Dark and Windy Night

"Ye Family? Beidou Sect?" Li Yi stood with his hands behind his back, looking out the window at the faint moonlight, his expression inscrutable. "Old Coot, what's the real strength of these two families?" The ethereal figure of the Snake Venerable emerged from the Yunhuang Ring, saying lightly, "I've heard of the Beidou Sect. Bei Shan, that old ghost, was already a three-crystal Emperor years ago. It wouldn't be exaggerated to say he might have reached the peak of the Emperor level by now. However, advancing to the Venerable level is extremely difficult; it requires not just cultivation but also chance and insight. The Beidou Sect, with nearly a thousand years of heritage, likely has a few Emperor-level fighters. As for the Ye Family, I'm not familiar with them, but being a dominant force in an empire, they must have one or two Kings to support their vast enterprise."

"Kings? Emperors?" Li Yi frowned slightly. "Doesn't that mean these two forces could squash me as easily as an ant?" The Snake Venerable replied, "You're quite slippery; it won't be so easy for them to kill you. Besides, they wouldn't dare to underestimate me."

Li Yi fell silent for a moment before asking in a low voice, "If I go all out, what are my chances of killing Ye Qingma?" The Snake Venerable's face showed an interesting expression, "Thinking of killing him? You're ruthless, but I like it. They're just pressuring you, and you're already thinking of taking his life. But let me tell you, if he's only shown the strength he displayed today, you have a 70-80% chance of killing him on the spot with my help. If he has any hidden strength or high-level fighting techniques, you might find the tables turned on you."

"So, I can't be sure of defeating him?" Li Yi frowned, then finally looked at the Snake Venerable, "Teacher..." The Snake Venerable's ethereal form shuddered, "Alright, alright, just call me Old Coot. This sudden change of address, I really can't get used to. So, what do you plan to do?"

Li Yi smiled faintly, "If I remember correctly, you can infuse your Qi into my body for me to use, right? With my current strength, how far could I go with your help?" The Snake Venerable's eyes twinkled, and after a moment, he vaguely replied, "I've never tried it, so I'm not sure. But if your Qi and mine blend perfectly, taking down that small fry shouldn't be too difficult." Li Yi inwardly rolled his eyes, thinking of himself as an even smaller fry.

"You're seriously thinking of killing him?" Li Yi said firmly, "Is this a joke? But since I'm not strong enough on my own, Old Coot, I'll need your help this time." The Snake Venerable chuckled, "Rely on me then, who else if not your master? Fine, when do you want to do it?" Li Yi coldly replied, "There's no better day than today. Since Ye Qingma sought trouble today, I'll solve this problem tonight, so I can sleep in peace without worrying about him."

"If we're going to act, let's do it," the Snake Venerable wasn't one for idle chatter. He nodded, "But we can't just go there openly. I don't care if I'm seen, but it would be bad for you." Li Yi nodded, "I haven't become that arrogant yet." As they spoke, Li Yi took a black cloak from the Yunhuang Ring and put it on. This simple disguise made him look like an ordinary person on the street, unlikely to draw attention.

"Alright, to be safe, don't use any Qi tonight. Leave everything to me... Just relax, and let me control your body," the Snake Venerable's form returned to the ring, but his voice still carried out. Li Yi took a deep breath and relaxed slightly. Suddenly, he felt a surge of intense Qi emanating from the ring, enveloping his entire body, giving him a strange sensation.

The Snake Venerable warned, "Remember, I am only a spirit. Though my Qi has recovered somewhat due to your nourishment, I don't have a physical body. This Qi is like water without a source; once used, it's gone. So, every time I use Qi, you need to nourish my spirit with Qi. Otherwise, once my Qi is exhausted, my spirit won't last much longer…" Perhaps worried about Li Yi becoming overly reliant on this power, the Snake Venerable reminded him.

Li Yi took a deep breath and said quietly:"Old Coot, is this even something worth mentioning?" Following a chuckle, the Snake Venerable seemed somewhat reassured and once again fell silent. However, Li Yi felt a strong surge in the dense fighting energy within his body. Suddenly, his figure, like lightning, shot out of the room and disappeared into the night sky. Astonishingly, none of the numerous patrolling guards of the Li family noticed any movement... The night was as dark as ink, a perfect time for committing crimes under the cover of darkness - truly a favorable time...

In the side hall of the Long family, the room was brightly lit. Several beautiful maids were gracefully dancing in the hall. The audacious gaze of someone at the head of the room continuously wandered over these maids, making them feel a chill. Under such scrutiny, their thin clothes seemed almost non-existent. However, they dared not say much, continuing to twist their enchanting bodies gently. Being favored by the distinguished guests at the head of the room meant a chance to rise from a mere maid to a concubine - a much better fate...

Long Aotian's indifferent gaze slowly moved over the maids. After a while, he smiled lightly and said, "Brother Ye, if you find these maids to your liking, why not let them serve you tonight? I assure you, these maids are of the highest quality, raised by my Long family for over a decade and still pristine. I give them all to you, Brother Ye. Honestly, it pains me a little to part with them." Ye Qingma's cold gaze retracted. He glanced at Long Aotian with a faint smile and said, "You are too polite, Brother Long. Master sent me here to assist you, and it wouldn't be right to accept your gifts without having achieved anything yet. Moreover, we brothers don't need to stand on such ceremony, right?" Long Aotian inwardly scoffed, thinking that Ye would never help him without a benefit. But his face showed greater respect: "Brother Ye, how can you say that? If I fail to properly welcome you to this desolate place, wouldn't I deserve to die? Please, don't be shy; accept these maids. If you like them, I'll keep them for you, and whenever you wish, just send a word and I'll personally deliver them."

Ye Qingma noncommittally nodded, "As you wish, but keep it discreet. You know what Master hates the most…" "Of course, I'll need Brother Ye's care in the sect in the future. How could I be so foolish?" replied Long Aotian with a laugh. He subtly flipped his right hand, and a crystal card appeared in front of Ye Qingma. Ye Qingma glanced at it and frowned, "What's this for?" Long Aotian smiled faintly, "It's an anonymous crystal card, usable by anyone, containing two hundred thousand gold coins. It's a gesture from my father, to thank you for the trouble you're taking on our behalf. If I didn't show some gratitude, it would seem like my Long family has no manners." Ye Qingma laughed and casually pocketed the card, clearly having a storage ring. "If you're so courteous, Brother, then I won't stand on ceremony," he said. Long Aotian inwardly cursed, wishing that Ye and Li Yi would both perish. But his expression remained pleasant, and after observing that Ye seemed in a better mood, he cautiously said, "However, Brother Ye, there's something I need your advice on…"

Ye Qingma looked at him indifferently, "Go ahead." Long Aotian considered for a moment before saying, "Brother Ye, Li Yi was so arrogant today, completely disregarding you... Why didn't you just kill him on the spot? Today at Tianxiang Tower, I had already arranged for four family elders to ambush. If you had made a move, Li Yi would surely not have returned…" "Are you blaming me?" Ye Qingma asked, half-smiling. Long Aotian quickly said, "I wouldn't dare, please don't misunderstand, Brother Ye!" "I don't," Ye Qingma waved his hand and said indifferently, "I also intended to kill Li Yi on the spot to get rid of the trouble... But unexpectedly, his actions in your Wanchao City have been reported through special channels to a certain power interested in contacting and recruiting him. For some reason, our Ye family ancestor also knows about this, so before I came here, he explicitly ordered me to try to recruit Li Yi. If successful, good; if not…" Ye Qingma made a throat-slitting gesture. Long Aotian's face brightened, "So, Brother Ye, you mean... in three days... you will kill Li Yi on the spot!? But if he agrees to join the Ye family…"

"Join the Ye family?" Ye Qingma's expression shifted slightly before he said indifferently, "Well, if he wanted to be a dog for the Ye family, I might have spared him, but he is ungrateful... So, in three days, whether he agrees or not, his fate is already sealed…"