Tan Miaotong’s beautiful eyes stared straight at Ye Chu. There were traces of moisture in her gaze, utterly captivating and soul-seizing. Paired with her delicate, rosy face, she looked pure yet radiantly lovely.
“Here!” Tan Miaotong suddenly tossed something to Ye Chu.
“What is it?” Ye Chu caught it in confusion. The moment his fingers touched the warm, smooth sensation, he froze. “Extreme Intent Jade?”
“Didn’t you ask Wenting to help you find this? One of the elders happened to give me a piece to play with, so I’m giving it to you!” Tan Miaotong’s face was soft and tender, her smile sweet and utterly charming.
Ye Chu held the item, thinking to himself that when he had asked Qing Wenting for it earlier, Tan Miaotong had said nothing about having one. He had not expected her to give it to him now. Still, he understood. Tan Miaotong was thin-skinned. How could she possibly hand it over in front of Qing Wenting and Ye Jingyun? The two women would have teased her mercilessly.
But the fact that one of Tan Miaotong’s elders would casually give her something as precious as Extreme Intent Jade to play with suggested she came from quite a prominent background. Then again, since she could walk side by side with Qing Wenting, having some family influence was not surprising.
“If you have something to do, I’ll just wander around on my own.” Tan Miaotong seemed to sense Ye Chu’s hesitation and gave a soft laugh.
Ye Chu looked into Tan Miaotong’s shimmering eyes, where traces of water gleamed. He glanced at the Extreme Intent Jade in his hand and smiled. “I was just thinking about which spot would let you see the most beautiful scenery. Now I know where to go. Follow me!”
“Alright!” Ye Chu clearly saw the delight flash in Tan Miaotong’s eyes. She obviously wanted to see the most stunning view of Cold Lake.
Ye Chu led Tan Miaotong back the way they came, weaving through the alleys.
“Are you sure you’re not going the wrong way? Wasn’t there a straight path that led straight here just now? You’ve taken a huge detour!” Tan Miaotong reminded Ye Chu.
Ye Chu smiled. “Just follow me. There won’t be any mistake!”
Though Tan Miaotong felt puzzled, she happily followed behind Ye Chu.
To avoid those three pursuers, Ye Chu took a long, winding route before finally bringing Tan Miaotong to a high vantage point beside Cold Lake. Few people ever came here. At the top stood a single bluestone slab, where Tan Miaotong and Ye Chu now stood together.
“This is the place!” Ye Chu gazed out over Cold Lake below. The rain had come quickly and left just as fast. Now only a few scattered drops remained, falling onto the lake and sending ripples spreading outward in gentle layers.
“So beautiful!” Tan Miaotong looked at the rain-kissed Cold Lake before her. The line of poetry Ye Chu had recited earlier — “mountain colours hazy in the rain yet marvellous” — surged into her mind. Right now, she truly felt that way. Her entire being sank into the exquisite beauty of the scene.
Ye Chu watched Tan Miaotong gazing excitedly at the lake. Seeing her blend so perfectly with the misty mountains and rain, his heart could not help but unfold and relax. The lingering violence from the earlier killings vanished completely.
Looking at this woman who seemed to have emerged from the water like a lotus, Ye Chu felt that no scenery could compare to this. Even taking the risk to come here had been worth it. Such a peerlessly beautiful woman paired with such a breathtaking view was something truly rare.
“Ye Chu! Look! A rainbow, a rainbow!” Tan Miaotong pointed ahead in excitement. At some point the clouds had parted. Sunlight poured down onto Cold Lake, and above it appeared an extraordinarily brilliant rainbow, arching across both shores like a bridge from the heavens.
“So beautiful!” Tan Miaotong turned to look at Ye Chu. “It really is a wonderful place. Thank goodness you brought me here, or I would have missed it and regretted it forever.”
Tan Miaotong looked radiantly lovely, her red lips enticing. Her smiling face was breathtakingly beautiful as she gazed at Ye Chu.
“As long as you like it! I couldn’t possibly let you watch for nothing. Now we’re even.” Ye Chu laughed. Unbidden, the image of Tan Miaotong’s fair, jade-like body surfaced in his mind — so much like Cold Lake at this moment, shimmering with ripples, beautiful and alluring.
Those words instantly caused a fresh flush to rise on Tan Miaotong’s excited face. She looked unbearably shy and charming. Ye Chu stared, completely entranced.
In this moment, Tan Miaotong displayed the full extent of a woman’s tender allure. Right now, she was truly peerlessly beautiful.
“Don’t ever mention that again!” Tan Miaotong said in a shy, reproachful tone, forbidding Ye Chu from bringing it up further. She touched her face, feeling how scalding hot it had become.
“You really are a bad egg!” Tan Miaotong bit her lip.
“I…”
Ye Chu started to speak, but Tan Miaotong cut him off. “No talking. Just stay with me for a while. Otherwise, I’ll tell Wenting that you were up to no good.”
With that, Tan Miaotong burst into giggles first, clearly finding her own threat rather amusing.
Ye Chu shrugged and was about to sit down beside Tan Miaotong when his body suddenly tensed. His gaze shot towards one direction.
“What’s with the sudden jumpiness?” Tan Miaotong asked in confusion, looking at Ye Chu.
Ye Chu did not answer, but sure enough, he saw three figures approaching this spot.
His expression darkened. He had thought he had shaken them off and that it would take them quite some time to find this place. Yet they had arrived far sooner than expected.
“Sir, you certainly have leisure time, coming all the way here to admire the lake!” Cave Old Three stared at Ye Chu, his face ugly to behold.
This brat was far too contemptuous. Being hunted by the three of them, yet he still had the mood to bring a beauty here to chat and enjoy the scenery? Did he take them for nothing?
Thinking of how they had been led around in circles chasing him, the three men’s fury surged even higher.
“Ye Chu! What’s wrong?” Tan Miaotong also sensed the newcomers were hostile. She stood beside Ye Chu and asked.
The three men were momentarily stunned when they saw Tan Miaotong. They had not expected to encounter such a stunning beauty. No wonder this young man was willing to take such risks!
“Just being chased by these three.” Ye Chu shrugged and said to Tan Miaotong.
“Ah!” Tan Miaotong understood. Her beautiful eyes widened. “So all those detours you took just now were to avoid them?”
Ye Chu nodded with a smile.
“Then why did you still bring me here? You didn’t even tell me. I wouldn’t have insisted if I’d known.” Tan Miaotong grew anxious.
“It’s fine! I couldn’t possibly let you watch for nothing!” Ye Chu smiled at Tan Miaotong.
Tan Miaotong’s face flushed. She watched Ye Chu step forward to shield her, feeling both annoyed and deeply moved.
Knowing full well he was being hunted, he had still taken the risk to bring her here just to show her the lake view she wanted to see.
A woman’s heart is most easily touched. Right now, Tan Miaotong felt that Ye Chu was truly different from other men. What seemed like a trivial matter had led him to take such a great risk.
“You three are pretty fast. I thought it would take you at least an hour to find me. Didn’t expect you to manage it in less than half an hour.”
“You run pretty fast too!” Cave Old Three stared at Ye Chu. “But today you’re going to die. Don’t worry — we’ll take good care of this little beauty for you.”
Ye Chu turned to look at the furious and embarrassed Tan Miaotong. He smiled at her, signalling that she did not need to take the words to heart.
“I’m afraid your calculations are going to fall short.” Ye Chu stared at Cave Old Three.
“Is that so? Then let’s kill you right now!” Cave Old Three struck at Ye Chu without warning. One palm collided with Ye Chu’s, forcing Ye Chu back two steps.
Cave Old Three paused in surprise, then burst into loud laughter. “You haven’t even reached the Innate Realm. The three of us killing you would be overkill.”
Cave Old Three looked down on Ye Chu with contempt. He had always assumed the other party had reached the Innate Realm. But that clash had revealed the truth: the opponent was merely at the Intent Transformation Realm.
A mere Intent Transformation Realm cultivator, no matter how strong, could never withstand three Innate Realm experts!
And that was the reality. Ye Chu could not possibly hold his own against three Innate Realm opponents.