Chapter 6: A Jealous Plot and an Unexpected Intervention

After Ye Cha finished speaking, he fixed his gaze intently on Li Ge, leaving no room for him to evade.

This was a stark contrast to his usual quiet, almost timid demeanor when he was being bullied.

Witnessing this, Li Ge couldn’t help but grit his teeth, a silent curse forming in his mind. ‘This scoundrel Ye Cha truly knows how to pick his battles,’ he thought. ‘Now that Zhou Xiaoyue is an inner disciple, he’s instantly grown arrogant, emboldened by her backing!’

‘Don’t get too cocky.’

‘There will be other days.’

‘He might have the upper hand now, but his luck won’t last forever.’ ‘The demonic enchantress has been imprisoned in the Lingtian Sect for half a year, and the sect hasn’t moved to execute her. They must be trying to extract vital information about the demonic path from her.’

‘That means there’s plenty of time, indeed!’

‘Enough time to ensure Ye Cha falls right into a trap…’

‘By then, even Zhou Xiaoyue, for all her status as an inner disciple, won’t be able to save Ye Cha, who will be implicated in colluding with a demonic enchantress!’

A cold sneer twisted in Li Ge’s heart, though his expression remained perfectly neutral.

“Ye Cha, I merely spoke in haste,” Li Ge began, his voice laced with feigned regret. “We’ve known each other for such a long time; surely you can forgive me this one transgression?”

As he spoke, Li Ge subtly flicked his gaze towards Zhou Xiaoyue, a deliberate gesture meant to signal Ye Cha to back down while he still could.

Should Zhou Xiaoyue witness Ye Cha’s ‘unreasonable’ antics, Li Ge reasoned, she might well grow to despise him.

Zhou Xiaoyue, with her fresh status as an inner disciple and her youthful allure, was akin to a prime cut of meat, drawing in a ravenous pack of wolves. Each one yearned to gobble her up whole, lest another claim her prize.

Under such circumstances, even if Ye Cha felt no genuine affection for Zhou Xiaoyue, he surely wouldn’t be so foolish as to relinquish such a valuable asset!

Yet, even as these thoughts churned in Li Ge’s mind, Ye Cha remained utterly unperturbed.

“You openly slandered me,” Ye Cha declared, his voice unwavering. “How can such a transgression be simply brushed aside? This matter demands a resolution today!”

Ye Cha’s words, delivered with unwavering conviction, resonated with an undeniable finality.

He made it explicitly clear that this affair would not be easily concluded.

He intended to pursue it to its bitter end.

Upon hearing this, Li Ge’s features instinctively crumpled on his round, ‘pancake-like’ face. It was the first time he had ever witnessed Ye Cha refuse to take the easy way out, acting so defiantly—a stark contrast to his usual dull and honest demeanor.

Indeed, this aggressive posture had utterly shredded his previous facade of gentleness.

Gone was his usual benign harmlessness; he now stood like a sword unsheathed.

His formidable edge was laid bare for all to see.

Li Ge had never seen Ye Cha like this before, prompting him to silently curse the man for his sheer ignorance.

‘Very well then,’ Li Ge thought, ‘let’s see how this young Foundation Establishment female cultivator, Zhou Xiaoyue, reacts when she sees the true colors of the man she fancies!’

“Indeed, this matter absolutely must have a resolution,” Zhou Xiaoyue interjected suddenly. “Junior Brother Ye Cha, I was previously concerned you were too kind, that you might simply let Li Ge off. But seeing you bravely fight for your own rights now, I am finally at ease!”

However, before Li Ge could even turn his head to gauge Zhou Xiaoyue’s reaction, she had already spoken.

As she spoke, Zhou Xiaoyue’s gaze was fixed on Ye Cha. She took in his tall, slender, and upright figure, his face as flawless as polished jade, and his eyes shining like distant stars. He seemed a man plucked from the pages of an ancient tale, existing only in ethereal legends.

And those powerful, resonant words he had just uttered—they radiated an undeniable masculinity!

Far from the disdain Li Ge had anticipated, Zhou Xiaoyue’s infatuation with Ye Cha only deepened.

Ye Cha was unlike any other man she had encountered.

Beyond his striking appearance, it was his self-reliant and determined nature that truly captivated her. Though it initially presented many challenges for Zhou Xiaoyue, with prolonged interaction, she came to realize just how exceptional he truly was.

In the cultivation world, where yin overshadowed yang, male cultivators were exceedingly rare. Consequently, any male cultivator possessing spiritual roots was practically revered upon entering a sect.

With time, these men grew increasingly arrogant, treating the sect’s female cultivators as nothing more than their personal slaves!

Spirit stones, magical artifacts, combat beasts, and elixirs.

They never had to seek these resources themselves; instead, female cultivators, eager for their affection, would dutifully present them. The male cultivators would then simply sit back and appropriate these offerings as their own.

They acted as if this was their undeniable right, never once considering anything amiss.

Initially, Zhou Xiaoyue found those female cultivators who eagerly showered men with gifts utterly pathetic. They would willingly bare their hearts and souls, surrendering everything they possessed, all for a single man.

Some even abandoned their aspirations to pursue the Heavenly Dao, choosing instead to drown themselves in the fleeting currents of romantic love.

In the end, after a mere century, they would all return to a handful of yellow earth, scattered to the winds of the mortal realm.

‘What was the point?’

With countless such examples before her, Zhou Xiaoyue had sworn never to let her emotions be swayed by a man. She dedicated herself wholeheartedly to pursuing the Great Dao, vowing to become the youngest Nascent Soul cultivator in history!

Yet, such were her intentions.

But upon meeting Ye Cha, her heart had rebelled against her will. Now, his image filled her eyes and consumed her very soul.

It was then, and only then, that Zhou Xiaoyue truly grasped the agonizing, heart-wrenching torment that the word ‘love’ truly entailed.

The frustration was particularly unbearable when her desires remained unfulfilled.

Ye Cha was truly different from other men; his stubborn self-reliance, in particular, captivated Zhou Xiaoyue’s attention.

Otherwise, the usually rational Zhou Xiaoyue would never have lost herself simply because of Ye Cha’s handsome and dashing appearance.

Even her desire to shower Ye Cha with various cultivation resources stemmed from a deep, heartfelt willingness!

And now, witnessing Ye Cha’s unyielding stance against a scoundrel, she found him so incredibly handsome that it made her head spin!

‘What should I do?’

‘I like Ye Cha even more now!’

She yearned to immediately become his cultivation partner, to rightfully care for him, and to ensure no one would ever bully him again.

“Very well,” Li Ge conceded, forcing a sigh. “Since you’ve both spoken, it seems I have no choice but to accompany you.”

As Li Ge witnessed Zhou Xiaoyue’s utterly captivated gaze fixed on Ye Cha, he realized with a sinking heart that his carefully planned scenario was now entirely impossible.

Zhou Xiaoyue, that fawning sycophant, had truly reached the pinnacle of her devotion.

It seemed that even if Ye Cha were to commit murder right before her eyes, Zhou Xiaoyue likely wouldn’t find anything amiss!

‘Still, this scoundrel Ye Cha is truly skilled,’ he mused. ‘To cultivate such a loyal hound is quite the feat.’

‘He truly has hidden depths!’

‘And now, he’s practically riding high over me. Ye Cha must be utterly delighted with himself.’

Li Ge maintained a composed expression as he spoke, yet within his heart, the flames of jealousy raged, consuming his rationality. A desperate, insane idea began to rapidly take shape in his mind.

‘Ah, the more I look at Ye Cha, the more intolerable he becomes.’

‘Such an eyesore of a man should just die sooner!’

“It’s getting late now,” Zhou Xiaoyue urged, her voice brisk. “Let’s head to the Elder Council immediately!”

Seeing that Li Ge had ceased his struggles, Zhou Xiaoyue, fearing he might renege, promptly guided Ye Cha towards the Elder Council. She was determined to resolve this matter as swiftly as possible.

‘And then…’

‘This time, her confession absolutely had to succeed!’

As Zhou Xiaoyue mentally wrestled with how to craft the perfect, most heartfelt confession, she remained utterly oblivious to Li Ge trailing behind them. Seizing the moment when both Zhou Xiaoyue and Ye Cha were off guard, he swiftly retrieved a small, black pair of shears from his storage pouch. His eyes gleaming with deranged madness, he plunged the weapon fiercely towards Ye Cha’s back.

‘As long as these Mad Demon Shears pierce Ye Cha, that scoundrel will surely die!’

“How audacious!”

However, just as the small black shears were about to strike Ye Cha, a sudden, powerful gust of wind erupted, causing Li Ge to stumble backward several steps, his footing completely lost.

Infuriated that someone had thwarted his heinous act, Li Ge glared up, his eyes burning with resentment, at the source of the disturbance.

Yet, the moment his eyes landed on the woman standing tall and graceful, breathtakingly beautiful, not far away, the furious expression on Li Ge’s face instantly froze.

“S-Sect Master!”