Chapter Twenty-Three: Yanqing, Yeyelin, and Yi

“????” Feng Yanhua was utterly bewildered. How should I know where your fathers are? They come and go in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the confusion on Feng Yanhua’s face, the two realized that the earlier attack likely had nothing to do with the Feng clan.

“Is there some great master residing in your household?” Ye Linyi asked.

“There is indeed.”

“A young girl, accompanied by a snake—is she here with you?” Yan Qingye asked straightforwardly.

Feng Yanhua was taken aback. How did Yan Qingye know so much?

“You two… know each other?”

Before Yan Qingye could answer, Yuan Yibai walked in from outside.

“What are you doing here?” Yan Qingye went over, exchanging a glance with Ye Linyi.

“Visiting,” Yuan Yibai replied.

“Lies, who are you trying to fool?”

“Mm.”

“You—!” Yan Qingye glared, snorted coldly, and said, “You’re here for that little girl, aren’t you?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Heh, where is the girl?”

Yuan Yibai lifted his cold gaze, then withdrew it indifferently, picking up a teacup to drink.

Knowing he wouldn’t get anything from Yuan Yibai, Yan Qingye turned to Feng Yanhua. “Speak. Where is the little girl?”

What else could Feng Yanhua say? “In the guest courtyard.”

“Take us to the guest courtyard!”

Feng Yanhua shot Feng You a look. Feng You immediately understood, and approached Yan Qingye and Ye Linyi.

“Gentlemen, please follow me.”

Feng You led the two to the guest courtyard, pointing to You Xiyue’s room.

“That young lady and Senior Junyang reside here.”

“Little girl! Come out!” Yan Qingye strode directly to the door and was about to enter, only to be thrown back by the defensive ward.

Ye Linyi hurried over to help him up.

“You were too reckless!”

“How was I supposed to know there was a ward on the room!” Yan Qingye muttered, casting a cleansing spell, then resumed shouting at the door.

“Little girl, come out!”

He glanced at Ye Linyi. “Why aren’t you worried?”

Ye Linyi shrugged. “She doesn’t like me.”

“So true!”

As soon as the words fell, Yan Qingye tried to shout again, but no sound came out.

“Mmm mm mm…”

Ye Linyi looked at him in confusion. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Mmm mm!!” Yan Qingye’s face was turning red with frustration as he tugged at Ye Linyi and pointed at You Xiyue’s room.

“Mmm!!!!”

“You’ve been… silenced?” Ye Linyi finally realized.

Yan Qingye nodded miserably, on the verge of tears.

At last, You Xiyue’s voice came from inside the room, tinged with annoyance at being disturbed. “If you keep making noise, don’t expect your fathers to return.”

The two exchanged glances—clearly, this was You Xiyue’s doing.

But what could they do? If they couldn’t make noise, all they could do was wait.

So, the two of them waited in the pavilion of the guest courtyard until nightfall.

Only then did Junyang emerge, carrying Xueyu.

Yan Qingye still couldn’t speak. He leapt up, ran over to Junyang, and pleaded, pointing desperately at his own mouth.

Junyang glanced behind him and stepped aside.

You Xiyue finally came out as well.

Ye Linyi hurried over, much more respectful now, and bowed. “We beg you, little senior, please spare our fathers.”

Yan Qingye, equally aggrieved, stood beside Ye Linyi and made the same gesture.

You Xiyue yawned, took Xueyu from Junyang’s arms, and as she descended the steps, patted Yan Qingye on the shoulder.

Instantly, Yan Qingye felt his throat clear.

“I…” he tried, startled and overjoyed to find his voice returned. “Heavens! I can finally speak again!”

He immediately chased after You Xiyue, ingratiatingly pleading, “Little senior, please spare my ignorant father. He didn’t mean to disturb your sleep.”

You Xiyue sat on a bench in the pavilion, rummaging through her cosmos pouch. With one hand, she pointed at Junyang.

“Ask him.”

“Senior Junyang!” Ye Linyi and Yan Qingye turned imploring eyes to Junyang.

Junyang answered coolly, “They are in the Hidden Realm.”

“The Hidden Realm? What kind of place is that?” Yan Qingye exclaimed.

Yuan Yibai, just returning, paused at these words and looked over.

“You put them there?” You Xiyue blinked in surprise.

“They’re so fond of showing off their spells. It’s quiet and undisturbed there—they can’t come out until they’ve cast a hundred spells. Let them enjoy themselves.”

Junyang had been there himself—there was no danger, only endless hassle. He shot a surreptitiously resentful look at You Xiyue before sitting beside her.

Seeing You Xiyue searching her pouch, he asked with a fawning smile, “Little Ancestor, what shall we eat today?”

“Senior Junyang…” Ye Linyi hesitated. “My father… that Hidden Realm, is it dangerous?”

You Xiyue ignored him, so Junyang kindly replied, “No danger. It’s just a little world our Little Ancestor created at a whim for spell practice. Cast enough spells and they’ll be out.”

He would never admit it was for his own spell practice; in the early days, You Xiyue used to throw him in there from time to time.

Hearing there was no danger, both Yan Qingye and Ye Linyi breathed a sigh of relief and sat down.

Seeing them settle, Yuan Yibai, who had intended to return to his room, instead made his way over.

“A hundred spells—that’ll take a day and a night, won’t it?” Yuan Yibai remarked.

Yan Qingye shot him an annoyed look.

Junyang stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Not quite. One must sleep at night. The Little Ancestor is rather particular about sleep; at night, spiritual energy is depleted. It’ll be about three days before they emerge.”

“…”

Three days, then three days. At least there was no danger. They’d made this mess themselves—no matter their age, they’d have to endure it. Both Ye Linyi and Yan Qingye had tried to talk sense into their fathers on the way here.

But how could those two believe that a sixteen-year-old girl could outmatch the two of them? After all, both were supreme beings of the Upper Realm. To act so rashly…

“Why is the little senior living at the Feng residence?” Yan Qingye eyed the furnishings with clear distaste—far inferior to the Yan family’s estate.

Junyang, knowing You Xiyue disliked being bothered while searching for things, answered on her behalf. “The Little Ancestor has accepted the Feng clan’s third young master as her disciple. It’s only natural for a master to stay at her disciple’s home.”

“The Feng clan’s third young master?” Yan Qingye frowned in thought. “I only know of the eldest Miss Feng Tianwu, admitted to the Inner Sect of Purple Cliff Palace on the Thirty-Second Continent, and the second young master, Feng Tianyang. I’ve never heard of a third young master.”

“Who do you mean?” Junyang was equally puzzled.

“…” Yan Qingye raised his brows in silence and abandoned the topic. “Why would the little senior take on someone from the Feng clan as a disciple? Why not me?”

“You?” Junyang looked him up and down disparagingly. “You’re nowhere near my junior brother’s level.”

“I don’t believe it! Call him here—I’ll compete with him!”

“What nonsense. You’re a True Immortal, over a thousand years old. He’s only a Nascent Soul cultivator, just over three hundred. Don’t you think that’s a bit shameless?”

“???” Yan Qingye was so stung he was speechless.

Shameless? In the Upper Realm, he was considered one of the outstanding younger generation—a True Immortal at just a thousand years old. Shameless?

“You’re the shameless one!” Yan Qingye finally couldn’t help but retort.