Chapter 167: Those Who Understand Me, Ye You

Behind a pile of jagged rocks and bushes, two figures sat quietly.

Yu Fei and Bai Zhi.

Having been besieged, their spiritual energy was completely exhausted, and both were nursing injuries, each busy regulating their breathing through meditation.

Several dozen zhang away lay a forest clearing where the flickering light of a bonfire could be seen, along with someone's figure pacing back and forth amidst the smoke.

That was Yu Ye.

Since his two fellow disciples were anxious to heal, the cleanup duty fell entirely to him. He dragged the corpses into a heap and burned them down to ashes. This was not an act of destroying evidence after murder and looting, but rather a proper burial of remains to pacify wandering souls, which was the fitting obligation among fellow practitioners.

Because among the nine remains, two were disciples of the immortal sect.

Having accidentally saved Yu Fei and Bai Zhi, and before they began their healing, he had briefly asked a few questions to roughly piece together the cause and effect.

Yu Fei, Bai Zhi, Chen Qi, and Gumuzi had banded together to venture deep into the Kongtong Realm, having searched various places for over ten days, though the specific situations they encountered were unknown. When the four of them arrived here, they happened to run into three rogue cultivators murdering two immortal sect disciples. It was said to be a brawl over treasures, leading to a fierce fight between both sides. Unwilling to let the matter go, the four sect members launched an assault and slew two of them, but one rogue cultivator managed to escape. Chen Qi and Gumuzi gave chase, while Yu Fei and Bai Zhi stayed behind to wait. Who would have thought that before Chen Qi and Gumuzi returned, they were instead met by the escaped rogue cultivator and four companions he had summoned. Had Yu Ye not accidentally discovered the commotion here, the ultimate outcome would have been unthinkable.

They also learned that this place was two to three hundred li away from Feather Immortal Peak. Ming Ye had been separated from his companions, and his whereabouts remained unknown...

The fire died out, leaving ashes scattered across the ground. A mountain breeze swept through, sending dust and debris swirling.

Yu Ye turned and walked toward Yu Fei and Bai Zhi, stopping a little over ten zhang away. He sat cross-legged on the grass, reached out to stroke his shoulder, and let out a deep, slow breath.

Being repeatedly ambushed earlier and taking a sword strike had left him deeply depressed. He had no intention of offending the Ten Thousand Beasts Manor, nor did he dare to make an enemy of the Xuanling Immortal Sect, yet trouble always seemed to find him. Much like the five rogue cultivators he had just killed, it made him feel wronged, angry, and helpless all at once. But since the grudge was already formed, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and bear it.

He truly loathed killing; wasn't everyone born of parents? Yet he was forced to kill, and kill again.

He never expected that he would end up saving Yu Fei and Bai Zhi. Not to mention that the previous scene felt somewhat familiar, at least having someone to lead the way meant he wouldn't have to worry about leaving the Kongtong Realm. However, he now had to accompany the two of them here to heal and wait for the return of Chen Qi and Gumuzi.

Yu Ye raised his eyes to look around.

There was nothing unusual near or far.

He lowered his gaze to look at the storage rings in his hand.

Burning the nine corpses had yielded five storage rings and five flying swords. Inside each ring, three or five more rings were stored. Taken out altogether, there were more than twenty of them, most of which belonged to the relics of the Chuanxuan Immortal Sect disciples. From this, it could be concluded that this gang of rogue cultivators had not done any good deeds within the Kongtong Realm and truly deserved to die. Among the twenty-plus rings, there were a total of over two hundred spiritual stones, three to four hundred talismans, a vast number of medicinal pills, cultivation techniques, various sundries, and several hundred spiritual herbs.

Yu Ye put away the storage rings, cast a guilty glance backward, let out a silent sigh of relief, and slowly closed his eyes.

Perhaps the harvest was simply too bountiful, and its sheer weight made him somewhat uneasy...

Most of the day passed, and the sky grew dim.

Chen Qi and Gumuzi had not returned, nor was there any sign of the others.

Yu Fei's injuries were not yet fully healed, and both he and Bai Zhi wished to continue waiting on the spot.

Yu Ye nodded in agreement and prepared to set up a formation. Spending the night in a dangerous place called for precautions. However, Yu Fei shook his head and refused, producing a formation set of his own. Too lazy to meddle further, Yu Ye retreated to a distance, cast a few restrictive barriers to seal off the surroundings, and then pulled out the rings one by one to inspect them.

Having rested for most of the day, that inexplicable sense of unease had gradually faded.

The haul was so massive that he hadn't had the time to check it earlier. Now, he wanted to sort through it slightly—not out of greed or the joy of striking it rich, but to organize the hundreds of talismans and keep them ready for use.

Logically speaking, once Chen Qi and Gumuzi returned, they could head to Feather Immortal Peak to rendezvous with his master of instruction, Xin Jian, and then leave the Kongtong Realm. Even if that mysterious Foundation Establishment expert wanted to kill him, they would surely hesitate out of caution and dare not act recklessly. Yet, he suddenly felt that the journey ahead might not go too smoothly.

Various talismans, added to what he had previously acquired, totaled six or seven hundred. Fire-departure talismans alone formed a thick stack, while other talismans piled up in heaps, though there were only five Golden Armor Talismans and two Sword Talismans. In addition, he found three legendary Invisibility Talismans and two Wind-Escaping Talismans he had never seen before...

"Yu Ye—"

While Yu Ye was still pondering the Invisibility and Wind-Escaping Talismans, he heard a familiar call. He had no choice but to put away the rings and wave his hand to dismiss the barrier.

In the darkness, a figure gracefully approached, then sat down beside him, bringing a faint, lingering fragrance.

"Talking here, we must not be careless!"

The night here was silent, and voices could travel very far.

Yu Ye executed a hand incantation, sealing the surroundings with a barrier that enveloped them both.

"Among the Hundred Rivers Hall, only senior brothers at the eighth and ninth Qi Condensation layers understand barrier techniques, yet they fall far short of your proficiency..."

"How are your injuries?"

"Already out of danger; thanks to your timely rescue..."

"Even if I hadn't saved you, you had a way to get out."

"What makes you say that?"

The two sat side by side, three chi apart. With the barrier sealing the area, there was no need to fear prying eyes.

Yu Ye turned his head to look.

Bai Zhi was also looking at him, covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes filled with smiles as she said with a comforting tone, "In the Great Marsh, only Master understood me. In Qizhou, the one who knows me is Yu Ye!"

Yu Ye lowered his head in silence.

He had never understood Bai Zhi's mind; they were simply too familiar with each other. Within that familiarity lay mutual deception, as well as the hardships he had endured time and again.

"Yet times have changed, and I can no longer read you!"

Bai Zhi reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and whispered again, "Not only is your barrier technique proficient, but it can also kill people—something even Foundation Establishment seniors of the immortal sect lack the ability to do. And your sword qi..."

"Fishing for information?"

"Just curious!"

"Do you remember Qiu Bo? You once used him to deceive and blackmail me. My *Heavenly Restriction Art* was passed down by him."

"Ah..."

"My Seven-Killing Sword Qi was passed down by a woman."

"Ah, you have a master? What kind of expert is she?"

Yu Ye's sudden revelation of the truth drew a gasp of astonishment. He said no more, instead adding, "So far, I have only told you about this."

Bai Zhi nodded slightly, understanding tacitly, "Mm, your secrets belong to me alone. Just like the flood dragon pill inside your body, which no one else knows about."

Yu Ye looked at her side profile once more, happening to meet a pair of sparkling eyes. He could not help but raise his head to gaze at the vast night sky, his thoughts churning with an indescribable emotion.

The intent behind every word he spoke could not be hidden from Bai Zhi, just as Bai Zhi's thoughts could not be hidden from him. It was simply that the suspicion of the past had faded, replaced by a present tacit understanding. She felt like an old, familiar friend, yet whether she truly understood him and could be trusted remained...

Early morning.

The hazy morning light was as gray as ever.

Yu Fei had practiced cultivation through the night, and his injuries were mostly healed. When he put away his formation, however, he paused slightly.

On the grass a dozen zhang away, Yu Ye sat cross-legged, his upper body bare on one side. Bai Zhi crouched beside him, unconcerned with propriety, patiently and meticulously helping him bandage the wound on his shoulder.

"Senior Sister!"

Yu Fei walked closer.

"Mm!"

Bai Zhi remained occupied with her task.

Yu Ye opened his eyes and asked with concern, "Senior Brother Yu, how are you holding up?"

"Oh, I..."

Yu Fei had originally intended to complain a bit to highlight the hardship of his battle yesterday, but seeing Yu Ye's body stained with dried blood and his shoulder covered in a thick crust of dried blood, he hastily changed his words, "I'm fine, I'm fine!"

"Yu Ye killed five Qi Condensation experts while injured; it must have been so hard on him!"

While helping Yu Ye bandage his sword wound, Bai Zhi said, "Yu Fei, you and I owe him a debt of gratitude for saving our lives!"

"Yes, yes!"

Yu Fei nodded repeatedly, cupping his fists. "Junior Brother Yu's saving grace, I shall never forget for the rest of my life!"

"Since we are fellow disciples, there is no need for such formalities!"

Yu Ye grinned and added, "Please step aside, Senior Sister!"

Bai Zhi gave him a slight frown, stood up, and walked away.

The two had talked for a short while last night before resuming their meditative breathing. Early this morning, Bai Zhi had insisted on checking his wound. Unable to refuse her excuses, he had allowed her to re-bandage the sword injury. To think they would be caught by Yu Fei—it was hard to say whether his Senior Sister Bai hadn't done it on purpose.

Yu Ye pulled out a Daoist robe to change into and stood up.

Chen Qi and Gumuzi had still not returned.

Whether to continue waiting, go searching, or return the way they came—their opinions were divided.

Fearing that his two senior brothers had met with misfortune, Yu Fei insisted on going to look for them; Bai Zhi felt that staying put was safer and proposed waiting another day.

Yu Ye, however, was eager to reach Feather Immortal Peak to rendezvous with the immortal sect disciples. His suggestion stemmed from selfish motives—primarily wanting to avoid that mysterious expert, though it was inconvenient to reveal the truth, leaving him unsure of what to do.

After discussing for a moment, the three reached a consensus: they would follow the direction Chen Qi and Gumuzi had taken to search for one day. If they found nothing, they would immediately return under cover of night.

Yu Ye didn't care whether Chen Qi lived or died, but he didn't want him dying at someone else's hands. Before setting off, however, he produced a stack of talismans and more than a dozen bottles of medicinal pills and handed them to the two.

Yu Fei was quite surprised, and amid his expressions of gratitude, he praised Junior Brother Yu's generous nature.

Yu Ye simply echoed what Dang Gui had once said—that he was a very stingy person.

Amidst laughter, the three of them hurried away...

Having no sense of direction in the southeast, northwest, or north, Yu Ye could only let Yu Fei and Bai Zhi lead the way. After trekking through the desolate mountains and ridges for half a day, they still found no trace of Chen Qi and Gumuzi.

Around noontime.

The three slowed their pace and gazed around blankly.

They had unexpectedly stumbled into a mountain valley.

It was a desolate place, overgrown with wild grass and piled with jagged rocks, with scattered white bones visible everywhere. Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew through, adding an even more eerie atmosphere.

Yu Fei stopped in his tracks and asked in confusion, "Where could the two Senior Brothers have gone?"

Yu Ye looked at the white bones nestled in the grass.

They were human skeletons, already decayed, yet still looking fierce and terrifying.

Bai Zhi wore an equally puzzled expression, hesitating as she said, "Searching like this is futile. In my opinion, we might as well head back right now!"

Yu Fei nodded and said, "Let's do as Senior Sister says..."

At that very moment, a few piercing screeches suddenly echoed from overhead—

"Caw, caw, caw..."