Chapter 15: Expressing Gratitude
Ling Xiaoxing slowly opened her eyes upon hearing Ye Changsheng’s voice.
The first thing that greeted her vision was a bloody head, Chen Ye’s ugly face an inch from her own.
“Ah!!”
Ling Xiaoxing, just regaining consciousness, was startled and fainted again.
…
“Senior Sister Xiaoxing, we’ve arrived. Wake up now.”
Ling Xiaoxing, who had been about to wake up, remembered the scene from before and hesitated to open her eyes.
“This voice… is it that stinky Cultivation Cauldron… You’re not trying to scare me again, are you!”
“No, no. Come down quickly, or others will misunderstand.”
Ling Xiaoxing squinted her eyes, half-believing, and saw a sturdy back.
Ye Changsheng was carrying her on his back. At such close proximity, she could even smell the faint scent of peach blossoms emanating from him.
“Ugh!!”
Ling Xiaoxing cried out in surprise, almost falling off Ye Changsheng’s back, but he quickly caught her thigh with his hand.
No, this was even worse!
“Hurry, hurry, put me down! You scoundrel!!”
“Okay.”
Ye Changsheng gently set Ling Xiaoxing down.
The shy girl quickly backed away, moving to the side to lean against a peach tree and catch her breath.
“Wh-What happened! I remember Chen Ye, that scumbag, was about to…”
“Don’t worry, Senior Sister Xiaoxing. Nothing happened to you. Chen Ye is right here.”
Ye Changsheng pointed to the head hanging from his waist – the same face that had scared Ling Xiaoxing into unconsciousness.
“How did Chen Ye end up like this?” Ling Xiaoxing’s eyes widened in surprise.
Then, she looked back at Ye Changsheng, as if she vaguely understood something.
Before she could confirm her thoughts, a group of Inner Disciples from Wuhua Palace descended from the sky.
“You were the ones calling for help, right? Huh? It’s Wuxiao and Ling Xiaoxing. Wait, who is that??”
Chang Yu’s gaze fell upon the head Ye Changsheng was carrying, and she was quite surprised.
“Who else could it be? The traitor Chen Ye,” Ye Changsheng replied.
The other disciples cast envious and jealous glances. Taking Chen Ye’s head meant a reward from the Young Palace Mistress.
Ling Xiaoxing watched as Ye Changsheng was surrounded by beautiful girls, feeling a sense of distance.
She had been working together with him just moments ago, but now she didn’t even have the courage to approach him.
“Let’s go, Senior Sister Xiaoxing,” Ye Changsheng said, coming closer. “We’ll go find the Young Palace Mistress.”
“…Okay.” Ling Xiaoxing replied wearily.
…
“To achieve the traitor’s head within a single day is truly remarkable.”
In the main hall, Ye Changsheng and Ling Xiaoxing stood at the center, surrounded by a crowd, while Luo Yingying’s voice rang out in praise.
Ling Xiaoxing felt a pang of shame in her heart.
It was so embarrassing, so unseemly. This was undoubtedly a complete failure on her part.
She had hoped to gain favor with the Young Palace Mistress through this mission and build a good relationship with her, but she had messed it up due to her own mistakes.
Luo Yingying had the predetermined rewards brought forth, and the Inner Disciples watched with covetous eyes.
“Whoever brought Chen Ye’s head,” Luo Yingying declared, “will receive these ten Spirit Gathering Pills and five hundred Spiritual Stones.”
A bitter smile spread across Ling Xiaoxing’s face. Just as she was about to confess her embarrassing mistakes, Ye Changsheng spoke first.
“Young Palace Mistress, it was Senior Sister Ling Xiaoxing who purged the Wuhua Palace. She was the one who volunteered to track Chen Ye to the north of Star Vortex Forest and fought a fierce battle with him, successfully killing the traitor,” Ye Changsheng said. “She deserves this reward.”
Ling Xiaoxing froze. She turned to look at the nonchalant Ye Changsheng, her face filled with confusion.
“It wasn’t you, Wuxiao?” Luo Yingying asked, a hint of doubt in her voice.
“It wasn’t me, Young Palace Mistress. Looking at me, do I seem like I’ve been in a fight?”
There wasn’t a single speck of dirt or a scratch on Ye Changsheng. In contrast, Ling Xiaoxing was covered in grime and wounded.
Anyone with eyes could accept Ye Changsheng’s explanation.
“I was negligent just now. So it was you, then.” Luo Yingying shifted her attention to Ling Xiaoxing.
“Ah?”
Suddenly being looked at by her idol, Ling Xiaoxing’s heart raced, lost in immense joy.
This was the first time Luo Yingying had looked at her like this. She could barely think!
“N-no, I…”
Ling Xiaoxing became flustered.
“Junior Sister Xiaoxing, your performance this time was truly outstanding.”
Luo Yingying personally placed the jade bottle containing the pills into Ling Xiaoxing’s hand.
“Please continue to work hard next time.”
The Young Palace Mistress called me Junior Sister Xiaoxing! I even touched her hand!
I made it! I actually made it!!
Ling Xiaoxing was so excited she could have cried. Her mouth opened and closed like that of a goldfish, unable to form coherent words.
The others, taking Ling Xiaoxing’s silence as an admission, offered congratulations out of politeness.
Ye Changsheng’s presence faded as he subtly merged into the crowd when no one was paying attention and finally left the hall.
…
As Ye Changsheng was about to return to his room, he was called back.
“W-wait, don’t go! Calamity!” It was Ling Xiaoxing.
“Is something wrong, Senior Sister Xiaoxing?”
“Here, I must give this to you!”
Ling Xiaoxing intended to hand over the Spiritual Stones and Spirit Gathering Pills she had received.
Ye Changsheng glanced at them but didn’t take them.
“I know you saved me!” Ling Xiaoxing looked directly at Ye Changsheng. “When Chen Ye was about to harm me, you intervened and stopped him.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Although I didn’t see it, that must have been what happened! This is what you deserve, I don’t want it.”
“…”
Ye Changsheng fell silent for a moment.
This seems a bit troublesome.
“It has nothing to do with me,” Ye Changsheng denied. “Chi did it.”
“Really?”
“Of course.” Ye Changsheng nodded.
After all, his apparent cultivation level wasn’t much different from Ling Xiaoxing’s, and explaining the details of the fight would be difficult.
A Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator without any Magical Treasures defeating Chen Ye seemed suspicious.
“You fed Chi the Silent Soul Lampwick earlier, and it was in a good mood, so it helped you out,” Ye Changsheng began to weave his tale.
“And you?”
“When I arrived, Chen Ye was already just a head. I didn’t do anything other than run around.”
“I see…”
Ling Xiaoxing looked a bit disappointed, not quite what she had expected.
“Chen Ye had hidden his strength. It’s estimated that your power wouldn’t have been enough to defeat him. Only the Scarlet Wast is likely capable of that.”
“If you hadn’t fought Chen Ye to the death, you wouldn’t have attracted Chi. It’s all Senior Sister Xiaoxing’s credit; it has nothing to do with me.”
“Indeed, I didn’t just get beaten for nothing! But let’s keep this our secret, don’t tell anyone, or I’ll be too embarrassed.”
Ling Xiaoxing’s expression grew slightly anxious.
“I got too emotional and accidentally spoke too boldly in front of the Young Palace Mistress. If it’s exposed, she’ll surely dislike me immensely.”
That’s great. Explaining the relationship between Ye Changsheng and the Scarlet Wast was troublesome enough, saving him that effort.
“I won’t say a word.”
“Then it’s settled. I should get back now.”
Ling Xiaoxing was about to bid farewell when she stopped after a few steps.
“Oh, right. There’s one more thing I forgot to say.”
“What is it?” Ye Changsheng asked.
“Thank you for today,” Ling Xiaoxing turned around, a sincere smile on her face as she looked at Ye Changsheng. “Goodnight, Wuxiao.”
