12: Chapter 12 Zhao Tianheng's Fury

Liu Ruyan lifted her head, looking at him in confusion. "A different way?"

When she met Ye Yun's burning gaze, she understood his meaning in an instant. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and even the tips of her ears were dyed crimson.

She subconsciously took a step back, her eyes darting away, not daring to meet Ye Yun's gaze as her hands tightly gripped the corners of her clothes.

Her body trembled slightly, carrying a hint of shyness and panic.

"N-now?"

Liu Ruyan's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, carrying a trace of subtle resistance, yet she did not fully pull away.

"Yes." Ye Yun nodded, his footsteps never stopping as he approached her step by step, his desire unconcealed in his eyes.

Liu Ruyan was forced into a corner with nowhere left to retreat. She could only look up, her eyes misty with tears.

There was both shyness and a hint of anticipation.

There was also a trace of subtle panic; her appearance of feigning refusal while secretly consenting made the fire in Ye Yun's heart burn even more fiercely.

"Yun'er..."

She called out softly, her voice trembling slightly, but she no longer resisted.

Looking at her flushed cheeks, her evasive eyes, and her slightly pursed lips, Ye Yun could no longer suppress the heat and impulse in his heart.

He suddenly reached out, pulling Liu Ruyan tightly into his embrace, and leaned down to kiss her lips.

Liu Ruyan's body stiffened for a moment, then immediately softened. She closed her eyes and responded to his kiss with innocence.

The body in his arms was warm, soft, and fragrant, carrying the unique scent of a woman, which completely ignited Ye Yun's desire.

He picked up Liu Ruyan and walked toward the bed step by step, gently laying her down before leaning over to press against her.

The lamp light flickered, reflecting on their intertwined figures. The atmosphere in the room instantly became intimate and heated.

...

Meanwhile, inside a luxurious hall within the Shiyun City Lord's Mansion, the atmosphere was terrifyingly cold.

Zhao Tianheng, dressed in a brocade robe, sat in the main seat. His expression was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water. He gripped the jade cup in his hand so tightly that his knuckles turned white, looking as if it would shatter in the next second.

In front of him, Wu Kui kept his head low, his whole body trembling, not daring to make a sound.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" Zhao Tianheng suddenly slammed the jade cup onto the ground. Shards flew everywhere as he shouted harshly.

"I sent you to capture Su Wanqing! Is this how you handle your duties?!"

Wu Kui was so frightened his legs went weak, nearly kneeling on the ground. He hurriedly said,

"Young Master, please calm your anger! We have already brought Su Wanqing back for you. She is locked in the side courtyard. If you are satisfied, you can go now and..."

"Satisfied?" Zhao Tianheng let out a cold laugh, his eyes sinister.

"Do you think I sent you to capture her just because I was lusting after her body?!"

Wu Kui was stunned for a moment, his face full of confusion.

In his view, his young master had always been lecherous.

Su Wanqing was one of the top beauties in Shiyun City. Hadn't the Young Master forcibly snatched her back just to satisfy his private desires?

But looking at the Young Master's expression, that clearly wasn't the case.

"Y-young Master, then what you mean is..." Wu Kui asked cautiously.

"What I want is the Qingfeng Step! It's the Su Family's ancestral Martial Skill, the Qingfeng Step!"

Zhao Tianheng roared, his resentment reaching the heavens.

"I investigated long ago. Su Wanqing always carried the Qingfeng Step Secret Manual with her. But you brought her back and searched her body and belongings, yet you couldn't find even a shadow of the manual! Tell me, what exactly is going on?!"

Wu Kui was startled and quickly explained.

"Young Master, we really searched! Other than some gold and silver jewelry, Su Wanqing had nothing on her! Could it be that she hid the manual long ago?"

"Hid it?" Zhao Tianheng's eyes darkened.

"That old thing in the Su Family is stubborn. Even when I threatened him with the lives of everyone in the Su Family, he refused to hand over the Qingfeng Step! Su Wanqing is his precious daughter; he certainly would have given the manual to her to carry! It must be that you were incompetent and allowed her to lose the manual or give it to someone else!"

He paced back and forth, a hint of anxiety in his tone.

"I'm already under a lot of pressure for detaining Su Wanqing! The Su Family has operated in Shiyun City for many years and has many connections. Those old fogies are already secretly contacting officials. In one more day, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold out and will have to hand her over!"

Zhao Tianheng suddenly stopped walking and stared fixedly at Wu Kui with a fierce gaze.

"Wu Kui! I don't care what method you use, even if you have to flip Shiyun City upside down, you must find the Qingfeng Step within one day! If you can't find it, then bring your head to see me!"

"Yes! Yes! This subordinate obeys!"

Wu Kui was so scared that cold sweat poured down his body. He hurriedly kowtowed and accepted the order, though his heart was filled with bitterness.

Shiyun City was so large; finding a manual of unknown whereabouts within a single day was practically harder than ascending to the heavens.

But he didn't dare disobey Zhao Tianheng's command and could only bite the bullet and accept the task.

Wu Kui hurriedly exited the hall, calculating in his mind how to find the Qingfeng Step.

He suddenly remembered the youth he encountered at the Yuelai Inn. Su Wanqing had accidentally bumped into him. Could it be...

A thought rose in his mind. Wu Kui's gaze turned ruthless, and he immediately gathered his men and headed toward the Yuelai Inn.

Meanwhile, in the inn room, Ye Yun and Liu Ruyan were immersed in the heated atmosphere of Dual Cultivation.

They were completely unaware that a new crisis was quietly approaching.

...

Inside the inn room, the residual heat of intimacy had not yet dissipated. The candlelight flickered, stretching their intertwined shadows long.

Ye Yun held the warm, soft body in his arms. Mystic Power surged ceaselessly through his Meridians, far more thick and refined than before, and his aura was steady and majestic.

After this session of Dual Cultivation, Ye Yun's strength had already broken through to the Martial Master Realm Fourth Level Peak, only one step away from the Martial Master Realm Fifth Level.

As his fingertips brushed against Liu Ruyan's delicate skin, he could clearly feel the similarly skyrocketing Mystic Power within her body.

Though not as rapid as his, she was also firmly standing at the Second-Level Martial Master Realm Peak, just a hair's breadth away from the next level.

[Dual Cultivation complete! Critical Hit Multiplier triggered: 2x (Ordinary Critical Hit)!]

[Plundered target's Mystic Power + Dual Cultivation Origin power. Host's cultivation has broken through to the Martial Master Realm Fourth Level Peak!]

[Target has received feedback; cultivation has broken through to the Second-Level Martial Master Realm Peak!]

The System's notification sound quietly faded. Ye Yun looked down at Liu Ruyan, who was snuggled in his arms.

Her cheeks still bore an alluring flush, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes held the lingering traces of a red glow and a hint of laziness.

Most of her bound hair had fallen loose, her black tresses spreading across his arm like a waterfall, carrying a faint fragrance that was intoxicating.

"Yun'er..." Liu Ruyan murmured softly, her voice sweet and carrying the hoarseness of having just experienced intimacy.

She raised her arms to hook around Ye Yun's neck, burying her cheek into his chest. Feeling his powerful heartbeat, her heart was filled with peace and reliance.

Ye Yun tightened his arms, holding her closer. He rested his chin on the top of her head and spoke in a gentle voice.

"Ruyan, we've both broken through."

"Mhm."

Liu Ruyan responded softly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing patterns on his chest.

"Your Mystic Power... is so strong."

"I will become even stronger in the future and protect you forever."

Ye Yun lowered his head and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, his tone firm.

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly intimate. The two snuggled together, feeling each other's body temperature and heartbeat.

It was as if only the two of them remained in the world, with all dangers and disputes temporarily isolated outside.

Just then, Ye Yun's ears twitched slightly, and his brow suddenly furrowed.