Chapter 206: Lianxing and Yao Yue, Elder Sister and Younger Sister

The stars are sparser, the moon is brighter.

Yu Liancheng pushed open the window, and the faint moonlight spilled in.

Looking from here, one could see several servants trembling as they tidied up the chaotic courtyard. They had been sent by Duan Hefei to serve Yu Liancheng, and having heard the sounds of the clash earlier, they were so terrified their legs went weak, thinking the sky was collapsing and the earth sinking.

Only now did they realize this easygoing and refined Young Master Yu was actually an unfathomable martial arts expert; no wonder Old Master Duan treated him with such respect.

The moonlight passed through the window and also spilled onto Lianxing's beautiful and exquisite face.

It was just that this stunning face was as cold as ice, without the slightest expression.

Yu Liancheng turned his head, his gaze fixed directly on Lianxing.

Lianxing, however, remained expressionless, as if she were a lifelike jade beauty.

The two of them remained in this stalemate.

As for that eyesore Xuanyuan Sanguang, he had long since been sent away by Yu Liancheng.

After an unknown amount of time, a flush seemed to appear on Lianxing's cheeks, appearing both annoyed and shy, and she couldn't help but say, "What are you looking at me for?"

A smile appeared on Yu Liancheng's face as he said, "I just wanted to see what the Second Palace Master looks like when she is angry and blushing. Only when you are angry are you not so cold and icy; only then do you seem like a person."

Lianxing bit her cherry lips with her pearly teeth, glaring at Yu Liancheng in shy annoyance.

Just as she was about to stiffen her face and return to her icy demeanor, Yu Liancheng laughed out loud: "You are an ice beauty by nature, just with an extra breath of life compared to the living. But this blushing, annoyed look you have now is what truly counts as a person—a living, fragrant, great beauty."

His laughter seemed to possess an indescribable infectious quality, and Lianxing actually couldn't help but smile lightly, murmuring to herself: "I... did I really blush? I truly don't even know what I look like when I blush..."

Yu Liancheng clapped his hands and smiled: "A beauty that could topple cities and states, truly breathtaking. If you smiled often, I fear there would be no telling how many people in the world would be driven to distraction."

Lianxing's long-sealed heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

She was the Second Palace Master of Yihua Palace; ordinary people wouldn't even dare to speak a word in her presence, let alone hear such slightly flirtatious words.

And if anyone else had said this, she would likely have already struck them dead. But coming from Yu Liancheng's mouth, these words seemed to possess a magic that could stir one's soul.

She took a few deep breaths, finally suppressing this inexplicable palpitation, and said coldly: "I have already lost to you, what do you intend to do?"

Yu Liancheng smiled: "Good, Palace Master Lianxing is indeed straightforward, and I shall be blunt as well. I wish to see the Mingyu Divine Art; you need only recite the mental cultivation method for me."

His own internal cultivation method also originated from the "Great Brightness Precious Canon," which could be considered a top-tier method. But compared to the "Mingyu Divine Art," it was more than a notch inferior.

In the previous clash, the Mingyu Kung's incomparably domineering True Qi had been able to invade his body, attempting to freeze his meridians, forcing him to divert extra focus to deal with the Mingyu True Qi.

If an ordinary expert had clashed with Lianxing, they would likely have already been turned into an ice block.

The Mingyu Divine Art was already a supreme mental method, and in this world, the Wedding Dress Divine Skill and the Mingyu Divine Art shone with equal brilliance, evenly matched.

Yu Liancheng intended to collect these two divine arts and, combined with the internal cultivation he had practiced previously, create a supreme divine art of his own.

And if he encountered other supreme mental methods in the future, he could use this martial art as a foundation to continuously incorporate and develop.

Lianxing's face grew colder, her sandalwood lips parting slightly: "Give up, I will absolutely never hand the Mingyu Kung over to you."

"Don't be so decisive," Yu Liancheng laughed: "Why don't we make a trade? My medical skills are also quite good; perhaps I can cure your hands and feet, and then you can pass the Mingyu Kung to me."

Lianxing couldn't help but shift her crippled left hand and left foot behind her, her expression remaining as cold as ice: "No need, the Mingyu Kung will never be passed to an outsider. My hands and feet are not inconvenient at all."

Yu Liancheng looked at Lianxing and suddenly said: "Do you know why you have been unable to master the Mingyu Ninth Layer?"

Lianxing lowered her head and said slowly: "It is because I used to practice without any distractions, so I was able to quickly cultivate the Mingyu Kung to the Eighth Layer. But more than a decade ago, because of one incident, I became like ordinary people, burdened with worries and pain, and could no longer focus as I once did."

Yu Liancheng said: "You think it is the Jiang Feng incident that has kept you from breaking through to the Ninth Layer?"

Lianxing raised her head in shock, her eyes as bright as stars flickering with surprise: "It seems you know a great deal?"

Yu Liancheng nodded: "I also know that Hua Wuque and Xiaoyuer are biological brothers, and you two sisters intend for them to kill each other to satisfy your revenge against Jiang Feng."

A chill suddenly radiated from Lianxing's body, and the entire room seemed to drop in temperature instantly.

The Mingyu Kung carried its own icy power, and Lianxing's Mingyu Kung had already reached the Eighth Layer; aside from Yao Yue and Yu Liancheng, she was almost invincible in the world. But at this moment, she was unable to control the True Qi within her, clearly indicating her emotions were extremely agitated.

Lianxing looked at Yu Liancheng, gritting her teeth, and said word by word: "You know too much."

Yu Liancheng nodded: "I do indeed know a great deal."

Lianxing said: "My sister will never let this secret be known by a third person; she will definitely kill you."

Yu Liancheng laughed: "If she wants to kill me, I fear the Eighth Layer of the Mingyu Kung is far from enough."

Lianxing looked at Yu Liancheng, watching him without blinking.

This person's confidence and arrogance were also things she had never encountered before.

But she also understood very well that this person truly had the ability to contend with Yao Yue.

Yu Liancheng smiled: "Although I know I am very handsome and dashing, we have only just met, so if you keep looking at me like this, have you already fallen for me?"

Lianxing spat, then immediately broke into a smile, as if spring had returned to the earth: "Although I don't know how you found out about this, I am very happy."

Yu Liancheng asked in confusion: "Happy?"

"A secret buried in one's heart for over a decade, unable to let anyone know, is indeed a burden. With one more person knowing, there is one more person to share it with; naturally, I am very happy."

Lianxing nodded, then pondered for a moment: "If you promise to do one thing for me, I might be able to pass the Mingyu Kung to you."

"You wouldn't be asking me to kill Xiaoyuer, would you?" Yu Liancheng said.

Lianxing lowered her gaze: "Correct. If they kill each other, no matter who survives, that person will surely be in more pain than if they were dead."

Yu Liancheng said: "As long as one of them is killed, your plan for revenge naturally cannot be completed. But Hua Wuque was raised by your Yihua Palace, and no matter what, you have feelings for him, so you want me to kill Xiaoyuer."

Lianxing nodded.

Yu Liancheng said: "Have you never thought about destroying this plan yourself?"

Lianxing was startled upon hearing this and shook her head: "I have thought about it, but... but no matter who tries to destroy this plan, my sister will kill them without hesitation, even me. But your martial arts are sufficient to contend with my sister."

Yu Liancheng said: "But if you could break through to the Mingyu Ninth Layer, Yao Yue would naturally be unable to compare to you, and you could suppress her in return."

Lianxing smiled bitterly: "The Ninth Layer is so difficult; I have had no progress for many years."

"Because the Ninth Layer is related to one's state of mind; you have a heart demon and cannot clear your mind, so naturally, you cannot break through," Yu Liancheng said slowly: "But I can be certain that this heart demon is not Jiang Feng."

Lianxing frowned slightly: "Not Jiang Feng?"

Yu Liancheng said calmly: "If you truly loved Jiang Feng, were deeply devoted to him, and turned love into hate, could you still remember his face now?"

Lianxing carefully recalled the past, but could only remember Jiang Feng as a gentleman as gentle as jade; his specific features were already blurred, and she could not help but ask in surprise, "My inner demon is not Jiang Feng, then what is it?"

Yu Liancheng looked at Lianxing and unhurriedly spat out two words: "Yao Yue!"

"What!" Lianxing said in surprise, "You say my inner demon is my sister? Are you not joking?"

Yu Liancheng said indifferently, "I ask you, how did this hand and foot of yours become disabled?"

Lianxing bit her lip, a trace of fear and anger flashing in her beautiful eyes, and said coldly, "That is none of your business."

Her left hand and left foot were broken when she was a child, pushed down by Yao Yue in a fit of cruelty while they were competing for a Taozi in a tree; she had been disabled ever since.

She usually wore relatively wide sleeves precisely to cover the disability of her left hand and left foot.

It was also because of the disability of her left hand and left foot that if Lianxing fought against top experts, she would inevitably reveal flaws if the fight dragged on.

"Your sister pushed you down from the tree when you were young, so you have had a psychological shadow of her since childhood. This shadow has continued from that time until now. Not only has it not weakened, but it has deepened with the accumulation of time."

Yu Liancheng said bluntly, "Although you are the Second Palace Master of Yihua Palace, the one who truly holds power is the First Palace Master. In front of Yao Yue, you dare not even breathe loudly, nor dare you say a word to refute her, because you know the consequences of resisting her."

A trace of pain flashed in Lianxing's heart, along with the anger of having her scars exposed: "You are talking nonsense! Don't you try to sow discord between us sisters."

Yu Liancheng sneered, "Whether I am talking nonsense, don't you know clearly? Perhaps you once had feelings for Jiang Feng, but that has long faded with time. Yet Yao Yue has always been your inner demon; you have always been under her oppression. If she does not break through to the Mingyu Ninth Layer, how would you dare?"

Lianxing gritted her teeth and said, "You are still talking nonsense."

A chilling aura had already permeated the room, the temperature plummeted, and frost had already condensed in the corners, from which one could imagine the turbulence of her mind.

Yu Liancheng, however, acted as if he did not see it, smiled slightly and said, "If you let me cure your hands and feet, not only will your body return to a flawless state, but your state of mind will also change. You might even be able to logically break through to the Mingyu Ninth Layer. By then, you will never have to listen to Yao Yue's orders again, and she will never be able to control your life. You could even slap her in the face if you wanted to—wouldn't that be wonderful!"

Yu Liancheng's words carried an invisible power; every sentence, every word was shaking and influencing Lianxing's mind.

By the time he finished speaking, Lianxing's previous anger and shame seemed to have turned into temptation, but she quickly came to her senses and shouted in a low voice, "I forbid you to talk nonsense again."

She was truly afraid of this person's speech; she flipped her right hand and struck a palm toward Yu Liancheng, the palm force twisting and changing like a dragon, yet possessing the elegance of floating clouds and clear wind.

Yu Liancheng struck back with a palm, and as the two palms collided, he had already used this palm force to sweep backward, with only his laughter continuing to drift over: "It seems you are already tempted, yet you cannot make a decision. It doesn't matter, I can wait for you."

Lianxing stood in the room, her gaze flickering uncertainly.

It had to be said that Yu Liancheng's proposal was very tempting. In this world, whether man or woman, I fear there is no one willing to be a cripple. And for a peerless beauty like Lianxing, she could not bear the defects of her own body even more.

That night, Lianxing had no sleepiness, and no one knew what she was thinking about.

It was just that Yu Liancheng had not sealed her acupoints, yet this Second Palace Master did not leave.

The next day.

Just as Yu Liancheng got up and finished washing, a servant reported that San Guniang had arrived.

This San Guniang was as hurried as ever, saying, "Young Master Yu, you guessed correctly, the 600,000 taels of silver we had the escort agency transport was indeed lost. Jiang Biehe and the Sanxiang Alliance Leader Tie Wushuang are both investigating this matter, but there is no news for the time being."

Yu Liancheng smiled and said, "Good, I know. You go find another person, called Jiang Xiaoyu, Xiaoyuer."

He took out a piece of paper, on which was a portrait of Xiaoyuer; with just a few strokes, it was vivid and lifelike, as if that fish that slipped through the net was grinning and greeting people.

"It's that little brat!" San Guniang shouted.

"Oh, you know him?" Yu Liancheng raised an eyebrow and said.

"Two days ago, it was I and a few clerks who went to another shop to pick up goods, taking the water route, and we saw this kid lying in the water. We fished him up thinking he was a corpse, but didn't expect him to be a very clever, very strange little brat, and he is very familiar with medicinal herbs, so I arranged for him to work at our Duan Family pharmacy."

Yu Liancheng nodded: "Good, you go and bring this kid to me."

"Understood." San Guniang nodded, but did not leave, hesitating for a moment before saying, "Young Master Yu, I wonder if you can help recover these hundreds of thousands of taels of silver; this concerns the life and death of our Duan Family..."

The Duan Family had recently been swallowing up the territories of Xiao Zichun, Li Di, and others, and was in a time of needing money; they truly could not afford such a loss.

Yu Liancheng looked up at her and said indifferently, "Since I have already become a consultant for your Duan Family, this silver will naturally not be lost. At most five days, the whereabouts of this batch of silver will come to light, and it will return to your Duan Family without a single ingot missing, rest assured."

After San Guniang left, Lianxing, wearing the dead-faced mask, appeared: "What kind of trick are you playing?"

Yu Liancheng took a shallow sip of tea and said indifferently, "I am playing a game with Jiang Biehe, to make him lose in complete submission, to make him lose until his reputation is ruined."

"Jiang Biehe?" Lianxing frowned, revealing a thoughtful look.

"You know this person; he is Jiang Feng's page boy, the one who reported to your Yihua Palace back then. Strictly speaking, he is still a dog raised by your sister."