“You alright?” When Ye Chu appeared in front of Bai Xuan, she hurried over anxiously. Her eyes scanned him from head to toe. The worry on her radiant face carried an enchanting charm.
Seeing Ye Chu looking at her with a smile and saying nothing, she thought there might be something on her face. She reached up and touched it. “What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”
Ye Chu had originally intended to tease her a little, but noticing White Leopard standing nearby, he immediately abandoned the idea.
“Uncle Bai, take Yao Yao and Sister Bai Xuan and leave first!” Ye Chu said to the two of them.
“What’s the matter?” White Leopard looked at Ye Chu. “More trouble?”
Ye Chu shook his head. “Just some leftover vermin. Nothing serious. You take Sister Bai Xuan and go first. I’ll be back soon.”
Seeing Bai Xuan part her soft red lips as if about to speak, Ye Chu smiled. “Sister Bai Xuan, don’t worry. It’s nothing big. Go home and wait for me.”
His tone was calm and carried a quiet confidence. Though Bai Xuan felt some concern, she also knew Ye Chu could fight against an Innate Realm expert. In Yao City, no one could threaten him. With that thought, her heart finally settled.
Watching White Leopard and Bai Xuan leave, Ye Chu’s expression grew grave. The enemy had three Innate Realm experts. That was a terrifying force. He could handle one Innate Realm opponent, that was true, but facing two would already be dangerous. Against three, a single misstep could cost him his life.
Yet he clearly could not let them go after White Leopard. Although White Leopard was on the verge of breaking through to the Innate Realm, he had not yet succeeded. He was no match for an Innate Realm expert and could not protect Bai Xuan and Yao Yao.
“Looks like I’ll have to ask Qing Wenting for help after all!” Ye Chu muttered to himself. Qing Wenting far surpassed him in strength. That was no surprise. She had been a Saintess from birth and had cultivated for so many years. If she could not even compare to someone who had only cultivated for three years like him, the title of Saintess would have been stripped away long ago.
The only problem was that asking Qing Wenting to act would almost certainly mean she would learn about White Leopard entering the General’s Tomb.
“Better than letting these people trouble White Leopard. Qing Wenting will listen to me. She won’t resort to threats or coercion against White Leopard!” Ye Chu exhaled lightly. Just as he was about to head towards Cold Lake, he heard footsteps approaching from the distance. His expression changed. “Damn it! They’re back already?”
Ye Chu flashed into the Taoist temple and concealed himself in one corner. He saw three people walking towards the temple, chatting and laughing. Their delighted expressions made it clear they had achieved great success in chasing down the other person who had entered the General’s Tomb.
“Cave Eleven…”
The three shouted as soon as they reached the dilapidated temple entrance, but after several calls with no response, they exchanged glances. Their faces grew serious. They drew their weapons and cautiously entered the temple.
Inside, they saw corpses strewn across the floor. Their expressions darkened to the extreme. After checking, they realised not a single person was left alive.
“What ruthless methods. Not even one survivor. Damn it! Who did this?” Cave Old Three roared, his face twisted with savage fury.
“Chi…”
Just as the three stood there with livid faces, a faint sound came from one corner of the temple. Their bodies tensed instantly. They turned their heads. They saw a figure darting towards the outside.
“Chase him!” The three reacted at once and shot forward, pursuing Ye Chu.
Ye Chu’s speed was extremely fast. In a few flashes, he was already more than ten metres away. But these three were Innate Realm experts. Their speed was not slow either. They stayed close behind him. Though they could not catch up immediately, it was extremely difficult for Ye Chu to shake them off.
“Stand still for this Cave Master!” The three roared, cold light surging in their eyes. In a small kingdom like Yao City, someone actually dared to kill people from the Thirty-Six Caves. They were courting death.
“If you’ve got the ability, catch me first!” Ye Chu sneered. He suddenly spun around and darted into an alley.
In Yao City, Ye Chu was far more familiar with the terrain than they were. Though the enemy had three Innate Realm experts, Ye Chu wanted to see whether they could actually catch him.
“Split into three directions. We must capture this fellow no matter what.” Cave Old Three watched Ye Chu disappear into the alley and spoke to the two beside him. He understood very well that he was unfamiliar with Yao City’s layout and had no advantage there. They could only compensate with numbers and surround him.
“You can’t escape!” Cave Old Three stayed right on Ye Chu’s tail, trying to use words to pressure him into making a mistake.
“You won’t catch me either!” Ye Chu shot back. His movements suddenly shifted. He darted into another alley.
“Damn it!”
Seeing Ye Chu’s figure vanish, Cave Old Three was furious. He pushed his speed to the limit and charged into the alley, but that brief delay meant that by the time he entered, he could only see Ye Chu’s back.
Ye Chu darted continuously through the alleys of Yao City. A mocking smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. The original owner of this body had once rampaged through Yao City committing every kind of evil. His familiarity with the city was beyond doubt. Ye Chu’s speed was already not inferior to an ordinary Innate Realm expert. In this kind of environment, the three of them catching him was nothing but a pipe dream.
“Boom…”
A sudden roll of thunder rang out. Rain began pouring from the sky. The weather had been overcast since morning, so rain was no surprise to Ye Chu. But the rain falling at this moment made him want to laugh.
With the rain obstructing their vision, it would be even harder for them to surround him.
Ye Chu darted into another alley and headed towards Cold Lake. With the heavy rain’s help, he could lead them straight to Cold Lake.
Once there, with Qing Wenting joining him, these three would pose no threat. Killing them would give White Leopard one more layer of safety.
Ye Chu hurried towards Cold Lake. Just as he was searching for Qing Wenting’s boat, a familiar voice reached his ears.
“Ye Chu! Why are you here?” The clear voice carried surprise. Ye Chu could not help looking over. He saw a woman holding an umbrella, dressed in a blue long skirt. She looked pure and refined, walking leisurely in the rain with her umbrella. She resembled a flawless white lotus stepping across raindrops, approaching gracefully. Her lovely face carried a faint blush, making her fair skin appear even more tender and charming.
“Miaotong!” Ye Chu had not expected to see Tan Miaotong. He glanced quickly behind him. With the three pursuers being led around in circles until they were dizzy, it would take them some time to catch up.
Only then did Ye Chu relax his tense body. He smiled at Tan Miaotong. “How come you’re alone here? Aren’t you afraid some rogue in Yao City will see how beautiful you are and try something?”
Those words made Tan Miaotong giggle softly. Her laughter rang clear and delightful, blending perfectly with the sound of the rain.
“Today Wenting went around asking about your deeds in Yao City. She heard that three years ago you were the biggest rogue in Yao City. But somehow, recently people are saying you’ve turned over a new leaf and become a hero.” Tan Miaotong remembered how Ye Jingyun had stared in disbelief when someone called Ye Chu a hero, and she could not help finding it amusing.
At the same time, she was astonished at how thoroughly Ye Chu’s reputation had been ruined in Yao City three years ago. Her beautiful eyes fixed on Ye Chu. She found Qing Wenting’s friend truly interesting.
“Then aren’t you afraid this rogue might do something to you?” Ye Chu laughed. He thought to himself that Qing Wenting and the others really had too much free time, actually going around to dig up his past.
“You wouldn’t dare!” Tan Miaotong lifted her chin. Her red lips gleamed with an alluring sheen. “Giggle… Didn’t you say you’d take me to see Cold Lake after the rain? Then take me now!”
“Now?” Ye Chu stared at Tan Miaotong in surprise. He could not help glancing behind him again. “Are you lying to me?” Tan Miaotong looked at Ye Chu with suspicious eyes, waiting for his answer.