Chapter 263: I Am Not the Tianyao Sacred Lord

In fact, if it were up to Ji Wenchuan, he should have informed Yan Jun much earlier.

What's a bigger scandal than two Transcendent Masters openly fighting over a man? It's three Transcendent Masters fighting over a man, and two of them look so similar. Unfortunately, events unfolded too quickly. Ji Wenchuan knew there wasn't enough time; even if Yan Jun received the message, she couldn't teleport from Myriad Sound Mountain, tens of thousands of miles away, to Frozen Moon Cold River. So, he simply didn't bother. He wondered what effect it would have if he reported it later. Would Yan Jun still be able to maintain her haughty demeanor, believing she was in control? She herself was the one below the stage... It was the first time Ji Wenchuan realized his boss resembled a clown on stage.

Anuo cautiously said, "Let's not tell Sister Yu... Uncle Ji, if you're reporting the situation, just report the battle. You can mention my master participated, but please don't add any gossip..."

Ji Wenchuan eyed her askance. "Why not? Your master dares to chase women outside, and you want me to deceive the Empress?"

"Because all of that... for now, it's just a misunderstanding..." Anuo almost chuckled as she said this. Perhaps no bystander dared to imagine that the reality of two Transcendent Masters fighting over a man simply didn't exist. There was absolutely no romantic interest from Master Ye, and Long Qinghuang was merely admiring his appearance at most. It was all so premature... yet the reputation was utterly ruined.

Seeing Anuo's chubby face, tear-streaked yet breaking into a grin, Ji Wenchuan was speechless. "Long Qinghuang publicly stated it. Are you sure it's a misunderstanding?"

"It's truly, truly a misunderstanding. Look, Long Qinghuang even got Master's name wrong. How close could they be?" Anuo cautiously pleaded, "You can't tell Sister Yu, or if you do, you have to say it's a misunderstanding... because that's the truth, you can't lie to Yan Jun, right?"

Ji Wenchuan: "..." As if I'd believe you, little rascal? You're even trying to deceive Uncle Ji, who dotes on you so much. Do you really think I'm as easily fooled by your sweet demeanor as others?

"Never mind, we'll talk about it later. For now, finding your master is the priority."

At this moment, everyone from Tianyao Holy Land was in a panic. The Sect Master was gone... Could she have been sucked into a spatial rift? With the Sect Master's abilities, it shouldn't be difficult to evade a sudden rift, even if it appeared right in front of her. Right, Lu Xingzhou wasn't there either. So, is there a possibility that she wasn't sucked into a rift, but rather the Sect Master took her "little puppy" for some post-battle intimacy? That would be far too impatient. The loose ends here haven't been tied up; the people from Frost Nation are still here, and the traitors from Tianyao Holy Land haven't been dealt with.

"Ahem," Elder Su Yuan, who had previously negotiated with Ji Wenchuan and was the first to realize the impropriety between the Sect Master and Lu Xingzhou (and thus thought he was doomed), cleared his throat twice. He approached Si Han for a talk. "Lord Si, since you've lost your Bone Dragon, it seems our Sect Master believes your punishment is sufficient."

Si Han looked up at him, somewhat bewildered.

Su Yuan said flatly, "The Sect Master's departure means she doesn't wish to pursue this matter further. You may leave. However, we've noted the animosity between your nation and our Tianyao Holy Land this time. There will be repercussions in the future."

The people of Frost Nation had initially obeyed Si Han because he possessed the Bone Dragon, allowing him to overwhelm others. This was meant to be Si Han's first battle to unify the alliance. If he had successfully injured the Tianyao Holy Master or the Demon Emperor, his prestige would have immediately shaken Frost Nation, making unification unquestionable. As it turned out, the whole affair was a messy failure. Neither the Demon Emperor nor the Tianyao Holy Master suffered even a scratch. Now, seeing that Si Han had lost his Bone Dragon, some of the more irritable individuals snorted coldly and left directly. It now appeared that Si Han's plan to unify Frost Nation would be severely undermined, and his current rule over the alliance might even be shaken.

Si Han no longer had the heart to argue with the Tianyao Holy Land members, nor did he dare to ponder whether the mysteriously vanished Ye Tinglan had entered a spatial rift or was having a tender moment with her "little puppy." He quickly retreated with his confidantes. A chaotic free-for-all among top powers, where allegiances were hard to distinguish, ultimately ended with a bizarre outcome of almost no casualties. Only the people of Tianyao Holy Land remained on the glacier, scattering to search for their Holy Master, but found nothing.

"Thud," Ye Tinglan, holding Lu Xingzhou, both fell into the ground. Suddenly confronting spatial turbulence was like being flayed a thousand times. Even with Ye Tinglan's protective abilities, she couldn't completely block the spatial tearing; her robes were ripped to shreds, and there were large patches of blood on her hands and back from the scratches. Conversely, Lu Xingzhou, whom she protected in her embrace, was largely unharmed, only sustaining a single scratch on his back.

The fall sent them tumbling several times on the ground. When they stopped, Ye Tinglan was on top, and Lu Xingzhou was beneath her. They gazed at each other for a moment, breathing heavily, their eyes filled with complex emotions. Lu Xingzhou's were particularly complex. He had initially been furious that this woman had deceived him, but her first reaction was to selflessly save him, not hesitating to fall together into unpredictable spatial chaos, with no guarantee of returning. His life, Lu Xingzhou's, was worthless, but hers, Ye Tinglan's, was not. She was the foremost expert in the world, the Holy Master of Tianyao, the Imperial Advisor of Great Qian. A person whose very stomp could shake mountains and rivers. The changes to the world's power structure her disappearance would cause were simply unfathomable. Yet such a figure was willing to accompany him into this unknown danger. Even if she had no time to think in the moment, and it was merely an instinctive reaction, it was enough to profoundly move Lu Xingzhou.

At this moment, they were pressed close together. Her ample and soft form pressed against his chest, her delicate fragrance was close at hand, and the sensation was indescribably wonderful. After a moment of eye contact, Lu Xingzhou finally whispered, "Tha... thank you."

Ye Tinglan somewhat laboriously clambered off him, ungracefully slumping to the side. "I brought you to the glacier; I must be responsible for your life. It was my fault for not paying attention for a while, allowing you to fall into the Demon Emperor's hands. There can't be any more mishaps."

Lu Xingzhou sat up as well. "Is that all there is to it?"

Ye Tinglan glared. "What else?"

Lu Xingzhou pursed his lips. "Does 'Mister' have anything to tell me? About your identity, for instance."

Ye Tinglan said, "First, tell me, from that distance, how much of the conversation between Long Qinghuang and me could you hear?"

Lu Xingzhou answered honestly, "I didn't hear much of that. The distance was too great, and my cultivation isn't high enough. I could only faintly hear a few scattered words. But I could pretty much guess what was being said."

"You heard her say 'fighting over a man'?"

"I did hear the three words 'fighting over a man.' I didn't catch the rest."

These were all facts; Lu Xingzhou truly hadn't heard clearly. He didn't know why she was asking, or what significance it held. So many people around had heard; what difference would it make if he had heard clearly or not? Lu Xingzhou thought she was sensitive, and quickly caught on, offering a convenient excuse: "Of course, that was Long Qinghuang's nonsense. She didn't know you were my 'Mister.'"

However, their thought processes didn't align this time. What Ye Tinglan cared about wasn't that, but rather: "Good that you didn't hear clearly. Alright, then I can tell you my identity. I did deceive you. There's no such thing as Hidden Cloud Immortal Sect. I'm from Tianyao Holy Land, and the Sect Master is my senior sister."

Lu Xingzhou: "?"

Ye Tinglan: (pretends to look confused)

They looked at each other, and seeing her feign a bewildered expression as if she had no idea what he was confused about, Lu Xingzhou almost burst out laughing. Still trying to hide it now? Was it because the dignified Holy Master had pretended for so long in front of a man that she couldn't save face, so it sounded better to say she was a junior sister sent on a mission? Do you really take me for a fool? Seeing her stubborn, defiant look, she became even more endearing for no reason. Lu Xingzhou finally chuckled, "Alright, alright. I don't care about your origin. It's safe to say you're a spy, right?"

Ye Tinglan: "..."

At that moment, Ye Tinglan completely understood his implication. You're a spy, so I won't treat you as 'Mister' anymore. I won't be so polite with you. Why shed the "Mister" identity and be less polite? Not a single word was explicitly said, but the meaning was entirely clear.

Ye Tinglan flared up, "You..." Before she could finish, a medicinal pill was slipped into her crimson lips. "Little spy, so irritable even when you're this injured. Take your medicine first." Her red lips brushed his fingertips, and both of them shivered slightly. Lu Xingzhou deliberately traced his finger over her lips. The next moment, a small foot kicked out, sending Lu Xingzhou tumbling backward.

The pill melted instantly in her mouth. The burning pain on Ye Tinglan's back immediately cooled significantly, and signs of bleeding stopping and healing appeared. She then sat down to meditate, focusing on digesting the medicinal properties, too lazy to bother with the scoundrel groaning on the ground.

Lu Xingzhou also popped a pill himself and sat up again, smiling. "A pill 'Mister' guided me to make, want to sample it?"

Ye Tinglan retorted irritably, "Still 'Mister'?"

"No conflict," Lu Xingzhou said, resting his chin in his hand. "Since you're not the Tianyao Holy Master, what's your name? Can you tell me?"

Ye Tinglan said with a straight face, "Ye Zhuoyu."

Lu Xingzhou finally burst out laughing.

"Didn't you think I was a spy against the Yanluo Palace? Well, isn't 'Zhuoyu' (catching fish) exactly for that purpose?" Ye Tinglan said, then chuckled herself. She stood up with some difficulty and looked around. Ultimately, it was a completely unknown place, filled with unknown dangers. She didn't have much mind to argue further.

At first glance, it appeared to be a lakeside. The lake water was clear and brimming with spiritual energy. The surrounding flowers and plants gave off a pleasant fragrance, though there were no signs of animal life. It looked nothing like the bottom of a glacier.

She naturally turned her head and called out, "Hey, don't just sit there. Come take a look with me, give me your thoughts."

Lu Xingzhou stood up and walked to her side, looking at the lake. Suddenly he said, "This is the first time you've actively asked for my help."

Ye Tinglan turned her head, looking at his profile, and felt a slight stir in her heart. Yes, he had always told her not to be so tired, implying that he could help. But she had never truly considered him one of her own before. How could she possibly entrust matters of the sect or the nation to an outsider like him for advice? Yet this time, had he not seen through everything, such a universally happy outcome would have been absolutely impossible. Forget whether she herself would have been injured by others' schemes; simply considering so many Transcendent Masters participating in a battle that could easily have led to rivers of blood, achieving such a result with almost no casualties was largely thanks to him. Why couldn't she entrust more to him, just like Shen Tang? It would also allow the shoulders that had long supported the world to relax a little, to have someone to rely on.

She turned her head back, continuing to look at the lake. Listening to her own voice, she heard a softness she had never before perceived, and a hint of coyness that surprised even herself: "So, are you going to help or not?"

Lu Xingzhou didn't answer immediately.

Ye Tinglan stamped her foot and turned to leave. "Fine if you won't help. We can just be trapped and die here." Before she finished speaking, her hand was caught by the man. She turned her head to see Lu Xingzhou cautiously saying, "Don't pinch me anymore, there's no one else here..."

"No one else means you can hold my hand?"

"My brain needs a special activation method... See why I was able to see through their schemes just now? It was because I was holding your hand."