m going. And as for you… can’t you just pretend you didn’t see me?”
“…”
He Longyu and the others looked at her speechlessly. Meanwhile, Yushuiting, next to Ye Anping, caught sight of his deep purple eyes revealed by the fire talisman thrown by He Longyu.
Yushuiting had sensed something was off earlier, but now…
“You…”
Ye Anping clicked his tongue slightly and didn’t wait any longer. He immediately raised his spirit sword to silence Yushuiting. However, before he could act, He Longyu stepped between them, carrying Yun Jiujiu, and snatched Yun Yiyi from Yushuiting’s shoulders.
“Yean, you and Yushuiting, block the silver-haired one here. I’ll take Yun Yiyi and the others away first,” He Longyu instructed.
With that, he stepped onto his flying sword, carrying Yun Yiyi on his left and Yun Jiujiu on his right, and flew off to the west.
