Chapter 323: Re-encounter with Nie Shuangshuang
Translator: Tim Editor: Fish Creek
“Big brother, I wasn’t able to help you much at Ning Hai. Thank you this time,” Ye Zifeng said. He knew Ye Mo had only returned to help the Ye family because of him and Ye Ling. He wasn’t an idiot; he understood why Grandpa had made him family leader, and he accepted the position because he genuinely wanted to lead the Ye family to greater heights.
Ye Mo waved his hand. “We’re brothers. No need to say that. Besides, you helped me a lot while I was studying in Ning Hai. Especially when I left—you told Wang Ying to give me that 20,000 yuan. I had no money at all; that 20,000 yuan helped immensely. And, in the future, I won’t be coming back to Beijing often. If you need anything, ask Zhang Jue for help.”
Ye Mo felt emotional. When he first woke up, he didn’t even have enough money to eat. Without Wang Ying’s 20,000 yuan, things would have been incredibly difficult. Without that money, he wouldn’t have reached stage one chi gathering. Without stage one, he couldn’t sell charms, and without that, he would have had no income. So, Ye Zifeng’s 20,000 yuan provided the foundation for his survival.
Ye Ling’s eyes reddened. She recalled her attempts to protect Ye Mo, even going so far as to feign hatred and cause trouble between him and Ye Zifeng to avoid suspicion. Her own meager savings had been swindled. If Ye Mo hadn’t returned to Beijing in time, she dreaded to think what might have happened. Reflecting on Ye Mo’s struggles in Ning Hai, constantly hungry, she felt terrible. She had been so naive.
Ye Mo saw the turmoil on Ye Ling’s face. He took her hand. “Ling, don’t blame yourself. Your intentions were good. You were simply taken advantage of due to inexperience. From now on, think before you act and listen to Zifeng.”
“Mhm…” Surrounded by her brothers, Ye Ling felt a long-lost sense of family.
Ye Zifeng looked dazed. “Big brother, I told Wang Ying to give you money several times, but I didn’t have much myself at the time. At most, I sent 1,000 or 2,000 yuan. I never gave you 20,000 yuan.”
Ye Mo was surprised. Zifeng hadn’t given him the money, but who else would have been so generous?
“Brother, could it be that Wang Ying liked you and gave it to you herself?” Ye Ling asked.
Ye Mo smiled and patted Ye Ling’s head. “Don’t be so nosy. It would be strange if Wang Ying liked me.” He thought of Wang Ying’s carefree nature. She was always frank with him. If she liked him, she wouldn’t have said the money came from Zifeng.
“I’ll ask her when I return. Zifeng, get some rest! I’m leaving tonight. It might be a while before I come back. As for Ling, I’ll refine your necklace and bracelet later.” Ye Mo noticed the dim necklace around Ye Ling’s neck. While protective, it wouldn’t withstand even half an attack from an earth-level master.
Immediately, the Ye family mansion bustled with activity. People arrived to greet and visit. Ye Mo didn’t recognize them, but he guessed they were influential figures in Beijing. Their news sources were remarkably efficient; word of his lesson to the He Liu sect and Tan Jiao must have spread quickly.
“Zhang Jue is here. Ye Ling, open the door for him,” Ye Mo said, his spiritual sense having detected Zhang Jue outside.
Ye Ling opened the door to find Zhang Jue.
“Ye Mo, you’re truly a Great Heaven master? Even Elder Tan was no match for you. You’re really…” Zhang Jue stopped, embarrassed, seeing the shock on Ye Ling and Ye Zifeng’s faces. He scratched his head.
Ye Mo smiled. “Great Heaven? I don’t know myself, but it doesn’t matter. Zhang Jue, while I’m away from Beijing, I’ll need you to look after Ye Ling and Zifeng.”
Zhang Jue immediately patted his chest. “Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, no one will bully Ye Ling and Zifeng.”
Ye Mo nodded, handing Zhang Jue a chi-increasing pill. “This pill will at least get you from black level primary to tertiary stage. If you take it at the tertiary stage, it’ll help you reach earth level.”
Zhang Jue clutched the pill like a treasure. “It’s that powerful? Is it a legendary spirit pill?”
He now believed Ye Mo was a Great Heaven master and didn’t question the pill’s potency. Spirit pill? Ye Mo almost laughed. A chi-increasing pill was probably the lowest grade pill in cultivation, yet they called it a spirit pill. If word got out, people would be amused.
Zhang Jue checked his phone. “I’m going back. I’ll come have a drink with you later.”
Ye Mo waved. “I’m leaving Beijing soon. Greet Elder Han for me. Tell him I’ll help him find that thing. By the way, how is the woman Han Yan brought back?” He was asking about Wen Dong.
Zhang Jue replied quickly. “She’s fine. She recovered remarkably quickly. That snow lotus seed was extraordinary, and your methods are impressive. After recovering, she left with Feng Tian, who came to visit her. I don’t know where they went, but Han Yan knew and sent them off.”
Relieved that Wen Dong was safe, Ye Mo didn’t worry about her whereabouts. He had saved her life because of her loyalty; even facing interrogation, she hadn’t betrayed him.
Ye Ling wanted to ask about Ning Qingxue, but with Zhang Jue present, it wasn’t appropriate. Once Zhang Jue left, she asked, “Brother, how is Qingxue? Have you seen her?”
Ye Mo hesitated, feeling gloomy. How was she?
“What’s wrong, Brother? Did something happen between you and Sister Qingxue?” Ye Ling was unaware of Ning Qingxue’s amnesia.
Ye Mo shook his head. “Nothing. After everything here is settled, I’ll go see her.”
Ye Ling sensed Ye Mo was hiding something, but she didn’t press further. “Mhm, can I go see her?”
Ye Mo immediately waved his hand. “No need. Don’t leave Beijing. Wait until I return.” It was safest for her to stay in Beijing.
After repairing Ye Ling and Zifeng’s protective artifacts, Ye Mo left the mansion. Despite his notoriety in Beijing’s elite circles, he wasn't familiar with the city. He had learned from Ye Ling that Wang Ying worked at her family’s company. Besides thanking her, he needed to find out who had given him the 20,000 yuan.
On the road, he noticed a bar called Drunk Eye Bar. The bar felt familiar. He remembered being there before, when Nie Shuangshuang had invited him. She had killed two people there. He’d stopped her from disrobing and made her swear she wouldn’t harm Ye Ling.
However, he still didn’t understand her parting words, “I’m still a virgin.” He couldn’t fathom her reason for saying that, but found her unsettling, much like Nie Wubian and the woman in red in Chun An—eerie, bleak, and cruel.
He shook his head; at least Nie Shuangshuang had kept her promise and hadn’t harmed Ye Ling. As he passed Drunk Eye Bar, he casually scanned it with his spiritual sense and was surprised to find Nie Shuangshuang sitting inside.
She occupied the same seat as before, as if she’d been there for hours.
What was she doing there? He couldn’t believe she had fallen for him after only two meetings and was reminiscing. He had witnessed her cold-blooded brutality.
And her words, “I’m still a virgin.” While he doubted its truth, he still didn’t understand the statement.
Hmm? Ye Mo noticed the absence of that bleak, evil chi. Her inner qi was unstable; her face pale. She was severely injured.
Why wasn’t she seeking treatment? Why was she drinking here? It was strange. Why had she changed her cultivation method? Or if not, why was her chi so different?
Seeing Nie Wubian had led him to suspect her connection to the Nine Moon sect. Now, the absence of the bleak chi was suspicious.
Just as Ye Mo was about to enter and question her sect affiliation, a flicker of cruelty crossed her face as she stood abruptly.
Ye Mo watched Nie Shuangshuang leave Drunk Eye Bar and followed without hesitation. He needed to see what she was doing.