Chapter 342: You Actually Like Your Aunt

“The old man wouldn’t cry; he likes us a lot. It’s just the way he looks at us makes me uncomfortable, so I always punch him.” Sword Ghost made a fist and showed a strength-driven expression. She seemed unaware that Ye Wenxin had inherited Celestial Master Zhong’s memories and continued to speak seriously while spouting nonsense.

Ye Wenxin chuckled and reached for the sword. Sword Ghost yelped. “You’re hurting me!” Before her words could even register, the sword absorbed her entire body, and she lost her freedom to move outside.

Ye Wenxin sheathed the sword back into the umbrella, and immediately heard the two ghosts chattering in her mind. Now, just as Fairy Fengya had a nagging Great Grandma, Ye Wenxin had two chatty ghost ladies.

Although many aspects still needed to be explored, Ye Wenxin considered this a valuable gain.

There were ancient legends that said a sword could develop a spirit after ten thousand years, known as a sword spirit. Cooperating with a sword spirit could lead to a state of unity between heaven and humanity. Now, Celestial Master Zhong had placed two ghosts within the umbrella sword, and while it might not reach the level of a true sword spirit, it could still be life-changing.

Moreover, she now had the Colored Flags, a control artifact. The eight-faced flag could suppress cultivators below the Ascension stage, making Ye Wenxin eager to try a full set of bindings on Fairy Fengya.

Smiling, she moved to a relatively hidden spot and transformed into the minor character Ye Wenxin. Although her cultivation was suppressed, she adjusted her level to the third stage of Foundation Establishment to demonstrate her effort.

After completing these preparations, she emerged again with the umbrella sword. The weather was slightly cool, and the two ghosts, seeming to dislike the daytime, quickly settled down. Ye Wenxin felt more at ease and continued along the path, starting her delightful scrap collection journey.

The Yin Fetus liquid could be used as poison or a concealed weapon, the Yin Fetus eyeballs as medicinal ingredients, and the surrounding herbs were unique, perfect for experimental use. Ye Wenxin busied herself with these tasks and had no intention of searching for the others.

She preferred to go with the flow and avoid making her presence too conspicuous…

After about three days, Ye Wenxin had picked the area clean through, and finally encountered Long Qing’er. Long Qing’er still looked worn, with a new scar on her face that had a cursed quality, adding a touch of fierceness. Her gaze was sharp, indicating that she had been growing stronger in recent days.

She seemed quite surprised to see Ye Wenxin.

“Ah, good morning, Senior Sister,” Ye Wenxin greeted awkwardly, not sure what else to say. Long Qing’er stood there with a complex expression. She gripped her long sword tightly and pointed it at Ye Wenxin with a cold look in her eyes. “The same trick won’t work on me, Yin Fetus!”

“???”

Ye Wenxin was puzzled, and suddenly realized that Long Qing’er might have been deceived by an illusion before and now thought that she was another illusion.

“Senior Sister, it’s really me… your Xiao Xin Xin,” Ye Wenxin said, pretending to be nauseating. Long Qing’er almost laughed but managed to suppress her amusement. She continued to point at Ye Wenxin, pressing on, “Yin Fetuses can only read recent memories, so tell me, what is my biggest secret?”

Ye Wenxin was speechless, finally understanding why the Yin Fetuses’ speech and expressions were so limited. It wasn’t due to Fairy Fengya’s expressionless demeanor, but because the information they could get about her from Ye Wenxin’s mind was too little.

Seeing that Long Qing’er had asked a foolish question, Ye Wenxin answered immediately, “Senior Sister, you like Fairy Fengya.”

Long Qing’er’s hand trembled, and she quickly realized this wasn’t a secret at all. She stepped forward, pressing further. “That’s not it.”

“Then, do you actually like your aunt, Long Qingyue?” Ye Wenxin boldly hypothesized. Long Qing’er’s face showed extreme panic, as if Ye Wenxin had said something terrifying.

Ye Wenxin cleared her throat awkwardly and continued, “I guess I don’t know what your biggest secret is?”

Long Qing’er finally set down her long sword, as if all the previous conversation had been irrelevant, and this question was the real focus. Ye Wenxin moved closer, intending to check on Long Qing’er as she normally would. However, Long Qing’er’s demeanor became very peculiar; she immediately distanced herself from Ye Wenxin, as if Ye Wenxin were some terrifying monster.

Ye Wenxin used her divine sense to confirm that Long Qing’er’s brain hadn’t been consumed by a Yin fetus, but still couldn’t understand why Long Qing’er was acting so strange.

She decided to joke: “Senior Sister, are you actually a Yin Fetus? Why’re you being so weird?”

Long Qing’er looked even more uncomfortable as she averted her gaze, showing reluctance to make eye contact with Ye Wenxin. Ye Wenxin became even more puzzled, and somewhat worried that perhaps Long Qing’er had found out she was Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng.

“Or maybe, your illusion is related to me?” Ye Wenxin considered another possibility. In her own illusion, she had an ambiguous relationship with the least likely person, Fairy Fengya. If this were the case, then Long Qing’er’s ambiguous partner should be her.

Long Qing’er’s expression grew even more complicated, but she nodded. “Sort of. Anyway, stay away from me. I feel uncomfortable every time I see you.”

As she spoke, she took several steps back, creating a three-meter gap between them, her expression showing a mix of embarrassment and irritation.

Ye Wenxin’s curiosity deepened. She wondered at what point Long Qing’er realized that everything was just an illusion. Did she only recognize it was a Yin Fetus after the dream version of Ye Wenxin had advanced their relationship?

The thought of such a scenario made Ye Wenxin rub her rising goosebumps. However, now that she had a companion, it would be good to travel together. They shared recent events with each other, with Ye Wenxin allowing Long Qing’er to speak first. Afterward, Ye Wenxin modeled her own story based on Long Qing’er’s, and simulated a similar conversation.

However, Long Qing’er was constantly engaged in battle, while Ye Wenxin was always on the run in her story.

“It’s a pity about those three senior brothers; they died so young,” Long Qing’er lamented. She remembered the three fellow disciples, each a rare talent, now dead at such a young age. Ye Wenxin also felt regretful, but such was the nature of the Martial World—life and death were not determined by fate, but by one’s actions.

Ye Wenxin didn’t go into detail about that situation, and Long Qing’er, still somewhat sad, didn’t press for specifics.

As day turned to night, with less than a week remaining until the end of the secret realm, Long Qing’er and Ye Wenxin made their way toward the villa. They found it deserted, but there was a message tied to a tree. It stated that the group had seen the villa disappear, that Jin Xiaoqin had recovered, and that they had resumed their journey.

If they returned, they could just join the group’s ascent up the mountain. Ye Wenxin sighed in relief, feeling somewhat reassured. The past few days dealing with everything in the villa had been exhausting.

With the biggest problem resolved and having obtained Celestial Master Zhong’s inheritance, Ye Wenxin could be considered the second—no, the third—master of this secret realm.