Goodbye, Sister Zhixia~

When the Heavenly Dao sulked, the consequences were severe.

Even after stepping out of the dark room, Xiaobai still puffed out her cheeks, sitting angrily on Ye Shu's shoulder without saying a single word.

Ye Shu had no choice but to let her be for now.

Because there were more important things to do right now.

As for Xiaobai's mood, he'd let her slowly digest it herself. Besides... hadn't she enjoyed herself quite a bit anyway?

"Young Master, this dark room..."

Ye Xiaosu looked back at the dark room, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Keep it," Ye Shu gently wrapped his arm around her. "Maybe when we think of it in the future, we can revisit the old place and add a little spice or something."

"Young Master is bad..."

Ye Xiaosu gave him a reproachful look, then pulled his hand and walked out, skipping along the way like a cheerful little butterfly.

"Young Master, Young Master, do you know?"

"Xiaosu has been dreaming of this day!"

"I want to wash Young Master's clothes, wash Young Master's feet, and warm... warm Young Master's bed!"

She chattered on, her eyes full of happiness.

Ye Shu let her pull his hand, a smile constantly remaining on his face.

The sunlight inside the large mansion was just right.

The brilliant sunlight spilled over the girl, making her look even more bright and beautiful. Sometimes Ye Shu felt that it wouldn't be bad if time stopped at this moment.

And not far away, under the willow tree.

A figure in cyan silently watched them leave, her hand gripping the courtyard fence, her wooden bracelet gleaming in the sunlight.

After returning to his own courtyard, Ye Shu bid farewell to Ye Xiaosu.

He then set off for Ye Zhan's study.

"You've reached Foundation Establishment?"

Looking at Ye Shu who pushed the door open and entered, Ye Zhan raised an eyebrow. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly, but he quickly coughed and forced it down.

"It seems the pill was very useful. It was worth the two hundred thousand spirit stones I spent to snatch it from someone else."

"Stop spouting this bullshit."

"I'm here to discuss something with you."

Ye Shu stepped forward, sat down casually, and then picked up the teapot, about to take a sip. But as the tea reached his lips, he suddenly remembered something and put it back. After the ordeal in the dark room, he probably wouldn't be drinking tea for a long time.

"Discuss what?"

"Moving."

"Moving?!"

Ye Zhan's eyes immediately widened.

"That's right, moving."

Ye Shu nodded, his expression as simple as if he had just eaten thirty small bread rolls.

"I've already found a good place for you all. Room and board are covered, spiritual energy is abundant, and you shouldn't need to worry about resources for the rest of your lives. Most importantly, it's safe."

"........."

Ye Zhan was silent for a while before slowly asking.

"Did you go sell your ass?"

"Fuck off," Ye Shu was so angry he laughed. "I used our family's ancestral token to make a deal with Zhao Zhixia, the eldest miss of the Zhao family who was sent to our house for foster care. Now she will protect us for a hundred years, with no worries about food or clothing."

"And after a hundred years?"

"After a hundred years, I'll have long become an immortal."

"...Bullshit!" Ye Zhan suddenly pointed at Ye Shu in deep sorrow, his finger trembling: "You, you prodigal son! Do you know that although our family has fallen on hard times, our great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather and the Zhao family were family friends? The Zhao family would have looked after us anyway. Was it necessary to give them the token?"

Hearing this, Ye Shu's mouth twitched.

So an ancient family taking care of their Ye family meant taking care of them all the way to this remote little city.

Taking care of his father into becoming a Golden Core cultivator, and only at the early stage at that.

What a way to take care of them.

He had thought this was all built up little by little through their own self-reliance. But he didn't say this to his foolish father, and instead slammed the table:

"I'm just asking if you're moving or not!"

"Fuck!" Ye Zhan stood up and smashed the bamboo slip in his hand. "The foundation I worked so hard to build, and you just say throw it away?"

"And go to the Central Continent to live under someone else's roof?"

"I'm not going!"

.................

Three days later.

In the Ye family courtyard, several disciples watched the servants bustling about moving luggage, gathering together in confusion to chat.

"Why are we suddenly moving?"

"According to the grapevine, the Patriarch latched onto a bigshot from the Central Continent, and they promised to give us a stable life."

"Really?"

"I heard that the Central Continent is covered in spirit stones. You can trip over spirit herbs just walking on the road, and no one even picks up Earth-tier cultivation techniques thrown on the street. We're going to strike it rich."

"But why would they be so good to us?"

"Hehe... you don't understand, do you? Everyone is going this time we move, even the dog in the yard, but there's one person who isn't going."

"Who?"

"Who else could it be? The Patriarch's precious son."

"Why? This is the Central Continent we're talking about! It's ten thousand times better than this backwater place of ours. Did the kid get kicked in the head by a donkey?"

"You think he doesn't want to go? He can't go!"

"Why? Elaborate."

"Why do you think the Patriarch was favored by a bigshot from the Central Continent? He has no cultivation and no money. He only has one thing, and that is... his ass..."

"His... his ass?"

Everyone uniformly opened their mouths wide, looking at each other, all seeing the disbelief in the other's eyes.

"Hehe, exactly, his ass."

The disciple who spoke these shocking words crossed his arms, his nostrils pointing to the sky: "The way I see it, that bigshot doesn't like that the Patriarch has a son. After all, who likes being a stepdad? That's why Ye Shu isn't allowed to go to the Central Continent."

"That makes sense, that makes perfect sense."

The disciples nodded in unison with expressions of sudden realization, and couldn't help but look sympathetically into the distance.

The Patriarch's son not only completely lost his cultivation but was also abandoned.

Too tragic!

"Young Master, are you really not coming with us?"

Ye Xiaosu frowned and sniffled with a grieved face, looking pitifully at Ye Shu like a stray cat about to be abandoned.

"Be a good girl, Xiaosu. Big Sister Zhixia will take good care of you."

"It won't be long before Young Master comes to pick you up. When the time comes, I'll take you out to play on the streets."

Ye Shu rubbed her head and comforted her softly.

These past few days, he had put down his cultivation and properly accompanied Xiaosu for a few strolls around Moon City, making up for the guilt of having to part ways right after getting together.

"But... but..."

Ye Xiaosu gripped his hand, her eyes misty with tears, her voice choking up.

"What's there to cry about? It's not like I don't want you anymore."

"Alright, alright, give me a kiss. Don't cry, don't cry." Ye Shu pulled her into his embrace, gently kissing away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

"Sob... Xiaosu can't bear to leave Young Master..."

"Young Master must promise that you will, you absolutely will come find Xiaosu. Otherwise, Xiaosu will definitely come out to find Young Master and then lock Young Master up! I'll never let Young Master run away again!" She waved her little fists, her nose red, but her eyes were full of seriousness.

Not far away.

Zhao Zhixia watched their intimate scene, her right hand unconsciously brushing against the wooden bracelet on her left wrist, her fingers tightening slightly.

She slowly walked forward, her voice cold:

"It's about time we get ready to set off."

Hearing this, Ye Xiaosu reluctantly let go. Looking back with almost every step, she followed Ye Zhan aboard the Zhao family's exclusive flying artifact.

"Young Master, I will miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

Ye Shu smiled and waved at her. Then, he turned his head to look at Zhao Zhixia. His gaze lingered briefly on the wooden bracelet resting on her fair left wrist before he suddenly asked,

"A few days ago, the Moon City Auction House was burned down."

"Was that your doing?"

Zhao Zhixia didn't look at him. She merely watched the Ye family members bustling about in the distance, moving their belongings. "The Qian family didn't know what was good for them and wanted to make a move against the Ye family," she said calmly. "Since I accepted your payment, I naturally wouldn't break my promise. I taught them a little lesson. However, Qian Yutong is from the Qian family's direct bloodline and couldn't be touched, otherwise it would be difficult to explain to the Qian family."

"So that's how it is."

Ye Shu nodded thoughtfully. "I heard from everyone that the fire burned for three whole days and nights. At first, I thought someone was intentionally venting their anger."

Zhao Zhixia turned her head slightly away, her tone stiff. "It... it was just a matter of convenience. Don't overthink it."

"Everything is mostly packed up."

"Are... are you..."

"Are you really not coming with us?"

Hearing this, Ye Shu suddenly burst into laughter, drawing a sidelong glance from Zhao Zhixia.

"What are you laughing at?" Zhao Zhixia looked at him in confusion. "What's so funny? Our Zhao family's resources are countless times better than here, and there are no risks whatsoever. Wouldn't it be better to come with me to the Zhao family?"

Ye Shu restrained his laughter. Reaching out with complete naturalness, he rubbed her head, messing up her soft, silky hair until it looked like a bird's nest.

It was so natural that Zhao Zhixia didn't even react in time.

Subconsciously, she stood on her tiptoes and narrowed her eyes, wanting to lean into the touch to make it more comfortable.

By the time she actually realized what she was doing,

Ye Shu suddenly pulled her into his embrace and whispered softly in her ear, "Thank you, Zhixia."

The hug lasted only a fleeting moment; he let go as soon as he finished speaking.

He didn't give her a single second to react.

Zhao Zhixia stood frozen in place, her face flushed red with a hint of bashful annoyance.

But Ye Shu had already turned around. Plucking a stalk of foxtail grass from the ground and holding it in his mouth, he swaggered toward the main gate, heading out into the wider world.

The wind carried the lingering echoes of his voice to Zhao Zhixia's ears.

"Sayonara, Sister Zhixia."