Chapter 154: 苍月

The duel between Yun Che and Murong Yi had come to a conclusion. The outcome of this confrontation was unexpected and deeply shocked everyone. Subsequently, as anticipated, Yun Che’s name swept through the entire Azure Wind Profound Palace and even the Azure Wind Imperial City like a storm.

Defeating a ninth-level True Profound practitioner head-on with only a second-level True Profound cultivation base was enough to cause a city-wide sensation. Furthermore, Yun Che was only seventeen years old and, with his second-level True Profound strength, effortlessly wielded the Overlord's Colossal Sword—a weapon no one had successfully controlled for hundreds of years. These facts added a legendary aura to Yun Che.

Overnight, countless accolades were bestowed upon Yun Che through various rumors. He was called "the Azure Wind Profound Palace's first rising star," "the greatest genius of Azure Wind Profound Palace in hundreds of years," and "a peerless prodigy who can challenge across nearly a major realm." Some even exaggerated, calling him "the future pillar of the Azure Wind Imperial Family."

In a single night, Yun Che transformed from an unknown individual to someone almost everyone in the city knew. As various versions of the rumors spread, he became an object of envy, jealousy, and admiration for countless young profound practitioners.

However, Yun Che was completely unaware of any of this.

After the battle with Murong Yi, Yun Che was pulled back to his residence by Lan Xueruo.

Yun Che's external injury to his ribs was quite severe, with a wound nearly half a foot long. The overflowing blood had stained a large section of his white outer garment. After Lan Xueruo cleaned the wound, she carefully applied the pre-prepared ointment and then wrapped a thick layer of bandages around it. Although the injury was much lighter than she had anticipated, the alarming wound and bloodstains still caused her heart to ache.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister, it's not a serious injury; it'll heal quickly," Yun Che said with a smile. With the Great Way of the Buddha, he had recovered most of his strength in less than ten days after being nearly killed by the Little Fairy, so this minor injury was nothing.

Throughout the process, he gazed gently at Lan Xueruo. Her movements were awkward, clearly indicating she rarely—or perhaps never—cleaned wounds or applied medicine for anyone. This filled him with a warm current of emotion.

"It's just that the new clothes Senior Sister just made for me are stained," Yun Che said, looking dejected as he picked up his training clothes, which now had a large tear and were heavily stained with blood.

"It's alright, I can make you a few more. It's good that you're okay," Lan Xueruo replied, her face glistening with sweat after tying the final knot on the bandage. She vividly remembered the moment Yun Che was struck by Murong Yi's spear; her heart had felt as though it plunged into an abyss. Now, although Yun Che's injury pained her, it also brought her a sense of returning to paradise.

"Really?" Hearing Lan Xueruo's words, Yun Che immediately beamed with joy. "That's a promise a girl only makes to her husband... Senior Sister, are you finally willing to be with me?"

"You—you—" Lan Xueruo's face instantly flushed deep red, her composure utterly shattered. She bit her lip and tried to look stern. "Hmph! You little married flirt! I haven't even had a chance to scold you for offending me before, and you dare to push your luck! From now on... from now on, you're not allowed to... to secretly kiss me anymore!"

"Oh, so I can't secretly kiss you... does that mean I can openly kiss you?" Yun Che smiled. Lan Xueruo's stern expression wasn't intimidating at all; instead, it added a touch of adorable girlish charm.

Lan Xueruo, completely inexperienced in matters of the heart, was no match for Yun Che. His single remark threw her into even greater disarray. Before she could think of what to say, her hand suddenly warmed. Yun Che had gently taken her slightly sweaty hand. In front of her, Yun Che's smiling face was slowly drawing nearer, closer and closer... the masculine scent, which made her heart pound, wafted toward her.

"You... what are you doing?" Lan Xueruo instinctively recoiled, asking flustered.

"Before, I startled Senior Sister by secretly kissing you; that was my fault. So, to make it up to you, I need to kiss you again, very seriously this time."

Yun Che spoke softly, each word making Lan Xueruo's heart beat faster. In her daze, Yun Che's face was extremely close. She could clearly feel his warm breath caressing her face. If she didn't retreat now, her lips would be kissed by him again the next second...

The voice of reason told her she should immediately pull away, but women are never solely guided by rationality. Her heart hammered wildly, and the blush on her face spread down to her fair neck, yet she was unable to make a move to escape. This was because, deep down, she didn't reject this "offense" at all; instead, she felt an inexplicable sense of anticipation and longing.

In a daze, she felt her tender lips finally being gently covered, and her slender waist secretly embraced by an arm. Her body stiffened, her vision blurred, and then she quietly closed her eyes...

With a "bang," the room door was pushed open, and a hearty voice accompanied by laughter filled the air: "Hahahaha! Yun Che, you performed splendidly today! You've truly astonished me again. So, I absolutely had to personally bring you this Golden Scaled Dragon Transformation Pellet..."

Qin Wuyou strode in with a gust of wind. His words abruptly cut off mid-sentence as if choked by a stone, and his eyes instantly widened larger than a bull's. Before him, Yun Che, with his upper body bare and a bandage wrapped around his waist, had his left arm tightly around Lan Xueruo's slender, willow-like waist, deeply engrossed in a kiss.

"Ah—" Lan Xueruo shrieked, breaking free from Yun Che's embrace like lightning. She spun around, flustered, covering her face with her hands, her stunning cheeks flushed crimson.

Yun Che, however, remained composed. He licked the lingering fragrance from the corner of his lips, seemingly still wanting more, and then said solemnly, "Instructor Qin, you've arrived."

"I... I... I... I..." Qin Wuyou, one of the esteemed chief instructors of the Azure Wind Profound Palace, now had a twisted mouth and wide eyes, his face pale with alarm. He stammered, "I... I... came... came to the wrong place. You... you... you all... carry on... carry on..."

Qin Wuyou backed away as he spoke, stumbling heavily over the threshold when he reached the door, almost falling backward out of the room. He finally managed to steady himself, no longer daring to look up, and fled as if escaping.

Yun Che watched his series of actions with wide eyes, then mumbled, "Such an old man, and he can't stand seeing Senior Sister and me being affectionate? What a fuss. Ah... right, Senior Sister, let's continue."

"Who... who wants to continue with you! I... I have something to do, I'm... I'm not talking to you anymore!"

With one hand, Lan Xueruo grabbed Yun Che's torn, blood-stained training clothes and ran out, her face flushed, leaving a faint, sweet scent behind.

Yun Che didn't chase after her. He reached up and pressed his lips, smiling contentedly. He murmured to himself, "So, a man's charm has absolutely nothing to do with whether he's married or not..."

Yun Che got up and found some clothes to put on. He then walked to the door, and just as he was about to close it, he saw Qin Wuyou return, entering with an extremely peculiar expression on his face.

"Instructor Qin, didn't you come to the wrong place this time?" Yun Che said, chuckling.

"You... you little brat," Qin Wuyou's mouth twitched. Then he suddenly let out a long sigh, walked directly into the room, sat down at the table, picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it in one gulp.

In Yun Che's eyes, this action looked very much like an attempt to calm himself down.

"Instructor Qin, did you come personally to give me the Golden Scaled Dragon Transformation Pellet?" Yun Che sat opposite Qin Wuyou, asking despite knowing the answer.

Qin Wuyou, however, didn't nod. Instead, he glared at Yun Che and said in a strange tone, "Three months ago, when you said you and Xueruo... ahem, slept together, I was ninety percent skeptical. I never imagined you... you... you..."

He truly couldn't find the words to describe Yun Che. He knew exactly who Lan Xueruo was. Aside from her status, her beauty was enough to captivate a nation. The young talents who had pursued her over the years, just those he knew of, were too numerous to count. Among them, Murong Ye's overall conditions didn't even qualify him for the bottom rank. Yet, while Lan Xueruo was always gentle to everyone, she never allowed any man to get closer to her. She carried too much on her heart and simply had no thoughts of romance.

He never expected that this young Yun Che not only possessed astonishing talent, surprising everyone repeatedly, but was also a master at winning over women. In less than half a year, he had captivated Lan Xueruo. Crucially, Yun Che had no background, no relatives to speak of, was two years younger than Lan Xueruo, and was even already married! In Qin Wuyou's eyes, this was truly... utterly unscientific.

"I like Senior Sister Xueruo, and Senior Sister Xueruo likes me. Isn't that perfectly normal?" Yun Che said calmly.

Qin Wuyou shook his head, looking directly into Yun Che's eyes. "Then do you know what Xueruo's background is?"

Yun Che paused, then shook his head. "I don't know. But based on Senior Sister's demeanor and the way she speaks, and what I've felt many times, Senior Sister Xueruo must have a very noble identity. However, I haven't pressed her about it or deliberately inquired. If she doesn't want me to know, pressing her would only make things difficult for her. She will naturally tell me when she feels it's the right time. All I need to know is that she would never harm me."

"You dared to treat her so carelessly without knowing her identity? You really are... really are... sigh!" Qin Wuyou sighed again, scratching his scalp in frustration. Then he suddenly looked up and said, "Since she hasn't told you yet, I will. While I admit you are a once-in-a-century genius—not just me, but my elder brother Qin Wushang was deeply shocked by your performance today—you are still too young, just a fledgling eagle. Among the younger generation, even across the entire Azure Wind Empire, you are undoubtedly an outstanding individual. However, setting aside age, your strength is still at the lower end. On the true grand stage, you are simply incapable of causing any real stir."

"After you hear what I'm about to say, I hope you'll carefully consider your own capabilities and weigh whether you have enough strength and courage to face what might come. If you believe you can be fearless and unafraid of the consequences, then do everything in your power to protect Xueruo. If you lack that conviction, then please actively distance yourself from her—for her future, and even more so, for your own life."

"..." Qin Wuyou's words were incredibly solemn. Yun Che's heart grew quiet, and he frowned, asking seriously, "Senior Sister Xueruo's identity... what exactly is it?"

Qin Wuyou stated each word clearly: "Cang Yue, the incumbent Azure Wind Emperor's only daughter, the sole princess of the Azure Wind Imperial Family. Her title is 'Princess Cang Yue'."

"..." Yun Che's expression abruptly stiffened, and his eyes trembled intensely.

"The name Lan Xueruo came from her birth mother, whose surname was Lan. The princess's mother passed away when she was fourteen. Before her passing, she changed her daughter's name to 'Xueruo,' hoping she would remain as pure and flawless as white snow, far from the world's filth and turmoil. Perhaps at that time, her mother had already sensed the impending crisis within the imperial family and hoped Princess Cang Yue could stay away from the chaos and protect herself."