Chapter 4 : Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Arriving at Yunxia
At that moment, muffled sobbing could be heard from the bed, yet Ye Suifeng could not see his younger brother anywhere in the room.
Following the sound, he hurried to the bedside. When he looked closely, he discovered that one of the household maids had been gagged and tied to the bed.
He quickly removed the cloth stuffed in her mouth.
“What happened? Where is the young master?” Ye Suifeng asked urgently.
“Young Master Suifeng, I… I do not know,” the maid said fearfully. “The moment I came in, I fainted. When I woke up, my clothes had been taken off, and I was tied to the bed with my mouth stuffed.”
After hearing this, Ye Suifeng glanced at the groom’s wedding robe lying on the ground.
He immediately understood.
His younger brother must have knocked the maid unconscious, disguised himself as her, and escaped past the guards.
Ye Suifeng quickly questioned the guards, asking when the maid—actually Ye Liuyun in disguise—had left.
The guards were still confused about what had happened.
“You fools! You were tricked by my brother. The maid who left earlier was my brother in disguise. Hurry and chase him. See whether he has already left Qixia Town,” Ye Suifeng said, realizing the situation had become serious.
“Yes, yes, we will chase him immediately.” The guards were innocent victims as well.
Ye Suifeng immediately reported the matter to his parents.
When the head of the Ye family heard the news, he flew into a rage.
“What? That brat ran away? I cannot believe he actually escaped. He must have gone to the Yunxia Sect. Send people to pursue him immediately. Bring him back no matter what,” the Ye family head said anxiously.
Both families had very few heirs in this generation.
If their lineage had been prosperous, he might not have refused Ye Liuyun’s request to join a cultivation sect.
But in the eyes of ordinary people, nothing in the world was more important than continuing the family line.
Everything else came second.
Ye Suifeng nodded and personally led a group to pursue Ye Liuyun.
Meanwhile, the situation at the Lin family was even more chaotic.
The groom had fled from the wedding.
There was no way such a matter could remain hidden.
After all, the two families had spent a long time discussing and arranging this plan.
“What? He ran away? Damn it!”
Lin Aoxue’s expression turned cold when she heard the news. She was still wearing her bridal gown.
Without hesitation, she changed into another outfit and mounted a horse, riding straight toward the Yunxia Sect with a gloomy expression.
Qixia Town was only about a day’s journey from the Yunxia Sect.
If Ye Liuyun moved quickly enough, she should be able to arrive in time.
On a mountain road, Ye Liuyun was riding her horse at full speed.
Her expression was far from relaxed.
Ever since that accident transformed her into a woman, she had wanted to leave Qixia Town.
However, she had hesitated and never acted, partly because the right opportunity had not yet appeared.
But now that the Yunxia Sect was recruiting disciples, was this not the perfect chance?
Once she joined the Yunxia Sect, no one would be able to force her back.
“Kid, are you not afraid that your little wife will chase after you?” Lin Qingyou asked.
Ye Liuyun’s expression stiffened.
“Well, there is nothing I can do about that. If she catches up, she catches up. As long as I join the Yunxia Sect, they will not be able to do anything to me,” Ye Liuyun said firmly.
She did not dare stop for even a moment.
If she were caught, the consequences would be disastrous.
However, after galloping nonstop, the horse was exhausted by the time evening approached.
“Come on! Come on! Brother Horse, give me some face. Just hold on a little longer. Don't people say horses can travel a thousand li a day? You are really underperforming,” Ye Liuyun complained.
The horse was so tired it did not even want to move anymore.
Ye Liuyun was becoming extremely anxious.
She could not stop traveling even at night.
Just then, an old man leading a donkey appeared on the mountain road ahead.
When Ye Liuyun saw the donkey, her eyes lit up. She immediately dismounted and stopped the old man.
“Grandfather, can we discuss something?” Ye Liuyun said with a bright smile.
The old man froze and looked her up and down.
“What is it, young lady?” he asked.
Being called “young lady” for the first time made Ye Liuyun feel extremely uncomfortable.
But this was not the time to worry about that.
She quickly explained her situation to the old man.
When the old man heard that Ye Liuyun wanted to trade her horse for his donkey, he agreed immediately.
After all, in this world, a horse was far more valuable than a donkey.
Thus Ye Liuyun transferred the saddle onto the donkey.
Although it moved slower, it was still better than stopping entirely.
Of course, its speed could not compare to a horse.
The night passed just like that.
The next morning, around eight or nine o’clock, beneath a mountain range shrouded in mist, a young girl lay weakly over the back of a donkey as she slowly approached a stone staircase leading up the mountain.
Many other young men and women had arrived as well, riding horses.
They were all here to participate in the Yunxia Sect’s entrance examination.
This place was the Yunxia Sect’s training ground.
“Ah… it looks like I made it. I am starving to death,” Ye Liuyun said weakly.
She had not eaten for an entire day.
The cultivation technique she practiced was rather special.
It had been taught to her by Lin Qingyou, who claimed it was unique in the entire world.
According to her, once cultivated successfully, the technique could grant eternal youth and immortality.
However, it had one significant drawback.
Practitioners could not avoid eating.
In other words, even cultivators had to eat and drink just like ordinary people.
The method of cultivation was literally eating and drinking.
Because Ye Liuyun had left in a hurry, she had not brought any provisions with her.
“Miss, are you alright?”
At that moment, a young man in white passed by and noticed her exhausted state.
He looked gentle and refined.
Ye Liuyun glanced at him before asking seriously,
“Brother, do you happen to have any food or water?”
The young man immediately understood.
Without hesitation, he took some food and water from his horse and handed them to her generously.
Ye Liuyun accepted them without ceremony and began devouring the food.
Her eating manners were terrible—like a starving ghost reborn.
The young man was stunned when he saw her behavior.
He wondered how long this girl had gone without eating.
After a few minutes, Ye Liuyun finished everything and instantly looked revived.
“Ah! I feel alive again. Brother, what is your name? You are truly my great benefactor,” Ye Liuyun asked with satisfaction.
“Ah… my name is Xiao Hansheng. What is your name, Miss?” the young man introduced himself.
“Me? My name is Ye—cough—my name is Ye Liuyu.”
Ye Liuyun had almost spoken her real name.
Xiao Hansheng nodded.
Soon the two of them stopped at the entrance of the stone steps.
Horses were not allowed beyond this point.
Everyone had to tie their mounts at the foot of the mountain.
Only after the examination ended—or if they failed—could they return to retrieve them.
Looking at the magnificent Floating Cloud Mountain before her, Ye Liuyun felt a deep sense of longing.
Before ascending, all candidates had to verify their age.
Only after passing the age check could they climb the steps.
“Miss, please extend your hand,” a beautiful female disciple of the Yunxia Sect said gently.
Ye Liuyun’s eyes lit up when she saw her.
Cultivators truly possessed remarkable presence.
They seemed far more beautiful than ordinary people in the mortal world.
Even this seemingly ordinary disciple surpassed most women she had seen before.
“Immortal sister, you are truly beautiful,” Ye Liuyun said instinctively while extending her hand.
The female cultivator laughed softly.
“You have a sweet tongue, little sister. Your age is suitable, so you may go up. These steps are the test for disciples. Only those who reach the top may join the Yunxia Sect. And you must reach the end before sunset today. Otherwise, it counts as failure,” the female cultivator reminded her.
After hearing this, Ye Liuyun looked at the staircase.
It did not appear particularly unusual.
“Miss Ye, let us go,” Xiao Hansheng said, seeing that Ye Liuyun was still staring blankly.
Ye Liuyun nodded.
Then the two of them stepped onto the staircase.
So far, nothing seemed strange about the steps.