Chapter 71: Reunion

When Ziqingrong, riding along the road to Necrovolcano, heard the news, she halted her mount and frowned.

“Sis, what’s wrong?” Ziqingcheng asked.

“This news is very suspicious…” Ziqingrong mused for a few seconds, her eyes suddenly lighting up. “Qingcheng, do you know how to get to the Banditlands?”

Ziqingcheng blinked in confusion. “Of… of course, we’re right due north of the Banditlands now.”

Ziqingrong’s smile bloomed like a flower. “Good. Let’s go, to the Banditlands.”

…

At dawn, Ye Pei was quietly practicing his fists in the courtyard, neither fast nor slow. Xingyan, watching from the side, couldn’t make sense of the style.

“Young Master Ye, what technique is this?” she finally couldn’t help but ask.

Without pausing, Ye Pei smiled. “Ever since the war, I’ve carried a heavy temper. Now, when I practice, I slow my movements to adjust my state of mind.”

He paused, then asked, “Princess Yan, that Shi Kuang from the Shi family—where did he end up?”

Before Xingyan could reply, a tremendous bang sounded—the main gate of the You estate was suddenly kicked open by someone, sending the two guards stumbling back and landing on the ground.

The two guards must have been baffled. They thought Ye Pei’s manners the day before had already been brash enough, but today someone had come to kick the door in directly.

Ye Pei was startled too, staring at the youth dashing straight toward him, suspecting some assassin had tracked him down again.

“Damn it, this time You Siwan’s been well and truly dragged into it.”

Whatever he thought, Ye Pei’s hands didn’t hesitate. In half a second, his fists accelerated, meeting the youth head-on.

On contact, Ye Pei realized the youth wasn’t particularly strong.

His martial skills perhaps matched those of Yang Qin, though who knew if he had other tricks up his sleeve. Regardless, Ye Pei had no intention of giving him any chance to use them.

Having roughly gauged his opponent’s strength, Ye Pei launched two rounds of fierce attacks, forcing the youth onto the defensive. Then, with two quick punches, he pried apart the youth’s hands, spun, and delivered a kick aimed straight at his chest.

If that kick landed, the youth would surely cough up blood.

The youth knew it too. In desperation, he shouted, “Brother-in-law, have mercy!”

“What?!” Ye Pei’s mind whirled as he pulled back some strength, suddenly understanding.

Thud! The kick still landed on Ziqingcheng’s chest, sending him somersaulting out the doorway in a cloud of dust.

“Uh…” Ye Pei followed, crouching beside Ziqingcheng. “Little… brother-in-law? Is that the right term?”

“Is this the time to be worrying about that?!” Ziqingcheng roared, grimacing in pain.

“You saw I already pulled my punch. Any closer and I might have hurt myself.”

“And you had no qualms about hurting me?”

Ye Pei chuckled. “I’ll be facing plenty more assassins soon. Better you than me…”

“Ye Pei!”

At that moment, a delighted voice called from nearby.

A smile instantly broke across Ye Pei’s face. In a flash, he was standing before Ziqingrong.

—

Ye Pei gently smoothed Ziqingrong’s slightly disheveled hair and patted the dust from her clothes, smiling. “You really are as clever as ever.”

Ziqingrong instinctively took Ye Pei’s arm and walked with him toward the You estate, replying with a laugh, “Well, I am something of a prodigy.”

“Wow!” Ziqingcheng, having just gotten up, pointed at his cousin, his arm trembling. “Sis! You’re heartless—your own brother just got beaten up by him!”

Ziqingrong glanced at him. “I told you you couldn’t beat him, but you just had to charge ahead.”

This brings us to how Ziqingrong knew Ye Pei was here.

On the road, Ziqingcheng had asked why they were heading to the Banditlands.

“Let’s look at this message.”

Ziqingrong then recited it word for word:

“Ye Pei’s disguise has failed. He bears twin blades, wears blue, and carries a jade pendant engraved with eight weapons and a black demon. He’ll arrive at Necrovolcano in ten days.”

“So?” Ziqingcheng asked. “Sounds pretty accurate to me.”

Ziqingrong smiled, “Exactly—that’s the problem. This news is too accurate. The failed disguise, the pendant’s design—these can only be noticed at close range. I don’t believe some lowly spy could get that close.”

Seeing Ziqingcheng nod in understanding, Ziqingrong continued, “And as if that weren’t enough, he gave an even bigger hint—the exact time he’ll reach Necrovolcano. That’s nonsense.”

“Then how did you know he was in the Banditlands?”

Ziqingrong grinned. “The clue was in the pendant. I know it well—there are indeed eight weapons carved on it, but no black demon. That’s something only he and I would know. He’s telling me the message is for my eyes, and where to meet.”

Ziqingcheng’s face said it all: he didn’t quite understand, but it sounded impressive.

…

At the You estate.

Ziqingcheng’s injuries were not serious; Ye Pei had already held back half his strength. Now, You Siwan was tending to his minor wounds.

You Siwan, after all, was a seasoned traveler and merchant. Treating simple injuries was second nature to him.

“Ye Pei,” outside, Ziqingrong stood shoulder to shoulder with Ye Pei, “are you really going to Necrovolcano?”

Ye Pei heard her, pondered a while, then replied, “I had some unusual experiences in the Hunterlands recently. Now, I have no choice but to go to Necrovolcano.”

“Take me with you,” Ziqingrong said firmly.

“What?” Ye Pei was startled. “No, no, it’s too dangerous.” Though in truth, he didn’t know what dangers awaited—just a feeling in his heart.

Ziqingrong fixed him with a steady gaze. “If you insist on going, I won’t stop you. But you must take me with you!”

She paused, then added, “I’ve been practicing my sword every day while we were apart. I won’t drag you down…”

Before she finished, Ye Pei had pulled her into an embrace.

Ziqingrong was caught off guard, her face flushing bright red.

“Qingrong,” Ye Pei’s voice lost its usual calm, “don’t worry. No matter what danger comes, as long as I live, it will never reach you.”

At that moment, he knew for certain: this girl now held an irreplaceable place in his heart.

Ziqingrong didn’t resist, softly replying, “As long as you can take me with you.”

Smack!

—

A crisp sound rang out as Ziqingcheng slapped himself across the face.

“I’m not even engaged yet! And after just patching myself up, I have to witness this? You’re both ruthless!”

Ziqingrong, nestled in Ye Pei’s arms, retorted, “It’s not like no one’s proposed—you’re the one turning them all down.”

Ziqingcheng shouted, “I’m not that easy! Besides, haven’t you rejected all your suitors too?”

Ziqingrong glanced at Ye Pei. “But I found the right one.”

That was the final blow—a thunderbolt that shattered Ziqingcheng’s last defense.

“Oh no…” he clutched his chest, “my heart… With no elders around, you just bully me even more…”

…

The next morning, You Siwan gloomily called everyone to breakfast.

He was truly anxious: Ye Pei’s enemies could bring disaster to his doorstep at any moment. Yet his mother, Princess Yan, still chatted happily with Ye Pei every day, showing no intention of sending him away.

What’s worse, she wouldn’t let You Siwan listen in, but also forbade him from wandering far.

At first, You Siwan had tried eavesdropping, until one day he heard talk of “wiping out the Lin clan” and “taking half the Feng family’s holdings.” From then on, he wished he could stay a thousand miles away.

He wasn’t stupid—even if such talk didn’t trigger some “you know too much” scenario, at the very least, he’d rather cover his ears and avoid living in constant fear.

“Ye Pei,” over breakfast, Ziqingrong asked, “what’s next? Are we heading straight for Necrovolcano?”

Ye Pei smiled. “No, we’ll go to your home first.”

Ziqingrong blinked. Two seconds later, as if a terrible thought struck her, her eyes instantly reddened. “Are you sending me back?”

Ye Pei nearly dropped his chopsticks in panic—he never expected her thoughts to turn that way.

“No, no, don’t cry…” he hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes with his sleeve, drawing smirks from those at the table.

“Then what are you going to do?” Ziqingrong sniffled, looking ready to burst into tears again.

Ye Pei had no doubt: one wrong word and her tears would flow like a breached dam.

“I’m going there to discuss something with your father.” He watched her face closely as he spoke.

“What is it?”

Ye Pei glanced at You Siwan, but Xingyan smiled, “Go ahead, he’s already heard it all.”

That startled You Siwan even more.

Ye Pei no longer hesitated and turned to Ziqingrong, “Since I arrived in the Land of Flame, they’ve been hunting me non-stop. Even a clay idol has its limits, and I’ve done nothing to deserve this. Before I leave, I must leave them with something unforgettable.”

“So what do you plan to do?” Ziqingrong’s tears vanished, to Ye Pei’s relief.

“Let the Wan and Feng families carve up the Lin clan, and let your Zi clan seize half of the Feng clan’s territory! That’s the preliminary plan—the rest, we’ll adapt as it comes.”

“In short, besides shaking the tree to frighten the tigers, I’ll make sure the Zi tribe emerges as the greatest beneficiary of this chaos.”