Chapter Fifty-nine: The Man in Black

“Ye Yun, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

On the morning after the gathering at Moonwatch Pavilion, Lu Suxue once again took the initiative to knock on Ye Yun’s door.

“Is it important?” Ye Yun asked, puzzled.

Lu Suxue was momentarily taken aback, uncertain why Ye Yun would ask such a question. She replied, “If you’re busy, I can talk to you later.”

Ye Yun nodded with a slight smile. “Then please wait just a moment.”

With that, he stepped out of his room and began practicing the Totem Battle Technique in the courtyard. The early morning is the best time for discipline; daily practice at dawn had long become his habit, and unless there was something truly pressing, he would not allow himself to miss it.

Lu Suxue’s expression froze—she had thought Ye Yun must have something important to attend to, but it turned out he was simply doing his morning exercises?

“What an unusual man,” she thought, unable to explain why she felt so differently about Ye Yun compared to others. There was something about him that set him apart.

With his inner energy circulating throughout his body, Ye Yun cycled through all eight of his Totem Battle Techniques, except the Qilin Totem, before sitting cross-legged to absorb the energies of heaven and earth, replenishing the internal power he had expended.

“Alright, what did you want to talk about?” he asked a while later, rising and walking toward Lu Suxue.

Lu Suxue suddenly found herself at a loss for words. She had come with the intention of explaining why she was staying at Ye Yun’s house. But now, standing before him, she worried that if she told him the truth, he might be offended.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Yun inquired, noticing her hesitation.

“Well… there’s a reason I’m staying at your house…” Lu Suxue said softly, lowering her head, unable to meet his gaze.

“Are you planning to move out?” Ye Yun asked.

“No, it’s not that… it’s just…” Her face flushed deeply, but she could not bring herself to speak the rest.

How could she simply blurt out that her grandfather had sent her to stay here in hopes that she and Ye Yun would spend more time together and perhaps become a couple? If she said it so plainly, all her maidenly reserve would be lost!

Seeing her flustered, Ye Yun was left a bit confused and smiled gently. “If it’s inconvenient to talk about, it’s alright. You can treat this place as your own home and stay as long as you wish.”

“Really? But what if someone tries to take me away by force?” Lu Suxue suddenly asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

Ye Yun chuckled. “You’re Elder Ye Min’s beloved granddaughter—who would dare take you away by force?”

“Will you protect me?” Lu Suxue abruptly looked up, her flawless face tinged with blush, her limpid eyes gazing straight into Ye Yun’s.

For a moment, Ye Yun felt his heart melt. Without thinking, he nodded. “Of course I’ll protect you.”

“Really?” Lu Suxue’s delight was unmistakable. Seeing Ye Yun staring at her, she felt as if his eyes were aflame, heating her cheeks even further.

Ye Yun felt an urge to draw this extraordinary woman into his arms once more, but he quickly snapped out of it, smiling wryly to himself. His master had been right—overcoming the tribulation of mortal emotions was no easy feat. Though he had embarked on the path of cultivation, his heart had yet to transcend worldly desires.

Had his heart reached full clarity, he would not have responded so instinctively.

He wondered whether encountering such a celestial beauty during this tribulation of emotions would prove to be a blessing or a curse.

“I have something to attend to outside,” Ye Yun suddenly said, breaking the slightly charged atmosphere.

“Oh, alright,” Lu Suxue replied softly, her head bowed.

He had already mastered the art of fire control and was preparing to concoct his first batch of elixirs. This outing was to gather herbs in Sunset Mountain.

Moving swiftly through the forest, Ye Yun felt as though he had merged with the landscape itself. Since childhood, he had trained and fought with wild beasts here, honing his skills and amassing battle experience. Sometimes, he even found solace in this environment.

He spotted a four-leaf jade grass and carefully picked it, storing it in a jade box. The scene suddenly reminded him of an encounter with Ye Qian in these very mountains.

He shook his head, clearing away the memory. If only things could remain as they were at the first meeting, he thought—sometimes, he wished none of it had ever happened.

Suddenly—

A faint sound of something slicing through the air reached his ear. Someone was moving rapidly through the forest, heading his way.

Ever since he’d been ambushed by Wu Lie here, Ye Yun had become extremely vigilant each time he entered Sunset Mountain. With a flicker, he concealed himself among the nearby brush, intent on seeing who approached.

The sound grew louder. The person made no effort to hide their presence. A figure appeared, stumbling and falling to the ground with a thud.

Ye Yun’s eyes narrowed. The person was obese and wore the attire of a Ye clan cultivator.

“Steward Ye Wubao?”

With a sweep of his spiritual sense, the man’s features became clear in Ye Yun’s mind, causing him to start in surprise.

In an instant, he leaped from his hiding place, reaching Ye Wubao in a few quick steps and helping him up.

Ye Wubao had always treated him kindly, especially whenever Ye Yun visited the storeroom. But now, the steward was covered in wounds, blood pouring from him, clearly having survived a fierce battle in the mountains and barely escaped with his life.

“Elder Wubao?” Ye Yun called, but there was no response. Probing with his energy, he discovered Wubao’s injuries were severe—he had fallen unconscious and his energy was completely depleted.

Ye Yun flipped his hand and produced a jade vial from his Dragon-Phoenix Pendant. Inside were three True Qi Pills he had obtained after killing Wu Lie. He pried open Wubao’s mouth and placed a pill inside; as the medicine took effect, it would help restore some of the exhausted energy.

Unfortunately, he had no healing elixirs on hand, so it would be a while before Wubao regained consciousness.

“Who would dare attack Steward Wubao here in Sunset Mountain?” Ye Yun examined the wounds—most were sword gashes, imbued with traces of spiritual energy, likely from a flying sword or similar artifact.

A sudden sword hum resounded through the air, warning Ye Yun of imminent danger. Instantly, the White Tiger Sword leapt to his hand.

Sparks flew as their blades met. Looking up, Ye Yun saw a man dressed in black emerge slowly from the shadow of a towering tree. A flying sword hovered at his side—it was clear this man had launched the attack.

“Oh? I came to kill this fat man, and it seems I’ve stumbled upon another lucrative opportunity,” the man in black sneered, his voice hoarse and cold.

“You’re the one who hurt Steward Wubao?” Ye Yun demanded, frowning.

“Indeed. The fat fool was quite good at running, but now, at least he won’t be alone on his way to the underworld—you’ll be keeping him company.”

Without another word, the man in black sent his flying sword hurtling toward Ye Yun in a flash of deadly light.