Invitations from All Sides

The lingering marks left Ye Qingyun utterly mortified. He instinctively reached out to rub them, yet knew they wouldn’t fade anytime soon; they had already turned a furious red.

‘Damn that Li Qing, that wretched woman!’ Ye Qingyun fumed internally, his fingers still scrubbing at the reddened skin. ‘Just you wait, I’ll definitely get my revenge for this.’ That Li Qing had dared to make a move on him, and Ye Qingyun vowed he would not let her off lightly.

Such was the demonic path; even among those of the same gender, one had to guard their honor with utmost vigilance.

Had Yuemei not arrived in the nick of time, Ye Qingyun shuddered to think what horrors he might have endured. The mere contemplation sent a shiver down his spine. His expression grew increasingly grim, an icy aura emanating from him that even Mo Qinyin couldn’t help but notice.

“Sister, did that Li Qing do something to you?” Mo Qinyin burst out, her voice laced with fury. “Bastard! Not a single person in the demonic path is any good. They don’t even spare their own gender. What else can they do but prey on the weak?”

Mo Qinyin, believing Li Qing had taken advantage of Ye Qingyun, was utterly incensed.

Witnessing Mo Qinyin’s agitated expression, Ye Qingyun froze for a moment before hastily clarifying the situation.

“Hey! Qinyin, you’ve got it all wrong,” Ye Qingyun quickly interjected. “She didn’t do anything to me. I’m just incredibly annoyed, that’s all. Don’t overthink it; I’m truly fine.”

However, Mo Qinyin remained unconvinced, firmly believing Ye Qingyun was merely trying to conceal the truth.

“Sister, there’s no need to say more,” Mo Qinyin stated, her face set in a fierce determination. “I will absolutely get revenge for this injustice on your behalf.”

As Ye Qingyun watched the indignant Mo Qinyin, a sudden warmth blossomed within his chest. He realized that everything Mo Qinyin expressed was truly heartfelt, not a mere performance. After spending such a considerable time together, a profound bond had undoubtedly formed between them.

Ye Qingyun offered a gentle smile, then reached out and clasped Mo Qinyin’s hand, guiding her to sit on the edge of the bed. Patiently, he began to explain.

“Qinyin, I’m truly alright,” Ye Qingyun reassured her. “Protector Yuemei saved me at the very last moment. I was merely contemplating what might have happened had she succeeded—the consequences are too terrifying to even imagine.”

Upon hearing this, Mo Qinyin paused, her gaze scrutinizing Ye Qingyun’s face. Only after confirming that Ye Qingyun wasn’t lying did she finally let out a breath of relief.

“Phew…” Mo Qinyin exhaled, a smile finally gracing her lips. “It’s good that you’re alright, Sister. I truly thought she had bullied you.”

Ye Qingyun shook his head, considering the matter temporarily settled—though only for the time being. Soon after, both Ye Qingyun and Mo Qinyin made their way to the training grounds for the day’s martial arts competition.

Since Li Qing had been injured by Yuemei, she was naturally unable to attend, necessitating a change in referees. Over the next few days of combat, Ye Qingyun’s entire fighting style underwent a dramatic shift. He abandoned his previous strategy of passive defense, instead opting for an aggressive, proactive offense.

His mood was exceptionally foul. Unable to seek direct revenge against Li Qing, he channeled his frustrations entirely into the competitions.

Consequently, in every single match, he mercilessly tormented his opponents, leaving them half-dead. In a short time, his fearsome reputation spread like wildfire, and everyone came to dread his presence.

Meanwhile, Yuemei appeared as if nothing untoward had occurred. She sat beside Ziling, her gaze fixed intently on Ye Qingyun. She seemed utterly devoid of interest in her surroundings, her eyes solely tracking Ye Qingyun’s every movement.

‘What is happening to me?’ Yuemei wondered, her gaze still fixed on Ye Qingyun’s back. ‘Could I actually be developing an interest in a woman?’

She found herself unable to forget the events of last night, a truly peculiar sensation. Logically speaking, even if two women were involved, it shouldn’t provoke such profound thoughts. Yet, Yuemei was plagued by a feeling akin to ‘tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard.’

Ye Qingyun was like a tantalizing piece of meat, right at her lips. Though clearly not her usual preference, the scent was incredibly fragrant, making her yearn to taste it. Yuemei found herself involuntarily licking her lips as she watched Ye Qingyun, her expression an undeniable mask of desire.

Ziling, seated nearby, noticed Yuemei’s obvious distraction and, out of curiosity, ventured a question.

“Yuemei, what’s wrong?” Ziling inquired, her voice tinged with curiosity. “Is something bothering you?”

Ziling’s sudden voice startled Yuemei, causing her to leap up abruptly.

“Ah, no, no,” Yuemei stammered awkwardly. “I was just pondering a few things. Sister Ziling, please continue watching. I’ll be heading back first.”

With that, she vanished from her spot in an instant.

Ziling wore a peculiar expression, yet she didn’t dwell on it for long.

The sect’s competition swiftly drew to a close. Ye Qingyun, without a shadow of a doubt, claimed the top spot among the junior disciples.

[Event Concluded: Player Ye Qingyun has obtained first place in the Five Poisons Sect’s entry-level arena! Rewards: 100 Beginner Cultivation Conversion Pills, 100 Cultivation Pills, 1000 Sect Reputation, 1000 Sect Contribution, and a set of Iron-grade equipment from the Five Poisons Sect.]

These rewards were promptly issued to Ye Qingyun once the system had announced the conclusion of the event.

Ye Qingyun immediately inspected his rewards. The other items held little interest for him; only this set of equipment truly captured his attention.

[Serpentine Charm Set (Iron-grade) (Level 12) (External Defense +240, Internal Defense +80, Physique +30, Arm Strength +30, Agility +30, Internal Energy +30, Aura +30)]

A smile instantly bloomed on Ye Qingyun’s face after he finished reading. This set of equipment would undoubtedly elevate his strength by several levels. However, it was inconvenient to change into it at that very moment, so he resolved to wait until he returned to his dwelling.

Ye Qingyun was, without question, the rightful top-ranked entry-level disciple. Yet, his troubles were far from over. As all the new entry-level disciples gradually acclimated to their new identities, the inherent chaos of the demonic path began to manifest.

Those who cultivated demonic arts, particularly individuals with unstable temperaments, would inevitably grow increasingly eccentric. Amongst the entry-level disciples, factions began to emerge, established by the more powerful among them. Ye Qingyun held no interest in such matters, but many others certainly did.

Consequently, various individuals began to approach Ye Qingyun, attempting to recruit him into their ranks.

What’s more, these recruiters were all familiar faces. Where there were people, there was inevitably contention; it was impossible for things to remain amicable indefinitely.

Even the female disciples themselves began to eagerly align with different factions.

Presently, six major factions had formed among the entry-level disciples.

Guo Cai of the Centipede Spirit Pavilion had established the Soul Refining Pavilion.

Liu Fufeng of the Serpent Spirit Pavilion had founded the Sinister Love Tower.

Li Youyou of the Toad Spirit Pavilion had created the Hall of Netherworld.

Su Fang of the Scorpion Spirit Pavilion had formed the Hundred Poisons Hall.

Ren Yao of the Spider Spirit Pavilion had erected the Heavenly Net Palace.

These five individuals had all ranked within the top ten of the outer sect competition. Ye Qingyun, though he had secured first place, had not formed any such factions himself.

At this moment, Liu Fufeng of the Serpent Spirit Pavilion was at Ye Qingyun’s residence, attempting to persuade him to join her Sinister Love Tower and become its Tower Master.

Liu Fufeng’s own power alone was insufficient to deter the other five factions.

Liu Fufeng was a mature woman, formerly a young wife from Phoenix Cry Town. After being captured and brought to the Five Poisons Sect, she had surprisingly displayed considerable cultivation talent, earning her tenth place in the third group’s competition.

“Senior Sister Ye, please agree,” Liu Fufeng pleaded, standing before Ye Qingyun. “If we sisters wish to establish ourselves within the Five Poisons Sect, we need to unite. Otherwise, we will constantly be bullied by the older disciples. I formed the Sinister Love Tower precisely to unite us against them.”

Ye Qingyun remained expressionless, his gaze fixed steadily on Liu Fufeng.

“Heh, Junior Sister Liu,” Ye Qingyun calmly replied. “Isn’t it enough to have you? Why do you need me to join? You should know that the leaders of the other factions have all approached me as well. Their conditions were identical to yours: if I joined, they would cede the leadership position. I refused them all.”

He was a solitary person who disliked such complicated matters.

“But, I am different,” Liu Fufeng tried to persuade him. “We share the same master and the same lineage. Our Serpent Spirit Pavilion needs an organization.”

Mo Qinyin observed from the side, remaining silent. She understood that such an endeavor carried both advantages and disadvantages.

“While that may be true, Junior Sister Liu, have you considered this?” Ye Qingyun pointed out a fatal flaw. “‘A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.’ Aren’t you afraid of provoking the older disciples by so boldly establishing a faction? Perhaps the former disciples of the Phoenix Immortal Sect might be lenient, but those from the original Five Poisons Sect are not so easily dealt with. Any one of them could easily suppress all of you.”

These were truly insightful words, and Liu Fufeng and the others had genuinely not considered this aspect.

“This… this is something we truly hadn’t thought about,” Liu Fufeng admitted, her voice filled with indignation. “At the time, our only thought was to form a force for self-defense. We’ve heard that many junior sisters and brothers have already been captured by the older disciples, their primordial yin stolen. It feels like they’re treating us as livestock, doing whatever they please, and the higher-ups don’t even care.”

Their actions were indeed largely driven by these very circumstances.