Stranger Danger

Chapter 1195: You Risked Death For Me, So I Will Risk Death For You

“Mm.”

Ye Qing nodded and explained how he contracted the Undying True Blood briefly. “Do you know any way to resolve this, brother?”

“It’s not really difficult. The problem is that it takes time.”

Yi Pin said with a deep frown, “And time is the one thing we cannot afford right now!”

“Well, I thought it might be like that. It’s fine though.”

Ye Qing wasn’t too disappointed. The Undying True Blood could circumvent even the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and the Earthly Sovereign Bell, so he knew from the start that Yi Pin might not be able to help him. He was just asking for the sake of asking.

“Do you have a solution?” Yi Pin misunderstood his meaning though.

“No, I don’t.” Ye Qing shook his head.

“What should we do then?”

Yi Pin looked very worried. “Assuming that Zhao Changming was telling the truth, the fact that you are carrying the Earthly Sovereign Bell is well known. The crime of jade ring[1] is severe, and everyone in the jianghu will be coming after you.”

“If you haven’t contracted the Undying True Blood, this wouldn’t be a problem. But you did. Unless you find a way to mask or eliminate it outright, you will be tracked down and attacked no matter where you go.”

“It’s fine. I’ll simply deal with it when it comes.”

Ye Qing looked unperturbed though. He said smilingly, “Besides, the situation is not as bad as you think. It seems like Sages such as Xiahou Zun, Wan Lingxiao, and Long-browed Divine Monk aren’t planning to come after me personally.”

“So long as a Sage doesn’t come into play, I fear no one.”

If Xiahou Zun, Wan Lingxiao, Long-browed Divine Monk and more truly coveted the Earthly Sovereign Bell, they would never have leaked the matter, much less borrow another person’s hands to do their dirty work. With their strength, all they needed to do was track down Ye Qing, and they would have what they desired. After all, not even three Ye Qings could escape one Sage. There was absolutely no need to make such a big deal out of this.

If he wasn’t mistaken, Xiahou Zun, Wang Lingxiao and Long-browed Divine Monk must have arrived at some sort of agreement. It could be because they were too prideful to attack a junior. It could also be because they didn’t want one of them to obtain the Earthly Sovereign Bell. In any case, it would seem that they weren’t going to come after Ye Qing personally. They were going to let their underlings take the Earthly Sovereign Bell instead.

From Ye Qing’s perspective, there were two ways to interpret their actions. One, to the victor goes the spoils. Two, they were whores putting up a monument to their chastity.

Of course, this was good news to him. With his, the Earthly Sovereign, and the Blue Demon’s power, he was confident he could give anyone who wasn’t a Sage a run for their money.

Even if he couldn’t beat them, he was still confident that he could run away.

That was why he wasn’t too worried.

“And who says that a Sage won’t come into play? You’re overestimating the Sages and underestimating the Earthly Sovereign Bell, brother.”

Yi Pin let out a bitter chuckle. “Ancient ultimate treasures like the Earthly Sovereign Bell are absolutely priceless. After all, they possess the power to protect an entire sect, clan, and even country. Countless people dream of obtaining one one day.”

“Sure, orthodox or famous Sages such as Xiahou Zun, Wan Lingxiao and Long-browed Divine Monk might care about their reputation more than their self-interest, but not every Sage is like this. Surely you understand that unorthodox, Dark Ways Sages don’t give a flying fuck about such things. It is highly possible that they will attack you no matter how much the jianghu lambast them for it. What will you do then?”

“Even if we pretend that all Sages are reputation whores who would not lower themselves to such a despicable act, there are still plenty of geniuses and monsters beneath the Sage stage. Take the top ten warriors of the Earthly Champions Ranking for example. They are all Half-Sages who are guaranteed to become a Sage in the future, and they are almost all powerful enough to defeat a Sage at their current level.”

“You cannot afford to be careless even if you have the Earthly Sovereign Bell.”

“I won’t underestimate the warriors of the world, but they shouldn’t underestimate me either.”

Ye Qing said determinedly, “If a Sage really shows up, I may not be able to escape them, but I’m still going to break a tooth or bloody their face at the very least!”

“Fine!”

Yi Pin wanted to say more, but when he saw Ye Qing’s determined expression and heard his high-spirited declaration, he could not help but share his sentiment as well. “If that is your decision, then I shall accompany you on this journey until the end! Let the dragon’s den, tiger’s cave, and infinite abyss come!”

“Haha... thank you, brother!”

Ye Qing let out a hearty laugh and slapped Yi Pin on the shoulder. “I appreciate the sentiment, brother. I really do. But this time, I’m planning on settling things myself.”

“What do you mean?” Yi Pin asked in puzzlement.

Ye Qing answered, “I’m saying that we should split up. I’ll draw away those who covet the Earthly Sovereign Bell while you, Bai, and Liang Huanxin will sneak out of Wei and back to Bei You.”

“Unacceptable? Do I look like a coward to you?!”

Yi Pin reacted vehemently, “Yes, I am a coward, but just because I’m a coward doesn’t mean that I do not have the courage to die!”

“Back then, you risked everything to venture into the Kunlun Ruins and save me. Do you really think I would abandon you during your time of need?!”

You risked death for me. So, I will do the same for you.

“You misunderstand me, brother. That is not what I meant.”

Having known the old Taoist for a long time, Ye Qing wasn’t expecting such a response from Yi Pin at all. To be honest, he was feeling quite touched. It was worth crossing the world and risking death to save him from the Kunlun Ruins after all.

“Do you think that I’m too weak then? That I will only be a burden if I stay with you?”

Yi Pin harrumphed while stroking his beard, “It is true that I am far from my prime, but if worse comes to worst, I can still take a Sage down to the grave with me.”

“Haha! I’m aware of your true strength, brother. If such a moment ever arrived, I would ask for your help even if you didn’t offer it. But we are not yet at that point, are we?”

Ye Qing explained smilingly, “There are three reasons I want you to return to Bei You first.”

“One, we have unwittingly revealed our true appearance. Knowing these jianghu people, it wouldn’t be long before they narrow down our identities and find their way to the Temple of Divination. Just the same, I do not doubt for a second that these underhanded scum will try to kidnap Longxiang or others I care about and threaten me with their safety. That is why I need you to head back and protect them. I need you to make sure that our backyard isn’t on fire so to speak.”

“Second, I need you to do something for me after you leave Wei. I need you to contact some of my forces and have them enter Wei.”

“The jianghu boasts many warriors, but I am hardly alone either. If the Sages think they can use the jianghu against me, I don’t mind turning it upside down and giving them the surprise of their life.”

“Finally, it is easier for me to operate alone. Whether I’m planning to fight, run, advance or retreat, I only need to consider myself.”

“This is why you need to return to Bei You[2], brother.”

“I see!” Yi Pin exclaimed in realization, “If you put it that way, then fine, I’ll reluctantly accept your reasoning.”

“Sigh, I was going to sacrifice myself for a heroic cause, but men plan, and gods laugh. What a shame!”

“I’m prefacing this, but it’s not that I’m not willing to die for you, okay? You’re the one who’s stopping me! You better not grumble and complain that I wasn’t a good brother to you in the future!”

“Of course not. Everyone knows that you are the embodiment of the loyal Guan Yu; the affectionate and true Mengchang!”

Ye Qing replied with mock seriousness, “I, Ye Qing, swear that I will be the first to slap anyone who dares to say you’re not a good enough brother!”

“Hmph hmph! Glad to see that you have eyes, and can see.”

Judging from how Yi Pin was stroking his beard like a cat would lick its fur, it was clear that he loved the praise. “Oh right. Who are the ones you want me to contact, brother?”

“Mister Taozhu, Chen Qishang, Chen Wuxin...”

Ye Qing recited a number of names immediately. “This is their contact method. Contact them and tell them to come to Wei immediately after your safety is assured.”

Although Mister Taozhu, Chen Qishang, Chen Wuxin and more were his Heavenly Demon Dependents, and he could sense their presences even now, he was unable to contact them through their bond because they were too far apart right now. Besides, everyone was going to be looking for him after today. His every action and behavior would be under strict scrutiny. There would be many inconveniences if he were to contact his Heavenly Demon Dependents directly. He might even unwittingly expose the fact that they were his. That would not be worth it.

That was why he needed to leave it to Yi Pin.

Of course, it wasn’t like he didn’t have another option: Devi Ruyi was also his Heavenly Demon Dependent, and she was close enough that he could contact her directly. He could have asked her to pass on the message instead.

However, he did not want to risk the old Taoist’s life, so he used the task as an excuse to send him away.

1. Just a refresher, but the crime of jade ring is the “crime” of owning something valuable. ☜

2. So, I’m sure some of you are like, didn’t Feng Qingyou transfer all of them to safety already? To be honest with you, I thought so too. THAT SAID, I don’t think it was ever stated that Feng Qingyou had taken them away to safety, only that she would handle it, so this is technically not a plothole... Technically. ☜