Chapter Sixty-Five: Act With Prudence

Another member of the Wu clan, seeing Wu Qiong gravely injured by a single exchange and finding himself too close to cast spells or summon a magical treasure, let out a bellow and drove his fists toward Ye Yun’s back. Although this cultivator was at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm and moved with speed, his martial skills were crude—like many who, after building their foundation, relied on spells and magical artifacts rather than physical prowess.

But Ye Yun was different. In his eyes, this Foundation Establishment cultivator was like a toothless tiger, utterly unthreatening. Scarlet flames surged between his fingers; with a single palm strike, a crimson dragon formed from internal energy roared forth. The cultivator who had tried to attack his vital point screamed and was hurled back.

Ye Yun’s cultivation had already reached the verge of breaking through the Foundation Establishment stage, and the red flame internal energy he had mastered scorched his opponent’s body with searing burns. Still, this Wu clansman proved hardier than Wu Qiong, gritting his teeth against the agony of his flesh nearly searing, and shouted, “You can’t kill us! Do you know who he is? He’s the most beloved youngest son of our clan chief—if you…”

Before the man could finish, Ye Yun had already appeared before him, a cold smile playing at his lips, and kicked the man’s head, shattering it in a spray of blood and gore.

“There’s no ‘if.’ Both of you mongrels must die.”

After slaying the cultivator, Ye Yun approached the unconscious Wu Qiong. Pinching his fingers together, a delicate flame of scarlet essence danced at his fingertips. A breeze stirred, carrying the flame onto Wu Qiong’s body.

“Agh—!” In no time, Wu Qiong awakened, only to find himself engulfed in fire. He screamed in terror, frantically trying every means to extinguish the flames, but to no avail.

“This is the essence flame of heaven and earth. Even if you leap into a river, you won’t put it out,” Ye Yun mocked coldly from the side, idly toying with two storage pouches in his hand.

“Who are you? Even if I become a ghost, I, Wu Qiong, won’t let you go!” Wu Qiong howled with hatred and despair, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Ye Yun.

“Become a ghost?” Ye Yun laughed suddenly, his voice calm. “My scarlet essence flame will burn away your soul entirely. In less than a quarter of an hour you’ll be obliterated—no chance even to be a ghost, lost forever to reincarnation.”

Wu Qiong’s hope collapsed. A mad, twisted grin contorted his face as, blazing like a torch, he hurled himself at Ye Yun.

“How foolish.”

Ye Yun saw at a glance what Wu Qiong intended: to detonate the vortex of true energy in his dantian and drag Ye Yun down with him.

Originally, Ye Yun had intended to burn Wu Qiong with essence flame until he yielded, extracting from him the truth about what Ye Peng had secretly done to the Ye clan. He hadn’t expected Wu Qiong to be so vicious, seeking mutual destruction when faced with death. Even if Wu Qiong had betrayed Ye Peng, Ye Yun never planned to spare him; for such depraved trash, he would show no mercy.

From childhood, Ye Yun had read widely and understood one principle: to live in the world was, at minimum, to know right from wrong.

“Heaven-Burning Seal!”

He formed seals with his fingers, hands clasped at his chest, and for the second time unleashed the divine ability recorded in the Scarlet Flame Scroll. Torrents of flame swept forth, and Wu Qiong was reduced to ashes by the power of the Heaven-Burning Seal before he could even self-detonate—nothing remained of him.

Glancing at the still-unconscious Ye Qian, Ye Yun noticed her cheeks flushed and her torn garments revealing more than they should—a sight dazzling enough to make one’s heart race.

“Amitabha, the tribulation of the mortal world’s passions is truly formidable,” Ye Yun muttered, heart pounding, quickly closing his eyes and reciting as a monk might.

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was once more clear and calm. After all, he had already seen the unparalleled beauty of Lu Su Xue up close; his momentary distraction was but a natural reaction to the female form.

“Mmm… uh…” Suddenly, Ye Qian stirred from unconsciousness, her rosy lips parting in a soft moan that made the blood boil. Bound hand and foot, she twisted, her exposed, snowy chest trembling—Ye Yun’s heart skipped a beat once more.

Yet he could only smile wryly, stepping forward to gently straighten Ye Qian’s torn clothes, covering what should not be seen.

At that moment, Ye Qian awoke, her eyes drowsily opening to see Ye Yun’s face. Noticing his hand at her chest and her tattered dress, her first reaction was to scream.

“Ye Yun! I never imagined you were this kind of person—you’d do this to me!” Her hands were bound behind her, her fiery gaze locked on Ye Yun as she struggled.

“No, it wasn’t me…” Ye Yun hurried to explain; to be misunderstood by Ye Qian would be a grave injustice.

“Ye Yun, you’re still trying to deny it? I saw it with my own eyes—what more is there to say?” Ye Qian’s words were still angry, though her tone had softened.

Ye Yun was at a loss, not knowing where to begin.

“I know you’ve blamed me all these years for what happened, but I hope you can understand. Though the one I liked was you, for my parents’ sake and for better cultivation conditions, I had no choice but to choose Ye Peng,” Ye Qian’s voice became soft and frail.

Ye Yun could only offer a confused, bitter smile.

But Ye Qian went on, her eyes lingering on him, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she whispered, “If you don’t mind, my body is yours whenever you want—just don’t let Ye Peng find out…”

For a moment, Ye Yun was stunned, looking at Ye Qian in disbelief. Shaking his head bitterly, he replied coldly, “What do you take yourself for? To trade your body for cultivation and status? I’ll pretend I never heard what you just said—never bring it up again!”

With that, Ye Yun walked over and drew the White Tiger Sword, severing the special rope that bound Ye Qian’s hands—a material that ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators could never break.

“Don’t you want me?” Ye Qian suddenly threw herself into Ye Yun’s arms, her soft, voluptuous body pressing against his chest, sending any young man’s blood racing.

But Ye Yun was utterly calm. The seductive beauty before him, enough to drive any hot-blooded youth wild, now stirred only a trace of revulsion in his heart.

Yes, the woman he had once secretly adored now threw herself at him—and all he felt was disgust.

Without hesitation, he pushed her away, voice icy: “What do you take me for? For cultivation and status, you sold yourself to Ye Peng—everything between us ended long ago.”

“Go back. I hope you’ll make better choices from now on.” Not wishing to linger, Ye Yun left these words and vanished into the forest with a flash of movement.

Ye Qian stood frozen, biting her lip, Ye Yun’s words as sharp and stinging as a slap across her face.

“Ye Yun! You’ll regret this!” she shouted after his retreating figure, and in her mind’s eye, the stunning visage of Lu Su Xue involuntarily appeared.

“If I can’t have him, then Lu Su Xue, you won’t either…”