The Discovery of an Illicit Affair

You Su did not forget the 'self' he had seen in the dream of the Empty Nightmare, whose request was for him to meet the Star Zhao Immortal Ancestor.

Now that there is another goal to help Miss Xue Ruo enter the Kunpeng Cave Heaven, the primary task to achieve these two goals is to get the snake clan back to the sacred mountain.

However, this is not something that can be rushed. Returning to the sacred mountain is by no means easy, especially in the territory of the Demon Race, where the law of the jungle is more deeply ingrained. As long as the Demon Race inside the sacred mountain have the strength to defend their positions, then the Demon Race outside the sacred mountain have little chance.

However, this seemingly crude rule also avoids many of the troubles that exist only with the four sacred mountains of humanity. There is no need to prove in various ways that one's sect is more qualified to sit on a sacred mountain; one only needs to prove that one's race is stronger than a certain race on the sacred mountain, and one can naturally win a seat on the Star Zhao Divine Mountain.

Therefore, the competition in the Eastern Ying Continent was more straightforward, and once the direction was established, life in the snake clan resumed as usual.

While secretly courting the two sisters, he also tirelessly cultivated with them day and night to become stronger; he delivered ice to his Mistress every day and inquired about his senior sister's breakthrough progress; he occasionally helped the snake women solve some minor troubles in their lives, and often returned to his dreams to practice swordsmanship with his Mistress and cultivate their relationship...

The days passed peacefully and happily, but the snake clan, wanting to climb higher, could not remain a small clan that forever refused outsiders and stagnated.

You Su was kneeling on the ground adjusting the bronze bearing of the Cold Wind Fan. Ji Xueruo was mesmerized by the sight of the man busy working for her.

Summers in the Eastern Ying Continent are quite long; even in late September, the nights are still unbearably hot.

As agreed, You Su should have been spending time with his sister today. However, he learned from Hong Xiao that his Cold Wind Fan was broken, so he resolutely sneaked into her bedroom at night.

They didn't even wait until tomorrow, saying they would fix it tonight.

Ji Xueruo a pang of longing for this warmth of being cared for, but it also made her increasingly unable to utter the words she was about to say.

But having met secretly so many times at night, the two knew each other inside and out. They could tell what positions the other preferred just by looking at their expressions, so he saw through her predicament at a glance.

"Why are you hesitating?" You Su smiled and took the other person's hand.

Ji Xueruo was already used to this guy's flippancy, and sighed, "It's nothing."

"I guess... it's about the Golden Peng Clan." You Su looked at the girl's astonished eyes.

How did you know?

"Granny Liu told me that."

"Granny Liu? She received the message about this, and she only told me. Why would she ask you to tell me?" The girl seemed to have guessed something, but she found it hard to believe.

"There's no other reason than wanting me to persuade you." You Su turned on the repaired fan and sat closer to the girl. "Our clan leader has become increasingly radiant and beautiful these days. Even Sister Hong Xiao and the others say that the clan leader has become more beautiful and smiles more. I imagine Granny Liu has watched the clan leader grow up, can also see it. Our affair can be kept secret from the other clan members, but it can't be kept from her. I'm afraid she has not only guessed it, but also discovered it."

You Su deliberately used the word 'private affair' to tease Ji Xueruo embarrassment.

She knew, of course, that what You Su said was most likely true, because if Granny Liu hadn't verified it, she wouldn't have gone directly to You Su.

In other words, this elder who watched her grow up actually witnessed her having an affair with her sister's man in the palace.

And she... actually chose to turn a blind eye...

This left Ji Xueruo, the clan leader, momentarily at a loss for words. Annoyed, she punched You Su hard on the shoulder. "It's all your fault! I told you not to keep coming to see me!"

You Su chuckled bitterly, thinking that these two little snakes were indeed sisters; they both liked to hit people when they got angry.

He gently took both of the girl's hands in his palms and said softly, "Granny Liu didn't make a fuss, which shows that she understands the clan leader's difficulties and therefore chose to acquiesce. Personal feelings and the great cause of revival are not necessarily in conflict. So Miss Xue Ruo doesn't need to feel ashamed. Instead, think of the most respected elder of the snake clan as the first person to agree to our relationship. It shouldn't be difficult to gain the approval of the rest of the clan later."

"You're just all talk!"

Ji Xueruo was already beyond embarrassed. You Su wouldn't let her hit him, so she used her fingernails to scratch the boy's palm to vent her boundless shame and anger.

"What if she doesn't condone it, but instead thinks it's a family scandal that shouldn't be aired in public? She doesn't even know if my sister knows about this. If she really thinks I'm having an affair with you behind my sister's back, what will she think of me? I'll be too ashamed to face her!"

Although You Su felt a slight pain, he let the girl vent her temper. Even someone as proud Xue Ruo hadn't severed ties with him because of the shame of their affair being exposed. This showed that in the girl's heart, his place was already deeply rooted.

"No, she already asked me that question." You Su gently comforted the girl. "I told her that you sisters both knew about this, and I promised her that I would not let you sisters down. Only then did she sigh and tell me about the Golden Peng Clan."

"She must be itching to kill you!" Ji Xueruo said through gritted teeth.

"That's why I'm even more determined to seize the opportunity she's giving me."

You Su looked at the sulking girl with unwavering eyes, which eased Ji Xueruo's embarrassment somewhat. In a daze, she felt that it didn't matter if the whole world opposed them, as long as You Su didn't give up on this relationship.

She tilted her head slightly, but still spoke in an arrogant tone, "So what? So you're going to listen to her and try to persuade me?"

You Su gripped the soft hand in her hand even tighter. "Of course I have to advise you. Now that the Serpent Clan wants to return to the Divine Mountain, the alliance with the Golden Peng Clan must not be abandoned. This time, the Golden Peng Holy Son personally came to express his gratitude. If you refuse, wouldn't you be making them lose face? What could have been friends could have turned into enemies. How could you not understand such an unwise choice?"

Ji Xueruo bit her lower lip lightly, "My snake clan is self-reliant and strong; why should we need the help of other clans?"

You Su couldn't help but laugh, exposing the girl's pretense, "If that's really what you think, why would you have gone to Zhongyuan alone to find Lotus Root Heart in order to complete the task issued by the Golden Peng Clan?"

The boy pulled the girl into his arms, Ji Xueruo pretended to struggle a few times before letting him.

"You risked your life to give the Serpent Clan the opportunity to connect with the powerful clans of the Divine Mountain. How can you so easily give that up because of me? You already gave up the fortuitous opportunity to reach the Kunpeng Cave Heaven to find me, and I certainly won't let you give up the Serpent Clan's chance to advance for me as well."

"Who said I gave up because of you?" the girl muttered. "That Lotus Root Heart was something I went through a lot of trouble to find. How could I just throw away this 'life-saving grace'? My snake clan isn't that wealthy. It's just that I had to... I had to accompany my sister to find you, so I didn't attend the banquet after the Golden Peng Holy Son's recovery. My original intention was not to seek repayment for the favor, but to use this Lotus Root Heart as a token of my loyalty. I didn't expect the Golden Peng Holy Son to value it so much. He even wanted to personally come to thank me since I didn't go... But my snake clan is all women. How could I let a man like him in? So I thought I should just go to the Golden Peng Clan instead, but he sent a message saying that the favor was too great and I had to thank him in person. It's really troublesome."

"Am I not a man too?"

"You are a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family." Ji Xueruo showed no mercy.

You Su smiled wryly, naturally realizing that this reason was untenable. After all, in order to develop cooperation, it was impossible not to receive foreign guests, and it was inevitable that there would be men among the foreign guests.

They couldn't possibly refuse a visit from such a powerful Demon Race from a sacred mountain. The snake clan only avoided contact with men to avoid suspicion; they weren't truly misogynistic. Otherwise, if they were labeled as misogynistic, their future development in the Eastern Ying Continent would be fraught with difficulties.

One phenomenon can explain this: among humans, the number of all-female sects is much greater than that of all-female Demon Race sects, and their circumstances are also much better. Some powerful ones can even completely refuse contact with any men, truly demonstrating the power of independent women.

That's because the female cultivators in an all-female sect are women, and they can understand and support each other to a certain extent. This allows them to attract a continuous stream of female members to strengthen the sect and thus gain a voice.

However, among the Demon Race, the concept of clan is clearly superior to gender. If you anger a group of tiger men, tiger women will not ignore the tiger men to help you or join your snake woman camp just because you are a woman. If the clan does not grow stronger, it will naturally not have a voice. Therefore, the slogans of female mutual assistance shouted by all-female sects of the human race are completely ineffective in Japan.

Of course, You Su does not think that the snake clan has not demonstrated female strength. On the contrary, the fact that the snake clan has survived to this day despite such difficulties, without using the means of simply distinguishing gender to flaunt themselves, further demonstrates their resilience.

Moreover, setting aside these objective environmental factors, for a group that urgently needs development, both men and women are simply guests who can bring opportunities, and there is absolutely no reason to reject guests because of their gender.

"I know you don't want outsiders to come in, because it might expose my existence and that of Lotus Sword Venerable, and you don't want us to be in danger," You Su said, revealing the girl's true concern.

Ji Xueruo pursed her lips, but stopped being stubborn. Instead, she said seriously, "His letter implied that he wouldn't be the only one who came, which means that his trip was not just to express his gratitude. He brought people with him to investigate the Serpent Clan. It's impossible for the Golden Peng Clan to repay the Holy Son's life-saving grace by supporting the Serpent Clan's entry into the Divine Mountain."

"Those powerful Demon Race have been entrenched in the sacred mountain for even longer than the major sects of the human race. Most of the Demon Race coming and going from Star Zhao Divine Mountain are manipulated by these powerful Demon Race behind the scenes. Therefore, they need to see the value in helping the snake clan enter the sacred mountain before they are willing to invest in the snake clan."

The distinction between ethnic groups is far more unshakable than the distinction between clans among humans, which makes it virtually impossible for the Demon Race to grow to a level that can rival the Demon Race of the sacred mountain on its own.

Human sects can recruit highly talented disciples from all over the world to make up for the resource gap between sacred mountains and non-sacred mountains, while the Demon Race can only pray that a peerless genius who can break through the poverty of their own weak race will be born.

However, such people are extremely rare. Therefore, the best and quickest way to make up for the gap in Cultivation Resources is naturally to let the powerful Demon Race on the sacred mountain, who have an abundance of resources, see the value of the investment.

"So we shouldn't have refused his visit, should we? Granny Liu told me that the snake clan is by no means inferior to those lowly Demon Race of the sacred mountains."

"How could you be so foolish? If he's coming to investigate, he'll naturally bring the strongest members of his clan, which would greatly increase your chances of being exposed!" Ji Xueruo blurted out her thoughts in her anxiety.

You Su laughed upon hearing this, "I remember that Miss Xiao Yu is not only proficient in snake control, but also in concealment. It should be no problem for the snake clan to hide someone."

Ji Xueruo heard You Su call her "Xiao Yu Girl", she immediately recalled the first time they met. At that time, she used the clan's Secret Method "Void Snake Shedding" to completely conceal her aura and become a mortal Xiao Yu. Later, she used the same technique to take You Su, who was dressed as a woman, to walk in the Jade Ring Pool.

As her thoughts drifted away, sweet memories welled up, Ji Xueruo didn't linger on them. She said seriously, "If you're exposed, it will be a matter of great importance. So even if we can hide it, we must be absolutely certain."

Deeply moved by the girl's profound affection and loyalty, which made her so cautious and timid for his sake, You Su became even more determined:

"Getting the snake clan to the sacred mountain is not only your goal, but also mine, so we must not give up this opportunity. I will leave the snake clan tomorrow with my Mistress and senior sister."

"Absolutely not!" Ji Xueruo grabbed You Su's hand. "Venerable Heng Lian has already spread rumors that you might be in the Eastern Sea or the Western Wilderness. Although Qianhua Venerable has also tarnished his reputation, it doesn't diminish people's desire to capture you. Currently, the Demon Race is under martial law in various places, so only the snake race is the safest."

Upon hearing this, You Su was caught in a dilemma. He felt that he didn't care about being infamous, but why should he implicate those around him? Thinking of the instigator Heng Lian First Seat, he subconsciously clenched his fists, wishing he could tear him to pieces, but unintentionally squeezed the girl's soft hand painfully.

Ji Xueruo sensed the boy's self-reproach but remained silent, bearing it in quiet strength, displaying a rare gentleness.

"Believe me, even without his investigation, I will still secure the Golden Peng Clan's assistance. And even without Golden Peng Clan help, I am certain I can get the Snake Clan back to the Divine Mountain."

Upon hearing this, You Su snapped out of her daze and quickly loosened her grip. Looking at the girl's soft hand, which had been pinched red, she felt a pang of heartache and gently stroked it with tenderness.

The girl smiled gently at his guilty expression, and then took the initiative to You Su a light peck on the lips.

This was an extremely rare instance of her taking the initiative to kiss him, leaving the stunned You Su somewhat flattered.

"I trust you too. Didn't you say you'd help me achieve my goal? But you're even more reluctant than me to give up outside help. What? You want to save effort and take advantage at the same time?"

Seeing the girl's charming smile, You Su couldn't contain his emotions and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. He felt that he was incredibly fortunate to have the favor of these two sisters.

The girl, who was not used to intimacy, turned around and hugged him. You Su's palm was still on her waist, and through the semi-transparent gauze, he could feel the pulse beating under each other's skin.

The affection that had welled up between the young couple at this moment could not be eased by an embrace. Ji Xueruo's face flushed even more, her head resting on You Su's shoulder. As if seeking someone's permission, she murmured softly:

"My sister and I will switch days..."

As she spoke, the girl's plain silk skirt had somehow slipped down to her elbows, revealing half of her fair, snow-white arm, which gleamed like pearls in the candlelight.

The girl's dark hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and her suppressed breathing mingled with the chirping of cicadas outside the window, creating a fine, intricate web.

Suddenly, an untimely knock on the door shattered the silence of the night, like an icicle falling to the ground.

The two, deeply in love, were both jolted. Ji Xueruo even struggled abruptly from the boy's embrace, the butterfly pattern on her gauze lining arcing wildly in her haste.

"Eldest Young Lady, it's me."

A gentle voice came from outside the door; it was Granny Liu!

Ji Xueruo's pupils suddenly contracted, and her fingertips dug into her palm.

Although she knew that Granny Liu tacitly approved of her secret rendezvous with You Su, she never imagined that she would be caught in such a disheveled moment. The belt of her plain gauze dress had come undone at some point and hung loosely at her knees, the jade hairpin in her hair was crooked, and a few strands of hair clung to her sweaty forehead.

You Su reacted even faster than her, her fingertips brushing across her waist like butterfly wings as she quickly tied her sash.

He hadn't intended to hide, but out of consideration for the girl's feelings, he pointed under the bed, indicating whether he wanted to hide there.

Ji Xueruo took a deep breath and grabbed You Su's hand. In her exhale, she regained the dignity of a clan leader, though her fingertips were still trembling slightly.

"Why is Granny Liu knocking on the door so late at night? What happened?"

"Ao Yu of the Golden Lion Clan requests an audience, saying it is extremely urgent and he has already reached outside the ancestral land's forbidden area."

Ao Yu of the Golden Lion Clan?! Not the Holy Son of the Golden Peng Clan?!