Chapter 890: Yu'er, A Thief

In the purple moon illusory realm, while Xia Xingchen and Sage Qingyun's fight caused a ruckus, Yu'er and Xia Zi headed in secret toward another Yuqing yin pillar. There were a large number of halls erected around the pillar, and many Yuqing disciples and purple-furred monsters were standing guard.

"Yu'er, what are we doing here? This is Shi Tianbei's residence," Xia Zi murmured, confused.

"That's where I want to go," Yu'er replied.

"Oh?"

"How dare Shi Tianbei plot against me? I'm not going to let him get away with it. Stand guard for me. I'm going to head in there and get something," Yu'er said.

"What? You're going to steal from Shi Tianbei?" Xia Zi exclaimed. He hurriedly stepped in front of her. "Are you crazy? This place is heavily guarded and full of traps and formations. You can't possibly sneak in!"

"It'll be alright. Shi Tianbei never lets anyone in, and I'm sure the interior is unguarded. Father and Nanfeng are stalling him. No one will suspect that I've been in his residence."

"But there are so many guards and purple-furred monsters around, not to mention the defensive formations! How are you going to get inside?"

"Don't waste my time! I said I'd do it, and I will. Don't forget, I've already absorbed one Yuqing yin pillar. Shi Tianbei's domain is inside another yin pillar, and my body can pass through them. See?"

As she spoke, Yu'er touched the nearby Yuqing yin pillar. Her body began to merge into it. Within moments, she disappeared entirely.

"You can turn invisible?" Xia Zi exclaimed. "Yu'er, when did you learn about this ability of yours?"

However, Yu'er seemed to have left. She didn't answer.

Xia zi sighed. He had no choice but to stand on guard, his gaze fixed on Shi Tianbei's palace in the distance.

Formations guarded the residence, and purple-furred monsters and Yuqing disciples continued to patrol, but no one seemed to be able to detect her presence.

Suddenly, the doors to Shi Tianbei's residence opened ever so slightly, the movement so subtle that neither the guards nor monsters noticed a thing. Only Xia Zi, watching from afar, realized that Yu'er had succeeded.

His heart raced with anxiety. "Sister, you'd better not cause trouble. If anyone notices you, we'd both be dead!"

Just then, a massive explosion erupted within Shi Tianbei's residence. A fiery blaze rose up; the sound reverberated throughout the entire realm.

Xia Zi's eyes opened wide as his face twitched. His worst fear had come true. He was worried that Yu'er would cause even the slightest disturbance—but instead, she had blown up the entire palace!

Screams filled the air as the explosion flung Yuqing disciples and purple-furred lifeforms in all directions. None of them had anticipated such a calamity, and they were utterly unprepared.

Xia Zi stood frozen, uncertain what to do.

Then, a figure suddenly appeared beside him—Yu'er, her face brimming with excitement. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

"Are you alright? Just what did you do?" Xia Zi exclaimed.

Just then, from Chiyang Peak, a furious roar could be heard. "Who dares destroy my residence?!"

Xia Zi's eyes widened as he fled with Yu'er in tow. They disappeared in an instant.

Afar, from Chiyang Peak, the Mountain Lords, holy maidens, and Yuqing disciples rushed toward the source of the commotion.

Back at Chiyang Peak, Xiao Nanfeng's revelation had left the Yuqing disciples at a loss for words.

After a moment of tense silence, Shi Tianbei narrowed his eyes. "Xiao Nanfeng, if you're lying, the Yuqing Grandmaster will surely pursue this matter in the future."

"I have a clear conscience," Xiao Nanfeng replied calmly. "I haven't lied, and I fear no reckoning from the Yuqing Grandmaster. I wonder if you who have monopolized the purple moon illusory realm in his name should be worried instead."

Sage Qingyun scowled. "What audacity! Have you forgotten the kindness that the Taiqing Immortal Sect owes the Yuqing holy land?"

"Mountain Lord Xia was the one who protected the Taiqing Immortal Sect, not you. Sage Qingyun, have you ever spoken a word in defense of the Taiqing Immortal Sect?" Xiao Nanfeng retorted.

"How dare you!" Sage Qingyun thundered.

Xiao Nanfeng turned back to Shi Tianbei and took a deep breath. "Hierarch Shi, esteemed Mountain Lords, I'm not the one attempting to cause trouble here. Rather, Sage Qingyun has been intent on stirring up hostilities—his arrogance, his desire to treat me as an enemy, to rile up tensions between Yuqing and Taiqing. What's his motive?"

Beside him, Xia Xingchen added, "Exactly. Xiao Nanfeng is here to pay me a visit, and he's not planning to stay for long. He'll be leaving shortly. What's there to argue about?"

The other Mountain Lords glanced at Sage Qingyun curiously. Xiao Nanfeng did seem like a reasonable person. Couldn't Sage Qingyun have handled this more diplomatically?

Shi Tianbei frowned. He too turned toward Sage Qingyun as doubt crept into his mind. Was he incapable of handling matters properly?

Sage Qingyun stiffened as the tide of opinion turned against him.

Xiao Nanfeng continued, "Let me clarify: the Yuqing holy land and Taiqing Immortal Sect are allies. As the master of the Taiqing Immortal Sect, I have no intention of causing trouble here. The Heavenly Emperor bestowed upon me the Yuqing Yin Body, and my accidental discovery of the purple moon illusory realm was purely a coincidence. I've merely come to visit old friends and will leave shortly after."

Xiao Nanfeng's explanation reassured the crowd, many of whom nodded in agreement. Xiao Nanfeng had strong ties to Xia Xingchen and other Mountain Lords like Yang Chuan and the Demon Child. Why would he jeopardize his relationship with the Yuqing holy land?

Sage Qingyun was glowering. Was he to be held responsible for the entire mess, then?

The crowd began to nod approvingly at Xiao Nanfeng.

Shi Tianbei finally relented. "It seems that this was a misunderstanding on my part. Xia Xingchen, see that Sect Master Xiao receives a proper welcome."

Xia Xingchen nodded. "Naturally, Hierarch."

Sage Qingyun could only grit his teeth in silence.

At that moment, a deafening explosion erupted in the distance.

"Hierarch, your residence has been destroyed!" someone shouted.

"What?!" the crowd exclaimed.

From afar, flames and debris shot into the sky as the remains of Shi Tianbei's residence collapsed. Disciples and purple-furred monsters scrambled in the chaos.

Shi Tianbei's eyes widened as he thundered, "Who dares destroy my residence?!"

His face livid with rage, he shot toward the explosion, followed closely by the other Mountain Lords and Yuqing disciples, leaving Xiao Nanfeng and Xia Xingchen standing by the foot of Chiyang Peak.

Xia Xingchen suspected what had happened. He had seen Yu'er and Xia Zi sneaking away earlier, and knew of their grievances against Shi Tianbei. They were the likely culprits.

"Mountain Lord Xia, please go have a look. I'm worried about Yu'er and the others," Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

He hadn't expected Yu'er to make such a big fuss, himself. Blowing up the hierarch's residence...

Xia Xingchen nodded and flew over, but Xiao Nanfeng didn't follow him. He waited patiently where he was.

Before long, Yu'er and a visibly shaken Xia Zi returned.

"Yu'er, did you really blow up Shi Tianbei's residence?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, simultaneously amused and exasperated.

He didn't harangue Yu'er; he was upset at Shi Tianbei himself. If he could have, he would have slain Shi Tianbei for his discourtesy.

"He deserves it! But no, that wasn't my intention. I was trying to claim something from his residence, but Shi Tianbei must have made it the core of his formation. After I removed it, the whole formation exploded automatically. Luckily, I was able to get away," Yu'er said smugly.

"Are you alright?" Xiao Nanfeng asked worriedly.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Of course! I'm not hurt," Yu'er replied confidently.

Xiao Nanfeng sighed in relief, then frowned at Xia Zi. "Senior Brother Xia Zi, how could you have allowed such a thing? What if Yu'er had been injured?"

Xia Zi grimaced. "As if I could stop her."

"It's fine, it's fine! Let's head back to Chiyang Peak for now," Yu'er urged, eager to change the subject.

Only then did Xiao Nanfeng nod as the three cultivators ascended the peak. Before long, Xia Xingchen returned as well.

"Mountain Lord Xia, how's the situation?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"It's a mess. Shi Tianbei seems to have lost something very important. He's ordered the disciples to scour the realm."

"Oh?"

Xia Xingchen turned to Xia Zi and roared, "Who told you to make a fuss?"

Xia Zi stiffened. "Yu'er insisted!"

"You're her elder brother. Don't you think you should have stopped her? What if something had happened to her?" Xia Xingchen glared at Xia Zi.

Xia Zi: ...

Yu'er had been the one to pull him along! Why was everyone blaming him now?

"Yu'er, just what did you end up stealing from Shi Tianbei?" Xia Xingchen asked curiously.

"That piece of golden jade that Shi Tianbei used to curse us."

"Oh?" Xia Xingchen raised an eyebrow. "That golden jade is one of Shi Tianbei's treasures. He never lets it out of his sight. How could he have left it in his residence?"

"Who knows? When I snuck in, I found a huge formation with the golden jade as its core. The formation was as hot as a furnace—who knows what sort of sinister art he was practicing?" Yu'er recalled.

"Forget it. We can't let anyone know of this," Xia Xingchen warned.

"Worry not, Mountain Lord Xia. I was intending to leave with Yu'er in the first place. Once we leave the purple moon illusory realm, Shi Tianbei won't be able to cause trouble for her," Xiao Nanfeng promised.

Only then did Xia Xingchen nod. "Very well. There's no time to lose. Leave immediately."

"Understood!" Everyone nodded.

"Father, I'm not going to say anything to anyone, but Brother's talkative. You should make sure he remains silent," Yu'er said.

Everyone turned to Xia Zi, who stiffened again. He sighed in exasperation. How had he ended up with such a sister?

"Don't worry. If he reveals anything, I'll skin him," Xia Xingchen promised.

Xia Zi: ...

Why had he let his sister drag him into this stupid heist?!