“What secret?” Ye Qiu asked curiously.
Yunxi said, “Actually, I am not only the saintess of Azure Cloud Sword Sect. I have another identity.”
“My father is the current sect master of Azure Cloud Sword Sect.”
“And he is also a Saint-level powerhouse!”
What? Yunxi’s father was the leader of the top sect in the Eastern Wilderness?
And a Saint no less?
Ye Qiu’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. A thick wave of unease instantly flooded his heart.
“I’m done for. I slept with a Saint’s daughter. If the old man finds out, he’ll mince me into pieces!”
Yunxi did not notice Ye Qiu’s expression. She continued softly, “Ye Lang, I never meant to hide it from you.”
“I wanted to tell you back at the Sage’s tomb, but the timing wasn’t right.”
“I’m telling you now because I have decided you are the only man for me in this lifetime.”
“Ye Lang, you won’t blame me for waiting until now, will you?”
“Of course I won’t blame you.” Ye Qiu pulled Yunxi into his arms and asked, “Xi’er, is your father fierce?”
Yunxi replied, “Although my father is the sect master, he is kind and gentle. He isn’t fierce at all, especially towards me. He dotes on me greatly.”
Ye Qiu breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, “Xi’er, do you have any brothers or sisters?”
He thought that if Yunxi had many siblings, her father’s affection would be divided, and the danger to himself would be smaller.
To his dismay, Yunxi answered, “I am my father’s only daughter.”
Ye Qiu’s heart sank again. He thought, I’m finished. The old man will hunt me down.
Remembering that earlier feeling of being watched, he felt even worse.
Yunxi had said the array on the jade pendant was carved by her father, a Saint. That meant the moment she activated it, her father could very likely know everything she was doing.
“Surely the old man didn’t just watch a live broadcast?”
“No way! He’s a sect master, a supreme powerhouse. He wouldn’t watch me and Yunxi going at it. She’s his only daughter, after all.”
“But I really did feel someone spying earlier.”
“If it truly was the sect master of Azure Cloud Sword Sect and he saw me tangled up with his daughter, he definitely won’t let me live.”
“Damn it. I thought getting Yunxi was a good thing. Now it looks like I’ve brought massive trouble on myself.”
Cold sweat poured down Ye Qiu’s back.
He already had enemies everywhere. The three holy lands, Yin-Yang Sect, Heaven-Mending Sect, Soul-Severing Gate, Beast Emperor Sect, the forces from Central Continent, all wanted him dead. Adding Azure Cloud Sword Sect to the list meant only one outcome.
Death without a grave!
Ye Qiu’s face turned as bitter as a gourd. In his heart he prayed, “Senior Dugu, where the hell are you? Hurry and save me!”
Seeing Ye Qiu silent for so long with an ugly expression, Yunxi asked worriedly, “Ye Lang, what’s wrong?”
“Did I do something to upset you?”
“Please don’t be angry. I didn’t mean it. If you really are angry, then punish me, alright?”
With that, Yunxi knelt down, reached for Ye Qiu’s clothes, and prepared to soothe him in her own special way.
Ye Qiu quickly stopped her, pulled her up, and hugged her. He smiled. “Xi’er, I’m not blaming you at all.”
“I was just thinking, if your father finds out about us, will he kill me?”
“Because you’re his precious little darling.”
Yunxi burst out laughing. “Our Azure Cloud Sword Sect is a righteous sect. As sect master, how could my father kill the innocent?”
Ye Qiu inwardly retorted, This isn’t killing the innocent. I slept with his daughter, after all.
Yunxi comforted him. “Ye Lang, you don’t need to worry about this.”
“Although my father is a sect master, he is very open-minded. He isn’t unreasonable or old-fashioned.”
“He loves me so much, of course he wants me to spend my life with someone I truly love.”
“And you’re so outstanding. Once Father meets you, I’m sure he’ll like you.”
Ye Qiu smiled. “I think you make a lot of sense.”
That was what he said aloud, but inside he thought, Old man, you’d better not bully me, or I’ll bully your daughter hard in return, swatting mosquitoes for her ten times a day!
Yunxi stepped out of his embrace, straightened her clothes, took his arm, and said, “Ye Lang, shall we go now?”
“Yes.” Ye Qiu had been eager to leave for a while. He had no idea what the old fellows were doing after all this time.
Yunxi put away the jade pendant, and the array vanished instantly.
They had walked only a few steps when Ye Qiu suddenly stopped.
“What is it?” Yunxi asked.
Ye Qiu said nothing. He turned back, his gaze sharp as a blade.
Soon he noticed something odd in the nearby bushes.
Whoosh!
He flicked a strand of sword qi towards the grass. A white shadow immediately leapt out and tried to flee.
Ye Qiu flashed forward and caught it. Only then did he see it was a fox.
The little fox was about the size of a cat, pure white as snow, with two black eyes shaped like crescent moons. Its tiny body was utterly adorable. Anyone who saw it would want to scoop it up and cuddle it.
Only its fluffy tail was unusually long, half a metre at least, which looked rather mismatched with its petite frame.
Held in Ye Qiu’s hand, the little white fox struggled desperately, baring its tiny fangs at him in a fiercely cute manner.
“So cute!” Yunxi exclaimed in delight.
“Quite cute, just a bit feisty,” Ye Qiu said. He bent to place the fox on the ground, but his eyes landed on its rear. There was a patch of bright red blood.
“You’re hurt?”
Ye Qiu was startled. He examined it carefully but found no wound. He gently poked the spot.
Every poke made the little fox squeal in pain.
“What’s going on?” Ye Qiu frowned. He activated his heavenly eye and discovered there really was no wound where the blood was coming from.
“Strange. How can it bleed without a wound?” Ye Qiu muttered, puzzled.
Yunxi also noticed the blood and said, “Changsheng, this white fox seems injured. Please treat it!”
“I want to, but there’s no wound,” Ye Qiu replied. Suddenly a thought struck him. He turned the fox over for a closer look and burst out laughing. “It’s not injured.”
“Not injured?” Yunxi blinked. “Then why is it bleeding?”
Ye Qiu answered, “Because it’s female.”
