Chapter 124: Jealousy

"The bond between you two men is truly admirable," Lan Xueruo said with a faint smile. While her words were casual, the envy in her heart was many times deeper. Although they were relatives, only distant ones, they shared such a deep bond. Thinking of her own brothers, she felt only coldness and sorrow.

"Xueruo, I'm relieved to see you're safe," Murong Ye said, approaching her with a hint of pleasant surprise on his face. "A month ago, when I heard you fell into the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, I was so worried I couldn't eat or sleep. I only wished I had the ability; otherwise, even if it meant risking my life, I would have gone into the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range to save you."

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother," Lan Xueruo replied with a polite smile. She showed no surprise at Murong Ye's presence. Every year, the Azure Wind Profound Palace selected three of the most outstanding disciples from its various branch profound palaces across the Azure Wind Empire for admission. Murong Ye was already one of the designated individuals from the New Moon Profound Palace this year, and his arrival at the Azure Wind Profound Palace happened to be within this month. She presumed Murong Ye had accompanied Qin Wuyou.

"Xueruo, will you be staying at the Azure Wind Profound Palace from now on? If so, that's wonderful! We can cultivate and spend time together in the same place again," Murong Ye said with a smile.

Lan Xueruo didn't nod, calmly stating, "Yes, I will indeed be staying at the Azure Wind Profound Palace from now on." After her brief reply, she turned her attention from Murong Ye and said to Qin Wuyou, "Palace Master Qin... Oh, I should call you Instructor Qin now. Yun Che has just arrived in Azure Wind Imperial City and has nowhere to go. I'll have to trouble you to arrange his admission to the Azure Wind Profound Palace."

"Haha, of course, that's no problem," Qin Wuyou nodded gently. "What about you then? Would you like to join him? Your name is still listed in the Middle Palace."

"Listed in the Middle Palace?" Murong Ye's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is that possible!" Even the lowest-ranked disciples in the Middle Palace possessed Profound energy at the True Profound Realm Level Three. He himself was at the Eighth Level of the Nascent Profound Realm, unmatched among men his age in the New Moon Profound Palace, but here at the Azure Wind Profound Palace, he would only be considered average even in the lowest-tier Outer Palace. Lan Xueruo's profound strength was the same as his; how could she be in the Middle Palace?

The Azure Wind Profound Palace was different from the New Moon Profound Palace. While the New Moon Profound Palace might allow for personal connections, the Azure Wind Profound Palace absolutely would not! The boundaries between the Outer, Middle, and Inner Palaces were extremely clear. The only way to enter the Middle Palace from the Outer Palace was to defeat a Middle Palace disciple. The only way to enter the Inner Palace from the Middle Palace was to defeat an Inner Palace disciple. There were no other paths. Even if the Palace Master tried to use personal influence to allow an Outer Palace disciple into the Middle Palace, it would be absolutely impossible. The only slight leniency allowed was for a not-quite-qualified disciple to enter the Outer Palace. However, only influential figures of at least instructor rank had this authority, and they could not admit more than three such disciples per year.

"I'll visit often. But I've been away for too long, and I'm a bit worried about my father, so I must go back and see him first. Therefore, I'll entrust Junior Brother Yun to Instructor Qin for now. Junior Brother Yun, Palace Master Qin is now an instructor at the Azure Wind Profound Palace. Please settle down in the palace with him for now. I'll go home, and once I've taken care of things there, I'll come to see you immediately," Lan Xueruo said. As she mentioned "father," a hint of worry and melancholy flickered in her eyes.

Murong Ye's mouth twitched violently. "Settle Yun Che... visit Yun Che..." In Lan Xueruo's simple words, anyone who wasn't a fool could hear the deep concern she held for Yun Che, with absolutely no mention of Murong Ye.

"Rest assured, I'll arrange for Yun Che to enter the Outer Palace immediately, and I'll ensure he receives the greatest possible consideration regarding his conditions," Qin Wuyou nodded. He was the only one who understood why Lan Xueruo treated Yun Che with such kindness. Although he personally didn't hold Yun Che in high regard, only feeling some admiration, since it was Lan Xueruo's choice, he had no option but to comply.

"Senior Sister, are you going home by yourself? Perhaps I should escort you back first?" Yun Che tentatively asked. Deep down, he really wanted to know what concept Lan Xueruo's "home" truly represented.

Lan Xueruo smiled faintly and shook her head, her movements light and silent, her expression gentle yet firm.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to me here in Azure Wind Imperial City." With that, Lan Xueruo gave Yun Che a gentle smile, turned her back to him, and slowly walked away.

However, the moment she took her first step forward, walking alone, a profound sense of emptiness suddenly welled up in Lan Xueruo's heart, as if something extremely important had suddenly vanished from her side. In just a brief moment, she understood what this emptiness was... Because at this moment, Yun Che was no longer by her side.

Having escaped together, faced dangers together, and even narrowly escaped death, their daily proximity for so long had led her, unknowingly, to become accustomed to Yun Che's presence. Back at the New Moon Profound Palace, Murong Ye had constantly clung to her side for a very long time, yet he had brought her two completely different feelings. While she had remained polite and calm about Murong Ye's persistence, she felt inner annoyance and repulsion. With Yun Che constantly by her side, however, a quiet, growing dependence had formed in her heart... along with an even more dangerous attachment.

Even sleeping in the same bed with him and waking up embracing him each morning had quietly become a habit.

Upon returning to Azure Wind Imperial City, she had been eager to go home and see her father, but now, having suddenly parted ways with Yun Che, the absence of his presence felt so unbearable, as if a part of her soul had been torn away. It made her steps slow down considerably.

"Senior Sister!"

Suddenly, Yun Che's voice called out from behind her, causing her to stop dead in her tracks, no longer wanting to move.

Yun Che quickly caught up to Lan Xueruo and took two items from the Sky Poison Pearl, handing them to her. "Since Senior Sister recognizes the Sky-Splitting Thunder, you'll surely recognize this Poison Fire Gun from the Weapon Sect of the Xiao Sect. When I'm not by your side, Senior Sister, you must learn to protect yourself. When facing an enemy who wants to harm you and whom you cannot defeat, do not be merciful; use this Poison Fire Gun to eliminate them. Also, this stick of incense was taken from Hei Mo's spatial ring. It's a very special beast-repelling incense. The materials used aren't from the Azure Wind Empire; Hei Mo and his group likely obtained it by robbing a wealthy foreign merchant. When lit, it can repel profound beasts below the Sky Profound Realm, and they used it to enter the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. If you ever enter a dangerous area with formidable profound beasts, light it immediately."

Lan Xueruo's lips curved, forming an incredibly beautiful and moving smile. "I'm just going home for a visit, it's not a farewell forever..." She put away the Poison Fire Gun and the beast-repelling incense, then softly said, "Thank you, Junior Brother Yun."

"Hehehe," Yun Che chuckled mischievously. "We sleep together every day, so why are you being so polite with 'thank you'... Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!"

A blush spread across Lan Xueruo's face, down to her snowy neck. Annoyed, she pinched the back of Yun Che's hand, stomped her foot, and then ran off as if fleeing.

Whether Yun Che's last remark was intentional or not, he hadn't lowered his voice significantly. Qin Wuyou, Xia Yuanba, and Murong Ye heard it clearly, and all of them were stunned, their mouths agape, chins nearly hitting the ground.

"You... what did you just say?!" Murong Ye's chest heaved. Then, like a furious mad dog, he lunged forward, grabbing Yun Che's collar. His eyes bloodshot, he roared, "Say what you just said again!"

With a "slap," Yun Che swatted away Murong Ye's hand from his collar, then eyed him disdainfully. "What are you to tell me what to do? You tell me to repeat it, and I repeat it?"

Qin Wuyou stammered, "Yun Che, you, you, you, you, you... you really slept with Xueruo?"

Yun Che looked back at Qin Wuyou with a confused expression. "Well... Senior Sister Xueruo and I, an unattached man and woman, for over a month... and with this handsome man and beautiful woman, mutually attracted... isn't it normal to sleep together?"

"Th-th-th-th-this..." Qin Wuyou's beard trembled, his eyes widened, and his brain completely froze. Then he recalled Lan Xueruo's reaction when Yun Che said those words earlier... instead of giving him a harsh slap, she had playfully pinched him and then ran off in embarrassment and annoyance... Qin Wuyou almost felt an urge to kneel before Yun Che on the spot...

"Aaaah!" Xia Yuanba's mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time. "Brother-in-law, you actually slept with Senior Sister Xueruo... I admire you so much!"

"Impossible! This can't be true! How could Xueruo ever favor you! And Xueruo is pure and untainted, how could she... how could she..." Murong Ye's breathing grew heavy, his eyes bloodshot, his mind on the verge of collapse and madness. Suddenly, his hand flashed, and he gripped a slender sword, thrusting it violently towards Yun Che. "You scoundrel who defiled Xueruo, I'll kill you!"

"Stop!" Murong Ye's action caught Qin Wuyou and Xia Yuanba off guard. Furthermore, Murong Ye was too close to Yun Che; apart from letting out an exclamation, they had no time to intervene.

Yun Che neither dodged nor avoided, casually extending his right hand and directly grabbing the long sword Murong Ye thrust at him. This action greatly startled Qin Wuyou and Xia Yuanba. Grabbing a sword with his bare hand? Murong Ye possessed profound energy at the Eighth Level of the Nascent Profound Realm. Did Yun Che not want his hand anymore?!

*Clang!*

The moment Yun Che's fingers touched Murong Ye's long sword, Murong Ye's sneer froze completely before it could even fully form. His sword felt as if it had struck an impossibly hard boulder, unable to advance even a fraction of an inch further.

And gripping the sword's tip were only Yun Che's index and middle fingers of his right hand.

Murong Ye was dumbfounded, and Qin Wuyou and Xia Yuanba were utterly stunned. It was then that Qin Wuyou finally noticed Yun Che's profound energy, and a cry of profound disbelief escaped him: "Nascent Profound Realm... Level Ten!? Th-this... how is this possible?!"

When he last saw Yun Che, he was only at the First Level of the Nascent Profound Realm. Yet, only a month and a half had passed, and he was already at the Tenth Level of the Nascent Profound Realm!

Such a speed... could only be described as a fantasy.

"Huh? What did you say? Nascent Profound Realm Level Ten?" Xia Yuanba's eyes bulged, almost believing his ears were failing him.

Yun Che extended his right hand, gripping the entire sword blade. With a sudden flick, powerful profound energy surged along the blade and impacted Murong Ye's tightly clenched hand, causing the web of skin between his thumb and forefinger to split and making him scream as he released his grip. Yun Che held the sword by its blade, swung his arm, and slammed the hilt hard against Murong Ye's face, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Murong Ye lay sprawled on the ground, the right side of his face heavily swollen and bleeding. Yun Che tossed the sword aside and looked down at him, saying coldly, "Whatever happens between Senior Sister Xueruo and me has absolutely nothing to do with you. Know your place, you daydreaming toad. Understand?"