"Yes, Master." Cangshu respectfully accepted the book.
With a loud crash, the gate collapsed. A woman with an icy demeanor walked in. "Get out. What right do you have to stay in this courtyard?"
"We have no right? Then you do?" Ye Lanshan wore his faint smile again, appearing gentle and refined, with a hint of ethereal grace that left the woman momentarily entranced.
Of course, He Muxiang snapped back to normal in an instant. Though her tone had softened slightly, she still sounded defiant. "I certainly have no right, but this place is for the Valley Master to reside in. What gives you the right to stay here?"
"Elder Sikong let them stay, so they have every right to be here." Cangshu jumped in to defend them.
"Sikong Yanguang? When he became Valley Master, didn't he swear he'd never set foot here? Is he going back on his word?" He Muxiang clearly harbored some hostility toward Sikong Yanguang, and her tone toward them was equally harsh.
"No one here has more right to stay than we do. If you're here to pick a fight, I'm ready anytime." Yun Di's face darkened as he stepped forward, his voice heavy.
"Fine. Since you're shameless enough to insist on staying, don't blame me for teaching you a lesson. Flashing Flames!" He Muxiang looked like an ice beauty, but no one expected her temper to be so fiery.
"Wind Descends."
Yun Di didn't dodge; instead, he countered with a mystical technique. The clash clearly ended in a draw.
"Blazing Inferno."
He Muxiang, unwilling to accept defeat, immediately launched a second attack.
"After all these years, you still haven't learned your lesson."
"Wind Dragon's Tail."
Yun Di snorted coldly, his technique shattering hers.
"Yun... Yun Di? You're Yun Di?" He Muxiang rubbed her eyes, took a closer look at him, then rushed over and hugged him. "You're not dead! You're alive! You're actually alive! Why didn't you come sooner? I thought you were gone."
Yun Di pushed her away and retorted, "Shedding crocodile tears. Weren't you just saying I had no right to stay here?"
"I didn't know it was you. If I had, how could I have stopped you?" He Muxiang looked aggrieved. How was she supposed to know that the honored guest Sikong Yanguang had arranged to stay here was Yun Di?
"You're not welcome here. Please leave." Yun Di glared at her as she clung to him, his face darkening.
"We haven't seen each other in years. Can't we even catch up?" He Muxiang gazed at him with tear-filled eyes, her earlier icy demeanor completely gone.
"Since you two have things to discuss, we'll take our leave." Ye Lanshan took Cangshu's hand and returned to the house, closing the door behind them.
"Who was that person who looked like an immortal? And how did you get Sikong Yanguang to agree to let you stay? Isn't he Sikong Cheng's lackey?"
"Sikong Cheng? No, you need to leave now. There's definitely a conspiracy here." The mention of Sikong Cheng seemed to trigger something in He Muxiang. Her face turned pale, and she immediately grabbed Yun Di, trying to usher him out.
"Enough. What madness has gotten into you?" Yun Di's face darkened as he shook off her hand. Even his father had been involved in that incident back then. What was the point of this act now?
"You don't believe me?"
He Muxiang stumbled back a few steps from his force, tears streaking down her face. She couldn't face it—or rather, she didn't want to face Yun Di's cold, unfamiliar, and disgusted expression.
"Do you think I should believe you? Why should I trust you? Because of your father, who betrayed my uncle and had a hand in my mother's death?" Yun Di's words dripped with bitter sarcasm, leaving no trace of the person he used to be.
"Father... he's dead. He's atoned. What more do you want?" He Muxiang shouted, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls, dripping to the ground.
"Atoned? Sorry, I didn't see it. Don't come looking for me again. I'm afraid I might not be able to stop myself from killing you." Yun Di's icy gaze cut through her like knives, slicing her heart to pieces.
He Muxiang collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
Yun Di turned without a second glance and walked back into the house. Neither of them noticed the pair of eyes hidden in the shadows watching the entire scene.
"Didn't you say you'd wait until your uncle returned to drink that? Why open it early?" Ye Lanshan sat down beside him as he uncorked a jar of wine and poured himself cup after cup.
"Do you think I'm utterly useless? That I can't even take revenge without your help—no, that you've practically avenged me, while I don't even have the strength to do it myself. I can't even bring myself to harm his daughter."
Yun Di drank, but the more he drank, the clearer his mind became, and the heavier the pain in his heart grew.
Ye Lanshan comforted him, "You're not useless. I was too impatient. If given enough time, you would have been able to slay your enemy with your own hands."
"Do you have more wine?" Yun Di finished his drink and looked up at Ye Lanshan, a bitter smile on his lips. He knew he shouldn't wallow like this, but he couldn't help wanting to indulge himself just this once.
"Of course. As much as you want. I'll drink with you today—let's get drunk together." Ye Lanshan's lips curled into a smile as she took out her own peach blossom wine from her spatial storage and set it on the table.
Cup after cup, Yun Di finally got drunk, slumping over the table in a deep sleep. But Ye Lanshan remained sober. She stepped outside alone. The moon was so round tonight, so unrealistically round.
And this osmanthus tree was so large—big enough to hide several people without being noticed.
Ye Lanshan smiled. She wondered, given her current status and the highly secluded Medicine Valley, who would want to kill her? And hire such professional assassins at that.
She stood there like a living target, blatantly exposing herself to them. It was the perfect opportunity for murder.
Several nearly invisible silver needles shot toward her, infused with mystical energy.
But just as the needles were about to pierce her body, she vanished, leaving only the sound of the needles clashing.
What was happening? The assassins hidden in the tree were startled. Their cultivation level was the same as Ye Lanshan's—all at the Mystic Emperor rank. They had been trained as killers since childhood and had never failed a mission. There was no reason they couldn't kill her.
"Are you looking for me?" A cold breath brushed against the neck of one assassin on the osmanthus tree. His entire body stiffened. He had been discovered.
"Clang!" A dagger appeared in the assassin's hand as he swung it at her. She blocked it with her Devour ability, producing a crisp sound that stood out sharply in the quiet night.
The assassins surrounded her with practiced coordination, each one cautious, not daring to let their guard down. They knew the person before them was extremely dangerous.
"I'm really curious—who wants me dead?" She muttered, as if talking to herself or asking them, but no one answered.
The assassins moved like leopards, swift and precise. Their teamwork was flawless, leaving her no room to escape in an instant. But just as they thought she was doomed, she vanished again.