Chapter 251: Seeing Yan Ying Again After 3 Years

Chapter 251: Chapter 251: Seeing Yan Ying Again After 3 Years

"So it is Lady Leng. It’s been twenty years, but your grace is as radiant as ever!"

Upon drawing near, Master Yunchen cupped his fists and bowed to Leng Yingxue.

Leng Yingxue snorted coldly and said, "The gates of the Celestial Dao Palace are certainly hard to approach. It seems the title of Palace Master of Piaoxue Palace is worth no more than a stray cat or dog in the eyes of your Mountain Guard Disciples."

Hearing Leng Yingxue’s words, the two Mountain Guard Disciples’ legs went weak, and they immediately fell to their knees.

"Palace Master, I—we... We didn’t know who she was!"

Seeing this, Master Yunchen’s expression changed, and he roared, "Who was in charge here? Get out here, all of you!"

Over ten Mountain Guard Disciples scrambled out of the stone house, stumbling over themselves in terror.

"Go to the Precepts Hall and receive your punishment yourselves. I will personally see to the matter afterward. Scram!"

"As you command!"

The dozen or so Mountain Guard Disciples immediately scrambled up the mountain.

"Lady Leng, my subordinates were ignorant of the proper etiquette. I ask for your forgiveness."

Master Yunchen adopted such a humble posture for two reasons. First, he had been defeated by a single strike from Leng Yingxue’s sword twenty years ago and knew her personality. For a Grandmaster like her to bother with common Mountain Guard Disciples meant they must have truly crossed a line.

Second, the moment he saw Leng Yingxue, he found he could no longer see through her cultivation, which meant she had already taken that final step and achieved the Saint Realm.

Although the Celestial Dao Palace had its own Saint, it was always best not to offend one if it could be helped. Besides, the Saint before him was a cold and proud woman.

In response to Master Yunchen’s apology, Leng Yingxue simply gave a slight nod.

"And who might this be?" Master Yunchen asked, his gaze shifting to Chu Fan, who stood beside Leng Yingxue.

"This junior is Chu Fan. Greetings, Elder Yun. I had the pleasure of meeting your esteemed disciple a few times in the Eastern Domain. Since I was passing through the Central Domain, I thought I’d stop by to see him. I was wondering..."

"Oh? So you’re Chu Fan? In that case, please, follow me into the mountain."

Master Yunchen sized up Chu Fan, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

After passing through the memorial archway, the three of them took to the air, flying straight toward Taihua Peak.

Just as they reached Taihua Peak, they happened to run into Yan Ying, who was still fuming.

Yan Ying watched the three of them fly over. The moment she saw Chu Fan among them, she froze.

"You... You... What are you doing here?"

As she stammered, the three of them landed in front of her.

"This Young Friend Chu says he came to find you. Please entertain him. As for myself..." Master Yunchen said to Yan Ying, preparing to lead Leng Yingxue to his own palace courtyard.

But Leng Yingxue cut him off. "I am here accompanying Chu Fan. Since we’re already inside the Celestial Dao Palace, you may go about your business, Palace Master Yun."

Yan Ying stared in surprise at the otherworldly woman in white, trying to guess her identity.

’Could she be Yun Xi? No, I clearly saw Yun Xi three and a half years ago. Why is Master being so courteous to her?’ Yan Ying wondered.

"In that case, I will take my leave. My disciple, Yan Ying, this is Lady Leng of Piaoxue Palace. You must observe all proper etiquette. Do not be negligent."

"Yes, Master!"

Master Yunchen nodded to Leng Yingxue and Chu Fan and was about to turn and leave, but Yan Ying stopped him. "Master, Ye Xiaohan has been framed! The Third Elder just took him away. Please, look into this matter."

Upon hearing this, Chu Fan looked at Yan Ying with confusion.

Master Yunchen nodded again and then departed.

"So you are the Lady Leng who ranks first on the Hundred Flowers List. You are truly as graceful and peerlessly beautiful as the rumors say," Yan Ying said to Leng Yingxue.

In truth, her words also carried a probing intent.

How could Leng Yingxue not detect the probing nature of her words? She said softly, "You’re not so bad yourself. If the world knew you were a woman, I imagine you could also find a place on the Hundred Flowers List."

"Elder!" Yan Ying’s cheeks immediately flushed red with embarrassment.

"Come, let’s go to my residence for some tea." Yan Ying led them toward her courtyard.

Once inside the courtyard, Chu Fan clicked his tongue in amazement at its luxury.

Xiaoya, ever sensible, went to one side to boil water and prepare tea.

At this moment, Yan Ying was filled with questions, as was Chu Fan.

Leng Yingxue, however, stood beside a crabapple tree, utterly silent and exuding an extreme coldness.

"The Celestial Dao Palace’s Saint Heir has it out for you?"

"How did you know?" Yan Ying asked, surprised.

Chu Fan recounted what had happened at the mountain gate. After hearing his story, Yan Ying’s expression turned frosty.

"They’re just a bunch of clowns. The Imperial Grandson is gravely ill and staying at the Celestial Dao Palace temporarily. That Saint Heir thinks he’s latched onto some powerful backer, so he’s been growing more arrogant lately. Naturally, his lackeys have also started acting like they’re above everyone," Yan Ying said.

Chu Fan shook his head. Wherever there are people, there is the Jianghu, and within the Jianghu, the hearts of men are endlessly complex.

And in a top-tier Sect like the Celestial Dao Palace, the waters ran even deeper.

"What about you? You promised we’d take turns with the Scroll each year. I went to the Eastern Domain twice and couldn’t find you. What have you been doing?"

Chu Fan explained, "I went into a Secret Realm. I didn’t expect to be in there for two and a half years."

As he spoke, he took out the Scroll and placed it on the tea table.

But Yan Ying didn’t even glance at the Scroll. "Hmph. At least you have the sense to come find me at the Celestial Dao Palace. If you hadn’t, if you hadn’t..."

As she spoke, Yan Ying suddenly started coughing, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Chu Fan’s brow furrowed, and he asked urgently, "You... What’s wrong?"

"Y-Young Master, this servant deserves death! I forgot to remind you to take your medicine." Xiaoya, who had been brewing tea nearby, heard Yan Ying cough, immediately set down the teapot, and ran into the room to bring out a bowl of medicine.

Yan Ying took the bowl and downed the medicine in one gulp.

She set down the bowl and forced a smile. "If you had come a few months later, you might not have seen me again."

"What exactly is going on? Isn’t the Hundred Flowers Wanderer right here at the Celestial Dao Palace? Hasn’t he treated you?"

Yan Ying waved her hand. "The Hundred Flowers Wanderer has already examined me, but this illness is something I was born with—a congenital deficiency. If I hadn’t become Master’s disciple at a young age, I’m afraid I would have left this world long ago. To have lived this long... I’m already content."

Hearing her words, Chu Fan’s heart felt as if it had been seized. He knew nothing of medicine, so he didn’t understand what "congenital deficiency" meant. He only knew that an illness even the Hundred Flowers Wanderer couldn’t cure was likely hopeless.

As he pondered, he thought of Shi Lun and those three other old masters.

He turned to Leng Yingxue and asked, "Her condition... can Elder Shi and the others cure it?"

"Have you forgotten the promise you made them?" Leng Yingxue said coldly.

"But this is a matter of life and death!" Chu Fan said anxiously.

"If you bring an outsider to find them, you will never succeed. That Array is not just for defense; it can also conceal," Leng Yingxue said.

After hearing this, Chu Fan didn’t give up, but he stopped talking about Shi Lun and the others. He turned to ask Yan Ying, "How much time did Divine Doctor Lao say you have left?"

"Six months." Looking at Yan Ying’s expression, Chu Fan couldn’t see even a hint of despair.

But his own heart ached with a piercing sorrow.

They had met when they were nobodies—no, rather, it was Chu Fan who had been a nobody back then. He couldn’t even control his own fate, let alone Yun Xi’s, and had to force himself to constantly improve.

Over the past few years, Chu Fan had made many acquaintances, but the only person he could truly open his heart to, besides Yun Xi, was the woman before him.

He certainly couldn’t just stand by and watch a woman in the prime of her life wither away and die.

The Great Returning Pill. It was the only solution Chu Fan could think of.

’Six months should be enough, right?’