Several days later, at Yunling Crossing, the checkpoint on the western border between Xuan Kingdom and Xu Kingdom.
On the main street, blood splattered three zhang.
Three corpses lay across the main street, all killed by a single sword strike, yet no one dared step forward to utter a single word.
Even the Xuan Kingdom border guards at Yunling Crossing did not dare step in to enforce the law.
Only because the three dead were all mortal outer sect disciples of a Demonic Sect branch in Southern Ridge Cloud Prefecture under the Central Plains Demon Sect, who had infiltrated Xuan Kingdom.
The woman wore a dark azure dress and long skirt, her hair reaching her waist and her skin as fair as cream—a peerless beauty who could captivate all beings with unmatched elegance.
And she was none other than Ye Tingyu, another Qinglan Sect member known as the ultimate sword below Human Immortal.
Ye Tingyu lightly flicked the blood from her sword blade.
The long sword, gleaming with faint blue light and cloud patterns, slid back into its sheath.
Her expression was cold and aloof, like a snow lotus on a high mountain.
Yet inwardly, she let out a sigh.
Even though Cangjie Grotto-Heaven had already collapsed, her junior brother Luo Huai’an was still missing, which left her feeling utterly wretched.
It was only to maintain her persona as a superior True Disciple of Qinglan Sect that she had never shown it.
“As expected of Senior Sister Ye. These three were Grandmaster-level experts in the Nanling Demonic Sect, yet you cut them down so easily, one sword each.”
At that moment, a Qinglan Sect outer sect disciple standing not far away, also dressed in a dark azure robe, saw that the matter was settled and came over with a smile plastered on his face.
Although he lowered his head and eyes respectfully, his gaze still involuntarily stole glances at Ye Tingyu’s stunning beauty.
But Ye Tingyu did not answer.
More precisely, she had fallen into some memory and did not pay the outer sect disciple any mind at all.
“Junior Brother seems to quite like the snacks in Xuan Kingdom… I hope he’s all right.”
Ye Tingyu blinked her beautiful eyes, speaking words only she could hear.
Whenever she thought of traveling down the mountain with her junior brother Luo Huai’an and eating her way through the countries of Southern Ridge Cloud Prefecture, she felt very happy and very at ease.
He was family as important as the sword in her hand, something that must never be touched.
Yet her Luo Shidi was now impossible to trace because of what that damned Demonic Woman Bai Yao had done inside Cangjie Grotto-Heaven.
“Junior Brother Tantai, are you certain Bai Yao is suspected to have fled to Xu Kingdom?”
After a long while, she raised her eyes and glanced at Tantai Feng, who stood respectfully beside her.
“Yes, Senior Sister Ye. That is indeed what the Supreme Elder conveyed…”
“Junior Brother, the Immortal Dao Does Not Interfere with Mortals. My master has nothing to do with this matter. Watch your words.”
Ye Tingyu’s gaze sharpened, and her tone grew even colder.
“Yes, yes, yes…”
Tantai Feng gave a start, his eyes shifting along with his words as he continued.
“This is intelligence from the Tantai family, one of the eight great families of Xu Kingdom.”
“Senior Brother Luo has a great opportunity and is safe, so Senior Sister need not worry.”
“And if Senior Sister wishes to eliminate demons and defend the Dao, you will surely find traces of that Demonic Woman Bai Yao in Xu Kingdom.”
“My Tantai family will serve you with all our strength, Senior Sister.”
“Good. Then I will leave this trip to Xu Kingdom to Junior Brother Tantai’s arrangements.”
Ye Tingyu turned and walked slowly toward the city gate in the direction of Xu Kingdom.
But after thinking for a moment, she still turned her head and gave a slightly stiff, worldly, polite smile.
“I, Ye Tingyu, do not owe the Tantai family any favors.”
“Since we are all Qinglan Sect disciples, wherever I can help, Junior Brother, just speak.”
“Then Tantai Feng thanks Senior Sister for her kindness.”
Tantai Feng was overjoyed, but he quickly suppressed the joy on his face and respectfully led the way for Ye Tingyu.
“1,000,000 li of Demon Energy surged, drawing the Demonic Sect out in full force to this tiny Xuan Kingdom…”
“Bai Yao, you unknown Four Attribute Mixed Spiritual Root cultivator, you truly dare do anything to defy heaven and change your fate.”
“But now both the righteous and demonic paths of half of Southern Ridge Cloud Prefecture are looking for you.”
“Where can you hide?”
Ye Tingyu spoke to herself as she followed Tantai Feng out of the city.
Then she boarded a winged flying carriage drawn by two flying horses, heading straight for Tianye City, where Xu Kingdom’s triennial Auction was being held.
Several more days later…
In the Heavenly Room of the Tantai family’s inn in Tianye City, Ye Tingyu rose from a fragrant, steaming bathing tub full of petals.
She gently removed the flecks of petals stuck to her clothing, then stepped out of the tub.
After drying herself, she walked over to the clothes rack and looked at the clothes the maid had placed there.
She frowned.
“Isn’t Junior Brother Tantai pushing his luck a bit?”
“I only agreed to attend the underground Auction to inquire about Bai Yao’s news, not to deal with those mundane commoners.”
Looking at the silk palace dress Tantai Feng had carefully prepared, extremely luxurious in appearance, Ye Tingyu shook her head helplessly.
She turned and picked up the Qinglan Sect’s dark azure uniform from another clothes rack.
The elegant standard female disciple’s uniform still could not hide Ye Tingyu’s graceful figure and the faint immortal aura she exuded.
As soon as she stepped out from behind the screen, a maid of no small beauty saw that Ye Tingyu was not wearing that gorgeous silk palace dress and immediately shot a look at another maid.
The maid, with Xin Ling Shen Hui, immediately retreated through a side door.
Then the maid of no small beauty handed Ye Tingyu her sword [Feng Ling Xu].
Another maid gently pushed open the room door and led Ye Tingyu out, passing through the inn’s courtyard corridor all the way to the main hall.
“Senior Sister, that dress…”
Tantai Feng had long been waiting in the main hall.
“A vulgar thing, far from my tastes.”
Ye Tingyu’s answer was concise and cold.
“Senior Sister, the attendees of this private Auction are all prominent family figures in Xu Kingdom’s business world.”
“Junior Brother thinks…”
“Junior Brother Tantai…”
Ye Tingyu’s voice suddenly turned cold.
“You don’t seem to have recognized a fact: these mortal noble families, even if they all came at me together, are no match for me.”
“The cultivation world prizes strength above all.”
“Even without these people, I could turn Tianye City upside down and still find where Bai Yao is.”
“As for you… I am only giving you and the Tantai family face for the sake of our fellow disciples.”
“You need only lead the way.”
As soon as these words came out, Tantai Feng’s expression instantly turned ugly.
However, it was not because this Senior Sister, a True Disciple of the Qinglan Sect’s Supreme Elder, had embarrassed him.
It was because he felt terror.
Because no one knew better than Tantai Feng, an outer sect disciple of Qinglan Sect, just how terrifying Ye Tingyu, the ultimate sword below Human Immortal, truly was.
She really would take on everyone below Human Immortal in the entire Xu Kingdom by herself.
And perhaps she truly would not lose.
“Yes… yes… I will obey Senior Sister’s teachings!”
Tantai Feng did not dare show the slightest disobedience and quickly bowed deeply.
Ye Tingyu said no more and directly boarded the carriage, waiting to depart for the Nangong family estate, one of the eight great families.
Tantai Feng personally drove the carriage and traveled with Ye Tingyu to their destination.
Ye Tingyu stepped down from the carriage, her bearing like a flower on a high ridge, an ice mountain snow lotus.
This was not because she pretended to be aloof.
After all, she was very clear that her appearance was exceptional.
Walking through the mortal world with such looks naturally attracted no small amount of covetousness and trouble.
In fact, since she arrived in Tianye City, along the way there had been many high officials, nobles, and rich young masters who flattered her and coveted her beauty.
But all were deterred by her terrifying strength, nearly invincible in the mortal world, and her noble status as a Qinglan Sect True Disciple.
No one dared harbor improper thoughts about her.
“Oh my, Young Master Tantai! This must be the famous Qinglan Sect True Disciple, Lady Ye Tingyu!”
The one who came to welcome them was none other than the Nangong family patriarch, Nangong Zhen.
Ye Tingyu nodded slightly in greeting on the surface, but inwardly she felt faintly disgusted.
It was only because Nangong Zhen’s gaze toward her was truly somewhat lecherous.
It was her first time encountering such a lecherous, greasy middle-aged man, and she could only forcefully suppress her discomfort.
But the next moment, Nangong Zhen changed his tone, turned half a step aside, and said to a young girl behind him whose beauty was no less than Ye Tingyu’s, yet who gave off a gentle and dignified air:
“Yao’er, quickly greet Lady Ye Tingyu.”
Hearing this address, Ye Tingyu’s originally indifferent mood snapped taut in an instant.
But the girl who responded was not Bai Yao, whom she subconsciously wanted to pursue.
She was a girl in a gorgeous palace dress, like a peony.
“Yes, Father.”
“Nangong Yao greets Lady Ye.”
Although she realized Nangong Yao was not Bai Yao, Ye Tingyu’s attention still did not leave the girl.
Instead, she asked an abrupt question:
“Do you have a master or sect lineage?”
“Huh?”
Nangong Yao was stunned for a moment, because this was the first time in the fifteen years since her birth that anyone had asked her such a question.
She took a moment to consider whether Ye Tingyu was asking about an immortal sect lineage, then answered with a gentle smile:
“Lady Ye jests. Nangong Yao is merely a mortal; how could I have a master or sect lineage?”
Yet although the words came from Nangong Yao’s mouth, Ye Tingyu keenly sensed that Tantai Feng and Nangong Zhen’s heartbeats suddenly sped up by half a beat, seemingly from nervousness.
“Hahaha, Patriarch Nangong, Miss Nangong, Senior Sister Ye is attending an Auction for the first time and also wishes to inquire about someone, so I will first accompany her into the Auction.”
Tantai Feng quickly bowed to Nangong Zhen and Nangong Yao, then made a gesture inviting Ye Tingyu to follow him inside.
“In that case, Miss Nangong, after this Auction ends, I hope to speak with you.”
Although Ye Tingyu was puzzled, she understood there were priorities, so she decided to follow Tantai Feng inside first.
“Since Lady Ye invites you, you should be glad to oblige.”
“Yao’er, why haven’t you thanked Lady Ye?”
“Thank you for the honor, Lady Ye. Nangong Yao is most honored.”
The father and daughter continued welcoming guests at the estate gate, but such a pairing made Ye Tingyu feel extremely strange and out of place.
A family patriarch letting his daughter show herself in public with him?
Even if this mortal world abounds with people who praise women for being unrestrained as if they were immortals, it should not be like them.
After they walked deeper into the estate, Tantai Feng seemed to notice Ye Tingyu’s confusion.
His eyes shifted, and after pondering for quite a while, he turned his head and said softly to Ye Tingyu:
“Senior Sister Ye… there is something I want to remind you of, Junior Brother.”
“Please don’t be angry.”
“Junior Brother Tantai, speak plainly.”
“It is only natural that Senior Sister is uninterested in all mortals of the mortal world, but please also do not take an interest in all ‘goods’ of the mortal world.”
“Junior Brother, what do you mean?”
“The meaning is… Nangong Yao is not Nangong Zhen’s daughter.”
“She is one of the ‘goods’ in tonight’s Auction.”
“Of course, every guest at this private Auction knows this.”
“Only Nangong Yao herself… does not.”