Chapter Eighteen: Disappearance

Chapter Eighteen: Missing

“Muer, stop staring at the mirror. I know you’re beautiful. Go wash your hands; dinner’s almost ready. And after you eat, there’s another surprise waiting for you in your room.”

The sound of knives could be heard from the kitchen.

“What? Another surprise? Okay, okay.” A wild-looking girl darted in and out of her room; water dripped ceaselessly from the half-open bathroom sink.

Ye Bai carried a steaming bowl of soup, surveying the chaos of the room, and the crisp bread in his mouth crumbled and fell out. “Are you trying to demolish the house?”

“Hehe, Brother, let’s eat! Muer’s hungry.” Ye Mu propped her round head up with both hands, swinging her legs back and forth on the stool, her eyes pleading pitifully as she stared at Ye Bai.

“I surrender—every time you do this.” Ye Bai couldn’t resist Ye Mu’s gaze; ever since they were children, whenever she used this trick, he inevitably gave in.

“Alright, this is the last dish. Let’s eat first, and we’ll talk about the rest after dinner.”

Ye Bai placed the soup on the table. It was the happiest meal the siblings had shared in nearly a month.

Ye Mu kept asking her brother about his experiences in the Ghostwood Mountains. Ye Bai recounted the basics, though he kept his ventures into the mountain’s inner regions and the matter with Xiao Mo to himself, not wanting to worry her.

“Haha, did the Earthgold Mouse really chew up all your clothes? Then how did you get back?” Ye Mu mumbled with her mouth full of food.

Ye Bai certainly couldn’t mention the strange look the receptionist gave him when he returned. Otherwise, his carefully crafted image as a dependable brother would be ruined.

“Brother, I’m done eating. I’m going back to my room.” Ye Mu ran off without even wiping her mouth.

“Sigh, aren’t you going to eat a bit more? And you have to help tidy up the room.”

“Brother, you can clean up yourself.” Before she could finish, a scream echoed from her room—she’d found the clothes she loved.

After eating, Ye Bai cleaned up the room, thinking fondly of his silly sister. He remembered how she lingered longest in front of that particular dress every time they went shopping on weekends.

From her room, bursts of laughter drifted out. Ye Bai finished tidying and headed to his study to review his lessons. In theory, he couldn’t afford to lose any points. He also pondered his plans for the final week, hoping to break through to the entry level.

The moon sank and the sun rose.

“Muer, wake up. It’s the weekend, and Brother’s taking you to Fatty’s house to play.” In truth, Ye Bai wasn’t going to Li Fei’s house just for fun. Fatty’s father had prepared some body-tempering materials, and Ye Bai wanted to try them.

Ye Bai pushed open Ye Mu’s bedroom door. She slept just as she had when they were children, tossing and turning, with half the blanket on the bed and half on the floor. Her pale pink pajamas were visible, and a cartoon SpongeBob stared up at Ye Bai from her chest.

Ye Bai tucked the blanket back onto the bed, pinched Muer’s small nose and said, “Lazy girl, get up. If you don’t, I’ll go to Fatty’s house alone.”

Ye Mu sleepily opened her eyes. “Brother, Muer wants to sleep a bit longer.” But a few seconds later, she abruptly sat up, startling Ye Bai as he sorted her clothes.

“What? Fatty’s house? Okay, okay, I’ll get up right away.” Her eyes sparkled with little stars; clearly her thoughts had drifted to the snacks at Fatty’s house.

Ye Bai waited outside while his sister dressed and washed up. After a hasty breakfast, they set out.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, a plot against Ye Bai was unfolding.

“So, has he returned?” The burly figure cloaked in black faced away from the window.

A man in white sportswear stood behind him, head lowered. “I checked with the adult’s token—Ye Bai returned last night.”

“Good. Proceed as planned, but remember: absolutely no harm to anyone.”

The black-robed man turned around, his eyes narrowed as he gazed at the flowers in the room, his fingertips faintly glowing as he toyed with his pet.

The Li Residence, though it was now the Age of Darkness, still preserved remnants of the civilization before destruction. Its magnificent architecture resembled the ancient palaces of the Flame Empire.

Gazing up at the imposing building before them, Ye Mu asked, “Brother, when will we be able to live somewhere like this?”

Ye Bai patted her head. “Very soon. Once Brother gets into Purple Star Academy, we’ll be able to live here.”

In truth, Ye Bai had never understood how, given their family’s financial situation, he and his sister had managed to attend the city’s best high school. Somehow, their mother had forced them into it.

The guard at the gate approached. “Young Master Ye and Miss Ye, please come in.” He handed Ye Bai a card.

As Ye Bai entered the Li Residence, a man in white sportswear stepped out from the mansion across the street. A flash of red light, and the siblings’ figures gradually vanished into the Li Residence.

Inside, the features of Huizhou architecture were everywhere.

Gray tiles, white walls, and towering gatehouses. The gatehouse walls were adorned with exquisite carvings, the roof carvings even more beautiful. Turning left and going straight through several pavilions, they approached a side chamber, and before they even reached it, a dull thudding could be heard.

“Fatty, Muer and I are here to see you.” Ye Bai pushed open the carved redwood door and entered. Instantly, the metallic atmosphere shattered the antique ambiance outside.

A black bear pounded relentlessly on a strength meter, registering levels beyond ordinary body-tempering strength. His bronze skin was flushed, sweat streaming down his muscles and dripping onto the floor.

“Fatty, what’s wrong? How did you hurt your arm?” Ye Bai hurried over to stop Li Fei’s training.

Li Fei’s reddened eyes gradually cleared. “Ye Bai? Why are you here? Weren’t you in the Ghostwood Mountains?” He turned to grab a towel for his sweat, pausing for a moment before feigning nonchalance.

“Muer’s here too.” Li Fei wiped his sweat as he walked over to the smart terminal and said, “Two bottles of water and some snacks.”

The terminal’s exterior retracted, and chairs and a sofa appeared. Soon, food and drinks materialized on the table.

“Sit, Muer—these are all your favorites.” He then glanced at Ye Bai, as if to say he wished he’d been told in advance, to avoid such awkwardness.

Ye Mu smiled sweetly at the snacks before her. “Thank you, Brother Fei.” Ye Bai sat beside Li Fei, studying Fatty’s arm with concern.

Li Fei scratched his head sheepishly. “Well, I don’t know who it was. The day I brought you back, I passed by Proud Chill Martial Hall, and the master dragged me in to spar with a mysterious guest. After a few moves, I was down.”

He opened a bottle, took a sip, and continued, “Hurt my arm by accident, but it’s nothing serious. A few more days and it’ll be fine. My dad checked it, but said nothing.”

Li Fei looked at Ye Bai several times, his face full of mischief. Ye Bai felt a chill—if he didn’t know Li Fei, he’d have thought he was about to do something to him.

“Ye Bai, give it a try. Let me see how you’ve improved after your Ghostwood training.” Li Fei raised his eyebrows at the training equipment.

Ye Mu sat quietly eating snacks, saying nothing. She knew her brother had brought her here so she could witness the hard work of others.

Before long, Ye Bai sat down again.

“Ye Bai, you’re close to breaking through to entry-level, right?” Li Fei looked at Ye Bai, excitement in his eyes, as if he were about to break through himself.

Ye Bai said nothing, but the image of a girl flashed before him. After a moment, he spoke, “I found some herbs in the Ghostwood Mountains. Now I’m almost there.”

With the exams approaching, Ye Bai didn’t linger at the Li Residence. But the next afternoon, news came that threw him into panic: after school, his sister never returned home.

Ye Mu was missing.