Supreme of the Heavenly Realm
Chapter 258 - 255: Cohabitation

Chapter 258: Chapter 255: Cohabitation

"In this Xuanbing Mansion, who dares to touch you."

Nangong Yao appeared to have adopted a protective stance over me, but when she recalled the recent incident where Ye Xuan had been besieged, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat ashamed. Just thinking about it made her angry.

"Gu Feiyang, who gave you permission to lay your hands on Brother Ye Xuan?"

The smile quickly faded from her pretty face as Nangong Yao glared coldly at Gu Feiyang who stood not far across from her and questioned him sharply.

"I’ve already said it, he is a spy from Evil Wind Cave Heaven. Isn’t it the duty of every disciple of Xuanbing Mansion to eradicate spies?"

Gu Feiyang had a sullen face. Although Zhuo Qian was his target, he had also taken an interest in Nangong Yao for a while, but later gave up when he felt there was no hope. Nangong Yao seemed uninterested in any man’s pursuit, so he shifted his focus to Zhuo Qian.

The moment he saw Nangong Yao dive into Ye Xuan’s arms, his heart shattered, and his resentment towards Ye Xuan intensified.

"You say Brother Ye Xuan is a spy; what evidence do you have?"

Nangong Yao utterly refused to believe that Ye Xuan was a spy from Evil Wind Cave Heaven and thought the accusation was entirely baseless and fabricated.

"Evidence... I have a witness!"

Gu Feiyang hesitated for a second, then his eyes lit up as he looked toward Zhuo Qian, "This kid hurt Junior Sister Zhuo. If he wasn’t guilty and discovered by Junior Sister Zhuo, why would he do such a thing?"

"Oh?"

Nangong Yao’s bright pupils narrowed slightly, followed by a cold laugh, "Junior Sister Zhuo Qian, it seems you are the instigator. You should know Brother Ye Xuan’s name by now. Knowing who he is yet framing him deliberately, what exactly is your motive?"

As she finished speaking, Nangong Yao’s gaze turned sharp.

Seeing Nangong Yao’s reaction, Ye Xuan couldn’t help but be surprised. It seemed Nangong Yao had indeed matured a lot over the past two years. Although she still acted like a little girl in front of him, she had long since outgrown that phase.

At that thought, Ye Xuan sighed inwardly. The Nangong Yao of the past was a naive and innocent little girl, but it seemed she had gone through plenty of scheming and manipulation to grow into the person she was now.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about, Junior Sister. Ye Xuan? So that’s his name – I’ve only just found out."

Zhuo Qian seemed genuinely ignorant, playing the victim, then her expression turned cold, "Junior Sister Nangong, I know you’ve always had a bias against me, but don’t judge others by your own standard of deceit. I merely found this man suspicious and approached to ask a few questions, to which he responded by injuring me. Even if he’s not a spy from Evil Wind Cave Heaven, he’s probably no good person."

"Lies through and through!"

Nangong Yao knew the kind of person Ye Xuan was, and she knew all about Zhuo Qian too. Such words could only deceive someone like Gu Feiyang.

"Junior Sister Nangong, you are young and simple by nature. You must know that people can be nefarious and not be deceived by this boy’s sweet words," Gu Feiyang frowned as he spoke.

At his words, Ye Xuan couldn’t help but smile wryly. The people of Xuanbing Mansion were indeed skilled at twisting the truth; if he didn’t know the facts, he might really start to believe he was some kind of sinister character.

Yet, that was the reality. After Zhuo Qian and Gu Feiyang finished speaking, the expressions of many Xuanbing Mansion disciples changed. Initially, they were just envious, but after hearing the duo’s words, they felt that Nangong Yao deserved better.

How beautiful and outstanding Junior Sister Nangong was – she could easily choose a man ten times better than Ye Xuan. They wondered what trick this guy had used to deceive Junior Sister Nangong.

"Alright."

At that moment, an ancient voice rang out, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound, their faces immediately filling with respect. The owner of the voice was none other than Elder Ning, second in power only to the master of Xuanbing Mansion and the very Granny Ning that Ye Xuan knew.

"I know this young man. He is not a spy from Evil Wind Cave Heaven. There’s nothing more to see here; you can all disperse," Granny Ning said with an indifferent glance at Gu Feiyang and Zhuo Qian.

"Yes."

They dared to argue with Nangong Yao, but they did not dare to defy Granny Ning. Although she rarely interfered in sect affairs, her strength and influence were undeniable, and with power almost equal to that of the master of Xuanbing Mansion, she commanded great authority within the sect.

With Granny Ning speaking out, even if there was something amiss with Ye Xuan, it was not for them to question anymore.

Before they left, Gu Feiyang and Zhuo Qian both gave Ye Xuan a deep look – clearly, they were not ready to let the matter rest.

After the disciples had dispersed, Granny Ning finally looked at Ye Xuan, "Boy, I admit that I was misguided back then; this old woman was blind. Even if you wanted to show off your strength, there was no need to cause such a commotion, was there?"

"Granny, you’ve misunderstood; this isn’t my fault."

Ye Xuan spread his hands and then explained the whole story from beginning to end. Although he was indeed a bit resentful about the past and wanted to see what kind of face Granny Ning would pull upon seeing him, he wouldn’t go out of his way to stir up trouble just for the sake of pride.

"Damn it, that bitch Zhuo Qian, I knew it would be like this."

Nangong Yao, with her teeth clenched in anger, shook her tiny fists like a little raging tiger.

"You know why?" Ye Xuan asked, looking somewhat repressed at Nangong Yao.

"Mhm, I can roughly guess. It must be because of her sister, Zhuo Yanyun."

Nangong Yao showed a hint of contemplation, "Zhuo Yanyun is one of the most outstanding figures among the disciples of Xuanbing Mansion in this generation. Before I even joined the Sect, she was already a notable figure within the inner mansion and carried the reputation of Xuanbing Mansion’s top genius, dominating alone. This situation began to change from a while ago."

"You’ve become her rival?" Ye Xuan roughly understood the situation.

Nangong Yao nodded gently, "Zhuo Yanyun is extremely arrogant and loves to compete fiercely. She always wants to challenge me to prove who is better. The last time the Sect leader brought back an Ice Spirit Blood Toad from the Extreme Cold Sea Domain, the original intention was to bestow it upon the Sect’s top talent. However, to avoid being unfair, it was decided that the disciples should compete in martial arts to determine the rightful owner of the Ice Spirit Blood Toad."

Ye Xuan nodded; he had some recollection of the Ice Spirit Blood Toad, indeed a valuable treasure beneficial to cultivation, especially for those who practiced Ice Attribute Cultivation Techniques. However, such rare treasures have a characteristic that the lower the Cultivation of the consumer, the more effective they are—naturally, at least it should be a Martial Sect Master with high talent; otherwise, it would be a waste of resources.

For a Seventh Grade Martial Sect Master like the Sect leader of Xuanbing Mansion, the Ice Spirit Blood Toad wasn’t of much use. Despite this, it was still an impressive reward for a disciple, showing that Xuanbing Mansion treated its disciples quite well.

"The two most outstanding young disciples this year are me and Zhuo Yanyun. In another month, it will be the day of our competition. If something unfortunate happened to you, Brother Ye Xuan, at this critical juncture, I would undoubtedly be disheartened and unable to participate properly in the competition, making Zhuo Yanyun the victor without a fight," Nangong Yao said, her large eyes sparkling.

"What a vicious plan."

Ye Xuan shook his head, his gaze flickering; indeed, a woman’s heart can be most venomous. For the sake of competing over an item, they’d go so far as to eliminate an unrelated person like him—utterly ruthless.

"Zhuo Yanyun has always been proud. This matter must have been Zhuo Qian acting on her own initiative. Fortunately, Brother Ye Xuan, you are exceptionally strong and weren’t taken advantage of by that little bitch." Nangong Yao again showed her girlish charm in front of Ye Xuan, cooing softly.

"It was luck this time, but who can say for sure if it happens again."

Ye Xuan inwardly sighed over the fierce competitive environment within Xuanbing Mansion; even more intense than in the Heavenly Martial Hall, proving once again that the larger the forest, the fiercer the internal strife. Having been the Martial God in his past life, he clearly understood this principle. His very downfall in that life was also inexorably linked to such internal strife.

"Let’s go, Brother Ye Xuan, we’ll talk at my place. You haven’t seen me for so long; surely you must have a lot to tell me," Nangong Yao took hold of Ye Xuan’s arm, leading him deeper into Xuanbing Mansion with a beaming smile.

"Well... I don’t think I really do."

"..."

Black lines appeared on Nangong Yao’s snowy forehead.

"By the way, Elder Ning, where will I be staying?" Ye Xuan would be staying at Xuanbing Mansion for a while. After traveling for so long, it was time to rest and recover, as well as to spend time with Nangong Yao. On another note, he also needed to plan his next steps towards Sky Demon Mountain.

"No need to ask; you’ll stay with me."

Before Granny Ning could respond, Nangong Yao had preempted her, showing a sly smile on her face.

"Ah?"

Ye Xuan stiffened, suddenly finding himself unable to walk, but Nangong Yao still pulled him away.

...

The place where Nangong Yao lived was called Ice Moon Hall, a top-ranking residence within Xuanbing Mansion. Although it was merely a dwelling for disciples, it was as luxurious as the Imperial Palace, not only built comfortably and with cleverly arranged layout but also positioned at the core of the Spirit Gathering Array, abundant in Spiritual Energy.

Upon settling in, Ye Xuan was attracted by the dense Spiritual Energy there. Even though living in the same palace with Nangong Yao might spark some unsavory rumors, cultivating here would evidently be much more efficient than elsewhere. As for the idle gossip, if Nangong Yao did not care, why should Ye Xuan?

However, since Ye Xuan moved into Ice Moon Hall, the murmurs within Xuanbing Mansion never ceased. After all, many male disciples were green with envy, cursing Ye Xuan in secret a thousand times over. This newcomer had the audacity to live with their esteemed maiden—yes, cohabitation!

And to think that even Elder Ning had agreed; they couldn’t fathom what she was thinking. Wasn’t this blatantly inviting a wolf into the sheep’s pen?

A young man and woman living together in one hall, both at the prime of their youth with vigorous spirits, they didn’t believe it was just a simple exchange of Martial Arts knowledge. Even if it was, after spending enough time together, they were likely to develop feelings. At that point, Ye Xuan, being closer to the water, would be the first to enjoy the moon, and they would have no chance whatsoever.