After a long time, moonlight spilled through the cracks of the window, casting a silver-white mood light into the quiet bedroom.
Dressed in a long robe, Ye Anping rested his hands on the table in the room, looking at the map of the Eastern Region, and listened carefully to Yun Yiyi's report about the current layout of the Southern Region Immortal Family and the news she had received from the northwest these days.
There were about one hundred twenty-two demonic sects in the south of the Eastern Region, but most of them were small unknown sects. The only ones worth noting were the seven demonic sects headed by the Hedonistic Sect.
The Moon Shadow Sword Sect attacked Heavenly Sorrow City this time with great momentum. Yun Tianchong brought almost all the cultivators above the Core Formation stage.
Those sects must have sent people to help Heavenly Sorrow City immediately, leaving the demonic sects' rear exposed.
The Southern Region immortal sects, headed by Bright Star Sect and Awareness Sect, had probably already deployed their troops to the rear of the seven demonic sects.
Dividing the troops against each other, the odds were fifty-fifty.
But...
"Yiyi, let Elder Hu take three hundred Core Formation-stage disciples to help the southern sect Magnificent Flower that attacked the Charming Sect. As for the Hedonistic Sect, leave it to the Bright Star Sect to deal with them. The Seven Demon Sect is a little more troublesome. When Patriarch Yun's injury gets better, let him take his disciples to help."
...
Ye Anping pointed to the marks on the map and explained the arrangements to Yun Yiyi.
Yun Yiyi listened very seriously.
But to be honest, even if Ye Anping hadn't said it, she would have arranged these things.
The demonic cultivators couldn't have expected that the Moon Shadow Sword Sect only needed one day to capture Heavenly Sorrow City, not to mention that the southern immortal sects had already dealt with the demonic cultivators and spies of various sects according to the list of spies sent by Ye Anping.
Now for the demonic cultivators, the whereabouts of the immortals were completely unknown.
From the information Ye Anping had given her before, the immortals knew all about the movements of the demonic cultivators, and the demonic cultivators didn't know that their underwear had been exposed.
With such a large information gap, it was only a matter of time to take over the area south of the Blood River in the Eastern Region.
Seeing Ye Anping treating her like an idiot and talking about these common-sense strategies in detail, Yun Yiyi puffed her cheeks and finally couldn't help interrupting. "Anping."
Ye Anping paused and raised his head, a little confused. "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with what I said?"
"No, there's nothing wrong." Yun Yiyi came to his side with a frown and looked at him sideways. "Anping, do you think I'm Jiujiu?"
"Uh..."
"I'm a girl who has read thousands of books. Even if you don't tell me these things, I will sort them out later. What you need to do now is to take good care of your injuries. I've never seen you like this."
Ye Anping was a little confused. "Like this?"
Yun Yiyi raised her index finger and drew a circle in the air. "After conquering a city, as a general, you should enjoy yourself. It was written in the book that a thousand years ago, after the Southern Region's White Cloud Sect Patriarch destroyed the Eastern Region's Insect Eaters Sect in three months of bitter battle, he immediately held a celebration banquet and spent seven days and seven nights with thirteen beautiful women."
"..."
Ye Anping was silent, feeling that she was hinting at something. With an awkward smile on his face, he retorted. "I am not that kind of person."
"I mean, you should have a good rest." Yun Yiyi pursed her lips and sighed. "You have been in the Eastern Region to gather news about the spies, and you also sent me a map. You must have worked hard. Aren't you tired..."
Saying this, Yun Yiyi pinched the wound on his shoulder hard, causing Ye Anping to hiss in pain.
"Hiss—"
"Look~ You're injured, and you're still worrying about this and that. You should stop thinking about anything these days and have a good rest. I'll take care of the Sword Sect's affairs, so don't worry about it."
"Okay, okay... Is there any news from the Black Star Sect?"
Yun Yiyi puffed up her cheeks and complained with a frown. "You're still asking!"
"...I've been away for so long, I'm worried about Yunluo and my sister."
"They're fine. Miss Li sent a letter a few days ago saying that since Brilliance City was destroyed, the Western Region immortal sects and the Demon Clan have destroyed the twenty-seven demonic sects in the west of the Eastern Region. The Magical Poison Sect was also forced to abandon the mountain and flee to the Heavenly Demon Sect..."
"Ah, so..."
Ye Anping held his chin in thought, but Yun Yiyi immediately took him by the shoulders and half-pushed him toward the bed in the room.
"Well..." Yun Yiyi pursed her lips. "I don't mind. If you like her, when we get married, I will let Jiujiu be my dowry maid."
"..."
"Our marriage is an arrangement between the Hundred Lotus Sect and Moon Shadow Sword Sect. When two immortal cultivator families were to marry, the bride would usually bring her younger sister with her as a dowry. This way, if I have any mishaps or cannot give birth to a child, there will be a backup."
Ye Anping was silent for a long time after hearing this, and then raised his hand and knocked on her forehead. "Marriage is like that. The goal is to make two sects work together, and thus they will bring the marriage forward. Yiyi, do you think I agreed to marry you just to make the Hundred Lotus and the Sword Sect friends? What are you thinking?"
"I was just saying..."
"Is this a test?" Ye Anping shook his head slightly. "I have nothing to do with Jiujiu. I acknowledge her as my sister-in-law and she calls me brother-in-law. That's the relationship. And to be honest, I don't get along with her personality. She probably thinks I'm a 'fuckin' sissy'."
"That's true..." Yun Yiyi sighed earnestly. "Jiujiu's temper is not very good. Her mother used to be a dancer, hanging around in places like Brilliance City. My father didn't care about her when she was a child, so she developed such a personality."
"Well..."
"As her elder sister, I have to help her find a cultivation partner, but..."
"But?"
Yun Yiyi recalled the past with a trace of distress on her face. "Jiujiu used to have a fiancé, who was the Young Master of the Southern Region's Hundred Birds Sword Sect. At that time, our Sword Sect was confronted with an epidemic and urgently needed pills to save the people. They went to the Hundred Birds Sword Sect to get them, and the condition given by the Hundred Bird Sword Sect was that either Jiujiu or I would marry into their family. The Elders discussed for a long time and finally agreed."
There was a rumor like that in the game, but it didn't talk about the process, only the result-- anyway, it didn't work out.
Ye Anping nodded. "What happened next?"
"After Jiujiu found out, she waited for Master Zhou from the Hundred Birds Sword Sect to come over, kicked his 'bird' into his stomach, and severely injured him... After Master Zhou went back, he cried and begged his parents not to let Yun Jiujiu marry him. This matter lasted for a long time, but it was finally left unresolved. I later heard from Elder Tianxing that he agreed to the marriage because he expected Yun Jiujiu to do this."
"It's her style." Ye Anping shrugged slightly. "That's not right. I don't want to be beaten by her."
"You can't beat her? I don't believe it."
Ye Anping replied, "I really can't."
"..."
Yun Yiyi looked at him suspiciously, then shook her head. "I'm afraid that, with her personality, she will probably never be able to find a cultivation partner in the future. The same goes for Yun Xi. She has no problem with her personality, but her luck... Sigh-- I guess if she marries someone, she will have to eat twice on the wedding day..."
Ye Anping saw that Yun Yiyi seemed to be really worried about her two younger sisters. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say.
There wasn't much he could do in this matter.
"Don't think about it, rest well. Tomorrow morning, after the disciples of the Sword Sect finish cleaning up the demonic cultivators in Heavenly Sorrow City, you have a lot of things to do. Have a good sleep."
"Well... I'm rested, let's continue."
"?"
"Hehe~ It's rare that Sister Pei and Young Miss Xiao aren't here. You belong to me alone. I don't want to have any regrets."
Yun Yiyi smiled and flipped over, resting on Ye Anping's belly again.
Ye Anping hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. Fearing that she would be tired, he decided to do it himself. But just as he raised his hands, Yun Yiyi frowned and pressed his hands on the bed. "I told you! You are injured, so be careful of your injuries. I will do it myself!"
"...Yes, Miss Yun."
"Hmph~"
... ...
The creaking sound returned in the night as the waning moon rose again to the chirping of birds.
But this time, it lasted until dawn.
After the bell rang, the sect flag with the totem of the Sword Sect painted on it rose slowly above the Heavenly Sorrow Pavilion of the City Lord's Mansion, fluttering in the breeze at dawn.
Yun Yiyi heard the bell and stood up from him, then turned over to sit on the edge of the bed, wiping her body. "Anping, I'm going to see the disciples of the Sword Sect. You take good care of your injuries, okay?"
"Do you want me to accompany you?"
"No, I will arrange the things that need to be done next. I'll come take care of you later."
"Alright..."