Chapter 263 It’s My Fault
“Aunt Yanshuang!”
With the help of a scattered cultivator from Yue’s royal court, the unconscious Yun Yanshuang
slowly regained consciousness.
The Yun sisters, Yun Wenyu and Yun Wenrun, let out a collective sigh of relief and quickly
helped their aunt sit upright.
“What… what happened?”
Yun Yanshuang winced, her body aching. Her fragmented memories only recalled the moment
the old ancestor of Wu lunged at her. Then, her brother’s palm struck her, sending her flying into
unconsciousness. Beyond that, her mind was blank.
“The Third Prince of Wu saved you. Do you remember?” Yun Wenyu asked softly, looking at her
aunt with concern.
At her niece’s words, Yun Yanshuang’s expression changed drastically. She frantically scanned
the surroundings, but her brother was nowhere to be seen. Her chest tightened.
“Whe… where is he? Where’s the Third Prince?”
“He stayed behind to fight the old monster and give us time to escape,” Yun Wenyu answered.
“Why didn’t you help him?” Yun Yanshuang demanded, her voice rising in panic.
“Aunt Yanshuang, my sister and I weren’t strong enough to be of any help. Staying would’ve
only made things worse. So… we had no choice but to leave,” Yun Wenrun said, shame
coloring her voice as she lowered her head, looking like a scolded child.
Hearing her niece’s explanation, Yun Yanshuang recalled the situation in the mountain and
knew that retreat had been the wisest choice.
“No, this won’t do. That old ancestor of Wu is far too powerful. My brother can’t handle him
alone. We need to find someone to help him!”
Yun Yanshuang forced herself to calm down, her mind racing for solutions.
Her sharp eyes quickly noticed Baili Xi, Dong Zilong, and the monarchs of the other kingdoms
present. In an instant, she pieced together the situation.
Though worry for her brother gnawed at her heart, she knew some truths couldn’t be spoken
aloud in front of so many people. Any careless words might invite disaster.
“Yanshuang, where are Master Li and the others?” Baili Xi stepped forward, addressing her.
“They’re still inside the mountain,” Yun Yanshuang replied.
“Your Majesty, please send people to the mountain quickly. That old ancestor of Wu…”
“Say no more,” Baili Xi interrupted, raising a hand to stop her. He didn’t want Dong Zilong or the
others to overhear too much.
“Brother Zilong,” Baili Xi said, turning to Dong Zilong with a calm expression. “The contest
should be nearing its conclusion. Shall we begin bringing the spiritual root cultivators out of the
mountain?”
“Of course,” Dong Zilong replied, though his thoughts were clouded.
His people had entered the mountain to ensure the safety of his sons and daughters. Yet, it was
Yun Yanshuang and her nieces who emerged holding the mountain-leaving token unique to his
subordinates. Something had clearly gone awry.
He needed to know what had happened inside Tianqing Mountain. Were his subordinates and
heirs safe?
With a wave of his hand, Dong Zilong ordered his scattered cultivators to activate the
teleportation arrays and begin summoning the spiritual root cultivators from the mountain.
The monarchs of Nan, Chu, and Bei, along with their various ancestral cultivators, eagerly
watched, anticipating the return of their heirs and family members.
Soon, a divine light descended, and four figures gradually appeared from the depths of Tianqing
Mountain—Master Li and his companions.
The four looked disheveled and battered, drawing the attention of everyone present.
“Your Majesty!”
The four quickly approached Baili Xi, bowing deeply.
“We were tasked with protecting Yanshuang and the others in the mountain, but Wu’s scattered
cultivators intervened, abducting the Yun family’s two spiritual root cultivators. Despite our
efforts to search the mountain, we couldn’t find any trace of them. We feared that Yanshuang
and the others…”
Master Li and his companions recounted their mission with somber expressions, their voices
tinged with grief.
“You needn’t worry. Yanshuang and her nieces are unharmed,” Baili Xi said with a small smile,
gesturing to the trio behind him.
“Wha—?!”
The four were momentarily stunned. Their eyes swept the crowd, finally spotting Yun
Yanshuang and the Yun sisters. A wave of relief washed over them.
“They’re safe! Thank goodness they’re safe!”
“Now, tell me everything that happened inside the mountain,” Baili Xi said, his hands clasped
behind his back as he spoke calmly.
Master Li began detailing the events within Tianqing Mountain in a hushed tone, recounting
every significant occurrence they had witnessed.
Meanwhile, Yun Yanshuang’s heart was heavy with worry. Though relieved to see Master Li and
his companions safe, her attention was fixed on the teleportation arrays, her thoughts
consumed by her brother.
“Brother, please… don’t let anything happen to you,” she murmured to herself, her hands
clenched tightly.
Time passed slowly.
The monarchs of Nan, Chu, and Bei, along with their ancestral cultivators, waited anxiously for
their heirs and spiritual root cultivators to emerge. Yet the teleportation arrays remained silent,
with no further activity.
Likewise, the monarch of Bei Kingdom and the others were anxiously waiting.
“What’s going on? Shouldn’t Master Tong be escorting my sons back by now? Why is it taking
so long, and there’s still no sign of them?”
Dong Zilong’s gaze fixed on the teleportation arrays. The prolonged silence only deepened his
scowl, an ominous unease rising in his chest. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something had
gone awry—something beyond the bounds of his meticulously laid plans.
For instance, how had Yun Yanshuang managed to obtain Master Tong’s mountain-leaving
token and safely escort her family’s spiritual root cultivators out?
While Dong Zilong and the monarchs of the other kingdoms grew restless, Yun Yanshui quietly
slipped out from the mountain, unnoticed amidst the chaos. Assuming his original appearance,
he strolled casually, carrying a bag of peanuts.
Crunching on the peanuts with a carefree demeanor, he approached his sister and nieces.
“Brother… please, please don’t let anything happen to you!”
Yun Yanshuang’s gaze remained fixed on the teleportation arrays, her heart pounding with
worry for her brother. She didn’t even notice him standing behind her.
“Uncle Yanshui, when did you get here?”
Yun Wenrun, spotting him nearby, blinked in surprise.
“Just now!” Yun Yanshui replied with a grin, popping another peanut into his mouth. “Had to
answer nature’s call, grabbed some peanuts, and saw you all gathered here, so I thought I’d
come see what’s going on.”
“You’re awfully relaxed,” Yun Wenrun said, feigning disapproval. “We and Aunt Yanshuang
nearly died in the mountain, and here you are, munching on peanuts!”
Despite her words, she reached into his bag, grabbed a handful, and began eating them herself.
Yun Yanshuang, still focused on the teleportation arrays, suddenly heard the exchange. Turning
sharply, she froze for a moment upon seeing her brother’s familiar face and figure. Relief
washed over her, and the tension that had gripped her finally eased.
Without a word, she hurried over and pulled him aside. Lowering her voice, she asked, “What
happened to the old ancestor of Wu?”
“Dead,” Yun Yanshui replied simply.
“You killed him?”
“Mm.”
“I was so worried about you!”
“No need to worry,” he said with a reassuring smile. “That old monster was already gravely
injured and couldn’t last much longer. I fought him for a while and ended his life.”
“I see,” Yun Yanshuang said, nodding in realization.
“Brother, I think there’s something I should tell you,” she continued, her tone turning serious.
“What is it?”
“The monarch of Wu seems to have his eyes on us,” she whispered.
Yun Yanshuang had already noticed Dong Zilong casting occasional, icy glances toward her and
her nieces.
“Of course he’s suspicious. You three escaped using a mountain-leaving token from one of his
subordinates. Naturally, he’ll suspect you,” Yun Yanshui said with a wry smile.
“This was supposed to end cleanly. Unfortunately, the sudden appearance of the old ancestor
disrupted my plans, which is why you three ended up drawing his attention.”
“This is on me,” Yun Yanshui said, his expression darkening.
If the old ancestor hadn’t interfered, he could have escorted his sister and nieces out of Tianqing
Mountain quietly and used other means to avoid detection by Wu’s scattered cultivators
stationed outside.
Now, however, his careful plans had been derailed. All he could do was adapt, keeping a close
watch to ensure his sister and nieces remained safe.
Even so, Yun Yanshui wasn’t overly concerned. With Baili Xi and the other powerful figures from
Yue present, Dong Zilong wouldn’t dare make any overt moves against them.
“Don’t say that, Brother,” Yun Yanshuang said earnestly. “If it weren’t for your careful
preparations and protection, Wenrun, Wenyu, and I would have ended up as food for that old
monster!”
She didn’t believe her brother had done anything wrong. After all, even the most flawless plans
were susceptible to unexpected variables and unforeseen complications.
Take Dong Zilong, for example. His plans seemed impeccable—yet he hadn’t accounted for Yun
Yanshui overhearing his conversation with the old ancestor of Wu. Acting on that information,
Yun Yanshui had secretly taken measures to thwart Dong Zilong’s scheme to eliminate all the
spiritual root cultivators from the other kingdoms.