Volume 1 Chapter 15: Hidden Thoughts
Tn: Edited at 5 / 16 / 2025
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At this moment, Ye Anping was leaning against a locust tree, face flushed and panting like an ox.
His sweat-drenched shirt was completely soaked—like it had been dunked in water. If he wrung it out, it'd probably yield several bowls of sweat.
In contrast, Pei Lengxue, who had been sparring with him, only had a few beads of sweat on her forehead and a faint blush on her cheeks. She clearly hadn't even used seventy or eighty percent of her strength.
Ye Anping had known for a while that he wouldn't be able to serve as Pei Lengxue's training partner for much longer.
He just didn't expect that day to come so soon.
When a genius and a side character run down the same path, the gap between them only grows wider and wider.
Still, he didn't feel discouraged. In fact, he felt a strange sense of pride, like watching his daughter grow up—Look at her! That's my student. Isn't she amazing?
Unfortunately, pride was just pride.
No matter how talented someone was, if they lacked the right environment, they'd wither.
Right now, neither the Hundred Lotus Sect nor Ye Anping himself had the resources to continue supporting Pei Lengxue.
Her rare Singular Water Spirit Root had nearly harsh requirements for both cultivation techniques and environment.
Moreover, she was already at the Peak Qi Refining realm and on the verge of Foundation Establishment.
After that, her need for spirit stones and cold-element spiritual energy would increase exponentially.
Unless Ye Anping could get his father to funnel all of Hundred Lotus Sect's resources into her, her cultivation road ahead would be rough.
As he thought this, Ye Anping sighed and suddenly recalled all those mobile games he used to play.
—The rarer the character, the more expensive they are to raise.
If Feng Yudie was an SSR character, then Pei Lengxue was probably a UR.
"Aiya—can't afford to raise her anymore… really can't afford it…"
"Can't afford to raise what?" Pei Lengxue sheathed her sword and knelt beside him, gently kneading his sore shoulders. "Senior Brother, are you thinking about raising a little spirit beast as a pet? If so, how about we check out the market later? I saw a really cute little bird for sale the other day."
"Heh, I'm not interested in those little things." Ye Anping shook his head. "I'm talking about you—I can't afford to raise you anymore."
Pei Lengxue puffed her cheeks, thinking her senior brother was treating her like a pet. But after a moment's thought, she figured being his pet didn't sound so bad, and joked:
"How am I hard to raise? I'm super easy. Just need a place to sleep, three meals a day, and the occasional hug or headpat. Way easier than a spirit beast or a bonsai tree."
Hearing that, Ye Anping sighed again, lips curving down slightly.
"These years, I've spent a lot of spirit stones on you."
"How many did you spend, exactly? I can pay Senior Brother back—I've saved up quite a few stones."
"Oh, come on. How much can you possibly have in that little piggy bank of yours?" Ye Anping shrugged, then after thinking a moment, said, "If we're being serious… I've probably spent over fifty thousand spirit stones on you."
"Wha—? F-Fifty thousand?!"
"You know the medicine I give you? One of the herbs is Black Ice Lotus—it costs five to six hundred spirit stones per stalk. You've been taking that stuff since you were seven, and you use up a dozen a year. Add in the rest of the ingredients and extras, and fifty thousand might be an understatement."
Pei Lengxue was stunned. She had always known her senior brother gave her precious medicine, but she thought it might amount to a few thousand at most. She never imagined it was that much.
Seeing her surprised expression, Ye Anping chuckled and teased:
"So, Junior Sister, after spending that many spirit stones on you, what do you say I do now?"
"Ah…" Pei Lengxue bit her lip uneasily, then after a brief moment of thought, her eyes lit up and she smiled.
"Senior brother, how much do you think I'm worth? How about I write a deed of servitude and sell myself to you to pay the debt?"
Ye Anping rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively.
"Who wants your deed of servitude?"
"You don't want it?" Pei Lengxue lowered her eyes, her face filled with disappointment.
"… …" Ye Anping blinked, a little stunned. He frowned and asked:
"Wait… are you actually happy about the idea of selling yourself to me?"
'If marrying senior brother is the best outcome, then… selling myself isn't that bad either…'
Pei Lengxue pouted and raised her index finger:
"Well… debts have to be repaid, right? And since I can't pay back that many spirit stones, I'll just have to sell myself to you."
"Then how much do you weigh right now?"
"Huh? Around eighty-five jin (about 42.5 kg)?"
"Market price for spiritual pig meat is two spirit stones per jin. That makes you worth about a hundred—"
"Senior brother!!" Pei Lengxue's brows shot up as she grabbed his cheeks and pulled his face into a flat pancake.
"You're the pig!!"
Ye Anping laughed and caught her hand.
"Alright, alright, just kidding."
"Hmph!"
"But seriously." He looked at her intently.
"If you stay in the Hundred Lotus Sect, your cultivation might stagnate. I've been thinking—maybe we should send you to the Profound Star Sect."
"Profound Star Sect?"
"Yeah. It's one of the 5 Great Immortal Sects. Its resources far surpass the Hundred Lotus Sect."
"Sounds good! Then let's go together." Pei Lengxue nodded quickly.
"Didn't you say the Profound Star Sect is holding a disciple selection event in two months? I'm sure you'll rank at the top!"
"Pfft—" Ye Anping knocked her lightly on the forehead.
"I can't participate."
"Why not?"
"The Profound Star Sect has insanely strict requirements for disciple qualifications. Your senior brother here only has dual spirit roots—I'm not even eligible to register."
"I see… Then if you can't go, there's no way I can get in either. It's fine. I'll just stay with you here in the Hundred Lotus Sect, even if I cultivate slower. That's fine with me."
Ye Anping hadn't yet told Pei Lengxue about her true spirit root. She still thought she had triple roots.
Honestly, letting her stay in the Hundred Lotus Sect wasn't the worst idea.
Now that Wu You was dead, and Feng Yudie was about to enter Profound Star Sect, the main story was about to accelerate.
It wasn't just Pei Lengxue—he himself would need a massive amount of resources going forward.
And without a doubt, leeching off the Profound Star Sect would be the most convenient and stress-free method of getting those resources.
The problem was… neither of them could get in.
Pei Lengxue's Singular Water Spirit Root was too rare. The elders of Profound Star Sect might not recognize its value. As for Ye Anping, his dual root didn't even qualify.
But—he remembered something.
The Profound Star Sect allowed each new disciple to bring one attendant into the sect.
If either he or Pei Lengxue could enter as Feng Yudie's attendant, that would be a viable workaround.
But the thought made him scowl.
He really didn't want to be anywhere near Feng Yudie.
When a cannon fodder gets close to the protagonist, isn't that basically asking to die?
And if he let Pei Lengxue go with her instead… he was terrified that Feng Yudie would corrupt the sweet, pure junior sister he'd spent over a decade raising like a daughter.
Pei Lengxue was his precious disciple, trained with blood, sweat, and spirit stones! How could he just hand her over to a skirt-chasing pig like Feng Yudie?!
In the latter part of the game, Feng Yudie first tricked the Profound Star Sect Master's daughter into giving up her virginity, and later flirted with a princess and five or six other beautiful, talented women.
And just as Ye Anping was thinking about Feng Yudie, her voice suddenly came from nearby.
"Miss Pei… and Young Master Ye."
"… …"
Ye Anping turned his head, while Pei Lengxue instinctively tightened her grip on her sword.
Feng Yudie, leaning on Xiao Die for support, was limping over from the edge of the training ground.
When she reached them, she gave a slight nod and bowed to Ye Anping.
"Thank you, Young Master Ye, for preparing the medicinal porridge. After drinking it, I do feel much better."
Hearing that, Pei Lengxue's eyes widened, and her grip on her sword tightened again.
Ye Anping also looked puzzled.
He hadn't prepared any porridge for Feng Yudie, furthermore, why was she wearing his mother's old clothes?
He glanced at Xiao Die, who returned a knowing look. He immediately understood: the porridge must have been prepared by his mother, Kong Yulan. She probably misunderstood his intention when he brought Feng Yudie back home.
"Mm, don't mention it. That said, why are you here at the training grounds instead of resting in your room, Miss Feng?"
"I heard that Young Master Ye and Miss Pei were practicing swordsmanship here, so…"
Feng Yudie shot a glance at Pei Lengxue and smiled sweetly.
"May I watch from the side?"
"My junior and I just finished our spar. But actually, I was planning to come find you—I have something to discuss."
"Discuss with me?" Feng Yudie awkwardly lowered her head, thinking: Could it be that he's actually into me?
"Yeah, I need a favor." Ye Anping paused, then looked at Xiao Die.
"Xiao Die, go prepare some tea for us."
Xiao Die nodded, but her eyes sparkled as she quickly added:
"Young Master, Miss Feng can't walk well yet. Someone needs to help her. Would you perhaps assist her yourself?"
"No need, no need," Feng Yudie refused with a wave of her hand, then glanced shyly at Pei Lengxue.
"There should be a boundary between men and women… so may I trouble Miss Pei instead?"
But as Ye Anping noticed her sneaky glance toward Pei Lengxue, he immediately saw through her thoughts.
This girl… has likely set her sights on his junior sister.
Without bothering to respond to Feng Yudie's polite refusal, Ye Anping stepped forward and grabbed her arm, dragging her toward a nearby pavilion.
"Miss Feng, I'll help you."
"Ah?!" Feng Yudie tried instinctively to pull away, but Ye Anping only tightened his grip.
"Young Master Ye, this is—"
Ye Anping leaned in close to her ear, a cold smirk tugging at his lips.
"Don't worry, Miss Feng. I have no interest in you whatsoever. But I can tell…"
Feng Yudie's eyes slowly shifted to his face—only to find that the once-gentle features now carried the creepy grin of a villain.
She gulped and asked nervously, "Tell what?"
"'Boundary between men and women' might apply to others, but for you—shouldn't it be 'boundary between women and women'?" Ye Anping sneered, biting each word.
"If you so much as think of touching my junior sister, you'll regret it."
Feng Yudie hadn't expected to be found out, and she immediately burst into an awkward laugh.
"Ahahaha…"
But her laugh only made Ye Anping's expression harden further.
In the game, whenever Feng Yudie was flustered, she always laughed just like that.
"Miss Feng, don't think that silly laugh of yours works on me. I'm dead serious."
Feng Yudie paused for a moment, then quickly tried to defend herself:
"Young Master Ye, this… I just greatly admire Miss Pei, that's all. You've really misunderstood."
"If I did misunderstand, then that's good," Ye Anping replied with a smile.
"I saved your life. I hope you won't repay kindness with betrayal."
Gulp
Feng Yudie swallowed hard and forced a cautious smile.
"N-no… Of course not."
Right now, she found him terrifying.
He was clearly just a Qi Refining Realm cultivator, and an average one at that—only a dual spirit root—but somehow he was exuding the same pressure as her master, True Immortal Tai Xu.
Floating above her head, Xiaotian looked down and was shocked to see that Feng Yudie was actually afraid.
It instantly began to reassess Ye Anping.
In its memory, aside from her master, Feng Yudie had never shown this kind of wariness toward anyone.
'He actually figured out that Yudie has that rotten little habit of liking women? And even managed to scare her—this Young Master is the real deal. Worth hanging around!'
However, what none of them noticed…
Was that Pei Lengxue, still standing where she was, now had bloodshot eyes.
She was staring daggers at Feng Yudie's back.
The sword in her hand creaked under her tightening grip.
"Tch. This vixen…"