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Translator: Zenas
Proofreader: Silavin
Ye Ling and others were inside the pavilion at present. Bai Lie had been eagerly expecting the arrival of his fiancé, and at the time the moonlight began to shine brightly on the eaves, he finally heard a voice that transmitted from the void outside the pavilion, “Bai Lie, I’m here!”
It was a pleasing and charming voice that could make the listener intoxicated. Bai Lie showed a look of joy as he immediately walked over to the window to welcome the visitor. All the young prodigies also got up one by one as their eyes shone with expectation. When it came to a beauty of Yin Mei’s level, it was never enough no matter how many times they saw her. It was no wonder that even a ruthless man like Bai Lie had lost himself in her feminine charms.
“Nine-Lives Gifted Lady, Yin Mei…” Ye Ling was no exception, either. The longer he looked at her, the more stunning she appeared to him. It was obvious that Yin Mei had seriously dressed up and applied some face powder before coming here. She looked so gorgeous that he could not help but be envious of Bai Lie.
“Yin Mei, you’re finally here?” Bai Lie greeted her with a smile. The expression on his face showed how much he was into her.
“Yes, I am!” A woman in a red skirt giggled. As she walked out of the illusory darkness in the void step by step, it seemed as if tender and beautiful flowers were blooming at her feet. Her face had an unusually bewitching charm to it. She was extremely beautiful, but her beauty was different from other women that were considered goddesses. She had the beauty of a fox demon that seemed capable of charming all living beings.
Once she was finally out of the illusory shadow and stood on the void, her beauty seemed almost ethereal and her beautifully-shaped face shone like a white jade of the best quality. Her brows were curved in a beautiful way and her ruby-like eyes had a glow to them. Her delicate nose was erect and she had glossy red lips. Her pearly-white teeth were sparkling, and her beautiful hair was shiny and silky. Under the dim light of the stars and moon, her tall and graceful figure walked over to the centre of the pavilion, appearing like a peerless celestial flower that could charm every living being in the world. Her glistening skin was absolutely perfect as well. It was obvious that Yin Mei had specially dolled herself up today. She looked a lot more beautiful than she ever did when Bai Lie met her before.
Bai Lie was in daze for a moment but he came to himself very soon and let out a sigh with admiration, “Yin Mei, you’re so beautiful!”
Yin Mei rolled her eyes with a hint of embarrassment on her face and said in a tone of criticism, “What a fool.”
Her words made Bai Lie almost lose control of his body. He felt as if his soul was trembling at this moment. But he quickly noticed that everyone inside the pavilion, including his younger brother Ye Ling, had a dazed look on their faces as they gazed at Yin Mei. It caused him to immediately show a displeased and uncomfortable expression on his face. After all, Yin Mei was here to see him, and she had even dressed up so well for the occasion. How could he let other men stare at her beautiful appearance like this? Although Bai Lie was an open-minded person, he was also a man that had an unusually strong possessive nature. He let out a loud snort at once to express his dissatisfaction.
When those inside the pavilion heard the sound, they came to themselves immediately and took their eyes off of her as fast they could with an awkward look on their faces.
Ye Ling also slowly took his eyes away from her. He pretended to be composed as he raised his glass and gulped down a mouthful of wine before saying, “Brother Bai Lie, you’re so fortunate!”
Bai Lie would have definitely felt very happy to hear such words if it was any other time, but right now, he was feeling kind of suspicious about Ye Ling. He could not help making a mental connection of Ye Ling’s words with his fondness for beautiful women.
“Yin Mei, you came at the right time. We were just talking about you.” But Bai Lie decided not to think too much about it. He promptly welcomed Yin Mei with a smile on his face. At the same time, he instructed the pavilion staff to replace the empty wine bottles with new ones.
It was rare for Yin Mei to take the initiative to come look for him. Furthermore, she had also dolled herself up so beautifully. It had really made him very happy, so much so that his whole face was red from excitement and the ‘王’ character on his forehead was glimmering with an unusual radiance. Bai Lie felt that there was a chance of something wonderful happening tonight. They might get really close to each other this time. After all, it was night time and his fiancé would also be under the influence of wine. Just thinking about it made him feel thrilled and excited.
“I’m sorry for meeting you after so long. Recently, there’s been many things happening inside the sect, and Senior Brother Gu has already been announced as the successor. His conferring ceremony will be held soon. He has left the sect today, or I won’t dare to leave the sect without a proper reason.” Yin Mei said with a faint smile as she sat down in a poised way.
She had maintained some distance with others, which made Bai Lie even happier instead of being displeased. At this moment, he earnestly wished for everyone to leave, so that the two of them could be alone.
The banquet started once again. Yin Mei conversed with others in a natural and relaxed manner that was very appropriate to the occasion. But Bai Lei did not seem to like it, especially how some of the young prodigies there kept glancing furtively at her. Yin Mei was really a bit too beautiful and moving tonight. There was simply no way for her to not attract the attention of others. But when they saw Bai Lie’s expression, they acted very tactfully and bid their farewell, leaving the place one after the other. The loss would outweigh the gain if they ended up offending Bai Lie because of such a thing. Soon, only Ye Ling, Yin Mei, and Bai Lie were left.
“A toast in respect to you, Gifted Lady. It’s very rare to see a greatly talented woman like you who could dare to stand up against a powerful person like Gu Changge, instead of trying to curry favour with him! You did not show fear, despite the fact that Skyward Schloss is dominated by Gu Changge. This point alone is enough for your younger brother to admire you!” Ye Ling said while laughing as he raised the wine cup in his hand to toast Yin Mei who was sitting far away.
He was actually speaking the truth. When he heard about the matter that happened at the Thousands Banquet, he formed a very favourable opinion of Yin Mei for being an unyielding woman with moral integrity. It was not like he had not seen her many times by now. However, she truly looked stunning tonight. He was inwardly sighing with emotion at the good luck his Brother Bai Lei had to be able to get such a woman as his partner. She was also the Gifted Lady of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan and it was rare to be able to get a woman with such a noble identity. As he thought about these things, he downed the wine in his cup in one gulp and appeared very dauntless.
“Brother Ye Ling, you’re so polite.” Yin Mei seemed to be feeling happy upon hearing his words of praise. A smile bloomed on her face as she also raised her glass in toast. “I recently heard many rumours about Brother Ye Ling which made me admire you a lot. Not only had you fought to a draw against Ye Langtian, who is called the Almighty One, you even decided to challenge Senior Brother Gu to a fight. It’s astonishing to find someone so bold. I don’t think there’s anyone who could match your courage. Daring to challenge Senior Brother Gu, despite knowing how strong he is.” She smiled with pursed lips and the corners of her eyes curved. She appeared jovial as she began to chat with Ye Ling with some distance between the two.
“You flatter me, Gifted Lady. But you know what, there’s really no need to be afraid of him. Gu Changge may be strong but there’s still many who are not afraid of him.” Ye Ling laughed upon listening to her words of praise. He was really enjoying being flattered like this, especially because it was the fiancé of his big brother who was doing so. It triggered an unusual feeling in his heart but he managed to keep it from being sensed by others.
The two of them were so absorbed in their talk as if no one else were present. Yin Mei covered her mouth from time to time whenever she laughed and often used her eyes to express herself, which made her appear even more beautiful and moving. On the other hand, although Ye Ling had average looks, the way he carried himself with confidence made him seem extraordinary. As Bai Lie watched the scene before his eyes, an unsightly look emerged on his face. It was like he had become an outsider among them at this moment. Furthermore, Yin Mei was normally very formal with him and she never showed such a casual and relaxed attitude. But now that she was talking with Ye Ling, she was laughing from time to time and seemed very happy. Bai Lie’s expression was becoming increasingly unsightly. Usually, he would find Ye Ling pleasing to the eye, but right now, he had also become an eyesore to Bai Lie.
“Ye Ling…” Bai Lie called out with a slightly dark look on his face. He did not call him ‘worthy younger brother’ like he did normally and called him by his full name instead.
“Brother Bai Lie…” Ye Ling also realized the situation all of a sudden and an awkward look appeared on his face. He had just now assumed the role that Bai Lie was supposed to have. He was solely focussed on chatting with Yin Mei while paying no attention to Bai Lie. However, he still did not care much about it in his heart and felt that Bai Lie was a bit too narrow-minded. [I was just talking with Yin Mei. There is enough distance between us as well, so what is there for him to fuss about?]
Then, he looked at the night scene outside and got up to bid his farewell with a smile, “Your younger brother won’t be bothering you any longer. It’s already quite late, so I should also leave and get some rest.” He was aware that Bai Lie might be angry right now. As such, he was planning to leave before things got any worse. Giving some breathing room for Bai Lie to calm his anger. He had always been lucky with women, so exchanging some words with Yin Mei was nothing out of the ordinary. He felt that Bai Lie was simply making a fuss over nothing.
Bai Lie did not look too good at the moment. In his opinion, what Ye Ling did could not be explained away. He had been so considerate of Ye Ling all this time, providing him with many cultivation resources. But just now, he was trying to ‘woo’ his fiancé! [What in the world kind of brother is he?]
Bai Lie did not say anything more as he looked gloomy. Ye Ling also bid his farewell to Yin Mei and immediately walked out of the pavilion. At least, his current residence was not far from this place. Now there were only Bai Lie and Yin Mei left inside the pavilion. Bai Lie stared at Yin Mei, who had always kept some distance between them. He had a very displeased look as he prepared to demand an explanation for what she had done.
It was at this time that the smile on Yin Mei’s face disappeared too. Before Bai Lie could ask anything, she said in an indifferent tone, “That Ye Ling harbours evil intentions. Stay away from him hereafter.”
The change in her look was so fast that it not only shocked Bai Lie, he was flabbergasted as well. Just a little while ago she was talking and laughing with Ye Ling but now, she has gone back to her formal and detached attitude. It shocked him so much that it took him some time to recover from it. But he widened his eyes soon after, when he heard her words. [Was Yin Mei actually trying to probe Ye Ling just now?]
Yin Mei glanced at him with a look of irritation and disappointment as she said indifferently, “Is your brain just for show? How could you come so far with a person like that? Since the first day we met, that Ye Ling has always been staring at me with impure intention in his eyes. Who knows what he has been planning to do in his mind? It’s just that you never noticed it. If I told this to you directly at the time, I’m afraid you would’ve suspected me of wanting to separate you two brothers. So, did you get a good look at his true nature today?” She looked fixedly at Bai Lie after finishing her words. There was a deep frown on her face as she seemed very disappointed in him.
“Well…” Bai Lie was dumbfounded. Hearing her explanation and mentally connecting it with her unusual behaviour today, he had soon come to understand the situation.
He did not doubt her words. In fact, he could not find any reason to doubt them in the first place. After all, Ye Ling had really gone overboard just now. Thinking carefully about it, the only reason Yin Mei did what she did was to help him clearly see Ye Ling’s true colours. Bai Lie was moved when he came to this realization. He did not expect Yin Mei to be so thoughtful of him. And yet, he had doubts about her a few moments ago… It made Bai Lie feel guilt and he was also moved at the same time.
“Yin Mei, you had such a good intention but I ended up criticising you due to my ignorance. You were just thinking for my sake.” Bai Lie said in an emotional voice. A cold look had gradually appeared on his face by the time he finished his words. “Actually, I was always aware of Ye Ling’s nature, but I did not think that he’d dare to make a move on you as well…”
Bai Lie knew that Ye Ling had the intention of making a move on Yue Mingkong, the crown princess of the Unrivalled Celestial Dynasty, despite the fact that she already had a fiancé. Thinking about how he acted today with that knowledge in mind, his expression became cold as ice. He instantly placed him under the same category as Gu Changge.
“Hmph, I know that Ye Ling might look respectful on the surface but he has inappropriate thoughts in mind. There’s no difference between him and Gu Changge!” Bai Lie spoke coldly as he began to think about how he was going to deal with Ye Ling.
While he was not looking, a hint of mockery flashed through Yin Mei’s eyes. But it disappeared immediately as she was able to conceal it very well. Everything that she had said was naturally planned and instructed by Gu Changge. Yin Mei was simply doing as she was told, and the situation had developed exactly as Gu Changge had said, without the slightest deviation.
This made her even more frightened of him. The way Gu Changge could manipulate others was really too scary. In the beginning, she did not think that it would be so easy to achieve the objective of the plan. Bai Lie and Ye Ling had deep brotherly emotions for each other, so it was surprising how easily Gu Changge had managed to break their bond. To achieve the objective, all she had done was to meet Bai Lie a few times and exchange some words with him. She had not done anything else at all. But Yin Mei was also clear that one of the reasons that made it so easy was her outstanding acting skills as the Gifted Lady of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan. It prevented others from noticing any flaw when she was acting according to the plan. Of course, the main reason was still the fact that Gu Changge had precisely manipulated Bai Lie on the basis of his nature, and it made her shiver in her heart.
[Gu Changge had yet to show himself before Bai Lie and Ye Ling! Yet, he still has a firm control over the whole situation. Both of them definitely do not have any idea that Gu Changge have been carrying out his plan in secret. This is just too frightening!] Reflecting on it, Yin Mei found herself to be fortunate. She was even more certain of her decision back then. If she had not done what she did, she might have already died without even realizing it.
“Yin Mei, it’s already so late at night. Are you still planning to return to the sect?” Suddenly, Bai Lie asked Yin Mei with a look of expectation. It was too late for Yin Mei to choose to return to the sect after all.
Yin Mei already had her usual look on her face and one could not find anything strange with it. She shook her head lightly as she replied with a smile, “I won’t be returning tonight. I’ve got a small courtyard house in this ancient city, so I’ll be resting there.”
Bai Lie was a bit disappointed to hear what she said, but he also could not demand her to be with him tonight. Yin Mei didn’t stay for long and bid her farewell to him. But just when she was about to step out of the pavilion, a light flashed through her eyes and her smiling voice drifted into Bai Lie’s ears, “But it’s not far from here, located only a hundred and fifty meters to the east.”
“Located a hundred and fifty meters to the east…” These words made Bai Lie’s eyes burn with intensity as he felt joy in his heart. Was this Yin Mei giving him the hint to come visit her?
But he was in no hurry to go to her place. His face turned gloomy and he waved his hand.
“Appear…”
A terrifying figure appeared from the void behind him, with extremely exuberant blood and vigour. He was none other than his secret guardian who was a great expert of the White Tiger Clan.
“Young Master!”
At the same time, his usual attendants and followers also appeared at the pavilion. There were not few in number and each of them was extremely strong, with the weakest ones at the Honoured Nobility Realm.
“Bring Ye Ling here. How dare that damned bastard try such a thing with me.” Bai Lie commanded with a dark expression.
“Understood, Young Master!” All the people, including his guardian, rushed out of the pavilion as they headed to Ye Ling’s residence.
Bai Lie felt a bit at ease as he looked at the scene. He knew that Ye Ling had many tricks up his sleeves, so he had decided to send his guardian. This way, he could ensure Ye Ling’s capture.
“Yin Mei said those words to me as a hint, right?” Bai Lie could not help but show a smile on his face. He also left the pavilion in hurry to go over to the place Yin Mei had mentioned.
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