Gongsun Yue was dumbfounded.
Xu Changfeng and Dongfang Su had actually both paid this young man a visit?
That was enough to show that Ye Qingyun was no ordinary person.
Yet he had actually treated Ye Qingyun like that just now, all for a tiny bit of credit?
Gongsun Yue was filled with regret.
He wished he could slap himself twice.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Gongsun Yue even began blaming Bai Suyi.
This disciple of his really knew how to trip up her master.
If you'd told me sooner, I never would have treated him that way.
Bai Suyi looked utterly innocent.
"Master, I was actually signaling you with my eyes the whole time."
"Huh? I thought something was wrong with your eyes. I was wondering why you kept winking and making faces over there."
Bai Suyi: "..."
Master, you really are a complete blockhead.
Ye Qingyun brought Guo Xiaoyun back to Floating Cloud Mountain.
Guo Xiaoyun was a little weak, so Ye Qingyun cooked him a pot of porridge. After eating it, Guo Xiaoyun fell asleep again.
Ye Qingyun hid all his gear away again.
He also told himself to avoid using it in the future whenever possible.
After all, making bullets was far too much trouble.
Without the system's help, Ye Qingyun had no way to make bullets himself.
Every bullet fired meant one fewer left.
If he used them all up, Ye Qingyun really would lose even his last-resort means of saving his life.
Ye Qingyun was exhausted too, and he had been incredibly tense during his earlier confrontation with Old Freak Evil Heaven.
Now that he had relaxed, drowsiness washed over him.
Ye Qingyun went to sleep as well.
Soon, two sets of snores, one loud and one soft, rang out inside the house.
Outside, Damao and the rabbit nestled against each other, sleeping soundly too.
It was as though nothing had happened, and everything was as peaceful as ever.
The people of the Nine Spirits Sect returned all the surviving children to their families.
For a time, voices of gratitude toward the Nine Spirits Sect rose everywhere.
The Nine Spirits Sect's prestige soared.
Its sect master, Gongsun Yue, in particular, had personally slain Old Freak Evil Heaven, and his fame was unrivaled for a time.
The martial world was discussing the matter.
What sort of figure was Old Freak Evil Heaven?
Hundreds of years ago, he had commanded the winds and clouds, bringing calamity to an entire region.
Although he had soon vanished without a trace, people still remembered his deeds today.
By killing Old Freak Evil Heaven, Gongsun Yue had not merely rid the people of a scourge. He had also told the entire martial world that his strength was no longer what it once was.
"It seems that after the Three-Sect Martial Meet, Gongsun Yue turned shame into determination, and his strength improved greatly."
"Does that even need saying? If he could kill Old Freak Evil Heaven, Gongsun Yue's strength is probably already comparable to His Majesty the Martial Emperor's."
"I wonder whether the other two sect masters will immediately enter seclusion to catch up with Gongsun Yue once they hear about this?"
The Mystic Sword Sect.
After learning the news, Xu Changfeng knitted his brows, his face full of puzzlement.
"How strange!"
His eldest disciple, Li Chenyuan, asked in surprise, "Why do you say that, Master?"
Xu Changfeng said, "Judging by Gongsun Yue's strength, he shouldn't have been a match for Old Freak Evil Heaven. How did he manage to kill him?"
Li Chenyuan said, "It's said that Old Freak Evil Heaven abducted all those children to heal his injuries. Perhaps Sect Master Gongsun was only able to kill him because he was injured."
"That's possible. Old Gongsun certainly stole the limelight this time. Even our Mystic Sword Sect has been overshadowed by him."
Xu Changfeng shook his head with a smile.
Meanwhile, at the Supreme Hao Gate.
Chen Gongwang sat upright on the sect master's throne, his face expressionless.
As he listened to the disciple reporting below, Chen Gongwang's expression grew rather unpleasant.
"Hmph! That old Gongsun got lucky. He picked up an Old Freak Evil Heaven whose injuries hadn't healed and killed him, and now his fame has soared!"
Chen Gongwang's tone was somewhat sour.
He was indeed a little sour about it.
At the earlier Three-Sect Martial Meet, Xu Changfeng had defeated both him and Gongsun Yue, and the Mystic Sword Sect had also surpassed the Nine Spirits Sect and the Supreme Hao Gate.
And now, Gongsun Yue had killed Old Freak Evil Heaven and rescued so many children, raking in a reputation by the overflowing bowlful.
This left Chen Gongwang completely outshone.
How could he possibly feel at ease?
"Master, there's one more matter..."
The disciple below spoke cautiously.
"What else is there?"
Chen Gongwang asked with a frown.
"It's the Song Clan of Xiling. Apparently, for some unknown reason, the father and son of the Song Clan have suddenly become very different from before."
"The Song Clan? What's happened to that father and son?"
Chen Gongwang froze, then hurriedly asked.
"The Song father and son now eat vegetarian meals and recite Buddhist prayers every day. They also instruct everyone in their household to do more good deeds, and the two of them often go out to perform good deeds themselves."
"But the good deeds they perform still leave the nearby common people suffering beyond words, with complaints filling the roads."
Chen Gongwang was speechless.
The Song Clan truly could not settle down.
Previously, because of the Song Clan's affairs, Xu Changfeng had personally come to the Supreme Hao Gate and asked Chen Gongwang to rein them in and stop them from running amok.
Chen Gongwang had immediately cut ties with the Song Clan.
He had no choice.
He still had to show Xu Changfeng due respect.
But from the look of things now, the Song Clan still would not settle down.
"Keep an eye on the Song Clan. If they go too far, step in and stop them, lest they drag the Supreme Hao Gate's reputation down with them."
Rubbing the space between his brows, Chen Gongwang gave the order wearily.
"Yes!"
The Heavenly Martial Dynasty's border pass.
This was the gateway to the Western Realm.
For some reason, the border pass was unusually lively that day.
Monks arrived one after another from the Western Realm, seeking entry into the Heavenly Martial Dynasty.
This left the general guarding the border rather at a loss.
He hurried over to inspect the situation himself.
"This humble monk is Huikong of the Western Zen Ancient Temple. I wish to enter the Heavenly Martial Dynasty to seek the Buddhist Holy Son."
"This humble monk is Jiechi of the Great Zhao Temple. I wish to go to the Heavenly Martial Dynasty to seek the Buddhist Holy Son."
"This humble monk is Xuanku of Lanruo Temple. Like those two fellow monks, I too wish to seek the Buddhist Holy Son."
"This humble monk..."
Looking at the dozens of bald heads before him, all saying "this humble monk" and "the Buddhist Holy Son," the border general felt waves of dizziness.
It could not be helped.
Those bald heads were all too shiny. Gathered together, they were dazzling.
He checked their Buddhist ordination certificates and found nothing wrong.
The border general could only let them through.
The monks entered the Heavenly Martial Dynasty.
This was also the first time the Heavenly Martial Dynasty had welcomed so many Buddhists.
"The Buddhist Holy Son appeared to the southwest."
"Indeed. Let us head southwest!"
"We absolutely cannot allow the Buddhist Holy Son to remain somewhere with no Buddhist atmosphere."
"The Buddhist Holy Son must return to Buddhism!"
Floating Cloud Mountain.
Ye Qingyun got out of bed.
As soon as he stepped out into the courtyard, he saw a small figure watering the many vegetables planted there.
On a clothesline nearby, freshly washed clothes had already been hung out to dry.
"Brother Ye, you're awake."
Guo Xiaoyun wiped the sweat from his face and spoke to Ye Qingyun.
Ye Qingyun felt somewhat helpless.
"You don't need to do these things."
Guo Xiaoyun froze, then lowered his head, feeling a little wronged.
Ye Qingyun sighed.
"How about this? I'll take you as my disciple and teach you a few skills so you can support yourself. What do you say?"