Chapter 4: Unnecessary Affinity Increased Again
If Ye Changsheng were to truly run, Luo Yingying would never catch him. However, Ye Changsheng wasn’t foolish enough to display his absolute advantage.
Luo Yingying simply wanted to play with him. If he pushed her too hard, she would get angry.
Therefore, Ye Changsheng deliberately showed openings multiple times, giving Luo Yingying the illusion that she could catch him.
It seemed that only two fingers’ distance separated them, yet Ye Changsheng always managed to escape.
“Even though Brother Xiao made a mistake, I still couldn’t catch him!”
Luo Yingying was annoyed. She had no idea that these opportunities were deliberately given by Ye Changsheng.
Emotional Intelligence, Positioning, Acting Skills, Persona.
If one couldn’t deeply study the above works, what right would they have to be an undercover agent? They’d be thrown into the river to feed the fish long ago.
As the talismans were consumed, Ye Changsheng’s usable supply dwindled. He had only one left, and the game of cat and mouse was nearing its end.
“As expected of the future successor of Wuhua Palace, you are truly, too outstanding… pant, pant, I admire you… you’ve pushed me into a corner even with your hands tied! But, I haven’t admitted defeat yet!”
Ye Changsheng panted, wiping sweat from his brow. His hands trembled from the exertion of running, a testament to his excellent acting.
“Flattery won’t work, Brother Xiao, you have nowhere left to run!” Luo Yingying also knew this was the critical moment to decide the victor.
Ye Changsheng’s last talisman was an Earth Escape Talisman. After using it, he burrowed into the earth, and a small mound of soil quickly moved across the ground.
After a distance, the Earth Escape Talisman reached its limit and began to disintegrate. He was also expelled to the surface.
“Now let’s see where you run!”
Luo Yingying leaped up, like a bird taking flight, and landed precisely on Ye Changsheng, using her slender legs to pin him down and press him to the ground.
Riding on top of Ye Changsheng, Luo Yingying’s lips curved into a victorious smile.
“I won the hide-and-seek game.”
“The game has indeed ended,” Ye Changsheng conceded, giving up his resistance.
“Then, according to the rules of the game, Brother Xiao must obey my commands.” Luo Yingying easily broke free from the ropes binding her. As expected, they had little effect on a Cultivator of the Golden Core Realm.
Clap, clap, clap.
Luo Yingying happily patted Ye Changsheng’s chest with her delicate hand, anticipating his surrender.
Ye Changsheng reminded her, “Young Palace Mistress, besides catching me, there was another rule to the game. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
“Huh?”
“Look up at the sky, Young Palace Mistress.”
Luo Yingying looked up at the sun. As a cultivator, she could naturally determine the time by observing the sun, moon, and stars.
“Time has run out!”
“Young Palace Mistress, it is I who have won now.”
The cold water Ye Changsheng poured on her caused Luo Yingying’s expression to gradually cool down.
“Young Palace Mistress, then…”
“Don’t~!”
“Ah?”
“Brother Xiao, please be lenient. You only agreed to play this game with me because it was difficult, and you always refuse. You usually reject me.”
Luo Yingying’s tone shifted, becoming incredibly sweet, almost sickeningly so. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears as if she were wronged, unleashing a massive impact on Ye Changsheng’s emotions.
Ye Changsheng froze.
“Just, just this once, okay…”
Luo Yingying lowered her head, her gaze exuding a sense of weakness, as if Ye Changsheng had bullied her. She fiddled with her fingers.
This girl was actually acting cute!
Why couldn’t she learn something else, instead of these devious tricks?
Although he often said he was tired of it, Luo Yingying was, after all, a stunning beauty. Ye Changsheng wasn’t made of stone and devoid of emotion. To say he wasn’t moved in the slightest would be a lie.
Master, your disciple is finding this very difficult.
“Next time, next time for sure!” Ye Changsheng struggled to regulate his breathing, tearing his gaze away from Luo Yingying’s face. He spoke with great difficulty, as if cutting flesh from his own body.
“Not next time, just this time.”
“Next time, I promise, I won’t lie to Yingying.”
“Does Brother Xiao have some particularly important reason?”
Luo Yingying blinked in confusion. She thought and thought, but couldn’t fathom why Ye Changsheng, who was always indifferent to everything, would be so persistent this time.
Regarding the Heartbreak Flower, he had subtly inquired about it from Luo Yingying before. Such Spirit Plants were top secrets of Wuhua Palace, held by the Palace Mistress herself. Luo Yingying didn’t seem to know the details.
Therefore, the other major problem plaguing Ye Changsheng was…
the Emotion Severing Seal.
To prevent betrayal from their Cultivation Cauldrons, all Cultivation Cauldrons entering Wuhua Palace were implanted with a sorcery called the Emotion Severing Seal, for easier control. If a Cultivation Cauldron committed an act of betrayal, their Spirit Root would be directly destroyed, causing the Cultivation Cauldron to wither and die, thus controlling life and death.
Ye Changsheng had the Emotion Severing Seal. Considering he would leave the Demonic Path in the future, even his cultivation wouldn’t save him from dying, but it would still be troublesome. If he could get rid of it, he would.
Thus, Ye Changsheng was contemplating how to express his thoughts more appropriately without arousing suspicion.
Ye Changsheng considered several plans, but none seemed suitable, and time continued to pass silently.
“Brother Xiao, what’s wrong? Just say it if you have something to say.”
He tried to speak, “Young Palace Mistress, regarding the Emotion—”
“Brother Xiao, hurry up! The Elders need me to discuss matters in the Sect this afternoon regarding a suspected traitor in Wuhua Palace.”
Luo Yingying’s casual remark struck Ye Changsheng like a thunderclap.
“What?”
Traitor?
What was happening? Had he been discovered?
“Brother Xiao, you paused mid-sentence. What were you saying, something about the Emotion?” Luo Yingying’s gaze became suspicious.
Ye Changsheng’s heart rate quickened slightly, and his mind raced under the crisis.
Luo Yingying had used the word “suspected,” meaning it wasn’t confirmed yet. Therefore, he hadn’t been exposed.
However, there was no doubt that asking for the removal of the Emotion Severing Seal now would be walking into a trap.
Therefore, he couldn’t say it. He had to choose a more secure approach.
Ye Changsheng remained outwardly calm. He grabbed Luo Yingying’s shoulders and stood up from the ground.
“Yingying.”
“Wh-what is it you want to say, Brother Xiao?” Luo Yingying felt the atmosphere change and couldn’t help but become nervous.
“My request is simple. I hope you won’t push yourself too hard,” Ye Changsheng said with a light smile. “You haven’t had a good rest lately, have you?”
Luo Yingying was startled at first, then said, “Brother Xiao, how did you know?”
“You don’t usually wear makeup, but even though you’ve made an effort today, I can still see your dark circles, and your eyes are bloodshot.”
“There’s no choice. I’m the Young Palace Mistress. Everyone in Wuhua Palace is expecting great things from me, so I have to work hard to meet their expectations…”
“This isn’t a request as a member of Wuhua Palace, but as an individual. Go get some good sleep after you’re done.” Ye Changsheng patted Luo Yingying’s head, abandoning his usual indifference.
Moved, Luo Yingying began to sob softly and buried herself in Ye Changsheng’s arms, her face streaked with tears.
“I thought Brother Xiao was going to make some strange request, like forcing me to get the Heartbreak Flower, or removing the Emotion Severing Seal and leaving Wuhua Palace.”
How did you guess all of them?!
Ye Changsheng dared not respond, simply letting Luo Yingying vent her stress.
“How could I misunderstand Brother Xiao? I was too much.”
“It’s alright, I don’t mind, I don’t mind…”
“But Brother Xiao is different from others. You truly care about me. Indeed, I like Brother Xiao the most.” Luo Yingying’s attachment to Ye Changsheng increased significantly, all of which Ye Changsheng observed.
“…” Ye Changsheng sighed inwardly, his heart filled with helplessness.
Unnecessary affinity increased again, what a headache.
If it continued like this, how would he ever leave Wuhua Palace?
