"You think these petty tricks can defeat me?" Mo Ran was no ordinary man after all. Using talismans to scheme against him once or twice might work, but over time he would naturally catch on. Sure enough, just as Ye Lishan pulled out a talisman and before she could stick it on him, he crushed it.
"Flying Fire Meteor."
So what if you crushed the talisman? This time it was only the lowest grade. With my current cultivation, if I were to craft talismans now, they wouldn't be so easily destroyed.
"A young lady with such a fiery temper—that's not good." Mo Ran blocked her hidden move and leaped onto a tree, inwardly regretting the wasted talisman. If he could take that talisman back to study, why would he still struggle against the sect leader?
"My temper is fiery? Are you sure you're talking about me?"
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Mo Ran found Ye Lishan's disbelief quite amusing.
"Master Mo's skill at lying through his teeth is truly remarkable." As a cultivator, Ye Lishan naturally favored an ethereal, graceful aura and paid great attention to her outward image. She never expected Mo Ran to describe her this way, lowering her opinion of him even further.
"Haha, I wouldn't dare take that compliment. Compared to Miss Ye, I still have a long way to go." Mo Ran's eyes seemed to see through everything, nearly making Ye Lishan want to look away from his gaze.
"Ye Yutian, what are you doing back here?" Just as he was about to relax, Ye Lishan suddenly blurted this out, startling Mo Ran into looking behind him. Seizing that opening, she quickly threw a dagger at him.
No matter how fast his reflexes were, he couldn't avoid being wounded by the dagger.
His entire aura underwent a startling transformation, shifting from his original sly nonchalance to a murderous intensity.
"Since you're so desperate to die, don't blame me for being ruthless." Mo Ran's tone was chilling, the sense of danger erupting in that instant.
But just then, Ye Yutian actually arrived—speak of the devil and he appears.
"Prince Ye, what are you doing back here?"
"What, you think that foolish trick can fool me again?" Mo Ran's icy voice rang out as he swiftly flew down. Before Ye Lishan could react, he grabbed her neck, as if he would snap it in the next second. At that very moment, Ye Yutian's spear stopped precisely at his temple.
Ye Yutian's gaze locked onto the hand gripping Ye Lishan's neck. Mo Ran's hand stiffened—he hadn't expected Ye Yutian to actually show up.
Ye Lishan used a clever maneuver, slipping her neck free from his grasp.
"If you two want to fight, take it outside. Don't disturb the peace of my courtyard." Her gaze was cold as flames flickered to life in her hands.
Ye Yutian shared the same thought—he didn't want Mo Ran appearing before Ye Lishan again.
Finally, the two left the courtyard, and Ye Lishan let out a sigh of relief.
Get stronger. I must get stronger. Only by becoming stronger can I avoid being controlled by others, protect those I want to protect, find those I seek, and do as I please.
At this moment, Ye Lishan's desire to grow stronger was so urgent, so undeniable.
"Huff." She took a deep breath, suppressing her thoughts.
Night fell, silent and still, silver moonlight blanketing the earth, making everything seem so tranquil.
Ye Lishan transformed back into Shan Luo and headed toward the small courtyard where Tao Yao trained assassins, wanting to see how they were progressing.
In the courtyard, killing intent emanated from all directions. Ye Lishan stood in the center and murmured, "Still not up to par."
Suddenly, sounds of breaking wind came from every side as various hidden weapons shot toward her from all directions. So many projectiles—no matter how she dodged, it would be a dead end.
But faced with this situation, Ye Lishan merely smiled. She drew her dagger and used her signature skill, weaving the incoming hidden weapons into a formation.
Just one step short of completion, another hidden weapon flew in. As she deflected it, a figure rushed from the west, sword aimed straight for her chest.
"Stop!" Tao Yao called out just as the sword was about to strike Ye Lishan. The man reluctantly withdrew his blade.
"Sigh, I never thought the assassins I'd been looking forward to wouldn't even recognize their own master. How disappointing." Ye Lishan shook her head with a dejected expression, as if truly heartbroken.
Tao Yao sneered without restraint, "Whose fault is it that you left everything to Qing Dai? Even when selecting these assassins, you only glanced at them from afar. How could they possibly recognize you?"
"But what made you suddenly think of coming here?" Tao Yao was most curious about this. In her memory, Ye Lishan had never visited this courtyard.
Ye Lishan replied casually, "Oh, nothing. Just wanted to see how these assassins' training was coming along."
She didn't want to tell Tao Yao about what happened today.
"You know formations?" Ye Lishan turned to the assassin who had revealed himself and asked. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, as if he hadn't expected anyone to see through his skills at a glance.
Tao Yao's gaze shifted, seemingly surprised that Ye Lishan would say that.
"Yes." A hoarse voice responded, sounding as if his throat had been burned—rough and grating to the ears.
"What's your name?" Ye Lishan asked.
"Master, my name is Qu Shui." The assassin knelt on one knee, fists clasped in salute, appearing respectful but inwardly unimpressed.
Interesting. A man from the slums who knows formations, brainwashed by Tao Yao yet still unimpressed by her. This one needed to be kept close and personally trained.
"I'm taking this one. I'll teach him myself." Ye Lishan, always decisive, immediately took him away.
"Wait, when will you bring my person back?" Just as Ye Lishan was about to leave with him, Tao Yao blocked her path.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely rescue them for you." Ye Lishan's gaze darkened, as if plotting something significant.
"Remember your words. If you don't bring them back, you're dead." Tao Yao's tone was dangerous, stripped of the allure she displayed at Dream Red Pavilion.
"Of course. After all, you helped me make the Soul-Breaking Water. How could I dare slack off on your matters?" Ye Lishan gently pushed Tao Yao aside and dragged Qu Shui to Dream Red Pavilion.
"Is this any place for you? Get lost while I'm in a good mood—you're an eyesore." A portly middle-aged man in flashy clothes bellowed at Ye Lishan, his belly jiggling.