In a residence on Xuefeng.
A figure appeared at dusk, directly in front of Hun Ba.
"Sir, there's good news!"
Hearing the man's words, Hun Ba glanced over and quickly asked, "What news have you gathered? Don't miss anything, tell me everything!"
"Yes!"
The subordinate quickly responded, "Just got word that due to Zong Luan's death, Xuefeng suspects Yin Long and others are responsible, and thus engaged in a fierce battle with Ye Cangtian!
In the end, both Yin Long and the Peak Master were injured and retreated separately. The Peak Master then issued an eviction notice!
As it stands, Xue Qi is seeing Yin Long off. It appears Yin Long and Ye Zhenghao will leave Xuefeng tonight..."
"Good! Very good!"
Hearing this news, Hun Ba's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
It seemed his plan was incredibly correct. Merely killing Zong Luan had achieved his objective.
Now that Ye Cangtian's combat strength was greatly reduced, it was the perfect time for him to make his move.
With these thoughts, Hun Ba's eyes began to move again.
He didn't know if Ye Cangtian's identity had been leaked. If it had, and Ye Cangtian left, people might come looking for him.
At that time, they would also have an additional competitor.
Thinking of this, Hun Ba looked at the subordinate and whispered, "I'll handle Yin Long. You take a few people and stay behind. Your only task is..."
Hearing Hun Ba's arrangement, the subordinate readily agreed without a second word.
...
The night wind was chilly.
After the banquet, Xue Qi and Bing Yao personally escorted Ye Cangtian and Ye Zhenghao to the foot of the mountain.
"Brother Yin Long, Brother Zhenghao, my senior sister and I will miss you. Please don't forget us..."
As they were about to part, Bing Yao reluctantly stepped forward and hugged both of them.
Although they hadn't spent much time together, and many unpleasant things had happened during this period, Bing Yao's good impression of them had soared due to their character and demeanor. She was proud to have met such excellent individuals.
"Little girl, you can miss me a little less. When you have free time, think more about Zhenghao..."
What had started as a sad parting was broken by Ye Cangtian's teasing voice, causing Bing Yao's face to turn completely red.
She knew perfectly well what Yin Long meant!
Earlier, in Zong Luan's side hall, Yin Long and Xue Qi had conspired to set her up with Zhenghao, which had completely flustered her.
Now that Ye Cangtian brought it up, she felt as if her tail had been stepped on.
"Brother Yin Long, I'm still young! I need to focus on my cultivation. Don't talk about such things! It will affect my cultivation!"
Bing Yao said indignantly, making a playful clawing motion at Ye Cangtian as she spoke, looking incredibly cute.
"Alright, alright, I won't say it if you don't want me to."
"But little girl, you'll grow up someday and have to consider your future. If you can't find anyone to marry by then, perhaps you could consider Zhenghao..."
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian laughed heartily and continued to tease her.
Bing Yao's face turned crimson at his words. Embarrassed, she quickly tugged on Xue Qi's arm and pouted, "Senior Sister, look! Brother Yin Long is bullying me!"
"Heh, I don't think Brother Yin Long is wrong."
"Brother Zhenghao might look a bit mature for his age, but you shouldn't judge a man by his age or looks. You should look at his character, his abilities, and a heart that is devoted to you..."
Xue Qi smiled slightly at Bing Yao's shyness and joined in the teasing.
"Hmph!"
Seeing that even Xue Qi agreed, Bing Yao wished she could disappear into the ground. She stomped her foot, let out a soft hmph, and said, "You are all bad people! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Saying this, Bing Yao walked to the side.
Seeing Bing Yao's reaction, Ye Zhenghao felt a pang of disappointment and sighed.
Unrequited love.
Even if he wanted to make a move, if Bing Yao wasn't interested, what could he do?
"Ouch!"
Just then, Ye Zhenghao felt a sharp pain in his rear and let out a yelp, leaping away.
He turned to question Ye Cangtian about what he was doing, but Ye Cangtian's voice reached him.
"Zhenghao, didn't you say you had a gift for Bing Yao?"
A gift?
Ye Zhenghao was stunned for a moment, but seeing Ye Cangtian's meaningful glance, he immediately understood and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, I did prepare a gift."
He hadn't actually prepared any gift, but that wasn't a problem.
He often went on adventures and had acquired many treasures in ruins. Any one of these items could serve as a gift.
After a brief silence, he took out a battle robe from his Qiankun bag.
This battle robe was something he had obtained during his adventures. He had kept it because of its beautiful design and powerful defense.
He had originally intended it for a junior sister in the Blazing Fire Academy, but he had been urgently recalled by Ye Yaoyang at the time.
Later, he met Dongfang Mingyue, and a series of events had caused him to postpone this matter.
Now, it seemed this battle robe was perfect for Bing Yao.
The next moment, he hesitantly walked up to Bing Yao, his hands trembling slightly as he offered the robe, fearing she would refuse.
"Um, this, this is a gift I prepared for you. I hope you like it."
Looking at the exquisitely crafted sky-blue battle robe and then at the somewhat apprehensive Ye Zhenghao, Bing Yao hesitated. "Brother Zhenghao, this is too precious. I..."
"Take it. Don't listen to their nonsense. Think of it as a memento."
Seeing her refusal, Ye Zhenghao quickly said, then turned and retreated to Ye Cangtian's side, fearing he would say anything more.
"So embarrassing. A proper seven-foot man gets cowardly when it comes to this."
Ye Cangtian glared at Ye Zhenghao and said irritably.
Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with Ye Zhenghao's performance, he couldn't do anything about it.
Bing Yao didn't have any romantic feelings for him yet. Perhaps Ye Zhenghao's approach was the best option.
This way, even if it failed, it wouldn't affect their friendship.
With that thought, Ye Cangtian looked at Xue Qi, smiled slightly, and said, "It's getting late. We should be going. Farewell, and we'll meet again."
Xue Qi nodded with a sense of loss. She slowly raised her hands, only to let them fall back down.
She wished she could hug him like Bing Yao did.
But their gossip was already rampant. If this caused misunderstanding and affected his reputation, it wouldn't be good.
Furthermore, he was a married man. Even if she wanted to, he might not agree.
Noticing Xue Qi's subtle gesture, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly, then opened his arms and walked towards her, giving her a gentle hug.
"..."
Xue Qi's pretty face instantly turned red, her mind went blank, and she stood there like a statue.
By the time she reacted, Ye Cangtian and Ye Zhenghao were already leaving.
...
After a small interlude, Ye Cangtian and Ye Zhenghao ventured deep into the mountains and found a spacious area to set up their tents.
Firstly, they didn't want to travel at night.
Secondly, it was likely that those with intentions had already received news of their departure. Staying here was also to give them an opportunity to attack.
The two sat cross-legged inside the tent, cultivating and waiting.
It wasn't until midnight that they heard rustling sounds and both opened their eyes in unison.
They walked out of the tent and scanned their surroundings.
They saw the surrounding dense forest swaying, and then a series of black figures emerged.
"Heh, as expected of Ye Cangtian and Ye Zhenghao! So vigilant even when resting at night!"
Looking at the two figures in front of the tent, the leader of the black-clad figures let out a light laugh.
As the voice reached him, Ye Cangtian immediately pinpointed the speaker.
He then scanned the people around them.
The spiritual power of these individuals was clearly far beyond that of their peers.
This indicated that they had all practiced mental cultivation techniques, making their identity easy to ascertain.
After all, in the ruins, only those from the Feiyun Pavilion practiced mental cultivation techniques universally.
However, they were all wearing night clothes and masks, concealing their appearances, which he found contemptible.
"Do people from Feiyun Pavilion only know how to hide their heads and tails, afraid to show their true faces?" Ye Cangtian said dismissively.