Chapter 100

Sssssch!

It was the sound of Sun Yu frantically tearing apart the cloth.

She lifted her tear-streaked face with a pleading smile, desperately trying to turn her fear into seductive charm.

She knew this was her only chance to survive.

The next instant.

Shhh!

A slash of blood-red moonlight blade flashed past.

Sun Yu’s expression froze instantly.

Her tear-filled eyes still held a complex mix of pleading and terror, but her pupils were already beginning to dilate.

She would finally see her father, mother, and younger brother.

The moonlight was cool.

Jiang Ye returned silently to the inn.

“Hm?!”

As Jiang Ye reached to push open the door to his room, he sensed something and looked up toward the inn’s rooftop.

There stood a graceful figure clad in purple, poised effortlessly atop the roof.

Her eyes half-closed, she gazed upward at the bright moon; the night wind stirred her robes, fluttering her sashes as if she were about to ride the breeze into the heavens.

Moonlight fell upon her, and her skin, as pale as flawless jade, shimmered with a faint, ethereal glow—cold yet gentle, making her appear like a celestial fairy descended from the moon.

The woman was none other than Yang Han, the eldest daughter of the Yang family.

“This… she’s actually absorbing lunar essence?!”

Jiang Ye blinked in surprise, a flicker of hidden shock passing through his aged eyes.

Though Yang Han appeared merely to be gazing at the moon, Jiang Ye keenly sensed her body was drawing in the moonlight.

The lunar essence flowed like fine threads from the heavens, slowly drawn into her body.

To confirm his suspicion, Jiang Ye immediately activated his Fire Eyes to investigate.

What met his gaze was extraordinary.

Around Yang Han, lunar essence indeed gathered—silver-white threads swirling and spiraling around her like a thin veil, enveloping her completely.

The aura was faint and soft, yet it rendered her silhouette even more hazy and otherworldly, as if a divine goddess had stepped forth from the moon.

He tried to peer closer, but the lunar aura, alive and responsive, rippled gently and blocked his vision.

“Interesting.”

A wry expression crossed Jiang Ye’s aged face.

He couldn’t verify her.

This was the first time.

Moreover, Yang Han truly could absorb lunar essence—this was deeply strange.

“Could this also be a Qi-nourishing method…?”

Jiang Ye’s thoughts shifted rapidly.

He had heard only that animals attaining spirit could absorb lunar essence—he had never heard of a human doing so.

What secrets did Yang Han truly conceal?

On the rooftop, Yang Han seemed to sense something and slowly opened her eyes.

She looked down and saw Jiang Ye below; a flicker of surprise crossed her brow.

Then, with a light step, she shifted slightly, tapped the roof gently, and floated down like a celestial fairy descending from the moon, landing gracefully before Jiang Ye.

Her robes settled; moonlight spread behind her in a silver glow, rendering her dreamlike and surreal.

“Such keen perception…”

Jiang Ye felt a slight shock within.

It must have been his use of Fire Eyes just now—she had sensed it.

This woman’s perceptiveness far exceeded his expectations.

Yang Han’s exquisitely beautiful face broke into a faint smile—cold yet gentle, like moonlight itself:

“Elder Jiang, are you also unable to sleep at night, come out to admire the moon?”

Jiang Ye’s expression remained calm, his voice flat: “I’m an old man now—what interest do I have in admiring the moon? I simply sleep lightly these days, so I came out for a stroll.”

Saying this, Jiang Ye turned to leave.

Suddenly, Yang Han’s voice, tinged with melancholy and softness, came from behind: “Elder Jiang… do you… dislike me?”

Jiang Ye turned slightly.

He saw Yang Han gazing at him with a forlorn expression, her autumn-water eyes reflecting the moonlight—and his own figure.

On her flawless face lingered an enchanting, searching look.

Jiang Ye’s expression didn’t change; he smiled faintly: “Young Lady Yang, you’re overthinking.”

With that, he didn’t pause, turning back toward the inn.

The door closed softly behind him, shutting out the moonlight and the purple figure alike.

Yang Han stared fixedly as Jiang Ye’s figure vanished from view; her faint smile slowly faded, replaced by ice.

The next day.

Jiang Ye rose early as usual, slowly practicing the Five Animal Fist on the open ground before the inn.

Each movement flowed smoothly and perfectly; his sleeves stirred gently in the morning breeze, his whole being like an ancient pine—steady and composed.

Zheng Feng was the second to rise.

When he saw Jiang Ye practicing so early, his face filled with admiration, and he couldn’t help sighing: “Elder Jiang’s diligence truly puts us all to shame…”

Jiang Ye smiled faintly, ending his stance: “I’m not the earliest riser—the Yang family’s people have already left.”

“Oh?!”

Zheng Feng’s face grew serious at once, his brow furrowing: “Then we must hurry—we can’t let them get ahead.”

“Mm.”

Jiang Ye gave a slight nod.

After Chen Lili and Zheng Hui came down, the group quickly ate breakfast and set off.

Three days later.

Jiang Ye and the others finally arrived, weary and dusty, near Taishan Mountain.

“Elder Jiang, look—there’s Taishan Mountain ahead.”

Zheng Feng reined his horse and pointed toward the distance.

Jiang Ye looked up; his aged eyes narrowed sharply.

At the horizon’s end, a towering silhouette stretched across heaven and earth, like an impassable barrier cleaving sky from land.

The mountain range stretched endlessly, peaks piled upon peaks, interlocking layer upon layer, growing deeper and more mysterious the farther one gazed.

The highest peak pierced the clouds; above its midsection, it vanished into a boundless sea of mist, its true form unseen—only occasional gaps in the wind-torn clouds revealed steep, black cliffs, like colossal curtains hanging from the heavens.

“This is truly massive…”

Zheng Hui covered her mouth in astonishment, her voice trembling with disbelief. She tilted her neck upward, her neck aching, yet still couldn’t see the summit.

She had seen the walls of Yunling Prefecture, the six peaks of Tianqing Sect—but compared to this mountain, they seemed insignificant.

Taishan Mountain wasn’t just a mountain.

It was a mountain range stretching across the earth, riddled with gorges and deep valleys—humans within it were like ants entering a forest, swallowed in an instant.

“To find a ruin here…”

Zheng Hui swallowed hard, her voice thin: “It’s impossible…”

“Let’s go!”

Jiang Ye turned his gaze away, spurred his horse, and rode ahead toward the mountain path.

Behind him, the others hurried after, hooves echoing across the empty wilderness.

When the group reached a mountain pass of Taishan Mountain.

“Little Zheng, you’re late again!”

“Oh? Little Zheng finally brought his precious little sister along?”

Two clear, bell-like laughs rang out.

Everyone turned to see two stunning figures standing atop a massive boulder by the path.

Seeing them, Zheng Feng’s expression paused slightly, then he bowed respectfully: “Greetings, two senior sisters—your speed is still unmatched.”

He then whispered to Jiang Ye beside him: “Elder Jiang, these two are the True Disciples of Xianshui Peak—Hua Ning and Hua Tian. As for which is older and which is younger… I can’t tell either…”

Jiang Ye nodded slightly.

In truth, he had already recognized them—they were the two he had accidentally encountered while cultivating water qi in the cold pool…

At that moment,

Behind them, Zheng Hui couldn’t wait to speak up: “I know how to tell them apart—the one with the mole on her left buttock is the elder sister, the one with the mole on the right is the younger!”