Chapter 70: The Final Wrap-up

As soon as these words were spoken, Ling Xiaoyun froze on the spot. He was not the only one; Ling Yuyan was equally stunned.

What was happening?

Compared to Ling Xiaoyun, Ling Yuyan was in a state of utter confusion.

She had arrived late, so she only heard the final words Ling Xiaoyun said to Gu Ming. As for what they had discussed before that, she had no idea.

However, she did know that he had rejected the olive branch her father had extended.

Why?

Leaning against Gu Ming’s chest, Ling Yuyan slightly raised her eyes. Looking at that handsome face with its faint smile, she suddenly found him exceptionally attractive and pleasant to look at.

‘Does he like me?’

Ling Yuyan’s heart was in a localized state of chaos.

The conditions Ling Xiaoyun had offered were incredibly generous; most people would never refuse them.

One had to understand that as one of the Five Great Forces within the Righteous Path Alliance, Lingyun Pavilion had extremely strict requirements even for recruiting Outer Disciples. Countless people fought tooth and nail just to get in.

Now, Ling Xiaoyun wanted to take Gu Ming in as an Adopted Son and even put him in charge of a branch pavilion. This was a position that many Elders, who had shed blood and risked their lives for Lingyun Pavilion, could only dream of obtaining.

Furthermore, Ling Xiaoyun was willing to help resolve the conflict between Gu Ming and Hundred Flowers Valley, something Ling Yuyan was unable to do.

All she could do was offer Gu Ming protection to ensure he wasn’t harassed by Hundred Flowers Valley.

Even with such excellent conditions on the table, Gu Ming still refused. Was it really just to uphold his agreement with Ling Yuyan?

That was obviously impossible.

Therefore, it was highly likely that he had developed feelings for her.

At this thought, a blush swept across Ling Yuyan’s cheeks, and her mind became a jumble of thoughts.

She was usually poised and generous, and she would occasionally flirt with Gu Ming, but that was only to show everyone that they were an affectionate couple. In reality, she had absolutely no experience with romantic relationships and had no idea how to face Gu Ming’s feelings for her.

Ling Xiaoyun’s expression darkened, and he wrinkled his nose. “Have you thought this through? Do not make the wrong choice.”

“I have thought it through very clearly. Yuyan is the love of my life.” Gu Ming was getting a bit too deep into his role and failed to notice Ling Yuyan’s blushing face in his arms. He continued, “No matter how much you try to stop me, I will never give her up.”

“Do not regret this,” Ling Xiaoyun said fiercely.

“I will not,” Gu Ming replied, showing no sign of fear.

“Someone, see them out,” Ling Xiaoyun commanded, his voice cold as he suppressed his rising anger.

A moment later, a servant ran into the room and gestured for Gu Ming and Ling Yuyan to leave. “Mister Wuming, Miss Yuyan, this way, please.”

With that, Gu Ming and Ling Yuyan followed the servant out of the study.

That same evening, Gu Ming and Ling Yuyan did not linger at Lingyun Pavilion. They took the Fire-wheeled Carriage they had arrived in and headed back to Jinxiu Mountain Villa.

Once inside the carriage, Ling Yuyan regained some of her composure, though her expression remained somewhat awkward while facing Gu Ming.

After considering it for a long while, the confusion in her eyes faded, and she spoke with a half-joking smile. “Oh my, you wouldn’t happen to have actually fallen for me, would you?”

“Huh?” Gu Ming blinked, and then broke into a cold sweat. “How is that possible? I was just playing the role of your fiancé as best as I could.”

“Really?” Ling Yuyan pressed for confirmation. “You gave up such generous conditions from my father just for our agreement?”

“Really.” Gu Ming nodded. Then, he curled his lip. “Your father’s promises were too grand to be true. I didn’t believe him.”

“That is good, then.”

Ling Yuyan gently patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief. However, an inexplicable sense of disappointment began to settle in her heart.

This hollow feeling made her very uncomfortable, so much so that her entire demeanor turned gloomy.

Seeing Ling Yuyan’s face suddenly fall, Gu Ming grew worried. “Are you alright?”

“I am fine. My heart just feels heavy,” Ling Yuyan said, shaking her head gently.

“Heavy?”

Gu Ming thought about it, but he still could not understand the reason behind it.

At that moment, Ling Yuyan suddenly stood up and threw herself into Gu Ming’s arms, hugging him tightly.

“What is wrong?” Gu Ming wanted to reach out and stroke Ling Yuyan’s back, but his hand froze halfway there.

He decided it was better not to do anything too out of line.

Ling Yuyan did not answer; she just held Gu Ming tightly.

Gu Ming had no choice but to let her continue the embrace.

***

On the other side—

At Saintess Mountain, the Saintess’s courtyard was glowing with a dazzling blue light. A map of mountains, rivers, and lakes, constructed from light blue particles, hovered in front of Shen Lingxi.

Above the map, a diamond-shaped crystal suspended in the air.

After spinning several times, the crystal suddenly shattered, dissipating into light blue particles. Along with it, the map of mountains, rivers, and lakes also vanished.

The Deduction… had failed.

Shen Lingxi slowly closed her eyes and took a moment to recover. This was nearly the 100th failure.

As expected, once a kidnapping had occurred, the Demon Cult would certainly be on their guard.

However, it did not matter.

Shen Lingxi pulled a Tracking Compass from her robe and spoke to Dazhuang and Erzhuang, who had been waiting for orders behind her. “I have called you here tonight to give you an important task.”

“We await your instructions, Lady Saintess,” Dazhuang and Erzhuang said in unison, bowing respectfully.

Shen Lingxi turned around and handed the Tracking Compass to Dazhuang. “I just attempted a Deduction to find Ye Yun’s location, but I failed. The Demon Cult must have used some method to shield him from my search. However, if you take this compass into the Demon Cult’s territory, it will guide you to Ye Yun. It is only a matter of time.”

Dazhuang and Erzhuang exchanged a look, appearing somewhat apprehensive. “Lady Saintess, do you want us to sneak into the heart of the Demon Cult to rescue Ye Yun? That might be a bit difficult for us.”

With their abilities, sneaking into the heart of the Demon Cult was easy enough, but rescuing a person from the inside—especially someone with no cultivation—was truly a daunting task.

Besides, the Saintess had previously led a group of experts and even the Sword Saint Successor, yet they had failed to rescue Ye Yun. How could the two of them possibly succeed?

“I am well aware of that,” Shen Lingxi said. “That is why I am not asking you to rescue him. I want you to kill him and frame the Demon Cult for the crime.”

Dazhuang and Erzhuang were stunned. Dazhuang asked hurriedly, “Lady Saintess, why kill him? Is he not your—”

“Because he is no longer useful,” Shen Lingxi said coldly.

Now that the real Gu Ming had returned to her side, Ye Yun—the bait used as part of the plan—naturally had no purpose. In fact, Ye Yun being alive was more of a liability than an asset.

As long as Ye Yun lived, the cunning Demon Cult Leader would eventually realize something was wrong. Therefore, Ye Yun had to die, and he had to die at the hands of the Demon Cult.

Dazhuang and Erzhuang looked at each other. They did not understand why the Saintess was being so cold-blooded, but since she had given the order, the two brothers would naturally give their all without hesitation.

After all, their lives had been saved by the Saintess.