Just a Little Trick, Won't You Have a Drink, Brother Bai?
Just a Little Trick, Won’t You Have a Drink, Brother Bai?
Inside a quiet and elegant courtyard, Gu Changge stood with his hands clasped behind his back by the window, a faint, elusive smile on his face.
<*Ding!* The Fortuitous One’s relationship-line random mission is complete. Now calculating rewards.>
“Evaluation: Perfect grade. Obtained 1,000 Fortuity Points, 5,000 Fatums, with an additional 40% bonus.”
“Final reward calculation complete. Obtained 1,400 Fortuity Points, 7,000 Fatums.”
The System’s notification sounded in his mind. Everything was exactly as Gu Changge had expected, exactly as he had planned.
The relationship between Bai Lie, the Young Master of the White Tiger Clan, and Ye Ling had already shattered.
“What use is this kind of brotherly devotion, in the end? He couldn’t even withstand this much temptation from beauty. Heh...”
Gu Changge’s expression held a trace of amusement.
Brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes—that saying was just something people said. When it actually came down to it, how many could truly live by it?
Let a brother wear his own clothes?
At that, Gu Changge merely sneered.
He had simply exploited the weaknesses of the two men. Ye Ling was lustful and sentimental; Bai Lie was infatuated and foolish. With Yin Mei in the middle, a few casual words were all it took to drive a wedge between them.
She hadn’t actually done anything. Gu Changge had merely used her as a medium to infinitely magnify the rift between Ye Ling and Bai Lie.
And judging by the System’s notification, the results were quite good. At the very least, Yin Mei’s performance had not disappointed him.
Next, it was time for Gu Changge to make his move.
Bai Lie’s last embers of usefulness were about to burn out.
“Your husband is going out for a bit. Wait for me here in the courtyard.”
With that, Gu Changge chuckled softly at Yue Mingkong in the courtyard, his white robes appearing transcendent beneath the moonlight.
Without waiting for her reply, he finished speaking and leapt lightly onto the courtyard wall, vanishing in an instant like a startled swan.
“What is Gu Changge going off to do?”
Yue Mingkong walked out of the courtyard, her delicate brows furrowing, her face full of doubt.
Ever since Skyward Schloss, she had followed Gu Changge the whole way, refusing to be shaken off, precisely because she wanted to learn some of his hidden methods and secrets.
But after bringing her here, Gu Changge told her nothing and wouldn’t let her follow.
Then, after saying those words, he had simply vanished.
This left Yue Mingkong rather vexed. She knew she couldn’t keep up with him.
Of course, she also knew that if Gu Changge truly didn’t want her to know his whereabouts, with her current abilities, there was absolutely no way she could tail him.
For Gu Changge, evading her tracking was all too easy.
“So, is he going to deal with Ye Ling now? Is that why he won’t let me follow? That guy really ran off to hog all the spoils for himself—not even leaving me a sip of the soup.”
At this moment, Yue Mingkong was gritting her teeth.
Worried that Gu Changge might suffer at Ye Ling’s hands, she had passed along much of what she knew about Ye Ling under the pretext of an investigation.
She had assumed Gu Changge would consider sharing some of the benefits with her when the time came.
Instead, Gu Changge had simply run off alone, telling her to wait in the courtyard and not move.
This made Yue Mingkong gnash her teeth in hatred. Her dear husband truly intended to leave her nothing at all—black-hearted and selfish to the core.
Still, she was curious. How did Gu Changge plan to deal with Ye Ling? How would he pin the black pot of the Demonic Arts onto Ye Ling’s head?
Right now, Gu Changge was in the shadows while Ye Ling was in the light.
Ye Ling probably didn’t even know he had already been targeted by Gu Changge.
Just then, Yue Mingkong suddenly sensed something was off.
“As the successor of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being, Ye Ling has no shortage of life-saving trump cards. If Gu Changge wants to kill him, unless he exposes his own secrets, the chances right now aren’t great... Ye Ling might even escape...”
“So Gu Changge is unlikely to strike at Ye Ling now. He’ll make his move on Bai Lie instead.”
“After all, given Gu Changge’s temperament, Ye Ling still has plenty of use value—he can carry the pot for him for a while. During that time, Gu Changge can cultivate the Taboo Demonic Arts to his heart’s content, and no one will suspect him...”
“On the contrary, Ye Ling will take the blame for him, becoming a rat crossing the street that everyone wants to beat, unable to take a single step in the Beyond.”
Yue Mingkong figured out Gu Changge’s objective.
After all, in her previous life, Gu Changge had secretly grown his power this way more than once or twice.
This time, Ye Ling had delivered himself to his doorstep. Gu Changge would absolutely not waste the opportunity—he would make full use of it.
Which meant Gu Changge was unlikely to kill Ye Ling right now.
“Toying with the entire world in the palm of his hand... The more I know, the more dangerous it probably becomes for me.”
Yue Mingkong’s brows knitted tightly. She could find no way to break the situation. For now, she could only play dumb while knowing full well the truth.
...
After leaving the banquet, Ye Ling returned to the residence where he usually cultivated and lived, humming a little tune, seemingly in a good mood, chatting with the spirit turtle in his pendant.
“Old turtle, don’t you think my big brother Bai Lie is a bit too petty and narrow-minded? I just exchanged a few extra words with Yin Mei. Look at that face of his—so gloomy, as if I’d committed some terrible crime.” Ye Ling spoke with an utterly nonchalant air.
Hearing this, the spirit turtle inside the pendant rolled its eyes hard. “You brat, that lustful temperament of yours really rivals the Supreme Being’s back in the day. He’s your big brother, after all—can’t you show him some respect?”
“A guest usurping the host’s role, and you say it so naturally. If you don’t rein yourself in, sooner or later you’ll suffer a huge loss over women.”
“Have you already forgotten who was ambushed not long ago?”
It would have been better left unsaid. The moment it was said, Ye Ling’s expression turned rather ugly.
That incident was nothing short of a humiliation for him, and it had wasted an extremely precious life-saving jade talisman.
Although he still had quite a few such talismans, each one used was one less. Naturally, it pained him.
“Old turtle, don’t bring that up. Sooner or later, I’ll make Yue Mingkong repay that debt. A woman like her, with no shortage of tricks—it would be a waste if she doesn’t end up serving me.”
“Though it did benefit that Gu Changge. Isn’t he just from an extraordinary family background? What else is so great about him, that so many people fear him?” Ye Ling curled his lip in disdain.
All along his journey, he had never relied on family background. He had relied entirely on the inheritance of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being, fighting his way up from weakness, growing stronger step by step to reach where he was today.
So deep down, he looked down on Young Prodigies like Gu Changge, who were born standing at the peak.
Reincarnation of an Ancient Emperor? True Celestial Being? When it came to a life-and-death battle, he had all sorts of methods to kill them.
That was Ye Ling’s confidence!
“Hm?”
Suddenly, Ye Ling’s brows furrowed. He sensed an ominous atmosphere. Beneath the night sky, the world seemed to fall abruptly silent—a powerful being had suddenly descended upon this place.
A vast and terrifying pressure, like an ancient star crashing down, carrying an aura that made one’s face drain of color.
“Who is it?”
Ye Ling’s heart went on high alert as he stared intently outside the residence.
The wind stopped.
Under the moonlight, he saw only a tall, hazy white-robed figure standing there—untainted, otherworldly, transcendent.
As if it did not belong to this world.
But the face seemed shrouded in endless mist, strange runes circulating one after another, the aura powerful to the extreme.
Only a pair of profound eyes, revealing cold indifference and a gaze that looked down from above, watched him—unnoticed by him until now.
That expression was like one sizing up prey, sending a bone-deep chill through Ye Ling.
“Who is this person? When did he appear? I didn’t even notice him before?”
In that instant, Ye Ling’s heart clenched, his back drenched in cold dread, his hands and feet going icy!
A feeling of unease suddenly enveloped his heart!
His aura surged, and pitch-black, terrifying runes carrying the aura of reincarnation appeared, containing destructive power, gripped in his palm, ready to strike at any moment.
Ye Ling was tense to the extreme. The person before him was absolutely the most frightening individual he had ever encountered.
Not in cultivation—in that aura!
However, to Ye Ling’s astonishment, the white-robed man in the distance did not attack.
He merely let out a faint laugh, his figure gradually blurring, vanishing as if into thin air.
“Heh...”
“We will meet again, little ant...”
As the white-robed man’s figure disappeared, Ye Ling’s brows knitted tightly. Even the spirit turtle in his pendant sensed something was wrong.
The next moment, Ye Ling’s expression changed drastically. “Not good!”
Weng!
A black-robed elder suddenly emerged from the void, brandishing a pitch-black weapon that slashed down directly, as if to tear everything apart!
“Who is this person? Why is he trying to kill me?”
Ye Ling’s face changed dramatically. This black-robed elder was actually an Enlightened King Realm existence, and he had concealed his aura, appearing out of thin air to assassinate him.
The black runes in his hand suddenly erupted with a terrifying aura, as if capable of destroying everything, containing supreme divine might!
“Run, quickly!”
“He’s only here to assassinate you—he surely won’t dare cause too big a commotion...”
The spirit turtle in the pendant also hurriedly shouted at Ye Ling, urging him to flee for his life. This place could not be lingered in.
Hearing this, Ye Ling didn’t hesitate in the slightest and immediately began to flee.
However, what puzzled him was that the mysterious black-robed elder behind him seemed wary of him, not employing true Enlightened King Realm methods.
Otherwise, there was no way the display of power would be this limited.
Ye Ling couldn’t figure it out at all, but he didn’t dare stop either. He could only keep fleeing for his life.
He also didn’t want to use his incomparably precious life-saving measures over a mere Enlightened King Realm existence. After all, those things were one-use-each, and using one on an Enlightened King Realm cultivator would be an utter waste.
“What exactly is the Young Master’s intention? He knew from the start that I couldn’t kill this kid, so he told me not to push him too hard...”
The black-robed elder pursuing Ye Ling was, naturally, Ming Lao.
His brows were furrowed. He couldn’t understand why Gu Changge had given such instructions.
Just now, he had indeed sensed a terrifying aura from the man ahead—one that, if unleashed, could destroy him.
He had noticed it was a pitch-black rune.
For a moment, he didn’t dare get too close.
Gu Changge’s exact words were to hunt down this man, but not to push him into a corner.
Though puzzled, Ming Lao followed the instructions as ordered.
Gu Changge’s thinking was not something he could fathom.
...
Meanwhile, after sending his followers and protectors to capture Ye Ling, Bai Lie quickly found the remote courtyard Yin Mei had told him about.
At the gate stood two white jade stone lions, imposing and grand, magnificent in scale.
“Yin Mei must be waiting anxiously inside by now, right?”
A smile appeared on Bai Lie’s face. Sensing Yin Mei’s aura here, he pushed the door open and went straight in.
The courtyard was quiet. Passing through layer upon layer of winding corridors, he finally spotted a place deep within where candlelight glowed.
The moonlight was hazy, a clear spring murmured, and bamboo shadows dappled the ground.
On the stone table, a pot of warmed wine was already waiting, wisps of fragrance drifting from it.
Beside it sat a graceful figure in a red dress, waiting. A fluffy fox tail, snow-white with a glossy sheen, was cradled in her arms.
On her fair, lovely face was a bewitching smile, as if she were waiting for someone.
“Yin Mei really is waiting for me. She even warmed the wine for me.”
At the sight, Bai Lie’s face lit up with delight. He had guessed right after all—Yin Mei’s words had been a hint meant for him.
“Yin Mei, I’m here!”
Bai Lie called out, striding toward the inner courtyard. The bamboo shadows swayed with a rustling sound, filling his heart with excitement and anticipation.
Even the terrifying blood energy in his body rumbled through his veins.
At that moment, hearing his voice, Yin Mei—sitting by the stone table—looked up and gave him a somewhat strange glance, then said with an unchanged smile, “It seems the Master was right. You really did come.”
“Hm? Yin Mei, what do you mean by that? Weren’t you waiting for me?”
“Master? What master?”
At that moment, the smile on Bai Lie’s face froze slightly. He felt that Yin Mei seemed neither surprised nor delighted by his arrival—there even seemed to be a coldness and mockery he couldn’t understand mixed in.
And had he misheard what Yin Mei said?
Master?
What master?
His fiancée Yin Mei was calling someone Master?
“The Master will be here soon. You’ll see him very soon.”
Hearing this, Yin Mei couldn’t be bothered to keep up the pretense with him any longer.
The gentleness Bai Lie had seen before was gone from her expression, replaced entirely by boredom and indifference as she spoke flatly.
“What?!”
At those words, Bai Lie froze on the spot, as if struck by a bolt from the blue, completely dumbfounded.
He could hardly believe it. Yin Mei, who had always been so gentle with him, who had even helped him see Ye Ling’s true nature earlier, had suddenly become like this—as if she had changed faces.
Become someone he didn’t recognize, a complete stranger!
“Brother Bai, you heard correctly. Yin Mei is indeed waiting for you.”
Just then, a voice carrying a faint smile rang out. From beyond the inner courtyard, a white-robed figure came treading upon the moonlight.
Seeing the newcomer, Yin Mei’s face filled with reverence and eagerness to please. “Yin Mei greets the Master!”
Gu Changge nodded as he landed.
Casually, he picked up the white jade wine cup from the stone table and raised it to his lips. “Mm, not bad. I arrived just in time—the wine hasn’t gone cold.”
He drained it in one gulp and couldn’t help but praise, “Your wine-warming technique is getting better and better.”
“Thank you for the praise, Master.” Hearing this, Yin Mei immediately broke into a sweet smile, looking absolutely delighted.
“Brother Bai, why are you just standing there? Won’t you have a drink?”
Only then did Gu Changge look toward Bai Lie—petrified, frozen in disbelief—and ask with a light chuckle.