Watching Zhao Yanran's figure disappear completely beyond the courtyard gate, Chen Yang slowly exhaled a long breath of stale air that had been pressing against his chest.
That drawn-out confrontation and exchange had drained him more than a life-or-death battle against demon beasts.
He turned and walked toward the tightly shut loft door.
Before he could even raise his hand to knock, the door creaked open from the inside with a soft squeak.
Liu Yiyi and Xiaochunhua stood in the doorway, both pairs of eyes fixed on him with worry and concern.
"Big Brother Chen, are you all right?"
Liu Yiyi asked softly, her gaze sweeping carefully over him, afraid he might have suffered some hidden injury.
Xiaochunhua squeezed forward as well, nodding repeatedly:
"That's right, Senior Brother Chen — that awful woman didn't do anything to you, did she?"
Chen Yang looked at them, and much of the frustration weighing on his heart dissolved.
He shook his head and offered a small, reassuring smile:
"I'm fine. What about you two — were you frightened? Did she bully you before I got back?"
He suddenly recalled the reddened rims of Liu Yiyi's eyes from earlier, and his tone sharpened with a trace of alarm, his gaze turning keen:
"Yiyi, your eyes were red just now. Before I came back, did she…"
As he spoke, he made as if to turn around, seemingly ready to go after Zhao Yanran and demand an explanation.
"No, Big Brother Chen!" Liu Yiyi quickly reached out and gently caught his sleeve, stopping him.
She lowered her head, her voice carrying a barely perceptible catch in her throat, yet also an indescribable softness:
"She… she didn't bully me. It's just… just that earlier, the things you said to her outside the door… I… I heard all of it."
Chen Yang blinked, momentarily at a loss:
"My words? Which words?"
Liu Yiyi lifted her head, her eyes seeming to redden again at the rims.
But this time, what shimmered in them was the glistening light of being moved.
She looked at Chen Yang, her voice gentle yet firm:
"It was… when you said that everything I had spoken was from the bottom of your heart… that my past was not my fault… that I cultivate diligently and hold true to my own heart…"
With each sentence she spoke, her voice grew softer, yet each word seemed to carry the weight of a thousand pounds, striking Chen Yang's heart.
And settling into her own as well.
Only then did Chen Yang understand — so that was the reason.
He rubbed his nose a little sheepishly, his tone straightforward:
"I… I was only telling the truth. You are exactly as I said — why should anyone else presume to judge you?"
Liu Yiyi shook her head gently, and the tears she had been holding back finally broke free, rolling down her cheeks like pearls slipping from a broken string.
Yet her face wore an expression of relief, and a smile of incomparable warmth.
She quickly wiped the tears away with her sleeve, her voice carrying the slight hoarseness that follows crying:
"Precisely because those words came from the heart — sincerely meant — that is why… why they moved me so deeply. Big Brother Chen, I… I had always believed that with a background like mine, a woman already fallen and broken, I would forever be looked down upon within this immortal sect. To be taken in by you, to have a corner of this courtyard where I could cultivate in peace — that alone felt like the greatest fortune imaginable. I never dared to hope… never dared to hope that you… that you would never once look down on me for my past, but instead… instead stand up for me like this…"
As she continued, her voice grew quieter and quieter.
Her emotions overwhelmed her, and her words became somewhat scattered.
But the depth of her gratitude, and the emotion that defied easy description, came through with perfect clarity.
She did not know how to repay this respect. She only felt that her heart had been filled to the brim with a warmth she had never known before — so full it nearly overflowed.
Chen Yang looked at her tear-streaked face still wearing a smile, and his own heart softened.
He was not good at offering comfort, so he said clumsily:
"Don't cry. It's all in the past. Here, no one can look down on you anymore."
Beside them, Xiaochunhua watched the scene, her large eyes blinking, seemingly caught up in the mood herself.
But her nature was too lively to stay still for long, and she quickly found her opening to speak.
She let out an exaggerated "Ow," clapped a hand over her mouth, scrunched up her little face, and wailed dramatically:
"It hurts so much! Senior Brother Chen, Sister Liu, look at me! I'm injured too!"
With that, she produced a clean handkerchief and carefully dabbed at the tiny dried smear of blood at the corner of her mouth.
Then she opened wide and stuck out her little tongue.
Pointing at the obvious bite mark on the tip of it, she said in a muffled voice:
"Big Brother Chen, look — I bit right through it! It really hurts! Come rub it better for me!"
Chen Yang looked at her ridiculous antics, caught between exasperation and laughter, and said helplessly:
"How exactly would you rub a bitten tongue? Go drink some cold water and let it settle."
Xiaochunhua pouted at that, let out a little "hmph," and grumbled indignantly:
"Senior Brother Chen plays favorites! You only care about Sister Liu and not about me at all!"
Chen Yang had no answer for her, so he changed the subject, his expression turning somewhat more serious:
"You! You really had some nerve just now! Zhao Yanran is already at the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm — weren't you afraid she'd lose her temper and actually hurt you?"
At the mention of Zhao Yanran's cultivation level, Liu Yiyi's expression shifted instantly.
The worry she had just managed to set aside came rushing back.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
She turned to Chen Yang at once:
"The seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm? Big Brother Chen, are you… are you truly all right? Were you hurt?"
Chen Yang gave her a reassuring look and said:
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Her cultivation is one level above mine, but I have my own ways of dealing with her — I'm not afraid of her. It's you two I'm worried about."
His gaze swept over Liu Yiyi and Xiaochunhua, and he said gravely:
"From now on, if you ever run into Zhao Yanran alone outside, make sure to go around her — avoid crossing paths with her as much as possible. Even if she picks a fight, try not to get into a confrontation. Come back and tell me first, and we'll handle it then. Her methods… you both saw them just now. They're hard to guard against."
Xiaochunhua, however, waved a hand with complete nonchalance and said with a grin:
"Of course I know that! It's called knowing when to pick your battles! I only dared to curse her out because Senior Brother Chen was right there! I knew you'd have my back!"
She wore the utterly self-satisfied look of someone borrowing another's authority.
Chen Yang stared at her, momentarily speechless.
But thinking it over, he had to admit she was right.
Xiaochunhua might seem reckless, but she was actually quite sharp.
She knew how to read a situation — when she could afford to make a scene, and when she needed to keep her head down.
She understood the wisdom of retreating before the strong.
The one he truly needed to worry about was Liu Yiyi, whose gentle nature concealed a stubborn core.
Still, he saw Liu Yiyi nod earnestly now and say in a soft voice:
"Big Brother Chen, I'll remember. I'll be careful from now on and won't cause you any trouble."
Seeing her say so, Chen Yang felt somewhat relieved.
Knowing Liu Yiyi's temperament, if she had promised, she would not go out of her way to provoke Zhao Yanran.
Xiaochunhua, sensing the mood had lightened, let her eyes dart about and quickly reverted to her lively self. She seized the moment to press close to Chen Yang, wrapping both arms around his and swaying with a pout.
Chen Yang bore it helplessly, letting her cling on, when a thought suddenly struck him and he asked with some curiosity:
"By the way, Chunhua — when you were cursing at Zhao Yanran earlier, why did you say she had 'not even two ounces of flesh on her chest'? That really got under her skin."
He was genuinely puzzled.
That particular secret about Zhao Yanran should have been known to very few people besides himself.
Back in the countryside during the famine, when both of them were still growing, food had been scarce at home. He had always saved his own rations and tried to let Zhao Yanran eat a little more.
Perhaps due to the long lack of nourishment, Zhao Yanran had grown quite tall, but her figure had remained like an unripened fruit — underdeveloped where it should have been full.
It had become a source of deep insecurity for her, something she was extremely self-conscious about.
Before she was married, she had always liked to stuff thick layers of cloth padding into her undergarment to create the illusion of curves.
Even Chen Yang had been fooled for a long time, only discovering the truth on their wedding night.
He had always assumed Zhao Yanran was the fuller type before that…
Xiaochunhua lifted her chin smugly at the question and said:
"I have a sharp eye for people! Senior Brother Chen, you don't know this, but back in Butterfly Valley, the laborer female disciples who weren't happy with their figures but still wanted to catch some Senior Brother's eye — they used exactly this trick in private! Padding with cloth, cinching the waist, swaying their hips when they walked! I've seen it so many times I can spot it at a glance! That Zhao Yanran looks all flowing robes and ethereal grace, but when she walks, her upper body is stiff and flat as a plank — not a ripple or a sway. If she wasn't padded, I'd eat my words!"
Her analysis was thorough and convincing.
Both Chen Yang and Liu Yiyi were left blinking in stunned silence.
Then, without warning, Xiaochunhua made a sharp pivot.
She tightened her grip on Chen Yang's arm, puffed out her own chest — which had already taken on a rather promising shape — and with a sly, proud smile on her face, said:
"Senior Brother Chen, Zhao Yanran may have nothing on her chest, but I, Xiaochunhua, certainly do! See for yourself — don't I?"
And with that, she grabbed Chen Yang's hand and pressed it straight against her own chest!
Chen Yang felt his palm make contact with an unbelievable softness and elasticity.
It was as though a bolt of electricity had shot through him — he froze on the spot, his mind going completely blank.
He had absolutely no idea how to react.
Xiaochunhua felt the sudden rigidity of his hand and the brief contact, and two bright blushes flew up her cheeks.
But more than that, there was the gleeful giggling of someone whose prank had worked perfectly, and she pressed on:
"Senior Brother Chen, feel for yourself — isn't Xiaochunhua way better than that awful woman?"
"Xiaochun! You… you're being outrageous!"
Liu Yiyi, watching from the side, was utterly dumbfounded.
Then her entire face flushed crimson in an instant — like a perfectly cooked shrimp — both mortified and flustered, and she rushed forward to put a stop to Xiaochunhua's scandalous behavior.
However.
Xiaochunhua was on a roll.
Seeing Liu Yiyi coming, rather than letting go, she swiftly seized Chen Yang's other wrist and, without a word of warning, pressed it against Liu Yiyi's chest — which was rising and falling slightly with her quickened breathing.
All the while she chattered away:
"What are you embarrassed about, Sister Liu! Your figure is even better than mine! Let Senior Brother Chen feel for himself!"
Liu Yiyi was caught completely off guard, Chen Yang's palm pressing against her through the fabric of her clothes.
Her whole body gave a violent shudder, like a startled fawn, and her already-crimson cheeks looked as though they might bleed. Yet she did not step back — she simply stood still, quietly enduring it.
Chen Yang snapped back to his senses as if waking from a dream, and yanked both hands free from Xiaochunhua's mischievous grasp.
The tips of his fingers still seemed to retain the lingering sensation of two entirely different, yet equally staggering, impressions.
His own face had gone completely red.
His heart was pounding like a war drum, his eyes darting everywhere.
He could not bring himself to look at either Liu Yiyi or Xiaochunhua. His throat had gone dry, and he could not get out a single word.
"Xiaochun! You… just you wait — I'm going to tear that mouth of yours apart today!"
Liu Yiyi, burning with shame and indignation, stamped her foot. Abandoning all pretense of her usual gentle composure, her face blazing red, she charged after Xiaochunhua, who was still giggling wickedly.
Xiaochunhua let out an "Eek" and dodged away with a laugh.
The two young women immediately fell into a chase around the small courtyard, laughing and shrieking.
The sound of silver bell-like laughter and mock-scolding gradually swept away the gloom that Zhao Yanran's visit had cast over the place.
Chen Yang watched their playful figures, shaking his head helplessly — yet the corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile that he himself did not even notice.
This absurd little farce, set off by Xiaochunhua's audacity, had at last turned the page on that unpleasant episode.
* * *
In the days that followed, just as Chen Yang had expected, Zhao Yanran never came to disturb them again.
No doubt after the complete falling-out that day, she was too proud to show her face — or perhaps she was busy scheming something else.
Chen Yang was glad for the peace and quiet, and poured all his attention into cultivation and accumulating resources.
Every day he would make time to head to the back mountains, relying on his peak sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm cultivation and his powerful physical body to hunt down low-ranking demon beasts.
He was never greedy, and never ventured deep into dangerous territory. His targets were mainly first-rank Shadow Wolves, Ironhide Boars, and the occasional second-rank demon beast.
After each hunt, he would carefully strip the valuable materials from the demon beasts — pelts, claws, fangs, and the like.
He would then mix these together with a small number of demon cores of the same species duplicated by the clay bowl, and bring the lot to the market to sell.
This approach avoided drawing suspicion from a large quantity of suspiciously pure demon cores of unknown origin.
Mixed in with the materials from hunted demon beasts, everything looked perfectly natural and reasonable.
It also maximized the profit from the duplicated demon cores.
Moreover, he had learned from his first mistake and did not flood the market all at once as he had on opening day.
Instead, he brought out only a small amount each day, steadily earning the price difference in line with the market's real-time fluctuations.
Just as Senior Sister Zhuxiu had said, against the backdrop of Crimson Glow Peak cutting off its external Pill supply, the prices of all cultivation resources were soaring.
Demon beast materials and demon cores were not as valuable as Pills, but demand for them had surged as well.
Over the course of a few days, Chen Yang had quietly accumulated over three thousand low-grade spirit stones!
That was roughly equivalent to the reward an ordinary inner disciple would earn after completing several dangerous sect missions through sheer hard work!
With this small fortune in hand, Chen Yang felt considerably more settled, and cultivated with far greater confidence.
* * *
Then came one particular morning.
Chen Yang had just finished a full night of cultivation, sensing that the spiritual energy within him had advanced another fraction, and that the threshold of the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm seemed one step closer.
He was about to set out for the back mountains to hunt as usual, when suddenly —
Dong —!
Dong —!
Dong —!
Three deep, resonant tolls of a bell rang out, as if piercing through the clouds, echoing clearly across the entire sky above Verdant Wood Sect and reaching the ears of every disciple.
The bell's sound was solemn and grave, carrying with it a summoning intent.
Chen Yang's eyes lit up at once, and he sprang to his feet from his meditation cushion.
The Sect Assembly bell!
He had long since heard that this Sect Assembly was being held primarily to commend the disciples who had distinguished themselves during the demon beast rampage and to distribute their rewards!
And furthermore…
It was said that Foundation Establishment Elders would use the occasion to assess disciples, and might even take on new apprentices on the spot!
This was a rare opportunity!
He drew a deep breath, suppressed the excitement rising in his chest, straightened his robes, and strode quickly toward the door.
The moment he opened it, he found a young attendant in steward's attire already waiting quietly outside the courtyard gate.
The attendant saw Chen Yang and bowed respectfully, saying in a clear voice:
"Senior Brother Chen, the Sect Assembly is about to begin. Please follow me to Qingyun Peak Plaza at once."