Celestial Dragon Sword Venerable-Chapter 85: Is He a Fool?

The Life and Death Talisman was an incredibly potent tool for controlling others.

Over the past month, Ye Tianling had used flirtatious gestures and moments of physical contact to repeatedly infuse the power of the Life and Death Talisman into Ouyang Ruoxue’s body.

The first time he infused the Life and Death Talisman’s Ice Power into Ouyang Ruoxue, she had noticed something was amiss. But Ye Tianling simply explained that his body had grown cold ever since his soul shattered, successfully deceiving her.

After all, the energy of True Essence was unheard of in this World, making it nearly impossible for Ouyang Ruoxue to detect.

Furthermore, after Ouyang Ruoxue used the Returning Butterfly Cocoon Technique, Ye Tianling’s Soul Talent Sensing became extremely sharp when it came to her mental state. It was a natural counter to her technique, allowing him to subtly dispel any of her suspicions as they arose.

And so, Ouyang Ruoxue naturally stopped being suspicious.

Moreover, after more than a month had passed without her noticing anything wrong with her body, she stopped questioning him altogether.

She had no idea, however, that the power of the Life and Death Talisman had already seeped into every corner of her body. The only reason it hadn’t flared up was that Ye Tianling was keeping it under control.

"Senior Brother Ye, please don’t be like this. You’re actually quite nice when you act refined and courteous. Can’t you just maintain that gentlemanly demeanor?"

Ouyang Ruoxue understood Ye Tianling well enough to know he responded to a soft approach, not a hard one, so she immediately adopted a pitiful tone and pleaded with him.

"Then I’ll just hold you a little more gently. Don’t worry, if I really wanted to take advantage of you, I’ve had countless opportunities this past month. Besides, you’re my Maid. If I really wanted to force myself on you, you couldn’t resist, right?"

Ye Tianling said with a gentle smile.

Ouyang Ruoxue felt a little better and chose to believe that Ye Tianling wasn’t intentionally taking advantage of her.

"Okay. Don’t worry, my Sword Control is very steady. There won’t be any problems."

Ouyang Ruoxue explained as she commanded her Flying Sword to rise directly into the air.

Only then did she bid farewell to Xu Hanyan and the others.

As the Flying Sword ascended, Ouyang Ruoxue felt her month of suffering was finally coming to an end.

This month, she had learned many of Ye Tianling’s "secrets" and leaked these "trump cards" to Ye Cangqian.

She had no idea, however, that once Ye Tianling learned of her objective, all the "secrets" he provided were fake. He had instead secretly reached an "agreement" with Que Xinyan.

...

As their Flying Sword soared over the Nine Swords Sect’s Cloud Mist Mountain Range, two streaks of sword light shot toward them from a distance.

The two streaks of light froze in mid-air, revealing the figures of two beautiful women.

They were none other than Ye Shuiyan and Wang Yufei.

Their relationship seemed to have improved greatly, and they appeared much closer.

However, as they blocked Ye Tianling’s path, Wang Yufei’s expression turned as cold as ice.

She stared coldly at Ye Tianling, her gaze also falling upon Ouyang Ruoxue beside him. Her look was frigid, yet held a hint of inexplicable... jealousy?

Ye Tianling found her expression very strange.

What Ye Tianling didn’t know was that over the past month, aside from her Hard Cultivation, Wang Yufei had meticulously investigated every detail of his life. As a result, she had developed an indescribable sense of sympathy for what he had been through.

Once she understood the full picture of cause and effect, of right and wrong, her feelings of hatred and sympathy became hopelessly entangled, leaving her in a state of extreme emotional complexity.

Furthermore, Ye Tianling’s repeated claims that he wasn’t interested in her were a severe blow to the ever-confident and beautiful Wang Yufei.

Ye Tianling had also used despicable means to take her innocence, making it impossible for her to forget him.

So when Ye Shuiyan learned that Ye Tianling was about to leave the Outer Sect and rushed to stop him, Wang Yufei had naturally tagged along, filled with anger.

But upon seeing Ye Tianling, Wang Yufei was first struck by his roguish charm—a mix of handsome, cold, lonely, and untamable. At the same time, the sight of him intimately holding another beautiful young woman made her inexplicably angry.

’That Ye Tianling... how can he be so intimate with a mere maid, while completely ignoring me...’

An indescribable bitterness welled up in Wang Yufei’s heart.

"Ye Tianling, it’s dangerous outside. Countless people would love nothing more than to kill you for your treasures. Don’t go," Ye Shuiyan advised. "Just lay low for another two months. After that, you can go directly to the Ten Thousand Beasts Demon Cave to face your tribulation."

"I’m too restless to sit still. I know plenty of people want to kill me, so I might as well give them the chance. Shuiyan, let me pass."

Ye Tianling said with a faint, indifferent smile.

"Why must you be so stubborn?" Ye Shuiyan said, frowning.

"I’ve been so bored. You haven’t come to see me or even keep me company in bed for over a month. It’s been hard to sleep all by my lonesome," Ye Tianling said cheekily.

Ye Shuiyan replied helplessly, "I have to focus on my Hard Cultivation, too. In Cultivation, if you don’t advance, you fall behind. Fall behind once, and your future is at risk."

Ye Tianling nodded. "If I don’t go out, then we can spend the next two months in dual cultivation. We’d make fast progress that way."

Ye Shuiyan gave a wry smile. "Ye Tianling, stop joking. Don’t be a fool. Going out now is like walking right into a trap..."

Ye Tianling sighed. "You said it yourself: fall behind once, and your future is at risk. I’ve fallen behind more than once. Wait another two months? Impossible. Please, move aside. I appreciate your good intentions. I know you’re not interested in me, and that’s fine. If I get the chance in the future, I’ll repay your kindness. And don’t worry, I won’t pester you."

As he spoke, he glanced at Wang Yufei. "You’re a good person. Everything I said before... I was just teasing you. Don’t take it to heart. I’m leaving. We’ll meet again... or, I hope we do."

With that, Ye Tianling gently put his arm around Ouyang Ruoxue’s waist.

Ouyang Ruoxue took the hint, immediately activating her Sword Control and flying off into the distance.

Wang Yufei stood there, stunned. For a long moment, she couldn’t process what Ye Tianling had said.

She felt an inexplicable melancholy, an indescribable sense of loss.

"What... what did he mean by that?" she stammered.

Ye Shuiyan hesitated for a moment before saying, "He knows the path ahead of him is fraught with peril. He might be walking into a calamity from which he can’t escape, but he went anyway. So... he was apologizing to you. And saying goodbye."

Wang Yufei’s body trembled, and her beautiful eyes inexplicably reddened.

Ye Shuiyan sighed. ’Could it be... I was wrong again? Was I too cold... did I hurt him? But I really don’t like him. It’s just pity... I just want him to be strong and survive.’

Wang Yufei’s emotions were a tangled mess. ’Hatred? Anger? Glee? It feels like all of those, but not quite.’

She felt a strange sense of loss, and a bitter feeling welled up inside her.

"Then... he knew it was dangerous, and he still went? That’s no different from suicide! Is he a fool?" she asked, her voice wavering.