24: Chapter 24 Bewildered

Sun Tao asked.

Zhao Lie's eyes flickered. He pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.

"I've thought of a place—Shiyun City."

"Shiyun City?"

Lin Yue and Sun Tao were both stunned, their eyes filled with confusion.

"That's right," Zhao Lie nodded, his tone certain.

"Shiyun City is neither too far nor too close to Qingyun City. The city is of considerable size and has a mix of all sorts of people, making it the perfect place to hide. Moreover, Shiyun City and Qingyun City have never had any dealings, and our influence has never extended there. If Ye Yun fled to Shiyun City, it would indeed be a good choice."

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Yue's eyes.

"Makes sense! That brat must have fled to Shiyun City! We must find him as soon as possible and reclaim the Mysterious Grade Technique!"

"We must speed this up!" Sun Tao suddenly spoke, his tone grave.

"Don't forget, That Lord's people could arrive in Qingyun City at any moment. If they find Ye Yun and get the Mysterious Grade Technique, won't all our years of planning go down the drain? We absolutely cannot let outsiders lay a finger on that Mysterious Grade Technique!"

Hearing the words "That Lord," the expressions of Lin Yue and Zhao Lie instantly turned solemn.

They all knew in their hearts how terrifying That Lord's power was; if that party were to intervene...

Forget the Mysterious Grade Technique; it was hard to say if their Three Great Families could even maintain their current status.

"Brother Sun is right, this matter cannot be delayed!"

Lin Yue's gaze sharpened.

"But we have never stepped foot in Shiyun City and know nothing of the situation there. If we rashly send people, I'm afraid it will be difficult to find any trace of Ye Yun."

Zhao Lie remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"I had some dealings with Zhao Shanhe, the City Lord of Shiyun City, in my early years. I once did him a small favor that he has always remembered. Perhaps I can make a trip to Shiyun City, pay Zhao Shanhe a visit, and ask him to help keep an eye out for Ye Yun's whereabouts."

A glimmer of hope flashed in the eyes of Lin Yue and Sun Tao simultaneously.

"That's excellent! Brother Zhao, we'll leave this to you! Be sure to find Ye Yun as quickly as possible and reclaim the Mysterious Grade Technique!"

"Rest assured, I will do my best," Zhao Lie nodded, his tone firm.

"I will set out for Shiyun City tomorrow and will certainly not let you down."

The conspiracy of the Three Great Families was quietly brewing in the shadows.

Meanwhile, in Shiyun City, Ye Yun's life was peaceful and fulfilling.

Over these past few days, he had been nurturing his relationship with Su Wanqing at the Su Family while steadily increasing his strength through Dual Cultivation.

At the same time, he frequently visited the courtyard in the west of the city to see Liu Ruyan and keep her company.

In the Su Family, the bond between Ye Yun and Su Wanqing grew deeper by the day.

Su Wanqing's innocence and purity gave Ye Yun a different kind of warmth.

The two often Cultivated together and strolled through the courtyards of the Su Manor, chatting about the Martial Dao and life in a warm and sweet atmosphere.

Ye Yun's cultivation was steadily consolidating at the Martial Master Realm Seventh Level Peak, drawing closer and closer to the Martial Master Realm Eighth Level.

With his help, Su Wanqing's cultivation also improved by leaps and bounds, and her paginate an Eighth Stage Martial Artist Foundation became increasingly stable.

At the courtyard in the west of the city, Ye Yun enjoyed Liu Ruyan's gentleness and consideration.

Liu Ruyan's maturity and tolerance filled Ye Yun's heart with guilt and cherish.

He would share the problems he encountered during Cultivation with her and listen to her stories about her experiences over the years.

Liu Ruyan's cultivation was also steadily rising, her Martial Master Realm Third Stage strength gradually becoming solid. Occasionally, she could even spar with Ye Yun, benefiting greatly.

...

On this day, after Ye Yun finished Cultivating with Su Wanqing at the Su Manor, he looked at the young girl's innocent smile. Although his heart felt warm, he was also thinking of Liu Ruyan in the courtyard in the west of the city.

He stood up to take his leave: "Wanqing, I have some business to attend to. I'll be heading out for a bit."

A hint of reluctance flashed in Su Wanqing's eyes, but she still nodded obediently.

"Okay, be careful on the way."

Ye Yun turned and walked out of the Su Manor gates. As soon as he stepped onto the street, he sensed the tension in the air.

More black-clad men than usual were weaving through the streets and alleys, their eyes sharp as hawks as they looked around. It was clear that Zhao Tianheng's search efforts had intensified.

"His patience is running out fast."

Ye Yun sneered inwardly. His pace didn't falter as he used the crowd for cover, moving inconspicuously toward the west of the city.

The courtyard Su Zhennan had found was extremely secluded, and with the Su Family's secret arrangements, he had thought they could stay safe for a few more days.

But just as he reached the entrance of the alley, a familiar figure came into view.

Su Wanqing, dressed in a pale blue dress and holding an exquisite food box, stood prettily at the entrance of the courtyard's alley.

A bright smile was on her face, looking like a young wife waiting for her husband to return.

Upon seeing Ye Yun, her eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped forward to meet him.

"Ye Yun! I knew you would come here!"

Ye Yun's footsteps paused, his calm expression instantly replaced by surprise: "Wanqing? Why are you here?"

"I made the Osmanthus Cakes and jujube paste pastries you like. I thought you might be coming to visit your relative, so I followed you."

Su Wanqing handed the food box to him, her smile becoming even sweeter.

"Since they are your relative, they are also my relative. I should come and pay my respects as well."

Her tone was innocent and sincere, her eyes full of curiosity and friendliness toward this "relative."

But Ye Yun's heart instantly sank, as if struck by a giant boulder, feeling so numb he couldn't muster any strength.

This is bad.

A few days ago, he had confessed his relationship with Su Wanqing to Liu Ruyan, and her tolerance had made him feel incredibly guilty.

But he had yet to find an opportunity to explain Liu Ruyan's existence to Su Wanqing.

He always thought about finding the right moment, but he hadn't expected Su Wanqing to suddenly follow him on her own initiative, and with such pure intentions.

Ye Yun fell silent, his brows furrowed tightly. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

The smile on Su Wanqing's face gradually froze as she saw Ye Yun's hesitant look.

The bit of joy in her heart was extinguished like it had been doused with cold water, replaced by a deep sense of loss and grievance.

She lowered her head, her fingers gently twisting the ribbon of the food box as her voice grew quiet.

"How's that? Is... is it that I shouldn't have come? You don't want me to meet your relative?"

The girl's voice carried a hint of an imperceptible sob, and her lonely appearance made Ye Yun's heart ache.

He didn't intend to hide it, but this matter was too tricky. However, seeing the tears welling up in Su Wanqing's clear eyes, he really couldn't bring himself to refuse.

"No."

Ye Yun took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, reached out to rub her hair, and softened his tone.

"It's just that her personality is a bit introverted and she's shy around strangers. Since you're here, let's go in together."

Su Wanqing's mood instantly cleared up. The disappointment in her eyes vanished, replaced once again by a bright smile as she nodded vigorously.

"Good!"

Ye Yun took her hand and pushed open the gate to the courtyard.

The courtyard was quiet. There was no sign of Liu Ruyan tending to the plants as usual, nor was there any curling smoke from the kitchen.

Only the rustling of the wind through the leaves remained, carrying an unusual sense of desolation.

"Ruyan?"

Ye Yun called out tentatively, but there was no response.

The unease in his heart instantly magnified, and he walked quickly toward the room.

Su Wanqing also sensed that something was wrong and followed closely behind him, the smile on her face gradually disappearing.

Push open the door, the room was empty.

The tables and chairs were neatly arranged, the bedding was folded squarely, and the handkerchief Liu Ruyan had been embroidering yesterday was still lying on the table.

But the person who should have been here was nowhere to be found.