Battle Through the Heavens: Beauties Abound Starting with Yunlan and Her Disciples

313: Section 313”You have to be good for Papa to like you!” she added indistinctly, her small face full of seriousness.

Yao Chan scrutinized the girl’s small face, which was as delicate as a porcelain doll’s. Between those brows, she could faintly see a shadow of Yun Xiancheng’s peerless grace. Fine beads of cold sweat couldn’t help but break out on her smooth forehead.

Something felt off about this. It couldn’t be that... she was also going to join the fun and call Yun Xiancheng ’Dad’ or even... Cai Lin glanced sideways at Yao Chan’s pensive and conflicted expression, unceremoniously rolled her elegant eyes, and asked lazily, ”What, you don’t actually think she’s the Great Immortal Yun’s child, do you?”

”No, of course not.” Yao Chan shook her head quickly, her tone certain. ”She definitely has no blood relation to Yun Xiancheng. Besides, your purity hasn’t been given yet, and your younger sister Cai Die was ahead of you...” Before she could finish, she was stopped by Cai Lin’s icy gaze.

It was unclear which of Cai Lin’s sore spots had been touched, but her expression became increasingly strange upon hearing her sister Cai Die mentioned.

But she still nodded and declared in the tone of a mistress of the house, ”That’s right. Naturally, she has absolutely nothing to do with this Lord.”

Yao Chan’s gaze moved back and forth between Xiaoer’s and Cai Lin’s nearly identical vertical pupils. In the end, her curiosity overrode her survival instinct: ”Then... who exactly is this child?”

Cai Lin pretended to ponder, tapping a jade-like finger on her chin. After a moment, she began to talk nonsense with a straight face:

”Hmm... this girl is a spiritual creature born of Heaven and Earth, brought forth by destiny. ’Xiao’ sounds the same as ’Xiao’, which can be considered an interesting fate. If she truly manifests in the world in the future, let that girl Xiao Yan lead her. When traveling outside, she shall be called Xiao Xiao.”

345 A Gentleman’s Promise

Yao Chan was speechless at Cai Lin’s off-the-cuff explanation and could only complain internally. ”Xiao Xiao?”

Xiaoer tilted her head and shook it, saying, ”Is it like this? Does mama not want Xiaoer anymore?” Her little face looked pitiful.

This caused the gaze Yao Chan directed at Xiaoer to involuntarily gain a few hints of soft maternal radiance.

She had once adopted the three-year-old Han Yue and treated her as her own; that parental affection was deeply rooted in her heart. She felt that she possessed great compassion and the potential to be a mother.

”No, no. This means you should recognize Xiao Yan as your little mama and let her accompany you as you grow up,” Yao Chan explained.

Xiaoer still looked back at Yao Chan with those innocent eyes. She didn’t find the shocking conversation between her two ’roommates’ strange at all. She nodded obediently and stopped making a fuss.

To the side, Cai Lin opened one of her closed eyes. Looking at Xiaoer’s back, for some reason, she also felt a bit of affection.

Honestly, she was clearly just a girl herself, just like her... She didn’t dare to take on the sacred responsibility of a mother.

Women are great because of motherhood, but Cai Lin considered herself just a pure young maiden who couldn’t bear such a sacred title.

She took a deep breath, vented her frustration on Yun Xiancheng with a few dainty snorts, and then shrank back to sleep. The turmoil within the conscious space came to a temporary halt, and the perspective returned to reality.

In this tense atmosphere, Xiao Mei didn’t have the mindset of a pure spectator like the others. Although she was somewhat at a loss and didn’t know what to do, she still chose to step forward silently, expressing her stance through action by standing firmly at Yun Xiancheng’s side to show her support.

Liu Fei and Xiao Mei were of similar height, but their temperaments were distinct.

Standing to the left and right of Yun Xiancheng at this moment, one was charming and headstrong while the other was gentle and submissive. Like two flowers growing from the same stem, they made each other look even more bright and moving, and they made Yun Xiancheng in the middle look like a jade mountain facing the wind.

Liu Qing’s gaze first swept over her sister, Liu Fei, who was shielding Yun Xiancheng with a determined look, then passed over Xiao Mei, who had an equally clear stance, and finally landed back on the young man who remained calm despite being surrounded by women.

Her hand, clad in a black glove, slowly clenched into a fist again. Her knuckles made a faint ’creak’ from the force as an intense battle raged in her heart. Breaking through a situation with strength had always been the principle she believed in most. Before absolute power, all words and schemes appeared pale and weak.

However, the aura on this young man was as stable as a mountain and as vast as the sea. It was something a Dou Ling could never reach. This was definitely a genuine Dou King Expert. If she acted rashly, not only would she have no chance of winning, but she would also cause the situation to slide completely into an uncontrollable abyss.

Just as she was struggling internally, Yun Xiancheng had already raised his hands and lightly patted Xiao Mei and Liu Fei on their shoulders to reassure them.

His brows furrowed slightly as he looked at the still-stalling Liu Qing. His voice was as clear and refreshing as ever: ”Senior, being impulsive for a moment might cloud your mind and lead to poor judgment.” Those eyes of his were deep and far-reaching, as if they contained the stars and the quiet night, radiating a power that could involuntarily calm someone down.

That gentle gaze and those clear words were like a spring flowing through a parched heart. The tangled mess of thoughts in Liu Qing’s mind was miraculously combed through, and most of her nameless fire was extinguished along with it.

She took a deep breath, her gaze falling on his slightly furrowed brow.

That was not a sign of weakness, but rather the tolerance and understanding of a true expert toward the unintentional mistakes of a junior. She read unfathomable strength in it, as well as a more rare gentleness and magnanimity.

Ultimately, all her persistence and anger turned into a sigh full of helplessness. She slowly turned aside, avoiding everyone’s gaze, and said in a muffled voice that was almost a whisper, ”Just now... I was quite rude... Please, everyone, come in.”

Liu Fei’s heart was a mix of emotions—both the shyness of having her feelings exposed and the guilt toward her sister. She lowered her head, walked to her sister’s side, and apologized in a low voice: ”Sister, I’m sorry.”

”There’s nothing to be sorry for...” Liu Qing didn’t look back, her voice carrying a lingering fatigue and desolation.

By now, everyone present understood the general outline of the situation, and the atmosphere shifted from a tense confrontation to a subtle awkwardness.

Liu Fei quietly looked up, catching a quick glimpse of Yun Xiancheng beside her. Her watery eyes were filled with a young girl’s anxiety and expectation. After her sister’s outburst, her feelings were now obvious... How would he respond?

Everyone followed Liu Qing inside and took their seats. Xiao Mei and Liu Fei naturally sat on either side of Yun Xiancheng. Yun Xiancheng sat upright, his posture as straight as a pine tree.

He looked directly at Liu Qing in the main seat and spoke word by word, clearly and solemnly:

”Senior, I can take responsibility for another person’s life.”

”Hmm... You have the talent and the strength. I only hope you are as good as your word.” Liu Qing didn’t argue; she simply met his gaze and spoke slowly, essentially acknowledging the fact.

For a self-important genius to personally admit the excellence of another genius, the sense of defeat and helplessness weighed heavily on Liu Qing’s heart like a giant stone.

She murmured to herself, her voice carrying a hint of inexplicable desolation. ”The sky wants to rain, and a sister wants to marry. So be it, so be it.”

”I can’t control you anymore, Liu Fei.” She turned her head, her gaze falling seriously on her sister. ”But you must think clearly. Entrusting your life to someone is no joke.”

”This is different from those romantic trifles in the academy. How sure are you that you haven’t entrusted yourself to the wrong person?” Liu Qing’s gaze quickly swept over Yun Xiancheng. Seeing that he remained calm, she continued to finish her heavy words.

These words were like a bucket of cold water, causing Liu Fei to swallow subconsciously, and a few hints of hesitation and confusion involuntarily arose in her heart.

Seeing this, Xiao Mei took over the conversation with a charming smile, her voice sweet yet firm: ”Senior doesn’t need to worry about this. We sisters are already husband’s family, and we will naturally look after each other.”

Liu Qing used this opening to turn her gaze back to Yun Xiancheng, her tone solemn: ”In that case, Junior Yun Xiancheng, can you give me a... gentleman’s promise?”

Yun Xiancheng’s slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the table twice. The crisp sound seemed to knock on everyone’s heart. He met Liu Qing’s scrutinizing gaze with a solemn expression:

”I will certainly not fail Feier’s heart.”

He paused, his voice becoming even more steady and powerful as it echoed in the quiet room. ”I said... I will shoulder her life.”

346 If You Lose, You Have to Be My Heavenly Lord’s Little Wife

Yun Xiancheng’s sentence, ”I will shoulder it,” was steady and powerful, like a rock settling. It caused the once-tense atmosphere in the room to instantly become quiet. Liu Qing’s heart was filled with mixed emotions—both worry for her sister’s future and a helpless recognition of this man’s strength and responsibility.

This subtle silence didn’t last long before it was broken by a light, tinkling laugh. ”As expected.”

Xiao Xun’er lightly covered her vermilion lips with an exquisite round fan. Her clear, lively eyes curved into beautiful crescents. Her gaze shifted and finally landed on Liu Qing, whose face was still tense.

”However, seeing Senior Liu like this, I imagine there’s still some indignation in your heart, isn’t there?” Her words were soft and pleasant, yet they were like a slender silver needle,

precisely piercing through Liu Qing’s forced composure.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s gaze in the hall was drawn like invisible threads, focusing once again on Liu Qing in the main seat. Liu Qing’s mask hid her expression, but her exposed eyes suddenly narrowed.

She didn’t try to deny it. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest in a more defensive posture and straightened her back.

”That’s right.” Her voice was cold, carrying an unabashed trace of annoyance. ”I am just unhappy. Although I can’t stop Liu Fei from seeking her own future—”

”But she is my, Liu Qing’s, younger sister after all, a relative I have protected since childhood.”

She paused, her voice tinged with an indescribable desolation and irritation, like a trapped female leopard. ”The thought of her being... entrusted to someone else in such an ambiguous manner from now on, how could I, as her elder sister, feel at ease?”

These words were half for the crowd and half a vent for herself. ”Oh, it’s not that complicated.”

A sweet and crisp voice rang out, like a golden oriole in a valley.

Xiao Mei had unknowingly put away her gentle and submissive appearance from before. She was now covering her mouth with a handkerchief, her watery eyes sparkling with a mischievous and clever light.

”Then wouldn’t it be fine if Senior also married Husband along with Liu Fei?” Her words were startling, as if she were speaking of a most ordinary trifle.

”That way, it’s a double blessing, and the sisters will be of one heart. For the rest of your lives, you can still accompany each other day and night. Isn’t that the best of both worlds?” ”Pfft—!”

Liu Qing felt a sweetness in her throat as a surge of blood rushed to her head, nearly making her spit out a mouthful of blood on the spot.

Her body swayed violently, almost falling from her chair, and she only managed to steady herself by grabbing the edge of the table.

The muscles in her cheeks beneath the mask twitched uncontrollably. Her sharp eyes were now wide and round, staring fixedly at Xiao Mei as if she wanted to bore two holes through her with her gaze.

Is this woman... serious?! She’s not joking?!

Liu Qing stiffly turned her neck, beginning what was perhaps the most bizarre scan of her life. She first glanced at her sister, who had been dazed by this world-shaking proposal.

Liu Fei had completely crashed. Her small face was flushed red, and her eyes had turned into two dizzy swirls.

Faint steam seemed to be rising from her head, and her entire being had fallen into a chaotic state of ’who am I, where am I, what is the world’. Liu Qing’s heart sank abruptly, and she dully turned her gaze toward the culprit who had remained as steady as Mount Tai throughout.

Yun Xiancheng still looked like a banished immortal descending to the mortal realm, sitting upright with a calm expression. He even picked up the teacup on the table, gently blew on the foam, and took a slow, deliberate sip.

It was as if Xiao Mei’s shocking statement just now was, to him, nothing more than a normal comment about the weather being nice today. A monster! This guy is definitely a monster!

Liu Qing roared in her heart as her gaze shifted again, landing on the seemingly gentle and quiet Xiao Xun’er.

Xiao Xun’er’s expression was also calm as usual. She even nodded slightly toward Liu Qing, and behind her folding fan, the corners of her mouth seemed to carry a hint of an approving smile, as if saying: ”This proposal is very good, I allow it.”

Liu Qing’s breathing began to quicken.

Refusing to believe it, she looked toward Xiao Yi Xian on the other side. The young woman, who had always given the impression of being gentle and kind, now had a faint, graceful smile on her lips.

The look in her eyes didn’t show the slightest hint of impropriety; instead, it held a few points of sincere expectation and welcome. These people... what on earth is wrong with these people???

Liu Qing felt her worldview being ruthlessly torn apart, kneaded, and reshaped by an irresistible and utterly absurd force.

She swore that in all her years and all the people she had met, she had never seen such a... such a bizarre group of people! How on earth are their brains constructed?!

Her gaze, for the last and most powerless time, fell back onto Yun Xiancheng. Not long ago, I was grabbing his collar and shouting at him in anger.

A massive conflict had just occurred between us. Now... how is it possible... how could we just act like nothing happened and discuss such a... such a ridiculous matter as sisters serving the same husband?!

She felt her sanity wildly testing the edge of a breakdown. ”Mei’er, stop teasing Senior Liu Qing.”

An elegant and steady female voice rang out like heavenly music, pulling Liu Qing back from the cliff of mental collapse.

Nalan Yanran had stood up at some point. Her posture was tall and straight, her temperament dignified, like a secluded orchid in a valley, carrying a self-assured and calming power.

She first gave a slightly reproachful look to the still-snickering Xiao Mei, then turned to Liu Qing and said sincerely, ”Senior Liu Qing, we have no conflict with you. Our visit today was not to argue with you.”

”We had a pleasant conversation with Senior Liu Fei and hit it off immediately. We have sincerely invited her to be my spokesperson in the Inner Academy’s arena, to organize matches for me against the experts within the academy.”

Nalan Yanran’s voice was neither fast nor slow, each word clearly entering Liu Qing’s ears, helping her reconstruct her logic.

She paused slightly to give Liu Qing time to digest, then continued, ”Our intention in coming today was to discuss the details of these matches with Senior Liu Fei.”

”Match details.”

Liu Qing murmured these few words as if catching a life-saving straw. Her chaotic mind finally began to function again. Right, business, they came to talk about business.

She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, forcibly suppressing the overwhelming sense of absurdity in her heart. She nodded to Nalan Yanran, her voice still somewhat stiff but finally regaining its calm: ”In that case... I do not object.”

Her only concern now was still her sister’s future.

Although this future had become increasingly blurred, she truly didn’t care much about these minor details at the moment. ”Feier...” Liu Qing turned her head to look at her sister, who was still daydreaming, her tone carrying the authority and concern of an elder sister.

”In half a year, it will be the Inner Academy Selection Competition, which concerns your future prospects. You must pay attention to the time and not delay your own cultivation or that of your junior.” Liu Fei was called back by her sister’s voice and nodded blankly.

After instructing her sister, Liu Qing’s gaze fell back onto Nalan Yanran.

She sized up this Young Sect Master of Yunlan Sect who was in the prime of her youth, her tone taking on the confidence of a senior expert.

”If we were born in the same year, perhaps we could fight in the same realm on the strong ranking list to see who is superior as your opponent for this challenge. But now, I am several years older than you, and my cultivation has reached the peak of Dou Ling. For the sake of fairness, I will not compete with you, my junior.”

These words were polite, but the condescending tone was undisguised.

Clearly, she had already seen through Nalan Yanran’s thoughts. The undisguised, high-spirited battle intent in that girl’s eyes, wanting to challenge her, was almost tangible.

Nalan Yanran’s nature was soft on the outside but firm on the inside; how could she not hear the contempt in Liu Qing’s words? With a ’clap’, her fair palm slapped heavily onto the table, producing a crisp sound.

”Senior, you are mistaken!” She straightened her slender back, her chin slightly raised, her autumn-water eyes now burning with unyielding fire. ”So what if I entered the academy a few years later than you? Time is but an excuse for the mediocre! I, Nalan Yanran, firmly believe I have enough talent to catch up to, and even surpass, these few years of time!”

These words were spoken with resounding force, causing Liu Qing’s brows to instantly knit tightly.

Her state of mind had long been tempered to be as hard as a rock.

But today, first her sister’s love affairs had upset her, then Xiao Mei’s ridiculous proposal had shattered her worldview, and now, she was being provoked to her face again and again by this junior who didn’t know the heights of heaven and depths of earth.

Even a clay man has three points of anger, let alone her, a habitually proud expert of the strong ranking list!

Liu Qing felt a long-suppressed fire surge up with a ’whoosh’, no longer able to be restrained. Beneath her mask, the corners of her mouth curled into a cold, angry arc.

”Oh?” She drawled, her voice filled with undisguised killing intent. ”You certainly talk big. Since that’s the case, I’ll look forward to the Inner Academy competition in half a year to see just how far your so-called talent can take you.”

The moment her voice fell, two equally sharp and proud gazes collided violently in mid-air, sparking invisible flames.

At this moment, Nalan Yanran suddenly laughed: ”Then if you lose, you have to be my husband’s little wife.” ”Pfft!”

The momentum Liu Qing had been building was instantly shattered by these words. ”Uh...” She completely broke down: ”Then so be it!”

347 Senior Brother, hurry up and give me extra lessons, or I won’t be able to beat her.

Inside the elegant house of the Moon Spirit Base, elegant incense curled in the air like an invisible mist, giving one a sense of peace of mind.

Han Yue’s slender hands steadily served a cup of freshly brewed clear tea onto the table in front of Yun Xiancheng. The tea was emerald green and steaming, but a trace of shock that had not yet fully dissipated remained on her face. She opened her lips softly, her words intertwined with a bit of emotion and a bit of disbelief:

”Senior Liu Qing is ranked third on the strong ranking list, known as the jade-faced spear, and her sister Liu Fei handles all her affairs. This pair of sisters is also...”

...considered a widely circulated story in the Inner Academy.”