Heyang City.
It lay only a hundred miles from the Qingyun Sect.
It was the largest city within a thousand-mile radius.
At any time,
a steady stream of wandering martial artists and rogue cultivators came here.
"Whoosh!"
Several streaks of sword light tore across the sky.
They finally landed safely in an unoccupied corner outside Heyang City.
"Shing—"
Tianya slid back into its sheath.
Lu Xueqi's pretty face was slightly flushed.
Annoyed, she nudged Ye Changfeng behind her.
"You... can't you fly on your own sword?"
"Did you have to make me carry you...?"
The girl's cool voice sounded soft and sweet, with a hint of shyness. She was clearly at a loss over Ye Changfeng's shameless behavior.
On an ordinary day, it wouldn't have mattered.
But...
There were other fellow disciples around.
Ye Changfeng blinked. "Xueqi, I don't have a Magic Treasure that suits me. You know that."
At that,
the Cold and Aloof Girl glanced at the Bamboo Sword at Ye Changfeng's waist.
It was a bit low-quality,
but it was still a Magic Treasure, at least.
It wasn't as if he couldn't use it to fly.
Lu Xueqi shot Ye Changfeng an exasperated look. She couldn't be bothered to expose his little scheme, so she let it go...
Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu approached, looking bewildered.
They stared at Ye Changfeng and Lu Xueqi standing close together, and still hadn't recovered from their shock.
After all...
Who could have guessed that the Green Robe Sect Leader revealed on the Heavenly Curtain was actually an obscure, ordinary disciple from Great Bamboo Peak!?
Even Zeng Shushu, who loved making friends, had never heard of Ye Changfeng. If not for this year's Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, he might not have even known Ye Changfeng existed.
"Senior... Senior Brother Ye."
Zeng Shushu looked rather excited.
After all...
The man standing before him was the future Azure Cloud Sect Leader!
The Green Robe Sect Leader revealed on the Heavenly Curtain!
The Leader of the Righteous Path!
The Sword Wielder of the Zhu Xian Sword!
The Number One Sword Immortal Under Heaven!
Qi Hao pressed his lips together, then stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Junior Brother Ye..."
Clearly,
both Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu
were brimming with questions.
Ye Changfeng gently raised a hand. "Senior Brother Qi, Junior Brother Zeng, this isn't the place to talk. Why don't we go into the city and find somewhere to sit down and chat?"
"Exactly!"
Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu hurriedly nodded.
Then,
the four of them entered Heyang City, each with their own thoughts.
Along the way, Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu's gazes seemed a little vacant. They still hadn't recovered from their shock.
After all...
This was simply too hard to believe.
They wanted to doubt whether it was true, but Lu Xueqi had already taken her place beside Ye Changfeng. The pair made no effort to hide how close they were. Wasn't that proof enough?!
Lu Xueqi herself was proof!
Ye Changfeng's identity was obvious!
At that moment,
Ye Changfeng and Lu Xueqi walked side by side.
He had no idea what Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu were thinking. He'd chosen to reveal his identity so readily because he knew what sort of people they were...
Qi Hao would become the future Head of Dragon Head Peak.
He was certainly a man with some guile, but that also meant he was clever. If Ye Changfeng could win him over, he'd be a great ally in the future.
There was no need to say more about Zeng Shushu.
He would be the next Head of Wind Return Peak. His talent was decent, and he was a reliable fellow, worth befriending.
Tsk.
Actually, as far as Ye Changfeng was concerned,
the position of Qingyun Sect Leader was already his for the taking.
After all,
just look at the people around him.
Qi Hao—the future Head of Dragon Head Peak; Zeng Shushu—the future Head of Wind Return Peak; Lu Xueqi—his future wife and the future Head of Little Bamboo Peak; and Great Bamboo Peak was practically family... Four of the Seven Peaks would support him in the future.
If he didn't become sect leader, who would?
To be honest,
Ye Changfeng himself wasn't interested in the position of sect leader, but...
Judging by the situation,
once his identity became public knowledge, even if he didn't want the position, the people of the Qingyun Sect would force him to take it.
As the saying went—
The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.
Some things were destined to be yours, even if you didn't want them.
After entering Heyang City,
the four of them made their way to Shan Hai Yuan.
It was the most famous inn in Heyang City, offering both lodging and meals.
Once there,
Ye Changfeng casually asked for one of the best private rooms, clearly having snuck down the mountain plenty of times before.
The four of them entered the quiet private room.
Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu turned to look at Ye Changfeng at the same time, their eyes full of curiosity...
"Senior Brother Qi, Junior Brother Zeng."
"What do you want to know? Ask away."
Ye Changfeng spoke softly.
Lu Xueqi sat beside him, curiously eyeing Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu.
At that moment,
Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu exchanged a glance.
"Junior Brother Ye, are you..."
"Really the person revealed on the Heavenly Curtain?!"
The question escaped both of their mouths at nearly the same time.
"That's right."
Ye Changfeng gave a small nod.
He admitted it quite naturally, then even took the initiative to reveal a little of his cultivation in the Upper Purity Realm.
"Boom!"
A faint but oppressive aura swept over Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu.
"Hiss—"
Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu drew in sharp breaths.
They were full of questions, but this was clearly the biggest thing they wanted to know.
Now,
Ye Changfeng had admitted it himself.
Their doubts vanished without a trace.
Of course...
His cultivation in the Upper Purity Realm certainly helped convince them, too!
"Senior Brother Ye's only been at the sect for five years, right? He reached the Upper Purity Realm in just five years? Even Ancestor Qingye would be hard-pressed to match that kind of talent..."
Zeng Shushu was utterly stunned.
Qi Hao nodded in a daze.
Lu Xueqi's eyes sparkled as she turned to the young man beside her, admiration filling her gaze...
At that,
Ye Changfeng let out a soft laugh.
But
just then,
a commotion broke out outside the private room.
Ye Changfeng raised an eyebrow.
He exchanged a glance with Lu Xueqi and the others, then stood and opened the door to see what was happening...
"You're quite something, waiter!"
"The people in the private room next door arrived half a quarter-hour after us, yet you served them first? What, do you..."
"Look down on us?"
A crisp voice rang out.
Ye Changfeng glanced over.
He saw a girl in a bright green dress berating the waiter, venting her displeasure.
The girl had a slender figure and fair skin.
Even though Ye Changfeng could only see her from behind, he recognized her at once—Biyao!
She had another title, too.
The Devoted Girl Under the Zhu Xian Sword.
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