Chapter 500: 妖皇城

"But ultimately, my daughter was in danger this time because of this boy!" Though Tianxia Xiongtu reined in his anger, his tone remained harsh. "If anything had truly happened to my daughter, even if I knew someone deliberately orchestrated it, I would still make the Yun family suffer! Fortunately, my daughter is safe, so I can let this matter go and not trouble Yun Qinghong. However... young Yun, I will not retract what I said to you earlier. You are not to see my daughter again, or I will personally break your legs! Now get out!"

"Father!" Tianxia Qibao exclaimed, distressed. "You already know that Yun Gege and I were ambushed, so how can you still speak of him like that? It's too much! If you keep this up, I'll really get angry."

"I'm too much? Qibao, putting aside today's incident, you are, after all, the princess of our Spirit Race. There are so many young talents in Demon Imperial City for you to choose from. Why did you have to fall for someone like this..." Tianxia Xiongtu pointed at Yun Xiao, paused, and ultimately refrained from saying the unpleasant words that came to mind. Instead, he waved his hand, "I used to indulge your willfulness, but after something like this, I will absolutely not let you see him again! Young Yun, give up completely! My daughter is not someone you are worthy of."

Tianxia First, Tianxia Third, and Tianxia Sixth all wore expressions of agreement.

"Father!!" Tianxia Qibao pushed Tianxia Xiongtu, took a step back, her face flushed crimson with anger. "I'll say it again: in this life, I will only ever love Yun Gege. Besides him, I will marry no one... And this is my own business; you don't need to interfere!"

"Seventh Sister..." Yun Xiao looked at her, murmuring softly, his hands clenched tightly, his face paling intermittently.

Tianxia Xiongtu, however, did not back down. "Qibao, usually, whatever you want to do, I indulge you. But this matter is absolutely out of the question. This isn't just your personal romantic issue; it concerns your future and prospects... and even, to a certain extent, the reputation and future of our entire Tianxia clan!" Tianxia Xiongtu sighed heavily, softening his stance. "Qibao, I always go along with your wishes. Can't you just comply with your father this one time?"

Tianxia Qibao bit her lip. She looked at Yun Xiao, who also looked back at her, their gazes meeting tenderly... The distance between them was only a few steps, yet it felt as helpless as if a vast chasm separated them. After a long silence, the stubborn elven woman slowly and resolutely shook her head. "Father, Eldest Brother, Third Brother, Sixth Brother, I know you look down on Yun Gege, even despising him... because of his background! But is his background his fault? Are birth and status truly that important?"

"My liking for Yun Gege has absolutely nothing to do with his background. In my eyes, he is thousands, tens of thousands of times better than those arrogant and conceited sons of prominent families. As you all know, because the Demon King's fate is unknown, the Yun family patriarch was deposed, and then they successively lost the Demon King's Seal and the Demon King's Supreme Treasure. Not only did their reputation plummet, but they also bore heavy guilt. Their annual resource allocation is several times less than before, and they are even forbidden from entering the 'Golden Crow Thunderflame Valley,' which is the best place for unique encounters and training. Internal family strife has also grown, causing the Yun family's strength to decline significantly over the past century... Yet, in such an environment, with the most meager resources, Yun Gege is now a Half-step Overlord Emperor! He is no worse than many direct disciples of other families. This strength, which you consider barely worthy of a 'patriarch's son,' do you know how much effort Yun Gege has put into it?!"

"The resources Yun Gege has received over the past decade or so are less than one-tenth of what other family patriarchs' sons get, and even significantly less than what other disciples in his own family receive! Yet, Yun Gege has never complained; instead, he puts in ten times the effort of others. Other Yun family disciples can use Profound Aura, but Yun Gege cannot... so he exerts several times more effort to make up for that gap... With scarce resources, and even without the Yun family's bloodline talent, Yun Gege is now a Half-step Overlord Profound practitioner at less than twenty-two years old, and he will soon enter the Overlord Emperor realm... If he had access to the same resources, I believe his current achievements would certainly be no worse than Sixth Brother's!"

Tianxia Sixth: "..."

"Yun Gege is very kind-hearted and always so gentle. At least nominally, he is the Yun family's young master, but he never acts arrogantly because of it, nor does he ever bully others. When he encounters injustice, he always actively extends a helping hand... I know you all dismiss all his good qualities. But there's one thing... when I was in danger, Yun Gege was willing to risk his own life to protect me. All the injuries on his body now are from protecting me. He could have escaped completely unharmed, yet he chose to risk his life to create an opportunity for me to escape... Even after all that, he's still being scolded and humiliated by you!" Tianxia Qibao's chest heaved violently. "Father, which of those young talents you speak of could do that? For a woman to meet such a person in her lifetime, and for them to mutually adore each other, is the greatest fortune of a lifetime. How can you bear to destroy the greatest happiness of my life?!"

Faced with Tianxia Xiongtu's inflexibility, Tianxia Qibao finally lost control and blurted out everything in her heart. But her heartfelt words still did not move Tianxia Xiongtu. He glanced at Yun Xiao indifferently, then slowly shook his head. "Qibao, of course, I understand what you're saying. Your father was young once too; I know what you're thinking. It's just... you are, after all, the only princess of the Tianxia clan. You possess innate conditions that others couldn't achieve in a hundred lifetimes, but because of that, some things are simply not yours to decide completely. First, come back with your father."

"I won't go back!" Tianxia Qibao stepped back. "If you truly forbid me from seeing Yun Gege again in the future, I'd rather never return home."

"You..." Tianxia Xiongtu's barely suppressed anger flared up again.

"Ahem... Seventh Sister, could you please hear me out for a moment?" Yun Che quickly interjected before Tianxia Xiongtu could erupt. He pulled Tianxia Qibao aside and whispered, "Seventh Sister, please go back with your father for now, and don't argue anymore. As for Yun Xiao, I'll go back to the Yun family with him, and I won't leave until he recovers from his injuries, so you don't need to worry."

"But..." Tianxia Qibao looked at Yun Xiao, saying aggrievedly and indignantly, "They spoke about Yun Gege like that, and they won't let me see him again in the future, I..."

"Then what's the use of arguing like this?" Yun Che shook his head. "You just faced danger, and your father and brothers are still furious and resentful towards Yun Xiao. It's also clear that they genuinely care for you deeply. Your fierce arguments with them over Yun Xiao, even threatening not to go home... This will undoubtedly make them even angrier and more distressed, and simultaneously increase their dislike for Yun Xiao. It's purely counterproductive and will only make any possibility between you and Yun Xiao even more remote."

"Ah?" Tianxia Qibao was startled. "Then, what should I do?"

"Go back with them first. Once this matter blows over, take things slowly. Although your father is now saying he won't let you see Yun Xiao again, you are both living in Demon Imperial City. If you truly wish to meet, can they really completely stop you? Arguing with your father is completely useless. Instead, you should persuade him gently, or perhaps be a little more charming, and use various methods to make him aware of all of Yun Xiao's good qualities towards you... Over time, he might unconsciously give his tacit approval."

Tianxia Qibao's eyes slowly brightened, and she nodded vigorously. "Mm, Big Brother Yun, I'll listen to you. Yun Gege... you must recover well from your injuries. I will definitely persuade Father."

"Seventh Sister..."

"Yun Xiao, let's go."

Yun Che bid farewell to Tianxia Xiongtu and the others, then without further delay, took Yun Xiao and flew directly towards Demon Imperial City.

"Third, take Qibao back first. She's sustained some internal injuries, so it's best for her to recuperate for a few days."

After Tianxia Third and Tianxia Qibao left, Tianxia Xiongtu's expression slowly turned grim. "First, do we have any leads on the identities of those three black-clad individuals?"

Tianxia First shook his head. "When I arrived, one of the three black-clad individuals was dead and two had fled. I didn't even catch a glimpse of them."

"Since one died, where's the body?" Tianxia Xiongtu asked.

"The body was taken away by the two who fled. However, Yun Che, who scared them away, didn't stop them; perhaps he simply didn't bother to act."

Tianxia Xiongtu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "First, return to that location now and look for any traces left behind. Also, since someone died, even if the body was taken, the blood couldn't have been completely cleaned. Bring back some bloodstains; I might have a way... Hmph! I want to see who has the audacity to ambush my Tianxia clan!"

"Alright!" Tianxia First nodded. He flew out, then suddenly stopped and said to Tianxia Sixth, "Sixth Brother, as soon as you get back, investigate Yun Che's background immediately. The more detailed, the better. This person's origin is certainly not ordinary! Be careful: he is not an enemy, so do not disturb him while you investigate."

"Understood," Tianxia Sixth nodded.

Yun Che carried Yun Xiao, flying at a moderate pace towards Demon Imperial City. As they watched the city gates draw nearer, both felt unusually complex emotions.

"Big Brother Yun, are you really only twenty-two years old?" Yun Xiao suddenly asked, looking at him.

"Absolutely not lying," Yun Che replied. "Why do you ask?"

Yun Xiao exhaled, saying enviously, "We're both twenty-two, yet you're so powerful, and your words instantly hit the mark, always making people involuntarily convinced... If I were like you, Seventh Sister's father and brothers wouldn't dislike me so much, would they?"

Yun Che shook his head. "I'm not as sharp as you say. It's just that you were the ones ambushed and interfered with, while I'm merely an outsider, so I can remain calm at all times... The phrase 'those involved are confused, but onlookers see clearly' pretty much sums it up."

"Haha!" Yun Xiao laughed. "Big Brother Yun is not only incredibly capable in all respects, but also very humble; it's truly hard not to admire you... And it's strange, I'm usually wary of others, but for some reason, seeing you, Big Brother Yun, I feel a strange sense of familiarity... I'm speaking from the heart! Heh heh, perhaps it's just Big Brother Yun's overwhelming personal charm."

Yun Che looked at him, smiled faintly, and said very seriously, "Actually... me too."

"Ah?" Yun Xiao was startled, then asked blankly, "So, are we... good friends now?"

"I suppose so... if you don't mind."

"Mind? Of course not!" Yun Xiao quickly waved his hand. "Big Brother Yun is such an incredible person; if anyone were to mind, it would be Big Brother Yun minding me."

As they conversed, they flew above Demon Imperial City.

"My clan is in the eastern part of the city," Yun Xiao said, pointing northeast. "That place with the soaring purple energy is it. I heard that a century ago, the Yun family's purple energy illuminated half the sky over Demon Imperial City, but now... sigh."